The night before the school’s coming-of-age ceremony, my girlfriend Rachel brought the class’s scholarship student to find me, immediately demanding that I give my custom-made suit to the scholarship student. She said, “Ulysses comes from a poor family and can’t afford a suit, and you don’t lack one piece of clothing. Oh, and the shoes and watch—you need to give those too.” I laughed in anger. “Just because he’s poor, I have to support him? So when he gets married and has kids, do I have to help with that too?” Ulysses’ face darkened. Rachel flew into a rage, insisting I must have the clothes, watch, and shoes ready by tomorrow, or she’d cancel our engagement. I fell silent, then turned to call my grandfather. The engagement needed to be cancelled, but I would be the one to cancel it first. “You want to cancel the engagement? Why?” Grandfather asked me. “Because we’re not compatible. Rachel and I grew up together, and I thought I understood her well, but I’ve recently discovered I don’t know her as much as I thought.” Grandfather on the other end of the line was silent for a moment, then said, “Alright, let’s arrange a time for both families to have dinner together and clarify the matter of dissolving the engagement.” I agreed and walked into the classroom to study. After evening self-study ended, many classmates were clamoring that tomorrow’s coming-of-age ceremony called for celebrating hard at a bar tonight. The teacher didn’t stop them either! “You all go ahead. Ulysses is in a bad mood, so I’ll keep him company.” My childhood friend Rachel’s single sentence dropped the classroom’s lively atmosphere to freezing point. Everyone looked at me, including the teacher. They all knew Rachel and I had grown up together and were engaged. I looked at Rachel, my eyes involuntarily stinging. Twenty years—she had left an indelible mark on my heart, yet in hers, I apparently couldn’t even compare to Ulysses, whom she’d only known for a year. “Rachel, the atmosphere is so good, don’t be a buzzkill,” a classmate tried to persuade. “And Emmanuel…” “Don’t mention him!” Rachel’s face suddenly turned cold. “If he hadn’t deliberately humiliated Ulysses just now, Ulysses wouldn’t be in a bad mood.” With those words, the few classmates who wanted to speak up didn’t dare say anything more. Ulysses looked at me provocatively and patted Rachel’s hand. “Rachel, you go ahead. I’ll be fine.” After speaking, he deliberately put on a dejected expression. Rachel immediately hugged his arm with heartache. “Don’t say anymore. I’ll stay with you all night.” Hearing this, my face changed drastically. Stay with Ulysses—for the whole night! At this moment, I felt both heartbroken and furious. I wanted to loudly question Rachel about whether she still remembered I was her fiancé, bound to her by engagement. Seeing my poor expression, the surrounding classmates quickly tried to smooth things over. “Rachel’s just joking. How could she stay with Ulysses all night?” “Yeah, everyone in the whole school knows Rachel and you grew up together and are engaged. We’re all waiting to attend your wedding.” “I’ll definitely give you a big gift when the time comes.” Rachel said coolly, “Sorry to disappoint everyone. Our wedding may not happen.” After speaking, she walked away with Ulysses’ arm in hers. After two steps, she turned back to me. “I’ve given you a chance. Whether you can seize it is up to you.” I smiled and nodded. “Don’t worry, I’ve already made my decision.” Twenty years, and we’d finally become strangers. “That’s too much.” Classmates expressed their indignation on my behalf. “Yeah, she’s engaged to you. How can she say she’ll stay with Ulysses all night?”

“I’ll go pull her back.” I stopped the classmate who wanted to chase after them and smiled. “Forget it.” There’s a saying—people who don’t love you can’t see your existence. If that’s the case, why should I care? “Let’s go. Today’s on me!” At the bar, the atmosphere was lively. Because Ulysses wasn’t there. During previous class group activities, no one had looked down on him for being a scholarship student. They’d taken him everywhere, but he always said inappropriate things. “A plate of fruit costs a hundred dollars? So expensive. You’re all so rich.” “I’m not rich like you guys to buy gifts, so I can only give verbal blessings. Happy birthday.” “My family is poor. I really envy how you throw away clothes when they get a hole in them.” He always disguised himself as the victim, as if we were flaunting our wealth in front of him. Whenever this happened, Rachel would always stand up to defend him. “What are you thinking about? Sing a song and vent all the frustration you’ve been holding inside.” A classmate shoved a microphone into my hand, got up, and ran to select “Endless Love.” This used to be my favorite song, but not anymore. “Change it. ‘Lonely Boy.’” The classmate paused, then silently changed the song. As soon as the intro started, the private room door was flung open. Rachel walked in with Ulysses. Instantly, the lively atmosphere in the room fell silent. You could hear a pin drop. Rachel acted as if she hadn’t noticed, speaking to herself. “Ulysses persuaded me. I thought about it and realized he was right—I really should come. Plus, I think it’s necessary to let you all see him completely transformed.” Rachel smiled broadly. “So, how is it? Isn’t he handsome?” The room remained silent. I looked at Ulysses, dressed in a full suit, wearing a tie, dress pants, and leather shoes, and was the first to applaud. “He really is handsome!” “At least you have good taste!” Rachel was very satisfied with my perceptiveness. “Actually, Ulysses is very handsome. He just didn’t have money to dress up before. Now looking at him, he’s no worse than any of you.” I smiled. Handsome? Although dressed in designer brands, he looked awkward no matter how you looked at him! People with dark hearts can’t project refinement no matter how they dress. Rachel calling him handsome was just beauty in the eye of the beholder. Rachel scanned Ulysses up and down, touching her chin. “Seems like something’s still missing.” She turned to look at me. “Emmanuel, take off your watch and give it to Ulysses. I won’t ask you to give him clothes—just give him a watch. You can’t object to that, right?” I paused and looked down at my wrist. The watch was old, but I’d always worn it and carefully maintained it. Because it was a gift from Rachel’s father. When Rachel’s father had put it on my wrist, he’d said, “This is the Wilson family’s heirloom token. Now I’m entrusting it to you. From now on, Rachel and the Wilson family are in your hands.” After a long silence, I spoke in a hoarse voice. “Are you sure?” “What’s there to be unsure about? It’s just a watch. Or are you saying you can’t even bear to part with a watch?” Rachel’s tone was dissatisfied. She walked over and forcefully removed the watch. The process was rough. I wanted to stop her several times but held back. “Uncle Peter, don’t blame me. This is Rachel’s decision. She thinks Ulysses deserves this watch more than I do.” Looking at Rachel’s face, I thought silently to myself. Rachel hadn’t expected me to remain silent the entire time. She successfully removed the watch and nodded with satisfaction. “Emmanuel, you’ve finally grown up.” With that, she turned and walked back to Ulysses, gently putting the watch on him with a tender expression, being extremely careful as if afraid of hurting Ulysses even slightly.

My heart stabbed with pain, but I forced myself not to look away and continued watching. Because I needed to learn not to care. After putting on the watch, Rachel happily pulled Ulysses to sing. The two interacted frequently. When singing love songs, they made eye contact, their gazes filled with affection. They sat closer and closer. Ulysses’ hand brazenly wrapped around Rachel’s waist, and he turned to give me a provocative and triumphant look. I remained expressionless and downed a large glass of beer. The party continued until eleven o’clock. Rachel had drunk too much and was squinting, leaning against Ulysses, her arms around his neck, asking him to take her home. Ulysses looked at me with a smile on his lips. “Emmanuel, why don’t you take Rachel home instead?” Before I could speak, Rachel waved her right hand drunkenly. “No, I hate him today. I don’t want him to take me home.” “I want to go to your place. I promised to stay with you all night.” “This…” Ulysses feigned panic and quickly said to me, “Emmanuel, Rachel’s drunk. She’s talking nonsense. Please don’t take it to heart.” I said indifferently, “Since she hates me and insists on staying with you, I’ll leave her to you. Whether you take her home or bring her to your place—whatever you want.” With that, I left without looking back, my eyes already red. On the way home, scenes with Rachel flashed through my mind like a slideshow. We’d grown up together. My world was full of her. From kindergarten to college, I’d always protected her, not letting her suffer any harm. When she was bullied and made to cry by older students in elementary school, I went with red eyes to confront them and even got into a fight. In the end, she received an apology, and although I was bruised and battered, I smiled happily. For her birthday every year, I’d ask my parents to buy all the fireworks in the city and the front page of all the newspapers that day to celebrate for her. When I was sixteen, our families discussed our marriage and established the engagement. I was so happy I didn’t sleep all night. I thought I could walk through life with her like this, grow old together. But everything changed after meeting Ulysses. She stopped acting cute with me. Instead, there was more scolding and shouting. I endured it again and again, for no other reason than because I loved her. But did she love me? Before today, I was certain of the answer—she loved me too. But I discovered I was wrong. She didn’t love me that much. Twenty years of feelings—could they really not compare to three years? The facts proved they couldn’t. The next day, I saw Rachel at the classroom door. Her face was somewhat pale, and she seemed unsteady on her feet. Ulysses beside her was carefully supporting her. I paused, then walked past as if nothing had happened. Rachel stopped me. I said coolly, “What is it?” Rachel didn’t dare look at me, keeping her head down. “Um, last night Ulysses took me home. I was so drunk that I fell asleep as soon as I got there and forgot to call you to let you know I was safe.” “Oh!” I nodded. “Anything else?” As if she hadn’t expected such a calm reaction from me, Rachel frowned. “Don’t you believe me?” “No, I just didn’t sleep well last night and I’m a bit tired.” “Take care of yourself. You can’t drink that much like you did last night.” Rachel reminded me, then hesitated before gently hugging me. “Yesterday was my fault. I shouldn’t have yelled at you or said those things to deliberately make you angry. I apologize.” “Oh, and I have a surprise for you at today’s coming-of-age ceremony.” I smiled. “What a coincidence. I also have a surprise for you.” “Really?” Rachel’s eyes lit up. “We really are in sync, thinking the same thing.”

I smiled and walked toward the classroom. Just before entering, I instinctively looked back to see Ulysses with an ugly expression while Rachel hugged his arm, constantly acting cute. Ha! I sneered and walked into the classroom without looking back. The coming-of-age ceremony started on time. All the students’ parents came. Naturally, my family and Rachel’s family came too. The students went on stage one by one, saying words of gratitude to their parents. When it was Rachel’s turn, she thanked her parents as usual, then knelt on one knee facing me, holding a ring in her hand, and loudly said: “Emmanuel, will you marry me?” The whole venue was shocked! Her parents smiled happily. My parents were also smiling. Only Grandfather Andre remained expressionless. I looked at Ulysses again. He was also smiling broadly, extending his middle finger toward me, his eyes provocative. I smiled and, under everyone’s gaze, walked onto the stage step by step. Rachel looked at me expectantly. I was silent for a moment, then reached out to grab the ring from her hand, turned, and threw it forcefully at Ulysses. Then I loudly said: “I won’t marry Rachel, because she and Ulysses are the real pair. Let’s give them our blessings.” After speaking, I was the first to clap. I turned back to look at Rachel, still kneeling on the ground, and said softly: “Surprise. Do you like it?” The whole venue fell into deathly silence. Her parents’ smiles froze on their faces. My parents looked at me in shock. Grandfather gripped his cane tightly. Rachel’s face first went pale, then flushed red. She stood up abruptly and shouted angrily, “Emmanuel, are you crazy?” “I’m not crazy. I just did something you wanted to do but didn’t dare to.” I looked at Rachel, my eyes calm. I used to think I could never leave her, but only after truly letting go did I realize— There’s never been anyone who truly can’t live without someone else. Everyone has parents, friends, and family. We never live for just one person. “What nonsense are you talking about!” Rachel trembled with anger, pointing at me, her eyes brimming with tears. “I abandoned a woman’s modesty and proposed to you in front of the entire school, and this is how you humiliate me in return.” “Emmanuel, how can you face me? How can you face our twenty years together? How can you face my parents?” By the end, she pointed sharply at her parents below the stage, tears falling like broken kite strings. “Dad, Mom, I’ve embarrassed you.” “Rachel!” Rachel’s mother Russell let out a shrill scream and rushed to the stage to hug Rachel. Rachel’s father Peter’s face was iron-blue as he angrily questioned my parents. “This is your good son?” My parents opened their mouths but couldn’t say a word in rebuttal. I spoke, my voice flat. “Uncle Peter, don’t make things difficult for my parents. They don’t know anything.” “Then it’s you!” Russell held Rachel tightly, turning to look at me. The kindness that used to be in her eyes had completely turned to fury. “What has Rachel done to wrong you that you would subject her to such humiliation?” “The engagement was made by both our families together. If you’ve had a change of heart and fallen for someone else, the families could sit down together and cancel the engagement amicably.” “You and Rachel have twenty years of history together. Is this how you treat her? Humiliating her in front of the entire school?” “She’s a girl! Do you want her to die?” The surrounding classmates who didn’t know the truth also pointed fingers at me. “That’s too much.” “Yeah, if you’ve had a change of heart and want to break the engagement, you can talk about it properly. How can you use such an extreme method?” “Rachel is so pitiful to have fallen for someone like this.”

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My best friend Thea went missing during an undercover operation abroad. I submitted a request to the organization to go in as her backup. When I found her, she was being tortured at a reservoir, barely recognizable. But thankfully, she hadn’t cracked—hadn’t exposed her identity. She’d survived. Over the next few years, the two of us became mistresses to two leaders of the criminal organization. We coordinated seamlessly, working our way closer to the core. Finally, on Thea’s 29th birthday, we took them all down and completed the mission! Looking at the ticket home in my hands, I broke down crying right there, unable to control myself. “Thea, this nightmare is finally over. We can go home!” I was about to take out the birthday present I’d prepared for her when Thea suddenly sighed. “Yeah, we haven’t been back in so long. I wonder if that persimmon tree at home is still there.” Her expression was wistful, but I stared at her in shock, my heart suddenly gripped with fear. Both our parents had been killed by drug dealers. Before we even entered the police academy, we knew we’d one day have to face these criminals head-on. Thea had pointed at that persimmon tree and made a pact with me: “Our parents’ ashes are buried beneath it. It’s not a persimmon tree—it’s a Tree of Vengeance. If one of us ever gets compromised, we’ll find a way to send out the code word ‘persimmon tree.’” “It means: I’ve been exposed. Don’t believe a single word I say.” Now, when she was clearly safe, she’d just said those words right in front of me. She absolutely wasn’t my Thea! So where was my real Thea? Who was this person I’d been working with undercover for years, licking blood off knife-edges, fighting with nothing but conviction and our lives on the line?

Sensing something was wrong, Thea tensed up and grabbed both my arms. “What’s wrong, Hernandez?” “Has all the stress been too much? Is that old condition you recovered from flaring up again?” Seeing the genuine concern in her eyes, I relaxed slightly. My parents and Thea’s parents had been colleagues. Years ago, during a mission, they were brutally murdered by drug dealers. After that, I couldn’t sleep for years and developed severe mental illness. Fortunately, I still had Thea to rely on. With her help, I gradually recovered. Only Thea knew about this. And I’d already carved Thea’s appearance into my mind. The person before me looked identical to my Thea—even the beauty mark by her mouth was exactly the same shape. I figured she must have been so excited about completing the mission that she’d momentarily forgotten our pact. I tested her carefully. “I’m fine. It’s just when you suddenly mentioned that tree at home, I felt guilty.” “During the time you were missing, someone broke into our house for revenge and set it on fire. I was too busy preparing for my undercover work and didn’t notice in time. That tree burned down.” Her eyes went wide. “Burned down? But our parents’ ashes were buried under that tree! Hernandez, did you at least save the ashes?” The matter of the ashes was even more private. Besides Thea and me, not a single other person in the world knew about it. I finally felt completely reassured. I was about to admit I’d been testing her when Thea rubbed her reddened eyes. “I’ll never get to eat the fruit from that persimmon tree again.” “But Hernandez, don’t feel guilty. We destroyed the drug trafficking syndicate and avenged our parents. Their spirits will only feel comforted.” The next second, the words I was about to speak lodged in my throat like a stone! She’d said “persimmon tree” again! If she’d simply forgotten our pact earlier, surely she’d have remembered by now. This was a pact she herself had spoken on the day before we entered the police academy. She’d called the persimmon tree the Tree of Vengeance to remind herself never to forget the hatred of our parents’ murder. No matter how hard, how difficult, how frightening—she had to stay firm in her conviction to fight the drug dealers. We’d branded the “Tree of Vengeance” into our very souls! “Yeah, Thea, they’ll definitely be comforted.” “We got our revenge and completed the mission. That’s the best birthday present for you.” I calmly stepped back from her and took out the gift I’d prepared—a snow globe with six cartoon figures inside, four adults and two children, depicting a scene from my childhood memories of our two families having dinner together. Then suddenly, I “accidentally” dropped the gift on the ground. It shattered. “Oh—” I cried out, “Sorry, Thea! I’ll get you another one!” She said it was fine, told me to just get her a replacement after we got home. I insisted on staying to replace it, saying it would already be the next day by the time we landed. I needed to find her on Thea’s actual birthday, whether she was dead or alive.

The custom snow globe would take time to make, so Thea took me to an arcade. She knew what I liked to do to relax, and even knew which games I was good at and which characters I preferred. She bought me ice cream, thoughtfully removing the chocolate coating just like she used to, then gathering the crumbs together and eating them all at once with her eyes closed in bliss. Aside from the “persimmon tree,” I couldn’t detect anything unusual about her. “Hernandez, the last time I celebrated my birthday with you was five years ago, wasn’t it?” During dinner, before I could even probe, Thea brought up the past on her own. “I secretly applied for the undercover operation without telling you. When you found out, you knocked the cake over and cried and yelled at me.” “Do you remember? I stayed up all night trying to comfort you.” She looked at me with a smile, her eyes full of reminiscence. I remembered. We’d agreed that I would be the one to go undercover. Thea had agreed verbally, but then behind my back she’d fought for the assignment. She’d wanted to sacrifice herself to protect me. In front of me, she was always the image of a strong, optimistic, responsible big sister. But was that real Thea still there? Was she still alive? I dug my nails into my palm and went along with her words. “Of course I remember. We’re police officers, but you coaxed me like I was a child.” “I was so frantic I wanted to call Director Alexander and beg him to give me the mission instead. What did you do?” She laughed even harder. “I confiscated your phone and locked you in your room. By the time you got out, I was already on the plane heading abroad.” I wanted to laugh along with her, but I couldn’t make myself do it. Director Alexander and several colleagues knew that I’d cried and yelled at Thea on her birthday. But her locking me in the room afterward—that was something she absolutely couldn’t have told anyone else. Yet she’d recounted it with perfect clarity, down to every detail. How did she know all this so clearly? In the silence, Thea suddenly stood up and called out softly: “Before, you were so focused on the mission that I could overlook you not paying attention to your appearance. But now the mission’s complete and you need to think about your future. How can you still be so careless?” As she spoke, Thea pulled out a tissue and wiped away food residue from my mouth. She gently brushed a few strands of my hair behind my ear. Her reproachful tone, the gentle tickle of her fingers brushing my skin—it was all so familiar, so long-missed. It made me doubt myself again. Was I just being paranoid? Just then, the final dessert arrived at our table—persimmon cake. I’d ordered it on purpose. I stared intently at her reaction. I saw her freeze for a moment, then suddenly her eyes reddened. “My parents’ favorite fruit was persimmon.” “Hernandez, if that persimmon tree at home were still there, do you think in the afterlife they could eat the persimmons that fall to the ground?” The warmth I’d been feeling instantly vanished. I snapped back to clarity. She’d mentioned the persimmon tree again. She absolutely couldn’t be the real Thea! I wanted to restrain her immediately, contact my colleagues who were still in the country wrapping things up, and force her to reveal her true identity! But I didn’t dare. If my real Thea was still alive, I was afraid that alerting them would get her killed. I could only force out a smile and stabilize the situation first, then find a way to discover Thea’s whereabouts.

But I couldn’t figure out when she’d started impersonating Thea. Three years ago, Thea went missing. Of the four undercover agents the organization had planted in the drug trafficking syndicate, all died except Thea. At that time, everyone thought Thea must have met with disaster too. Without hesitation, I applied to become the new undercover agent. Three months later, following the organization’s arrangements, I connected with one of the leaders and made contact with the criminal organization. That’s when I saw Thea. She was tied up in a water dungeon. You could tell it was her, but her body was rotting beyond recognition. The leader smiled and told me, “We probably made a mistake. The boss suspected she was a cop, but no cop could last six months with us without talking.” Besides fear, I didn’t dare show any other emotion. In that brief glance, our eyes met for just a moment. She was in terrible pain, but her eyes were bright and resilient. She mouthed the words: “Tree of Vengeance.” In that instant, I nearly broke down in tears. She’d withstood torture we thought no one could endure. I was certain that Thea at that time was still Thea. Later she was released. One of the leaders was a pervert who liked Thea’s scars and kept her by his side. The two of us exchanged information through our unspoken understanding and formulated plans. Not only did she never betray me, she saved my life several times. So the Thea during that period should have been the real Thea too, right? When exactly did she get replaced? I wracked my brain but couldn’t find any leads. “Hernandez, your custom snow globe should be ready soon.” “Let’s book the earliest flight and go home as soon as we pick it up.” The Thea before me suggested going home again, and this time I had no reason to delay. I could only make an excuse about having a stomachache, asking her to wait while I went to the bathroom alone. Then I had my colleagues send me all the communication records between Thea and me during our undercover operation. We’d pretended not to know each other. All our communications used coded symbols, exchanging information under a safe, inconspicuous tree. Now all this information had been preserved. I needed to read it word by word, looking for any trace of inconsistency in phrasing or other details to determine when Thea had been replaced. But I read through it again and again—the Thea outside was getting impatient—and I found nothing unusual. “Hernandez, if your stomach really hurts that bad, I’m going to get you medicine!” “If we delay any longer, we’ll miss tonight’s flight.” Her urging voice came again. A chill ran through me as I suddenly realized an overlooked problem. What was the point of her impersonating Thea?

