I froze for a second, then replied, “Wait, haven’t we always just been friends?” The other end was dead silent for a second before erupting: “Damn, you go, girl!” “Bro, you’ve been simping for her for years, and you still haven’t locked it down?” Aidan cleared his throat. “Sorry guys, excuse me. I have some family business to take care of.” 01 Aidan put heavy emphasis on the words “family business.” He was definitely pissed. I hung up before he could say another word and immediately turned off my phone. I spent the whole day in class on edge. When the old professor called on me, for once, I gave a serious answer. No sarcastic jokes, no smart-aleck remarks. The old professor pushed his reading glasses down his nose: “Well, look at that. Has Maya been possessed?” I gave a cheeky smile: “Not at all, Professor. I’m just entering my new ‘quiet and studious’ era for the semester.” The classroom burst into laughter, breaking the stuffy atmosphere. The professor nodded: “Yep, there she is. That’s the Maya we know.” After evening classes, I kept my head down, avoided eye contact, and made a beeline for my dorm. Suddenly, my roommates flanked me on both sides, bumping me with their shoulders. “Hey, hey, look over there! A Porsche Cayenne at the campus gate. Looks crazy expensive.” “I don’t know anything about cars, but the guy standing in front of it is ridiculously hot…” I looked up. The silver-haired boy they were talking about was walking straight toward us. With a radiant, sunny smile, he confidently called out: “Hey! Sister-in—I mean, Maya!” My roommates had one talent: they were incredibly good at reading the room. They gave me a shove forward and disappeared instantly. I lost my balance and was about to face-plant right into Caleb’s chest. Caleb looked like he was staring death in the face. He squeezed his eyes shut and took a half-step back. “You little brat…” Before I could finish cursing, someone caught me by the waist and hauled me up. When did Aidan get out of the car? Without time to think, I stood up straight and swallowed the rest of my expletives. Caleb let out a massive sigh of relief and patted his own chest: “Thank God you’re okay.” I rolled my eyes at him. He smiled apologetically: “Don’t be mad! We were just playing Truth or Dare with Aidan!” Mmhmm, and? “Aidan lost and chose Dare. The breakup call was my terrible idea.” Caleb grabbed my arm and shook it pleadingly: “You can hit me or yell at me all you want, but please don’t be mad at Aidan, okay?” Aidan swatted Caleb’s hand away: “Alright, that’s enough. You can go now.” So, Aidan dragged Caleb all the way here just to explain that to me? 02 “Achoo!” The AC in the car was blasting, and I sneezed. Aidan caught it out of the corner of his eye and casually turned the temp up two degrees. But the warmer air couldn’t fight off Aidan’s icy aura. After a long silence, he finally spoke, his voice low and tight: “What did you mean by ‘haven’t we always just been friends’?” Uh… “No, listen, I can explain… I mean, let me make something up…” “Maya, don’t forget. We are literally married.” I deflated, adjusted the passenger seat to its most comfortable position, kicked off my shoes, and curled up in the chair. “You’re the one who said ‘break up’ first…” I muttered my protest. Aidan’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. He tossed a small blanket at me: “Fine. Neither of us will ever say that word again.” “And one more thing. Don’t sit like that in anyone else’s car.” Sit like what? I looked down. Oh, right, I forgot I was wearing a mini-skirt today… I quickly pulled the blanket over my legs. Help, did he see anything just now? “Did you see?” “No.” “What color?” “White…” Hmph, I knew it. He saw it and wouldn’t admit it. Caught him with a reflex test. Blushing, I stole a glance at Aidan. He had a high, straight nose, a sharp jawline, and perfectly shaped lips. The setting sun hit his face through the window, adding a touch of softness. His side profile was stunning. I acutely noticed that the tips of his ears were slowly turning pink. I pulled out my phone. Click! Aidan’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard: “What… are you doing?” So handsome! I admired my own framing and lighting. “This photo could sell for a lot of money! I bet tons of fans would fight over it.” Aidan let out an exasperated laugh: “What, is the allowance I give you not enough?” It’s enough. It’s definitely enough. Being Aidan’s secret wife, with him transferring $50,000 into my account every month for living expenses—that was our mutually beneficial agreement. 03 Aidan was the highest-ranked pro esports player in the country. His hands were incredibly steady, especially when he drove. I almost always fell asleep when I rode in his car. Maybe it was because I stared at his picture for too long just now. I actually had a weird dream… In the dream, my fingers gently traced Aidan’s brow bone, the bridge of his nose, his lips… And when he was visibly aroused, I kissed him. “Mmph!” I opened my eyes, only to see Aidan’s flushed face hovering right over mine. This wasn’t a dream! “Breathe.” I finally remembered how to take in oxygen. Aidan let out a soft chuckle: “Fix yourself up, we’re getting out.” Looking in the visor mirror at my misty eyes and swollen lips… I took several deep breaths, cursing him in my head: Aidan, you absolute animal! I looked at our familiar surroundings. It was that private bistro I mentioned was really good. Aidan was a regular here, and the owner knew him well. Only today, he was acting overly enthusiastic—until he saw me standing behind Aidan. The owner rubbed his hands together, looking unnatural. Seeing Chloe sitting by the window, I understood why the owner was acting weird. Chloe. The youngest Best Actress winner. And Aidan’s “White Moonlight”—his first love and ex-girlfriend. “What a coincidence.” Chloe smiled and greeted us. She really lived up to her title; even without makeup, she was breathtaking. Aidan froze for a few seconds, then gave a curt nod. He reached back and pulled me from behind him to his side. Gee, thanks a lot! Seeing me, Chloe was visibly surprised for a second before she broke into a smile: “I didn’t know you liked this place too.” Is it too late to say I don’t like it anymore? Chloe bit her lower lip, her eyes slightly red, staring at Aidan with deep affection. It truly was a case of ex-lovers seeing red when they meet. Since this was a private, reservation-only kitchen, everyone here was a regular. Chloe simply suggested we eat together. She sat across from Aidan, and the two of them casually chatted about how they’d been. “Congratulations on starting the top esports club in the country.” “Thanks.” “Aidan, I’m planning to move back to the States for good…” I was officially the third wheel, and I was losing my appetite. You guys chat; I’ll just eat. I looked out the window. Maybe I wouldn’t be able to stay by Aidan’s side for much longer. The owner came over and asked: “Ice in your drinks or room temperature?” Aidan and Chloe answered in unison: “Room temperature.” I sat there all alone and yelled: “Iced!” Chloe gave a shy smile: “I didn’t think you’d still remember…” Aidan swapped my iced cola for his room temp water, looking right at me: “You know you shouldn’t have iced drinks for the next couple of days, right?” Faced with Aidan’s sudden display of care, I instinctively glanced at Chloe across the table. The shy smile hadn’t even faded from her face, but her fingers gripping the cup were white from the pressure. “Hic.” The atmosphere was too awkward, and I embarrassingly let out a hiccup… 04 Having a crush is like a hiccup; you simply can’t hide it. Turns out, awkwardness is exactly the same. By my nth hiccup, Aidan finally couldn’t hold it back and laughed out loud. I glared at him. Chugging water and stuffing my face with food wasn’t helping at all. Help, why am I hiccupping in front of my romantic rival??? Watching Chloe sit there elegantly, I was so anxious I wanted to cry. Aidan patted my back with a totally doting look. He took the water glass away from me just as I was about to chug again: “That’s not working. I have a trick, want to try it?” Still hiccupping, I nodded my head like a bobblehead. “Look over there!” Huh? I looked in the direction Aidan was pointing. The next second, the back of my head was suddenly gripped by his large hand, and my mouth was sealed shut! “Y-y-you… what are you doing?” My face turned bright red, and I frantically pushed him away. He looked unsatisfied, licking his lips: “What? Your hiccups are gone, but now you have a stutter?” I stammered for a while, unable to form a coherent sentence. Crash. The glass in Chloe’s hand shattered on the floor. Her eyes were red, and her voice trembled: “Sorry. It slipped.” After saying that, she walked toward the restroom, looking strong yet fragile… I sneaked a peek at Aidan. He was completely unmoved, seriously eating his food. Something’s wrong. This isn’t right. Did he kiss me on purpose just to make Chloe mad? Is his calm demeanor right now forced? Is he just pretending? I lost my appetite. Chloe came back. She had clearly been crying—a delicate, tear-stained beauty. She truly looked pitiful. I took the hint and opened my Uber app: “Um, I’ll catch a ride back to campus. Aidan, you can take her home!” Aidan snatched my phone away, threw his arm around my shoulder, and walked toward the door: “Ms. Chloe doesn’t need me to take her home. I’ll take you.” 05 Back in the car, I complained loudly: “What’s wrong with you, bro? I gave you an opening and you didn’t take it!” Aidan shot me a glance, a wicked smirk playing on his lips. His voice was lazy: “Whether I take the opening or not, we’ll only know if we try.” !!! I froze. Since when did the normally stoic Aidan make dirty jokes? I reflexively scoffed: “All talk and no action. Who knows!” Hearing my sarcasm, Aidan laughed instead of getting mad. He suddenly made a sharp turn. The GPS voice chimed in: “You have left the route. Recalculating route!” I watched the red dot on the map get further and further away from my campus. I asked quietly: “Where are we going?” “Home.” “T-t-that… that’s not a good idea, is it?” Look at my big mouth. When am I going to fix my habit of talking trash? The evening breeze blew gently, and the night felt cool. Looking at Aidan’s prominent knuckles, I remembered that marrying him was entirely because of my big mouth. My family and Aidan’s were close friends, but he was six years older than me. Because he was incredibly handsome, I had liked following him around since I was little. I also loved messing around with photography, and Aidan’s first viral photo was taken by me. At that time, Aidan was just starting to make a name for himself, and Chloe was just an unknown esports tournament host. Handsome guy, beautiful girl, sparks flying—I wasn’t surprised they got together. Occasionally taking photos of them together, I always thought they looked perfect for each other… Except for the tiny bit of heartbreak I hid very well. Chloe, who was highly ambitious, refused to make their relationship public. After Aidan started dating her, his performance took a nosedive. He choked in several major tournaments. Meanwhile, Chloe was scouted by a director because of her photos as a host, and her career skyrocketed. One was falling into a slump, while the other was climbing higher. Arguments were inevitable. After Chloe left the country, Aidan became incredibly depressed. I created a bunch of burner accounts, pretending to be a fan, leaving him encouraging messages. I also promoted him on every platform I could find. 06 I chased Aidan with zero success. But out of pride, I’d tell anyone who’d listen that Aidan had been simping for me for years and I just hadn’t said yes. No one believed me, except my mom and his mom. “You little brat! Aidan’s been playing so badly lately, and it’s because of you?” Me… When both our parents confronted Aidan, his secret relationship with Chloe had just been exposed, and he was entangled in scandals. Aidan pulled me into his arms and said to the reporters’ cameras: “I’ve been simping for this person for years. Today, I finally got my wish.” “Marry me,” I heard him say. Is there any clarification more powerful than directly marrying the person you’re rumored with? I thought about it for a while. There wasn’t. Engaged in the morning, married in the afternoon. When I got the marriage certificate, it felt like it was burning my hands. On our wedding night, I guiltily sneaked a peek at Aidan. “Um… I can explain…” “I’m sorry.” Before I could organize my thoughts, Aidan apologized first: “I’m sorry. I used you.” Seeing Aidan’s depressed look, my heart felt like it had been stabbed by a needle. The courage I had accumulated for years instantly deflated like a popped balloon. I swallowed my confession, generously patted Aidan’s shoulder, and acted like we were just bros: “Don’t mention it. When you win the championship, just make sure to transfer 50k to my account every month for living expenses!” Aidan gave a rare smile: “50k? Want to rob me blind?” “This is my first marriage, okay? Besides, is a champion going to be that cheap?” “You’re that sure I can win the championship?” “Of course!” Because you’re Aidan Blackwood… He rubbed my head: “Alright. Then I’ll bring the championship trophy back for you.” After getting married, Aidan really did change. He worked harder than ever. He ate, lived, and slept at the club, basically never coming home. In the dead of night, I’d wonder: is he not coming home because of me? So, I applied for a dorm room at school and moved in with roommates. 07 The second year, Aidan really brought back the championship. He ran toward me holding the trophy, and we hugged each other, crying our eyes out. I didn’t want to know why he was crying. I was just crying because I was moved by the impending 50k monthly income. After the tournament, Aidan established the top esports club in the country. I went from being his personal photographer to the team photographer. Through the camera lens, I could openly look at Aidan. Feel his frustration, his competitive drive, and the endless emptiness after a victory… Using photos to document every important moment of his life. It was just a pity that I was never in those photos… Except for that proposal in front of the cameras, Aidan never proactively introduced me to anyone around him. Sometimes when asked, he would say: “A friend.” “The girl next door.” “Just a kid who loves messing with cameras.” Fine. At least he wasn’t hiding me. Because I took photos for the team, I got along really well with the kids at the club. Besides me, Aidan had almost no other women around him over the years. During holidays, I always waited at the club to drive home with him. The team members assumed we were dating and jokingly called me “Sister-in-law.” Being called that, I was secretly thrilled. What made me even happier was that Aidan didn’t deny it and just let them say it. On the drive home for New Year’s, I was so happy I hummed a little tune the whole way. “What’s making you so happy?” I casually straightened Aidan’s collar and smiled: “Nothing, just a very, very, very small thing not worth mentioning.” My happiness didn’t even last through one traffic light. Aidan’s phone rang. Contact: Chloe. Seeing the caller ID, Aidan slammed on the brakes. I, who hated wearing seatbelts, bumped my head hard and got a huge lump. “Does it hurt?” Aidan’s eyes were full of guilt. “It doesn’t hurt. Not at all!” Aidan laughed: “If it doesn’t hurt, why are you crying?” Only then did I realize I was actually crying. To prove it really didn’t hurt, I started laughing. Laughing and crying at the same time, Aidan thought I was concussed and rushed me to the hospital. But I couldn’t explain. I couldn’t say, Aidan, my head doesn’t hurt. My heart hurts, right? That would be too embarrassing. I’d rather Aidan think I was an idiot than be laughed at by him. 08 That was our first time going home for New Year’s as a newlywed couple. There weren’t enough rooms, so we were forced to share a bed. While Aidan was taking a shower, his phone lit up. My heart dropped, and I subconsciously looked at the screen. “Aidan, I miss you…” That night, Aidan went to the balcony and talked on the phone for a long time. When he came back, his body carried a biting chill mixed with a faint smell of smoke. It wasn’t unpleasant. The bed sank a few inches as Aidan pulled me into his arms. Hiss, so cold. Damn Aidan, he must be using me as a human hot water bottle. As the temperature rose, there was nothing better than a warm bed in winter. I burrowed deeper into his arms, finding a comfortable position. Half-asleep, I asked him: “Aidan, do you know who I am?” He didn’t expect me to ask that. He froze: “I know.” “Then who am I?” “Maya.” Hearing my name, I felt mostly at ease. “Aidan?” “Yeah.” “If you want a divorce, tell me anytime. I’ll figure out a way to handle our parents…” A long, long time passed. I fell asleep, and Aidan seemed to have said something. I didn’t hear it, and I didn’t want to hear it. Suddenly, I felt a warm touch on my forehead. Aidan asked with concern: “Did you have a nightmare? Why is your brow furrowed so tight?” I didn’t want to answer. I stretched, looked out the window, and changed the subject: “Did I fall asleep again?” Aidan rubbed my head: “Yeah, sleeping like a little pig.” Our new house was really very new. The wedding decorations hadn’t even been taken down, and the number of times anyone had stayed there could be counted on one hand. We hired a cleaning lady regularly, so it wasn’t dirty, but it lacked the feeling of people living there. Especially, there were no traces of me. When we first got married, I had fantasies about “our home.” During that time, I was acting like I was under a spell. If I saw anything related to couples, I bought it. Matching toothbrushes, matching mugs, matching slippers… I used to wait joyfully for Aidan to come home. But he didn’t seem to like it very much. I still remember him holding a cartoon toothbrush cup, smiling awkwardly: “You don’t have to go this far.” I smiled too. I said: “Isn’t this just in case our parents come for a surprise inspection!” 09 After that, Aidan never came back to our home. I felt like I was holding a long, grand farewell all by myself. For every day he didn’t come home, I threw away one carefully chosen couple’s item. On the day I threw away the very last thing, I moved back into the dorms. More than friends, less than lovers—that was my dilemma, my comfort zone. Right now, the room only held the everyday items Aidan had left behind, along with a few of my clothes. He paced back and forth in the room several times. Like he was looking for something… “Maya.” “I’m here.” Every time Aidan used my full name, it was never a good sign. Sure enough, his smile didn’t reach his eyes: “What’s going on here?” “Huh?” I played dumb. “What’s going on where?” Aidan laughed out of anger. He loosened his tie: “Alright, Maya. You’ve grown some wings.” I pouted. What exactly did Aidan think I was? A little white rabbit who didn’t know how to fight back and only knew how to foolishly like him? Normally, I wouldn’t dare pull these little stunts in front of him. But today. His “White Moonlight” Chloe is back. I figured a divorce was imminent anyway. So I stopped pretending! Aidan suddenly pinned me against the wall in the entryway, his eyes darkening: “Wife—” He whispered softly into my neck: “I suddenly remembered, we still haven’t had our wedding night…” So close! The hairs on my body stood on end. I was surrounded by Aidan’s scent, and my head felt dizzier than if I were drunk. Using my last shred of rationality, I pointed out the window: “Look! A UFO!” Taking advantage of Aidan’s distraction, I sprinted into the bathroom. That was close. Too close. After showering, I realized I had celebrated too early… I never thought I’d be back in this house. I didn’t have any clean clothes here at all! I knocked lightly on the bathroom door: “Aidan?” “Yeah.” “Could you… get me one of your longer shirts?” “Call me ‘Big Brother’.” This opportunist! My fists clenched and unclenched. Standing under his roof, I finally bowed to the evil forces: “Big… Big Brother Aidan…” Damn! I hadn’t called him that since I grew up! My toes curled so hard they could dig a three-bedroom apartment in the floor. “What? Louder! Can’t hear you!” “I said, Big Brother Aidan~ Maya wants~ clothes~” 10 “Wouldn’t it have been easier to just say that from the start?” Aidan handed me a shirt. A short one… Even though he was much taller than me, it barely covered my thighs. Why didn’t I realize before that Aidan was this inappropriate? Or is every guy who plays “Jungle” secretly a pervert? Aidan was listening to the TV in the living room. Seeing me come out, his gaze swept over my body. My face turned bright red. I ran back to the room, not daring to make eye contact with him. My body felt heavy these past few days, always so tired. When Aidan came in, I thought I was dreaming. Wait? The feeling of semi-wet hair… it didn’t feel like a dream! I widened my eyes and sat up, clutching the duvet: “You, you, you… why did you come in?” Aidan looked perfectly justified: “This is my house. Why wouldn’t I come in?” But you always slept in the living room, the study, or the guest room before… Fine. If you won’t leave, I will. I wrapped the duvet around me and shuffled toward the door. Suddenly, Aidan caught me by the waist, threw me onto the bed, and pinned me down! Looking at Aidan’s prominent nose bridge. I heard myself say: “Aidan, this is going to cost extra.” “Heh, I didn’t realize you were such a gold-digger before?” How did that saying go: “I want a lot of love. If I can’t have that, I want a lot of money.” Aidan, I really, really like you… I covered his lips, looked into his eyes, and said seriously: “Aidan, let’s get a divorce.” He still had a smirk on his face, but he looked at me suspiciously: “What did you say?” “I said, let’s get a divorce! “This way you can be with Chloe openly. You don’t need to use me to make her mad… “Are you an idiot? Girls need to be coaxed. Acting like this will only push her further away…”

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Declan’s missing childhood friend was finally found. Driven to amnesia by trauma, she mistakenly believed Declan was her boyfriend. Declan went along with it. “You still have family and friends to keep you company,” he told me. “She only has me.” But he forgot. I had once told him very clearly: “I am a traveler from another world. If there ever comes a day when you don’t love me anymore…” “I will vanish from this reality.” He was my everything, too. Later, Declan happily married his childhood friend. While I was murdered by a serial killer, my body dumped at the bottom of a river. When my unrecognizable remains lay on Declan’s autopsy table… His normally steady hands trembled so violently, he couldn’t even hold the scalpel. 01 “Recent heavy thunderstorms will continue to batter the Seattle area. Residents, please exercise caution when traveling…” As the windshield wipers swept away the mist, I couldn’t help but think about the news. Several serial killings that had plunged the city into panic had all occurred during the rainy season. As a senior medical examiner, Declan’s life was a straight line between the autopsy room and the hospital. He was so busy he didn’t even have time to answer my calls. His text message was brief and to the point: “2:00 PM. Meet me at the courthouse for the divorce papers.” My fingers involuntarily tightened around the steering wheel. The System sighed in my mind. “Eight years of effort, ruined in an instant.” “Harper, don’t you feel it’s a pity?” I smiled bitterly. How could it not be a pity? Eight years. I was so used to Declan’s company. To me, he was a friend, my true love, and my family. I couldn’t deceive myself and just casually turn the page. I waited at the courthouse until the rain stopped, nearly two hours past our agreed time. Rubbing my numb legs, I dialed Declan’s number again. As always, no one answered. I turned the car around and headed to the Seattle Police Department. Declan rarely attended social gatherings, and I had never shown my face to his colleagues. When they first saw me, the officers looked grave, but upon hearing my purpose, they relaxed: “If you’re looking for Declan, he went to the hospital to stay with his fiancée.” “Her mental state is unstable. Whenever it rains, she acts up. Declan’s the only one who can calm her down.” The “fiancée” they spoke of was Audrey, Declan’s childhood friend who had been missing for years. She was the sole surviving victim of the serial killer’s five attacks. My breath condensed into white mist in the cold air, and my freezing, stiff hands felt a vibration. The caller ID on the phone screen showed Declan. “I waited for you at the courthouse for two hours.” As if he couldn’t hear the anger in my voice, his tone was flat: “Sorry, work held me up.” “Let’s reschedule. You go home first.” Sure enough, work again. That excuse could always block my overflowing grievances, leaving me with nowhere to vent. I sympathized with him, exhausted from autopsying remains, almost numbly facing death. But stepping back time after time, my sympathy became indulgence, allowing him to push my boundaries. “Declan, you’re hurting me.” A woman’s short cry of pain came through the phone. I couldn’t help but laugh coldly: “What, can corpses talk now?” Even through the phone, I could imagine his tightly furrowed brow: “Harper, stop being so sarcastic.” “Fine. Then come out.” My decisive words made Declan freeze. “I’m right in front of the precinct. Do you dare come out and see me?” A long silence fell over the receiver. As for the answer, we both knew it in our hearts. “Harper, she’s not like you.” Declan lowered his voice, accompanied by the sound of hurried footsteps. He was terrified of a single word falling into Audrey’s ears. “You still have family and friends.” “Audrey’s parents divorced, and her mom passed away two years ago.” “She was kidnapped when she was little, wandering out there for so long.” “Harper, she only has me left.” I heard the choke in his voice. I suddenly remembered that, despite being together for eight years, he had never shed a tear for me. But when he reunited with Audrey, he didn’t hesitate to pull his fingers from mine. He held her in his arms, crying his heart out. 02 “They said they couldn’t reach my parents.” “You’re the only one who came to see me. Are you my boyfriend?” Audrey, looking as frail as paper, leaned against his chest. Her eyes lightly swept over me standing by the bed. She rolled up her sleeve, revealing the carved scars on her arm. “Look, I still kept your name.” D. (Declan). Declan touched the scabbed marks, his lips trembling. That well-defined hand interlocked fingers with Audrey: “I am.” He was as devout as if taking a sacred vow. When he closed the hospital room door, I didn’t wait for Declan’s explanation. Instead, I waited for a knife that pierced my heart: “Harper, let’s get a divorce.” “Audrey doesn’t remember, but I do.” “I can’t let her be the other woman.” Then what about me? What were the eight years between us? The words clogged my throat, tears blurring my vision. Declan looked at my red eyes and frowned deeply: “Why are you acting so wronged?” “Audrey and I were from a blended family. I’ve always treated her like a sister.” “Right now, she’s a patient. She can’t handle any stress.” “When she’s fully recovered, I’ll naturally explain things clearly and remarry you.” He sighed: “We’re almost thirty, and you’re fighting with a sick girl for attention.” “Harper, can you be a little more mature?” My nails dug into my palms, and I lowered my voice: “Declan, do you remember the vows you made at our wedding?” “Family of Audrey, please come sign.” The doctor’s call drowned out my question. Declan pinched the bridge of his nose and whispered before leaving: “Harper, you really need to change this habit of bringing up the past.” The last shred of hope at the bottom of my heart shattered completely. At our wedding, I had made him swear: “In this life, I will only love Harper, and never betray her.” “Otherwise, I will disappear from this world, so you can never find me again.” Back then, he swore he wouldn’t lose his girl. In the end, he broke his promise. 03 My mind was a mess. Listening to the rain, I asked absentmindedly: “Declan, when are we getting divorced?” “What?” On the phone, Declan couldn’t hide the surprise in his tone. “We’re getting a divorce.” “You’ve finally thought it through?” His tone was complex, hard to say if it was a pleasant surprise or just shock. “I’ve thought it through. We’ll divorce, and then we’ll never see each other again.” “Stop making a scene.” The reprimand blurted out, before he softened his tone: “Harper, don’t make jokes with no boundaries.” Declan rarely used harsh words. Only when he was truly angry would he call me by my full name. In the past, I was terrified of him scolding me. Terrified he’d run away in anger, terrified that one day he really wouldn’t want me. “I’m not joking.” But I wasn’t afraid anymore. No one cherishes a shattered mirror. Those quiet words completely angered Declan. “We get divorced, and then what?” “Where can you go? Are you going to find the mother who was the ‘other woman,’ or the dad who hasn’t cared if you lived or died for eight years?” “Face reality. Who is going to accept a woman from a broken home…” Realizing his slip of the tongue, he abruptly went hoarse. I sneered, asking back word by word: “What right do you have to talk to me about family?” “You speak as if your dad cheating was glorious. Oh, I almost forgot.” Ignoring his sharp intake of breath, I drew out my tone: “You actually have an extra ‘sister’ who shared your hardships.” “Harper!” A muffled thud sounded through the receiver. Declan roared in a loss of composure, completely unlike his usual self. I laughed until tears came out. Eight years. We had already merged into each other’s flesh and blood. Breaking bones, connected by sinews. We both knew exactly where to stab so it hurt the most. This face-tearing argument was unilaterally ended by Declan: “The day after tomorrow, 9:00 AM sharp. I will wait for you at the courthouse.” Immediately, the receiver was left with only a busy tone. I panted heavily, curling my body into the car seat. The rain continued to fall, seemingly endless. My body lost the fever of intense emotion, leaving only a bone-deep chill. The temperature dropped. It was so cold. 04 The pendant in front of the car swayed. The hourglass it used to be was replaced by a pink bunny. I remembered, in the photo tucked in Declan’s wallet, Audrey was holding a similar plush toy. The bits and pieces of the past were gradually being replaced by others. In the end, he couldn’t even keep things the way they were. The car behind me honked frantically, making my ears ache. The System said timidly: “Harper, you’re driving the wrong way.” Snapping out of my daze, I realized tears had blurred my vision. The only person trapped in the past from beginning to end was me. “Harper, I only look at the future.” Declan’s words echoed in my ears. His gaze was always fixed forward. He was never satisfied, and he would never stop for me. Pulling over, I lay back in the seat and used up half a pack of tissues. Losing emotional control turned into a floodgate of tears; opening just a crack let the tears pour out. I felt as fragile as paper that could be punctured with a poke. The rain hit the glass. My finger traced a string of numbers on the window. “April 13th.” That was the date Declan set for the divorce. It was also my birthday in this world. My family always said my birth was the beginning of their suffering, trapping two people who didn’t love each other in a marriage, torturing one another. My very first birthday was spent with Declan. He baked a cake for me himself, accidentally cutting his finger. My heart ached to death, but he just laughed: “Harper, don’t listen to your parents’ nonsense.” “You’ve never been anyone’s burden. On the contrary, for all the hardships I’ve suffered in my life, you are the optimal solution.” The cake tasted so sweet it melted into my soul. Since then, no cake ever surpassed that flavor. I searched for a long time before finding the dust-covered hourglass deep in the glove box. The fine sand was clumped with dirt, unable to keep flowing. It was broken, unable to be restored. I thought again of the ocean where I first met Declan. The early winter seawater was bone-chilling. On the empty beach, it was just Declan and me. One seeking death, one seeking life. When he walked straight into the sea and was swallowed by the waves in an instant… I rushed over without thinking and forcefully dragged him back to the shore. His eyes were red from choking. I reached out to drape a coat over him: “The winter seawater is too cold. Let’s wait until spring, okay?” At that time, his newly blended family, and the loss of his sister, had subjected him to severe harshness. He said I was the reason he lived to see the next spring. After that, he moved into my cramped rented apartment. I relied on my $4,000 monthly salary to support him through med school and grad school, all the way to becoming a top-tier medical examiner. He used to be my miracle. But even the most intense love ultimately loses to the passage of time. “System, help me detach from this world.” “I want to go home.” The car merged onto an unfamiliar road. I casually turned on the GPS. “Hello, I am your virtual sister. Welcome to this navigation experience.” My hands resting on the steering wheel stiffened. The childish voice I was used to hearing now had an eerie familiarity. It was as if I had just heard it. “Brother, there’s a traffic camera ahead. Please slow down and drive safely.” That “Brother” gave me goosebumps all over. I finally remembered who the voice belonged to. It was Audrey. This car was my adulthood gift to Declan. The very first day he test-drove it, he installed this voice pack. “Declan.” I mocked myself: “You really are deeply devoted to her.” Relying on the fact that Audrey and I had never met. He dared to blatantly record his lover’s voice as his daily navigation. Shameless. The System sighed softly. “The detachment process is very painful.” “Harper, are you absolutely sure you don’t want to hold on a little longer?” Her words carried indignation: “You stayed with him for eight years. You saved him when he was at his lowest.” “What right does he have not to change his mind?” “Love has no logic.” I turned off the sickly sweet “Brother.” The car fell into a long silence. A long time later, the System responded: “Okay.” “The detachment process is excruciating. I’ll bend the rules for you where I can.” “After all, I’ve been with you for nine years too.” The final murmur was barely audible. “Thank you.” Alone in a strange world for nine years, besides Declan, the System was my only family. Letting her choose my ending was the most fitting. “If possible, I want Declan to process my remains.” I want him to personally dissect my corpse. So that from then on, he can never hold a scalpel with peace of mind. 05 I parked at the entrance of the apartment complex, looking up at the thousands of lit windows, trying to find the one light that belonged to me. Usually, I’d stand on the balcony, watching the cars coming and going. I could always recognize Declan’s car at a glance, watching it slowly pull into the garage. Twenty minutes later, Declan would ring the doorbell on time, his suit carrying an un-dissipated smell of smoke. People need brief moments of solitude. So I never questioned his twenty-minute pauses. But now, the relationship between us had grown so delicate it could no longer be sustained by trust. I turned on the dashcam. Between the routine two-point commute, the only deviation was a jewelry store. Declan got out of the car, and when he returned, he had an exquisite shopping bag in his hand. The car sped away and parked outside an apartment building. Audrey, who had been waiting early, threw herself into his arms. Leaning against the hood of the car, Audrey stood on her tiptoes and kissed Declan’s lips. The ring worn on her finger sparkled