1 Ben took the fall for me, a ten-year prison sentence. Before he went in, he meticulously arranged everything that mattered to him: Sterling Corp, the empire he built from scratch, and the girl he cherished. But for me, his wife of many years, all that was left was a yellowed contract. “You helped me ten years ago. Now I’m serving your time. We’re even, Clara.” I silently watched Ben through the glass. I searched for any flicker of emotion in his eyes, but all I found was cold indifference and a profound sense of relief. It hit me then, a cold, hard truth: he had never loved me. “Alright,” I said, tearing the contract in two. “We’re even.” A week later, I received a call from the prison guard. Ben was dead. He’d encountered the man who almost assaulted me, that monster from my past. To stop him from ever getting out and harassing me, Ben had taken them both down. I hung up, and a gust of cold wind hit me. I realized I’d drifted into the middle of the highway. A massive truck barreled towards me. I was thrown, landing hard in a pool of my own blood. When I woke up again, I was back. Back to before. This time, I wouldn’t let that contract trap him, or me. … I jolted awake, realizing I’d fallen asleep in the car. Cold sweat slicked my forehead. I heard a rustling beside me. I turned, a little disoriented. It was Ben. Calming myself, I realized we were on our way to the Humbert estate, for him to formally propose. In my previous life, I had used that contract to force him into marriage. But I wasn’t satisfied. I insisted he make a proper proposal. That day, just as he sat down, he received a frantic, tearful call from Chloe. He left me without a second thought, abandoning me, which led to my grandfather having a stroke. I took a deep breath, my throat dry. “Pull over. No need to go.” The man beside me finally looked up, a flicker of annoyance in his eyes. “Now what? Playing hard to get?” He sighed. “Just settle down. Isn’t this what you wanted?” I turned my head, my gaze dropping to his phone, which he hadn’t quite put away. A long string of green message bubbles filled the screen, beneath a pink rabbit avatar. He was comforting her. The realization squeezed my heart, a bitter, self-mocking pang. “I’m not playing hard to get, and I’m not joking,” I paused, my throat tightening. “I just don’t want it anymore.” He pinched the bridge of his nose, his expression a mix of exhaustion and exasperation. “What is it you want then?” Just then, the rain began, blurring my view through the car window. “That contract? Let’s scrap it. And… we should get a divorce.” But before I could finish, Ben let out a derisive scoff, his eyes full of mockery. “Scrap it?” He stared at me. “Clara Humbert, you say that so casually, it almost makes me forget you were the one who practically begged to be tied to me.” My face burned with shame. Back then, Sterling Corp was in crisis, on the brink of collapse. I’d been pursuing him for a long time, so I leveraged the Humbert family’s influence. “Sign this and be with me, and the Humbert family can help you through this crisis.” I admitted I took advantage of his situation. But I was naive enough to believe I could make Ben fall in love with me. I was wrong. Even after marriage, after kisses, after sharing the most intimate moments in bed, he still didn’t love me. The memories stung, bringing tears to my eyes. “Yes, I did tie you down.” I pulled out the contract I once treasured. With Ben’s eyes darkening, I tore it to pieces. “I was wrong. The contract is void. You don’t have to be trapped by me anymore.” “Stop the car!” Ben’s voice was cold. The driver slammed on the brakes. I instinctively lurched forward, my fingers slamming hard against the seat in front, a sharp pain making me wince. Ben said nothing, just stared at the torn pieces of the contract beside him. An unreadable emotion flickered in his eyes. “Is it about Chloe?” His voice was weary, then he seemed to understand, assuming I was being unreasonable, jealous. “I told you, she’s just my assistant. Nothing more.” “Is that so?” Just an assistant. Yet he’d risk a public argument with me, just to protect her. He’d leave me sick and alone, flying to a neighboring city just to celebrate her birthday. I swallowed the surge of bitterness in my heart. “Never mind.” “Anyway, Ben, I think our relationship ends here.” He turned away, scoffing, clearly not taking my words seriously. Just then, his phone chimed, displaying the pink rabbit avatar. “Go,” I said. He instantly silenced his phone, a strange irritation in his voice. “Can you stop pretending to be so magnanimous?” He seemed to lose control, his frustration growing. “Since you insist on playing the part, we’re not going today. Get out.” I glanced at the rain outside, then opened the car door. Ignoring his unspoken question, I stepped out and walked towards the Humbert estate, alone, without looking back. Back home, my mother was shocked. “What happened? Where’s Ben? Wasn’t he supposed to come over today?” I took the ginger tea she offered. “He won’t be coming.” I looked at her. “Mom, doesn’t the Humbert Group have an expatriate program? For the London branch, right? I’ll go.” She seemed to realize something. “But… that’s at least three years away.” I nodded lightly, checking my social media. Chloe had just posted a picture of a man’s back. “Yes,” I said. “The longer, the better.” 2 The next day, I returned to the marital home Ben and I shared, intending to grab my documents. But when I opened the door, a woman’s figure stood there. “Ms. Humbert.” Chloe’s voice was timid, her fingers nervously twisting the hem of her pristine white dress. I paused, then casually grunted in acknowledgement, walking past her into the house. Ben emerged from the bedroom. Seeing me, a flicker of unease crossed his face. “Don’t get the wrong idea,” he quickly said. “She nearly got harassed by her landlord last night, had nowhere else to go, so I brought her back.” I opened my mouth, then just nodded. I didn’t even want to bother asking why he didn’t just put her in a hotel, such a foolish, demeaning question. “Alright, I understand. A woman alone isn’t safe.” I offered a hollow smile. “She can stay as long as she needs.” He pressed his lips together, clearly annoyed despite getting the answer he wanted. “What’s wrong with you? Why…” Why aren’t you causing a scene? I knew that’s what he wanted to ask, because in the past, that’s exactly what I would have done. Any little stir on his part, and I would have been a hysterical mess, torturing him