If she was an imposter who wanted to know about my past with Thea and all those details, she would have to control Thea and extract that information from her. But if she’d already controlled Thea, why would she let the entire criminal organization get taken down? And now, instead of running away, she was actively returning to the country. The security situation there would be exponentially more dangerous for her! “Hey! Do you really not need help? Don’t be like Neves and pass out from dehydration in the bathroom!” She knocked on the door anxiously, sounding worried I might have an accident. I quickly called back, “Almost done.” In that moment, my doubts deepened. If she was an imposter trying to fool me, knowing some things about my past would be enough. Why would she also remember something as trivial as our colleague Neves fainting in the bathroom six years ago? Even under torture, no one would ask about something like that. And besides, Thea could withstand torture. Her conviction would never allow her to bow to drug dealers! I walked out with my doubts. She immediately hugged me and checked my body. I couldn’t detect even a hint of false pretense. Could it be that the long-term pressure and mental torment had caused Thea to forget the “persimmon tree” pact? I couldn’t find any other explanation. This was the only possibility. “Thea, let’s go to the hospital.” “My stomach really hurts—” Before I could finish, Thea scooped me up in her arms. “Waiter, where’s the nearest hospital?” She urgently carried me to a taxi, her eyes red as she said I’d lost weight, that five years ago when I was shot during a drug bust and she rushed me to the hospital, I’d weighed much more than now. I closed my eyes and forced the tears back, unable to say another word. I was starting to believe she really was Thea. I went to the hospital to buy time so my colleagues could take her hair for a DNA test. If she was the real Thea, we’d go home. If she was fake, we’d restrain and interrogate her immediately. Even if it meant alerting them, I had no choice. She was performing perfectly—I couldn’t find a single flaw, and I had no way to discover Thea’s whereabouts. I successfully obtained strands of her hair and passed them to my colleague. The 20 hours waiting for results felt like years, leaving me on edge. “Thea checks out. DNA test results are normal…” The moment I received my colleague’s message, I couldn’t control myself and rushed over to hug Thea tightly. “My symptoms are much better, Thea. Let’s go home!” “Let’s go home!” She was happy too and immediately took out her phone to book tickets. On the way to the airport, we excitedly planned where to go after returning home, deciding to visit all the places we’d wanted to go but couldn’t afford before. This joy felt like going from hell to heaven in an instant. Thea being safe meant everything to me! “Oh, right—” When we reached the airport, Thea seemed to suddenly remember something. “We don’t have any savings, and the bureau’s bonus still needs approval. We don’t really have money to travel everywhere, do we?” “Why don’t we dig up the assets our parents left us first? We agreed that once we avenged them, we could use that money.” My steps suddenly stopped. “What assets?” Thea smiled naturally. “What other assets could there be? Have you forgotten? The ones we buried under the Tree of Vengeance!”

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I tamed my wild self for Ethan Shaw, enduring three years in silence just for his love. Then I overheard him confessing to his friends. “Vivian’s so dull now. I miss the old her.” He even gave my mother’s heirloom to Fiona, who humiliated me, and let her smash it to pieces. In a fire, he abandoned me to save her. I died inside, took my trust fund, and left for Zurich. When he chased me to Zurich begging for another chance, he didn’t know I’d already placed my engagement ring on someone else’s finger. He held the shattered bracelet and said “I love you.” I just smiled and took my fiancé’s arm. “Sorry, I don’t pick up trash.” Vivian POV I was once the most spoiled heiress in this city. In the Hayes family’s heyday, our hillside mansion hosted parties every night, and our yacht gatherings lit up half the city’s sky. I lived boldly and freely, driving limited edition supercars, bidding against rivals at auctions for paintings. All with the bright, unpolished pride of someone who’d never been broken. Then I turned twenty four, and the Hayes empire collapsed without warning. The funding chain broke, auditors moved in, my father jumped from the top floor of the corporate building, and my mother’s heart gave out before they could save her. The people who once fawned over me instantly showed their true faces. Overnight, I fell from the highest heights to the lowest depths. I rented a room in a noisy old building and witnessed the full spectrum of human coldness. Just when I was pushed to the edge, my longtime rival Ethan Shaw found me. He reached out his hand, his eyes reddening. “Come with me. From now on, I’ll protect you.” We used to compete openly and secretly, never yielding to each other. Everyone’s favorite topic of gossip. I never expected that when I hit rock bottom, the first person to extend a hand would be him. After that, everyone said I was lucky. First my parents treasured me like a jewel, and even after losing everything, I still had someone like Ethan protecting me. So for him, I began to rein in my bold, arrogant personality, dulled all my sharp edges, became gentle, obedient, and considerate, loving him with my whole heart. But the Shaw family always thought I was too unruly. They made me go to church every month to pray for Ethan, staying there all day until my legs went numb and nearly lost all feeling. This routine continued for three whole years. This time, Ethan’s mother’s attitude finally softened. “Alright, after you finish praying today, you won’t need to come next month.” My heart pounded. “You mean…” “You’ve been well-behaved these three years. Rain or shine, you’ve never missed coming to pray for Ethan. I can see you truly care for him.” Mrs. Shaw said coolly, “At the next family dinner, have Ethan bring you along. We’ll discuss your wedding together.” So, does this mean the Shaw family has accepted me? A wave of bittersweet joy surged through me. I cried tears of happiness, eager to share this good news with Ethan. Learning he was still at the office, I hailed a cab and rushed over. Before I even reached his office, I heard Ethan laughing with a few of his childhood friends. My lips curved into a smile. I was about to push the door open when I caught the content of their teasing and froze. “I’ve got to hand it to you, Ethan! You actually managed to tame the wild Miss Hayes. Made her so docile. Who would’ve believed Vivian Hayes could be as obedient as a kitten?” “That’s because Ethan deliberately competed with Vivian for everything back then to get her attention. But after the Hayes family went bankrupt, instead of turning his back on her like everyone else, he took her in. How could Vivian not fall for him?” “But seriously, Vivian has really changed for you these past three years. I heard even your notoriously difficult mother has warmed up to her. At this rate, you two should be getting married soon, right?” After the question, there was silence for a few seconds before Ethan’s hesitant voice came through. “About marriage… we’ll see.” “What, you’re having second thoughts? Don’t want Vivian anymore?” “It’s not that. I still love her, but…” Ethan paused, his tone complicated. “She’s become a bit too docile, too… boring now.” “Boring?” “Now she cooks for me and hides her burned hands so I won’t notice. My mom deliberately tests her patience, and even when her knees get injured from standing too long, she never complains to me.” I stood frozen. To spare him guilt and heartache, I’d never shown him those repeatedly burned hands or injured knees. I’d never uttered a single complaint. I thought I’d hidden it all so well. But in reality, he knew everything? “Isn’t that good though? She does all this for you. It shows she’s completely devoted to you.” “I know she does it all for me.” Ethan frowned. “But the old Vivian would’ve turned the entire Shaw family upside down. She never would’ve accepted this kind of treatment.” I heard Ethan say slowly, “Compared to who she is now, I loved the old her better. Vibrant and eye catching, bold and radiant. Now she’s so quiet and obedient that I find her…boring.” As those words fell, not only did the people in the office freeze, but my blood seemed to freeze too. Boring. He knew I’d changed my bold, spoiled nature and endured all the humiliation for him. But he said this version of me made him feel… bored? “I heard you’ve been getting pretty close to that Fiona girl these past two months?” Ethan neither confirmed nor denied it, but his voice held a hint of interest. “Fiona’s quite… interesting. At the horse track, she dared to bet recklessly against me to win first place. For a Monet painting, she fought me tooth and nail. Watching her reminds me of the old Vivian.” “Vivian can’t stand even a grain of sand in her eye. If you get too close to another woman, watch out. She might dump you in anger.” “She won’t.” Ethan said with confident certainty, “She knows she’s not the Miss Hayes she used to be. She has nothing left except me. Without me, she’d be even less than nothing.” Just then, Ethan’s phone rang. “Gotta go. Fiona invited me sailing tonight. It’s about time.” I heard chairs scraping inside. I instinctively stepped back, quickly hiding in the shadows around the corner. I watched Ethan walk out of the office with one hand in his pocket, hurrying along while answering his phone, his tone holding an interest and pleasure I hadn’t heard in a long time. “Got it, Miss Fiona. I’ll be right there. I promise you’ll have a great time tonight.”

Vivian POV I don’t know how I left. When I came to my senses, I was standing by the shore. Not far away, on the deck of a speedboat at the harbor, stood two familiar, striking figures. The woman wore a fire-red halter dress, her arms intimately wrapped around the man’s neck, practically hanging off him. The man stood tall with sharp features, wearing a dark shirt, one hand loosely around her waist as he looked down, teasing her about something. That man. Who else could it be but Ethan? And the woman in the red dress in his arms… Even from a distance, I could never mistake her. It was Fiona. I stood there frozen, my mind drifting back to three years ago when I was forced to move into that old building. Fiona had brought several socialites to find me and pressed me hard against the filthy ground. Fiona crouched beside me, slapping my face until it swelled red, saying with smug superiority, “Vivian Hayes, bet you never saw this coming. Now it’s your turn to fall.” “In the past, you were so high and mighty. No matter how much I flattered and fawned over you, you looked down on me and gave me attitude. Did you ever think you’d have a day when I’d be stepping on you?” “Looking at you now really makes me feel good.” That was when Ethan found me. Seeing me humiliated by Fiona and the others, his eyes looked murderous, as if he wanted to tear them apart. After driving Fiona and her group away, he pulled me up and held me tight, saying over and over, “I’m sorry. I came too late.” My phone suddenly buzzed with a message notification, interrupting my memories. I took it out. On the screen was a message from Ethan: “Vivian, I have an important business dinner tonight with some overseas clients. Don’t wait up. Get some rest.” I stared at those words, then looked up toward the speedboat. Ethan tossed his phone onto the cushions beside him, then lowered his head and kissed Fiona as she tilted her face up. The scene pierced my chest like a sharp blade. Three years ago, after Ethan drove Fiona away and took me from that old building, I saw him as my salvation, the only plank of wood to cling to while drowning. But now, that plank had grown thorns, tearing me bloody. The hand that once pulled me from the mire was now personally pushing me into an even deeper abyss. Why, Ethan? Why did your affair have to be with Fiona, of all people? After returning to the Bayshore villa, I found a baseball bat and, filled with rage and pain, destroyed the entire living room. The next day when Ethan came home, this was the scene that greeted him. All the vases were shattered into countless pieces, lamps toppled over, cups, plates, fruit bowls, magazines, and flowers scattered across the floor. The entire living room had become a wasteland overnight, so chaotic there was barely room to step. And I lay motionless on the couch in the ruins. Ethan didn’t know what had happened. “Vivian?” Thinking something had happened to me, he rushed over anxiously and worried. I was startled awake. My lashes fluttered as I slowly opened my eyes. “You’re home.” Seeing me open my eyes and wake up, Ethan breathed a sigh of relief. “What happened?” He helped me sit up, crouching in front of me, puzzled. “Why does the house look like this? Did someone break in?” “No.” I said flatly, “I smashed it.” Ethan looked stunned. “…You?” I didn’t answer. My eyes rested on his handsome face. “Why are you only coming home now?” Guilt flashed through his eyes. Ethan tugged at his tie and said, “I drank too much with clients last night, so I crashed at a nearby hotel.” I looked at him and smiled. “Is that so?”

Vivian POV Ethan shifted uncomfortably under my gaze. He took my hand and frowned. “Vivian, what’s wrong with you?” “Let me ask you.” I looked directly into his eyes, not missing any emotion in them. “Were you really at a business dinner with clients last night?” Ethan’s brow furrowed. “What are you implying? You don’t trust me?” I didn’t reveal that I’d seen everything last night. Instead, I said, “I want to trust you, but your assistant said you didn’t have any business dinner last night.” I wanted to give him a chance to confess voluntarily and show remorse. But instead, Ethan’s face darkened instantly. “You went behind my back to ask my assistant about my schedule?” His displeasure stunned me. “Vivian Hayes, we’re not married yet.” His tone carried obvious anger. “You have no right to check my work schedule with my assistant!” Those words drove into my heart like an ice pick. In the three years we’d been together, Ethan had never shown me any displeasure, much less said such hurtful things. My breathing hitched. I dug my fingernails into my palms to steady my trembling voice. “That’s because you lied to me first.” “What did I lie to you about?” Ethan stood up, looking down at me from above. “I did have a business dinner last night. My assistant just didn’t know about it.” “Really? Then who were you dining with?” Ethan pressed his lips into a hard line, his gaze even angrier and darker. Before he could speak, I answered for him. “It was Fiona, wasn’t it?” “How do you know?” Ethan looked stunned and surprised for two seconds, then grew angry at being caught. “Did you have someone follow me?” I pulled my lips into a bitter smile. He continued, “Yes, I was with Fiona last night. But that’s because the Parker family has a project they want to collaborate with us on. She’s the person in charge from their side. There were details we needed to finalize in person, that’s all!” “But you know what she did when I was at my lowest three years ago, how she brought people to humiliate me. And now you’re getting involved with her?” Even if he had fallen for someone else, why did it have to be her? He could like anyone. Why did it have to be the woman who once stepped on me? My eyes gradually reddened. I curved my lips in mockery. “Or have you already forgotten what she did to me three years ago?” Ethan froze for two seconds, looking somewhat uncomfortable and awkward. “What she did three years ago was wrong, but it’s been so long. If I refused to work with the Parker family because of that conflict, my parents would be furious when they found out. They’d accuse us of mixing personal feelings with business.” He paused, then added, “Besides, everyone has a time when they’re young and foolish. Fiona has changed. She’s not like she was three years ago.” Hearing him finish, I could hardly believe my ears. I remembered after he took me in, there was once a man who had business dealings with the Shaw family company. At a banquet, he got handsy with me and made lewd comments, telling me to be with him. That man had his hand chopped off by Ethan in public. Back then, Ethan hadn’t worried about being accused of mixing personal with professional. Looking at this man making excuses with his parents and even defending Fiona, I felt like I was meeting him for the first time. “Besides, my relationship with her is purely professional. Nothing more.” Ethan looked at me, his features colder and more displeased. “Vivian, why are you being so paranoid now? Can’t you learn from those sensible, generous wives and not be suspicious about everything?” Learn from those sensible, generous wives. Be more understanding. I suddenly wanted to laugh, but my throat was too choked to make a sound. I looked at the collar of his shirt. I could clearly see, near his collarbone, an intimate hickey mark, faint but visible. That mark was vivid and glaring, like a silent mockery. A chill spread from deep in my heart to all my limbs. My heart twisted so painfully I could barely breathe. I thought again of every word he’d said in that office. So this was the result of abandoning my pride, smoothing my edges, and begging for three years. But Ethan, did you really think I couldn’t live without you?

Vivian POV I looked at Ethan. After a moment, I nodded. “Fine.” With that, I stood up and walked past him and the mess on the floor toward the stairs without another word. “Vivian…” He instinctively moved to follow. Just then, his phone rang in his pocket. Ethan paused, pulling out his phone. He frowned, staring at the caller ID, then looked up toward the stairs. After two seconds of hesitation, he answered the call. “Hello?” On the other end, Fiona’s soft, slightly petulant voice came through. “Mr. Shaw, why’d you leave in such a hurry? You forgot your watch at my place. Should I bring it to you?” Ethan froze, looking at his bare wrist, his brow furrowing. “No need. I’ll come get it myself.” Upstairs in the master bedroom. I watched him leave and let out a cold laugh. I closed the door, walked to the bedside, and opened the hidden safe embedded in the wall, taking out what was inside. Ethan knew about this safe and knew the password was my birthday. But he thought it only contained my documents and some of my parents’ belongings, so he never asked about it and never opened it. What he didn’t know was that besides those items, the safe also held an overseas trust fund agreement. This was a trust fund my parents had set up for me abroad before they died. Even when the Hayes family went bankrupt three years ago, this asset wasn’t affected by the liquidation. This was the safety net my parents left me. I held that agreement, my mind replaying my mother’s earnest words before she passed. “Vivian, remember this: no matter how much you love someone in the future, never give yourself completely… The human heart is the most unreliable thing, especially a man’s heart. Sooner or later, it will always change.” I used to think loving someone meant giving everything without reservation. Only today did I understand. Mother was right. I squeezed my eyes shut hard, pushing all my thoughts and rising bitterness back down into my heart. Perhaps it was time for me to leave. When I came downstairs again, the living room had been completely restored. The maids Ethan arranged were cleaning, and new vases and furniture were being brought in piece by piece, but he himself was nowhere to be seen. I didn’t ask the maids anything and left the villa directly. “Hello, I’d like to process immigration paperwork.” At the immigration office, I submitted all my documents. After processing everything, the staff member said, “Your application has been submitted. You’ll be notified of the results within twenty business days.” “Thank you.” After leaving the immigration office building, it was already dark. The streets were lit with colorful neon lights. I had no desire to return to Bayshore, so I took out my phone and called a few old friends. They were incredulous when they received my call. “Vivian?” “It’s me.” I curved my lips slightly. “Call the gang together. My treat. Let’s all cut loose tonight.” “Wow, is the sun rising in the west? Ever since you got together with Ethan, you said you wanted to be a good woman and never go out partying again, didn’t you?” “Cut the crap. See you at the usual place.” I had only dulled all my edges for Ethan, learning to be dignified, learning to be docile, learning to be submissive, becoming what the Shaw family expected. And yet he said I was boring and went chasing after another vibrant, bold shadow. Now that I’d decided to give up on him, there was no need to please anyone for his sake anymore. Two hours later, in a VIP room at the club. Just as the atmosphere in the room reached its peak. BANG. The door was kicked open from outside. The room instantly fell silent. Everyone looked toward the door in shock. “E-Ethan?” There stood Ethan’s tall figure, his handsome face so dark it could drip water. His gaze swept the room and finally locked onto me, surrounded by several male models. His eyes looked murderous. “Vivian Hayes, you actually dare come here looking for men? What the hell are you doing?”

Vivian POV Before anyone could react, Ethan strode into the room with a chilling aura and yanked me up from among the male models. I glared at him furiously. “What are you doing? Let go!” Ethan ignored me, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the room. “All of you, get out.” His tone was cold and commanding, brooking no argument. No one dared say a word. They scrambled out of the room. In seconds, only the two of us remained. I angrily shook off his hand. “Ethan, what do you want?” Ethan looked down at me, suddenly pulling his lips into a smile that wasn’t quite a smile. “What do I want?” He repeated, “Because you’re upset about my business with the Parker family, you dare come to a place like this looking for male models? Vivian Hayes, where did all that obedience and propriety you learned over three years go?” I was fine until he brought it up. Mentioning it made a fire surge up from my heart, burning through all my organs. I laughed coldly, looking him straight in the eye and throwing his own words back at him. “Ethan, we’re not married yet. I can do whatever I want. You have no right to control me.” Those words completely ignited Ethan’s suppressed fury. “I have no right?” He laughed in anger, suddenly pressing me into the wide leather couch behind me. I was caught off guard, my back hitting the soft leather. Before I could react, his body was already bearing down on me, trapping me firmly between the couch and his chest. “What are you doing?” I struggled violently, pushing and kicking him with everything I had. “Get off me!” Ethan easily restrained my flailing hands with one hand, pinning them above my head. “Looks like I’ve been too busy lately and haven’t satisfied you properly, which is why you got the idea to go looking for other men.” “You bastard! Let go!” My angry curses were silenced by his lips. The kiss was punishing, brutal, with no tenderness whatsoever. I desperately turned my head to dodge, but he gripped my jaw firmly with his other hand, immobilizing me. In the chaos, I heard the crisp sound of a metal buckle being undone. My pupils contracted sharply as an ominous premonition rose in my heart. “Ethan, you wouldn’t dare!” “Watch me.” He was breathing hard, his eyes completely red. “Since you don’t remember the rules, I’ll remind you right now what happens when you go looking for other men.” Before he finished speaking, he pressed down hard. I instantly tensed my entire body, every sound stuck in my throat, the pain making my vision go black. Pure possession and punishment. I felt utterly humiliated. “Bastard… you bastard! Ethan, let me go! I’ll kill you!” With my limbs pinned down, I cried out, tears rolling down uncontrollably. But my struggles and curses only earned me rougher treatment. I don’t know how long it lasted. It felt like an entire century. Finally, it stopped. Ethan leaned down and bit my earlobe. “Remember this feeling. Will you dare again?” I lay limp on the couch, my eyes red and swollen from crying. He reached up to brush the hair from my face, his tone softening slightly. “Vivian, don’t blame me. I just love you too much. Seeing you with other men drives me crazy. So don’t try to provoke me like this again, okay?” I was actually amused by his shameless words. I opened my mouth, about to speak. Just then, panicked shouts came faintly from outside. “Fire! The room next door is on fire!” “Run!” “There’s someone still inside… it’s Miss Parker! Miss Parker is still in there!” The man who had been lying on top of me murmuring sweet words suddenly stiffened. “Vivian, I have an emergency. I need to leave for a bit. Wait here for me. Don’t go anywhere. I’ll be right back!”