brightly. Acid suddenly surged in my empty stomach. I rarely got carsick, but at this moment, I felt the leather, tobacco, and faint perfume smells mixed together in the cabin were exceptionally sickening. A stabbing pain swept through my abdomen. I curled my body, biting my lips until they turned white. The pain of detaching from the world came more fiercely than imagined. The hair on my forehead was instantly soaked in sweat. The audio I hadn’t had time to turn off continued to play. “Brother, you’re mine.” Audrey bit Declan’s lip until it bled, her ambiguous tone unprecedentedly joyful. “We’re never going to be apart again.” My temples throbbed, the pain tangling my memories into a knot. The wound on Declan’s lip was very obvious. When I asked him about it, he paused his chopsticks, absently stroked it, and said: “Really? I didn’t even notice.” “I probably bit it because I was eating too fast.” Ambiguous panting, the wet sounds of kissing. Audrey, wrapped in Declan’s coat, was carried into the passenger seat. So dirty. I violently pushed the car door open, stumbled to the trash can, and threw up until only bitter bile remained. “Harper!” The System’s urgent call brought me back. After wiping the corner of my mouth with a tissue, I turned and went upstairs. The apartment was pitch black. I didn’t bother turning on the lights, fumbling my way to the sofa by memory. “System, wake me up in two hours.” Then, I closed my eyes and fell asleep. Even though my head hurt terribly, my memory kept replaying uncontrollably. Those frame-by-frame images slowed down in my mind, every word incredibly clear. In that dashcam footage, I heard Declan’s phone call. It was his best friend, joking frivolously: “Impressive, man. They say a man needs to meet two women in his life: one to cook and clean, and one to relieve his worries in bed.” “Who doesn’t want both a white rose and a red rose? Capturing both and keeping them docile, that’s true skill.” Declan narrowed his eyes slightly, exhaling smoke meaningfully: “Girls with flaws are the easiest to make fall in love, and the most fiercely loyal.” The friend laughed loudly, his tone exaggerated: “Flawed masterpieces. Brilliant calculation, man.” Flawed products. That was my family background. That was Audrey’s lost innocence. Even though they were completely unprovoked disasters, they became labels of shame, accompanying us for life. In that moment, I suddenly felt completely disillusioned. No matter how passionate the love, it becomes icy cold. The heartbreak wasn’t from being forced apart, but from realizing that underneath the skin, my former lover was completely unrecognizable. After the detachment system initiated, I developed a high fever after a long time. Fumbling through the empty medicine box, I belatedly remembered that since Audrey was found, Declan always kept medicine on him. Once the medicine at home ran out, he didn’t have the habit of restocking it. I had intended to go buy some medicine once my body felt a bit better. But I dragged it out for three days. In a blink of an eye, the date of my divorce with Declan arrived. Touching my burning forehead, I let out a resigned sigh. Declan was eager for a divorce, and I didn’t want to delay either. If I died before the divorce, I would have to be buried under the name of his beloved wife. How disgusting. I thought it would taint my road to the afterlife. In a terrible state, I couldn’t drive. I forced myself to hold on and wait by the side of the road. Kids were getting out of school, and the traffic was heavily congested. I waved numbly, trying to hail a cab parked by the road without shouting. But before a car arrived, my body gave out first. Dizziness blackened my vision, and my thoughts disconnected. When I opened my eyes again, the tip of my tongue tasted sweetness. A girl with twin pigtails held up a lollipop, her lively eyes full of concern: “Miss, are you feeling better?” “My mom went to get someone, don’t be afraid. When my mom faints usually, eating candy makes her better.” She probably misunderstood the reason for my fainting, treating it as hypoglycemia like her mother’s. The sweet taste filled my mouth, genuinely reducing the pain a bit. “I’m sorry… if only I had more permissions…” The System was so anxious its voice distorted, like a broken cassette player. I shook my head slightly, forcing a smile: “I’m fine, thank you.” “I don’t blame you.” I softly comforted it in my heart. The System’s tone remained full of self-blame, and the siren of an ambulance sounded nearby. A woman in a white dress supported my arm, her tone calm: “You suddenly fainted just now, and you bumped your head. It’s bleeding.” No wonder the back of my head throbbed with a dull ache… “How do you feel? Do you need me to go with you?” Looking into her concerned eyes, guilt for causing trouble surged in my heart: “It’s okay, I can go to the hospital by myself.” “Thank you for calling 911.” The deed was done. Declining to go to the hospital would only make her worry. Holding my head, I felt pain all over my body. While being helped into the ambulance by the paramedics, I received a call from Declan. He usually preferred texting. He only called when his patience was worn thin. I lowered my eyes, looked at the caller ID, and hung up directly. “Fever. Hospitalized.” I tapped the phone screen and sent the address. “Come pay the medical bills.” Back then, I waited for him for two hours. Now, it was his turn. When Declan rushed to the hospital, exasperated, I was on an IV drip, flipping through a half-read book. He pushed the door hard. I slowly looked up: “Sorry, being sick held me up.” “Let’s reschedule. You go home first.” The flat tone without any inflection made him clench his fists. He naturally heard that I was repeating his past words. He looked at the needle piercing the vein in my hand, his face ugly: “Stalling for time by pretending to be sick… Harper, do you know about ‘the ugly imitating the beautiful’?” Declan frowned. His serious expression made me suddenly sneer. Perhaps his flawed acting hadn’t fooled me. But it had truly fooled himself. Otherwise, it’s hard to imagine how he could speak those words with such self-righteousness. “Harper!” My cold laugh triggered Declan into shouting. He paced agitatedly in front of my bed, his speech speeding up: “How many times do I have to explain this to you? We’ve been together for eight years. Is that not enough for you to trust me?” “Did you expect me to watch Audrey suffer and just stand by?” “Harper, when did you become so cold-blooded?” I closed the book in my hand. “From the moment I realized you didn’t love me anymore.” Declan suddenly fell silent. He examined my face and said softly: “You’ve lost a lot of weight.” The abrupt shift in topic left me not knowing how to answer. “I’ll go buy you some soup. Try to eat it all.” “Every time you get sick, you throw up terribly. It took me so long to nurse you to health. Stop torturing yourself.” He hadn’t been gentle with me in a long time. In a daze, it felt like we were back in the past. Back then, that boy’s heart and eyes were full of me, unable to mix in anyone else’s shadow. “Harper, whether you believe it or not, I only love you.” “Helping Audrey is because I owed her.” “She and I are just going through the motions. We’re going to get divorced.” “Don’t be mad, okay?” He hooked my finger, but I sighed: “Declan, take tomorrow off and pick me up. We’re getting a divorce.” He mistakenly thought I had compromised. His eyes lit up instantly, and he said softly: “Good girl, Harper.” But I was just tired. The longer my body dragged on, the weaker it got. I had to end this quickly. Ignoring the doctor’s repeated instructions, I chose to be discharged. This time, neither Declan nor I broke the appointment. He waited for me in the driver’s seat, and I chose the back seat. Declan glanced at me in surprise. I forced a smile: “I don’t feel well.” He didn’t press further. At the courthouse, we cleanly signed the divorce papers without dragging it out. So swift it left the staff speechless. Before leaving, a heavy rain began to fall from the sky. The System’s voice rang in my mind: “Harper, your death date is set for today.” “Perhaps, this will be the last time you see Declan.” “Do you want to deliver some final harsh words to the scumbag?” Her words dripped with dissatisfaction toward Declan, eagerly egging me on. I thought for a moment and asked: “Declan, it’s raining. Do you want to drive me home?” If he could maintain his last shred of decency. I would at least tell him personally that I am a traveler. I am going to die, and I will never come back. He was about to speak, but his phone abruptly rang. Even though he tried to hide it, I still saw the caller ID. It was Audrey. Her voice was sharp, laced with crying: “Brother, it’s going to rain. I… I’m so scared. Can you come accompany me?” She sniffled, whimpering: “Please don’t abandon me, okay?” Declan glanced at me. I instantly knew his unspoken answer. “Okay, wait for me.” After hanging up, Declan avoided my gaze. “Audrey gets severe PTSD when she’s lost in the rain.” “She’s not as strong as you. She needs someone to take care of her… Harper, take a cab back.” His tone was gentle, but unquestionable. “Okay.” Turning into the rain mist, I heard Declan say goodbye. I didn’t return his farewell. Because, we wouldn’t see each other again. This would be our final meeting. 06 The rain wet my hair. I wiped the water mist off the screen. It was 5:09 PM. The dark sky made my senses lose track of time. By the side of the road where I had fainted earlier, I watched the traffic and unexpectedly heard a familiar child’s voice. “Miss, how much further? I’m late getting home, my mom will worry.” I am very sensitive to voices. I was certain I had heard her voice. Looking back, I saw the child who gave me candy earlier. The woman holding her hand was not the woman in white from before. In an instant, I decisively canceled the ride-share. “System.” No one answered in my mind. Fear made sweat bead on my palms. If what the System said was true, I was bound to die today, and Declan would personally autopsy my remains. Then, does this mean my death wasn’t an accident, but murder? “Five consecutive murders have occurred on rainy nights. The victims are mostly women and children. The killer’s methods are brutal…” I remembered the news broadcast on TV earlier. I also remembered the System’s worried warning: “Harper, the death during detachment will be very painful.” My body moved before my thoughts. I jogged to follow the girl’s back. The woman gripping her wrist tightly was thin and short, wearing a baggy hoodie, her lips pale. They turned into a sparsely populated alley, surrounded by unfinished buildings. My hand in my pocket dialed 911. I swallowed and flicked my earpiece: “Hello, I am at the North Alley of Sector A, Old Town Street…” The empty street echoed with footsteps, splashing rainwater. I froze in place. The footsteps kept sounding, neither rushed nor slow. I didn’t dare turn around. I sprinted forward and fiercely shoved the woman in the hoodie who was holding the child tightly: “Who are you? Dragging someone else’s kid around, do you even know her?” My series of loud shouts stunned the woman. Her lips parted, and her body trembled violently. I pushed the girl’s shoulder: “Go.” My voice was hoarse from nervousness. “Run straight ahead. Turn right, there’s a security booth. Have the guard take you to the police station.” She looked at me in shock. I shoved her forward without letting her argue: “What are you standing there for? Run!” The girl stumbled away, her small figure gradually disappearing at the end of my line of sight. “She ran away, so you can’t leave.” A low, deep voice sounded from behind, carrying an almost cruel smile. Even though I was prepared, I still couldn’t help but shudder. Turning back, the man’s face was hidden under a red raincoat. The smell of rust in the air was mixed with a faint scent of blood. When the wire tightened around my neck, the phone dropped during the struggle. The last number I dialed was my emergency contact. The phone rang twice before it was hung up. Suffocation blurred my vision. Using my last ounce of strength, I gripped the box cutter and stabbed deeply behind me. The next moment, I heard the killer’s muffled groan. “You will go to hell.” Along with that breathy whisper, I heard the sound of my neck breaking. The pain in that moment wasn’t as intense as I imagined. “Harper! Are you okay?” “I upgraded my permissions to detach you from your body in time.” “So you wouldn’t have to suffer for that scumbag.” Hearing the System’s voice again felt like a lifetime ago. My dim vision lit up again. I watched the man tear off my clothes. “Don’t look. I’ll broadcast the scumbag’s current situation for you.” The System briefly blocked my view, and then I saw Declan. He held an umbrella. Audrey was nestled in his chest, her shoulders shaking: “Brother, I’m so scared. He… he’s nearby. I know it too well…” “His footsteps, his breathing, the sound of him using a knife to cut flesh.” Audrey cried voicelessly. She wrapped her arms around Declan’s waist, trembling constantly. “Don’t be afraid. I’m here. No one will hurt you.” Declan held Audrey. His lips, just about to offer soft comfort, were abruptly blocked by Audrey. They kissed passionately, ignoring everyone else. Just two streets away, my remains were dragged into the trunk of a sedan, barely covered. “So disgusting.” The System was furious. I looked at Audrey’s hand gripping Declan’s back tightly, lost in thought: “System, if the Rainy Night Killer is a two-person operation—one lures, one strikes.” “How did Audrey, who has absolutely no advantage in size or strength, survive?” The System fell into an eerie silence. The woman colluding with the killer was obviously a first-timer. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have panicked and easily let the girl go. So, who was the “bait” that had previously deceived four girls into falling into the trap, yet consistently vanished from the police’s radar? Who exactly was it?

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On the eve of our wedding, my fiancé received a “dying wish” letter from his late mentor, asking to postpone our wedding. He pulled his mentor’s daughter along and explained to me. “Audrey, the Professor was my most important mentor. He passed away from illness, and his family is left all alone. I can’t just ignore them. Let’s put our wedding on hold for now.” “I must repay his kindness.” I was silent for three seconds, pulled out a calculator, and started crunching numbers. “Fine. You’re a sentimental guy who knows how to repay a debt. Let’s part ways amicably.” “Settle the bill, and the wedding is canceled.” 1 On the eve of my wedding, I got dumped. It all started early in the morning when I received an unfamiliar letter mailed from the dorms at MIT. The recipient was my boyfriend of four years, Nolan Hayes. … My fiancé, Nolan Hayes, was a legend at our university. From his very first day on campus, his outstanding grades and striking looks earned him the title of the elusive “Ice Prince” of the engineering department—a rare find in a decade. I chased him for two solid years. It was sheer, relentless persistence that finally allowed me to catch the cold, distant moon all the underclassmen idolized. Nolan was naturally brilliant. Plus, he majored in a highly sought-after STEM field. Right after graduation, he joined the R&D team of a major tech firm in Boston. Two years later, he struck out on his own, founded a startup, and became the “tech genius” everyone praised. I was a year behind Nolan. By the time I graduated, Nolan was already a well-known name in his industry circle. Everyone said I was average-looking but incredibly lucky—that I knew how to seize an opportunity and effortlessly bagged the “Ice Prince.” They didn’t know how much I sacrificed for him. When he was depressed, I kept him company. When he started his company, I funded it. I never imagined that all the time and energy I invested in Nolan Hayes would vanish into thin air because of an unsigned “dying wish” letter. Nolan’s single sentence about “repaying a debt of gratitude” ended the beautiful wedding I had envisioned. 2 The “dying wish” letter wasn’t long. Just a few lines, but every word was earnest. The writer spoke calmly of their impending death and the sorrow of leaving a family behind with no one to care for them… At first, I thought it was a prank. The letter read so bizarrely, like something out of a cheap soap opera. Just as I looked up to make a joke about it to Nolan, I realized he was already in tears. Nolan’s voice trembled, his tone slow and soft as he explained it to me. “Audrey, this letter… it must be from Professor Davis, my college mentor. Right before I graduated, I heard Professor Davis had to take a leave of absence for medical treatment. I didn’t expect… he’d be gone in just two years.” “This is a letter he wrote in advance. Professor Davis was worried that after he passed, his family wouldn’t be well taken care of, so he left this ‘dying wish’ for me.” As Nolan said, Arthur Davis was his major professor and thesis advisor for four years of college. During his time there, Professor Davis took great care of him. Several of the major research projects Nolan used to build his resume were recommended and overseen by this professor. After reading the letter, Nolan frantically called upperclassmen from his department to ask about Professor Davis’s current situation. Upon learning that Professor Davis had passed away six months ago, he sat in the living room in silence for half the day. I also felt deeply saddened by Professor Davis’s passing and suggested we send some things to his family to express our condolences. But Nolan refused. He said Professor Davis was a man of strict principles who disliked straightforward gift-giving. To truly thank the professor, he had to use the most sincere method. Seeing him so down, I walked over, gently placed a hand on his shoulder, and comforted him softly. “I understand you want to help Professor Davis. Do whatever you need to do. I’ll be your strongest supporter…” “I can also take some time off and go with you to visit his widow…” For some reason, upon hearing this, Nolan’s gaze became evasive. It was almost a reflex; he quickly shot down my suggestion. “No, no need… You didn’t know Professor Davis well, and you don’t know his wife. I’ll just find some underclassmen who knew them to go with me…” I was surprised by his reaction. He took my hand and patted it. “Audrey, you really don’t need to worry about Professor Davis’s situation. I can handle it.” “I must repay the professor for his kindness.” 3 Considering how deeply Nolan cared about this, I didn’t plan on interfering too much. On Friday after work, I booked a table at a rotating restaurant downtown, thinking we could have a nice, relaxing evening. But I couldn’t reach his phone no matter how many times I called. I only found out by asking mutual friends that Nolan had taken some alumni from his cohort to visit Professor Davis’s family that afternoon. It wasn’t until 6:35 PM that he finally returned my call. Hearing me mention the restaurant, his tone grew conflicted. “Audrey, I brought some people to visit Professor Davis’s family this afternoon. His wife made dinner, and I really can’t just leave. Why don’t you ask someone else to grab dinner with you?” The other end of the line was noisy and lively. Suddenly, a bright, cheerful female voice came through the receiver. “Senior Nolan! What are you still doing? The food is on the table, hurry up and come over, we’re about to eat~” I was just about to ask who that was, but Nolan hastily dropped a “Talk to you later” and hung up the phone. I sat in my seat holding the disconnected phone, stunned for a long while. The waitress pushing a cake and holding flowers hesitated for a moment before bracing herself to ask. “Ms. Vance, would you like the cake now or later? And… these are complimentary flowers from the restaurant. Happy Birthday.” I gave her a friendly smile and reached out to take the flowers. “I’ll take the flowers, but you can skip the cake. Feel free to do whatever with it.” “Also, please clear away these balloons and candles. It’s pretty awkward eating alone with all this…” On the display screen across the table, blue text clearly stated— [July 18th, The Starlight Restaurant and all its staff wish Ms. Audrey Vance a very Happy Birthday~] Today was my 27th birthday, and also our four-year anniversary. Nolan had completely forgotten. 4 It was nearly midnight when I finally waited for Nolan to come home. A familiar underclassman brought him back. As soon as the door opened, the strong stench of alcohol hit me. After seeing the underclassman off and cleaning up the vomit-stained floor, the clock on the wall had already ticked past 12. I sighed, looked helplessly at Nolan sprawled on the bed, and dutifully helped him take off his jacket and change his clothes. As my fingers touched the white collar of his shirt, my eyes were drawn to a streak of bright red. It was a lipstick smudge. Looking at the shade, it was probably classic Dior red. Instantly, a bizarre feeling washed over me. After thinking for a moment, I reached out and grabbed Nolan’s phone from the nightstand. Right on cue, an unknown contact named [Hazel] sent a text message. [Senior Nolan, did you get home okay? Thank you for taking care of our family. My mom said she wants to invite you over for dinner again later, you have to come when you’re free~] Attached to the text was a photo of a warm, cozy dinner table. I silently turned off the phone and listened as Nolan mumbled incoherently to himself. “It’s all… my fault. Back then… why didn’t I insist…” “Professor Davis is gone… what will Hazel do… what will her mother do…” Nolan’s drunken rambling made my heart clench. I instinctively looked up at the oil painting that had been hanging near the bedroom door for a long time. The painting depicted a round, plump hazelnut. The artist’s brushwork was lacking, and the colors had bled a bit. I had once asked Nolan why he hung such a messy painting in such a prominent place in the bedroom. He just said it was a gift from an old friend and had special meaning. Looking at it now, the meaning of this painting was indeed special enough to make one sick… Actually, long before Nolan and I started dating, I had heard that he had his first love during his freshman year of college, and he couldn’t get over her for a long time after they broke up. I never expected that after 4 years of love between Nolan and me, this mysterious “White Moonlight” first love would use a “dying wish” letter to re-enter Nolan’s life. Adding such a heavy, dark stroke to my originally smooth-sailing love story that was nearing its natural conclusion. Nolan was famously respectful of his teachers. When he made such a grand show of gathering people to visit his mentor’s orphaned family, everyone naturally interpreted it as “repaying a debt of gratitude.” Only I, the person who shared his bed, could see clearly what kind of chaotic emotions were hidden in the furrowed brow of the drunken Nolan. I was also curious. What kind of person was this [Hazel] that he kept muttering about even in his sleep? 5 When I went home on Saturday, my parents made a huge feast to celebrate my birthday. In conversation, they constantly urged Nolan and me to get married. Nolan probably didn’t sober up until the afternoon. I don’t know how he remembered that yesterday was my birthday and our anniversary, but he called seven or eight times in a row to explain. Before I could even ask about Hazel, he proactively told me about the situation of his visit to his mentor’s family yesterday. His tone carried a hint of probing. “Audrey, there were a lot of people around yesterday, so I couldn’t talk to you properly on the phone about the professor’s family… Anyway, since Professor Davis passed away, his wife and daughter have been having a really hard time…” “Even though his wife has a pension, her health hasn’t been great. And Professor Davis’s daughter just got back from studying abroad. She’s not very adapted to the domestic job market and hasn’t been able to find a job…” “I was thinking, since my company is still in its startup phase, and I need someone to help manage things, I’m going to bring the professor’s daughter in as our accountant to manage the finances. We know her, so it’s trustworthy.” I caught the key phrase in his words and pointed out the crucial figure. “Professor Davis’s daughter?” On the other end of the phone, Nolan’s tone stalled for a moment. “That… Professor Davis’s daughter, her name is Hazel Davis. She studied finance management, just got back from studying abroad not long ago. Everyone calls her Hazel.” I let out an “Oh,” and said slowly. “Professor Davis helped you a lot. I understand you wanting to repay him.” “But isn’t it a bit reckless to just hire his daughter to manage the finances?” “Just last month you asked a friend to find a well-known accountant in the industry. That person hasn’t even been here a month, and you’re planning to replace them? It wouldn’t look good if word got out.” I always kept personal and business matters separate. Even though I knew the past relationship between Professor Davis’s daughter, Hazel, and Nolan was anything but ordinary, I still raised doubts about his idea from an objective standpoint. What completely surprised me was that the usually calm and composed Nolan actually became uncharacteristically agitated after hearing my words. “Audrey, I just couldn’t stand seeing Professor Davis’s family struggling so much, so I wanted to give Hazel a hand…” “If we hired an accountant, we can just let them go. What’s the big deal? Why do you always have to be so difficult about these things? Hazel is really great. I guarantee you’ll like her once you meet her…” I was stunned by his words. When I spoke again, I couldn’t help but sneer. “I’m being difficult?” “Nolan Hayes, if I really wanted to be difficult, I should immediately remind you that the real reason you called today was to apologize for forgetting my birthday and our anniversary yesterday…” “Instead of rambling on to me about your mentor’s dying wish, and how hard your professor’s wife and little junior are struggling.” In four years of dating, I had never spoken so bluntly. “You can hire whoever you want for the rest of the company, that’s none of my business. But get this straight: the reason your startup has achieved what it has today is because of the capital investment from my parents.” “If you won’t be responsible for yourself, at least be responsible to them.” This topic probably hit a nerve and triggered his sensitivity. Nolan became exceptionally agitated. “I know your parents helped me! I told you, once I make money, I will repay them double! How much impact can dismissing one accountant have on the company? You’re making a mountain out of a molehill!” “Audrey, can’t you just understand me for once?! I’m only thinking of my mentor, I’m doing this to repay a debt of gratitude. His wife and Hazel really have it rough…” I sneered, cutting him off. “Yesterday was our 4-year anniversary. Like an idiot, I sat in a restaurant and ate a birthday dinner by myself. My boyfriend got blackout drunk, was brought home by someone else at midnight, with someone else’s lipstick smeared on his shirt…” “Today, my boyfriend insists, under the guise of repaying a debt, on hiring someone of unknown reliability as an accountant, to manage the company funded and supported by my parents…” “I think I have it pretty rough, too.” 6 Nolan finally realized I was truly furious and fell silent. My parents quickly stepped in to smooth things over, explaining that Nolan was just soft-hearted and kind, and out of gratitude to his mentor, he proposed this idea. They didn’t understand. It wasn’t that I didn’t understand Nolan’s personality… It was precisely because I understood him too well that I spoke so directly and harshly. Is a “dying wish” letter really going to turn into a massive saga of “repaying a debt”? Setting aside the professor’s wife for a moment—a twenty-something young woman who returned from studying abroad can’t find a job, so the professor’s student has to handle it all? What about later? If she can’t find a partner to start a family with, is Nolan going to be responsible for that too? Nolan awkwardly hung up the phone and never mentioned the “dying wish” thing again. I originally thought this matter would end there. But when I got home from work that day and opened the door, I found a pair of unfamiliar mother and daughter sitting primly on the living room sofa, casually watching TV. I was stunned and was just about to ask. Nolan, wearing an apron and having just washed some fruit, came out of the kitchen. “Audrey, you’re back?” “This is the wife of Professor Davis I mentioned to you, and her daughter, Hazel.” “They were running errands nearby today, heard I lived here, and came to visit. They even brought a fruit basket and gifts…” I was annoyed, but I couldn’t just throw a fit in front of outsiders. As soon as Nolan finished speaking, Hazel, who had sized me up several times, affectionately sidled up to me and hooked her arm through mine. “Hi Audrey, I’m Hazel. I also went to MIT, but I chose to go abroad for further studies…” “I’ve heard your name from Nolan ages ago. Finally get to meet the real person today. You’re even prettier than the photos on Nolan’s phone~” Her flattering words didn’t improve my mood. I calmly pulled my arm away and replied politely. “I’ve heard about you and Mrs. Davis too. This area is the financial district, and Hazel, since you don’t have a job, what business brings you two all the way out here?” My casual question froze the expressions of the two people across from me. Nolan walked over carrying a bag. “Why ask that? All roads lead to Rome. It’s totally normal to just be passing by, right?” “Oh, by the way, Audrey, Hazel insisted on giving you a welcome gift. She brought you a lipstick. It’s Dior. See if you like the color?” I took the exquisitely packaged box and opened it for a look. My heart jolted. I looked up and met Hazel’s fake, strained smile. Good thing I have a good memory. This shade was exactly the one smeared on Nolan’s shirt that night… I calmly looked at Nolan, who was enthusiastically offering fruit to the professor’s wife nearby, the warmth in my eyes dropping inch by inch. Sure enough, people are forgetful when they’re busy. If he wanted to score points for Hazel, he didn’t need to go through such a convoluted process. Half an hour ago, I had already received a deduction text from our joint account. [Your account has been charged $45.00 at the Sephora counter.] My boyfriend spending his own money to buy gifts for someone else to win my favor… Incredible. 7 The meal was painfully awkward. Guessing that I wouldn’t throw a temper tantrum in front of outsiders, Nolan felt safe to lay his cards on the table at the dinner table. “Audrey, I’ve thought about what you said last time, but I can’t get past this hurdle in my heart. I feel I still need to consider Mrs. Davis more, out of respect for my mentor.” “Actually, bringing Mrs. Davis and Hazel over this afternoon was my idea. I took them to the company and took care of Hazel’s onboarding paperwork while we were at it…” I had already spotted the clues in Hazel’s triumphant eyes, so I wasn’t really surprised, just speechless. They say having a savior complex is undesirable. Having such a massive savior right in my own home was truly an unlucky burden. I scoffed coldly, too lazy to give him face anymore. “So what? I see Hazel is still missing a boyfriend and a warm little home. Do you want to figure out a solution for that too?” Hazel’s eyes flashed, as if seizing the opportunity to show off her manipulative skills, and immediately chimed in with a strained voice. “Audrey, you really misunderstood…” “Nolan and I have known each other for a long time, so we seem a bit close. Him taking care of me and my mom is just to repay a debt of gratitude…” “If you mind it that much, my mom and I won’t appear in front of Nolan anymore…” Nolan looked at Hazel with heartache, clearly feeling embarrassed. “Audrey, can you please not be so prickly when you speak! You’re making Mrs. Davis and Hazel so uncomfortable!” “Everything I’m doing is to repay my mentor’s kindness. I’ve explained it to you so many times. Do you really have to be so nasty about it?!” “I was planning to discuss it with you slowly over the next few days. But since this is your attitude, I’ll just be straightforward with you today.” “I am going to take care of Hazel and Mrs. Davis.” I calmly looked at the man in front of me, finding him more and more unfamiliar. Yet Nolan became more animated as he spoke, trying to persuade me with so-called “morality and righteousness.” “Audrey, Professor Davis was my most important mentor. He passed away from illness, and his family is left all alone. I can’t just ignore them. Let’s put our wedding on hold for now.” I was silent for a few seconds. Hazel was still planning to chime in and put on an act, but I cut off her performance. I pulled a calculator out of my bag, set it down, and started doing the math. “Fine. You’re sentimental, righteous, and know how to repay a debt. Then let’s part ways amicably.” “Let’s calculate how much money you spent of mine while we were dating…” Facing Nolan’s stiff expression, my tone was unhurried. “Settle the bill, and the wedding is canceled.” 8 As soon as I spoke, the faces of all three people at the table changed. Including the old lady who had been acting like a spectator the whole time. Nolan clearly didn’t want to discuss money with me too much. The aggressive momentum he had just a moment ago vanished. His tone also softened considerably. “Audrey, we’ve been in love for four years. What I just said didn’t mean I wasn’t going to marry you. It’s just that given the current situation, we might postpone it for a year or two, two or three years… Why are you bringing money into this…” I sneered coldly, silently complaining in my heart. Why did I bring up money? Because I know you don’t have any. Nolan came from an ordinary background. If he had stayed at his previous company, he could have climbed to a decent position based on his abilities. The problem was his ambition. His ambition was stubborn; he didn’t want to work for anyone else. He wanted to be his own boss and control his own resources. Honestly, I felt there was absolutely nothing wrong with that ambition, and I gave him immense support emotionally. I used my scholarship money from all four years of college to fund his research projects. My parents, looking out for me, injected the first round of seed funding into Nolan’s new company. It’s fair to say that without me, he wouldn’t be the “rising star in business” who managed to stand out among numerous entrepreneurs today. This was also why I had the confidence to turn the tables on Nolan. I have to admit, I truly, passionately, and deeply loved the man sitting across from me. But after four years, this relationship only gave me an ever-growing sense of exhaustion. From seeing each other every day and sending eight hundred messages a day at the very beginning, to now, where we don’t even see each other once a week, calls go unanswered, and texts are ignored. Even on normal holidays, he had a thousand people and things more important than me to entertain and deal with. My best friend teased me, saying our relationship was heading towards a platonic ideal the longer we dated. Hilarious. A platonic relationship still requires a high degree of spiritual harmony. Look at the guy sitting across from me. When was he ever willing to communicate with me? Under the banner of “repaying a debt of gratitude,” he brought his “White Moonlight” right in front of him to protect her, forced my hand without consulting me, and when I refused, he used moral kidnapping and blamed me instead… The current Nolan doesn’t have a shred of the person I used to love. I wasn’t satisfied with his request to postpone the engagement. What I wanted was to settle accounts, item by item, crystal clear. And then tell him to get the hell out of my world.