and myself. Now, I refused to repeat that cycle. “You two talk,” I said, heading towards the bedroom. “Don’t mind me.” Ben frowned, his eyes deepening. Inside the room, I found my ID and passport, packing them into my bag. I left nothing else. My wedding ring, along with the signed divorce papers, remained in the drawer. As I turned to leave, Chloe, who had silently entered, startled me. “Are you playing reverse psychology?” she asked, her soft demeanor replaced by a steely glint in her eyes. “It’s a very clever tactic.” I scoffed. “Whether I’m retreating or advancing, you’re still not exactly in a flattering light,” I said, stepping closer. Her face paled slightly as I sneered, “Chloe, if you’re going to be the other woman, at least have the decency to keep it discreet.” “You!” Chloe’s eyes reddened, but she quickly composed herself. She tugged down the strap of her white dress, revealing faint red marks. A smug look spread across her face. “Ms. Humbert, guess which bed we shared last night?” My gaze fixated on the marks for a moment, a fleeting sense of disorientation. My fingers instinctively clenched. After a beat, I reached out and pulled her dress strap back up, covering the marks. My voice was dripping with contempt. “If you want to act like a cheap tart, no one’s stopping you.” Chloe’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Are you out of your mind with anger?” I turned to leave, ignoring her. But as I brushed past, Chloe suddenly grabbed my wrist. She handed me a photo – a child. “What about this? Can you still be indifferent?” I glanced at the picture, and my steps froze. The child was the spitting image of Ben. It was his child… I looked up. Chloe had already retrieved her phone. “He’s a year and two months old.” She stared at me, her voice cutting. “Ms. Humbert, just step aside. The bond and affection between Ben and me can never be broken.” My eyes dropped, a sharp pain in my heart. By my calculations, Chloe’s pregnancy coincided exactly with the time I lost my own child… When I first became pregnant, I was overjoyed, anticipating the baby’s arrival more than anyone. But I wasn’t made of stone. I could feel Ben wasn’t particularly happy. Yet, back then, I deluded myself, pretending not to notice. The night it happened, Ben and I had just finished an event and were supposed to go home together. But midway, he received a phone call. It was the first time I’d seen him so panicked and worried. “Clara, there’s a problem at the office,” he said, pulling the car over, his voice urgent. “Can you take a cab home, please?” I didn’t want to hold him back, so I obediently got out. On my way home, as I passed through an alley, a dark figure suddenly appeared, clamping a hand over my mouth and nose, dragging me deeper into the shadows! My eyes widened in terror. I instinctively protected my belly, screaming and struggling with all my might. My hand brushed against my phone, and in a panic, I dialed Ben’s number, terrified. “Ben—” As soon as he answered, Ben’s voice was impatient. “I’m busy right now, we’ll talk later.” A harsh click, and he hung up, cold and dismissive. The man had me pinned to the ground, tearing at my clothes. Thankfully, a few college students happened to walk by. He cursed and, before fleeing, delivered a vicious kick to my stomach. A searing pain shot through me. I stared in horror at the blood gushing out, crying in despair and humiliation. Then, I blacked out. When I woke up, Ben was by my side. His voice was hoarse. “The baby… we couldn’t save him.” 3 “Why did you hang up?” I asked him, tears streaming down my face. But Ben remained silent. “I had something important to do.” Thinking of my unborn child, my eyes involuntarily welled up, my heart throbbing with a dull ache. Chloe, seeing my distress, wore a triumphant smirk. “That night, I was the one who called him away. The second before your call, we were kissing.” I looked up sharply, the tiny sparks of hope in my eyes extinguished. “…What did you say?” I had always believed Ben genuinely had an emergency that night. It turned out… I lowered my gaze, a bitter smile twisting my lips, a laugh that was both ironic and mournful. Then I closed my eyes. In Chloe’s horrified gaze, I grabbed her by the hair and slammed her head against the wall. Bang! Chloe shrieked, clearly not expecting me to resort to physical violence. She struggled, crying out in pain. “Let me go!” Hearing the commotion, Ben rushed in, gasping at the sight. He quickly pulled us apart. He shoved me hard, shielding the red-eyed woman behind him. “Clara Humbert! Are you out of your mind?!” His face was dark with fury. “I knew it! You were just pretending to be magnanimous, and now you’re actually resorting to violence!” I stumbled, my lower back hitting the corner of the dressing table, the sharp pain draining the color from my lips. Ben frowned at my distress, instinctively moving to help, but then forcibly stopped himself. “Ben,” my voice was hoarse, struggling to suppress the rising bitterness. “Where were you the night I miscarried?” His pupils constricted. He instinctively glanced at Chloe behind him, who looked slightly guilty. A flicker of panic crossed his face. “That night, she and I were together, but we were just…” “It doesn’t matter anymore.” I softly cut him off, closing my eyes to hide the redness. Just the thought of my baby dying while they were in the throes of passion made me sick to my stomach! I choked out, “Ben, it was my mistake to force you into this marriage.” My voice was barely a whisper. “From now on, let’s just… leave it be.” With that, I turned to leave. But as I brushed past, the pale-faced man grabbed my hand. His voice was low and firm. “What do you mean, you were wrong? What do you mean, ‘leave it be’? Clara Humbert, you explain yourself!” I was stiff for a moment, then slowly turned around. The redness in my eyes made Ben falter. “Clara…” I slowly pried his hand open, my voice hoarse as I said each word. “The contract is void. We’re getting a divorce.” Ben’s pupils trembled. He instinctively blocked my path, his throat working. “Clara Humbert, I don’t believe you’d so easily talk about divorce. You were the one who begged me back then, don’t you forget!” My body stiffened. I distinctly remembered the shock and annoyance in his eyes the day I slapped that contract in front of him. “Clara Humbert, what’s the point of forcing it?” But I had merely smiled indifferently. “Whether a forced melon is sweet or not, we’ll find out later. Ben, I believe it will be sweet.” Now… I gave a bitter twist of my lips. “It was my folly. Just consider me insane.” Then I turned and shut the door with a bang.