Vivian POV Before he finished speaking, Ethan’s figure had already rushed out. The door was pushed open then slammed shut. I raised my hand to wipe my face, forcibly pushing down all the bitterness and grievance. I tried hard to calm my emotions, telling myself it was just like being bitten. Then, having barely managed to make myself presentable, a burning smell grew stronger and stronger in my nostrils. Realizing something, my face changed drastically. I jerked my head up. Thick smoke was seeping continuously under the door. My heart tightened. I could no longer care about my body’s pain and stumbled toward the door, yanking it open. But the scene outside made my face go white with terror. The hallway was already a sea of flames. Heat waves and thick black smoke hit me in the face, making me cough violently and tears stream down. “Cough cough… help! Is anyone there… cough cough cough!” I covered my nose and mouth, calling for help. Through the rolling smoke and flames, I caught sight of a familiar tall figure at the end of the hallway. Like grasping at a lifeline, I instinctively called out to that retreating back. “Ethan… Ethan! Save…” Before I could finish, I saw more clearly. He was carrying a woman in his arms. That woman. Who else could it be but Fiona? And Ethan, holding Fiona, disappeared at the end of the hallway through the flames and smoke without looking back. I froze, suddenly feeling cold from head to toe. I could hardly believe that the man who had just been on top of me taking everything he wanted was now carrying another woman away, forgetting me completely. This was what he called loving me too much? How ironic. How laughable. I wanted to laugh but couldn’t make a sound. The instinct to survive took over everything else. I couldn’t die here. Absolutely not! I quickly reacted, turned back to find a blanket, soaked it in water and wrapped it around myself. But just as I was about to rush out the door, a burning beam crashed down, hitting me square in the back. I stumbled and fell to the ground. I’d inhaled too much smoke through my nose and mouth, and my consciousness gradually blurred until my vision went completely black. I don’t know how long passed before I opened my eyes again to hear a nurse asking, “You’re awake? How do you feel? Any dizziness or nausea?” My throat was terribly hoarse. “Water…” The nurse quickly poured a cup of warm water and carefully helped me drink a few sips. The warm water soothed my dry, painful throat, easing the discomfort slightly. Just then, my phone on the bedside table rang. I looked at the caller ID, my expression completely blank, picked up the phone, and answered, bringing it to my ear. “Vivian Hayes!” On the other end, Ethan’s angry voice demanded, “Where did you run off to? Why haven’t you come home all night?” I pulled my lips into a faint smile, my voice hoarse. “If I had died in last night’s fire, you probably wouldn’t have known. Whether I come home or not probably doesn’t matter to you anyway, does it?” Ethan paused for two seconds. “What do you mean by that?” I didn’t want to answer him anymore. I simply hung up. Then I looked up at the nurse. “I want to process my discharge.” “Uh, in your condition, it’s better to stay for observation for two more days…” “I’m fine now.” I shook my head, my attitude firm. “Please help me with the paperwork. Thank you.” Ever since my parents died, I’d been especially averse to hospitals because places like this brought back too many painful memories. Besides, my injuries weren’t particularly severe. There was no need to stay hospitalized. The nurse had no choice but to process my discharge. Walking out of the hospital entrance, I was about to hail a cab when a familiar black car screeched to a stop in front of me. Ethan pushed open the car door and pulled me into his arms. His remorseful, guilty voice filled my ear. “Vivian, I’m sorry. I had an emergency last night and had to leave. I only just found out you were trapped in that fire and were rescued by a passerby and sent to the hospital.” Smelling the unfamiliar perfume on him, the scene of him carrying Fiona out of the fire flashed through my mind again. Nausea and coldness rose from the pit of my stomach. “Don’t come near me!” I pushed him away. Ethan looked taken aback, frowning at me. “Vivian, are you mad at me?” I was about to speak.”Stop being angry. Last night was my fault. Let me make it up to you, okay?” He spoke first, trying to placate me. “Didn’t you say you haven’t been horseback riding in a while? Tomorrow I’ll cancel all my work and take you to the stables, okay?”

Vivian POV I thought his words were just empty appeasement, but unexpectedly, the next day Ethan actually cancelled his work, dragged me out, and brought me to the stables. When I walked out of the changing room in riding attire, Ethan was already waiting at the door. He wore a black riding outfit, his posture straight and tall. Seeing me come out, he smiled and was about to step forward to take my hand when an ill-timed female voice rang out. “What a coincidence, Mr. Shaw. You’re here riding too?” Fiona, dressed in red riding attire with her hair pulled high and makeup impeccable, walked toward us. Ethan’s brow furrowed slightly. He instinctively looked at me. When I said nothing, he turned to Fiona. “What are you doing here?” Fiona raised an eyebrow, her red lips curving. “The stables aren’t owned by your family. If you can come here, why can’t I?” Ethan was rendered speechless. He turned to look at me, his tone softening. “Vivian, I know you don’t like her, but the Parker family has an important project in negotiation with us right now. Try not to make a fuss, okay?” I said coolly, “She’s right. The stables aren’t owned by my family. If she wants to come, I have no right to stop her.” Hearing this, Ethan took it as my agreement and didn’t give it another thought. Staff members led over two gentle thoroughbreds. We each mounted and walked along the edge of the track. Just then, the sound of hoofbeats approached from far to near. Fiona rode up on a jet-black stallion, reining in beside Ethan, its tail swishing high. Her face wore a challenging smile. “Ethan, dare to race me? Same rules as always. Loser buys dinner tonight.” That competitive spirit in Ethan instantly ignited. “Why would I be afraid?” He turned to look at me, his tone casual. “Vivian, ride a couple laps by yourself. I’ll race Fiona.” With that, not waiting for my response, he spurred his horse and shot forward. Fiona laughed playfully and urged her horse to follow. The two horses chased each other, one ahead and one behind, on the track. That competitive spirit reminded me of years ago, when Ethan and I were this city’s most notorious rivals. We chased each other just like this, neither giving an inch. Back then, Ethan’s eyes were full of competitive desire, and an intense interest in my bold, radiant demeanor. A desire to conquer. And now, he showed that same interest toward another woman. I suddenly found it all pointless. I rode alone for less than two laps before dismounting, handing the reins to a staff member, and walking to sit under a parasol in the rest area. A server brought lemon water. I’d just taken a sip when a figure in red sat down across from me. “Why is Miss Hayes sitting here all alone?” Fiona looked at me with a smile. “Don’t tell me Ethan ditched you and you’re upset?” I set down my glass and said nothing. Fiona didn’t care. She continued on her own. “Thinking back to how glorious you used to be, Miss Hayes. Who in this city didn’t have to watch your moods? I tried so many times to get close to you, but you wouldn’t even give me a proper glance.” She paused, leaning forward, her eyes filled with undisguised malice. “But what about now? You’re not even worthy of carrying my shoes. You can’t even hold onto your own man. How pathetic. But then again, men all love novelty.” My fingers tightened slightly around the glass. I looked up at her. “Are you done?” Fiona laughed smugly. “You probably don’t know this yet, but Ethan told me that compared to you, I’m the one who makes his heart race now.” I suddenly smiled. “Fiona, do you like relying on imitating others to pick up their leftovers?” Fiona’s expression changed. “What do you mean?” “I remember you weren’t always like this. Not your personality or how you dress.” I smiled but not quite. “You used to never catch Ethan’s eye. Only by imitating the old me did you finally attract his attention. Truly befitting of your lowly origins. Always so unable to rise to the occasion.” “You!” Fiona shot to her feet, humiliation and rage surging in her eyes at being hit where it hurt. “Vivian Hayes! You bitch!” She raised her hand to slap me hard across the face. My eyes turned cold, my movements faster than hers. I caught Fiona’s wrist, used the momentum to stand, and delivered a resounding slap with my other hand. Fiona’s head snapped to the side, a clear handprint quickly appearing on her face. “Vivian Hayes!” An angry shout came from nearby. Ethan had obviously seen what just happened. He strode over, grabbed my arm, and yanked me away. “What are you doing?!” His grip was so strong I stumbled back several steps, then twisted my ankle. Sharp pain shot through it. I sucked in a breath, cold sweat breaking out on my forehead from the pain. But Ethan didn’t even look at me. He walked to Fiona, looked at her swollen cheek, anger flaring up instantly. “Vivian Hayes, have you lost your mind? If you have something to say, can’t you talk it out? Why did you have to hit her?” I was about to explain when Ethan turned to Fiona again. “Come on, I’ll take you to get some ice for your face.” Then he supported Fiona as they left. From beginning to end, he never looked back at me once, never asked if I was okay. I stood alone, waves of pain radiating from my ankle, yet it couldn’t compare to the pain in my heart. I thought I’d already given up on this man, that my heart would hold no more expectations for him. But when he openly protected another woman, my heart still felt like it was being stabbed with needles. Fine. I thought, the more he cares about another woman, the less regret I’ll have when I leave.

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The day I found out I was pregnant, I rushed through the rain to surprise Ethan at the club. Through the crack in the door, I heard laughter from him and his twin brother. “When Rosie finds out on her wedding day that she’s been sleeping with her boyfriend’s twin brother for three years, won’t she completely break down?” So three years of sweetness had been nothing but a revenge scheme orchestrated for his first love, Vivian. Even every intimate moment had been calculated, with them switching identities. On the wedding day, I personally exposed Vivian for who she really was, making the brothers kneel before me in public regret. A year later, when I returned from the war zone, they knelt before me begging to get back together, but I smiled while holding Sebastian’s hand. “Too late. I’ve moved on, and you two will never find redemption.” Rosie’s POV The day I found out I was pregnant, I rushed through heavy rain to the club Ethan frequently visited. At the private room door, I wiped my drenched hair, planning to wait for him to finish and surprise him. Through the slightly open door, a laughing male voice drifted out. “Ethan, your wedding with Rosie is in one week. Is the wedding surprise all prepared?” “It’s ready,” Ethan’s cool voice was steeped in alcohol. “I’ll give her a memory she’ll never forget.” My hand paused mid-wipe, and I couldn’t help but smile. In the three years I’d been with Ethan, he’d truly cherished me like a treasure, loving me to the bone. “If Rosie found out I’ve been pretending to be you and playing her all this time, wouldn’t she just collapse and lose her mind on the spot?” “Rosie probably would never imagine in her wildest dreams that Ethan has an identical twin brother!” “She’s always been so high and mighty, hasn’t she? If she knew she’d been screwed by her boyfriend’s brother for three years, I wonder how priceless her expression would be.” The men’s malicious laughter froze me in place instantly. I could barely believe my ears. I stepped forward to see what was happening inside the room. The next second, I saw a man sitting next to Ethan who looked exactly like him-from appearance to hairstyle, even the teardrop mole at the corner of his eye was identical! The man let out a scoff and leaned back lazily on the sofa. “Who told her to bully Vivian? Vivian is my brother’s precious treasure. To punish her and make her fall from the highest happiness into hell, my brother really went through a lot.” The male friends who were usually warm to me chimed in with teasing remarks. “Ryan, you’re the one who had it hard. You did all the physical work these past few years!” “If I looked the same, I’d want to do that physical work too!” “Exactly. That face, that body Rosie has. Damn. If she goes crazy after the wedding, why not let us have some fun with her first?” “Ethan came up with this plan for Vivian, played along for three years, and still managed not to touch her. What a good man!” Ethan. Ryan. Vivian. My head buzzed, my blood nearly freezing, unable to breathe. My body trembled uncontrollably, and tears spilled from my eyes without permission. So the love I thought was happiness had been a lie all along. A trap set for me because of Vivian, my tormentor. In the past, when I woke from nightmares about Vivian, it was Ethan who held me and comforted me, telling me not to be afraid. In the past, when I talked about my experiences of being bullied, he was the one who soothed me over and over, taking me to see therapists. I didn’t dare believe it. I didn’t want to believe it. I didn’t understand. Those moments of being loved had been so vivid. How could they possibly be fake? The voices in the room continued. “Vivian’s coming back to the country soon. Ethan, you won’t have to keep flying back and forth anymore. All those weekly flights. Aren’t you tired?” “After three years of role-playing, I can finally be myself again! Every time my brother flies overseas, I’m the one coaxing Rosie…” “Your voices are different. She never noticed?” Ryan scoffed. “That stupid woman. I deliberately lowered my voice and told her I had laryngitis. Every time she fussed over me, waking up before dawn to make me breakfast!” Another round of raucous laughter. Ethan interrupted. “Enough. After the wedding ends, I’ll give her a large sum of money. Enough for her to live comfortably for the rest of her life.” “Ethan, don’t tell me you’ve actually developed feelings for her?” My heart trembled. I instinctively held my breath, staring intently at that noble-looking man. Two seconds later, I watched him let out a light scoff. “How could that be possible?” “What about Ryan? After sleeping with her for three years, you didn’t catch feelings, did you?” Ethan turned to look at Ryan, who shook his head vigorously. “After three years, I’m sick of her. Brother, why don’t you take a turn?” Ethan smiled coldly. “I find her disgusting.” “Look, this wedding was something she begged for. I’m only giving her money to keep her from clinging to me.” “Time’s a bit tight. Help me prepare.” “One week from now, right after revealing the truth, I’m going to propose to Vivian!”

Rosie’s POV I don’t know how I left the club. Rain pelted my body like beans, but I didn’t care. Only the conversation from the room replayed over and over in my mind. Vivian… Just hearing that name made my whole body tremble uncontrollably. I didn’t understand. She’d already left the country. Why wouldn’t she leave me alone? Why was she so obsessed with completely destroying me? Just because of a title, “Most Beautiful Girl on Campus.” Because my candid photo beat Vivian’s heavily edited entry photo, Vivian had cornered me in the bathroom with a group of people, tormented me with every method possible, then shoved my head into a toilet. Because I refused to kneel and apologize, for the next three years, I lived through hell. She beat me up. She stabbed me with needles. She even put thumbtacks in my shoes, got the whole class to isolate and bully me, sabotaged my part-time jobs, spread rumors about me. She also arranged for many rich guys to pursue me. Once I overheard her plot. She wanted money to corrupt me, then cruelly abandon me. Vivian never succeeded. Even when she studied abroad in junior year, she hadn’t completely broken me. But by then, I was already severely depressed and engaging in serious self-harm. That’s when Ethan appeared. He wasn’t like the other rich boys pursuing her, always examining me with lewd, appraising eyes, throwing bank cards at me. His gaze was honest. He genuinely tried to understand my struggles and listen to my needs. When he learned I had a grandmother who needed long-term medication, he didn’t look down on me. Instead, he improved my life within limits I could accept. He introduced me to internships and part-time jobs. Between work shifts, he’d sit with me at convenience stores eating dinner, then gently pat my head. “Rosie, you’ve worked so hard. You’re really amazing.” Once when Grandma got sick and I was out of town, Ethan sent her to the hospital and personally stayed with her for a day and night. When I rushed back the next day, he was exhausted but smiled to comfort me. “Grandma’s fine. Don’t worry. Don’t wear yourself out.” A voice inside me said then: “It’s him. Try to trust him. Regardless of the outcome, treasure the present.” Later, he continued to treat me well, even bravely standing up to his family to be with me. Ryan’s contemptuous mocking laughter echoed in my mind again. “She’s so stupid. How could the family allow an orphan like her to marry in? Just hire two actors to put on a show, have my brother fight for her a bit, and she’s completely devoted.” “So stupid. Three years and she never noticed anything wrong.” “So stupid. Even now she thinks Ethan is devoted to her.” “So stupid, so stupid, so stupid…” I collapsed in the rain, tears mixing with rainwater pouring down. So stupid… I really was… so stupid. I threw my head back and laughed madly, letting the torrential rain ruthlessly pound my face. My phone rang suddenly. It was Grandma’s caregiver. “Rosie, come quick! Your grandma isn’t going to make it!” My head buzzed, instantly going blank, my limbs going weak. On pure instinct, I scrambled up from the ground and rushed to the roadside to flag down a car. But every car just flashed their lights frantically, honking long and driving past. Just as I was about to run to the hospital, a Range Rover stopped. A rugged-looking man asked my destination. Not caring about safety, I quickly got in. When I reached the hospital, the doctor had already issued a critical condition notice. “Respiratory failure. Resuscitation would be meaningless. Spend some quality time with her.” I fell to my knees, trembling as I grasped Grandma’s hand. Grandma smiled with effort. “Rosie… don’t cry… I’m sorry. Grandma still couldn’t hold on until your wedding…” I shook my head forcefully. I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t control my anguished sobs. Grandma’s gaze searched the room with difficulty. “Where’s Ethan… Grandma wants to see him…” “Okay.” I pulled out my phone, dialing Ethan’s number over and over. The calls were hung up repeatedly. I quickly sent messages. “Ethan, Grandma’s heart is failing. She can’t hold on. Please come to the hospital quickly. Grandma wants to see you one last time.” “Ethan, Grandma is waiting for you. Just one visit. Can you come?” “Ethan, please…” My trembling hands rapidly tapped the keyboard, tears falling one by one onto the phone screen. In that moment, lies and deception didn’t matter. As long as Ethan could come, as long as Grandma could pass peacefully, nothing else mattered. But there was no word from Ethan. I stopped, forced out a smile with all my strength, and held Grandma’s hand trying to comfort her. “Grandma, Ethan is probably tied up with something. Don’t worry. Our relationship is great. We’re getting married next week.” “Grandma, I’ll be very happy… Please don’t worry…” The hand clasped in mine suddenly tightened. Grandma stared at me intently. “Rosie… live well… be happy…” Her hand went limp. In her final look at me, there was worry… I looked at my palm, then collapsed to my knees crying my heart out. That night, I handled Grandma’s funeral arrangements according to protocol, and still didn’t receive any reply from Ethan. During a waiting period, I unblocked Vivian’s contact from my blacklist and clicked into her Instagram. “Originally planned to come back early and create a surprise, but I’m the one who got surprised!” The background photo was at the airport. Ethan wore a mascot costume, holding flowers, his sweaty head poking out, smiling, his eyes gentle. There was also a photo of the two of them together. She smiled sweetly. Ethan’s face was turned toward her, his gaze tender. Disheartened, I turned off the screen. The next afternoon, carrying Grandma’s urn back to the hospital, two things happened. First, I fell down the stairs in my dazed state. The baby in my belly was gone. I needed to come back for a follow-up in three days. Second, I submitted an application to Doctors Without Borders. My supervisor looked at me in surprise. “Aren’t you getting married soon?” I was silent for a moment. “Not anymore. I need to leave. The sooner the better!” Looking at me, my supervisor said nothing more. “You just made the registration deadline. Take these few days off to prepare.” “One week from now, gather at the hospital to depart.” “Okay.” One week from now. Exactly the time of my wedding with Ethan. I wouldn’t just leave that day. I’d also give them a gift on that day they’d never forget.

Rosie’s POV Considering where I was going was rather dangerous, I chose to bury Grandma. I bought an urn pendant, placed some of Grandma’s hair along with a bit of ash inside, and buried the rest in a cemetery. I knelt before the gravestone, gripping the pendant at my chest. “Don’t worry, Grandma. I’m about to go do what I want to do. I’ll protect myself well.” I returned to the villa in the evening. As soon as I entered, I heard cheerful laughter inside. The instant I froze, Ethan had already noticed me. He strode forward and brought me inside. “Come, let me introduce two friends.” A man and woman on the sofa stood up, turned to look at me, their eyes flashing with mockery. It was Vivian and Ryan. My whole body trembled slightly, uncontrollably. This was my physiological response when facing Vivian. Ethan’s voice carried laughter. “Vivian is a good friend I grew up with. Ryan is my twin brother. They just came back from studying abroad, just in time to attend our wedding.” Vivian waved at me, smiling sweetly. “Rosie and I know each other. We were college roommates.” As she spoke, she rushed over to link arms with me, whispering in my ear. “Right, Rosie?” Countless images flashed before my eyes. Every time after bullying me, Vivian would whisper in my ear. “Just roommate jokes, right, Rosie?” I instinctively shuddered and pushed Vivian away. Vivian sat on the floor looking aggrieved. “Rosie, do you still dislike me? I just want to get along well with you.” Both men’s expressions changed. Ethan rushed over to help Vivian up, his eyes dark. Ryan frowned in displeasure. “Ethan, your fiancée has quite the temper. She’s not even your wife yet and already this arrogant?” Ethan shielded Vivian behind him, his tone angry and cold. “Rosie, apologize!” I looked at the three of them, my hands hanging at my sides quietly clenching into fists. Thinking of what I’d heard last night, my heart felt like it was being forcibly torn open. I silently turned to leave. I’d barely taken two steps when my wrist was seized, the enormous force making me stumble. I looked up into Ethan’s eyes, churning with anger. “Who gave you permission to leave?” Ryan’s tone was cold. “A family like the Graysons values propriety above all. Ethan, your fiancée needs to be properly disciplined.” “You’re right.” Ethan’s eyes were icy. “Rosie, you’re about to marry me. You must watch your words and actions and constantly restrain your behavior.” “Reflect on what happened today.” With that, he forcibly dragged me to the basement and pushed me into one of the rooms. Before I could react, he’d already closed the door. The tightly sealed door let in not a sliver of light. Only then did I realize that it was a small dark room with no windows. In pure darkness, my breathing became rapid. I pounded on the door in terror. But no matter how much I shouted, there was no response from outside. I fell into endless panic. In college, Vivian had locked me in a small dark room for three days. No sound, no light. The passage of time became especially drawn out. That time, I had a mental breakdown. Since then, I’ve feared darkness and developed claustrophobia. These past few years, I turned on all the lights every night, even when sleeping. Ethan was very uncomfortable at first, tossing and turning, unable to sleep, waking easily. But every time I suggested trying to turn off the lights, he’d refuse. “Rosie, you don’t need to force yourself to do anything. I can adapt.” He clearly knew. They… all knew. Yet they still chose to punish me this way, just because I pushed Vivian once. My heart ached dully. I curled up in the corner, holding my trembling self tightly. Yes, the past warmth had been fake all along. It was deliberately performed by them. Even this dark room was probably custom-made for me.