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Carter Brooks was picking up girls at a bar, and he called me over to foot the bill. For three years, I had spent a staggering $10 million on him. He had never even bought me a single iced latte. He thought I was his ultimate doormat. He believed I would do whatever he wanted, forever. That was, until a mechanical voice echoed in my mind: “One billion dollars in cash has been distributed. Mission complete. Detaching from host.” I knew I could finally leave him. Later, Carter chased after me relentlessly. He demanded to know why I wasn’t treating him as well as I used to. I just laughed. “People have to look forward, you know? As you said yourself, that was the past.” 01 I was squatting outside the nightclub, sick of scrolling through my phone. Through the neon lights and the haze of alcohol, a burst of laughter pierced my ears. “Why is Harper so obedient? She actually waited three hours out there?” “Jealous?” “Hell yeah, I’m jealous. I wish she was my girlfriend.” “Oh, screw off. Have you looked in a mirror lately? She’d rather be my little doormat than be with a guy like you. She’s never going to leave me.” My body trembled. A wave of nausea hit me. A doormat… I truly had been Carter Brooks’s doormat for three years. And a pathetic one at that. He flirted; I bought the roses. He booked the hotel rooms; I paid the bill. He broke up with them; I paid the “wasted youth” compensation fees. Over the years, he’d gone through twenty or thirty girlfriends. Eventually, I couldn’t even remember their names or their faces. There were too many. It was too chaotic. This time, Carter was picking up a girl at a club. He texted me saying he was drunk and needed me to pick him up. But after I waited outside for three hours, he walked out looking perfectly sober. I knew exactly what he was doing. He was trampling on my dignity in front of others just to flex his superiority. In his eyes, my pride was worthless. I bit my lip so hard I tasted blood… Not long after, Carter stumbled over. His footsteps were heavy, his eyes hazy, and his arm was wrapped tightly around a girl’s waist. He tossed an order at me like I was the valet. “Harper, pay the tab!” I stayed silent, obediently walking inside to swipe my card. Behind me, the roar of “Carter is the man!” echoed through the crowd. In that moment, I felt like a stray dog. After paying the $1,000 bar tab, they were planning to hit a VIP karaoke lounge, and after that, a hotel. I couldn’t take it anymore. I tried to reason with him. “I have to work tomorrow. I’ll leave you two grand. Just take an Uber home tonight, okay?” Carter’s face darkened instantly. “If you go home now, don’t ever bother seeing me again.” My body shook uncontrollably. My face went pale. Carter looked satisfied. He’d seen this expression on my face countless times. It was the look that meant I was about to compromise. And I really was terrified. The phantom feeling of electricity surging through my veins had already triggered a trauma response. 02 Three years ago, because of a single sentence I said to Carter, I became bound to a System. The System demanded that I treat Carter with unconditional devotion. Once the mission was complete, I would be rewarded with $1 billion. At first, I didn’t take it seriously. That was until I missed a mission deadline. I was struck by a severe electric shock, my whole body convulsing, wishing I could just die on the spot. That was when I realized this System wasn’t playing around. At the time, Carter actually seemed to have a thing for me. When I joined the company as an intern, he was the one training me. When he cornered me in the breakroom, his fingers gently brushing against my cheek, my heart definitely skipped a beat. But when I caught him in the stairwell a week later, practically groping another intern, that crush died instantly. Later, I analyzed the System’s rules carefully. Wasn’t this just a sugar-momma simulator? For every $1 I spent on Carter, the System returned $100 to my bank account. But I had to spend my own hard-earned money first. Who knew if the System’s promised billion at the end was even real? Plus, Carter was in a senior management position. I was just a lowly intern. Even if I gave him every penny I had, would he even care? He did care! But I didn’t have time to worry about that. My biggest headache was securing my full-time offer. I put together a flawless project proposal and handed it in. The next day, Carter shoved a different, mediocre proposal into my hands and told me to claim it as mine. I watched helplessly as the other intern, Chloe Jenkins, dazzled everyone in the boardroom using my brilliant proposal. Meanwhile, I stood there holding her garbage proposal and got chewed out by the executives. Carter then stood up, apologizing sincerely to the room. He claimed he hadn’t mentored me well enough, but insisted he saw “potential” in me, successfully lobbying to keep both Chloe and me on the team. I understood immediately. He needed someone to sleep with, and someone to do the actual work. Chloe and I had clearly defined roles. That day, I realized exactly what my future at this company looked like. With Carter suppressing me, I’d never get the credit. I’d just be the workhorse taking the blame. If that was the case… Why shouldn’t I be the one moving up? Soon after, using a burner email, I sent a highly explicit video of Carter and our female department director going at it in the boardroom to the entire company’s mailing list. Carter was fired. The female director was ruined. Before she left, she hired someone to beat the living hell out of Carter. And right at that moment, I swooped in. I bought him meds, cooked for him, and took perfect care of him. I originally thought that if he genuinely turned over a new leaf, I’d consider it my good deed for the decade. But one day, when I unlocked his apartment door, I heard strange noises coming from the bedroom. I froze. Hearing the front door, Carter poked his head out. He looked panicked. A woman walked out of the bedroom, clothes disheveled, her face flushed. It was Chloe Jenkins. Later, I found out exactly why Chloe had come looking for him. Even though Carter was fired for a sex scandal, he still had industry connections. She wanted him to help her get a promotion. Carter looked at me, a smirk playing on his lips. “Harper, you came to me. Are you telling me you don’t have the same goal? You and Chloe, neither of you is better than the other. But she’s willing to put herself out there. She’s going to go a lot further in this industry than you.” Is that so? The day I was promoted to Carter’s old position as Department Manager, my first order of business was demoting Chloe. Carter’s phone call came through almost immediately. “Harper, what the hell is this?” “Are you targeting me, or are you targeting Chloe?” Both, obviously. But I couldn’t say that. I kept my voice soft. “It was an executive decision. My hands are tied. I’m really sorry… how about I buy you that designer belt you wanted to make up for it?” Carter cursed at me and hung up. When I showed up at his place with a $1,500 Gucci belt, Carter was genuinely shocked. He pinned me against the wall, his hot breath grazing my ear. “Did you really take down Chloe just for me?” “Harper, I didn’t know you could be so ruthless just to have me.” His eyes suddenly filled with suspicion. I knew he was wondering about that anonymous boardroom video. I turned my head away, looking at the floor with teary eyes. “So what if I did? Will you give her up for me?” “Heh! Depends on what you’re willing to pay.” He lowered his head to kiss me. The way he moved, it felt like he wanted to devour me alive. He was no gentleman. If I was offering myself up on a silver platter, he wasn’t going to refuse. But I felt sick. I wanted to vomit. If it weren’t for the System’s electric shocks, I would be staying a million miles away from a scumbag like him. I flipped the script, pressing a hand against his lips to stop him. “Carter, I can give you everything I have. But you have to pay a price, too. If you ever betray me, I’ll kill you.” He scoffed, not taking me seriously at all. With a cold expression, I dragged him into the kitchen. I picked up a chef’s knife, sliced my wrist slightly, and let the blood drip into a bowl. I handed the knife to him. “Your turn. Our blood needs to mix. We drink this, and whoever betrays the other dies a horrible death.” I was dead serious. If Carter actually dared to make the blood oath, I would have accepted my fate. But Carter dropped the knife in horror. “You’re a psycho! You’re out of your damn mind!” “Carter, I only love once. If you want to be with me, we have to do this.” I picked up the knife. I took a step toward him. Carter was terrified. He frantically knocked the knife out of my hand, shoved me out of his apartment, and warned me never to come back. I looked at the drying blood on my wrist and sneered. What a coward. I paid a little price, but I knew that from this day forward, Carter Brooks would never dare touch me or make out-of-line demands again. For a long time after that, he didn’t contact me, and I didn’t contact him. Whenever I suffered the agonizing, near-death electric shocks from missing a System deadline, I would tell myself: if I can survive this pain, nothing else in life can stop me. Sure enough, my career skyrocketed. Six months later, I took over the female director’s old position, becoming the youngest Senior Director in the company. Meanwhile, Chloe Jenkins had been completely marginalized. She’d be lucky to make supervisor in this lifetime. After my promotion dinner, Carter called me. His tone was suggestive. “Harper, should I come over?” I hesitated for a second, then said yes. 03 Whoever ties the knot has to untie it. The System was bound to me because of Carter, and only through him could it be unbound. I couldn’t live my whole life carrying this System. Fixing this was my top priority. I did the math. To offset the $1 billion reward and reach the unbinding threshold, I needed to spend exactly $10 million on Carter. But to spend $10 million on a man, I had to make $10 million first. At my current salary, it would take me over a decade. A decade… My best years, wasted working like a dog just to fund Carter’s life. The thought alone suffocated me. I went to see him. I had looked into his situation. He wasn’t doing well. He was a low-level manager at a tiny startup. He had lost his polish; the arrogant, high-flying elite aura was completely gone. When he saw me, a flash of awe crossed his eyes, followed quickly by deep confusion and resentment. I had reached the heights he used to dream of. He had to be jealous. We exchanged polite pleasantries, both of us pretending the psycho knife incident had never happened. I was in a rush to make money and had no time to waste, so I cut to the chase and told him to speak his mind. He gave me a playful smirk. “You’re lacking a good executive assistant, aren’t you? What do you think about Chloe?” Chloe again. I laughed. “Being an assistant is beneath her. Why don’t you two just go to the courthouse right now? I’ll even write you a massive wedding check.” His face fell, glaring at me angrily. I leaned in, my voice provocative. “Spend money on you? Sure. Help her out? Not a chance in hell.” “You’re still in love with me?” Carter raised an eyebrow, thinking he had the upper hand. I didn’t answer. I just stared at him in silence. He laughed mockingly. “Alright then. Let’s see how much you’re willing to spend on me.” From that day on, I became Carter’s personal ATM. He knew exactly what day my paychecks cleared. Because of him, my bank account was usually empty by the second day of the month. I also noticed that a lot of the designer goods Carter made me buy ended up on Chloe’s Instagram feed. Whenever Chloe saw me at work, her eyes were full of mockery and disdain. But none of that stopped my relentless climb up the corporate ladder. When I made VP of Operations, I took some of my money and hired a male sugar baby. He was a smooth-talker who called me “boss lady” and knew exactly how to create drama. Whenever he was off the clock with me, he’d mysteriously show up to pick up Chloe, taking her to wild, exclusive VIP parties. Aside from having no money of his own, he was perfect. Soon, to support her new lavish lifestyle, Chloe started selling off her designer bags on Poshmark. I took the photos my sugar baby secretly sent me and forwarded them straight to Carter. I asked him: Is this what they call an open relationship? You love her, she loves him… are we all just funding a charity here? Carter aggressively texted back: “You bitch!” The next day, Chloe showed up to work with a bruised face and handed in her resignation. I happily signed off on it immediately. She glared at me, her eyes brimming with pure hatred. “Harper, do you even know that the money you kill yourself to make is actually being spent on me? You sponsor Carter, and Carter sponsors me. Bet you didn’t see that coming, did you?” I laughed. “Oh, I know! I also know you’re fencing all that stuff on Poshmark. How’s that going? Getting hit with bad reviews yet?” “You bought fake stuff?! Impossible. They all had authenticated receipts!” “The receipts were real. The bags weren’t. Grow up, sweetheart. Learn how the game is played before you try to survive in the real world.” Right then, Chloe’s phone buzzed. She answered it, and a deafening voice screamed through the speaker: “You scamming bitch, selling fake trash!” She panicked, running out of the office looking like a complete mess. Later, Carter called me. “Harper, you are ruthless. You bought me knockoffs?” I replied sweetly, “The men’s stuff was real. The women’s stuff was fake. Go get it appraised if you don’t believe me.” Why would I ever fund Chloe Jenkins’s life through Carter? There’s an art to spending money. I needed Carter to burn through my cash, leaving him with absolutely nothing to show for it—no real assets, no leverage, no savings. After that, Carter ignored me for a solid month. Word on the street was Chloe had scratched his face up pretty bad, and the two had a spectacularly messy breakup. But that month was pure hell for me. The System’s mission deadlines were relentless. I got shocked so badly I almost ended up paralyzed. Waking up in the hospital, I realized I couldn’t play hardball with Carter anymore. I had to play nice. I had to make him utterly dependent on me. Making more money to break this curse as fast as possible—that was the only way to win. From then on, I became his ultimate doormat. As long as his demands weren’t completely insane, I agreed to all of them. And Carter, perhaps traumatized by Chloe, or just wanting to trigger me, completely let himself go. He swapped girlfriends so fast I couldn’t match faces to names. Thankfully, he knew he was garbage, and he was terrified of meeting another “psycho” like me. So the girls he dated were just as shallow and messy as he was. He loved showing off my blind devotion in front of his new flings, treating my dignity like a welcome mat. Many times, walking away from him, I questioned everything. Why did the System choose a guy like him? I was perfectly average; he was complete trash. What did either of us do to get chosen by this cosmic joke? It kept me up at night. But looking at it from another angle… Carter was genuinely handsome. Even at rock bottom, girls threw themselves at him. He had expensive taste; all his girlfriends were gorgeous in their own ways. If I hadn’t destroyed his career early on, a guy like him might have climbed to the top, stolen corporate resources, started his own firm, and turned into one of those arrogant billionaire playboys you read about in romance novels. And me? I had some looks; otherwise, Carter wouldn’t have kept me around this long. I was highly competent; otherwise, I wouldn’t have climbed the ranks so fast. If I had been foolish enough to fall in love, wouldn’t I just be the tragic heroine in a romance novel, using my pure love to redeem the bad boy? Thinking about it that way, it all made a sick kind of sense. But that was just a theory. I was just thankful I wasn’t actually in love with Carter. I loved the cash-back balance ticking up on the System interface. It was already past $900 million. Just a little longer, and it would all be over. Three years had passed. Carter was entirely used to my existence. Because I funded his life and asked for absolutely nothing in return, his ego had inflated to the size of a blimp. He had quit his job ages ago. He lived in a drunken stupor, bouncing between clubs, VIP lounges, luxury spas, and high-end resorts. He got addicted to mobile games, dropping ten grand at a time on micro-transactions. He even became obsessed with Twitch streamers, sending massive donations and constantly sliding into their DMs to hook up. His Instagram was a nauseating feed of VIP access and exotic vacations, every caption practically screaming: “Rich and reckless.” He had hollowed himself out with booze and women. He had devolved into pure, unadulterated trash. 04 I had to promise to buy Carter a green Rolex Submariner just to get him to leave me alone for the weekend. I rushed back to the office, pulling an all-nighter until the next morning. Today was a massive day: the Executive VP, Mr. Sterling, was coming in for a site visit. I had to present our project roadmap. If I nailed this, a major promotion and a massive bonus were guaranteed. But the moment I saw Mr. Sterling’s new executive secretary, I knew I was screwed. It was Chloe Jenkins. She had clearly gotten some work done. Her 7-out-of-10 face had been surgically forced into a 9. Fillers, Botox—her skin was flawless, paired with that trendy ‘innocent but sexy’ makeup. She practically sparkled, making everyone else in the room look dull. She shot me a mocking glare, casually setting down her purse, gracefully turning her wrist as she took a pretentious sip of coffee. The bag? Fifty grand. The watch? Over a hundred grand. Her outfit? Easily ten grand. The jewelry around her neck? Another hundred grand. She was casually flexing everything she had, silently mocking me. Reminding me that no matter how high I climbed, I still had to read the room when she was in it. I pushed down my anxiety and delivered my presentation perfectly. But I barely got three sentences in before Mr. Sterling cut me off. “I heard you’ve only been out of college a few years. Are you really equipped to handle a project of this scale?” He turned to the rest of the room. “Why are veterans who have bled for this company for years getting passed over, while she gets promoted?” “Is there something wrong with your management structure?” For the rest of the meeting, Mr. Sterling specifically called on someone else to report. After it ended, my team members were called in for one-on-one interrogations. I was being boxed out. I went to the restroom to splash cold water on my face. Chloe was leaning against the sinks, smiling brightly. “Harper, you worked so hard for so long. But all it takes is a snap of my fingers, and everything you’ve built vanishes. Are you scared?” I looked at her in the mirror. Her eyes were bigger—definitely a canthoplasty. Her nose looked a little translucent under the harsh light—a rhinoplasty. Her smile was stiff. She was afraid to make any major expressions—definitely some bone-shaving. I replied coldly, “Is it just a snap of your fingers, or the slice of a scalpel? A face like that… the maintenance fees must be brutal.” Her smile vanished instantly, but then she relaxed. “Heh. Well, I have men willing to spend money on me, so I can tweak whatever I want. Unlike you. You have to buy your way into a man’s life. You’ve emptied your bank accounts over the last few years, haven’t you?” For a second, I didn’t know what to say. I had treated myself like a pack mule for years. Just to escape the System’s clutches, I worked myself to the bone and dumped every penny onto Carter. Look at me now—broke, exhausted, clipping coupons. Meanwhile, Carter was out there living like a pampered billionaire. People at work whispered that I had an unhealthy obsession, that I was pathetic for hanging onto him. But they didn’t know I didn’t have a choice. I wiped my face and hands, keeping my smile perfectly intact. “You’re right. I spent a fortune on Carter. And didn’t he funnel a nice chunk of that cash straight to you?” “Did my money help pay for your plastic surgery?” “When you think about it, shouldn’t you be thanking me for your new face?” Chloe’s expression twisted in rage. She swung her heavy designer bag right at my head. I didn’t dodge. I took the hit square on the shoulder. I looked past her, aiming my eyes at the doorway. Chloe noticed, spun around, and froze. Mr. Sterling was standing right there. She immediately panicked. “She’s lying! She’s trying to frame me!” “I paid for every hotel room you and Carter ever booked. Want me to pull up the receipts?” I casually pulled out my phone and started scrolling. I had kept meticulous records of every single dime I spent on Carter. That was my blood money. Mr. Sterling glared at me, his eyes full of venom. I just smiled and politely excused myself. I walked slowly. Faintly, I could hear Mr. Sterling cursing her out: “You lying bitch, you told me you were pure.” I couldn’t hear whatever Chloe was crying about in response. I didn’t see either of them for the rest of the afternoon. When I was leaving work, the receptionist leaned in and whispered the gossip. Mr. Sterling had stormed out in a rage, and Chloe was chasing after him, sobbing. Her arrogant, triumphant attitude from this morning was completely gone. I smiled, handed the receptionist a luxury hotel gift card, and thanked her for the premium tea. Walking out of the corporate high-rise, I looked up at the glass facade. I knew I couldn’t stay here anymore. I needed an exit strategy. Sure enough, the next morning, a termination notice was waiting on my desk. Not only were they firing me, but they were launching an “internal investigation.” They wanted to “audit” how I got promoted so fast and why my salary was so high. They framed it like I didn’t deserve it. But every single project I touched had been a massive cash cow for the company. Several of them had become industry benchmarks, literally taught in business seminars. Yet, out of Mr. Sterling’s mouth, I was just someone who slept her way to the top? Even if I wanted to rely on my looks to get ahead, I’d have to cure my nausea first! A greasy, middle-aged creep like him? I wouldn’t touch him with a ten-foot pole. I graciously stepped away from my desk and invited IT to search my computer. Only a few minutes later, they scurried away looking panicked. Immediately after, the HR Director rushed over. “Do you realize what you’re doing is highly illegal?!” “Hmm?” I looked at him, a slow smile spreading across my face. “I was actually just about to bring that up. You see, these files were recorded illegally. But I’m just the one who found them.” “A while back, our office security cameras broke. A client conveniently sent over some prototype surveillance tech, so I installed them to test the product performance.” “I had no idea it would accidentally record certain executives colluding and embezzling company funds.” “I was actually planning on forwarding these videos directly to Mr. Sterling to review…” “Don’t send it!” the HR Director squeaked. I looked at him cheerfully, not saying another word. His face darkened. Swallowing his rage, he lowered his voice. “Harper, Mr. Sterling knows all about your past drama with Chloe Jenkins. He doesn’t want to see your face in this building ever again.” “Going to war with us and dragging everyone down with you isn’t going to help.” “Let’s be realistic. What do you actually want?” I knew the oven was hot enough. I replied coolly, “I just want what I’m owed. Take back the dirty water you tried to pour on my name. The honors, the bonuses—I want both.” The HR Director walked away, looking like his soul had left his body. Not long after, several department heads marched into Mr. Sterling’s office. An hour later, a company-wide email was blasted out. The email praised my outstanding contributions and formally awarded me the “Employee of the Year” honor. It stated that I had found a better opportunity elsewhere and had graciously declined the company’s counter-offer to stay. Oh, and it included a $1 million departure bonus, noting that the company’s doors would always be open to me. They gave me the money and saved my reputation. I was highly satisfied. After processing the wire transfer with Finance, I finally felt a weight lift off my shoulders. I bumped into Mr. Sterling by the front doors. Surprisingly, he gave me a stiff nod. I guessed the other directors had sold him a story about my brilliance, and he bought it. He probably regretted letting me go but had too much ego to walk it back. I gave him a polite smile, turned, and stepped into the elevator. Belated affection is cheaper than dirt; a boss’s regret is worth even less. On to the next chapter.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “414048”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

I was in the middle of a meeting when the high school principal called me five times in a row. When I pushed open the door to his office, not even the thickest layer of foundation could hide the furious scowl on my face. My little brother stood in the corner, chin tilted up, looking as arrogant and rebellious as humanly possible. Under the principal’s shocked gaze, I marched over and smacked Mason hard on the back of the head. “Stand up straight!” Mason instantly snapped to attention. I turned around, fully prepared to see which poor girl this little punk had been harassing. But the moment I turned, I was met with a face that looked like it had been carved by the gods. Fair skin, a perfectly straight nose, deep-set eyes, and a gaze that burned like fire. He wore a sharply tailored suit. Cold, aloof, and ridiculously cool. I looked at the gorgeous guy, then back at my idiot brother, my mind going completely blank. 