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1 Sleepless in the dead of night, I scrolled through a social media thread: [What moments made you realize they didn’t love you anymore?] A highly upvoted answer was pinned at the top. [Probably when his fiancée was doing a ‘check-up’.] [We were on a beach vacation. His impatient tone on the phone, then turning to kiss me with a terrifying tenderness.] [He said his fiancée was like a nagging housekeeper, even dictating what underwear he wore, and he was fed up with it.] Someone questioned if it was a made-up story. The poster immediately shared a screenshot of their chat history. The man’s avatar was a black German Shepherd, and his nickname was “J.” I trembled as I scrolled further. [He’s in the shower! Sneak a pic of his abs, tee hee.] In the photo, the man’s lean waist had a scar. It was in the same spot where Julian had taken a knife for me, saving me in our sophomore year. … The light from my phone screen stung my eyes. I had traced that scar countless times, my heart aching with tenderness and lingering fear. That year, when we encountered a mugging, Julian hadn’t hesitated, stepping in front of me. The blade slashed, and blood soaked his white shirt. The doctor said another inch and it would have hit a kidney. He was in so much pain his forehead dripped with sweat, yet he gripped my hand and said, “As long as you’re alright, I don’t care what happens to me.” I flipped my phone over, face down on the covers, my chest so tight I couldn’t breathe. I told myself to calm down, maybe it was just a coincidence. Many people had scars, it couldn’t be him. Julian would literally throw his life away for me. He’d even wrap me in his coat when I had cramps, staying up all night to rub my belly. We’d been together for eight years, our future entwined. It had to be a coincidence. I took a deep breath, picked up my phone again. Exiting the thread, I opened Julian’s social media feed. Half an hour ago, he had posted an update. The accompanying picture was of an architectural model. In the background, in the dim hotel lighting, his wrist wore the watch I had given him. The caption read: [For our future home, no amount of hardship is too much.] Below, a string of friends had liked it, praising him as the perfect man. My heart, suspended in mid-air, finally settled. I knew it. The man in the thread couldn’t be Julian. He was working himself to the bone in a foreign country for our home. How could he be the despicable man in that post? I switched back to the thread. The poster, “KikiTheFairy,” was still updating. To prove she wasn’t lying, she posted a few more details. [Some people are just jealous. My boyfriend is not only handsome, but he spoils me rotten.] [His fiancée? Ha, just a nagging old busybody who controls everything.] [He says she even dictates what tie he wears today. He’s totally fed up with it.] I froze, my vision blurring for a moment. This morning, before he left, Julian stood in front of the mirror, holding two ties, undecided. I walked over, picked up the dark blue silk tie, stood on my tiptoes to tie it for him, and smiled. “This one makes you look fairer, and it matches your suit today.” He leaned down and kissed my forehead, his eyes full of affection. “My Maya always has the best taste.” I scrolled further. [This is the Starry Night necklace he gave me. He said it’s to commemorate the night we met. The stars were so bright.] In the photo, the necklace, encrusted with tiny diamonds, shimmered under the light. Its unique design depicted a meteor streaking across the night sky. Just a few days ago, I had seen the design draft of the necklace on Julian’s computer. At the time, I had walked in with a bowl of fruit and casually asked, “It’s beautiful, is it designed for me?” He closed his laptop, naturally running his hand through my hair. “It’s an anniversary gift for a client’s wife, still needs some tweaking.” [Oh, and we’re on a private island in the Maldives. It’s absolutely breathtaking here! Just the two of us, tee hee.] Julian told me he was in Germany for a project. His schedule was packed, and he was battling jet lag. My hand trembled as I clicked on the poster’s edit history. The time of the first post, counting backward, was exactly 312 days ago. In that instant, my mind went blank with a whoosh. 312 days ago was our seven-year anniversary. That morning, he had held me, telling me he loved me, that I was the only light in his life. But that night, he said the company had an emergency and he had to work late, telling me to go to bed first. It turned out he was with her then. 2 My phone suddenly vibrated. The words “My Love” flashed across the screen. I stared at the screen for a long time. It wasn’t until the vibration was about to stop that I pressed the answer button. Julian’s voice was hoarse with fatigue. “Maya, are you still awake? Missing me?” I didn’t speak, just listened quietly. It was very still on his end, with the occasional sound of waves crashing against the shore. He noticed my silence. “Why aren’t you talking? Are you feeling unwell?” Just then, a woman’s soft giggle faintly reached my ear. “Darling, hurry up, the water’s getting cold…” The phone went silent for a moment. Then came the sound of fabric rubbing, as if someone was muffling the receiver. A few seconds later, Julian’s voice returned, tinged with panic. “Maya, the TV here is a bit loud, they’re showing a travel program.” I closed my eyes, tears sliding down my cheeks and into my mouth, bitter enough to make me want to vomit. I cleared my throat, my voice calm, even with a hint of a smile. “Julian, is the Maldives fun?” The other end of the phone fell silent. After a full five seconds, Julian chuckled weakly. “Maya, what nonsense are you talking about? I’m on a business trip in Germany. The hotel is by the sea, and the TV just happens to be showing a Maldives travel program. You must have misheard.” He was gambling on my trust, gambling that I was just asking casually. If it had been the old Maya Sterling, I might really have been fooled. After all, he was Julian, the man who would sacrifice his life for me. But now, looking at the constantly updated pictures of the Maldives in the thread, my heart was ashes. “Maybe so. Well, get some rest soon. Don’t overwork yourself.” “Okay, you get to sleep too. I’ll bring you a gift when I get back.” He visibly relaxed, his tone becoming