Rosie’s POV Two days later, Ethan came to open the door, a pleased smile playing at his lips. “Vivian doesn’t blame you for what happened last time. Get ready. We’re going to try on wedding dresses and rings.” I was taken to a bridal shop. As soon as I got out of the car, I saw Vivian and Ryan already waiting inside. Vivian greeted me enthusiastically. “Rosie, you’re here? I didn’t get a chance to congratulate you last time. Ethan and I are best friends. Today let me help you choose a wedding dress!” Her face wore a smile, waiting to see me lose composure. I showed not a trace of terror or disgust, smiling as I said: “Thank you. I appreciate it.” Vivian’s expression darkened instantly, then she raised her smile again, linking arms with both Ethan and Ryan on either side, saying meaningfully: “Then I’ll try them on with you. Rosie, I’ll be a bride very soon too.” I smiled. “Congratulations.” The light in Vivian’s eyes completely darkened. After that, whenever I glanced twice at a wedding dress, Vivian would call the staff over first and try it on. Each time she came out, she’d take Ethan’s hand. “Ethan, how is it? Does it look good?” And each time Ethan looked entranced, lavishing praise. Ryan also circled around Vivian. The two completely ignored me. The staff member said enviously: “This bride is so lucky…” Vivian let out an “oh!” and turned to look at me standing aside like an outsider. “Sorry, Rosie. You’re the bride. You should try them on first.” She punched Ethan’s chest playfully. “Ethan, what’s wrong with you? How can you leave your bride standing on the side!” The staff all wore embarrassed expressions. Ryan’s lips curved in a mocking smile. Only then did Ethan look at me. “See anything you like?” I randomly selected one and went to try it on. When I came out, all three were already gone. The staff member looked sympathetic. “Miss, Ms. Moore said she was going to choose rings. Both gentlemen went with her. As for you…” “It’s fine.” I took off the wedding dress, returned it, and left directly. Soon after, Vivian posted on Instagram with a photo of a diamond ring encrusted with gems: “The ring Ethan bought for me at auction.” I glanced at it once then turned off the screen, continuing to pack. Besides the clothes and necessities I needed to take, I found and discarded all my remaining belongings, including gifts I’d once given Ethan. Everything Ethan had given me, I didn’t touch. Just as I’d finished packing my suitcase and put it in the closet, Ethan walked in carrying a blue velvet box. “This is the ring I bought you at the auction.” I recognized it. It was the gift pictured in Vivian’s Instagram post. I took it and set it aside. My overly indifferent reaction made Ethan frown. His gaze shifted and he noticed the couple’s mug I used to treasure in the trash can. He raised an eyebrow. “Why’d you throw out the mug? Are you angry?” I pressed my lips together. “No.” But Ethan was convinced. “Is it about the dress fitting? Vivian is just my good friend. We haven’t seen each other in years, so I paid a bit more attention to her.” He reached out to hold me. “No need to be angry with her. If Vivian and I had something, we’d have gotten together long ago, wouldn’t we? Rosie, you’re my bride. Don’t you understand my heart?” Hearing this, my heart felt viciously seized, sharp pain radiating through it. Ethan stroked my head upon seeing this. “I’m sorry, Rosie. I made you feel wronged.” At those words, my fingertips trembled slightly, then clenched into fists, nails digging deep into my palms. In that instant, I impulsively wanted to question him, to distinguish his true feelings from false, to know if he’d had even a shred of genuine feeling in these three years. But the words reached my lips and I swallowed them down forcibly. Ethan’s phone rang. He quickly answered. “Vivian… I’ll be right there…” After hanging up, he ruffled my hair. “I still have something to handle. Get some rest early and be the most beautiful bride in a few days.” With that, he quickly turned and left. I sat on the bed, forcing the tears in my eyes back. Two hours later, I’d washed up and was lying in bed, preparing to sleep. In my drowsy state, the bedroom door was suddenly opened. Ethan, who was supposed to be at the bar accompanying Vivian to a party, walked in. He reeked of alcohol. He casually tore open his shirt and lifted my blanket, covering me. The instant our skin touched, my drowsiness vanished completely. I became acutely aware. The person covering me was Ryan.

Rosie’s POV I used every ounce of strength to push the person on top of me away forcefully and shrank against the headboard. Ryan frowned at me for two seconds, then raised an eyebrow. “Still angry?” He rubbed his temples, his manner identical to Ethan’s. His alcohol-soaked voice was also indistinguishable. If I hadn’t heard that Ethan was staying pure for Vivian, I wouldn’t be able to tell them apart at all. He leaned in close again, hands braced behind me, our noses touching. “I already explained today. If I had feelings for her, I wouldn’t be marrying you.” Ryan moved to kiss me. My eyes went wide. I jerked my head aside to dodge and started dry heaving. I heaved until my eyes nearly cried, but still couldn’t suppress it. I pushed the man away and rushed to the bathroom. Ryan watched me, brow slightly furrowed, eyes flickering. In the bathroom, I slid down the wall slowly and crouched on the floor. Outside the door, Ryan’s voice suddenly rang out. “Did you guys hear that? This woman’s dry heaving. Could she be pregnant?” Immediately after came a chorus of stunned exclamations. One of the guys shouted loudly: “Ryan, don’t let this get out of hand. What if she clings to you when the truth comes out?” My spine instantly stiffened, my limbs going cold. I realized Ryan’s phone had been on a call the whole time. Vivian’s voice followed into my ears. “Ethan, Ryan, you’re going too far…” “Too far?” Ethan’s tone was ice cold. “She’s targeted you for so long. This is the punishment she deserves.” Vivian said worriedly: “But what if Rosie really is pregnant?” After a moment of silence, both men said in unison: “Impossible!” On the other end of the call, Ethan’s voice was especially merciless. “Even if she is, I won’t let her keep it. Ryan, what do you say?” Ryan’s Adam’s apple bobbed twice. “Of course.” The next second, I opened the door and looked at him. He quickly ended the call and stepped forward. “What’s wrong, Rosie? Why do you look so bad? Are you feeling unwell somewhere? You’re not… pregnant, are you?” I stared at him steadily, the corner of my mouth twitching. “No. My stomach condition flared up.” Early the next morning, I went to the hospital for my follow-up appointment as scheduled. I walked out of the hospital at noon. Ethan called, and immediately after, his car stopped at the hospital entrance. He quickly got out and guided me to the passenger seat. “Come on, let me take you to eat.” Silent the whole way, the smile never left Ethan’s lips. The song playing in his car was Vivian’s favorite from our student days. Also the song I hated most. As soon as we arrived at the restaurant, I saw Vivian and Ryan waiting for us. Vivian pointed at the cake on the table. “Rosie, yesterday I was out of line. This is a viral cake I specially stood in line to buy as an apology. You must try it.” At the table, Vivian kept bringing up stories from when the three of them were young. “Ethan and Ryan have doted on me since we were little. Back then when we played house, they’d compete to be my groom!” “Once I climbed a tree and couldn’t get down. Ethan lay on the ground to be my cushion.” “In middle school when I was cornered by boys, Ethan and Ryan both got seriously injured protecting me and stayed in the hospital for ages.” Ethan and Ryan smiled along. The three chatted animatedly while only I remained silent. But Vivian suddenly looked at me. “Rosie, why aren’t you talking? Do you have a problem with me?” “I know we had some misunderstandings in college, but now that you’re marrying Ethan, I hope we can become the best of friends.” Vivian raised her wine glass, lips curving as she looked at me. I didn’t move for a long time, nor did I look at her. The next second, I clutched at the fabric on my chest, breathing rapidly and with difficulty. On my arms, large patches of red hives appeared, vivid and alarming. I struggled to reach for my bag. “You’re having an allergic reaction?!” Ethan jumped to his feet, reaching for my bag. I have a severe peanut allergy. Though I’m usually very careful, I always kept an epinephrine pen in my bag in case of accidental ingestion and inability to get timely treatment. In critical moments it could save my life. I’d already gotten the epinephrine pen. Just then, Vivian’s weak voice suddenly sounded. “Ethan… I feel terrible…” Her slender fingers clutched at the fabric on her chest as she fell backward, face pale.

Rosie’s POV “Vivian!” Ryan, sitting beside Vivian, caught her in time. “Ethan, Vivian seems to be having an allergic reaction!” Ethan’s steps toward me halted. His expression darkened instantly. He turned and walked toward me. I’d already lifted my skirt, preparing to inject myself. Suddenly an enormous force gripped my wrist and snatched the epinephrine pen from my hand. I looked up in disbelief into Ethan’s cold eyes. “You caused Vivian’s allergic reaction. Give her the medicine first!” With that, he strode toward Vivian without a moment’s hesitation, swiftly completing the injection for her. Noticing my gaze, Ryan said coolly: “You’re a doctor. You should have other emergency methods. Vivian doesn’t know anything. She needs this pen more.” After injecting, Ethan picked Vivian up and rushed out. Ryan chased after them. “Ethan, I’ll get the car!” I collapsed on the floor, staring intently at their retreating backs. From beginning to end, they never looked back. As consciousness faded, I saw a waiter rush in. “Miss! What’s wrong?!” I was unconscious for a day. When I woke, I saw Ethan sitting by the bed. He grasped my hand, his tone concerned. “Rosie, you’re finally awake. Is there anywhere you still feel unwell?” I pulled my hand away and closed my eyes. Ethan didn’t get angry. He brushed the stray hair from my temples. “Rosie, I know you’re angry with me. But the Grayson and Moore families work closely together. Vivian can’t have an incident in front of us.” “I had no choice. You’re about to be my wife. We’re a community of shared interests. You should understand.” “Rosie, you know I love you most, don’t you?” Ryan appeared at the hospital room door. “That’s right. My brother had no choice. Big families have their difficulties. We all have to prioritize the bigger picture.””As family, we can only ask you to be patient for now.” My hands clenched tightly under the blanket as I looked at the two men, laughing coldly inside. To deceive me, they’d really gone to great lengths. I didn’t want to get entangled. I closed my eyes again. “I want to rest.” Only after the sound of their footsteps faded did I open my eyes and take out my phone to make a call. “Hello, is this the streaming company? I’d like to book a service…” After hanging up, I instinctively reached for the pendant at my chest, but grasped at nothing. The pendant containing Grandma’s hair and ashes was gone! I panicked instantly, getting up to search around the hospital bed. Just as I was about to go ask the nurse, my phone buzzed with a message. Vivian had sent a photo. It was my pendant necklace! “If you want the necklace back, come now. Otherwise I’ll flush what’s inside down the toilet.” Overwhelming rage made my vision go black. I rushed toward Vivian’s hospital room. Inside, Vivian stood by the window, the necklace dangling from her fingertips, swaying outside the window ledge, ready to drop at any moment. “Vivian, give me back my necklace!” A malicious smile played at Vivian’s lips. “Rosie, you saw my Instagram posts, didn’t you? Tsk tsk. I thought you were so high and mighty. Back then you practically wanted me dead. Now, to marry into the Grayson family, you can tolerate anything.” I only stared intently at the necklace in her hand, nails digging into my palms. “Give me back my necklace!” Vivian moved the necklace a few more inches outward. “If you want the necklace, then kneel and apologize to me. Admit you’re a bitch. Admit you’re fake and pretentious.” “Impossible!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “383567”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

My parents gave me a bank card and transferred twenty thousand dollars into it every month without fail. Everyone envied me for having such a wonderful family. But they never told me the password. I couldn’t even afford meals at school, so I applied for financial aid. My mother, Linda Harrison, stormed into the school and slapped me across the face. “We give you twenty thousand a month and you’re still not satisfied? Playing poor for attention, you ungrateful brat!” Later, I developed a perforated ulcer from starvation and lay in the operating room, desperate for money to save my life. I begged them to tell me the password. My mom just laughed coldly over the phone. “I already told you the password. You just forgot it yourself. Want money to go out and fool around? Not a chance!” I hung up, utterly heartbroken as I teetered on the edge of death. Three years later, my brother crossed a powerful heir and desperately needed that money to save his life. My mom knelt on the ground, crying and begging me to withdraw the money from the card. I threw the bank card on the floor and smiled. “Linda, you forgot—you never told me the password. This money can’t be withdrawn.”

“Ms. Anderson, Summer’s financial aid application shouldn’t be approved.” My classmate Ryan stood at the podium, announcing loudly. The entire class’s eyes instantly focused on me. I clutched the filled-out application form, my fingers tightening bit by bit. Ryan pointed at me, his tone full of contempt. “Her parents transfer twenty thousand dollars to her account every month. She even posted screenshots on social media. Now she’s pretending to be poor to scam financial aid. It’s absolutely shameless!” Ms. Anderson frowned at me. “Summer, what’s going on here?” I took a deep breath, my voice dry. “Ms. Anderson, I really don’t have any money in my account. I don’t even have money for food today.” As soon as I finished speaking, the classroom door was shoved open. My mom stormed in wearing high heels. She walked straight up to me and raised her hand. A crisp slap rang out. I was knocked sideways, half my face instantly numb. “How did I give birth to such an ungrateful brat!” My mom pulled a bank card from her purse and threw it hard at my face. “We transfer twenty thousand dollars to you every month, and you still run to the school to apply for poverty assistance. Are you deliberately trying to humiliate the Harrison family?” The bank card fell to the ground with a clear sound. The whole class erupted. “Oh my God, twenty thousand a month and she’s pretending to be poor?” “This girl is so fake. She’d do anything for that aid money, even throw away her dignity.” “Disgusting. If I had parents this good, I’d be smiling in my sleep.” Hearing the surrounding discussion, a flash of smug coldness crossed my mom’s face. I stared hard at the bank card on the ground, my eyes stinging. Yes, she did transfer twenty thousand every month. But she never told me the password. I bent down to pick up the card, held it in front of her, my voice trembling. “You transfer twenty thousand every month, but did you ever tell me the password?” My mom’s expression changed, her eyes flickering, but she quickly raised her voice. “I already told you the password! You just have a bad memory and forgot! Now you’re blaming me?” “You told me?” I stared at her, advancing step by step. “I tried my birthday, I tried your birthday, I tried our home phone number—all of them came up as errors! Do you dare repeat the password in front of the whole class right now!” My mom was forced back a step. Humiliated and furious, she pointed at my nose. “How dare you talk back! The password is your brother’s birthday. I’ve told you that countless times!” “Summer, you’re just used to spending money like water. When you run out, you play the victim. How did I raise such a useless daughter!” After speaking, she turned to Ms. Anderson with an expression of deep regret. “Ms. Anderson, we’ve spoiled this child. Please don’t approve any aid for her. We can’t afford this kind of embarrassment.” Ms. Anderson’s gaze turned completely cold. “Summer, I’m very disappointed in you. Take the application back.” I stood there, watching my mom’s arrogant departing figure, my chest feeling like someone had just squeezed it hard. She was lying. I had tried my brother Ethan Harrison’s birthday. It didn’t work at all. This card was just a leash to keep me chained. In everyone else’s eyes, I was a rich girl with twenty thousand dollars a month in allowance. But only I knew that I couldn’t touch a single cent of that twenty thousand.

At lunch in the cafeteria, I only had three dollars left in my account. I bought a plain roll and carried a bowl of free soup to sit in a corner. Before I’d taken two bites, a bottle of ice water suddenly slammed onto my table. Soup splashed all over me. I looked up into the mocking face of Ethan Harrison. Standing beside him was the fake heiress my parents had adopted, Chloe Harrison. Chloe wore designer clothes from head to toe, covering her mouth as she laughed delicately. “Summer, why are you eating this kind of stuff? Doesn’t Linda give you twenty thousand a month?” Ethan snorted coldly, snatched my roll, threw it on the floor, and ground it under his foot. “Stop playing pitiful! Linda said you caused a scene at school today. She sent me to teach you a lesson.” I stared at the trampled roll on the floor, anger suddenly flaring inside me. I stood up abruptly, staring hard at him. “Ethan, tell me the password.” “What password?” He froze for a moment, then sneered. “How should I know the password? Linda said you’re a spendthrift with no self-control. The money in that card is being saved for you. She’ll give it to you when you really need it.” “I need it now!” My voice was hoarse, almost shouting. “I can’t even afford to eat, and I’m a week late on my dorm fees. How am I supposed to survive!” Chloe sighed, putting on a concerned expression. “Summer, stop pressuring Ethan. If you really don’t have money, I’ll lend you a hundred dollars.” She pulled a bill from her twenty-thousand-dollar handbag and tossed it on the table like she was giving charity to a beggar. Students around us pointed and whispered. “Chloe is so kind. She treats her sister so well.” “Summer is so ungrateful. She has such a good sister but always has that sour face.” I stared at that hundred-dollar bill, my fingers tightening bit by bit. I didn’t take the money. I turned and walked out of the cafeteria with my back straight. That afternoon, my advisor called me to her office. “Summer, if you don’t pay your dorm fees today, you’ll have to move out tonight.” I opened my mouth but couldn’t say a single word. Bank card: one dollar and fifty cents. PayPal: two dollars and thirty cents. Combined, I couldn’t even rent a bed. I stood in the hallway and called my parents over a dozen times. No answer. I opened my mom’s Instagram. She’d just posted a minute ago. “Bought Chloe a new necklace. Girls deserve to be spoiled.” The photo showed a diamond necklace worth thirty thousand dollars. I stared at that post, my eyes gradually stinging. So they weren’t broke, and they weren’t stingy. They just didn’t want to spend money on me. That night, the dorm supervisor kicked me out. It was pouring rain outside. I dragged my suitcase down the empty street. My stomach cramped with pain. I squatted by the roadside, cold sweat instantly soaking my back.

The pain in my stomach felt like a knife twisting inside. I clutched my abdomen, trembling even as I breathed. My stomach problems came from long-term starvation. These past few years, refusing to bow to them, I’d worked multiple jobs and often ate only one meal a day. I leaned against a bus stop sign, shaking as I dialed my father’s number. The phone rang for a long time before someone answered. I could hear the TV in the background. “David…” My voice was so weak I could barely hear it myself. “My stomach hurts really bad. I might not make it. Tell me the password. I need to go to the hospital…” Two seconds of silence on the other end. Then my dad’s impatient cursing came through. “Summer, will you ever stop! Pretending to be poor at school during the day, pretending to be sick at night! Do you have to push us to death before you’re satisfied!” My throat tightened, tears instantly streaming down. “I’m not pretending… it really hurts…” “Then deal with it!” My dad cut me off mercilessly. “Linda said you just want to scam money to go out and party. I’m warning you, don’t even think about touching a cent of that money!” With that, he hung up directly. Listening to the dial tone on my phone, I felt a chill shoot from my feet to my head, my entire body going cold. These were my biological parents. I writhed on the ground in pain, my vision growing increasingly blurred. I don’t know how much time passed before a taxi stopped in front of me. The driver saw my condition and quickly helped me into the car, rushing me to a nearby hospital. In the emergency room, the doctor did a preliminary examination, his expression grave. “Acute gastric perforation. You need surgery immediately. Go pay the five-thousand-dollar deposit first.” Five thousand dollars. I lay on the hospital bed, in too much pain to even straighten my back. I grabbed my phone and went through every lending app. Because I was a student with no stable income, all my credit limits were zero. I bit my lip and dialed home again. This time Chloe answered. “Summer, what’s wrong at this late hour? Linda and David are already asleep.” Her voice was sweet and dripping with smugness. I bit my lip hard, quickly tasting blood in my mouth. “Put Ethan on the phone.” There was rustling on the other end, then Ethan’s voice came through. “Middle of the night, what are you freaking out about now?” I took a deep breath, my voice hoarse. “Ethan, I’m in the hospital. Acute gastric perforation requiring surgery. Tell me the password. I’ll pay you back.” Ethan laughed mockingly. “Gastric perforation? Who are you trying to fool? You were standing in the cafeteria yelling at me this afternoon.” “I’m not lying!” I got agitated, trembling all over from the pain. “The doctor says they can’t operate without payment. I’m really dying!” Silence on the other end. Then my mom’s voice came through, thick with annoyance. “Just tell her! Isn’t she just trying to scam money? Tell her the password is Chloe’s birthday!” “Take the money and get lost. Don’t call here bothering us again!” The phone was slammed down. I stared at the darkened screen, tears silently streaming down.

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The day my left eye was finally set to receive a cornea transplant and regain sight, the hospital suddenly informed me that the donor’s family had withdrawn their donation. I was so shocked I fell from the hospital bed and cut my head open. My sister, Lily, walked in with a smirk on her face. “Stella, did the hospital just call to cancel your surgery? Hahaha!” “I told the donor’s family you were faking blindness — just as a joke, you know.” My vision blurred as I screamed in despair. “Why would you do this? Because of your joke, I might never see again!” My mother, Mary, gently stroked Lily’s back and scolded me in a soft voice. “Could you keep it down? You still have one good eye, don’t you? Just wait for the next chance.” Watching their tender mother-daughter scene, I suddenly felt the absurdity of it all had no bounds. Later, Lily was diagnosed with kidney failure. The whole family went bankrupt waiting for a kidney donor. Right before she went into surgery, I smiled at the doctor and said. “Lily told me she’s given up on treatment. She wants to give her kidney to the old man in the next bed!”