1 Mason looked like he had just swallowed a lemon. The principal cleared his throat. “Um, are you Mason’s…” I was still so mesmerized by the absolute masterpiece of a man standing in front of me that it took the principal calling me three times to snap out of it. “Oh, hello. I’m Mason’s older sister. My name is Harper Hayes.” The principal shot a sideways glance at Mason in the corner. Mason held his head high, acting tough. “Mom, sister, same difference.” I glared at him fiercely. Mason instantly deflated, dropping his head like a wilted plant. I put on an apologetic smile. “Mr. Davis, about the girl Mason is dating…” I mean, surely this incredibly hot guy wasn’t the one my brother was involved with, right? The principal wiped sweat from his forehead. “He’s not the one.” In the middle of the sweltering summer, I felt a sudden, icy chill from head to toe. I stiffly turned to look at the hot guy. He stood there, cool as a statue. Mason… how on earth did he deserve this?! Maybe my gaze was a bit too resentful, because the handsome guy gave me a questioning raise of his eyebrow, followed by a mysterious, amused smirk playing at the corner of his lips. He was exactly my type. Even his eyebrow raise was devastatingly attractive! Is it illegal to steal your brother’s boyfriend? Just as my imagination was running wild, the principal quickly corrected himself. “Look at me, I’m getting all mixed up. I mean, this is the young lady’s older brother.” Oh, that makes sense. I let out a long breath of relief. I knew it. One look at this guy and you could tell he had exquisite taste. There was no way he’d be into a loser like my brother. Following the principal’s gaze, I saw Mason slacking off again, casually poking at the potted aloe vera in the corner and pulling out a few cactus needles. Probably used to Mason’s terrible behavior by now, the principal just sighed and looked at me. “Lily went to hand in some homework to the physics teacher. She’ll be right here.” Lily. I repeated the name in my head. If the brother was this gorgeous, the sister had to be beautiful too. As I was thinking, a cool, pale hand appeared in front of me. “Miss Hayes, hello. I’m Lily’s brother.” The aloof hottie finally spoke his first words. His voice had a natural, lazy drawl that practically made my bones tingle. I quickly shook his hand, shaking it excitedly. “Hello, hello!” In the middle of summer, his hand was pleasantly cool. Not going to lie, it felt really nice to hold. I was waiting for him to introduce himself, but he suddenly went silent and didn’t say another word. It wasn’t until the principal coughed twice that I suddenly realized what I was doing and let go of his hand. I gave a polite, reserved smile, gently tucking a strand of hair behind my ear to ease the awkwardness. I wondered if this could salvage my image in his eyes. “Excuse me.” A crisp, girlish voice. The girl wore her hair in a ponytail and looked a bit timid. Her school uniform seemed a size too big, hanging loosely on her frame. This must be Lily. Delicate features, light pink lips. Though she wasn’t as breathtakingly striking as her brother, she already had the makings of a gentle, elegant beauty. Lily walked in, nodded at the principal, shot a quick glance at Mason in the corner, and then immediately fixed her eyes on the handsome guy. “Declan.” Declan smiled gently at his sister, a smile so sweet it almost melted my heart. I officially declare that I was robbed of an older brother in this life! “Lily, it’s okay, don’t be nervous. Your teacher and your brother are both here.” The principal pulled Lily over, smiling more lovingly than a proud mother. But Lily looked extremely unnatural. Since walking in, she hadn’t looked at me once. It was almost like she was hiding from something. The principal pulled out a purple illustration card. It was a watercolor painting of a boy and a girl holding hands, with a heart drawn in the middle. The guy in the drawing was clearly a beautified version of Mason. This was an elaborately detailed, jaw-dropping love letter. There were barely any words, but the teenage angst and affection practically spilled off the page. Mason bounced his leg, glancing at the painting disdainfully. “I admit it. I drew it. I have a crush on Lily.” Everyone’s eyes snapped to Mason. The principal looked so angry he could barely breathe. The bell rang. The principal suppressed his anger and looked kindly at Lily. “Lily, it’s fine. Go back to class for now. We’ll handle the rest. I won’t let you be wronged.” Lily’s lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but Mason suddenly snapped impatiently, “He told you to go to class, so go. Why are you just standing there?” Lily clearly jumped in surprise, quickly pushed the door open, and ran out. The statue-like Declan wiped the smile off his face. He spoke his second sentence since entering the room, his voice freezing cold. “My sister is timid. Watch your tone.” Mason puffed his chest out, looking like he wanted to square up with Declan. I quickly glared at him. This little idiot! One sentence and he pissed off my hot guy. How was I supposed to hit on him now?! Under my death stare, Mason instantly wilted, staring at his toes. The principal pushed up his glasses. “You’re Mason’s older sister.” “I am.” The principal’s voice grew very strict. “Since both you and Lily’s brother are here, let me explain the situation.” “Lily has always been the top student in our grade. She’s the student council VP, the physics rep, has excellent grades, and a wonderful personality.” The principal paused. “I don’t want such a bright kid to be distracted by… other things.” “Of course, of course. I’ll take Mason home and lecture him thoroughly.” To my surprise, going home actually meant going home. The principal told me to take Mason home for a suspension to “reflect.” I couldn’t lose my temper in front of Declan, so I waited until we were out in an empty hallway before viciously kicking Mason in the leg. I had a menacing expression on my face, preparing for a second kick, when I caught Declan standing coolly not far away out of the corner of my eye. I smoothly lowered my leg mid-air, pretending nothing happened. Declan walked over, a smirk playing on his lips. “Am I interrupting, Miss Hayes?” I immediately switched to a demure, gentle smile. “No, not at all. Mason had some dirt on his pants, I was just dusting it off for him.” His eyes were so gorgeous I wanted to swear. “Miss Hayes, my sister has always had a soft personality. She doesn’t know how to say no. If she accidentally did something that caused your brother to misunderstand, I apologize on her behalf.” Declan had a very distinct way of speaking. His voice was clear, his pauses perfectly timed, his pronunciation flawless. But it carried a lazy, magnetic drawl that, upon closer listening, held a sharp edge. “However, I also hope you understand that I will not allow anyone to take advantage of Lily’s personality to hurt her.” After saying that, Declan shot Mason a cold glance and walked right past us. 2 Mason tilted his head up defiantly. “Harper, he glared at me!” “You deserve it! I want to strangle you! How did you just talk to his sister back there?! Did a dog eat all the gentlemanly manners I taught you?!” While I was arguing with Mason, the principal suddenly walked over from the other side of the hall. Feeling guilty, I dragged Mason into the nearby staff breakroom to hide. I, Harper Hayes, had always been an outstanding overachiever. Today, my idiot brother had completely ruined my reputation. The principal’s voice drifted through the door. “Mrs. Smith, you wouldn’t believe it. Mason’s sister came in today, and she was even worse than Mason! She grabbed Lily’s brother’s hand and wouldn’t let go, just stared at him the whole time. Have you ever seen such a shameless woman?!” … Excuse me, Mr. Davis?! When we got home, the moment Mason’s butt hit the sofa, I coughed. He instantly sprang up. I sat on the couch, staring him down. “It’s just the two of us now. Tell me the truth.” Mason put on a cheeky smile. “What truth? Harper, are you hungry? Let me make you some ramen. You can eat and take a nap.” “Mason, you can fool other people, but I raised you. Don’t play games with me. You’ve had zero artistic talent since you were born. Since when did you become Picasso?” Mason lowered his head, looking pitiful. “Harper, there were so many people there. I couldn’t just expose Lily, right? She’s a girl, she cares about her pride. You understand.” I frowned in confusion. “You mean… Lily is the one who likes you?” Mason looked at the ceiling and mumbled an awkward nod. Lily? She seemed like such a normal, smart girl. How was her taste in guys so atrocious? I looked Mason up and down. His belt was on backwards. His socks didn’t match. His sleeves were covered in pen marks. Besides having a naturally handsome, boy-band face, the rest of him was a giant walking red flag. What kind of potion did he give Lily? Or maybe, being used to her brother’s flawless, aristocratic face every day, she decided she wanted to try some street trash for a change? “Harper, don’t worry. I have zero interest in all this romantic nonsense. It’s too cringey. I’d rather play Call of Duty. I just wanted to help her out of a jam.” I nodded sarcastically. “Oh right, you’re so noble. You’re amazing. You love helping others. Leaving me to sacrifice my dignity as a 27-year-old woman to get yelled at for you.” Although I was being sarcastic, I was actually quite relieved. Mason handled it like a real man. Mason muttered quietly, “Look who’s talking. Who was the one practically drooling over a guy in the office today? I was embarrassed for you.” “Say that again!” Mason’s confidence instantly dropped to zero. “What’s so great about Lily’s brother anyway? He looks like a mixed-breed model. Pretty boy.” “If you disrespect your future brother-in-law again, you’re sleeping in the dumpster tonight!” I opened my laptop to catch up on the work I missed during the day. Mason mumbled under his breath, “You don’t even know his name yet.” My fingers froze on the keyboard. That hurt… The living room fell into a dead silence. About ten minutes later, Mason set a steaming bowl of ramen in front of me. “Harper, don’t work too hard. It was my fault today.” My eyes stayed glued to the screen. “You didn’t do anything wrong, but your attitude toward Lily was problematic. I know you were afraid she’d accidentally tell the truth, but you can’t be mean to girls, and you can’t disrespect your teachers. Got it?” I tossed my phone to him. “Reply to a message for me.” “Who?” “My ex-boyfriend. We broke up amicably half a year ago, but he keeps bothering me. I don’t have time to deal with him right now. Figure out what to say. If you can’t, just block him.” Mason typed for a moment, then draped a blanket over my shoulders. “Done. Eat your noodles before they get cold. I’ll watch you eat.” I devoured the ramen and wiped my mouth. “Not bad. Your cooking improved. Go to bed, you have school tomorrow.” At 2 AM, I stretched and was about to go to sleep when I saw a friend request on Instagram. The bio simply said: “Lily Kensington.” I tapped “Accept” immediately. Messages immediately started popping up: [Germaphobe.] [Likes black, white, and red.] [Hates perfume.] [Likes quiet places.] [Prefers mint-scented body wash.] [Doesn’t like manicures.] [Likes black hair.] I stared blankly at the messages popping up one by one, and subconsciously replied with a few of my own. [Loves video games. Likes ramen. Good at swimming. Hates cheesy romance. A bit goofy but a good cook.] A moment later, she replied: [Thank you, Harper.] I thought for a moment and replied: [Go to sleep early.] Lily. She was pretty cool. I looked at my freshly manicured nails and sighed. What a pity. I didn’t even know her brother’s name. What was the use of knowing his little quirks? Who knows if we’ll ever even meet again. 3 After pulling an all-nighter, my head pounded the next day. I voluntarily worked overtime to finish the last bit of my project. Just as I was about to clock out, my phone rang. An unknown number. “Hello?” I was feeling incredibly irritable. “Miss Hayes.” The moment I heard the voice, I got so excited I almost fell out of my office chair. I quickly composed myself, switching to a normal tone. “Oh, it’s you.” I heard a soft chuckle on the other end. “I’m honored Miss Hayes actually remembers me.” Looking like that, it’d be harder to forget you. “Miss Hayes, Lily told me the whole story. I’d like to apologize for my attitude the other day. Would you give me a chance to make it up to you?” I asked tentatively, “You want to…” “Buy you dinner.” Exactly what I wanted to hear! I shut down my computer, set my phone aside, and started touching up my makeup. While dabbing on foundation, I let out a reserved little laugh, acting bashful. “Oh, I don’t know. It was just a small misunderstanding between the kids. No need to go to all that trouble.” “Miss Hayes, I’ve already made the reservation. If you don’t come, it’ll go to waste.” “Well,” I replied ‘reluctantly’, “I guess I can’t say no to that.” I was just about to ask him to send me the location when he beat me to it. “Miss Hayes, where are you right now? I’ll come pick you up.” Making him come pick me up seemed a bit too bold. But honestly, I had been working all day and really didn’t want to navigate traffic across the city. I texted him my office address. There was a noticeable silence on the other end. I got nervous. Was it too far? Was he put off by the distance? Gas prices are pretty high right now, after all. “Um, actually, it’s fine, I can just…” “Miss Hayes. Give me five minutes.” The line went dead. I stared blankly at the beauty blender in my hand. Five minutes? Does he sell hot dogs in the lobby downstairs? The exact second I finished applying my lipstick, a figure appeared outside my glass office door. I opened the door, and that infuriatingly handsome face filled my vision. Holy crap, did he actually sell hot dogs downstairs? My assistant, Sarah, rushed over, out of breath. “Harper! This is the lead executive for the new project we’re trying to land. He just asked if we had someone named Harper Hayes here. I figured that was you, so I brought him right over!” Without giving me a second to process, the handsome guy cut straight to the chase. “Miss Hayes, it’s about time. Shall we go?” Sarah smiled so wide it looked like her face would split. “Oh my god, you two know each other?! I won’t bother you then, have a great night!” Once Sarah left, the guy’s deep eyes filled with amusement. “Miss Hayes. What a coincidence.” Heh… Look how happy he is laughing at me. On the way to the restaurant, soft piano music played in his luxury car. I tried my hardest to sit up straight and maintain an elegant posture. It was exhausting. A stray strand of hair blew across my face, and I suddenly remembered he liked black hair. My hair was currently dyed a standard ash-brown. Plus, I had my nails done and was wearing perfume. A complete tactical failure on day one… “Miss Hayes, making Director at such a young age. You’re very accomplished.” “Not as accomplished as…” Realizing I still didn’t know his name, I switched titles. “…as Mr. Kensington. Running your own company at your age.” We had been chatting in corporate-speak the whole time. How was I supposed to steer the conversation into something deeper? Noticing my hesitation, he helpfully chimed in. “Declan. My name is Declan.” “That’s a beautiful name,” I said, deliberately letting the syllables roll slowly off my tongue. Flirting, but not making it too obvious. Let’s see how Declan keeps up his corporate facade now. Declan did indeed fall silent. His dark, bright eyes stared straight ahead at the road. Cold, yet carrying a gentlemanly gentleness. He was dangerously attractive. If I looked closely, it seemed like he was trying not to smile. Was I imagining things? “Miss Hayes, please have a seat,” Declan pulled the chair out for me at the restaurant. “You can just call me Harper.” Declan: “You don’t need to call me Mr. Kensington either. The company belongs to my mother. I just run errands for her.” … Throughout the dinner, I tried countless times to subtly guide him, but I just couldn’t get the word “Harper” to come out of his mouth. Declan was still earnestly apologizing for his attitude the other day. “I will have a serious talk with Lily when I get home. I’ll make sure she doesn’t cause your brother any more trouble.” I dragged my exhausted body halfway across the city just to hear this? And calling him “your brother”… so formal. I waved my hand gracefully. “You don’t need to put too much pressure on Lily. Let’s just see how things play out. Mason is a single-celled organism. He doesn’t get stressed by things like this. The only thing that stresses him out is if the cafeteria runs out of pizza.” I don’t know if bringing up Mason made my true self leak out, but when I waved my hand, I accidentally knocked over Declan’s wine glass. There wasn’t much red wine left, but it splashed right onto his suit jacket. I frantically grabbed some napkins to wipe off the stain. Declan was a germaphobe! Because of my manicure, I had been hiding my hands all night. Now I couldn’t afford to care. But as I was scrubbing vigorously, a rhinestone on my nail caught on a loose thread of his suit. Declan’s cool, gentle voice sounded right by my ear. “Miss Hayes, it’s fine.” “No, no, no, I have to get it clean.” The more I panicked, the harder it was to untangle. I had no choice but to lean in incredibly close to his chest, eyes wide open, carefully trying to unhook the thread like I was defusing a bomb. From an outsider’s perspective, it looked like I was burying my face into his chest. His scent drifted into my nose. I felt nervous and inexplicably excited. “Miss Hayes, don’t worry about it. I was planning on throwing this jacket away anyway. Thanks to you, I now have a perfectly valid excuse.” I didn’t really care, and it wasn’t like I couldn’t afford to pay for it. But my hand was literally stuck. “Harper!” A man stood in front of our table, his face a picture of shock. I sat up instantly, but my hand was still caught on the jacket, making it look like I was gripping his clothes. I definitely forgot to check my horoscope today. Of all the awkward situations to run into my ex-boyfriend. Ethan Caldwell stared at Declan, his eyes turning red. “Harper, I thought you were joking when you said it. You actually got a new boyfriend.” When did I ever tell him I got a new boyfriend? Wait, it couldn’t be… Mason, that absolute moron! I asked him to reply to Ethan’s message, and this is what he sent?! He’s useless at everything except sabotaging his sister. Ethan let out a weird, bitter laugh. “Harper, where did you find this pretty boy? Is he a model or something?” I replied coldly, “Ethan, watch your mouth. This is my friend. If you have something to say, we can talk later. Don’t throw a fit here.” Ethan wouldn’t let it go. “When my mom told you to quit your job, you’d rather break up with me than give up your precious career. Turns out you just wanted to make money to become a sugar mama to a pretty boy!” I had already broken several of Declan’s rules today. I couldn’t let a public scene happen in front of him. I suppressed my anger and softened my tone. “Ethan, leave first. We’ll talk later.” Ethan stared at my hand, which was still tangled in Declan’s jacket, and deliberately leaned in closer. “Hey, how much is Harper paying you?” Me: “Ethan! Are you crazy?!” Declan: “Two hundred.” ??? Declan stood up. I had no choice but to stand up with him. Declan gently held my tangled hand, then leaned in and softly pressed a kiss to my forehead. The cool, soft touch sent shivers down my spine. Was Declan playing along? As expected from someone who navigates the business world. He knew how to read a room. Ethan hissed through his teeth, “Two hundred? Is that for the whole night?” Damn it! How dare this jerk insult Declan like that! Screw my elegant image, I’m going to slap him across the face. Declan: “For a lifetime.” ??? Ethan smelled like alcohol. He must be drunk. “Fine! Harper, you’re ruthless! How am I worse than this pretty boy?! You chose him over me!” Declan: “Maybe you didn’t know enough positions, and you didn’t last long enough.” Ethan’s eyes went completely red. He lunged forward to grab me. “Who the hell do you think you are, pretty boy?! Harper, come with me!” The sudden aggression from Ethan actually scared me for a second. I panicked. Instinctively, I hid behind Declan. Declan wrapped an arm around my waist, and with his other hand, gave Ethan a seemingly light push that sent him stumbling back several feet. I had never felt so safe in my life. It felt like Declan’s shoulders could shield me from any storm. I, Harper Hayes, had grown up never relying on anyone. Declan was the first person who made me feel like I could depend on him, even if it was just for a split second. 4 I leaned my entire body weight against Declan, making my voice sweet and flirty. “Baby, let’s go.” Ethan chased after us. “Harper, please. I love you. Have a heart, please?” I rolled my eyes in annoyance. “Get lost! When you stood there and let your mother insult me, where was all this love?” Seeing how resolute I was, Ethan turned his attacks to Declan. “Hey! Trust-fund baby! You think Harper actually loves you? You’re so naive! She’s ruthless. She falls in love with a new guy every week. She’s never given anyone her real heart!” Declan replied slowly, “Oh, really? I don’t care. Being chosen by my owner is my absolute honor.” Owner… Damn, Declan must be into some freaky stuff. With his cold, aristocratic face, he didn’t look like the type to say things like that. The contrast was amazing. I liked him even more! Declan’s eyes lingered on my lips for a second, then he put his arm around me and walked me out of the restaurant. My nail had finally untangled from the jacket. But Declan didn’t let go of me, so I happily let him keep his arm around me as we strolled down the street like a real couple. I was done pretending to be a demure lady. It was exhausting. I leaned against him like I had no bones, grumbling, “I really wanted to slap Ethan. He just wouldn’t shut up!” As I spoke, I threw a couple of phantom punches in the air, then looked up at Declan with sparkling eyes. “I’m so sorry about today. Thanks for your incredible acting and for sacrificing your pride to help me out. How can I ever repay you?” Like, maybe I can offer myself to you? Declan: “Since you asked, you can pay the bill. Two hundred.” Without missing a beat, I whipped out my phone. “Two hundred is too cheap. I’ll Venmo you two thousand. Plus the dry-cleaning fee, let’s make it five thousand.” What can I say? I got a raise recently. I’m rich. Wait! That two hundred was supposed to be his rate for the night! Five thousand means I can book him for a lot of nights! Was he flirting with me? What did he mean by that? Does he actually like me? A million little minions were throwing a dance party in my brain. “Hold on.” Declan’s hand moved from my waist and gently pinched my chin, tilting my face up. We were in an empty alleyway with only a few dim streetlights. The perfect setting to do something. Declan leaned in closer. I closed my eyes and tilted my chin up slightly higher. I felt his thumb gently wipe the corner of my lips. Declan: “You had some frosting on your mouth.” I opened my eyes to see Declan had already taken a step back, maintaining a safe distance, looking as cool and untouchable as ever. That’s it? “I’ll take you home.” Declan started walking toward his car. I followed behind him, utterly confused. He sparked this itch in my heart, and now he’s just going to leave it?! “Declan, don’t you have anything else to say?” Declan turned his head. “I’ll be stationed at your company for the next few months.” And?! Did I just spend $5,000 for absolutely nothing? Declan dropped me off at my apartment building. I was still unwilling to let it go. Mustering my courage, I tugged on his jacket. “Do you… want to come up for a bit?” Declan blinked and answered a question with a question. “Why did you break up with your previous boyfriends?” Previous boyfriends… The plural form was very telling. I answered honestly, “They were all mutual. When the love faded, we went our separate ways.” Declan leaned against his car. The streetlight illuminated his face, highlighting his perfect bone structure. “What exactly did Ethan’s mother do?” I didn’t really want to dig up those memories, but since Declan asked, I bit the bullet and told him. “His mom is a wealthy housewife. She thought I was marrying up and wasn’t good enough for their family. She hated that I made more money than Ethan and had a better degree. She wanted me to quit my job, stay home, do his laundry, cook his meals, and pop out two kids in three years. She constantly insulted me to my face, and Ethan never once stood up to her. It was suffocating.” I shifted to a lighter tone. “But I don’t care anymore. I’m used to making it on my own. I like my freedom. I don’t need to depend on anyone.” Men are just for fun. I didn’t say that last part out loud, though. “Harper! What are you two doing?!” Mason walked over, carrying a dripping wet pool floatie. Declan gave Mason a polite smile and got into his car. Upstairs, Mason and I stared at each other. Me: “Why are you home? It’s not even the weekend.” Mason: “What’s going on with you and Lily’s brother?” I rubbed my temples. “Exactly what it looks like.” “Harper, you have no standards! You’re not in a rush to get married. Worst comes to worst, I’ll provide for you.” I opened the fridge, grabbed two yogurts, and tossed one to him. “Stay out of women’s business. And provide for me? Take care of yourself first. Anyway, where were you?” Mason’s eyes darted around shiftily. “Swim team practice today. Lily came too. She doesn’t know how to swim and doesn’t talk much, so I just hung out and practiced with her for a bit.” Mason ripped the foil lid off his yogurt and slapped his thigh. “Oh right! Harper, Lily bought yogurt today too, but I noticed she didn’t lick the foil lid!” My eye twitched. “And?” Mason: “So I just stared at her until she licked the lid. Drinking yogurt without licking the lid is a crime against humanity.” … Mason: “Anyway, never mind that. Harper, did you know Lily and her brother don’t actually live together? Their parents are divorced. Lily lives with her dad, and her brother lives with their mom.” I was shocked. “Is this intel legit?” Mason nodded. “Lily told me herself. Her parents divorced before she can even remember. She also said she likes the way I smile. She said she could never smile like me.” Tsk. Lily was clearly a hyper-sensitive, intelligent girl. For her to say something like that meant she really trusted Mason. Me: “What did you say to her?” Mason grinned, his eyes crinkling. “I told her I also think I look really handsome when I smile.” I held it in for a few seconds before bursting into uncontrollable laughter. I almost choked. Oh, my stupid baby brother. He traded ten lifetimes of emotional intelligence for that pretty face. A pretty boy with a golden retriever’s brain. Mason: “…Harper, you’re making fun of me.” No I’m not. Don’t be ridiculous. Late that night, when everything was quiet, I rested my chin in my hand and scribbled “Declan Kensington” all over a piece of paper. Finally, I went and took a cold shower.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “414047”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

I was diagnosed with terminal cancer. The day I received my biopsy results, I gave Sebastian his freedom and completely vanished from his world. But I undeniably had a talent for being a creep. My house was completely wired with my “eyes.” 4K hidden cameras displayed Sebastian’s every move to me with absolute, crystal-clear precision. I originally thought he would feel a massive weight lifted off his shoulders. Who would have known that the man who seemingly wished me dead would be kneeling in a church, praying to God, over and over again. Begging for me to live. 1 Sebastian Reed was dead broke. The first time I saw him, he was mixed in with a bunch of VIP bottle boys, wearing a washed-out, faded denim jacket. His hair had probably been messed with by the club’s madam—sticking up like a hedgehog’s quills, perfectly matching that stubborn face of his. He looked like he refused to bow to anyone. I liked him instantly. Lust is human nature, and Sebastian was blessed with a face that could make the angels jealous. But when God opened a window for him, He slammed the door shut. Back then, Sebastian was so poor he ate stale bread and watered-down soup for three meals a day. He was so thin a gust of wind could knock him over. His shoulder blades jutted out in a sharp, lonely arc. From behind, he looked entirely desolate. I told the club owner that I wanted him. She flattered me while her eyes kept darting toward Sebastian, who was shuttling between the private booths as a busboy. “That kid is as stubborn as a mule, you know.” “Then don’t let him work here anymore starting recently,” I said. Sebastian was a waiter at The Obsidian Room. Because of his striking looks, there were always people buying liquor from him, hoping to get something more intimate. Sebastian always accepted the sales but coldly rejected the ulterior motives of those older women. The Obsidian Room was the biggest private club in Manhattan. Every time I came here to discuss business, I saw him. He always had the same expression: lips pressed in a tight, grim line, eyes heavily drooping with exhaustion. He’d carry fruit platters or drinks, so busy his heels barely touched the ground. He never initiated a conversation with me. Once, after drinking way too much during a negotiation, I threw up violently outside the restrooms. I grabbed onto him blindly. “Give me a tissue,” I demanded. Sebastian used his own handkerchief to wipe my mouth. His eyes flickered with a hint of emotion. “Drink less, miss.” I narrowed my eyes. I felt truly wicked. After that day, I investigated Sebastian’s entire background. An orphan. A younger sister with a congenital heart defect. He was saving up for that astronomically expensive surgery, and I was the one who cut off his income stream. The club owner, following my instructions, no longer allowed him to sell alcohol, and simultaneously let the other bottle boys bully him mercilessly. I waited in silence for almost a week. When I stepped into The Obsidian Room again, Sebastian was being beaten by a group of guys. He lay on the floor, curled up like a shrimp, protecting his head while letting them kick and hurl insults at him. I pushed through the crowd, walked right up to Sebastian, and extended my hand to him. He swayed as he used the wall to stand up. He pushed my hand away and limped off. The owner smiled apologetically, “See? He’s got too much pride.” Later, I tracked Sebastian down again. I opened a briefcase full of cash and spread it out in front of him. “Your sister’s surgery can’t be delayed any longer. I can hire the best cardiovascular surgeons in the country.” Sebastian stared at me, guarded. “Your terms.” I felt a rush of absolute pleasure opening up every pore in my body. My long-dormant chest finally felt a heartbeat again in that moment. “I want you. As my kept man.” Time flew, and eight years passed. Sebastian was now the man sharing my pillow, even if he was reluctant. He still kept a cold face most of the time. He turned a blind eye to my displays of affection. He used work as an excuse to stay at the office until dawn, by which time I was already fast asleep. I stirred my oatmeal, a dense wave of nausea rising in my chest. I was clearly starving, my lips trembling from hunger, yet the sight of food made me gag. My nose tickled. A warm liquid slid down, completely ruining the warm, sweet oatmeal. I wiped my nose. There was no panic. Sebastian used to say, “Victoria, sometimes I think you aren’t even human.” Neither of us had warm, passionate dispositions. Most of the time we spent together, we were handling our respective businesses. Only in the dead of night, when loneliness surged, would we embrace and collapse onto that massive bed, tangling together desperately, as if this was the only way to prove we weren’t alone in the world. But I knew clearly that when we rolled in the sheets, when I was completely swept up in the heat of passion, Sebastian wasn’t that focused. It made sense. He was in his prime; how could he resign himself to being a sugar baby? He was a capable man. He had started his own trading company, which had been booming over the past two years. He would probably leave me soon. Before we got together, I sent Chloe Reed abroad. This younger sister—who shared no blood relation with him—was his only weakness. She was also the existence that made me wake up drenched in sweat in the middle of the night. It’s so cold. Even though it’s the middle of summer. I wrapped myself in a blanket and texted Sebastian. “Come home for dinner tonight. I made your favorite cherry cobbler.” There was no reply for a long time. It wasn’t until noon that he stingily sent a few words. “Busy. No time.” I looked out the window. The sun was glaring, wilting the roses in the garden. “You have to come back even if you’re busy. Or I’ll freeze your shipment.” Sebastian finally compromised, stepping into the mansion exactly at six o’clock. I wanted to be softer, but after drowning in the corporate world for so long, my blood ran cold. I had long forgotten how to sweet-talk anyone. “CEO Reed is truly a busy man. Getting a dinner with you requires a waitlist.” I curled my lips. My lipstick was too heavy. Sebastian frowned, pulled out a tissue, and wiped some of it off. “Aren’t I here?” I chuckled dryly, poking him in the chest. “Don’t think I don’t know it’s because Chloe is back. Eight years apart, you two siblings must have a lot of catching up to do.” Sebastian looked like he was getting angry, but his moods never dictated my actions. His anger toward me was like punching cotton; it vanished without even bouncing back. He walked into the kitchen and brought the dishes out one by one. “Let’s eat.” I chewed my salmon slowly, afraid to blink, terrified the tears would fall. I said, “Sebastian, let’s break up.” 2 Sebastian’s hand holding the chopsticks paused. He cast a confused glance at me. He knew it. I loved him to the bone. How could I let go so easily? How many nights had I stroked his broad back, calling his name over and over again? Yet all he left me was a stubborn, cold silhouette. I would dig my fingers into his dark