gentle again. “Oh, and don’t worry too much about the Haven Orphanage charity project. I know you have a soft heart, but take care of yourself too. Don’t get too tired.” Hanging up, my heart slowly sank. I remembered the thread saying: [His fiancée is just a fake saint, always doing charity work, putting on an act. He prefers someone real like me, who never hides anything.] So, in his eyes, my kindness was an act, a joke he used to amuse another woman. The next morning, I received a call from Adrian. Adrian was Julian’s older brother and the head of Hayes Group. “Are you free now? Let’s meet.” He paused. “There are some things we need to discuss about your wedding to Julian.” Half an hour later, I met Adrian at Hayes Group. He had always looked down on me, believing my background was too ordinary. He felt I wasn’t good enough for his golden-boy brother, that I was holding Julian back. He pushed a prenuptial agreement across the table to me. “Take a look. These are the Hayes family rules.” He leaned back in his chair, a haughty look on his face. “If you have no objections, sign it.” I opened the agreement. The terms were extremely harsh, all restrictions on me. The most glaring clause was: [Should the marriage dissolve due to the wife’s fault, the wife shall forfeit all marital assets and leave with nothing.] I smiled, my voice very soft. “What if Julian cheats?” 3 Adrian paused, then scoffed, his eyes full of contempt. “Julian cheating? Ms. Sterling, are you telling jokes?” He dismissed my concern. “Everyone knows he’s devoted to you. That hypothesis is meaningless.” “Is that so?” Just then, my phone on the table lit up. Kiki’s post had updated. It was a photo of two passports stacked together. One, a dark red, was Julian’s passport, which I knew all too well. The one beneath it, though only a corner was visible, clearly showed two words in the name field: Kira Mendez. The caption accompanying the photo was audacious and jarring: [He says he’s taking me to see the Northern Lights, that used to be his girlfriend’s dream, but now it’s ours.] Seeing the Northern Lights was a wish Julian and I made in our junior year of college, lying on a lawn. I pointed at the starry sky and softly said, “Julian, someday I want to go to Iceland to see the Northern Lights. I hear it’s beautiful, like a fairy tale.” He turned his head to look at me, his eyes brighter than the night sky, his voice gentle and certain. “Okay, when we get married, I’ll take you there for our honeymoon.” I turned my phone screen towards Adrian. “Mr. Hayes, please take a look at this first.” Adrian casually glanced at it. The next second, his face turned ashen. “He cheated.” I watched Adrian’s shifting expression, calmly asking, “According to the agreement, what do I get?” Adrian didn’t speak, his breathing grew heavy, his chest rising and falling violently. After a long moment, he pressed the intercom on his desk. “Check all transactions in Julian’s private account for the past year, and his whereabouts.” Hanging up, he slumped back in his chair. He closed his eyes, his earlier haughty demeanor instantly crumbling. I heard him murmur to himself, “Exactly like Dad…” His voice was very soft, but filled with deep disgust and weariness. Less than ten minutes later, his assistant knocked and entered. “Mr. Hayes, I found it.” Adrian snatched the tablet, rapidly swiping the screen. With each swipe, his face grew darker. Finally, he handed the tablet to me. “You should see this too.” Dense, endless pages of transaction records. The private island rental fee in the Maldives, a custom Cartier necklace, the rent for a luxury apartment in the city center, and a fixed monthly allowance transferred to Kira Mendez… And what chilled me most was the large transfer on the last page. The note read: [Haven Orphanage Phase Two Construction Fund]. But this money did not go into the orphanage’s account. Instead, it was transferred to a company named “Kira’s Miracles,” with Kira Mendez as the legal representative. The Haven Orphanage was a project Julian and I had been funding since college. I knew every child there. Julian had once vowed to me, “Maya, every time I see you working tirelessly for these children, I feel a light radiating from you. It’s your kindness that makes me want to be a better man.” Now, he used our shared compassion to support his mistress. All my lingering affection for the past died completely at this moment. Adrian looked at me with a complex gaze, a mix of guilt and sympathy. He silently picked up the prenuptial agreement and threw it into the shredder. “Our father was the same. He played the part of a perfect husband while keeping women outside. Our mother eventually died of depression.” He gave a self-mocking laugh. “I never thought genes would really be passed down.” 4 He stood up, looking at me gravely. “What do you want to do? If you want to cancel the wedding, I can help you release a statement.” I stood, my voice calm. “No cancellation. I want to give him a wedding he’ll never forget.” Adrian looked at me deeply, then nodded. “Alright, I’ll help you.” Stepping out of the Hayes building, the sunlight was blinding. My phone vibrated. It was a text from Julian: [Finally landed, darling. Can’t wait to see you. Let’s finalize the wedding plans tonight.] Julian embraced me the moment he walked in. His chin rested on the crown of my head, his voice hoarse. “Maya, I missed you so much.” I suppressed the nausea churning in my stomach, not pushing him away, just stiffly letting him hold me. Then he pulled a bracelet from his bag, presenting it like a treasure. “A gift for you. See if you like it?” I recognized it instantly as a popular, mass-produced item from an online shop. He smiled, “I went to several markets to find this handmade, unique piece.” I looked at the bracelet, then thought of Kira Mendez’s expensive Starry Night necklace. Only a cold laugh remained in my heart. I smiled and accepted it. “Thank you, I love it.” The next few days, we confirmed the guest list, tried on wedding dresses, and rehearsed the ceremony. Julian was gentle and attentive, even at the wedding dress fitting. Watching me put on the main gown he had personally chosen, his eyes welled up. “Maya, you’re so beautiful.” He choked out, “I’ll cherish you forever.” A week flew by. The wedding was set in a glass conservatory by the sea. As I walked towards Julian in my pristine white gown, his eyes were filled with awe and love. “Maya, you’re truly beautiful today.” I smiled at him, saying nothing. The