I accepted Lily’s “joke.” I climbed out of the hospital bed, pressed my hand against my bleeding forehead, and rushed out of the room. The hallway was packed with people. My left eye could barely see anything, and my right eye’s peripheral vision could only make out blurry shapes. I felt my way along the wall, step by step, toward the Organ Donation Coordination office. I had to find those donor family members. The cornea hadn’t been transported yet — maybe there was still time. “Stella, slow down! With your eyes, you’ll fall!” Lily called out loudly. I ignored her and quickened my pace. The donor family was a couple in their fifties. Their son had died from traumatic brain injury in a car accident. He’d signed an organ donation agreement before his death. I’d been waiting for this cornea for three years. The day the match came through, I cried all night under my covers. They were sitting on the bench outside the coordination office. I dropped to my knees with a thud. “Sir, ma’am, please — I’m really going blind.” “I’m not a con artist. My medical records are all here. You can verify everything with the doctors.” I gripped the bench armrest. “Please don’t cancel the donation. This is my last chance.” The man pulled his wife back half a step. “Your sister already told us — you’re not really blind at all.” “My son’s corneas aren’t meant for scammers.” He clenched his fists. “Do you have any idea how hard this decision was for us?” “And you’re using my son’s organs as a tool to scam money?” I shook my head desperately, tears mixing with blood streaming down my face. “No, I’m not lying, I really am —” Lily caught up and crouched down, placing her hand on my shoulder. “Sir, ma’am, I’m so sorry about this.” “Stella’s always been like this. At home, she pretends she can’t see to get out of chores.” She suddenly covered her mouth. “Oh… I shouldn’t have said that.” “Stella’s actually pretty pitiful. She’s just gotten used to using her bad eyes to take advantage of people.” Her gaze shifted away. “Like that welfare fraud thing before… never mind, I shouldn’t say more.” “Welfare fraud? You committed welfare fraud too!” The man pointed at my nose. “My son is dead. We’re donating his organs to save people who truly need them!” “Not to be wasted on scammers like you!” The woman grabbed her husband’s arm. “Let’s go. We need to find the coordinator. We’d rather not donate this cornea at all than give it to her.” I knelt on the floor, mouth open, unable to utter a single word. Footsteps approached from behind. Mary had arrived. I turned my head. “Mary, please tell them I really can’t see!” “Just say something for me!” Mary pulled me up and brushed off the dust. “Enough, enough. Stop making a scene.” She turned to the couple with an apologetic smile. “Sir, ma’am, I apologize on behalf of my older daughter.” “This child has loved making up stories since she was little. Sorry for startling you.” “My younger daughter just speaks her mind too honestly. She told the truth.” The couple walked into the coordination office and slammed the door shut. A nurse approached with files. “Family of Stella Smith? The coordination office just sent notice.” “The donor party has signed the final refusal form.” She opened the file to check the records. “According to the sequence, the cornea will be transported to the next matched patient within thirty minutes.” “I’m very sorry. There’s nothing more we can do.” Lily sighed behind me. “Stella, see? It’s all because your credibility is so bad.” I said nothing. Blood dripped from my brow onto the hospital corridor tiles. One drop, two drops. I stood there for a long time. Long enough for the cornea that should have been mine to be placed in a transport container and wheeled past me. I couldn’t see anything clearly, but I heard the wheels rolling across the floor. That was the last time I would ever come close to light.

Back in the ward, I sat on the edge of the bed without saying a word. Lily leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, watching me. “Come on, Stella, don’t be like this. You’re making it seem like I hurt you or something.” Lily pouted. “I really didn’t know that family would react so badly.” “I just said it casually. Who knew they’d take it seriously?” She walked over to the bed. “Besides, think about it — it’s not like both your eyes are blind.” “Just wait a bit longer. There’ll definitely be another cornea.” I didn’t have the energy to argue with her. My father, John, came in from outside holding a payment receipt. He glanced at the bandage on my forehead, then looked down at the receipt. “The pre-surgery examination cost twelve thousand dollars this time. Since the cornea surgery didn’t happen, can we get a refund?” Mary shook her head. “I asked. They won’t refund it.” John slammed the receipt on the bedside table. “Twelve thousand dollars down the drain!” “If you’d offended fewer people out there, would Lily have said those things to them?” I looked up at him. “John, those are my eyes.” “I know they’re your eyes.” John cut me off. “But think about it — Lily just made a joke, and this is what happened to you?” “Don’t you bear any responsibility yourself? If you’d been nicer to Lily normally —” “Enough, enough.” Mary patted Lily’s back. “Let’s not fight, family. Lily didn’t mean it.” “Stella, calm down. If we can’t do the left eye for now, just rest it. We’ll wait slowly for next time.” Lily nodded and burrowed into Mary’s arms. I watched their mother-daughter embrace and suddenly remembered something. “Mary, the wound on my forehead keeps hurting. A bandage isn’t enough — it needs stitches.” Mary didn’t even look up. “What stitches? It’s not like you broke an arm.” “You’ve always exaggerated things since you were little.” That night, the wound on my forehead started to feel hot. The next day when I woke up, the entire right side of my face was swollen. I told the nurse my head hurt unbearably. The nurse removed the bandage. “The wound is seriously infected. Why didn’t you get it treated earlier?” “This won’t work. We need to do debridement immediately, and you need an eye nerve examination.” When the test results came back, the attending physician called my parents into the office. I couldn’t hear what they said. But when my parents came out, Mary’s eyes were red. She glanced at me and spoke. “The doctor said the infection spread into your orbital cavity.” “Your right eye’s optic nerve… is damaged.” I froze. “What does that mean?” “It means your right eye is going blind too.” My left eye had started degenerating three years ago. Now it only had a faint light perception. My right eye was my last light. “That’s impossible — my right eye was fine — just because I bumped it?” The doctor came out holding the report. “The infection spread from the wound to the optic nerve, causing inflammation.” “If we’d done debridement and anti-inflammatory treatment immediately, it wouldn’t have developed to this point.” “But you waited an entire day.” He looked at my parents. “Why didn’t the family bring her in for treatment right away?” My parents were silent for two seconds. Lily sat on a chair in the hallway, legs crossed, eating yogurt. “Well, Stella’s always made mountains out of molehills. How were we supposed to know this time it was real?” No one responded to her. I sat in the examination room, watching the last bit of light perception in my eyes slowly dimming. Not even the last faint glimmer of light — no one was willing to help me keep it. I gripped the bed sheet tightly. I didn’t cry or make a scene. I was just thinking about one thing — something I would never have considered before.

My right eye’s vision dropped to near-total blindness within two weeks. The doctor said that with orbital decompression surgery combined with anti-inflammatory treatment, I might be able to preserve light perception. John asked, “How much?” “About eighty thousand dollars initially.” John said nothing. Mary said, “Where would we get that kind of money? We borrowed the money for Stella’s cornea surgery.” “We still haven’t paid it back.” She glanced at Lily, then at me. “Stella, get discharged for now. Rest at home. Every day we can save counts.” I was discharged. Standing at the hospital entrance, it was raining. I couldn’t tell if what was ahead was a road or stairs. I stepped out and immediately missed a step. I fell hard on the ground. I got up, walked less than ten steps, and crashed into a trash can. My knees and palms were covered in scrapes. My parents left right after dropping me at the hospital entrance. Lily didn’t come. I crouched in the rain, suddenly remembering many things. In high school, I worked part-time while studying. With my bad eyes, I couldn’t find normal part-time work, so I went to help at a massage parlor for the blind off campus. I washed towels and mopped floors. Lily came to pick me up from school once. The next day, she went around telling everyone with a smile. “Stella works at one of those massage parlors off campus. You know what I mean, right?” My classmates started avoiding me. The way the boys looked at me completely changed. The homeroom teacher called me into the office. In front of other teachers, she asked me. “Stella Smith, are you engaged in inappropriate work after school?” I said no, I was just helping with odd jobs at a massage parlor for the blind. The teacher said, “That’s not what Lily says.” Later, I had my first boyfriend. The boy knew about my bad eyes. Every day after school, he held my hand and walked me home. He said it was okay — he could be my eyes. After Lily found out, she asked the boy out for coffee. She stirred her straw. “That massage parlor where Stella works doesn’t just do massages — they provide special services.” “Plus, her eye condition is hereditary. Your future children will go blind too.” The next day, the boy blocked me on everything. I begged him to let me explain. I sent him dozens of messages. All of them went unanswered. I went crying to confront Lily. She rolled her eyes. “I just said it casually. If he believed it, is that my fault?” “Bottom line is he didn’t love you enough.” Mary tossed the vegetables she’d picked into a basin. “Lily’s not wrong. If he was truly committed, would a few words break you up?” “You’re so grown up and still dating? What about your studies?” Every time, they told me to be magnanimous, blamed me — a blind person — for caring about these things. I got up from the rain and felt my way home through the darkness. From that day on, I never mentioned my eyes to anyone again. And I stopped holding expectations of anyone. I put on sunglasses and went to work at the massage parlor for the blind. Three thousand dollars a month. I kept fifteen hundred and gave the rest to my family. My parents actually thought I’d finally matured. Lily occasionally came to the shop to see me and mock how little I earned. I smiled and agreed. I was waiting. One year and three months later, Lily suddenly collapsed at home. She was rushed to the hospital and diagnosed with bilateral kidney failure, late stage. She needed a transplant. Mary cried in the hospital hallway, calling everyone to borrow money. She went through every relative and friend in her contacts. John sold the family car, then listed our small two-bedroom apartment with a realtor. They scraped together just enough for compatibility testing and preliminary treatment. Then came the wait for a kidney donor. They waited three months. During those three months, Lily’s temper grew worse and worse. She smashed a water glass in front of the attending physician. “What kind of garbage hospital is this! I’m dying and you can’t find one faster?” My parents always stood beside her. Mary hugged her with heartache. “Sweetheart, I know you’re suffering.” And every day after work, I took a two-hour bus ride to the hospital. I brought her meals, stayed overnight, wiped her down. Sometimes Lily would look me over. “Stella, do you think this is all your life will ever be?” “Eyes gone blind, massaging people’s feet — what’s the point of you being alive?” I smiled faintly. “Yeah, there’s no point, so you have to get better.” “The family’s counting on you.” She was satisfied with my answer. She had no idea that every time I came to the hospital, I wasn’t just bringing her meals.

After three months and nine days of waiting. One afternoon, the attending physician rushed through the ward door. “Family of Lily Smith, we’ve matched a donor kidney in the same city.” “Perfect compatibility. We can schedule the surgery.” The room went silent for a second, then erupted in loud crying. Mary held Lily and sobbed. John crouched in the corner, hands covering his face, shoulders shaking. Lily turned to look at me. “Stella, see? God still loves me.” She wiped her tears. “Forget about your cornea. You’ve already adapted to darkness anyway.” “But I’m still young. I can’t die.” I sat on the caregiver’s chair beside her bed and smiled at her. “Yeah, you’re really lucky.” I picked up a comb and brushed her hair. She closed her eyes and hummed a tune. The surgery was scheduled for three days later. During those three days, I was more gentle than I’d ever been. I bought Lily her favorite brownie, trimmed her nails. At night I chatted with her until she fell asleep, then collapsed on the caregiver bed myself. Mary patted my shoulder. “Stella, once Lily’s body recovers, she definitely won’t forget you.” I nodded without speaking. On the day of surgery, nurses came early for pre-op preparation. At ten o’clock, the transport gurney arrived. The nurse asked, “Which family member will accompany her to the operating room door?” The nurse flipped through another page. “Sorry, we’re still short forty-eight thousand dollars on the surgery deposit.” “A family member needs to go to the first-floor manual payment window.” My parents looked at each other, then both looked at me. “Stella, you watch Lily. We’ll go downstairs to pay. We’ll be quick.” I nodded. “Don’t worry, Mary. I’m here.” My parents hurried off. Only Lily on the gurney, the nurse, and I remained in the hallway. The operating room door stood open, light streaming through. Lily clutched the edge of the sheet and turned to look at me. “Stella, do you think something might go wrong with the surgery?” I crouched down and leaned close to her ear. “No, don’t be scared.” She let out a long breath. Just then, the old man from the next bed was wheeled out by his family. He also had kidney failure and had been admitted six months before Lily. But he’d never received a donor kidney. The old man’s wife sat beside the gurney, writing something — a will. The old man spoke in fragments while his wife wrote it down. “Leave the old house to our grandson… the bankbook is in the second drawer…” With each sentence, his wife lowered her head to wipe tears. Lily glanced over and frowned. “How unlucky. Can’t you do this somewhere else instead of in the hallway? It’s ruining my mood.” The old man’s wife heard her, looked up, but said nothing. She quietly moved the gurney to the other side. I looked at that scene too. Then I stood up and stopped the nurse who was about to wheel Lily into the operating room. “Wait.” Lily froze and looked up at me. “Stella? What are you doing?” “Give me some encouragement. Say something nice so I can go in with peace of mind.” I took off my sunglasses. I couldn’t see anything clearly anymore. But I could hear Lily lying on the gurney. Completely defenseless, waiting for me to send her on her final journey. I smiled. This time, I truly smiled. I turned toward where I heard the nurse. “Excuse me, Lily just told me she doesn’t want the surgery anymore.” “Give the kidney to the old man in the next bed.”

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When I broke up with Pathseekers Pack Alpha Soren, he clutched the test report and asked me why I faked a pregnancy, then pressed a lit cigarette against my heart. “How dare you lie to me?” Soren severed our mate bond. My stepfather’s family disowned me. I lost my job and my face was scarred. The day I left Pathseekers Pack, Soren got engaged to my stepsister, Fiona. I clutched my stomach and slunk away from their world like a rat in a gutter, disappearing completely. When I saw Soren again four years later, he pointed at the child in my arms, his eyes certain: “This is my child, isn’t it?” I saw Soren again late at night in a hospital. I held my daughter Jenny in my arms. She’d long grown accustomed to IVs and injections, staying quiet the entire time. When she saw Soren, she remained quiet too, only tugging at my dozing self in confusion. I opened my eyes and suddenly locked gazes with the man’s cold blue-gray eyes. Memories from the past came flooding back. My heart stopped. I stiffly got up, preparing to run, then belatedly remembered Jenny was still on an IV. Just as my hand touched the IV bottle, Soren pressed down hard to stop me. “Long time no see, Ella.” “Is this your daughter?” A few light words, yet my legs began trembling uncontrollably. Jenny tilted her head and asked who he was. He smiled coldly, enunciating each word. “An old acquaintance of your mother’s.” More than just an old acquaintance. Five years together. One hundred and eighty days and nights of desperate passion. And that once-tightly-connected mate bond. Unfortunately, these numbers that weighed so heavily on me were nothing but garbage carelessly tossed aside by this high-and-mighty Alpha. I kept my head down, my face pale. During the silence, Soren’s friend walked over. At first he didn’t see clearly, and joked while pointing at Jenny. “Soren, just a minor injury and your wife and daughter both came to see you!” Not long after I left Soren years ago, I saw news online that Fiona was pregnant. I hadn’t expected she’d also given birth to a daughter. Fiona was the daughter of Ashclaw Pack Alpha Jack. After her mother died, Jack met my mother, Omega Sylvie. Sylvie was Jack’s second chance mate. Before long, they got married, and I went from being an Omega’s daughter to an Alpha’s stepdaughter overnight. After Soren severed our mate bond, both Jack and Sylvie announced they were cutting ties with me. I was knocked back to my original form in an instant. Taking two steps closer, the man saw my face clearly and called out in surprise. “You’re Ella, right? You’re still alive?” His surprised, sarcastic words stabbed like a knife into my barely-healed heart. I instinctively covered Jenny’s ears to prevent her from hearing anything worse. “Back then you forged a pregnancy report and made Soren’s father so angry he died. How dare you show your face in front of Soren now?” “You must be out of money, right? That figures. A woman like you can only rely on men for cash, can’t you?” “This scrawny little girl is your daughter? Don’t tell me you’re trying to claim she’s Soren’s daughter!” I’d long been numb, but hearing that last sentence, I looked up in shock. “No, she has nothing to do with Alpha Soren!” Both men paused. A moment later, Soren pushed his friend aside and approached me, his Alpha aura as oppressive as ever. “How old is the child?” “She’s three!” I blurted out almost reflexively. He stepped closer. “Show me her ID card.” I stepped back, forcing a slight smile. “The ID card is at home. I forgot it.” Just as he was about to speak, I interrupted. “It’s so late. You should head home so Fiona doesn’t worry.” At the mention of Fiona, he fell uncharacteristically silent. A bitter smile crossed my heart. Four years ago, humble as dirt, I’d questioned Soren about why he didn’t believe me, why he was getting engaged to Fiona. He’d gripped my throat, his eyes filled with disgust, ice cold. “She’s different from you. She’s pure. She doesn’t lie.” “And I love her.” I was his destined mate. We’d been together for five years. When he confirmed our relationship, he said he’d love me forever. But after my mother remarried and he met Fiona, he became madly infatuated with her. The vows he’d made to me vanished in an instant. He said he’d fallen in love with Fiona and wanted to give her a home. I’d always thought this love wouldn’t last long. Looking at it now, I’d been too naive. Taking advantage of his distraction, I decisively removed the IV bottle, scooped up Jenny, and ran without looking back. The man behind me said something faintly. I didn’t hear it clearly. I didn’t care.

I didn’t stop until I’d run out of the hospital, my heart pounding wildly. Jenny touched my haggard face, puzzled. “Mommy, why did you lie to that man?” I kissed her plump little cheek. “Mommy was protecting you.” Protecting you from being taken away. But Soren now had a wife and daughter. How could he possibly try to take my Jenny? Even so, I still took Jenny to a small clinic instead. By the time we got home, it was already two in the morning. I couldn’t sleep. I opened Fiona’s social media. Every day she showed off her wealthy lifestyle and her precious daughter. The comments were full of people praising her gentle beauty. Hard to imagine this same woman had personally used a knife to slash my face. Even now, no matter how hot it got, I didn’t dare lift my thick bangs to expose the ugly scar on my forehead. I only requested half a day off for Jenny. In the afternoon, I took her to preschool. On my way home, a luxury car brazenly blocked my path. The window rolled down and an elegant woman poked her head out. “Ella!” I froze in place, meeting my mother Sylvie’s gaze. She looked younger than she had years ago. If we walked together, people would probably mistake us for sisters. I abandoned my electric scooter and quickly walked away. She opened the car door and chased after me in her sheepskin heels. “Ella! Please turn around and look at me!” Perhaps she was running too fast—her voice carried a hint of choking. I didn’t understand why she was chasing me. Years ago, to gain Fiona’s approval as a stepdaughter, she’d personally forged my pregnancy report, leading Soren to believe I was deceiving him and to sever our mate bond. Back then, her scarlet nails had poked red marks all over my face. “You’ve only survived this long because of me. What right do you have to criticize me? If I’d known you’d grow up to block my path to wealth, I should have strangled you at birth!” After Soren threw me out of his house, Sylvie announced in front of everyone that I wasn’t her daughter. Lost in these memories, the driver suddenly braked at Sylvie’s signal, blocking my path. I stumbled and fell to the ground. Sylvie reached out to help me up. “Ella, I just want to see you.” I violently shook off her hand, my smile mocking. “See me for what? To see if I’m dead yet? Or to see if I’m still stealing Fiona’s man?” “Don’t worry. I’ve learned my lesson. I won’t disturb Soren and Fiona’s life. I’ll stay far away from them and your wealthy lifestyle!” Sylvie seemed hurt by my words, her eyes reddening slightly. “Ella, I didn’t mean it like that.” Her gaze fell on my custom phone case—a photo of Jenny and me together. She abruptly changed the subject. “That child from back then…” At those words, my confidence vanished without a trace. I said frantically, “What child? That child died the night Soren and I severed our mate bond…” I desperately hid the phone case behind my back. The cold temperature of the ground made me recall that night four years ago, after Soren severed our mate bond. That day, after he severed our bond, I was thrown out of Soren’s house. I endured tremendous pain, walking step by step. Finally, passing through an alley, I couldn’t hold on anymore. My whole body felt torn apart as I collapsed in a pool of blood. The life inside my belly teetered on the edge in that instant. I curled up in the dark alley, thinking I would miscarry, thinking my child would die. A passing witch saved me. She took pity on me, treated me, and helped me keep the child. Now Jenny was my everything. I didn’t want to experience almost losing her again, so I desperately insisted. “That child really is dead!” “I really don’t love Soren anymore, and I won’t go back to seduce him!” “You know how painful severing a mate bond is! In that situation I definitely would have miscarried. How could the child possibly still be alive!” The next second, she suddenly hugged me. “Ella, don’t be like this…” I froze for a moment, then struggled frantically. She fell to the ground. I went around the car and fled desperately. I hadn’t run far when I fell hard to the ground. Then I got up and kept running. When I got home, I immediately packed up important documents and money. Running into Soren last night, then Sylvie today. This absolutely couldn’t be a coincidence! I called the company I’d worked at for two years to resign, then called my landlord to terminate the lease. After buying train tickets, it was almost time to pick up Jenny from school. I went to get her and process her withdrawal. I planned to take her away from here and never return. However, when I reached the preschool entrance, Jenny’s teacher looked surprised. “Didn’t Jenny’s father already pick her up? Sorry, I saw Jenny looked quite similar to that man…”