hair, pulling his head back almost sadistically, reminding him how to please his benefactor. I wasn’t always so good-tempered, but I would watch with a smiling face as he rejected me time and time again. Sebastian kept his back to me. My boiling blood went ice-cold again. Then, I let go and weakly wrapped the blanket around myself. In our eight years together, I had mentioned breaking up many times. But without exception, within a week, a black Maybach would park squarely in front of Sebastian’s company at exactly 8:00 AM. Rolling down the window, I would stare at his expressionless face and curl my lips. He only knew that I crushed his dignity, but he didn’t know how many times I had thrown my own into the dirt, stripping myself of all pride. “What crazy fit are you having now?” I let out a low laugh, staring blankly at the plump grains of white rice in front of me. I probably wouldn’t be able to eat this much longer. “I’m serious this time.” I looked at Sebastian. He still wore a stern expression, as if looking at a clown using despicable tricks to garner a sliver of attention, stingily offering a drop of pity. “My luggage is already packed. I’ll be moving out tonight.” Sebastian finally reacted. His brows twitched slightly, and even those usually calm eyes widened a bit. “Congratulations, Sebastian. You’re free.” I walked up to him, bent down, and whispered softly, “When you and Chloe get married, I’ll send a fat check.” Sebastian stayed frozen in place. “Take care.” I heard the suppressed voice squeezed from his throat. Chloe moved in. I had seen her once a long time ago. Back then, Chloe had a sallow complexion, so emaciated she looked like a skeleton draped in skin. Her eyes, which should have been bright for a teenager, were dead and dull. Only when she saw Sebastian would they spark with life. She would hug him, affectionately calling him her brother. She was only eighteen, yet even on the brink of death, she was breathtakingly beautiful. It was a delicate, pure kind of beauty that made people instinctively want to protect her. I would never have that aura in my life. While Chloe was half-dead on an IV drip, I was ruthlessly slaughtering my competition in the business world. For the sake of a resort project, I forcibly demolished a whole neighborhood. The compensation was ruthlessly low, and many cursed me to die a horrible death behind my back. But Sebastian never called me cold-blooded; he was exactly the same as me. We were the same kind of people. How could he fall for a little white flower like Chloe? Now, I truly was dying a horrible death. The footage from the pinhole camera was exceptionally clear. Chloe was curled up on my favorite velvet sofa. Sebastian had washed a bowl of strawberries for her, carefully removing the stems, picking the reddest ones, and feeding them to her one by one. I was a little upset. Chloe didn’t even take her shoes off. The soles of her pointed boots stepped on the blue sofa, leaving deep indentations. That was one of the few places where Sebastian and I shared a beautiful memory. I had a terrible flu back then, my head spinning. Sebastian held me, patiently coaxing me to take my medicine, even humming some nameless lullaby while watching me fall asleep. I suppose men like Sebastian were naturally drawn to gentle, delicate women. They were strong enough and needed someone to lean on their shoulders, not a woman who dominated him at every turn, a woman who wore lipstick the color of fresh blood. Chloe said she didn’t like this sofa. Sebastian probably thought I might swoop back in a week, so he hesitated for a moment. “I’ll take you furniture shopping in a few days.” Chloe smiled sweetly. “You’re the best, Sebastian.” Arthur Sterling pushed the door open to find me still staring intently at the computer screen. On the screen, Sebastian had just stepped out of the shower, water dripping from his hair, his perfect physique enough to make anyone scream. He instinctively reached for the water glass on the nightstand, but it was empty. I wasn’t there anymore, which meant no one was placing a fresh glass of water by his bed for him to drink at any given moment. Not knowing what he was thinking, Sebastian angrily smashed the glass against the wall. Arthur called me a creep. “Are you sick? Spying on someone’s life twenty-four hours a day?” I smiled. “It’s more than that. I also have private investigators. I know his every move outside the house with absolute clarity.” Arthur shivered. “Victoria, you really are a total psycho.” I stopped talking. I had woven a web of love; he couldn’t escape it. Sebastian would eventually realize that I had seeped into every detail of his life, while the Chloe in his heart had only left behind a seemingly beautiful shell. A steaming hot towel was pressed against my arm. After days of IVs, my arms were completely bruised. If they had to draw blood tomorrow, they might not even find a place to stick the needle in my battered veins. “Sis, why do this to yourself?” I looked closely at my younger brother. We shared the same father but different mothers. After his mother died of illness, our father had no choice but to bring him back to the Sterling estate. I had been very afraid for a time, fearing that half of the massive Sterling empire would be handed over to Arthur. I reached out and lifted his chin. He had clean, clear eyes, just like his mother. In his youth, I subtly tested the waters. When I found out he cared more about art than business, I resolutely sent him to Italy to study. Arthur was very grateful to me, and I breathed a sigh of relief. It was just that now I had summoned him back, because my illness was terminal. That drop of blood relation, once the thing I feared the most, had now become my most reliable shield. “Will you cry for me when I die?” Arthur froze, throwing the towel on the floor. “Can’t you say something positive?” Seeing him so agitated actually made me somewhat happy. “But having only you isn’t enough. If I really die, my widow must be the one crying the most agonizingly.” Arthur was speechless. He could only comfort me. “You’ll get better.” In the middle of the night, Sebastian finally got up to get a glass of water from the kitchen. There was no soup simmering in the slow cooker. Without the faint aroma to grace it, the kitchen lacked the warmth of human life. It was so cold and desolate it was frightening. Sebastian pursed his lips and started washing rice to make porridge. He hadn’t done this kind of thing in a long time, naturally out of practice. He added too much water, and when he woke up the next day, it had boiled over onto the floor. He woke up earlier than Chloe, so he scooped a bowl and placed it on the table. But by the time he got off work that evening, the bowl of porridge was still sitting there, completely untouched. The house was pitch black. No one would ever lazily glance at the kitchen and tell him to wash his hands and eat again. Sebastian took a deep breath and dialed Chloe’s number. The sound of deafening club music filled his ear, Chloe’s words slurred and indistinct. He tried hard to maintain a gentle tone. “Where are you, Chloe? I’ll come pick you up.” I closed my laptop and called Sebastian’s business partners. “There’s no need to provide cargo ships for Apex Trading anymore. I need to handle the spare parts on my end urgently.” With Sebastian’s capabilities, these things wouldn’t crush him, but they would definitely keep him extremely busy. Only then would he discover how many obstacles I had secretly smoothed over for him, how many roads I had paved. A round-faced young nurse gently reminded me not to wear makeup. I touched my face. There was barely any flesh left on it. This was my armor. My battle standard that maintained my dignity. How could I take it off so easily? Victoria Sterling. How could I ever allow myself to show vulnerability? I had always been strong. “Have you found a matching donor in the bone marrow registry?” “Not yet, but don’t lose heart. You will definitely get better.” I wanted to get better. I wanted to hear Sebastian say he loved me. And if I died, I wanted him to remember me for the rest of his life. 3 Sebastian had been very busy lately, not just with his company, but with Chloe. He had no idea when this formerly pure, innocent younger sister had become so extravagant and corrupted. She would stand arrogantly in luxury boutiques, pointing at a row of new arrivals with half-closed eyes, demanding them all. Then she’d hop into a cab and head to the loud, chaotic bars. The neon lights flashed relentlessly, casting bizarre shadows in the steel fortress of the city. She swayed to the music, shaking an expensive cocktail in her hand, her eyes narrowed like a lazy cat’s. Sebastian would watch her coldly, dragging her out of the hyperactive crowd. He shoved Chloe into the bathtub, the cold water making her cough violently. “Sebastian!” She let out a short, piercing scream. Sebastian finally snapped out of his daze and said in an unquestionable tone, “I’m cutting off your cards starting tomorrow.” Chloe licked her lips, seemingly unbothered. “Whatever. The money you transfer me every month isn’t that much anyway. It’s all the money that old woman gave me.” She draped her arms over the edge of the tub, as if remembering something amusing, her eyes curving into crescents. “People say she’s an iron lady, but she’s really just a pathetic wretch. You definitely don’t know how she talked to me—as if she was my sister-in-law. Nagging me to take care of myself, wiring money to my account right on time every month. She even begged me to put in a good word for her with you. It’s so hilarious.” She waved her hand in disgust and cursed, “Disgusting.” Slap. Sebastian struck her across the face. This man was always very quiet when he was angry. He was never a man of many words anyway, always surrounded by a low-pressure aura. Even more so when he was furious—his eyes would just dead-lock onto a specific spot. After slapping her, Sebastian’s hand trembled. He sobered up instantly when he saw Chloe’s swollen cheek. He patiently tried to comfort her, his broad palm patting Chloe’s thin back gently. But anyone could see his mind was elsewhere. Except for me. Sebastian’s gaze landed on a corner of the bathroom, where a lonely little rubber duck sat. I went through a childish phase for a while, buying lots of rubber ducks to put in the tub while bathing. Inside the rubber ducks were bath bombs. Orange scented. It was a scent Sebastian rarely admitted he liked. He always said my perfume smelled like a morgue. We had a huge fight about it later. I threw all the rubber ducks away, leaving only one over the drain, which made that bare spot look a little more pleasing to the eye. Sebastian returned to a lonely, empty room. The bed was ice-cold. There was no human-shaped heater. Lost in thought, he opened his laptop and aimlessly browsed the web until he finally fell asleep in the early hours of the morning. I guessed he had forgotten the URL. On my birthday one year, I enthusiastically coded a webpage myself. I wrote a lot of cheesy things and added his favorite songs as background music, giving it to him as a gift. Back then, Sebastian merely cast a cold glance at it and ignored it. Relying on fragments of memory, of course he couldn’t remember it. I pursed my lips. The liquid medicine was bitter. Sebastian definitely didn’t know that I had deleted that webpage long ago, but I left a screenshot of it on his computer. I wanted him to slowly discover it. I wanted him to be engulfed by my love like a tidal wave. The cross-border corporate deal couldn’t be delayed, but the original shipping partner suddenly pulled their cargo vessels. Sebastian was stunned. The manager explained that they had originally been partners with the Sterling Group. Now that Sterling was pressing them tight, they had to prioritize their old patron. Sebastian was caught off guard. When Apex Trading was just starting, this logistics company had shown up at his door. Reliable service, fair prices. He wasn’t entirely unaware that I might have pulled the strings behind the scenes, but the other party’s attitude didn’t seem like it. “We like helping young people with dreams.” After all this time, it was my favor after all. This definitely frustrated Sebastian, because I had dominated him once again. Sebastian was displeased, knowing he couldn’t truly stand shoulder to shoulder with me yet. But he kept smiling. People in the business world always flashed that standard, eight-tooth smile. “Please give my regards to CEO Sterling.” The manager clicked his tongue. “The young CEO Sterling? He’s too arrogant. Nowhere near as good as the old CEO.” “The young CEO?” In Sebastian’s impression, I was an absolute dictator. I would never allow others to covet the top seat at Sterling. Why was there suddenly a “young CEO”? The manager shook his head. “Not sure. Sounds like some kind of incident occurred, and she stepped back behind the scenes.” Sebastian finally remembered that I hadn’t contacted him in half a month. The man hesitated for a long time before dialing my number, but all he got was the robotic, formatted voice of the automated operator. “We’re sorry, the number you have dialed is powered off.” He didn’t go to my company to find me. He just stood there for a very, very long time. 4 Sebastian found a job for his sister. Despite her reluctance, Chloe went to work, pouting all the way. With the company’s crisis handled, his schedule suddenly opened up. Sebastian frequently sat on the couch, staring blankly. This lasted for about a week before he started rummaging through the house. When I left, I took a lot of things with me: matching mugs, photo albums. What remained were mostly old, small trinkets stuffed in unnoticeable corners. Sebastian turned the place upside down, wiping every corner with a rag. Then he piled all the things he dug up in the living room and looked at them closely, piece by piece. Many of them were things I bought for him. A ring he had only worn a few times. Sunglasses I bought him on vacation. A scarf I knitted for him in the winter—because it was my first time, it was uneven, wide at the top and narrow at the bottom. The stitches were crooked, looking a bit ridiculous. Sebastian had never worn it once. Now, holding that scarf, he wrapped it around his own neck, looked at his absurd reflection in the mirror, and laughed out loud. He found many memories of us. He, who was always awkward, who never wanted to honestly accept my love. Now, tearing himself open piece by piece, he finally realized that after eight long years together, he had long grown accustomed to my existence. Someone once said that when an old friend leaves, the first emotion you feel isn’t sadness. You might not feel anything at all. But on a certain day, at a certain moment, when you see everything they left behind, you suddenly realize that you can never get them back. I didn’t know what Sebastian was thinking. He put all those things into a cardboard box and dragged it into his bedroom. I guessed his heart must be very soft, despite his cold, hard exterior. He always wrapped himself in armor, a suit of steel that seemed indestructible. But what was hidden inside was more fragile than anything else. No one loved him like I did. Sebastian always threw himself onto the front lines to fight everything fate handed him. A poor family, parents dying early, a sickly sister, and the humiliating, twisted romance with me. He was like a turtle shrinking into its shell, simultaneously arrogant and inferior. Accepting fate while rejecting its gifts. Some people just refused to honestly face their own hearts. I traced my computer screen and laughed, unaware even when drops of nosebleed stained my snow-white sheets. Sebastian drove his car to my company. He waited quietly, waiting for me to get off work. Just like the countless times I waited for him to walk out of those glass doors and resign himself to getting in my car. Unfortunately, he wouldn’t catch me. Arthur Sterling walked out, surrounded by a crowd, dressed in a sharp suit. The shot-caller at Sterling had changed. It was no longer the woman with cold eyes and a dismissive smirk. Sebastian was frozen. He stood perfectly still, watching Arthur get into my Maybach and drive away. That night, Sebastian blew up my phone. From 9:00 PM to midnight, without stopping. But all that came from the screen was a calm automated voice. He scrolled through our texts. Every message he sent sank like a stone in the ocean. Finally, Sebastian put the phone to his ear, clicked on the voice memos I had sent him, and listened to them all night. Chloe said he was crazy to like an old woman like me. She dragged that box of items to the door, intending to throw it in the trash. Sebastian wrestled with her. The box tore open, and the messy pile of trinkets scattered all over the floor. I watched on the screen as Sebastian gathered them into his arms, his shoulders shaking. He was crying. Chloe was crying too. She asked Sebastian: “Sebastian, didn’t you love me the most?” The man lifted his head and touched Chloe’s face. “We are siblings.” Even without blood, you are still my sister. That is all. I breathed a sigh of relief. Sebastian actually didn’t love Chloe. He had just been emotionally blackmailed for too long. The responsibility of having to take care of his sister made him lose himself, unable to distinguish between love and familial concern. That’s why I sent Chloe away. Eight years was enough time to change a person, and enough time to forget someone. I said to Arthur: “Actually, I really like Chloe. Because people like her are extremely easy to deal with. She’s weak, selfish, and has seen nothing of the world. She hates me on one hand, but is forced to rely on me on the other. She feels I defiled her brother, yet she cashes every check I send without hesitation, believing it’s what I owe them.” I smiled and swallowed a pill. “Don’t be fooled by her harsh words; she’s actually terrified of me. She knows that over these eight years, Sebastian’s heart has only had room for me. There’s no space left beside him for anyone else, even his once-closest sister.” I looked at Arthur. His brows were tightly knit, looking somewhat severe. Finding a comfortable position, I laid back, feeling the pain in my chest ease slightly as I breathed. “Our dad had quite a few affairs out there. I’m not surprised I have a few younger siblings. But I didn’t expect them to pop up the second I stepped down. What position does Donovan want?” “Chief Financial Officer.” Arthur bit his lip, cursing him as a useless sack of wine and flesh with sheer disgust. I found it a bit funny. He was young after all; he couldn’t keep his composure. “Give him whatever position he wants. If he wants to play, take him out to play. Money, power, alcohol, and women are knives that kill without spilling blood. You don’t even need to strike; the things he can’t control will turn around and kill him.” I touched Arthur’s face. He looked the most like our father, born with those captivating eyes. Unlike Arthur, however, our dad never showed such a lost expression; he was always confident. “After I die, Sterling Group will be handed over to you. Don’t rush things. Indulgence and strictness are both management tactics. Pressing too hard will only make you lose your own assets.” Arthur opened his mouth but said nothing. “You need to know, out of all these brothers and sisters, you’re the only one I treat as my own.” “But what if… what if the Sterling Group gets destroyed in my hands?” I closed my eyes, feeling exhausted, but still spoke sweet words. “You are my brother. I believe in you.” The other party grabbed my hand and said okay. I knew he was grateful to me. In his most difficult years, I was the one who brought this boy to my side, telling everyone he was my younger brother, the young master of the Sterling family. He stepped from the mud into the clouds, from being spat upon to being in the spotlight. He loved art, so I sent him to the best art institute. He wanted love, so I brought him home-cooked meals through wind and rain. It was only because Arthur casually mentioned in a chat that other classmates had loving bento boxes. This was where I was smarter than his mother. She would only pinch the soft flesh under Arthur’s clothes in dark corners with her sharp nails. I knew, but I never interfered. That was her resentment, Arthur’s original sin, and he was meant to endure it. Arthur never spoke to me about these things. I was his older sister, his only sanctuary in the Sterling family. Under the club, wolves only rebel. Under the sun and rain, the brilliantly blooming flowers are much easier to control. This was my selfishness: grinding away Arthur’s hatred, removing a rival for the inheritance. But now, everything had changed. This illness caught me off guard. The company I poured my heart and soul into for over a decade. The deals I secured by drinking until my stomach bled. Was I really willing to just hand it over to someone who had never managed a business? The illegitimate children popping up wasn’t an accident. Arthur would also slowly realize that he couldn’t control the entire Sterling empire alone. Only a strong alliance would work, and I was his best choice. “When Sebastian comes looking for you, remember to tell him I’m dead.” “Huh?” Arthur was confused. “Didn’t you have people tell him you just stepped behind the scenes?” “If there are no contradictions, how would he sense something is wrong and come looking for me?” I pulled the blanket up. “I’m so tired. I’m going to sleep. You should go back.” Arthur didn’t know how much patience I had, or how capable I was of setting traps. Nothing I wanted could escape—including this life.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “414046”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

Liam Parker was a stray dog. When he finally got bored of me, he threw me to his new flame, Tiffany Sterling, and her pack of wolves. That day, my hearing aid was ripped from my ear. It tumbled down the concrete stairs, shattering into pieces. I felt the warm, metallic taste of blood filling my mouth. Everything went blurry as a crowd gathered. “Call 911!” “Is Clara Miller dying?” “Are they going to jail for this?” Liam shoved through the crowd, his hands trembling as he wrapped his jacket around me. He screamed, his voice raw with a desperation I hadn’t heard in years, as he carried me toward the emergency room. He finally looked like he regretted it. He regretted leaving me to rot in Tiffany’s shadow. 1. When I was five, my parents’ marriage was a battlefield. My father was a heavy drinker. I remember walking up to him, my voice tiny. “Daddy, please. No more beer.” Crack. “You’re the reason we’re stuck in this hole! I work my tail off just to keep a roof over your head, you little brat!” His palm collided with my face. The force sent me sprawling across the hardwood floor. The pain was a white-hot flash. Then came the ringing—a high, sharp whine that seemed to come from inside my skull. Something wet and warm leaked from my ear. I touched it, staring at my crimson-stained fingers in a daze. “You monster! How could you lay a hand on her?” My mother screamed, rushing into the room to scoop me up. She checked my face, her eyes wide with terror. “Clara? Why is there blood?” “Mommy, my ear hurts… I can’t hear you. Why are you so quiet?” “You can’t hear? Clara… baby, don’t scare me.” She rushed me to the ER. After the tests, she held my hand so tight it hurt. “Doctor, please. Tell me she’s okay.” “Her left eardrum is ruptured,” the doctor said, his voice grim. “She’s going to need a hearing aid. Likely for the rest of her life.” My mother’s face went pale. “A hearing aid… you mean she’s… deaf?” “She’s just a child. What kind of person hits a kid that hard?” 2. I started first grade with a device tucked behind my ear. To make me feel less like an outcast, my mom found a hearing aid decorated with little strawberry stickers. But no matter how she tried to hide it, the thin wire was always visible. The kids noticed. They always noticed. We moved to a new apartment complex shortly after. That’s where my mom met Mrs. Parker, who lived on the same floor. Her son, Liam, was in my grade. Same school, same class. Our moms became fast friends, taking turns with the school run. That’s how I met Liam Parker. From the very beginning, I was afraid to look him in the eye. He wasn’t the friendly type. Even as a young boy, his gaze was icy and sharp. When our moms walked us home, chatting behind us, Liam would always march five paces ahead. He didn’t want to be seen with me. To him, I was a freak. The only kid in the whole school with a wire coming out of her ear. I was an anomaly, a glitch in his perfect world. At school, I had no friends. Liam was the opposite. He was the golden boy, the natural leader. Even when he was being a brat, the teachers and the girls loved him. 3. My mom worked long hours at a local farmers’ market, struggling to make ends meet. My father had long since vanished to “find work” out of state, leaving us with nothing. Mrs. Parker, knowing our situation, insisted I come over after school to do homework with Liam. She was a stay-at-home mom who doted on him. Their house was bright, modern, and smelled like vanilla candles. Liam and I would sit at the coffee table in the living room. Mrs. Parker would bring out snacks. “Clara, Liam, take a break. Have some fruit.” “Thank you, Mrs. Parker.” Liam would drop his pen, grab a banana, and follow his mother into the kitchen. “Mom, stop bringing her here. She’s weird. I’m sick of looking at her.” My hand froze halfway to a bowl of grapes. I pulled back, my heart sinking. The kitchen door swung shut. Their voices muffled, but the sting remained. When Liam came back out, his face was set in a scowl. I kept my head down, pretending to be absorbed in my math problems. He kicked my chair, his voice a low hiss. “Don’t come back tomorrow. Hear me?” Mrs. Parker stepped out, her voice stern. “Liam Parker! Keep your mouth shut.” I just kept writing, my face burning with shame. Every night at 11 PM, my mom would pick me up after the market closed. Liam’s father worked overseas, only coming home once or twice a year. “I’m sorry for the trouble,” my mom would say, handing Mrs. Parker a bag of fresh produce. “These tomatoes just came in today.” “You don’t have to do that,” Mrs. Parker would protest. She was the kindest person I had ever met, second only to my mother. “Clara had dinner with us already,” Mrs. Parker would smile, patting my head. “See you tomorrow, sweetie. I’m making beef stew.” 4. Back in our quiet apartment, I watched my mom set her keys on the table. “Mom, I don’t want to go to the Parkers’ anymore. I can walk home by myself. I’m old enough.” My mom paused, looking at me with a knowing sadness. “Why? Did something happen?” I looked at the floor. “I just want to be home. Please. Just give me a spare key.” She eventually agreed. My fragile pride had finally been broken by Liam’s coldness. Without friends, I buried myself in books. One year turned into three, then five. We grew up, and the gap between us only widened. In high school, we were still in the same building, but in different social circles. Liam had become the quintessential rebel. He was always in trouble—fighting guys from rival schools, cutting class, staying out late. But with that face and that “don’t care” attitude, he was the king of the campus. One day, I realized I’d forgotten my keys. I was sitting on the stairs outside our apartment, studying. Liam and his mom walked up, carrying grocery bags. Liam glanced at me, his eyes devoid of emotion, and moved to unlock their door. Mrs. Parker was as warm as ever. “Clara? Locked out? Come on in, honey.” “No, thank you, Mrs. Parker. I’ll just head to the market to find my mom.” “Nonsense. It’s Liam’s birthday. I’ve cooked a feast. Stay for dinner.” I froze. Liam’s birthday? I hadn’t prepared a gift, and I definitely didn’t want to be there. “Oh, come on. You’ve grown so distant. I’ll call your mom. It’s settled.” I couldn’t find a way to say no. I followed them in, feeling like an intruder. “Here, let me help you with those bags.” 5. “Mrs. Parker, let me help with the vegetables.” “No, honey. Go sit in the living room. I’ve got it.” “It’s okay. I don’t have much homework anyway.” Liam was in the living room watching a game. I wanted to avoid him at all costs. In the kitchen, Mrs. Parker sighed. “I wish Liam was as well-behaved as you.” I didn’t know what to say. Liam was wild. He was out of control, and even his mother couldn’t tether him. I remembered seeing him a few weeks ago at school. He was behind the gym, beating the life out of some junior. He looked terrifying—vicious and raw. He had two cronies with him. They held the other boy down while Liam worked him over. I had hurried past, trembling with fear. “Okay, the roast is almost done. Let’s go sit down.” I followed her into the living room. She poured me a glass of water and pushed a bowl of apples toward me. Liam didn’t even look up from the TV. Mrs. Parker handed me a bright red apple. “Here, have one.” I started peeling it. It was too big for one person, so I sliced it in half. “Mrs. Parker, would you like half?” She shook her head. “My teeth aren’t what they used to be. Give it to Liam.” I hesitated, then held the half out to him. “Do you want some?” Mrs. Parker slipped away to her bedroom to grab something. The awkwardness I expected didn’t come. Liam actually took the apple. He looked at me, a strange expression on his face. “I haven’t even touched you,” he muttered. “Why do you look like you’re about to jump out of your skin every time you see me?” I blinked, swallowing a piece of apple. “I’m not nervous.” “Really? Little Miss Perfect Student?” He leaned back on the sofa, propping his head on his hand, and took a bite. There was a hint of a smirk on his face. That dinner was excruciating. I noticed that whenever Mrs. Parker wasn’t looking, Liam’s eyes would drift to me. It wasn’t the look of disgust he had when we were kids. It was something else. Something that made me even more uncomfortable. 