ceremony began, the officiant reciting moving vows. As he spoke of “through poverty or wealth, sickness or health,” Julian’s phone in his pocket suddenly vibrated. He frowned, ignoring it, just gripping my hand tighter. Then, the phone vibrated again, this time for a long duration. He gave me an apologetic look, pulling out his phone to hang up. But when he saw the message on the screen, his face instantly turned ashen. Julian looked up at me, his eyes frantic. “Maya, something urgent came up at the company. There’s been a building collapse! I have to go immediately!” With that, he didn’t wait for my reaction, turned, and rushed off the stage. The entire venue erupted in murmurs, guests exchanging bewildered glances. Just then, my phone vibrated. Adrian’s message: [It’s all handled.] At the same time, my special notification popped up. Kira Mendez had updated her social media. A photo of a pregnancy test stick, showing two bright red lines. The caption: [Sorry, wedding’s off. He chose us.]

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I discovered a tracker my husband had hidden under the car. He thought his plan was flawless, but I felt chills to the bone. My sister-in-law was preparing for pregnancy, seeking medical advice every day with great anxiety. With a kind smile, I handed her the car keys. “This car has enhanced safety features, so you can drive to your check-ups with peace of mind.” She thanked me gratefully, unaware that danger had already quietly begun its journey. The next day, the sound of police sirens pierced the air. My mother-in-law’s wails were heart-wrenching. It was only then that he understood the depths of my ruthlessness. 1 The afternoon sun was a bit blinding, and the fan-shaped spray from the water gun briefly refracted a rainbow. I was bent over, scrubbing the car’s body with a soft sponge. This was a white SUV, bought with the bonus from my first major project. Adrian didn’t like this car; he found its lines not rugged enough, unworthy of his status as an investment manager. But I loved it – its rounded curves and spacious interior, like a mobile fortress ready to carry me away at any moment. Water streamed, washing away dirt and sand from the tire grooves. My fingertips accidentally brushed against an edge on the undercarriage. Taped there was something that didn’t belong to the car itself. It was a small, rough, square object with a magnetic texture. My movements paused for a second, my heart suddenly clutched by an invisible hand. I didn’t immediately rip it off. I straightened up, turned off the water gun, and silence fell around me, broken only by the dripping water from the car’s body. I pulled out my phone, adjusted the angle, and snapped a photo of the small black square. The picture clearly showed its outline, and a faint, blinking indicator light. Back home, I locked myself in my study and uploaded the photo to my computer. Enlarged, searched. Every word of the results that popped up on the screen was like a cold chisel, carving raw, bleeding holes in my heart. High-precision global positioning system tracker, ultra-long standby, silent operation. So that’s it. No wonder when I changed a meeting location with a client last week at the last minute, Adrian’s call “happened” to come in just as I walked into that new coffee shop. No wonder he always sent a thoughtful message like “Don’t rush, drive slowly” when I was stuck in traffic and frustrated. I used to be touched by such telepathic synchronicity. Now, the thought alone made my stomach churn with nausea. I leaned back in my chair, closed my eyes, and tried to steady my breathing. Besides the tracker, there was something else. That scent. For the past month, a faint, sickly sweet smell always wafted from the car’s air vents. I thought the AC filter needed changing and even mentioned it to Adrian. How did he respond then? He said it was just the new air freshener being too strong; it would dissipate in a few days. And then there was my own body. A inexplicable fatigue that even eight hours of sleep couldn’t alleviate. Recurring skin rashes on my arms and lower legs, an agonizing itch. I thought it was due to the changing season, or too much work stress. Now, all the clues, like venomous snakes, slithered out from dark corners, coiling around me, flicking their tongues. I didn’t touch anything. I turned off the computer and saved the photos on my phone into an encrypted folder. I prepared dinner as usual, rinsing rice, washing vegetables, slicing meat. The knife struck the cutting board with crisp, regular, cold sounds. The lock turned. Adrian was home. He wore a well-tailored suit, his hair meticulously combed, a gentle smile on his face. He walked over, habitually hugging me from behind, his chin resting on my shoulder. “Tired today?” he asked. I could smell the mix of tobacco and cologne on him, a scent I once adored, but now only made me want to gag. I shook my head, my voice as still as stagnant water. “Not tired.” I turned my head, looking into his eyes, trying to keep my expression natural. “Oh, by the way,” I said, “doesn’t the car need servicing? I feel like the AC has been a bit off lately.” His eyes flickered, very quickly, almost imperceptibly. “Is that so? I just had it checked a while ago. It’s probably just a dirty filter. I’ll take it to the dealership this weekend.” He answered flawlessly, his smile perfect. Halfway through dinner, my mother-in-law, Olivia Voldemort, called right on cue. Adrian put her on speaker. “Nancy, have you seen a doctor yet? You’ve been married for three years, and not a peep from your belly. Are you deliberately trying to make the Voldemort family childless?” Her sharp, caustic voice pierced through the receiver like steel needles, pricking my eardrums. “Our Adrian has a career, he has good looks. Marrying you was the worst luck! What’s a barren hen doing occupying the nest?!” My hand gripping my chopsticks tightened slightly, knuckles white. Adrian immediately frowned, speaking into the phone. “Mom, what are you talking about? Nancy is under a lot of pressure too. We’re trying.” “Trying? Three years of trying and not a damn thing! I’m telling you, Adrian, I don’t care. If there’s no news within this year, you’re getting a divorce! I don’t want to die and have no face to meet your father!” Olivia slammed down the phone. The dining room fell silent. Adrian sighed, picked up a piece of pork rib, and placed it in my bowl, his tone gentle as if soothing a child. “Nancy, don’t listen to Mom. She’s just anxious for