A man who looked very similar to Jenny—the first person who came to mind was Soren. After four years, I removed Soren from my blocked list. As soon as the call connected, the man laughed softly. “I thought you’d be willing to go your whole life without contacting me.” I stood in the cold wind, gripping my phone tightly. “Where’s the child?” As I spoke, Jenny’s innocent laughter came through the phone. Soren’s voice was like a snake’s tongue. “Ella, is the child mine or not?” I still didn’t hesitate at all. “No, Soren. Give me back my child.” He scoffed. “It doesn’t matter if you won’t admit it. I can do a paternity test. You remember what happened when you lied to me.” Yes. Four years ago he said I lied to him, so he severed our mate bond. I nearly miscarried. My child almost died. I still often dreamed about that night. Those dreams seemed to mock me for loving a man I shouldn’t have loved. Thinking of this, I crouched on the ground in pain, supporting my swelling eyes. Soren decisively hung up. After a moment to recover, I got up and rushed to his house. After four years, I set foot in his home again, memories surging through my mind. I remembered the first time I moved in, shaking Soren’s hand and asking him what would happen if someone tried to throw me out. His smile had been gentle, brooking no argument. “You’re my woman. Who would dare touch you?” Later, he was the one who ordered people to strip off all the clothes he’d bought me and throw me out of his house. Heavy snow fell. I walked through it, my whole body purple, tears frozen on my face. He stood on the second floor, looking down at me as I struggled step by step through his front gate. To this day, photos of me naked still circulated online. The comments either cursed me as getting what I deserved or assumed I was already dead, having gone to apologize to Soren’s father. I entered Soren’s gate, head down as I walked the path to the villa, past humiliations flooding my heart. I didn’t notice that the roses I once loved still bloomed vigorously in the garden. Soren was already waiting in the living room. He wore a black suit, as if everything had been premeditated. I stood far away, restraining my anger. “Where’s the child?” “She got tired playing. She’s sleeping upstairs.” Hearing this, I immediately ran upward. Soren was quick, grabbing my hand and pulling me into his embrace. The familiar scent of cedar invaded my senses, making my hair stand on end. “What’s the rush? We haven’t settled our accounts yet.” I thought he meant the incident years ago when I supposedly stole the gemstone necklace left by Fiona’s late mother. But I’d never even touched that necklace. No one believed me. In the end, Jack threw me out of Ashclaw Pack. Before I left Jack’s house, I kept insisting I hadn’t stolen the necklace. However, these past years had long since worn away my pride. I pushed Soren away and fell to my knees with a thud. “Soren, I know I was wrong about what happened back then. I’ve paid the price. If you still think it’s not enough, I can kneel and apologize to Fiona too. Just please give me back my child.” My humility didn’t earn the man’s pity. He furrowed his brow, his tone icy. “Get up.” I didn’t move, speaking again with sincerity. “Soren, you can humiliate me however you want, as long as you give me back my child.” Soren laughed bitterly, crouching down to look me in the eye. “Your child? You and whose child?” I froze for a moment, then answered decisively. “My ex-husband’s.” Afraid he wouldn’t believe me, I pulled out a marriage certificate to show him. “Soren, I’m not lying. I really got married. The child is mine and my ex-husband’s!” I really was married, though it was a fake marriage. However, the man only glanced at the certificate before snatching it and tearing it to shreds, then yanking me to my feet. “Ella, can’t you see how much this child looks like me?” I didn’t dare look at him, struggling to go upstairs to find Jenny. He grabbed me around the waist, threw me onto the sofa, pinned my hands behind my back and pressed down, his gaze sinister. “I’ll ask you one last time. Whose child is it?” My eyes widened. I could barely breathe. In a trance, I thought again of the gunshot Soren fired at me after his father died. That bone-chilling terror struck again. My tears burst forth uncontrollably. “Soren, I’m begging you to let me go! I really can’t die. Jenny is still so young! She can’t lose me!” “She really isn’t your daughter! If it makes you happy, you can do anything to me, just leave me alive, just don’t take Jenny away!!” He wiped the tears from the corners of my eyes, frowning. “When did I say I was taking Jenny away?” I froze. Suddenly Fiona’s social media flashed through my mind. Her daughter, like her, had congenital heart disease… Could Soren want to take Jenny’s heart for Fiona’s daughter?!

I began struggling violently, screaming with everything I had. Soren had to press down harder on my hands. He didn’t control his strength well—crack. The clear sound of my shoulder dislocating rang out. I gasped, tears soaking the sofa beneath me. Only then did the man release me, but he didn’t immediately set it back in place. He looked down at me. “After all these years, you still like making things harder on yourself.” He bent down, brushing aside my wet hair to reveal that scar, his eyes half-closed. “If you were pregnant, why didn’t you tell me back then? After you gave birth to this child, why didn’t you come find me?” Back then, I kept telling him the truth, begging him to believe me. I told him I really was pregnant, that his father’s death had nothing to do with me. But he’d rather believe Fiona, whom he’d known less than a year, than me, who’d been with him for five years. I avoided his hand, my face full of sarcasm. “Soren, Jenny really isn’t your daughter.” “And wasn’t it you who said I should get as far away as possible? Why are you appearing in front of me again?!” The man fell silent. To me, this silence was more like an admission that he was hiding some scheme. The commotion downstairs finally woke Jenny upstairs. When she saw me covered in tears, pinned on the sofa by Soren, she ran barefoot down the stairs. “Mommy! Let go of my mommy! Bad man, you big bad man!” She cried and shouted while pounding on Soren. The butler appeared in time, pulling her sobbing form aside. Soren looked at Jenny, then at me, amused. “Call me daddy, and I’ll let your mommy go.” Jenny had already labeled him a bad guy. She shouted, “You’re not my daddy!! I have a daddy! My daddy isn’t a big bad man like you!” My heart ached. Ignoring my dislocated arm, I struggled hard, cursing. “Soren, you bastard, let me go!” The man gripped my jaw, sneering. “You’re not a bastard? You gave birth to my child and ran away. All these years, not a word.” I bit my lip, refusing to admit the child was his. Jenny also steadfastly refused to speak. Seeing this, Soren lost his temper. He restrained Jenny and pulled out a lighter. He threatened that if she didn’t call him daddy, he’d burn her with fire. Enormous panic engulfed me. I knelt on the ground, using my good hand to grab his leg, pleading. “Soren, please spare the child. She’s innocent!!” Jenny’s face went deathly pale with fear, tears dripping onto my face, so scalding they seemed capable of melting my heart. “Burn me instead! Burn me!” I tried to rush forward, but two of his guards locked my arms behind me and held me down. My arms were nearly dislocated, and cuts appeared on my body from their violent movements, bleeding. Soren remained unmoved. He pressed the lighter, bringing the flame close to Jenny’s face. Watching Jenny’s terrified face illuminated by firelight, I nearly fainted, finally giving in. “You are—you are Jenny’s biological father!! Jenny is your daughter! She’s yours!!” After I shouted this sentence, the guards released their hold on me. I sat powerlessly on the ground. Jenny returned to my arms as she wished, crying so hard she could barely breathe. “If you’d admitted it earlier, the child wouldn’t have had to suffer like this.” His palm landing on top of my head made me instinctively tremble. Watching Beta Leo hurrying over from a distance, my heart turned to ashes. If Soren dared harm Jenny, I would fight him to the death. Even if I died, I wouldn’t let him take my child. Soren was supremely confident, pushing aside the paternity test Leo brought. “No need to look. The child is mine.” As his words fell, Leo said tremulously, “Alpha Soren, you should still take a look. The child… the child really isn’t yours…”

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In our past life, my twin sister and I were adopted separately by a wealthy man’s mistress and his legitimate wife. Under the maneuvering of the mistress, my adopted mother, I debuted as a child star, becoming a household name and an award-winning actress. Meanwhile, my sister, raised by the neglected wife, became a marginalized figure in high society after graduating from college. After I became famous, the media constantly compared us, mocking her: [The fake socialite should just come to the entertainment industry and be a stand-in for our Best Actress.] On the day a powerful tycoon successfully proposed to me, my sister suddenly went insane and dragged me into a murder-suicide. Reborn back in the orphanage, in this life, she avoided the legitimate wife like the plague. “Sister, it’s your turn to go to the wealthy family and suffer!” Hilarious. She actually doesn’t want the kind of resources that would make anyone drool, the kind of life that puts you right at the finish line. 1 The wealthiest couple in Seattle paid a low-key visit to the orphanage, looking to adopt a daughter. When we reached the door, my sister absolutely refused to go in. “You stubborn girl, you’re usually the first to push to the front. Why aren’t you grabbing this amazing opportunity?” The director, furious, pinched her ear. She yelled in pain: “I’d rather not have this kind of ‘blessing’! Some people look rich on the outside, but nobody knows how miserable their lives actually are!” The director turned pale with fright and quickly clamped a hand over her mouth. Inside the room, Richard Sterling stood up, kicking his chair aside. “Hah! If you can’t even stand to live with yourself, why bother acting so pathetic!” “Let’s go! Are we just going to stay here and be a laughingstock?” Elena Sterling didn’t get angry. She just pointed a finger at me. “Is there still one more here?” My sister said sarcastically, “Sister, you go. It’s a wealthy family, you’ll be eating well and living a happy life.” Although Elena was somewhat surprised by my sister’s hostility, she quickly shifted her gaze back to me. I nodded eagerly. She smiled faintly, standing up. “Then let’s go handle the paperwork.” Richard let out a cold sneer and actually just abandoned her, turning on his heel and leaving, his back radiating anger. In that moment, everyone knew that the relationship between the billionaire couple was atrocious. My sister glared resentfully at Elena’s retreating back and muttered under her breath, “Good-for-nothing!” Everyone thought she had lost her mind. Offending the Sterling family so blatantly, who would dare adopt her now? But she was entirely unbothered. When we said our goodbyes, she whispered in my ear, “Sister, you have no chance. In this life, I’m going to take away that mother who schemed for you.” I smiled too. She was right, there was no chance. After pulling this stunt, even if my sister wanted to back out, it was too late. 2 Not only did my sister dare to offend Elena, but she was also prepared to be enemies with her for the rest of this life. In our past life, to ensure she was adopted by Elena, she poured water on my blanket in the middle of the night, causing me to wake up with a high fever. With her biggest competitor out of the way, she got her wish and was adopted by the wealthy family. I originally thought our lives would be worlds apart from then on. But I didn’t expect— Right after she was taken away, Richard’s mistress, Fiona Vance, brought a swarm of media reporters to the orphanage, specifically asking to adopt me. Fiona ripped off my fever-reducing patch, dressed me in new clothes, and took photos and gave interviews for the media. The mistress and the legitimate wife adopting twin sisters at the same time—this news naturally became a trending topic. My face was flushed, my eyes hazy and adorable, and netizens swooned over how cute I was. Coupled with public speculation that Fiona had ulterior motives for adopting me, I received unprecedented attention. Fiona, who started as an internet influencer, seized the opportunity to launch my career as a child star. I had endless gigs, and she gained massive traffic. Even Richard publicly favored me, allowing me to call him “Dad.” Compared to our rapid rise to fame, the legitimate wife, Elena, never responded or fought back against our blatant provocations. Even when Fiona brought me to confront her directly multiple times, she just smiled faintly, avoiding our sharp edges. Her passive, non-confrontational attitude made my sister, who was living with her, suffer a lot of neglect and mockery. Every time I met with my sister, she was always full of jealousy and frustration, furious that Elena wasn’t fighting back. In the years that followed, I sang and danced my way to the top, my career path smooth sailing. My sister, on the other hand, entered an elite private school. Her weekends were filled with various tutoring sessions and private coaches, living under strict discipline. Elena, coming from a prestigious family after all, naturally planned for her daughter’s future. After graduating from college, she arranged a marriage of equal social standing for my sister. For my sister, who had no inheritance rights and was already marginalized in the wealthy family, this was her only chance to turn her life around. That day, she posted a private message on her social media, visible only to me: [The good-for-nothing finally did one good thing! Now I understand. Actors are just actors, and the mother and daughter are the same. At best, they are just playthings for the rich.] When Fiona got the news, she was furious. “You rejected all your suitors just to elevate the third young master of the Harrison family? Is he only giving you a few million dollars’ worth of jewelry?!” She said with bitter jealousy, “Elena shouldn’t even think about winning, not even once!” Unable to become the legal wife after more than a decade, she hated Elena with a passion, and her actions became increasingly erratic. Later, reporters caught her and the third young master Harrison spending the night at a hotel. When the media asked him about his engagement to my sister, he flatly denied it. “That was just an arrangement by the families. Just a business stunt.” The day I won the Best Actress award, the third young master Harrison deployed a fleet of helicopters to propose to me. The flowers and fireworks that night echoed throughout the city. Some media intercepted Elena and my sister, asking for their thoughts on the matter. Elena only replied faintly, “Everyone has their own ambitions. You can’t force things.” My sister’s years of resentment and frustration finally exploded. She lost control of her expression, abandoned Elena, and stormed off alone. The original wife and the mistress of the Sterling family had fought for years with no clear winner or loser. But the lives of us two daughters would be worlds apart from then on. She went crazy, drove her car into mine, and took us both down together. 3 In this life, my sister got her wish and was adopted by Fiona. The internet was full of trending topics about them. When Richard was asked if Fiona’s actions were deliberately provoking his wife, he looked doting. “She can be a bit impulsive, but I believe she’ll be responsible for the child.” The next day, Fiona arrogantly declared: “Some people boast about coming from a prestigious family. I’d like to see whose upbringing produces a more successful child!” This statement was practically grinding Elena’s face into the dirt. Elena didn’t respond. She was very busy. She had company executives behind her, she had to personally select schools and interview private tutors for me, and she also tutored me in my homework at night. When Richard didn’t come home at night, she would let me sleep in her bed. Holding her soft, fragrant body, I slept more peacefully than I ever had before. This kind of genuine affection, liking, and companionship without any ulterior motives—my sister surprisingly didn’t know how to cherish it. The heat of the adoption news slowly died down, but Fiona’s provocations never stopped. A month later, Richard made a rare return to the Sterling mansion. Fiona followed right on his heels. We were in the middle of eating when she flew like a butterfly into Richard’s arms. “Our precious daughter got the endorsement for the Hughes brand. You promised you’d celebrate with us.” My sister, her eyes red and looking aggrieved, tugged at his hem. “Uncle Richard—” Fiona’s eyes widened, and she playfully scolded, “Why are you calling him Uncle? Call him Dad.” My sister glanced at Elena and shrank her neck, not daring to make a sound. Richard tapped his fingers lightly on the table, a half-smile on his face. Fiona’s eyes sparkled. “Chloe, are you afraid that because you offended Miss Elena the other day, she’s blaming you?” “Adoption is about destiny. Kids are kids; they like who they like, and dislike who they dislike. That’s perfectly understandable.” Richard put down his soup bowl. “Elena, what do you say?” Elena pulled me up, her expression calm. “This is your own business.” Richard’s face stiffened, and he ground his teeth. “Fine!” He scooped my sister up and sat her on his lap. “From now on, you call me Dad. Let’s see who dares to object!” My sister pointed a finger at me. “Dad, what about her?” “That’s someone else’s business. We don’t care.” When we left the living room, the mother and daughter had already sat down, continuing to eat with Richard. Even from afar, we could still hear their laughter. Back in the study, Elena asked me, “Are you upset?” I grinned and shook my head. I was so happy not to call Richard “Dad.” I had called him that enough in my past life to make me sick. She nodded, a hint of warmth entering her usually indifferent expression. “You just focus on your studies.” Before going to sleep, she had a rare, serious conversation with me. “Evelyn, even though your last name is Sterling, the Sterling family’s assets have nothing to do with you. Your dad—your Uncle Richard—had a son before we got married. Don’t fight for it, don’t even think about it; adopting you was my personal decision, and I will be responsible for you.” I nodded, hesitating for a moment before asking, “Mom, are you unwilling to have a child with him?” “You just need to know that he and I won’t have children.” In our past life, they indeed never had children. The outside world had speculated how long their marriage could last, but Richard never mentioned divorce. Instead, one time Elena was photographed meeting a male friend. Richard actually lost his composure on the spot, flew into a rage, and threatened to make life a living hell for that media outlet. This caused Fiona to go crazy that day, smashing everything in her house to pieces. 4 On my way home from school, the car was suddenly forced to stop. My sister, dressed to the nines, tapped on my window. Seeing me holding a book, she clicked her tongue and shook her head. “Sister, the pressure of studying must be suffocating, right? Is that old witch still giving you a curfew, making you be home by five o’clock?” “It’s hilarious. That old witch gave you the title of a socialite, but in the end, you still have to be kicked out to become a corporate drone, working for someone else!” She lifted her skirt and twirled in place. “Sister, a monthly salary of ten thousand is the peak of your ambitions, unlike me, who can gain both fame and fortune.” “And in this life, you’ll be even more miserable than me. Following the legal wife, you don’t even have the right to call him ‘Dad’.” She was extremely smug. “Sister, I’m better than you. I won over Richard in just one month. Do you know how many benefits that one word ‘Dad’ has brought me?” She expected to see me look hurt and disappointed. But I just examined her body, which was even thinner than when she was in the orphanage, and the dark circles under her eyes that makeup couldn’t hide. I smiled faintly: “Singing, dancing, doing gigs, working non-stop. Is it really easier than me studying?” Fiona was never a reasonable person. Taking advantage of the hype, she would try to squeeze every last drop of value out of my sister in the shortest time possible. In our past life, my sister only saw me looking beautiful and put-together, not having to study. Comparing my glamorous appearance to the boredom of her studies. Naturally, she thought it was bitter and gloomy. Only when she actually tasted hardship would she understand that the hardship of studying wasn’t really hardship at all. “I don’t believe you don’t understand that you’re nothing but a tool for Fiona to please Richard and provoke my mom.” I observed her prematurely developed body. “Also, if Fiona forces you to take pills, you’d better get them checked first.” Her expression changed drastically. “What pills?! Don’t talk nonsense! Hah, Sister, you just don’t want me to get the same treatment you did! You’re afraid I’ll be as successful as you were!” I shook my head and stopped trying to persuade her. Sooner or later, she would understand that for kids like us who lack natural talent as child stars, standing firm in the entertainment industry on hype alone is never easy. Coupled with Fiona’s obsession with marrying Richard. Now that she could play the loving mother-daughter card with her, if day after day went by and she still couldn’t become the legal wife, her manic depression would become harder and harder to suppress. In our past life, she forced me to climb the ladder using any means necessary, suppressing Elena to fight for favor and attract Richard’s attention. When Richard got a new flavor of the month, she would blame me for being useless, pinching my thighs and back until they were bruised to vent her anger. Later, afraid of being discovered, she switched to using needles. “Keep your mouth shut tight! I can make you famous, and I can make you lose everything!” It wasn’t until I was 15 and won my first major award that she finally stopped daring to lay a hand on me. The four words “marrying into wealth” was her dream, but it was my absolute worst nightmare. I didn’t understand. Fiona actually had many opportunities in her life. If she had just worked a little harder, she could have become wealthy on her own. Yet she chose to live like a parasitic, grasping weed. She was smug about Richard’s affection, flaunting her designer bags, clothes, shoes, and diamond rings. But she was blind to Elena using her status as Mrs. Sterling to turn the struggling Sterling Enterprises into a booming business, increasing her personal net worth to the top ten of the wealthy list. She fought tooth and nail to secure a tiny spot in the entertainment gossip columns, completely ignoring that Elena was a regular in the financial section. Not only was Fiona obsessed, but my sister was too. In our past life, when she stood at the peak, all she could see was the false prosperity that Fiona and I deliberately presented. Using a man’s cheap favoritism to define the victory or defeat between the legal wife and the mistress was too foolish. 5 Before long, I skipped two grades, and studying felt effortless. So I boldly proposed to Elena that I wanted to try my hand at the stock market. “Mom, I promise it won’t affect my studies.” She didn’t agree on the spot, but silently observed me for a month before handing over her personal account to me. The account had a starting capital of ten thousand dollars. I was overjoyed and hugged her, giving her a kiss. She patted my head, smiling as she asked, “You didn’t curse me for being stingy in your heart, did you?” I stuck my tongue out. “I know, you were afraid I’d get distracted from my studies.” “If you lose money, come find me.” I nodded, but couldn’t hide the smug look on my face. Losing money was definitely not going to happen. Life became enriching like this. I was busy studying and trading stocks, while Elena was busy expanding Sterling Enterprises. Fiona, with my sister’s cooperation, kept Richard so captivated he didn’t want to leave. My sister also benefited from Richard’s influence, starting to act in TV dramas, coming into contact with the film industry even earlier than I did in my past life. But Richard always managed to remember us from time to time. That night, I was suddenly jolted awake. In the darkness, a massive, dark figure was pressing down on Elena. “Get out! Don’t wake Evelyn up.” She yelled in a low voice. “Hah, you’re getting addicted to playing mom, aren’t you? Why don’t we have one of our own.” In the dark, the sound of fabric tearing echoed continuously. My eyes instantly turned bloodshot. I rolled out of bed, grabbed Richard’s arm, and bit down viciously! “Hiss! You little bastard, get off!” He swung his arm forcefully. Elena screamed, “Evelyn!” Like a little calf, I used my hands and feet, clinging onto Richard and refusing to let go, biting down even deeper. My eyes revealed a fierce determination; he was not going to bully my mom! Enraged, Richard grabbed my hair fiercely. Elena finally stopped holding back, rushing forward and wrestling with him. Finally, Richard lost all interest, cursed under his breath, “This little brat better let go, I won’t touch you tonight, alright?!” Elena hugged me, comforting me for a long time before I warily let go. Then, two teeth, stained with blood, fell out. After a furious Richard left, I cried, my eyes red. “Mom, I don’t want him. Can we divorce him, please?” I knew better than anyone that Elena didn’t love Richard. Especially when gossip about Richard spending the night at Fiona’s surfaced; the disgust in her eyes was uncontrollable. “Evelyn, now is not the time.” She closed her eyes wearily. “No, we can!” I immediately showed her the long string of zeros in my stock market account. Her eyes widened slightly. “Evelyn, you—” “Is this enough?” She dressed me and took me out to get my wounds treated. “This isn’t something you should be thinking about right now.” It wasn’t until my 15th birthday. She suddenly wanted to change my last name, having a massive argument with Richard. “You have a son and a daughter. Evelyn has always called you Uncle. Whether she has the last name Sterling or not has no impact on you.” A hint of frustration flashed in Richard’s eyes, and he left angrily. From then on, I became Evelyn Vance. Elena brought me to the company, and I spent every winter and summer vacation in her office. At first, I just traded stocks, but later I gradually helped her handle official business and got familiar with the group’s affairs. On my 18th birthday, Elena took me to a charity gala, officially introducing me to her network of resources. I knew that from now on, I was thoroughly heading towards a completely different life than my past one. While I was focused on talking with several senior business figures, Richard arrived with Fiona and my sister. Richard walked towards the main hall. My sister saw me and wanted to follow him in, but was stopped by Richard. She stood in place, stamping her feet, glaring at me resentfully. As soon as Richard entered, he reprimanded me. “Adults are discussing business, what is a child doing here? Get out!” Elena and I exchanged a glance, politely said goodbye to everyone, and obediently exited. Just as we walked into the front hall. “Evelyn, over here!” My nominal brother waved at me, surrounded by a group of teenage boys and girls. My sister was clinging to the arm of the third young master Harrison, looking very intimate. Seeing this, she had moved on the third young master Harrison very early in this life. 6 “You should really rein her in. Is the organizer’s area somewhere she should be? She’s completely embarrassing the Sterling family.” My sister was still indignant about not being able to follow Richard to the main hall earlier. “You have a good mother, so you can go too!” my stepbrother retorted with a bad attitude. The third young master Harrison smiled and tried to smooth things over. “Why bother? Chloe isn’t in our circle anyway.” Then he explained to my sister, “President Vance is grooming Evelyn as her successor. It’s different for us.” It would have been better if he hadn’t said that. My sister’s face instantly flushed crimson, deeply ashamed and furious. “What kind of magic potion did you feed Elena?!” she glared at me fiercely. “Hah, you should stop talking and embarrassing yourself.” The eldest daughter of the Montgomery family, who had been silent the whole time, let out a cold sneer and interjected, “Good thing President Vance is a woman, otherwise people would start spreading rumors that Evelyn is just good in bed.” My stepbrother chimed in with ambiguous meaning, “Evelyn really does sleep in the same bed as my mom. I’m even getting jealous.” The crowd burst into laughter. A hint of impatience flashed in the third young master Harrison’s eyes. “If you don’t understand, then don’t speak. The major project Vance Enterprises recently successfully bid on was handled by Evelyn.” My sister finally realized the current situation and stopped targeting me. When I went to the restroom, she followed me in, asking impatiently, “What methods did you use on my brother? Why is he defending you so much!” I adjusted my hair in the mirror. “What, did you guys not get along well before?” She glared at me, her eyes shooting fire. I smiled, no longer teasing her. “I don’t have the last name Sterling, and I won’t take a single cent from the Sterling family. Why would he make things difficult for me?” “And what about Elena?! She’s always been cold-blooded and selfish—” “Shut up!” I interrupted, my face turning cold. “She is the best mother in the world. Don’t ever let me hear you attack her again.” “So what if I say it!” She puffed out her chest and stepped aggressively toward me. “I’ll say whatever I want! She’s just a heartless old witch!” I raised my hand slightly. But thinking about the occasion today, I put it back down. My sister, however, wasn’t having it. She went crazy at me, then suddenly covered her face and ran out. By the time I walked back to the front hall, she had disturbed everyone. Richard had his arm around my sister, facing off against Elena. My sister’s cheeks were flushed, her hair disheveled, crying like a delicate flower in the rain. Her proud cleavage trembled as she sobbed into Richard’s arms. If she hadn’t constantly called Richard “Dad,” this scene would have easily sparked people’s imaginations. Fiona cried, “I can understand Evelyn taking her anger out on someone, but she should come at me! What kind of person bullies my daughter?” “She has a shoot tomorrow. Beating her face like this, isn’t that clearly trying to ruin her career?” Richard rubbed his thumb against my sister’s cheek, glaring coldly at Elena. “Tell Evelyn to come out right now and apologize to Chloe. Is this how you raise a child?!” I walked up slowly. “Uncle Richard, before blaming the legal wife and backing up your mistress and her daughter, shouldn’t you figure out what actually happened first?” Richard’s cold eyes narrowed. “Say that again.” Mr. Hayes, the organizer, hesitated for a moment before trying to persuade him. “Mr. Sterling, Evelyn was just—” “Evelyn bullying me is one thing, but she doesn’t even respect you, Dad! She called you a ‘dirty cucumber’ and said we’re the only ones desperate enough to want you.” My sister yelled. “I wasn’t having it, so she beat me up like this.” Richard grabbed my neck. “Who the hell do you think you are! You’re dead!” “You’re dead.” My sister mouthed silently at me, confident of her victory. I glared coldly at Richard, not begging for mercy. He had wanted to kill me for a long time. From the initial distant “Uncle Richard,” to me being a third wheel between him and my mom for years, plus the two deep bite marks on his arm. The feeling of suffocation hit me like an ocean wave, but I gritted my teeth and didn’t make a sound. “Do you know that being this stubborn just makes me want to destroy you? Hah, you think Elena will protect you?” Richard sneered, his eyes turning bloodthirsty as he ordered, “Elena, I’m giving you three days to send this little bastard back to the slums.” “I want her to spend the rest of her life in a gutter, never able to turn her life around!”