6. Sophomore year was when the nightmare truly began. The pressure was high, and the social hierarchy was brutal. After the first big midterm, I ranked 5th in the entire grade. I was proud of myself. But that rank put me one spot ahead of Tiffany Sterling, the school’s “it girl.” One night after study hall, Tiffany and two of her friends cornered me in an empty classroom. Slap. The sound echoed in the quiet room. They shoved me to the floor, their words dripping with venom. “You think you’re so smart, don’t you? A little freak like you taking my spot?” Apparently, her dad had promised her a new car if she made the top five. Because of me, she was 6th. “I don’t get it,” Tiffany sneered, stepping on my hand. “What’s a deaf girl doing trying so hard? You’re never going to be anything.” “If you tell anyone, you’re dead.” “Stay out of my way, or I’ll ruin you.” After they left, I wiped the blood from my nose and gathered my things. I found my courage and went to the counselor the next day. The counselor didn’t want to believe it. Tiffany was the perfect student on paper—pretty, popular, and a “leader.” When Tiffany was called in, she didn’t deny hitting me. Instead, she claimed she caught me stealing her lunch money and acted out of “righteous anger.” Her two friends were her witnesses. I was stunned. I had never touched her money. But it was three against one. “Clara stole it,” they said in unison. “Tiffany just lost her temper for a second. We saw the whole thing.” Tiffany even put her hand on her heart. “I swear, I’m telling the truth.” The counselor couldn’t prove who was lying about the money, but the marks on my face were real. She made Tiffany apologize. “Fine. I’m sorry.” “I shouldn’t have hit you, Clara. I hope you can forgive me.” But as she bowed her head in a mock apology, I saw the smirk on her lips. I looked at the counselor. “That’s it? Just an apology?” The counselor frowned. “She admitted her mistake, Clara. Let’s move on.” The world felt darker that day. And it got worse. Soon, rumors spread. People started calling me a thief behind my back. 7. Reporting Tiffany was the spark that set my life on fire. She made sure the entire school isolated me. The worst day was during the Spring Pep Rally. I had no friends to sit with, so I snuck back to the quiet classroom. Tiffany and her crew followed me. They dragged me into the girls’ bathroom. “You like telling on people? Let’s see how you like this.” They held my head under the faucet, the cold water drenching me. “No! Stop!” My struggle only earned me kicks to the ribs and blows to the head. “Stop? In your dreams.” “You know what the best part is?” Tiffany laughed, tossing my soaked hair aside. “Everyone thinks you’re a thief now. No one is going to believe you. Go ahead, tell them again. See what other labels I can stick on you.” “My uncle is the Vice Principal, Clara. You really think a teacher is going to take your side over mine?” “A deaf thief. God, you’re pathetic.” Every word felt like a stone being piled onto my chest. I couldn’t breathe. I had worked so hard to get into this school. Why was this happening to me? When they finally got bored, they left me shivering on the floor. I crawled to the sink, rinsing the blood from my mouth. I threw up my breakfast. The nausea wouldn’t stop. When I finally managed to stumble out, I ran right into Liam Parker. He was leaning against the wall by the boys’ room, smoking. I tried to hurry past. “What happened to you?” It was the first time we’d spoken all year. He stepped in front of me, grabbing my arm. He looked at my bruised face, his eyes narrowing. “Who did this?” 8. I bit my lip, forcing back the tears. Just then, Tiffany walked out of a nearby classroom. She saw us and frowned. Liam lit another cigarette, the smoke curling around him. “So, it was them? Those three?” I looked at him, my vision blurred. I wanted to fight back. I wanted them to pay. “Can you… can you help me?” I knew Liam hated me. I knew he thought I was a freak. But he was the only person who had the power to stop them. Liam tilted his head, a dark smile playing on his lips. “If I help you, what are you going to give me in return?” That evening, right before the final bell, Liam walked into my classroom. He walked straight to Tiffany’s desk. In front of everyone, he grabbed her textbooks and dumped them over her head. Tiffany went pale. “What… what are you doing?” No one moved. Everyone knew Liam Parker’s reputation. He picked up one of her notebooks, flipping through the pages. “Just checking something. I heard you told people Clara Miller is a thief. Is that right?” Tiffany’s voice wavered. “What’s it to you?” Liam tapped her desk with his knuckles. “I want to hear you say it. Did she steal your money? Tell the truth. Did she?” Tiffany glared at me. “What are you to her, anyway?” “Don’t change the subject,” Liam hissed. “I’m going to count to three. If you don’t tell the truth, I’ll assume you’ve been lying to the whole school.” “One… two… three.” Tiffany sat there, her face white, her fists clenched. She didn’t say a word. “So, she didn’t take a dime. Interesting. Who gave you the idea that you could mess with Clara?” “If you touch her again, you deal with me.” Liam turned and looked at me. “I’m walking you home.” 9. Near the apartment entrance, I looked at him. “Why did you help me? I thought you hated me.” He furrowed his brow. “When did I ever say I hated you?” “When we were kids. You wouldn’t let me come over.” He actually chuckled at the memory. “Is that why you’ve been avoiding me all these years?” I bit my lip. What was he playing at? He sighed, looking up at the evening sky. “Man, I shouldn’t have helped you if you were just going to hold a grudge.” “I don’t hate you,” I whispered. “I just thought I was an embarrassment to you.” He reached out and ruffled my hair. He was nearly six feet tall now. “I was a dumb kid back then. I didn’t know better. Let’s call it even, okay?” “So… you don’t think I’m a freak anymore?” “Clara…” He looked at me, his gaze softening. “To be honest, I’ve watched you for a long time. You’re always alone in your little corner, trying to be invisible. It gave me this… intense urge to protect you.” I froze. “But every time you saw me, you’d turn and run like I was a wolf.” “I…” “Don’t be scared anymore,” he said softly. “As long as I’m around, no one is going to touch you.” “Are you serious?” He nodded. I took a deep breath, unable to look him in the eye. “There’s something you should know. The Vice Principal… he’s Tiffany’s uncle.” Liam didn’t flinch. “So? You think I care about that?” “I’m just worried you’ll get in trouble.” He laughed. “I haven’t done anything to her. You worry too much. You’re the victim here. Why are you so stressed for me?” “Is it really going to be okay?” “Of course it is.” In that moment, everything that had been a mountain to me became a molehill to him. “Today was just a warning,” Liam added. “I’ll settle the rest of the score later.” “Liam, don’t get into a fight.” “I’m not that stupid.” 10. Everything changed after that. Liam introduced me to his friends. He never ate breakfast, so I started waking up early to buy him a bagel and leave it on his desk. He actually started eating it. When he went to the amusement park or the movies with his crew, he’d drag me along. Over winter break, when his parents were away, his friends would hang out at his place. I’d be the one cleaning up after them, making sure the house didn’t look like a war zone. If Liam was home for dinner, I’d cook for him. I’d do his laundry and hang it up to dry. “Clara,” he said one day, watching me fold his shirts. “How are you so good at taking care of people?” “Because you helped me at school. I want to pay you back.” Tiffany Sterling never touched me again. I could finally focus on my studies. “Liam, let’s go to the same college, okay?” He nodded. “Okay.” Those were the happiest days of my life. 11. But happiness is a fragile thing. He had said he wanted to protect me. But after a while, protection turned into boredom. Junior year, rumors started. Liam was seeing a girl named Chloe Vance. She was a quiet girl from the honors program with a minor heart condition. Apparently, Liam had accidentally hit her with a soccer ball during practice and knocked her out. He had carried her to the nurse’s office. And just like that, Chloe became his new priority. I saw him one Friday afternoon. He was hailing a taxi for Chloe at the school gates. That night, I went to the Parkers’ and knocked on the door. “Mrs. Parker, is Liam home?” “Not yet, honey. He’s out somewhere. He used to come home with you every week, but things have changed.” “Is something wrong?” “No, I just forgot my pen and wanted to borrow one. I’ll just go buy one.” Back at school, I couldn’t stop myself from glancing toward the hallway where Chloe’s classes were. I saw them together. Leaning against the lockers, laughing. Liam would ruffle her hair, and she would playfully punch his arm. Chloe was beautiful—long hair, pale skin, and a bright, charming personality. Meanwhile, Tiffany Sterling started acting up again. She’d stop by my desk, her arms crossed. “Where’s your ‘big brother,’ Clara? Does he not care about you anymore?” “Did he ditch the sister for the girlfriend?” Liam had told everyone I was his sister. Our moms were always together. Even Mrs. Parker would bring me clothes sometimes. The whole school believed we were family. “Mind your own business,” I told Tiffany once when I was fed up. “Heh. You can act tough all you want. But I have a feeling your ‘good days’ are over.” 12. I tried to tell myself it was fine as long as Tiffany stayed away. Wasn’t a quiet environment all I really wanted? Anything else was a luxury I couldn’t afford. But then, I saw them. I was at the mall on Saturday, picking out a jacket. I saw Tiffany and Chloe walking arm-in-arm, laughing like best friends. The shock hit me like a physical blow. Tiffany and Chloe knew each other? Dark thoughts began to take root in my mind. That Monday, I asked Liam to talk after study hall. “Liam, does Chloe know Tiffany?” Liam shook his head. “I don’t think so. Why?” “Are you still afraid of Tiffany? I told you, as long as I’m here, she won’t touch you.” “Liam!” Chloe walked up to us. It was the first time I’d seen her up close. Her skin was as white as porcelain. She stood next to Liam, staring at me. “You guys talk. I’m heading back to class.” I hurried away. Behind me, I heard Chloe’s voice. “You shouldn’t spend so much time alone with other girls, Liam.” That night, Chloe and a group of girls cornered me in the dorms. I was brushing my hair. Chloe slammed her hand onto my desk. “Clara Miller, do you have any shame? Liam is my boyfriend. Stay away from him.” Tiffany was standing right behind her. I was right. They were together. “I’m not bothering him. I just had a question tonight. It won’t happen again.” Chloe was still fuming. “It better not. Or I’ll make you regret it.” Tiffany whispered something in Chloe’s ear. “Why don’t you prove how much Liam actually cares about you?” Chloe hesitated. “What if Liam finds out and gets mad at me?” “You’re his girlfriend now,” Tiffany insisted. “Liam said Clara is just some girl who lives next door. She’s not his sister. You need to know where his loyalty lies.” “Fine. I’ll do it.” “What are you doing?” I asked, backing away. Chloe raised her hand and slapped me across the face. “Clara, hear me? Stay away from Liam, or I’ll do this every time I see you.” I didn’t hold back. I slapped her right back. “You freak! You actually hit me?” My reaction infuriated her. She lunged at me, tearing at my hair. We tumbled onto the floor. Luckily, a roommate ran in and yelled that the RA was coming. Chloe scrambled up and fled. The next morning, I was in a daze. I couldn’t even memorize my vocab words. A classmate came over. “Liam wants to see you outside.” I walked out to the hallway. Liam’s eyes were cold. “What happened in the dorms last night? Chloe said you attacked her.” “She came into my room and told me to stay away from you. She slapped me first. And Tiffany was with her.” I looked at him, hoping he’d see the truth. “Tiffany is her cousin,” Liam said, his voice flat. “They’re family. Of course they were together.” He looked at me with a mix of disappointment and anger. It was a look I’d never seen from him before. “She has a heart condition, Clara. You shouldn’t have hit her. She’s in the hospital.” My eyes went wide. “But she hit me first! Am I not allowed to defend myself?” I fought back the tears. “She said she never touched you.” I felt my heart shatter. “And you believe her? Over me?” “Clara… she’s willing to let this go for my sake. Her parents don’t even know yet. If they find out, you’ll be paying her medical bills. You know that, right?” He turned and walked away. I watched his back, my whole body shaking. “Liam! I don’t need your protection anymore! Not ever again!”

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The heavy stench of alcohol on him was a constant reminder: he had still gone to see Emma last night. I lost control of my emotions. I pushed him away, pulled off my engagement ring, and threw it into the dark. He searched desperately for it all day. When soft tactics didn’t work, he resorted to force. But I already didn’t want to love him anymore. 1 Emma Davis was back. She deliberately sent me a text: “Chloe, thank you for staying by Liam’s side through those hard times.” It happened just as Liam Carter walked in. It happened just as we were in the middle of a cold war. I unconsciously bit my lower lip, a bitter taste spreading in my mouth. Today was his birthday. I had baked a cake from scratch, wanting to be the first to soften and make peace. But the moment I opened the door, I saw Liam and Emma tangled together on the sofa. Smash! The cake dropped and splattered all over the floor. I slammed the door and walked away. Liam panicked and chased after me. “Chloe, it’s not what it looks like.” He reeked of alcohol, mixed with the pungent scent of her perfume. It made me want to gag. “I get it,” I said. “It’s just a mistake any man might make. Go back and finish what you started.” “Chloe, stop making a scene. I can’t lose you.” My Uber arrived quickly. Thoroughly disappointed and drained of all anger, I said, “I’m really tired today. Just let me go, okay?” Liam lowered his head. I hadn’t seen him in a few days, and his hair seemed to have grown longer, covering his eyes. He looked exhausted, conflicted, and torn. Ever since his business took off, he had become calm and decisive. I hadn’t seen him look this lost and helpless in a very long time. He finally let go of my hand, hesitating. “Let me take you back to the hotel.” The dim night wind blew, sending a chill straight to my heart. “No need.” I got into the car. The driver reminded me to buckle up and started the engine. I leaned against the window, the bumps in the road making my head sway gently. My heart still ached terribly. Maybe because I had been so fiercely loyal to him, he took it as a given that I would never leave. So, he offered no explanation and made no real effort to make me stay. But what he didn’t know was that I was tired. I didn’t want to love him anymore. I watched the neon lights outside blur into streaks of color as the past played back in my mind like a movie. Liam and I didn’t have many romantic memories. The moment that moved me the most was the night he saved me. He didn’t know me back then, but I had a huge crush on him. That night, after a late study session at the campus library, a creep followed me on my way back to the dorms. Hearing the gross laughter and quickening footsteps behind me, I was terrified. Then, just like the male lead in a movie, Liam appeared right on time. He threw an arm around my shoulder and smiled. “Girlfriend, wandering around this late? I’m gonna get mad.” He escorted me all the way back to my building. I didn’t sleep at all that night. My mind was full of his handsome side profile, our overlapping shadows under the streetlights, and that ambiguous word: “Girlfriend.” Having a crush is a chaotic, one-person war. Even making eye contact with him made my heart race. But his eyes were only ever on Emma. Emma liked the attention, but she looked down on his poor background, always stringing him along. It wasn’t until Emma started dating a trust-fund kid and moved abroad that Liam finally gave up. During that time, he let his studies slip, drank himself into a stupor, and hit rock bottom. Losing Emma shattered him. I couldn’t bear to see him destroy himself, so I secretly kept tabs on him and wrote him letters of encouragement. After graduation, I thought our paths would never cross again. Unexpectedly, we ended up working at the same corporate firm. Later, because of our projects, we spent more and more time together. We ate lunch together, went on business trips, pulled all-nighters, and grabbed late-night diner food. We drifted closer, our interactions growing increasingly ambiguous. We finally made it official after a client dinner. That night, an aggressive client got handsy and ended up ripping a button off my white blouse. Liam got into a fistfight for me, draped his suit jacket over my shoulders, and boldly escorted me out in front of everyone. To appease the client, the manager fired him on the spot. That night, his emotions were incredibly unstable. He drank too much, his voice trembling as he shouted at the city skyline across the river. “Why?! Just because we don’t have power, money, or connections, we have to be bullied and swallow our pride?! I swear I’m going to make a name for myself and smash their ugly faces!” I wept silently, holding him tightly. Two down-and-out people huddled together for warmth in the freezing wind. He confessed to me. There were no sweet words, just his dark, shining eyes. “Chloe, be with me. I won’t ever let you down.” Crying, I cupped his face, kissed his lips, and said yes. The wind tangled our hair together. That night, we awkwardly and passionately explored each other. At the height of it, he kissed my ear and hoarsely repeated, “Chloe, I won’t let you down.” A soft, miraculous feeling seeped into my heart. I felt so safe. I held him and cried as I kissed him back. Later, I stayed by his side as he launched his startup. Slowly, our little company grew. Then it became a massive corporation, and Liam became an industry titan. I thought I was lucky. I thought I was the one who got to walk to the finish line with the regretful crush of my youth. It wasn’t until Emma came back that I realized how pathetic I was. Years of my loyal companionship couldn’t rival a single pout from her. He grew colder toward me, came home later and later, and we spoke less and less. Thinking back, Liam and I never even had a honeymoon phase. We were always just… steady. Plain. Even the romantic things he said to me were incredibly bland: “Chloe, being with you makes me feel at peace.” I used to be so moved by that. Until I accidentally unlocked his old phone and looked through the photo gallery. He had played the guitar for her under the moonlight. He had hand-carved a wooden comb for her. He had lit a heart made of candles for her. He had stayed up all night writing poetry for her. It turned out he wasn’t incapable of romance or surprises. He just didn’t want to waste his time and energy preparing them for me. Maybe he had never felt his heart flutter for me. He chose me simply because I didn’t throw tantrums, didn’t make demands, and devoted myself entirely to him. 2 The next day, I drove to the office. In truth, I hadn’t been to the company in a while. Even though I owned shares, I didn’t like corporate management or the business operations, so I held an empty title and spent most of my time running my own floral boutique. When Liam saw me, surprise flashed in his eyes. He had dark circles under them; he clearly hadn’t slept well last night. “Chloe, what are you doing here?” “I think there are some things we need to make clear.” A knock on the door interrupted us. Someone brought in tea, accompanied by a very familiar perfume scent. I looked at the person holding the tray. Sure enough, it was Emma. I knew that scent all too well. On countless nights when Liam came home late, I had smelled it on his suit. At first, I only suspected. I never expected that they had rekindled their messy, tangled affair long before I even noticed, and that he had actually given her a job at our company. How incredibly ironic. A rare look of panic flashed across Liam’s face. He only ever showed that kind of flustered, helpless expression in front of his old flame. “You can step out,” Liam told her. Emma pouted, a playful look crossing her flawlessly manicured face. I couldn’t stand watching them flirt right under my nose. “Wait. Fire her. Right now.” “Chloe, calm down,” Liam pleaded. “I’m already helping her find another job. Her family went bankrupt, her boyfriend dumped her, and she’s drowning in debt. We were college classmates. I purely just want to help her.” Helping her all the way into his bed? Purely? I saw Emma holding back a smirk, only to instantly put on a pitiful, fragile look the moment Liam glanced her way. Any man would feel a surge of protective instinct seeing that—especially since she was his untouchable first love. Emma spoke up in a weak voice. “Chloe, we used to be roommates. Don’t be so ruthless. What you saw yesterday was truly a misunderstanding. I can explain.” “Liam, I’m giving you two choices. She leaves, or I leave.” “Chloe, stop acting out. You never used to be this aggressive.” There it was again. That torn, conflicted expression. Suddenly, it was like a bucket of ice water had been poured over my head. Disappointment made me unusually calm. After all these years by his side, I only managed to occupy a small corner of his heart. I could never become his undeniable preference. He would never choose me without hesitation. Perhaps my gaze was too icy, because he finally compromised and fired Emma. But I knew she hadn’t lost, and I hadn’t won. 3 “Liam, we…” Before I could finish, my words were silenced by a soft warmth pressing against my lips. Whenever we fought in the past, he used this method. Dominant yet gentle, he would show weakness, holding me and coaxing me in a soft voice: “Promise me, never say those two words (break up).” But this time, his eyes were red. “Chloe, I’m sorry. I’ll handle this properly. Just give me some time, please? That day was truly an accident. She was drunk and out of her mind. I was going to push her away, but you came back right then. Chloe, I can’t live without you. Don’t look at me like that, it kills me.” Looking at him now, my heart felt absolutely nothing. I even found it laughable. I used to always watch him. When he was happy, I was happy. When he was sad, I was even sadder. I always tried so hard to step into his world, but he never actively shared his joys or sorrows with me. Back when we first started the business, he worked himself to the bone to build connections, secure orders, and expand the company. He skipped meals, ignored his illnesses, drank heavily every day, traveled constantly, and messed up his sleep schedule. I knew he was under immense pressure. It’s not easy fighting for success alone. I wanted to share the burden, but he never talked to me. He only ever told me not to worry. But how could I not worry? Every time I saw him throwing up in the bathroom for half an hour, or smoking irritably on the balcony, I could only stand behind him, constantly guessing his situation, feeling deeply anxious, and suffering from insomnia night after night. Maybe even if Emma hadn’t reappeared, my heart would have grown exhausted by him eventually anyway. I pushed him away, my mind made up. “Let’s break up. The wedding is off.” My best friend Maya heard what happened and rushed over to see me in a panic. We found a coffee shop downstairs from the company. The moment we sat down, Maya started cursing him out. “I was so blind. I never expected Liam to be such a scumbag. You guys are almost married, and he’s still tangled up with another woman! We can’t let this slide. That shameless bitch, Emma Davis, right? Watch how I handle her. Don’t worry Chloe, I’ll definitely get revenge for you.” “I broke up with him.” “Break up… good! Wait, what? You just said you broke up?! Chloe, if you initiate a breakup now, aren’t you playing right into their hands? This is too much. When you got together with him, he had absolutely nothing. If it weren’t for you, how could he be this successful today? Even if you break up, you can’t let him off that easily.” Right on cue, Emma showed up at the absolute worst time. She didn’t see me. She and a few friends happened to sit at the table right behind us. “Emma, you’re amazing! I heard you bagged another rich boyfriend.” Emma smugly showed off, “Oh, him? He’s an old college classmate. He had a massive crush on me back then, but I wasn’t interested. Who would have thought that after all these years, he’s still obsessed with me?” “Emma, your charm is insane. I’m so jealous.” “If it weren’t for the fact that he’s doing pretty well for himself now, there’s no way I would have ever gone back to an ex.” “Emma, don’t tell me you’re only with him because he has money now?” They all giggled together in a knowing, unspoken agreement. The laughter pierced my ears, incredibly grating. I grabbed my iced coffee and poured it directly over her head. The dark liquid dripped down from her hair, crawling down her face like disgusting little worms. Emma shrieked, “Chloe Bennett, are you crazy?!” “I think you’re the crazy one. Ruining someone else’s relationship—is that really something worth bragging about?” “What are you doing?!” Liam’s voice rang out. “Liam!” Emma cried. “She’s bullying me!” What perfect timing. Liam appeared exactly when she needed rescuing. 4 Emma threw herself pitifully into Liam’s arms, rubbing against his chest. Her makeup stained his crisp, clean shirt with brown smudges. It looked so dirty. So incredibly dirty. His hand rested on her shoulder. He couldn’t bear to push her away, yet he looked at me with an expression of sheer disbelief. It was as if I could hear his words echoing again: “Chloe, stop acting out. You never used to be this aggressive.” Every single word was like a needle, densely packed and stabbing directly into my heart. Liam. It’s been seven years. Have you ever truly understood me? Walking out of the coffee shop, a sudden wave of nausea hit me. I leaned against the brick wall in an alleyway, dry heaving violently, but nothing came up. Maya patted my back gently. “Chloe, what’s wrong?” I felt terrible. I couldn’t utter a single word, only shaking my head continuously. Maya grew worried. “You’re not… pregnant, are you? We need to go to the hospital right now.” Liam had chased after us. Seeing the dark stain on his shirt, the nausea I had just managed to suppress surged back up, and I started dry heaving again. He scooped me up into his arms. I pounded on his chest like a madwoman, but he didn’t loosen his grip in the slightest. Maya panicked and blocked his path. “What the hell are you doing? Put Chloe down!” Liam’s voice was devoid of warmth. “If you don’t want anything bad to happen to her, get out of my way.” He placed me in the passenger seat and buckled my seatbelt. I felt a bone-deep chill. Staring at him numbly, I said only one word: “Dirty.” The doctor confirmed it. I was a little over two months pregnant. I bit my lower lip so hard a sweet, metallic taste filled my mouth. The coldness spread from my chest through my entire body. My little baby, you really came at the wrong time. It started pouring rain outside. The drops fell like broken strings of pearls, violently tapping against the windowpanes. When I woke up, the dim, yellow lights of the hospital room made me feel momentarily disoriented. I remembered the first time I ever brought up breaking up. It was also in a hospital, only the person lying in the bed was Liam. He had finally collapsed from the intense workload. First a high fever, then a bleeding stomach ulcer. He was unconscious for a very long time. Seeing him lying there so pale, refusing to wake up, I was terrified. All my grievances, sorrow, and insecurity mixed together and exploded in an instant, crushing my fragile nerves. I had clearly told him: smoke less, drink less, don’t stay up all night, eat your meals on time, and don’t delay going to the doctor when you’re sick. But he never listened. He acted like his body was made of iron. He kept everything from me, always trying to be the tough guy, until he dragged himself into a severe illness. When his condition finally stabilized, I asked for a breakup. I thought I could say those two words calmly, but once they actually left my mouth, I covered my face and broke down crying. Liam hugged me, rubbing my back, coaxing me in my ear: “Chloe, it’s okay. Don’t cry. It’s all my fault for making you worry. I promise there won’t be a next time.” Back then, I was still so deeply, hopelessly in love with this man. But bit by bit, he had completely drained away every expectation I ever had for him. Sometimes I felt that maybe Liam had never loved me at all. It was just that no one else had ever loved him as purely as I did. “Liam, we are already broken up. I don’t want to see you ever again.” Hearing my voice, Liam suddenly snapped his head up. His hair was a mess. His hands were trembling. His eyes were red and entirely bloodshot. Was he crying? He carefully took my hand and pressed it against his forehead. The moment our skin touched, he buried his head again, his shoulders shaking uncontrollably. I felt a wet patch spread across my palm. He was crying! He was always so calm and restrained, but right now, he was sobbing like a helpless child. I didn’t understand. Why was he acting so devastated? What was the point? Right now, I felt nothing but disappointment toward him. Liam’s voice was raspy. “I don’t accept it. I told you, I can’t live without you. I will absolutely never let you go. I’m sorry, I was wrong…” I sneered. “Liam, do you know what? Seeing you cry right now… I just find it incredibly pathetic.” 