grandchildren, there’s no malice.” He added, “Look at my sister, Cathy. She’s trying so hard, seeing traditional healers, getting check-ups, all for conception. Let’s put in more effort, okay?” Every word was comfort, yet every word piled on more pressure. I looked at his hypocritical face, at the calculating flicker in his eyes, and the warmth in my heart cooled inch by inch, until it froze. This man I had loved for five years, this husband I had shared a bed with for three, was personally weaving a vast web for me. And I was the prey about to be devoured. No. I wouldn’t let him succeed. It was late, Adrian was sound asleep, his breathing steady and long. I quietly got out of bed, walked to the living room, and picked up his phone. The password was our wedding anniversary—how ironic. I tapped on a contact with no avatar, labeled “S.” The chat history wasn’t extensive, but every message was shocking. “Has she been suspicious lately?” “No, she’s very naive.” “How are the ‘things’ working?” “Should be soon, she’s always complaining about being tired lately.” Just then, a new message popped up at the top of the screen, from “S.” “How are things progressing? If she still can’t conceive, it’ll be easier to explain to your mom, and we can be together sooner.” I clamped my hand over my mouth, preventing a sob from escaping. So, my physical discomfort, my mother-in-law’s coercion, his gentle trap—everything was a meticulously planned conspiracy. He didn’t want me to not be able to conceive. He wanted me to be “proven” infertile. A bone-chilling cold rose from the soles of my feet, spreading instantly through my limbs, freezing me into a temperatureless statue. Fury and hatred churned in my chest like lava, scorching every inch of my reason. Very well. Adrian Voldemort. You want to play? I’ll play to the very end. 2 The next day, I called my office, my voice hoarse, and requested sick leave. The reason: a severe cold, feeling unwell. After hanging up, I found gloves and a mask in the storage room, arming myself thoroughly. I needed to reconfirm. Opening the car door, the sickly sweet scent was even clearer than yesterday. I didn’t start the car. Instead, I directly disassembled the glove compartment in front of the passenger seat, revealing the AC filter housing inside. The process was more complex than I imagined, but as an architectural designer, I had a natural sensitivity to mechanical structures. I carefully pulled out the filter. Deep within the filter, near the air vent, I found something. It wasn’t a normal car air freshener. It was cleverly disguised as a black plastic part, wedged tightly in a structural crevice. A thin tube connected to it, leading to a modified miniature device that could slowly release liquid. My heart pounded, almost leaping from my throat. I used tweezers, with extreme caution, to remove the entire device intact. Then, I sealed the device in a plastic bag and cut off a small piece of the liquid-soaked AC filter as a sample. After all that, I called Sarah Thorne. Sarah was my college best friend and the star lawyer at the city’s top law firm. When she answered, I simply said, “Sarah, something’s happened to me.” Sarah immediately noticed the distress in my voice. “Where are you? Don’t move, I’m coming right away!” Half an hour later, Sarah arrived at my house in a flurry. I placed the tracker and the strange device in front of her. After hearing my story, her usually calm and composed face erupted in fury. “Adrian, that animal! He’s slowly poisoning you! This is a crime!” She immediately contacted a highly professional and discreet private testing agency, who promised results within twenty-four hours. During the long, agonizing wait for the results, I didn’t allow myself to be idle. I opened my computer and began to sort through all the assets under Adrian’s and my names. In three years of marriage, we had jointly invested in several projects, mostly led by him. I checked them one by one, and my heart sank deeper into the abyss. Three financial products, totaling over seven figures, which should have been under our joint account, had vanished. I checked the transaction records: they had been unilaterally transferred by Adrian to an account completely unknown to me, a month ago. Sarah’s call came in, her voice grave. “Nancy, I just consulted with my colleagues. We have a terrifying theory.” She paused. “Adrian’s goal is likely a combination punch.” She continued, her voice grim. “Step one: use drugs to ruin your body, making you ‘infertile.’ Step two: use a tracker to monitor your movements, fabricating ‘evidence’ of your misconduct.” She concluded, her voice cold. “Finally, when it comes to divorce, he’ll make you leave with nothing due to ‘physical issues’ and ‘marital misconduct.’” My mind buzzed. I remembered. Just two months ago, Adrian had subtly tried to get me to sign a property agreement. He said it was just a precaution, in case our feelings changed later, so we could part amicably and without ill will. At the time, I just found it strange and kept putting off signing. Now, it was clear that it was a trap he had laid long ago. I hung up and immediately put on my coat and went to the bank. The bank statement the ATM spat out was long, like a eulogy. It clearly recorded the path and time of every one of Adrian’s asset transfers. Undeniable evidence. I held that stack of cold paper, walking down the street at dusk, the city’s neon lights blurring my vision. My phone vibrated. “Sis, preparing for pregnancy is so tough. Tomorrow, I’m going to the city’s best fertility center for a full check-up. I hope for good news.” Followed by a praying hands emoji. I looked at the words, at that jarring emoji. A bold, meticulous, even somewhat insane plan slowly sprouted in my frozen heart. Adrian, you want to see a good show? Then I’ll make you watch, with your own eyes, how you personally push your beloved sister into the abyss.