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I was with Ethan Vance for four years, and we were incredibly compatible. So compatible that it gave him a delusion. “Just making do with Sam for the rest of my life actually seems pretty good!” He proposed to me, deciding to settle down and build a life with me. But right at this critical juncture, my sister—who had previously gone abroad to get married—suddenly got divorced and returned to the States. Ethan jumped at the chance to take her out, bringing her to high-society galas and networking events to help her rebuild her connections. Everyone in our circle was waiting to watch me become a laughingstock. I, however, let out a massive sigh of relief. Phew, scared me to death. Who actually wants to marry him? 1 The day Haley returned to the country, Ethan was in my bed. He gripped my waist, pinned my hands, and pressed me into the mattress, clearly aroused. But when that exclusive, custom ringtone chimed from his phone, he stopped immediately. I wrapped my arms around his neck and refused to let go. “Where are you going?” He pushed me away without a second thought. “Stop messing around. Haley wouldn’t call me if everything was fine!” He answered the phone in a frantic rush, not even bothering to put on his shoes. I didn’t hear what the person on the other end said. But his tightly furrowed brows relaxed. He spoke softly: “Don’t do this again next time. Wait right there, I’ll be right over!” While Ethan was in the shower, I lay in bed, deep in thought. I didn’t care what Haley had actually said to Ethan. I was only thinking about that ringtone. The exclusive ringtone Haley had set on Ethan’s phone herself. Three scenes flashed through my mind. Scene One: Ethan indulgently letting Haley mess with his phone. Haley pouting playfully: “You’re not allowed to change this ringtone, or else I’ll ignore you!” Ethan smiling and nodding: “Whatever you say!” Scene Two: Haley got married and moved to Europe. A blackout-drunk Ethan smashed his phone. He roared at his assistant to buy him a new one, then clumsily tried to set that exclusive ringtone back. But in his state, he couldn’t do such a simple thing. He looked at me with pleading eyes: “What do I do? Haley will ignore me!” Scene Three: Just now, that exclusive ringtone chiming again. Ethan’s current iPhone was the one I gave him three months ago. It turns out, he doesn’t need my help anymore; he can set that ringtone back all by himself! Ethan came out of the bathroom quickly. While hurriedly getting dressed, he told me: “I’m heading out. Don’t wait up for me!” I called out to him. “Ethan!” “Yeah?” “We… are done. Let’s end this here.” 2 My relationship with Ethan had always been a bit muddy. In the beginning, someone asked him: “Are you dating Sam?” He shook his head: “Just friends with benefits!” I didn’t express an opinion on that. After all, he wasn’t wrong. But two years later, when introducing me to others, he’d say: “This is my girlfriend!” I was genuinely stunned for a moment back then. But I didn’t say much. Half a year ago, he proposed to me. His friends were shocked: “Are you serious?” He took a deep drag of his cigarette, his expression unreadable: “Making do with Sam for a lifetime actually seems pretty good.” But I felt entirely dazed. I did nod. I said yes. But my heart felt ungrounded. And I grew more panicked day by day. I didn’t know what was wrong with me. Until Haley made that phone call. I suddenly breathed a sigh of relief. It turned out, I never wanted to marry Ethan at all! 3 “What did you say?” Ethan’s usually passive face suddenly turned freezing cold. His gaze was incredibly heavy. But I wasn’t his subordinate. I was never afraid of him. So I smiled at him. “I said, we’re over. This ends here. Game Over!” I never used to believe that a gaze could kill. But the look Ethan gave me felt like he wanted to swallow me alive. He turned his head and left coldly. “Suit yourself!” 4 I heard about Haley returning to the States from our mutual friends. Along with the news of her divorce! “Apparently that painter cheated on her, slept with his muse, and even hit her. Tsk tsk, artists… we ordinary people just don’t understand!” I found the wording hilarious. That phrase originally came from Haley’s own mouth. Back when she recklessly followed that painter to Paris, she claimed he was an artist, and we ordinary people wouldn’t understand! We didn’t understand romance, love, or soulmates! But she was completely blind to the fact that what sustained their “epic romance” was the massive allowance our family wired to her every month. And I was the one earning that money! But none of that mattered. I just suddenly realized that Ethan would definitely not be attending tomorrow night’s gala with me! It had been three days since I told Ethan it was over. I sent him a text, asking when he would come pack his things. He didn’t reply. I contacted his executive assistant to handle it. The assistant hemmed and hawed, saying he didn’t know, and that it wasn’t his job. I couldn’t be bothered anymore. If it wasn’t to accommodate Ethan’s commute, I would never have lived in that condo anyway. Now that I had moved back to my own penthouse near the company, I realized how stupid I had been. Isn’t sleeping an extra half hour every morning a beautiful thing? Back at the company, I asked my assistant to arrange a plus-one for me for the evening gala. My assistant looked confused: “Aren’t you going with Mr. Vance?” “He probably has another date!” My assistant’s expression shifted drastically. Her imagination must have run wild because she looked righteously indignant. “Don’t worry, Ms. Hayes, I’ll arrange the absolute best for you!” I wanted to say that wasn’t necessary, anyone would do. But she had already run off. By the afternoon, she mysteriously told me: “Broad shoulders, narrow waist, long legs, eight-pack abs, righteous face. The absolute best guy from the premier security firm in the city. Ms. Hayes, you’ll definitely be satisfied!” … That really wasn’t necessary! But seeing the actual person, I was still taken aback. How should I put it… this physique and face really could make a person weak in the knees. If only he wasn’t so damn talkative! “We are a legitimate security firm, we don’t do escort services!” “Of course, we don’t completely refuse them, but that’s a different price bracket!” “And Ethan Vance is also a premium client of our company. If I go with you, he won’t file a complaint against me, will he?” “Our company prides itself on a 99.9% positive rating. If I get a complaint, I have to write an incident report!” “Of course, these things can all be resolved, if you insist, it’ll just have to be…” “Shut up!” I couldn’t take it anymore, gritting my teeth. He looked innocent, saying calmly: “…an extra charge!” I took a deep breath: “If you keep yapping, I’ll report you. Of course, if you perform well, I’ll give you a massive five-figure bonus afterward!” He contentedly made an OK gesture. “Don’t worry, I’m a professional!” 5 Professional Guy had sharp eyes. As soon as we entered the ballroom, he muttered, “Damn!” My eyebrow twitched. “No swearing!” He pointed not far away. “Your fiancé!” Of course, just my fiancé wouldn’t be enough to make him curse. Mainly because there was a woman standing next to my fiancé, holding his arm and smiling sweetly. “You’re being cheated on!” “That’s my sister.” “Wow, double kill!” Great, I could barely maintain my smile anymore. I don’t know if it was because of the professional guy—Jax Thorne’s—constant banter, or if I had truly reached inner peace. Seeing Ethan and Haley together, I actually didn’t feel much. Of course, I had no intention of going up to say hello either. But Haley took the initiative to come over to us. “Sister, I missed you so much! I’ve been back for so many days and I finally get to see you! Why didn’t you answer my calls?” Translation: Sam and Haley have a bad relationship, Sam refuses to answer her sister’s calls, how un-sisterly! “Mom and Dad miss you too. When are you coming home for dinner? They’d definitely be very happy!” Translation: Sam has a bad relationship with our parents, doesn’t go home to see them, how unfilial! “I even brought you a gift from Paris, please don’t be mad at me, okay?” Translation: Sam is petty, Haley is kind and generous. When I was little, I didn’t understand the subtext. Clearly, it was Haley’s fault, and she’d say she was wrong, but in the end, I was the one who got punished. As I grew older, I realized Haley was a master manipulator. You had to read between the lines! While I was deep in thought, Jax spoke up. “Mad at you? Did you do something to wrong Sam? Then apologize! Do you know how to say ‘I’m sorry’? What’s the point of bringing gifts, you have to say sorry first! Only after you say sorry can people consider whether to say it’s fine. After all, it depends on what you did wrong and if it’s worth forgiving. If you committed arson, murder, and robbery, then we’d have no choice but to cut ties for the greater good!” Jax talked so fast and relentlessly that Haley couldn’t get a word in edgewise despite trying several times. Until Ethan coldly intervened: “Who are you?” His sharp gaze swept from Jax to me, finally landing on my hand holding Jax’s arm. I didn’t answer, pulling Jax a step back. “You guys are busy, excuse us!” I had already lifted the hem of my gown, ready to turn gracefully. But Jax grabbed both my arms and lifted me straight up. Yes, that’s right. With the posture of moving a potted plant, he physically moved me from the left to the right. My feet left the ground, and I was utterly bewildered. Only when I landed did I realize that Ethan had reached out to grab me, but was interrupted by Jax in the nick of time. For a moment, I had mixed feelings. Am I really that light? Ethan glared fiercely at Jax. “Let her go!” Jax gave a cynical, street-smart smile, full of swagger. “It’s a society ruled by law, pal. You can’t just harass someone else’s date!” “She is my…” “Ethan!” “Ethan!” The moment Ethan was about to blurt it out, Haley and I spoke at the exact same time. My tone was ice cold, while Haley’s carried pure panic. She gripped Ethan’s sleeve, her face pale! Ethan looked at me. Just one glance, then he withdrew his focus back to Haley. He retracted his aggressive aura, pulled Haley’s hand into his, and turned to leave! 6 That night, aside from the conflict with Ethan and Haley, Jax acted very professionally. He said his face was almost stiff from smiling so much. Being able to smile breezily while fending off corporate sharks is really damn hard! He asked me if I was tired. “Drinking, smiling, and making small talk. I feel like my soul has been sucked dry!” Hearing this made me really want to smack him. But I had to admit, it was indeed exhausting. I gave Jax a huge bonus envelope. And told him I would book him again next time. He drove me home with a dark expression. At the same time, he repeatedly emphasized: “I am a decent person! A top-tier bodyguard who navigates the light and the dark!” I nodded perfunctorily. “Yeah, yeah, yeah, I’ll introduce you to more clients next time!” After sending Jax off, I slowly went upstairs to my penthouse. As soon as I got out of the elevator, I saw Ethan. He was leaning against the wall, smoking a cigarette, looking at me quietly. I didn’t want to talk to him, and tried to walk past him to my door. But he grabbed my waist and pressed me hard against the wall. I grunted as my back hit the drywall. He pressed toward me recklessly, trying to capture my lips. I turned my head to dodge. “Move!” Ethan acted as if he didn’t hear me, continuing to chase me. I was thoroughly enraged. I brought my knee up and kneed him hard in the groin. Ethan let out a muffled groan. He curled up and squatted on the ground, looking at me with bloodshot eyes, as if he had suffered a massive betrayal. But the words that came out of his mouth were incredibly vicious. “Why are you acting like some chaste saint with me? Didn’t you climb into my bed yourself back then?” Even though I had already said it was over. Even though I thought I had completely let it go. My heart still contracted violently. It shrank so hard it seemed to stop beating for a few seconds. A metallic taste of blood filled my mouth. I nodded. “Yes, you’re right. I climbed into your bed. But so what? You weren’t the only one getting off! Besides, did I force you? It was completely consensual. Now I say it’s over, which means it’s over. If you touch me one more time, it’s assault!” 7 Ethan and I could be considered childhood friends. We were born in the same year; he was three months older than me. Our families ran in the same corporate circles, and our parents were friends. We even grew up in the same gated community. Ethan was my first love when I hit puberty. But he didn’t like me. He liked the lively, cheerful, sunshine-like Haley. As for Sam? Wooden, boring, old-fashioned. Some people even suspected Haley and I weren’t biological sisters. “Even their last names are different. Could Sam be a half-sister from a previous marriage?” (Sam Hayes vs. Haley Davis). “Maybe an illegitimate daughter!” At one point, such rumors were rampant in our social circle. After hearing this, Ethan beat up the guy who spread it the loudest. Not for me. For Haley. He forced Haley to apologize to me. Saying: “Haley was just being willful, don’t hold it against her!” Haley stuck her tongue out: “I was just talking nonsense, who knew they’d actually believe it! Sorry, I was wrong!” Ethan always favored and defended Haley. Even if she wasn’t perfect. So, when Haley met her “true love” and eloped to Europe, Ethan became a desperate, trapped beast. So desperate that he found a substitute whose eyes and brows resembled Haley’s. So I offered myself. “With me as this high-quality replica, do you still need those cheap knockoffs?” Ethan said: “I don’t like you!” I said: “I don’t need you to like me!” I never needed Ethan to like me. Being with him wasn’t a gamble on developing deep feelings over time either. I just weighed the pros and cons and chose the solution that minimized my losses at the time. 8 Haley had been back in the States for half a month. During this half month, Ethan kept her by his side constantly, taking her to various galas and expanding her network for her. And my mom seemed to finally remember my existence. She called me and immediately started scolding. “Haley has been back for so long! Not only did you not help her, you didn’t even make a single phone call. Sam, do you still consider yourself a part of the Davis family?” That’s hilarious. As if me treating myself as a Davis would make them treat me like family. “Is there something you need?” “What kind of tone is that?” “If there’s nothing else, I’m hanging up!” My mom ultimately knew my temper. Despite holding a belly full of fire, she finally got to the point. “Come home for dinner tonight, I have something to tell you. Also, bring back that pink diamond you bought at auction last time, Haley will definitely love it!” I chuckled lightly and hung up the phone. She’s got some nerve! A five-million-dollar pink diamond, who wouldn’t love it? For a setup like this, logically, I shouldn’t attend. But I knew if I didn’t go tonight, my mom would make a scene at my corporate office tomorrow. Just like when Haley rebelliously insisted on marrying that broke artist. My mom stormed into the company, slapped me across the face in front of my staff, and demanded to know why I didn’t keep Haley in check, letting her meet someone like that. But I wasn’t a pushover either. I immediately returned that slap to Haley’s face and yelled: “I’m asking you, when did you hook up with such a shady guy?” When I arrived at the estate, they had already started eating. The family of three looked harmonious, and Ethan was there too. Seeing me, he froze, stared at me for a long moment, then expressionlessly looked away. Haley was the first to stand up, pulling me to the table. “Sister, don’t be mad at Mom and Dad. You know I have low blood sugar. Seeing you hadn’t come back, they were afraid I’d starve, so they didn’t wait for you!” My mom had a cold face. “Don’t mind her. If she doesn’t keep time herself, who can she blame?” I laughed. “Then I’ll leave?” “You!” My mom glared at me viciously. She gritted her teeth and pulled me into the kitchen: “Come in here with me!” “Speak, what’s the matter!” My mom hesitated for a second, then said: “Haley is going to get engaged to Ethan!” I froze. The next second, she eagerly continued: “Ethan liked Haley in the first place, it was you who shamelessly insisted on fighting Haley for him. Now that Haley is back, shouldn’t you give Ethan back to her? Besides, Ethan doesn’t even like you, so your thing with him is over! Also, you are not allowed to tell Haley, she still doesn’t know about the messy relationship between you and Ethan!” Actually, not just others, even I had suspected countless times that I wasn’t their biological child. So when I was little, I secretly took their hair to do a DNA test. The result disappointed me. Sigh, what a pity! My zoning out made her very dissatisfied. She interrogated me: “Did you hear clearly what I said or not?” I opened my mouth, just about to speak, when Haley opened the kitchen door. She looked innocent: “Mom, what are you secretly saying to my sister behind my back? I want to hear too!” My mom’s expression did a 180-degree turn. She smiled gently: “Sister said she brought a gift for you!” Saying that, she even gave me a push. Haley looked at me expectantly: “Sister? Really?” “A gift?” I curled the corner of my lips, “Sister’s gift to you, do you dare to accept it?” Haley’s face stiffened, recalling some not-so-pleasant memories. “You…” My mom wanted to say something more, but I had already strolled out to the dining room. What a lavish spread! This whole table of food was entirely Haley’s favorites. Ethan stood up, looking at me scrutinizingly. “What’s wrong? Did something happen?” I looked at him. “I’m perfectly fine!” Never better than right now! I gripped the edge of the heavy mahogany dining table and lifted it a bit. It was heavy. So I made a phone call: “Jax? Still downstairs? Come up for a second!” Less than ten seconds after hanging up, Jax barged in. He asked me: “What’s up?” I lifted my chin: “Ten thousand dollars, flip this table!” “Sam!” “Don’t you dare!” I don’t know who it was, probably Ethan and my mom’s voices. Couldn’t hear clearly. Because the very second after my words fell, Jax grabbed the edge and flipped the entire table! The crisp sound of crashing porcelain and breaking crystal was too pleasant to the ears. Looking at the mess all over the floor, I smiled with satisfaction. I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time! 9 I met Jax at the security booth of my office building. He was chewing on a cigarette, hands in his pockets, chatting with the security guard. I asked him what he was doing. He said applying for a security guard job. “Aren’t you a VIP bodyguard?” He chuckled: “Developing a side hustle!” “Short on cash?” “Yep!” So I let him into my car. I originally wanted to fulfill our verbal agreement and introduce him to a client, but I didn’t expect him to come in handy here! My mom tried to rush up and hit me, but Jax blocked her. “Ma’am, I hit women!” My mom’s face turned black. “Sam, have you gone crazy?” Haley supported my mom, looking worried: “Sister, quickly apologize to Mom!” I averted my gaze and said to Jax. “Let’s go!” With Jax’s intimidating presence, no one dared to step forward. But as Jax and I were about to walk out of the front yard, Ethan chased after us. His gaze pierced through Jax, staring dead at me. “Sam, who is he?” “None of your business!” His face looked awful. I turned to leave. He spoke again: “Haley said she wants to be with me!” I paused. “Oh, congratulations. You got your wish!” “Don’t you have anything else to say?” I looked at him: “When you guys get married, I’ll definitely send a generous check!” Ethan laughed. A laugh uglier than crying. “Good, very good!” Watching Ethan’s retreating back, Jax stroked his chin. “Why do I feel like that guy is up to no good?” I was silent for a moment. “Do you really hit women?” Jax stiffened. “I didn’t mean it like that. It’s not a matter of men or women, I didn’t mean I want to hit women… No, I mean I don’t just hit any woman… Actually, I mean if necessary, I can hit women… Hey, why does it sound weird no matter how I say it!” Seeing him about to start rambling again, I immediately interrupted him with a headache. “Do you want to be my personal bodyguard?” Jax blinked: “Personal? How personal?” … I glared at him sideways. He shrank his neck. “Then, then, then… what’s the salary?” “How much do you want?” Jax held up one hand. “Five thousand?” “No…” “That works too!” Jax’s eyes widened. I looked at him in confusion: “What were you just trying to say?” He straightened his back and saluted me. “From now on, you are my boss! I guarantee 24-hour standby!” 10 Actually, hiring Jax as my bodyguard didn’t have any other underlying meaning. I just felt that after this battle, my future days might not be peaceful. I know what kind of characters my parents and sister are. I can generally guess what kind of shady PR moves they’ll pull. Plus the unpredictable variable of Ethan. I just hoped they wouldn’t get too hot-headed! At 11 PM, I had just finished a video conference with my European partners, poured a glass of red wine, ready to drink it and go to sleep. My friend called. She said: “What’s the situation? How come Ethan brought Haley out, and they even kissed in public? Didn’t he propose to you?” Making a fuss over nothing. “Hasn’t he been keeping her by his side ever since she returned?” “But back then he said he treated Haley as a sister, and told us not to spread rumors!” There’s this part too? No wonder this confrontation came so late. But it’s understandable. Probably Haley hadn’t given him a clear signal, and he didn’t want to make things difficult for her. Now that Haley’s attitude had softened, he definitely couldn’t wait! Thinking it through, everything suddenly made sense. “Is everyone there?” “Yes, are you coming out?” “I’m not going. Put it on speaker, I have something to say!” Not many people knew about Ethan proposing to me. Besides our parents, it was just this specific group of friends. Now it was definitely time to clear things up. Otherwise, it would always seem like I was the one being cheated on. So I said: “Ethan and I are already over. From now on, we are free to marry whomever we choose, and have nothing to do with each other!” After speaking, I directly hung up the phone. I didn’t care if Haley heard it or not. If they wanted to hide it from Haley, that was their business. I didn’t agree to keep playing the fool! Besides. Did Haley really not know? I don’t believe it! Downing the wine in my glass in one gulp, I was preparing to go to my room to sleep, but heard noisy sounds outside in the hallway. In the middle of the night, a noise complaint? I opened my penthouse door, just about to get mad, but saw Jax’s beaming face. “Good evening!” … “What are you doing?” He pointed to the apartment opposite mine: “Moving in!” I rubbed my temples with a headache. “Moving?” He nodded repeatedly: “If I don’t live on the same floor, how can it be considered personal protection? What if something happens to you when I’m not around?” I wanted to say: You’re overthinking it. But recalling Ethan’s crazy behavior a while ago, I hesitated. So I beckoned him over: “How much is the rent? I’ll reimburse you!” Jax didn’t hesitate at all, directly presenting the lease agreement. I was defeated by his unpretentious sincerity. “Keep it quiet, I need to sleep!” He zipped his lips and gave an OK sign. Nodding heavily, a look of “You can trust me!” I sighed and closed the door. I originally thought I’d hear some noise from the move, but realized it was truly dead silent. So silent that I fell peacefully asleep.