5 Honestly, I felt fine physically and wanted to be discharged immediately, but Liam forbade it. He insisted I stay in the hospital for a few more days for observation. I didn’t have the energy to fight him, so I just lay down and turned my back to him. Liam fussed over me endlessly. Tucking me in, pouring me warm water, peeling fruit for me. Like a puppy that knew it did something wrong, dropping its head to curry favor. But I had no desire to acknowledge him. I texted Maya to come pick me up. Taking advantage of a moment when Liam stepped out to take a phone call, I made my escape. When Liam realized it, he chased after me, but was intercepted by a tall, muscular man. I got into Maya’s car. She wiggled her eyebrows at me. “How about that? I brought my older brother. Reliable, right?” As the car slowly pulled away, Liam grew further and further in the distance. He sprinted after us desperately, but couldn’t catch up. The sky was a dull gray. It started raining again, the drops smashing against the windshield, blurring the figure in the rearview mirror until he was gone. “Chloe, are you okay?” I shook my head. Maya was worried about me, so she took me back to her place. She even cooked a whole table of delicious food for me. Though I didn’t have much of an appetite, I was deeply touched. “Maya, you’re so domestic. Whoever marries you is going to be the luckiest guy in the world.” “Shut up, I don’t ever want to get married. Don’t jinx me.” I picked up a piece of pot roast, but just as I was about to take a bite, a sudden wave of nausea hit me. I sprinted to the bathroom and threw up violently. Maya started crying out of worry. “Chloe, what is wrong with you?!” I remained unusually calm. “It’s fine. I’m just pregnant.” The pale yellow nightlight cast a faint glow in the room. I lay flat on the bed next to Maya, staring at the ceiling, making aimless small talk. It felt as if we had returned to our carefree college days. Then, my phone buzzed with a notification. I thought it was Liam and didn’t want to look, but when I opened it, it was a message from Emma. “I really have to thank you for giving Liam back to me.” She attached a photo. In it, Liam was blackout drunk, slumped over a table. Emma was kissing his cheek, looking straight into the camera with a triumphant, victorious smile. She was provoking me. She clearly didn’t realize that I was no longer the same Chloe Bennett who was so easy to bully years ago. Pregnancy fueled my rebellion. A suffocating rage ignited in the pit of my stomach. I hated Liam. I despised Emma. I wanted revenge. Liam and I had once drafted a “breakup agreement” for our shared assets. He had probably forgotten. Back then, to prevent Emma from returning and snatching him away, I intentionally added a clause: If Liam ever gets back together with Emma, he will voluntarily transfer all his assets to my name. At the time, he laughed at me for being jealous over nothing and signed it without hesitation. Regretting it now would be useless. But to stop Liam from trying to back out, I needed to gather more evidence of him being with Emma. “Chloe, what’s wrong?” “I’ve decided. I’m going to play matchmaker for Liam and Emma.” “Chloe, don’t scare me.” Maya looked totally confused. She pressed her palm to my forehead, thinking I had a fever that had literally burned my brain. I explained the breakup agreement to her. She immediately gave me a thumbs-up and praised me. “I underestimated you! You had a backup plan this whole time. I’m definitely helping you with this. When you become a rich, single billionaire, don’t forget about me!” We racked our brains coming up with wicked schemes, cursing both of them out, and eventually felt incredibly vindicated and relaxed. The next morning, I woke up early to start executing my plan. But when I opened the door, I saw Liam. He was sitting on the floor, his knees pulled up, leaning against the wall. His head was buried in his crossed arms. His tall frame was curled up into a tight ball, looking like an abandoned child. He looked so incredibly sad and lonely. Hearing the door open, he looked up at me. His eyes were heavy and drooping. A man in his early thirties, looking utterly pathetic. “What are you doing here?” He suddenly stood up and hugged me tightly, his voice hoarse and trembling. “Chloe, it took me so long to find you. Please don’t leave me, okay? I know I was wrong. I really know I was wrong.” The heavy stench of alcohol on him was a constant reminder: he had still gone to see Emma last night. I lost control of my emotions. I used all my strength to push him away. I pulled the engagement ring off my ring finger and, right in front of his face, hurled it as far as I could into the distance. The ring traced a swift arc through the air and vanished from sight. “Liam, whatever we had is just like that ring. You can never get it back.” “I can find it.” Liam walked off in the direction I had thrown it, searching the ground. 6 I thought he would give up quickly. The apartment complex was huge, and the ring was so small. The chances of finding it were practically zero. He was a man who never wasted his time or energy on meaningless tasks. But to my shock, he searched for the entire day and never gave up. Watching him stumble around, looking like he was going to pass out at any second, I finally felt a pang of pity. “Stop looking. You won’t find it. Just go. If you die of exhaustion out here, I’m not taking responsibility.” Liam acted as if he didn’t hear me. He forced himself to keep going, muttering to himself, “I will definitely find it.” The sky was getting darker. If he actually found it, it would be a literal miracle. I couldn’t be bothered to care anymore. I turned around to leave. “I found it!” Liam gasped loudly. He excitedly grabbed my hand. His grip was incredibly strong; no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t pull my hand back. I could only watch as he slid the ring back onto my ring finger. “So what if you found it? I can just throw it away again.” “Don’t you dare.” I tried to throw it again, but he pinned my arms down. Then, he scooped me up into his arms. I fought back. I just wanted to push him away, but in my panic, my nails dug into his face and scratched him. The deep gouge extended from beneath his eye down to his jawline, beads of blood welling up. It looked exactly like a trail of bloody tears. Seeing that long, bleeding scratch, I felt terrible and stopped struggling. He didn’t get angry. His tone actually softened. “Chloe, stop fighting. You’re going to hurt yourself.” Maya rushed out, wanting to save me, but one look from Liam terrified her into freezing in place. His eyes were filled with a dark, paranoid possessiveness. The night wind was chilly, and I shivered. Liam took off his jacket, draped it over me, and put me in his car. I turned my head away, refusing to look at him, but from the corner of my eye, I could still see that brutal scar. When we got out of the car, he was afraid I’d run, so he held me tight the entire way up. I demanded to be put down so I could walk myself, but he refused. His grip was an iron vice; I couldn’t break free at all. When we entered the elevator, people stared at us. I felt so humiliated I buried my face in his jacket, only to hear him let out a faint, barely audible chuckle. Once inside our home, he set me down on the sofa and crouched beside me. That bloody scratch made his gaze look even more tragic. “It’s okay if you don’t forgive me. You can hit me, you can scream at me, but you cannot leave me.” “You’re insane.” Soft tactics had failed, so now he was using force to keep me by his side. “Your custom wedding dress is ready. We’re going to try it on tomorrow. Our wedding is proceeding as scheduled.” “Why?! You clearly love Emma! Why won’t you just let me go?!” “No, Chloe. I love you.” It was the first time I had ever heard such a serious, desperate confession leave his lips. My brain short-circuited. “I don’t care. I’m not marrying you. Marry whoever you want.” That night, I had a nightmare. In the dream, Liam and I were walking arm-in-arm down the aisle. It was supposed to be a joyous occasion, but the way Liam looked at me was deeply sorrowful. I felt a warm rush of fluid from my abdomen. My pristine white wedding gown was stained with fresh blood. My hands were covered in blood. Everything I looked at was washed in crimson. I panicked. It hurt so much. I wanted to scream, but I couldn’t make a sound. My body went weightless as I fell backward. I jolted awake, drenched in a cold sweat. The other side of the bed was empty. Liam was leaning against the balcony railing, staring into the pitch-black night. The ember of his cigarette glowed and faded. He smoked one after another, the pale moonlight tracing the silhouette of an incredibly tragic, burdened man. Suddenly, a profound sense of dread washed over me.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “414044”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

I handed in a blank answer sheet for the SATs, and my dad was so furious he kicked me out of the house. Just like that, a billionaire heiress was reduced to hauling bricks at a construction site, barely able to afford a meal. I latched onto the hottest guy on the site, clinging to his leg just to score free food. I even fed him wild promises, swearing that the moment I returned home, I’d reward him with a literal mountain of gold. He just rested his chin on his hand and smiled at me. “I don’t want any of that. I just want you.” I patted his handsome face. “Hahaha, are you dreaming? A scrub like you trying to land a supermodel?” But the moment an acceptance letter from MIT was delivered to the construction site, it finally hit me. I was the scrub who was completely out of his league. 1 To a lot of people, the SATs are the ultimate stepping stone to changing your destiny. To me, they were just a joke. My family is loaded. Even if I bombed the SATs, my dad could just write a massive check to get me into an Ivy League school or send me to Europe. Feeling rebellious, I bubbled in a smiley face on my scantron and handed in a blank test. I didn’t expect my dad to actually explode and kick me out. “Avery Preston! There is no child of mine who brings shame to this family like you do!” “It’s just a test, Dad. A little money fixes everything… don’t have a heart attack over it.” “You’ve been too comfortable your whole life! If you don’t go out and taste real human suffering, you’ll never learn how to appreciate anything!” And just like that, I was swept out the front door. Is life on the outside really that hard? I went to Whole Foods and tossed a bunch of expensive snacks into my basket, ready for a feast. But when I went to check out, every single credit card declined. They were all frozen. The cashier crossed her arms and glared at me with absolute disdain. “Hurry up. There’s a huge line waiting behind you.” I looked back. Everyone was tapping their feet impatiently. I forced a dry smile and apologized. “I’m so sorry, I don’t need any of this anymore.” It was the first time I had ever felt so humiliated. The second I walked out of the store, I called my dad to confront him. “Arthur! Are you seriously heartless enough to cancel all my cards? What am I supposed to eat?” My dad’s emotionless voice came through the speaker. “You have hands and feet. Figure it out yourself.” He hung up instantly, denying me any chance to argue. Wow. The old man was playing for keeps. Did he really think I couldn’t survive without him? I refused to believe it. A high school grad with no degree and no experience—finding a job was a nightmare. A trendy boba shop on the corner was hiring. I walked into the interview brimming with confidence. Guess what? I was completely out-talked by the other applicants, and I didn’t have the customer service hustle they had. For a moment, I actually regretted not paying attention in my communication classes. It was a total defeat. Then I interviewed at a 24-hour convenience store. I couldn’t compete there either. The other applicants were willing to work 12-hour graveyard shifts. I couldn’t do that. So, I was rejected again. I finally managed to land a job as a waitress at a diner, but they immediately threw me into the dish pit. After one day of washing dishes, I was physically drained. To top it off, a customer complained about a smudge on a plate, and I was fired on the spot. In that moment, I deeply felt the “human suffering” my dad talked about. Making money is actually this hard… But as stubborn as I am, there was no way I was going to admit defeat to the old man now. Even if I had to beg on the streets, I would never go back and beg him! 2 I wandered around for a whole day, exhausted and starving. I drifted toward a commercial construction site and saw an incredibly hot guy sitting by the road, wolfing down a cheap takeout box. His skin was tanned a dark bronze by the sun, and the smooth, powerful lines of his muscles stretched all the way down his arms. But his brow was noble, and his facial features were sharp and striking. He honestly didn’t look like an ordinary laborer. “…Is it really that good?” I crouched by the roadside watching him eat, swallowing hard as my stomach growled. He paused his aggressive eating, looked up at me, and a faint blush actually crept across his tanned cheeks. “Um… do you want some?” I nodded, gulping. I was looking at him like he was my savior. He smiled and stood up. He was wearing baggy cargo pants, and right on the back pocket, there was a tear, giving a peek of his SpongeBob SquarePants boxers. I couldn’t help but burst out laughing. Wow, that was actually pretty cute. He went to the food truck nearby and bought another lunch box. He turned around to find me laughing so hard I was bending over. “What’s so funny?” “SpongeBob. Your back pocket has a hole in it.” He whipped around, the blush instantly spreading all the way to the tips of his ears. “…It probably got snagged on some rebar when I was hauling bricks earlier.” He hurriedly handed me the food box, then pulled his T-shirt off in one swift motion and tied it around his waist. Is this free show meant for me? I held the lunch box, completely stunned, staring at the hard, sculpted abs on his stomach that V-ed down low. I swallowed hard again. I sat down next to him, throwing away any pretense of being a lady, and started shoveling food into my mouth in huge bites just like him. Even this greasy street food smelled heavenly. “Thanks for the food. I’m Avery Preston. What about you?” “Leo.” I mumbled through my mouthful of rice, stealing a piece of meat from his box while promising him the moon. “Leo? Got it. My dad is loaded. You giving me food today means I will repay you with a literal fountain of wealth later.” He looked me up and down, taking in my filthy, dust-covered clothes, and just smiled. “It’s fine. It’s just a lunch box. You don’t need to repay me.” I looked down at my grease-stained outfit and sighed. Looking the way I did right now, it was normal for him not to believe me. If I were him, I probably would have thought I was a scammer, too. I wiped the box completely clean. Seeing that he was about to leave, I quickly reached out and grabbed the hem of his shirt. “Um… can I stick with you? I don’t have anywhere else to go…” He was clearly taken aback. “The place I live is… in really bad condition. You…” “It doesn’t matter! Please! You wouldn’t let a girl sleep on the streets, right?” I think my teary-eyed, pathetic look must have touched him. After thinking for a moment, he actually agreed to let me follow him. Someone this kind and seemingly innocent had to be a good guy. I had to latch onto him tightly. If I relied on myself, I was going to starve. 3 Even though I thought I was mentally prepared, I didn’t expect his living conditions to be this bad. We navigated through sketchy alleyways into a rundown part of town, up a damp, narrow stairwell, and into a tiny studio apartment that barely got any sunlight. The craziest part was, the bathroom didn’t even have a door! But luckily, this tiny space was kept spotlessly clean. The blanket was folded perfectly, and his few belongings were neatly organized. In this tiny place, he had managed to clear a whole wall to make a makeshift bookshelf, packed tightly with books. “You like to read?” He stood awkwardly by the door. “Yeah, I just read whatever when I have free time.” “That’s good. A young man with ambition.” I scanned the room and stood at the bathroom doorway. “So, I’m absolutely filthy. Can I take a shower first?” He reacted instantly, rummaging through a drawer to find an old bedsheet, and rigged it up as a makeshift curtain over the bathroom doorway. The old blue plaid sheet swayed slightly in the draft. Wow. A bathroom where a cold breeze blows right over your butt. This was definitely a new life experience. “Little Leo, do you have any clean clothes I can borrow?” Leo handed me a T-shirt. “This one is new.” “Any new underwear?” As soon as I asked, I wanted to slap myself. Even if they were new, could I just wear his? Sure enough, his face turned red again. “I’ll go to the convenience store downstairs and buy you some.” Then he bought me a pack of massive, high-waisted granny panties. Seriously. What could I do? I just had to make do. “No hot water heater?” I lifted the curtain and poked my head out, nagging so much I wanted to smack myself. Leo put down his book and gave an apologetic smile. “I usually take cold showers. If you need hot water, I’ll boil some for you.” “How long is an electric kettle going to take to boil enough water?” I started missing the massive jacuzzi bathtub at my house. Using a kettle to boil bathwater—this was a first. He brought over a red plastic bucket, pouring one kettle of boiling water after another into it. I stayed in the bathroom, washing my hair and body. That night, he probably boiled thirty or forty kettles of water. He literally blew the circuit breaker. 4 I got dressed in the dark and walked out. Leo had just flipped the breaker back on. The sudden bright light made us both flinch. He froze, his eyes frantically shifting away, and handed me a dry towel. “Dry your hair. Don’t catch a cold.” The tiny studio only had one twin-sized bed. He put clean sheets on it for me, and laid out a cooling mat on the floor for himself. A guy who is gentle and meticulous really hits my weak spot. He was totally different from all the rich playboys I had met before. Even though our social statuses were worlds apart, I felt he carried a light they could never match. In the middle of the night, I was woken up by a rustling sound. An unidentified object was crawling up my arm. I screamed in terror, jumping off the bed and scrambling wildly to dive at Leo. “HELP!!!” Leo was startled badly. He pulled me into his arms to protect me, turned on the light, and discovered a massive, juicy cockroach. It was staring at me imperiously, almost as if it was mocking me. I hid behind Leo in terror, wrapping myself around his back like a koala. “Why is there a cockroach that big! Ahhhh!” Leo calmly used the sole of his shoe to send the roach to the afterlife, grabbed tissues to clean up the crime scene, and then disinfected the spot with alcohol. How practiced he looked was heartbreaking. “The weather is damp, so it’s easy to get bugs. I’ll buy a mosquito net for you tomorrow, so they won’t crawl on you.” I was trembling, too scared to go back to bed. But this guy smirked wickedly. “There are way more cockroaches on the floor.” I teleported back to the bed in one second. I didn’t dare turn off the light the rest of the night. Because the floor was damp and buggy, when I woke up the next morning and Leo was washing his face, I saw a huge patch of heat rash on his originally smooth back. But no matter what I said, he refused to go to a clinic. “It’s just a minor rash. I’m a guy, I’m thick-skinned. It’ll heal soon.” I knew he was just worried about spending money, so he was enduring it. I didn’t expose him. Guys need their pride. But in my heart, I silently vowed to treat him better. Much better. 5 If I’m eating his food and living in his place, I have to contribute something. I wanted to go to the construction site with him. Leo rubbed the top of my head and smiled. “The work is too hard. You can’t do it.” “I totally can! If everyone else can do it, why can’t I?” Leo couldn’t talk me out of it, so he took me to the site. I didn’t expect that after only an hour, I would get a severe sunburn. “Go home. It’s too sunny.” Leo adjusted the hard hat on my head, bent down to my eye level, flashed his white teeth, and smiled. “Look, your face is already sunburned.” “What are you doing! Instead of working, you’re over here flirting!” The arrogant project manager, Wayne Biggs, was hiding in the shade, constantly yelling at the workers to move faster. Everyone was hot and exhausted. “Coming!” Leo responded, then turned back to me, pulling out a few crumpled bills. “Go buy some drinks you like. Girls shouldn’t be out here.” Without waiting for my answer, he pushed a wheelbarrow piled high with bricks straight into the blazing sun. His clothes were soaked through with sweat, clinging tightly to the curves of his body. Holding the money he gave me, I felt a lump in my throat. The bills in my hand felt scorching hot. Making money is really, really hard. On such a hot day, forcing workers to toil under the sun at noon—this was pure bullying. “Hey! It’s noon! You should let everyone take a break!” Wayne raised an eyebrow, the cigarette in his mouth wobbling as he spoke indistinctly. “Where did this little brat come from? You think you can teach me how to do my job?” “It’s literally 104 degrees out here. You’re still making them work outside? If someone drops dead, can you take responsibility?” Wayne snubbed out his cigarette, revealing a mouthful of nasty yellow teeth, wearing a face that begged to be punched. “If they don’t want to work, they can screw off. There are plenty of people who need money right now. Who cares what the job is?” I was absolutely furious. I walked up to Wayne and lowered my voice in a warning. “My dad is Arthur Preston! This development belongs to his company! You better act right!” Wayne froze, then the smile on his face slowly widened. In the end, he actually laughed so hard he bent over. “And my dad is Elon Musk! Hahaha…” “…” For the first time in my life, I felt a sense of complete powerlessness. It was like swinging a punch into a pile of cotton. It turns out that once I stepped out of my dad’s shadow, I was absolutely nothing. I called my Uncle Joe—my dad’s brother—who spoiled me the most, begging for backup. “Uncle Joe, can you help me out? The project manager at this site is forcing workers to toil at noon, and I…” “Avery, your dad forbade us from interfering. How about this, you just apologize to him?” The old man was really playing for keeps this time. I didn’t want to go back to that house anyway. Even if he came begging me, I wouldn’t go back! 6 Sure enough, not long after, someone on the site got heatstroke. When he fainted, he almost fell right into the cement mixer. It was Leo who carried him back to the shade. The older worker, Ben, rested for a long while before he recovered. Ben was fanning himself with his hat brim, sighing. “Thank God for Leo. Otherwise, my old life would have been over.” I handed him some water. “Uncle Ben, drink some water to cool down.” Uncle Ben looked at me in surprise. “You’re a pretty, clean little girl. Why did you come to suffer on this construction site?” “I came with Leo.” Uncle Ben took a huge gulp of water, shaking his head helplessly. “You’re both good kids. Leo just has a hard life. As soon as the SATs were over, he came to the site to haul bricks to earn tuition money. Did you come to earn tuition too?” The question left me completely embarrassed. I hurriedly shook my head. “No, no, I’m just here to make ends meet.” I couldn’t exactly tell him I got a zero on the SATs and was kicked out by my dad, right? 7 Leo could tell I was in a bad mood, and he tried his best to make me laugh. He said he’d take me to have some good food. A small roadside diner was packed with workers who had just gotten off shift. They seemed very familiar with Leo, smiling and greeting him. “Leo, is this your girlfriend? She’s a knockout.” Leo froze. I threw an arm around his shoulders to save him. “We’re just bros, okay? Guys, please don’t tease our Leo anymore. He’s got thin skin.” Another round of roaring laughter. Leo, with a smile, pulled me down to sit. “You’re really not shy at all, are you?” I smiled and made a funny face at him. “Sister has seen it all.” He picked all the meat out of his dish and gave it to me. I protested; the meat was a bit too fatty. “I don’t eat fat.” He glanced at me helplessly, and picked the fatty pieces out of my bowl. “Then you eat the lean parts, and leave the fat for me.” “But my saliva is on this.” “It’s fine.” Watching him eat so seriously, my eyes got hot. I felt an intense ache in my chest for him. The old me always liked to order a ton of dishes, just taking one bite of each. Such waste. Only now did I realize how many people there are who can’t even bear to waste a single grain of rice dropped on the table. “Are you used to the food yet?” I smiled and nodded, but then I spotted a bright green caterpillar in the leafy greens. My scalp immediately went numb. If this had been the old me, I would have jumped up and flipped the table. But right now, the diner’s owner was sweating, furiously stir-frying dishes, with a crying baby strapped to her back. Everyone here was fighting tooth and nail just to survive. How could I bear to shatter this peace? I silently picked out the bug, and lowered my voice. “I’ll cook for you from now on. Eating out all the time is too expensive.” Leo looked up, the corners of his mouth turning up. “Are you serious?” “As serious as a heart attack.” 8 I have no idea where I got the courage to say I would cook for Leo. Before this, I had barely ever stepped foot into the massive kitchen at my house. For the first time, I learned how to keep a budget. I also learned how to haggle over prices at the grocery store. Since our funds were limited, and seeing how exhausting Leo’s work was, every dollar spent felt painful. The food I cooked was mediocre, but fortunately, Leo wasn’t a picky eater. He managed to eat whatever I made. He couldn’t bring himself to spend money on new pants, so I patched the hole in his cargo pants. He held back laughter, teasing my disastrous needlework, but was eager to wear them every single day. Over time, a feeling of being completely reliant on each other grew. I was raised pampered and spoiled; minor acts of kindness shouldn’t impress me. But when I saw Leo changing the sheets and curtains to pink, carefully arranging everything to make the tiny room feel warm, my heart would flutter and melt. Especially when I saw him counting his dollars just to get by, but still willing to buy a used AC unit for me. “Don’t waste money like this. I really don’t need it.” “You won’t sleep well in the summer heat without AC. I often see you kicking the covers off at night. You’ll catch a cold.” What could I do? I didn’t want to fall for him, but he just keeps smiling at me! What I could do was clean the house spotless while he was hauling bricks. I pulled open a drawer to organize his scattered items, and accidentally found his old high school ID. In the slightly yellowed photo, Leo was smiling at the camera, looking like a guy who could score a perfect 1600. I was smiling as I looked further down— Lincoln High School. This was the absolute best magnet high school in our state. The students there were all gifted prodigies. Every year, the school sends numerous students to Harvard and MIT. In the end, I had totally underestimated this idiot. 9 My dad called. I had been gone for so long, and he finally deigned to call me. “Avery, your Uncle Joe told me everything. You’ve tasted the hardship now. If you know you were wrong, just come home.” I was flipping stir-fry in the pan with a spatula while putting the phone on speaker. “What? I’m doing great. Gotta go, I’m cooking.” I hit ‘end call’ with my elbow, humming a little tune, feeling incredibly satisfied. Trying to make me yield? Never going to happen. I’m going to let Arthur Preston know that without him, I can live a great life. When dinner was ready, Leo still hadn’t returned. I tried calling him several times, but no one answered. The phone rang just as I was about to walk out the door to look for him at the site. “Hello? Why aren’t you back yet?” “Avery, Leo is currently being rushed to City General for emergency surgery…” My head went boom. I could barely hear what the other person was saying after that. 10 I’ve always hated the smell of hospitals. In my memory, my mom spent the final moments of her life in a hospital. She was originally stunningly beautiful, but became skeletal from chemotherapy. When she passed, I barely recognized her. When she left, she only left me a custom necklace that has been with me ever since. Still that familiar smell of disinfectant. Still terrifying me to the point of a panic attack. I was so afraid someone I cared about was going to leave me again. When I arrived, Leo was being wheeled toward the OR. The gauze on his head was stained red with blood. His white T-shirt was covered in crimson. His originally ruddy lips were now deathly pale. He was slipping into a semi-coma. “Leo!” He opened his eyes, opened his mouth, but couldn’t make a sound. I grabbed his hand, holding back the tears. “I know. Don’t worry about the money.” The doctor was anxiously pushing the gurney, looking back at me. “Are you family? Hurry up and do the admission and billing paperwork!” “Doctor, you must protect his brain! He still needs to go to college!” The operating room doors closed. Several fellow workers were anxiously waiting outside in the hall. Uncle Ben walked up and pulled my arm. “Avery, don’t panic. Leo will be fine.” “What happened? He was completely fine when he left this morning!” Uncle Ben viciously slapped his own face twice, tears streaming down his weathered cheeks. “It’s all my fault! If I hadn’t insisted on climbing that scaffolding to unjam the pulley, Leo wouldn’t have gotten hit by the falling rebar trying to push me out of the way.” “Uncle Ben, don’t…” I bit my lower lip, holding Uncle Ben’s hand. Even though my heart was bleeding for Leo, I also felt deep compassion for this old man. Uncle Ben pulled out neatly folded, crumpled bills from his pocket, and handed them to me with trembling hands. “Take this money. If it’s not enough, I’ll try to pool some more…” The other workers also crowded around, pulling out whatever cash they had in their wallets to give to me. I was stunned. These people, for a few bucks, work themselves to the bone. Yet when someone is in a life-or-death crisis, they offer everything they have without hesitation. Simple and genuine. While my dad’s associates in the corporate world flatter each other with fake smiles, plotting to stab each other in the back. Polite and hypocritical. “Thank you, everyone. I can’t take your money. I’ll figure something out.” This money was their lifeblood. How could I take it? 11 I pulled out the Cartier necklace my mom left me, planning to sell it at a pawn shop. “Mom, will you forgive me? He is really, really important to me.” The diamonds refracted a mesmerizing light under the sun. This was the only physical connection I had left to my mother. The pawn shop owner was a middle-aged woman wearing bright red lipstick. She glanced at me with disdain, and took the necklace. She took a jeweler’s loupe and examined it closely, then her hand trembled. She pushed her reading glasses up her nose to continue inspecting. “How much are you offering?” She put down the loupe, looked up at me, her eyes revealing a greedy glint. “This necklace isn’t worth much. The market price is maybe five or six grand. And this is used. I’ll give you three thousand.” “This is a custom-designed Cartier diamond necklace. It is the only one in the world, worth over a million dollars, and you’re telling me three thousand?” The owner coughed twice to cover her embarrassment, picking the loupe back up. “Is this really yours?” “Yes. Hurry up, I need the cash for a medical emergency.” She nodded, and stood up. “Wait right here.” Five minutes later, two police officers walked through the door. “We received a report of suspected stolen property. Come back to the precinct with us.” I looked at the owner. She rolled her eyes at me. “I called the cops. There’s no telling how a girl dressed like you got a piece like this. I don’t want to handle stolen goods.” I swear to God…