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After seven years of marriage, Alaric Williams never suspected that everyone in my family—except me—was utterly unhinged. My father, Arthur Blackwood, was a ruthless crime lord; my brother, Rhys, collected victims’ remains. Since my mother Eleanor’s death, they raised me, Elara, like a hothouse flower, with twisted affection. They always swore, with chilling calm, that anyone who hurt me would be torn apart. On the day I went into labor, Alaric’s assistant Chloe Vance screamed about a vaginal tear and sent the doctors away. Clutching his hand, I pleaded hoarsely: “Alaric, get them back. If my family finds out you’re doing this, you’re dead.” He shook me off coldly. “Still lying? I’m a billionaire now—even the mayor respects me. Why would I fear them?” Voice detached, he added, “Remember when Chloe’s blood sugar dropped and you made me attend that dinner? Now you’re in labor. Tough it out till she recovers—you won’t die.” The door slammed. Agony tore through me. With trembling fingers, I pressed the emergency button hidden in my necklace—not for ordinary guards, but for the Raven Syndicate, the world’s most feared mercenaries. … 1. Alaric didn’t return that night. Dragging my bleeding body, I painstakingly crawled to the door. Looking up, I saw Mr. Poirot, Alaric’s executive assistant, leaning against the wall, his eyes as cold as a winter storm. “Please… call a doctor… my baby… my baby is dying…” I reached out, my trembling fingers trying to grip the hem of his trousers. Mr. Poirot kicked my hand away, his disgust palpable. “Every doctor in this hospital has been called by Mr. Williams to attend to Ms. Vance. Mrs. Williams, you’ll just have to wait patiently.” The blood beneath me spread, a growing crimson stain, and my abdomen spasmed with the searing pain of a blunt knife. “I’m about to give birth! What injury could possibly be more important than a woman in labor?!” He chuckled, a cynical, humorless sound. “Mrs. Williams, you haven’t heard? Last night, Mr. Williams put Ms. Vance through quite a night. Her… intimate tearing was rather severe. Mr. Williams was heartbroken and immediately ordered all doctors to stay by her side.” “You… you said what?” My mind went blank, a chilling plunge into an icy abyss. Even the agonizing pain in my belly couldn’t override the suffocating tightness in my chest. I clung to his trousers, desperately pleading. “Please, call Alaric. Tell him to come see me and the baby, even if it’s just for a moment…” “Don’t waste your breath, Mrs. Williams.” Mr. Poirot’s voice was arctic. “With Ms. Vance in his arms, why would Mr. Williams care about you? You and your baby, if you don’t die, you’ll just have to endure it. If you do, well, it serves you right.” His words were daggers, piercing my heart. He was right. Alaric wouldn’t care. His thoughts, his world, were entirely consumed by Chloe Vance. How could he possibly save me? I opened my mouth, trying to speak, but the blood loss overwhelmed me. My vision blurred, and I collapsed into unconsciousness. 2. In my dream, I was falling, endlessly, into a bottomless chasm. When I opened my eyes again, I saw my father, Arthur, crouching by the villa’s swimming pool. He held a bloody piece of meat, tossing it into the water. The fish, their bellies distended, their scales an eerie, blood-red, devoured it greedily. He turned to me, a chilling smile on his face, telling me how the scales of fish fed human flesh were the most beautiful, perfect for my bookmarks. My brother, Rhys, leaned against the glass door, proudly showing me a bracelet he’d fashioned from human bones. Back then, I’d just witnessed my mother’s sudden death, and the darkness terrified me. Alaric, no matter how late his engagements, would always return early to be by my side, waking before dawn to go to work. I casually mentioned I loved the stars, and he spent millions to buy the observatory outside the city, a birthday gift just for me. An heiress from a prominent family, desperate to be with him, offered him a billion-dollar project to force him to break up with me. To reassure me, he blocked her number and declared publicly, “The only woman I will ever love in this life is Elara Blackwood.” I believed him. So I defied my family, helped him build his empire from the ground up, shielded him from countless schemes, and even deliberately cut ties with my own family for him. He’d held me countless times, whispering, “Elara, once the company goes public, I’ll take you on a world tour, pamper you like a princess.” But now? That man, who swore he’d never betray me, was watching me bleed to death in a hospital, all for another woman! A baby’s cry pierced through my hazy consciousness. The next moment, I was jolted back to reality. Looking at Mr. Poirot beside me, I forced the words past my pain. “Mr. Poirot, years ago, my father personally chose you to protect me. You know my family’s methods better than anyone.” He said nothing, but his trembling hands betrayed his terror. “What do you want?” A pallid, bitter laugh escaped me. “My father and brother will be here any minute. If you don’t get a doctor now, when they arrive, you’ll be buried alive, your body never found!” Mr. Poirot instantly paled, his whole body shaking, scrambling to find a doctor. Just as he reached the door, he seemed to remember something. A twisted smile spread across his face, and he whirled around, slapping me hard across the cheek! The sharp crack echoed in the room, my head snapping to the side. “This is Mr. Williams’s private hospital, built in the deepest wilderness! Forget satellites, even a god couldn’t find this place!” I gasped for air, my weak voice filled with a venomous resolve. “You’re all too late. I’ve already sent out my location.” His face instantly turned ashen, his legs gave out, and he crumpled to the floor, his eyes wide with a ghostly horror. “Th… that’s not true…” I gritted my teeth, every word a fresh surge of cold sweat-inducing pain. “Go get a doctor now. If my father comes, I’ll put in a word for you and you might keep your miserable life. Otherwise… next year’s this day will be your death anniversary!” Mr. Poirot, utterly terrified, fumbled for his phone, scrambling out of the room like a madman. I lay on the bed, my belly churning with knife-like spasms, but the knot of dread in my heart finally loosened, if only by a fraction. 