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The first time I noticed something was wrong with this world was during a first-aid training session at the company. The instructor pointed at the CPR mannequin and said, “Remember, human blood is blue. It only slowly oxidizes and turns red after being exposed to air.” At first, I thought he was making a joke. It wasn’t until I saw all my colleagues nodding seriously and taking notes that I couldn’t help but raise my hand. “Sir, did you misspeak? Blood is always red.” The instructor and every single one of my colleagues turned to look at me as if I were a monster. The instructor frowned, flipped open the training manual, and pointed it out to me. Right there, in black and white, it read: “Blood is blue.” I was dumbfounded. I pulled out my phone and searched the internet, only to find that every single result perfectly matched what was written in the manual. My coworker, Chloe, secretly tugged at my sleeve and asked with concern, “Have you been too tired lately? How could you forget such basic common sense?” I didn’t know how to answer her. Under the strange stares of my colleagues, I could only force an awkward smile and say I was just joking. As soon as the training ended, I immediately rushed into the restroom, gritted my teeth, and pricked my finger with a safety pin. Bright red blood welled up. Finally, I let out a long sigh of relief. My memory was correct. Although I didn’t know the reason, they were definitely playing some massive prank on me. Just as I was about to walk out, a conversation between two colleagues outside reached my ears. “Evelyn was so funny today. I can’t believe she actually said blood is always red.” “I know, right? My gums just happen to be bleeding. I really wanted to call her over to take a look.” I peeked out through the crack in the stall door. My colleague was baring her teeth at the mirror, using a tissue to wipe the blood from her mouth. On her white teeth, blue blood was slowly turning red. 01 This was probably the first time I had ever seen blue blood on a real person. I was so shocked that I instinctively covered my mouth, not daring to make another sound. They were right. And I was right, too. So, what exactly was wrong? Long after they left, and I was sure no one else was in the restroom, I secretly crept out. Walking through the office, I looked at everything that was once familiar, yet it all felt terrifyingly alien. Because I had already realized that I was different from them. I was, I feared, an anomaly. Back at my desk, my direct supervisor, Mr. Davis, quickly called me into his office. “I heard you haven’t been sleeping well lately? Are you under too much pressure?” I knew what he was referring to, but I didn’t have the courage to admit it to him. Because subconsciously, I always felt that being an anomaly was not a good thing. I just gave a few perfunctory replies, making the excuse again that it was just a joke and I didn’t expect everyone to take it so seriously. Fortunately, Mr. Davis didn’t press the issue. He just smiled, agreed with me, and told me to make sure I got enough rest. That night, I tightly locked all my doors and windows. I drew the curtains, lit some aromatherapy candles, and went to bed early. I hoped this was all just a dream, just a figment of my imagination. I hoped that when I woke up, everything would return to the familiar track I knew. But staying awake until 3 AM, I became more and more certain that there was absolutely nothing wrong with me. So, what on earth was going on? I got out of bed, turned on my computer, and searched for information about blood again. The results were no different from the daytime. No, it wasn’t just that there was no difference. I made an even more shocking discovery. The description for the Statue of Liberty read: “A landmark building located in Brooklyn, New York, completed just before the 2008 Beijing Olympics.” I searched for “Times Square,” and the images that came up were three bizarre buildings I had never seen before, called the “Financial Three Pillars.” I searched for “Hudson River,” and it showed “a river flowing through Chicago.” I violently slammed my laptop shut, breathing heavily. This was sheer madness. At the same time, I finally confirmed that this world was absolutely not the one I was familiar with. 02 However, I didn’t make a fuss about it. Because when I posted on an online forum questioning all this, I quickly received two replies. [The original poster needs to see a doctor.] [Did the original poster escape from somewhere?] The second reply instantly served as a wake-up call. As someone who didn’t belong to this world, this might not just be a matter of astonishment for me. Exposing myself recklessly would very likely put me in danger. So I immediately deleted the post and started to camouflage myself in my subsequent life. I tried my hardest to look like a “normal” person. At the same time, I carefully observed everything in this world. Fortunately, aside from some basic facts differing from my memory, I hadn’t found any issues that would affect my daily life yet. This allowed me to breathe a sigh of relief; perhaps my previous worries were unnecessary. But three days later, the first-aid training instructor came to our company again. He handed everyone a test paper, told us not to talk, and to hand it directly to him after finishing. He said it was to test the results of the training. I didn’t think much of it at first, until an older colleague who had been at the company for years muttered softly: “After all these years of training, this is the first time we’ve had to take a test.” A shiver instantly ran down my spine. Could this be… targeted at me? So I secretly peeked at my colleague’s test paper. Cold sweat instantly crawled down my back. My colleague’s test paper was filled with questions about first-aid knowledge. But mine… The first question was: What color is human blood? The second question was: What color is a baby’s hair when they are born? … I quickly realized I was being targeted. Although I didn’t know what this meant, my intuition told me it definitely wasn’t anything good. I controlled the trembling of my fingers and calmly wrote down blue and white. When I handed the paper in, the instructor gave me a meaningful look but didn’t say anything. I didn’t know if this meant I had passed, but I knew that from now on, every moment, I had to be much more careful. 03 The next day at noon, a few colleagues and I went to a newly opened restaurant near the company for lunch. My experiences over the past few days had made me subconsciously sensitive to the people and things around me. So I quickly noticed a man in a gray jacket sitting alone at a table diagonally behind us. In my memory, I seemed to have seen this person on the subway this morning as well. Now there was a single meal set in front of him, but he hadn’t taken a single bite and was constantly looking at his phone. I picked up my phone, using the screen as a mirror, pretending to touch up my makeup while keeping an eye on his movements. In the span of less than a minute, he looked up three times, and every single time, he just “casually” glanced at me so perfectly. I knew it in my heart. As expected, he was coming for me. I didn’t expose him. I pretended not to notice and finished eating with my colleagues. When I returned to the office in the afternoon, I found excuses to go down to the convenience store a few times. Unsurprisingly, I “coincidentally” ran into him every time. When getting off work, I stood at the entrance of the office building, hesitating. Should I just catch a cab home and hide? Or follow my usual routine and accept the gray jacket’s “coincidental” accompaniment? Or go straight up to him and ask him clearly what he exactly wants? It would be a lie to say I wasn’t afraid, but deep down, I wanted to figure out what was really going on even more. So I made a bold decision. I took a different route home. I didn’t take the main road I usually took, but instead detoured into the old streets and narrow alleys where I used to rent an apartment. After turning three corners, I ducked into a convenience store, ordered some oden, and brazenly sat in front of the floor-to-ceiling window to wait. The road down from the convenience store was a dead end. And the only resident there was my former landlord. Therefore, I only needed to wait for the gray jacket to turn around, and I would formally lay my cards on the table. No matter how he tried to argue, he could no longer find an excuse for following me. Up until now, neither the training instructor nor the gray jacket had confronted me directly, which meant they didn’t want to do anything to me yet. So I should still be safe for now, which was my biggest trump card. But after the gray jacket walked past me, I waited for a long time, and he never came back. As it grew darker, I stood outside the convenience store in surprise, looking to the right. The dead-end alley was eerily quiet. Only the streetlights lit up punctually, casting light on the mottled stone walls and the ground. The gray jacket, as if he had never been there, vanished. At this moment, I finally felt, once again, a chilling terror. 04 I hurried home and double-locked all the doors and windows. After drinking a whole bottle of ice water to force myself to calm down, I wrote down some questions on a piece of paper. [1. This world is not my previous world.] [2. People are paying special attention to me because I brought up the anomalies of this world.] [3. These people, and what’s behind them, are absolutely not simple.] [So, what do they want?] I chewed on the end of my pen, starting to analyze this problem. Do they want to determine if I am someone from this world? No, for this matter, they completely wouldn’t need to go in such a huge circle. My blood is red. With their abilities, finding out this result would be effortless. At this moment, I remembered the meaningful look the training instructor gave me when collecting the test papers. I gripped my pen and wrote firmly below: [They want to determine if I have realized that this world is abnormal.] Yes, their current actions are probing and observing based on my reactions. If I am content with the status quo, maybe they won’t overly interfere with my life. But if I show very clear suspicion and resistance, I might be in danger. I took a deep breath and continued to think about the next question. So, what should I do? This was actually a topic I had been asking myself for the past few days but dared not face. Should I force myself to accept all this and live in this world like a native? Or find the source of all the weirdness and, at all costs, return to my original world? I didn’t dare write down the answer, but in that instant, I already had the answer in my heart. 05 I registered an account on the country’s largest Q&A community, then asked a question: [I have a bad memory and always get landmark buildings in the wrong cities. What should I do?] I didn’t dare blatantly mention the anomalies of this world again, let alone the highly sensitive topic of blood color. I could only ask obscurely. If there was a companion of mine in this world, I hoped he could understand what I meant. A day later, three answers were added under the question, none of which were what I was looking for. So, I tried to add to the question: [For example, the Statue of Liberty. I always misremember where it is. What should I do?] The next morning, I saw a private message notification from that community on my phone. After unlocking my phone, in the thumbnail preview on the homepage, a user named [Peach] left me a message: [New York?] At that moment, even my heartbeat seemed to stop. I immediately clicked on it, but the community page was completely empty. That question had been deleted, and my account was inexplicably banned. I instantly realized they had discovered my little trick. At this moment, I felt both terrified and excited. I didn’t know what they would do next, but I knew that I was not alone in this world. 06 After a brief moment to compose myself, I decided to go to work as usual first. The path to the subway station required walking through a narrow alley. Just as I stepped into it, someone suddenly darted out from inside and bumped into me. He said “sorry” and hurried away. I was a bit surprised, because in that split second just now, I seemed to see that the corners of his mouth were turned up in a smile. I turned back, continued walking forward, and suddenly a loud crash came from above my head. Immediately after, an air conditioning unit fell right in front of me. The shattered pieces flying up almost grazed the tip of my nose. My mind went completely blank for a moment. Then came the overwhelming sense of terror. I was almost entirely soaked in cold sweat, trembling all over. This was the first time I had been so close to death. The police arrived quickly. The investigation concluded it was due to long-term disrepair and an accidental detachment. Moreover, the police told me that the family in that apartment had moved out months ago, and the place was empty. A passerby beside me comforted me, “Young lady, surviving a great disaster means you’ll have great fortune later.” My face was as white as paper, because I knew very well the reason why I hadn’t died. Someone had bumped into me. So I understood even more clearly now what his faint smile meant. 07 When I arrived at the company, I happened to run into my direct supervisor, Mr. Davis, talking on the phone at the entrance. Seeing my pale, traumatized face, he asked me what was wrong. I tried hard to squeeze out a smile, saying I almost had an accident on the way and was still feeling scared. He immediately asked with concern, “Are you okay?” I shook my head and said I was fine. “That’s good,” he said, seeming to think for a moment. “Evelyn, how about I give you the day off? You really should go to the hospital and get checked out.” I smiled and said it really wasn’t necessary, and that he could just waive my tardiness this time. Mr. Davis didn’t say anything more. He just waved his hand and let me in. After sitting at my desk for a good while, I finally completely calmed down. But then I suddenly remembered that Mr. Davis didn’t even ask what happened to me. So why did he want me to go to the hospital? I felt like I was sitting on pins and needles the whole day. I could be certain that after they discovered my little trick, they were going to take action against me. The incident this morning was a warning. And they were right beside me. When I got home at night, I discovered more things that were wrong. Someone had entered my house. Although they were very careful to put things back exactly as they were, because I have lived alone for a long time, I am habitually very sensitive to every detail. Moreover, in the wastebasket, the paper on which I had previously written down questions had been opened. That crumpled paper was originally in the middle of the trash, but now it was deliberately pressed all the way to the bottom. At this moment, I was incredibly thankful that I hadn’t written down my final thoughts. If they had seen it, what would have happened? Would they have just taken me away directly? But what do they plan to do now? Give me a chance to remedy the situation? Then, what should I do? I lay in bed, awake all night. As dawn approached, I made a decision: escape. 08 After sending a message to Mr. Davis asking for annual leave, I immediately bought a ticket for the earliest flight to Denver. Not long after dawn, I had already packed my suitcase and rolled it out the door. The morning rush hour hadn’t started yet, and I quickly got a ride-hailing car. The driver was a silent middle-aged man, and the whole ride was quiet. After the car got onto the highway to the airport, I finally felt waves of exhausted sleepiness. Leaning against the window, I tried hard to keep myself from falling asleep. After my head bumped against the window an unknown number of times, I jolted awake. This wasn’t the road to the airport! “Sir, are we going the wrong way?” I tried my best to make my tone sound less panicked. The driver glanced at me through the rearview mirror. “That’s what the navigation says. There might be road repairs causing a detour.” I let out an “oh” and sneaked a peek over. His phone screen was black; the navigation wasn’t even turned on. My heart practically leaped into my throat, but I forced myself to pretend to be calm. I knew that telling him to stop now was absolutely impossible. I could only outsmart him. Seeing a coffee shop not far ahead, I told him to stop there for a moment so I could buy a cup of coffee. But the driver didn’t answer me; instead, he stepped on the gas. My heart sank. Was it time to drop all pretenses? I felt for my phone; there was no signal, and the car’s speed was still increasing. If we kept driving down this highway for much longer, we would leave the city limits, and not far beyond that were mountain roads. I didn’t dare think any further. I tightly gripped the handle, my mind racing as I considered where to make a desperate stand against the driver. Just as I made up my mind, there seemed to be a major traffic jam ahead due to an accident. The car slowed down, and, there were police! Like a desperate survivor, I frantically pounded on the window, even intending to open the car door regardless of everything. Thank goodness, the police saw me. A motorcycle with flashing lights made the driver pull over. The moment the car stopped, I opened the door and rushed out, speaking incoherently. “Police! He’s trying to kidnap me! Help!” The driver remained silent throughout. Even as he was taken away, he only gave me a deep look. I missed my flight and followed the police to the station to give a statement. After I recounted all the events of the morning from start to finish, the female police officer taking my statement comforted me: “Miss, you’re probably just overly frightened. We’ve already notified your family, and they’ll be here soon.” I instantly felt something was wrong. Family? My parents are in my hometown, how could they… The door to the reception room opened, and two people walked in quickly, looking anxious. One was Mr. Davis, and the other was Chloe from the HR department. “Evelyn! Are you okay?” Mr. Davis looked full of concern. “You scared us to death! We got a call from the police saying you were in trouble…” Chloe hugged me. “Evelyn, don’t be scared, don’t be scared, we’re here.” I looked at them, unable to even force a fake smile. “Mr. Davis, Chloe, why are you…” “In the company files, we are your designated emergency contacts,” Mr. Davis said. “The form you filled out when you joined, did you forget?” I really didn’t remember. No, I definitely wouldn’t have put them as my emergency contacts. In that moment, I realized my previous judgment of them was too naive. The forces behind them were unfathomably deep. The police suggested I go home and rest, and Mr. Davis drove me. Along the way, he and Chloe kept comforting me. As we got closer to my house, he finally asked me tentatively. “You haven’t been looking well lately. Do you want to… go see a doctor?” He said he knew a very good psychologist who should be able to solve my problems quickly. I suddenly remembered, this was the second time he had brought up me seeing a doctor. And, it was also immediately following an “accident.” “Dr. Lee is really very professional.” After the car parked downstairs at my apartment, Mr. Davis turned his head and looked at me with sincere earnestness. “Sometimes, what we see and believe isn’t necessarily true. It might be that you’re under too much pressure and are experiencing hallucinations. A doctor can help you distinguish between what’s real and what’s imagination.” His words already carried a very obvious implication. It was as if something had suddenly clicked together in my mind. Everything was done by them, after they discovered my actions. The two “accidents” weren’t me being lucky, barely surviving each time by a hair’s breadth. It was them warning me. So, would I have a third chance? Facing the concerned gazes of Mr. Davis and Chloe, after staring blankly for a few seconds, I nodded. “Then I’ll go… give it a try.” They both seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. Mr. Davis handed me a business card, and Chloe told me not to worry about my leave; she would handle all the arrangements. I thanked them, took my luggage, and got out of the car. After the car drove away, I looked at the business card in my hand. [Dr. Richard Lee] [Center for Cognitive and Perceptual Disorders Treatment] I knew what this meant. They were giving me one last chance. To go see the doctor, receive “treatment,” and admit that everything was my “hallucination.” Then, I could continue to be a “normal person” in this world. So, should I go?

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