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After my mom got divorced, she married a man, and I gained a younger stepbrother. At school, he told me to stay away from him. When my classmates bullied me, he stood by and watched with cold, indifferent eyes. I always thought he despised me to his very core. Until I got a boyfriend. He knocked on my door in the middle of the night, smiling as he asked: “Sister, are you dating someone?” The very next second, he pinned me against the wall fiercely, grinding his teeth. “Chloe Bennett, isn’t teasing me enough for you?” 1 After my mom got divorced, she took me with her and married an uncle named David Clark. David had a son named Liam, who was a year younger than me. My mom said he had excellent grades and was very well-behaved. The day we moved into their house, he politely called me “Sister” and smiled as he helped us carry our luggage. My mom smiled along with him. The whole scene was a picture of a loving mother and a filial son, warm and harmonious. But the moment our parents left the house, everything changed. When I curiously reached out to touch the trophies in the glass display cabinet, Liam pushed me away. “Don’t touch my things.” His face was cold, a complete 180 from his previous demeanor. From that moment on, I was acutely aware that he didn’t like me. Or rather, he hated me. 2 I transferred to Liam’s high school and ended up in the same grade, though in a different class. Liam smiled and promised our parents he would take good care of me. But the moment we stepped through the school gates, he acted like he didn’t know me, always keeping his distance. He was a popular guy at school; quite a few girls had a secret crush on him. In their eyes, he was handsome, smart, outgoing, and gentle. But only I knew what kind of person he truly was. One day after school, I forgot my keys. Liam had a club activity, so I went to the club room to find him, only to bump into a younger girl confessing her feelings to him. Amidst the teasing cheers of the crowd, he smiled and gently turned her down. He even thoughtfully reached out and gently wiped away her tears. Then, he saw me. With that lingering smile still on his face, he slowly walked towards me. I instinctively took a step back. In a corner where the crowd couldn’t see, he finally dropped the mask, his tone freezing cold. “What do you want?” “I forgot my keys.” He pulled something from his pocket, and I reached out to catch it. Before I could grasp it, he let go. With a clack, the keys hit the floor. But he completely ignored it, turned around, and walked back into the classroom. As I bent down, I heard someone ask him about me. “Was that another girl confessing to you?” “Did you say yes?” He just smiled. “She’s not my type.” That night, Liam knocked on my door in the middle of the night for the first time. The teenage boy stood outside the door. Under the moonlight, his handsome face was as cold as frost. When he spoke, his voice was even colder. “From now on, stay away from me.” That’s what he said. 3 After remarrying, my mom was very happy. So when David asked me if Liam was bullying me, I smiled and shook my head. In that moment, I saw a flash of contempt in Liam’s eyes. I held it in. As long as my mom was happy, it didn’t matter what happened to me. But ever since I was mistaken for a girl confessing her love to Liam, my situation at school became increasingly difficult. I never expected that girls could harbor such immense malice towards a perceived romantic rival. Things that didn’t belong to me would frequently appear in my desk cubby. The rumors of me being a “thief” grew louder and louder. From beginning to end, Liam just stood by and watched coldly. I even suspected he was secretly fanning the flames behind the scenes. But I still endured it. Until one day, my textbook was covered in the word “Slut.” After school, I was erasing the marks page by page. I didn’t know when, but Liam was suddenly standing next to me. The empty classroom only held the last, fading colors of the sunset. “It suits you.” His tone was indescribably mocking. “Just like your mom.” A sharp smack shattered the tranquility of the twilight. The boy’s cheek quickly turned red. I kept my hand raised, glaring fiercely at Liam. “I put up with you for my mom’s sake, Liam. Don’t push it!” The disbelief in his eyes quickly faded. As if he had encountered something highly amusing, the corners of his mouth pulled into a sinister smirk, and he slowly leaned in. I instinctively retreated but couldn’t avoid him. He stopped right next to my ear, enunciating every word slowly, like a demon whispering: “You’re dead meat.” 4 I quickly understood what Liam meant by those words. At school, he completely changed his tune and started acting very close to me. Walking into the classroom with me, standing outside the door waiting for me after school. I couldn’t shake him off. What followed was an even fiercer wave of retaliation from the other girls. My textbooks were glued shut; my chair was covered in ink. After the bell rang for class, I was the only one standing there blankly. No one helped me. Liam walked past me, a smile on his face, and asked in a gentle tone: “Are you happy now?” I glared at him fiercely. They all thought I would continue to endure it. Until I caught the girl. It was the very same freshman who had confessed her feelings to Liam that day. A student from another class had run into my classroom to mess with me, and not a single person tried to stop her. Holding a marker, she had her head down, scribbling all over my desk. I grabbed her by the collar and dragged her out. Screams pierced my eardrums. She struggled desperately, but I only pulled harder. I pinned her against the railing. On the fifth floor, half her body was dangling over the edge. The cold wind howled. Her face was covered in tears: “I’m sorry, I won’t ever do it again. I was wrong, please let me go, I’m afraid of heights…” Her screams drew the attention of the entire floor, people crowding around to watch the spectacle. I still didn’t let go. Finally, the Dean of Students arrived with a few teachers and pulled me away. As I left, I saw Liam in the crowd. He was frowning, his expression unreadable to me. As I brushed past him, I lowered my head and smiled. A smile full of disdain. 5 After that incident, I earned the nickname “Psycho.” No one dared to mess with me again. Liam’s attitude towards me also underwent a subtle change. During AP Calculus, the teacher assigned us to group discussions. Because of the “Psycho” incident, no one wanted to team up with me. Everyone grouped up in threes and fives, leaving me alone, head down, reading my book. “Can I be in your group?” A gentle voice spoke up. I looked up and saw the class president, Noah Miller. I didn’t know why he would pay attention to me, but I nodded anyway. After school, Noah very naturally asked, “Want to walk home together?” I didn’t refuse. “Sure.” But as we reached the school gates, someone called out to me. It was actually Liam. I frowned as I watched him slowly approach. He stopped in front of me, leaning down with an incredibly familiar air, and asked, “Aren’t you waiting for me?” Noah looked at us in surprise. Liam, as if just noticing his presence, smiled. “We live in the same…” “We’re neighbors,” I interrupted him. “Really?” Noah scratched his head. “Then I’ll let you guys head back together. I’ll get going.” After he left, Liam suddenly let out a cold laugh. “Neighbors?” I ignored him, turned around, and walked away. From then on, Liam became increasingly bizarre. At school, whenever Noah came to talk to me, Liam would inevitably appear within a few minutes. This feeling of being constantly shadowed was even more nauseating than the bullying I experienced before. To shake him off, I tried to get closer to Noah. In the process, I gradually became friends with him. He was kind and gentle, always considering others first. He was an existence that Liam, a demon with a dark heart, could never hope to reach. Sunday was Noah’s birthday, and he invited me to his party. Coincidentally, both my parents and Liam were out. I dressed up a bit and was just about to leave when the front door opened. Liam was back. Under the cool, white light of the living room, he looked at me, pausing for a moment. “Where are you going?” My face was cold. “None of your business.” As I brushed past him, Liam suddenly clamped down on my wrist. “Let go.” I frowned. “I asked you, where are you going?” “None of your…” He slammed me against the wall. My back hit the light switch, and with a click, the lights went out, plunging the living room into total darkness. In the dark, I raised my other hand to strike him, but he caught that wrist too, pinning me so I couldn’t move. “Still trying to hit me?” He chuckled, lowering his voice, his hot breath brushing against the side of my ear. “But Sister, you can’t beat me.” Even though I couldn’t see, I could picture the smug, delighted look on his face right now. “Is that right?” I smiled. Then I stood on my tiptoes and bit down hard on his jaw. 6 Liam hissed in pain and shoved me away hard. I tasted blood. When the lights flicked back on, the tips of his ears were bright red. A flash of humiliated anger crossed his eyes, but it was quickly concealed. He wiped the blood from his jaw with his palm, smearing it. He smirked, his lips curved into a cold, mocking smile: “Why didn’t you bite here?” He pointed to his lips. I ignored him, turned around, and walked out the door. This time, Liam didn’t stop me, but he followed closely behind. The streets in early winter were bleak and silent. Under the dim yellow streetlights, he was like my shadow, following at a moderate distance, impossible to shake off. Turning a corner, I took off running. The cold wind whistled past my ears. This time, he didn’t chase after me. The party was at a karaoke bar. Standing outside the private room, I took off my heavy coat, revealing a light-colored lace dress. Taking a deep breath, I pushed the door open and walked in. Noah probably hadn’t told anyone I was coming. The moment I appeared, everyone simultaneously stopped what they were doing. Even the classmate who was singing froze, holding the microphone dumbly. In the dim room, only the backing track played a lonely tune. Noah was the first to break the stiffness. “Chloe.” He smiled and walked towards me, his eyes bright. “I didn’t think you’d actually come.” I pursed my lips and nodded. “Don’t just stand there.” He pulled me to sit down, then looked up at the classmate singing. “Hey, keep going.” “Oh.” As the singing resumed, the room returned to its previous noisy state. There were many empty beer bottles on the table; they must have been drinking quite a bit before I arrived. The smell of alcohol in the air, mixed with the fresh scent of the boy beside me, created a strange reaction, making my cheeks feel a bit flushed. “Happy birthday,” I whispered. “Thank you.” He smiled, his eyes crinkling. I pulled a small box out of my pocket. “A gift.” He looked slightly surprised. “Can I open it?” I nodded. It was a small figurine of a Maneki-neko (Lucky Cat) with its eyes squinched in a smile. The first time I saw it, I thought it looked just like Noah. “Thank you, I really love it,” he said with a smile. Occasionally, someone would cast an inquiring glance my way, but Noah always blocked them. This was the first time since I transferred that I felt like I was blending into the crowd. Like I had never been isolated or ostracized. After two songs, a few girls walked over, giggling. “President, another classmate is here. Let’s go greet them.” Noah nodded in agreement. I suddenly had a bad feeling. When Liam’s face appeared at the door, my breathing nearly stopped. He had a band-aid on his jaw. The moment he walked in, he was surrounded by the girls. With a face full of smiles, he gently said something that made them giggle endlessly. Then, he slowly walked over and stopped in front of me. “Is this seat taken?” He pointed to the empty space next to me. “No,” someone answered for me. Liam sat down very naturally. I straightened my back, trying my best to distance myself from him in the cramped space. Noah didn’t seem to notice the tension between us. Instead, he asked innocently, “Oh right, you guys are neighbors. Why didn’t you come together?” My face was cold. “We’re not close.” My wrist, resting by my side, was suddenly gripped tight. With a vicious force. It hurt. “Oh, I see.” Noah looked relieved. “I thought you guys were childhood sweethearts or something.” “We’re not,” I said expressionlessly. That hand squeezed even harder. Just then, someone called out to Noah, and he got up to attend to them. Liam leaned in closer. “Sister.” The lights were dim, the music loud. No one seemed to be paying attention to this corner. He looked at me, his eyes revealing the maliciousness he usually hid so well. “You look really pretty today…” It was a compliment, yet delivered with absolute coldness. “Let go.” I held back my anger. He acted as if nothing happened, but squeezed my wrist even tighter. “Liam.” A girl with long, wavy hair leaned over. It was Mia Thompson, the most popular girl in our grade. He seamlessly released my hand. “Have a drink with me?” Mia smiled seductively, her curvy figure pressing against his shoulder. He narrowed his eyes. “Sure.” Amidst the cheering, the two of them downed several drinks. “What happened to your jaw?” Mia asked. “Got bitten.” “Do you need a rabies shot?” “Nah, I don’t think so.” His gaze vaguely swept over me. “She’s not that crazy yet.” The strong smell of alcohol mixed with her sickeningly sweet perfume made me intensely nauseous. I got up and left the room. It wasn’t until the cold wind hit my face that I snapped back to reality. I hadn’t put my coat on. But I didn’t want to go back in. I stood by the street downstairs for a few minutes until I heard footsteps behind me. Noah jogged over. “Chloe, it’s freezing out here. You forgot your coat.” He held up my coat, hesitated for a moment, and blushing, draped it over my shoulders. I smelled a faint, pleasant scent of fresh grass. After putting the coat on me, he didn’t leave. He stood there, pausing for a moment. “Chloe.” He took a deep breath. “Actually, since your very first day here, I noticed you, but back then…” “President.” A lazy voice interrupted him. I didn’t know when, but Liam had also come downstairs. He stood in the doorway, backlit, his expression obscured. “Someone’s looking for you.” The sudden interruption made Noah incredibly awkward. “Oh, uh, okay.” He nearly tripped over his own feet as he turned to leave. After he left, Liam still stood there. I didn’t want to deal with him. I started walking away. As I brushed past him, he reached out and blocked me. “What do you want?” My voice was icy. He looked at me with a very strange expression, then suddenly said: “He likes you.” It wasn’t a question, but a statement. My heart skipped a beat. He continued, “Do you like him too?” “What does it have to do with you?” I violently shoved his arm away. As I pushed the door open, Liam called out to me again: “Sister.” Whenever that sticky, dark, viper-like address appeared, it meant nothing good. Sure enough, he smiled. “Take a guess. Do you think I’ll tell your mom?” He always knew exactly how to provoke me. Just recently, my mom had lectured us at the dinner table about the dangers of high school dating. “You think I’m scared?” He looked down at me, a cryptic smile in his eyes. He raised his hand to touch his jaw, then suddenly changed the subject. “You broke the skin here.” His tone was weird, almost like he was whining. “You have to take responsibility.” I shoved past him hard. “You’re sick.” As I turned to leave, I heard him chuckle softly behind me. When I got home that night, our parents were already back. Liam put on his mask, performing his role in the perfect, happy family. But in a corner where they couldn’t see, he whispered to me, “What’s so great about him?” I froze for a second before realizing he was asking about Noah. I stubbornly raised my chin and retorted out of spite, “He’s ten thousand times better than you.” Under the cool, white light, he narrowed his eyes. The corners of his mouth twitched into a half-smile, his face full of emotions I couldn’t read. “Is that so?” His eyes looked as if they saw right through me. “But Sister, we are the same kind of people. “Aren’t we?” 7 I always thought I hid it so well. Even my mom didn’t know; how could anyone else tell? But with one sentence, Liam dragged me back into a past I never wanted to remember. I was no stranger to the kind of bullying I experienced here. Except back then, I was the indifferent bystander. I even helped fan the flames. Before I transferred, there was a guy named Mason who liked me. He was a notorious bully at my old school; he loved solving everything with his fists. Back then, a boy in my class kept ostracizing me, so I told Mason. From that day on, that boy never had a day of peace. At first, I felt the thrill of revenge. But it wasn’t until he came to me, his face bruised and battered, eyes red, and asked if I would only let him go when he was dead, that I suddenly snapped awake. But before I could stop Mason, that boy transferred away. After moving here, every time I was bullied, the emotion I felt more than anger was actually remorse. I thought this was my karma. If I just kept enduring it, maybe God would finally let me off the hook. As long as I didn’t say anything, no one would know about my past. But somehow, Liam had sniffed out the scent of our shared nature. That early winter night, when he looked down at me, smiling and saying we were the same kind of people, I didn’t deny it. My nightmare, I figured, was about to start all over again. 8 But Liam didn’t do anything. Just like before, we went to school and came home together, acting as if we had a great relationship. Because we were always together, rumors that we were secretly dating spread like wildfire around the school. I didn’t want to be associated with him. Every day after school, I would use the excuse of group discussions to stay back with Noah a little longer. My mom noticed something was off. “Chloe, why have you been coming home so late recently?” I told the truth. “Discussing schoolwork with a classmate.” She suddenly stopped washing the dishes. “A boy or a girl?” I hesitated for a second. “A girl.” She clearly didn’t believe me. “If you have questions, why don’t you just come home and ask Liam? Your stepdad says he’s always ranked first in the grade.” I just mumbled an “Mhm” and turned to go back to my room. As soon as I turned the corner into the hallway, I found Liam standing behind the wall. He had clearly heard the conversation between me and my mom. “Sister, Mom is right. If you have any questions, you can just ask me.” He looked down at me, eyes full of mischief. I glared at him fiercely and walked straight back to my room. But sometimes, what you fear most is what happens. When the midterm grades came out, my scores had dropped significantly. My mom held my report card. “Look at Liam, first in the grade again. You have such a great tutor right here, why don’t you study with him?” “I want to, but he probably doesn’t want to teach me.” Liam popped out of nowhere. “Why wouldn’t I want to, Sister?” “…” To reassure my mom, I had no choice but to pretend to let Liam tutor me. Once the study room door closed, my face turned cold. “I need to study. Don’t bother me.” He looked innocent. “Didn’t I come here to tutor you?” I looked at him defensively. “Don’t look at me like that.” His long fingers flipped through the pages of a textbook. “If you do poorly on the next test, Mom will be sad, won’t she?” He always knew exactly what leverage to use against me. Being alone in a room with him, I was terrified he would try something. But this time, he didn’t do anything. He just kept his head down, sketching and writing on a piece of scratch paper. From my angle, I could see his thick eyelashes, his straight nose bridge, and the tips of his ears, slightly flushed from the heater. I suddenly understood why he was so popular. God had truly gifted him a superior physical appearance. Even if his soul was rotten, his face was enough to help him disguise himself and deceive the world. “Done staring?” Liam had looked up at some point and was now staring at me with a smiling gaze. He had beautiful eyes; his irises were deep and clear. When he narrowed them slightly, he looked incredibly affectionate, even if he was just looking at a stray dog. Since he had already seen right through me, I couldn’t be bothered to pretend anymore. “You’re rotten on the inside. The more I look, the uglier you get.” He smiled nonchalantly. “So who do you think is beautiful inside and out? Noah?” I didn’t know why he suddenly brought Noah up. “Why mention him?” “No reason.” He dropped the smile and stood up. “I just think he probably can’t tutor you like this.” Although Noah was the class president, his grades had never been stellar. Liam saying that was clearly an intentional jab. “So what if you have good grades? Think you’re a big deal?” “No, but having good grades gets me the chance to be alone with you.” The heater really was running high; I suddenly felt very hot. “Also,” he suddenly leaned in, stopping when our noses were just two inches apart, his eyes crinkling into a smile, “It doesn’t matter if I’m ugly. As long as you’re pretty, that’s enough.” Even knowing exactly how wicked he was, hearing those words still made my heart skip a beat. I shoved him away hard. “Stay away from me.” As soon as the words left my mouth, I froze. Not long ago, the person saying those exact words was him. After a few tutoring sessions, even though I hated Liam, I had to admit he was an excellent teacher. Whatever I didn’t understand, he could explain it with crystal clarity. One night, I was doing homework in the study room and accidentally fell asleep. When I woke up, there was a jacket draped over my shoulders. Liam was sitting nearby, occasionally turning a page in his book. In the quiet study, I maintained my original posture and slowed my breathing. The jacket was full of the familiar scent of clean soap, mixed with the faint, unique scent of the teenage boy. In that moment, I suddenly felt like my hatred for him was a little less. But only a little. 9 After I bailed on our group discussions a few times, Noah came looking for me. “Chloe, have you been really busy lately? You haven’t had time to discuss problems with me.” For a moment, I didn’t know how to answer. “She’s busy discussing them with me.” Liam appeared out of nowhere. “Oh…” Noah scratched his head. “That makes sense. You guys live together, so it’s definitely more convenient.” He didn’t seem to notice the tense atmosphere. He paused, then asked me, “I’m organizing a class camping trip up the mountain this Saturday, to relax after midterms. Do you want to come?” I actually didn’t want to go. Liam glanced at me. “She’s not…” “I’ll go.” Liam paused. “That’s great! We’re meeting at the school gates on Saturday. See you then.” After Noah left, Liam looked at me with a half-smile. “I couldn’t tell you wanted to go.” I wasn’t about to back down. “There’s a lot you can’t tell.” “Is that so?” I turned to leave, only to hear him say behind me, “Then I’m going too.” And just like that, two people who originally had zero interest in participating signed up at the same time. I prepared thoroughly for the camping trip. I had camping experience since I was little, so I wasn’t unfamiliar with it. After meeting at the school gates, we all took a chartered bus to the foot of the mountain. Noah’s plan was to hike up to a clearing near the summit before sunset and set up camp there. Because Liam joined, the originally quiet trip suddenly became lively. All along the way, Mia Thompson surrounded Liam. I kept my head down and walked in front, listening to the sounds of the two of them chatting and laughing behind me. Noah caught up with me. “Chloe, let’s set up our tents together later.” I casually agreed. “Sure.” “Then can we pitch our tents next to each other?” I looked up at him. His face was a little red. Mia’s voice rang out from behind us. “Liam, let’s be neighbors later, okay?” An indescribable emotion surged in my heart. “Sure,” I said, speaking a beat before Liam could answer Mia. I didn’t know what Liam was thinking. I didn’t realize I had lost my bracelet until much later, and he hadn’t said a word either. “I’ll help you look for it,” Noah volunteered. The bracelet was a birthday gift from my mom; I had always worn it. I shook my head. “You still have to lead the group. I’ll go look for it myself. I’ll be back soon.” He hesitated. “Are you going to be okay alone?” “I’ll go with her.” Under Mia’s surprised gaze, Liam walked towards me. Honestly, I didn’t want his help at all. “No…” “Alright then,” Noah agreed on my behalf before I could finish. “It’s good that you two can keep each other company. We’ll wait for you at the summit.” And so, my journey backtracking down the trail gained an unwanted companion. I guessed the bracelet might have dropped where we got off the bus. When getting off, I had heard a sharp clink. I didn’t pay attention to it at the time, but thinking back, it must have been my bracelet. I walked very fast. Liam followed behind me, keeping his distance, not looking at all like he was “keeping me company.” I had camped on this mountain before, so I knew there was a smaller, alternative trail leading down. I purposely turned onto that small path, intending to ditch Liam. He kept following me. I sped up, and after a few sharp turns, I could no longer see him. Just as I was secretly rejoicing, my foot stepped on empty air, and I tumbled down. I rolled several times before coming to a stop. Covered in dirt, I stood up and realized I had fallen into a deep trench or sinkhole. The opening was too high; I couldn’t climb out on my own. When it rains, it pours. I had no choice but to yell for help. “Liam…” No answer. “Liam!” Footsteps sounded above my head, and the next second, that punchable face appeared at the edge of the hole. “Calling me?” “Go get someone to help.” He didn’t move. Instead, he crouched down by the edge. “Beg me.” “Screw you.” Liam chuckled softly, stood up, and actually just walked away, plain as day. As the air fell silent, I suddenly felt a little scared. Just as I was wondering if I might starve to death down here, there was movement above me again. Liam had come back. “Want me to save you?” I glared at him. “Call me ‘Big Brother’.” I froze. What kind of weird fetish is this? “Not going to say it?” He smiled, repeating his old trick. “Then I’m leaving.” But this time as he stood up, either he lost his balance or the ground was too slippery. Following the exact same trajectory I did, he tumbled down and landed right next to me. I couldn’t help it; I burst out laughing. Serves you right for showing off! Liam’s face went dark for two seconds. He looked up at me. “Funny?” “Hilarious.” I thought he would be angry, but surprisingly, he lowered his head, paused for two seconds, and also started laughing. “Yeah, it is funny.” We each took up a corner of the hole. After a moment of silence, I asked, “How are we going to get out?” “Wait for someone.” This area was remote; clearly, we wouldn’t be waiting out anyone anytime soon. “Then we might die down here.” Liam suddenly smiled. “Wouldn’t that be nice?” He tilted his head to look at me. “Like a lovers’ suicide.” I knew he was just flirting to be annoying, but under the gaze of those deep, affectionate eyes, I still couldn’t stop myself from flushing with anger. “Who wants a lovers’ suicide with you?!” “Don’t worry, I won’t let you die.” He looked up at the opening. “I’ll protect you.” I frowned. “How many girls have you scammed with that smooth talk?” “Not many.” He smiled. “You’re the first.” I instinctively avoided his gaze. “Come here.” He crouched down. “Step on my shoulders to get up.” I didn’t expect him to offer this solution. Weighing the pros and cons, I did as he said. The teenage boy’s shoulders weren’t particularly broad, but standing on them, I could just barely reach ground level. I probably used too much force; as I scrambled up, Liam was pushed down and fell to the dirt floor. He looked up at me from below. “You’re not going to leave me down here, are you?” I frowned. “I’m not like you.” But he suddenly smiled. “I’ll wait for you.”

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