3. When Mr. Poirot finally pushed the doctor in, the sight of me, drenched in blood, made him explode! “Are you insane?!” He stomped his foot, pointing at my belly in exasperation. “The mother is barely clinging to life! The baby is breached, the pulse so faint it’s almost undetectable. Five more minutes and it’ll be a double tragedy!” The doctor swiftly checked my pulse, then pried open my eyelids, shouting, “Get the delivery kit! And bring the high-potency stimulant! She needs to stay conscious, we can’t afford any more complications!” A needle plunged in, and the icy liquid flowed into my veins. My mind, which had been a blur, instantly sharpened. Finally, my baby and I had a chance… The doctor had just picked up a scalpel when the door to my room burst open with a resounding crash! Chloe’s mother, Serena Vance, stormed in, shoving the doctor to the ground. “Last night, Alaric and my daughter were up until dawn, and her wound has torn again! She can barely stand! I order you to go save her immediately, or I swear I’ll have you run out of this city!” She turned to glare at me, her face practically glowing with smug satisfaction. “My daughter is Mr. Williams’s most cherished darling! He said, every doctor in the city must prioritize her!” Then, with a sneer, she kicked my belly, her eyes filled with utter disdain. “Elara Blackwood, don’t think that just because you have a face that could launch a thousand ships and helped Alaric build his empire, you’re hot stuff. Look at yourself, what are you? You don’t deserve to be Mrs. Williams!” I writhed in pain, gathering the last ounce of my strength to spit right onto her fleshy face. Serena’s face instantly contorted, turning green, and she raised her hand to strike me. “You witch! Today, I’ll teach you a lesson for my daughter, so you’ll know who the real mistress of the Williams household is!” Mr. Poirot, horrified, lunged forward, desperately blocking her. “Mrs. Vance, Mrs. Williams is barely alive! If you do anything more, she and the baby will die!” “So what?” She laughed, a terrifying, twisted sound, and shouted for two bodyguards from outside the door. “Hold her down! Daring to steal my daughter’s man, today you’ll learn what it means to wish for death!” Two burly men rushed in, gripping my arms and legs with iron strength. Powerless, I could only watch as she snatched a solid wooden stick from the corner of the room. “Giving birth isn’t supposed to be painless, is it? Screaming like a stuck pig, how delicate!” She patted my face with cruel glee, the wooden stick poking my belly. “The baby’s breached, so what? Just roll this stick on her belly a few times, and the baby will come out, won’t it?” My pupils constricted in terror, and I struggled frantically. “You wouldn’t dare! Alaric will kill you if he finds out!” She laughed even harder, a deranged cackle, raising the stick and pressing it down hard, rolling it across my swollen belly! “My daughter is the apple of Alaric’s eye! If you and this bastard die, he’ll be thrilled!” The moment the stick pressed against my skin, I shrieked in agony. My insides felt dislocated, and the baby in my womb struggled violently for a moment, then went completely still! “No! My baby!” I screamed, a heart-wrenching wail, tears streaming down my face, mixing with sweat. She ignored me, continuing to roll the wooden stick back and forth across my belly, each push with all her might. My skin burned, my organs felt like they were being shredded, and I convulsed in pain, my consciousness fading. Mr. Poirot was drenched in cold sweat, his legs trembling uncontrollably. “Stop! She’ll really die if you keep this up!” “Get out!” Serena kicked him away, raising the wooden stick again, aiming for my groin. “Might as well finish the job, make sure you can never have children again, then see if Alaric still wants you!” Just as the stick was about to descend again, a furious roar echoed from behind her. “Elara!” 4. Alaric rushed forward, shoving Serena aside. “Mr. Williams… why are you here?” The blood I’d lost soaked the sheets. My belly was red and purple from the beating, swollen to a horrifying degree. Alaric looked at me, his eyes bloodshot, and spun around, roaring, “Who gave you the audacity?! How dare you touch my woman and child!” Chloe, her eyes red and tear-filled, clung to Alaric’s sleeve. “Alaric… please don’t blame my mom. Punish me instead. It’s all my fault, I couldn’t stop her…” Chloe sobbed, gasping for breath, then abruptly shifted her tone. “But Elara always hits and scolds me, saying I’m a temptress and unworthy of you… When my mom came to visit, Elara even hit her. I don’t know what I did wrong for Elara to hate me so much!” She said, rolling up her sleeve to reveal faint, old scars on her arm. “These are all from Elara hitting me before. I never dared tell you, fearing you’d be put in a difficult position. My mom just lost her temper; she really didn’t mean to…” Alaric’s gaze instantly turned icy, his eyes fixed on me, his voice brimming with disappointment. “Elara Blackwood, I thought you were merely spoiled, but I never imagined you were this vicious!” His words were like an ice pick, brutally stabbing my heart! Whatever last vestige of hope I had for him shattered into dust! Alaric’s eyes darkened. “It seems I’ve pampered you too much, allowing you to become so lawless! You need to learn your lesson! Whatever punishment Chloe desires, you will accept it!” I stared at him in disbelief. “Alaric! Are you blind?! They were trying to kill our baby!” Chloe, seeing this, whimpered softly. “Alaric, Elara is just too anxious. I once heard an old shaman say that ice silkworms can calm the blood and help with labor, without harming the baby…” No sooner had she spoken than a bodyguard brought in a dark box. Inside, countless silver-white worms writhed, their bodies gleaming with a cold light, emitting faint, viscous hissing sounds that made my skin crawl! “These ice silkworms love to suck pregnant blood. They cling to the skin and burrow into the flesh. The coolness will numb the pain, helping Elara calm down and give birth properly.” Chloe smiled innocently, already pinching an ice silkworm between her fingers. Alaric glanced at the box, frowning in hesitant thought. Chloe quickly shook his arm, pouting. “Alaric, the doctor is here. The baby will be fine. I’m just trying to help Elara have a safe delivery.” He paused for less than three seconds, then spoke in a low, grim voice. “Do it.” Chloe’s eyes flashed with triumphant glee. She pressed the ice silkworm onto my swollen, red belly! “Ah—!” A bone-chilling cold instantly enveloped my body. The ice silkworms, with their fangs bared, ravenously burrowed into my flesh, devouring my blood and skin! I convulsed, screaming in agony. “Alaric, stop them… that’s your own flesh and blood!” The ice silkworms crawled swiftly along the bloody tracks, and my belly quickly turned blue and purple. The coldness, coupled with the searing pain, made my vision dim. I lay in a pool of blood, consumed by despair. “Father… Rhys… where are you…?” As the last tear slipped from my eye, I stopped struggling. A thunderous BOOM! The door exploded outwards, shattered by a bomb, sending splinters of wood flying! My father, Arthur, covered in blood, stormed in. His eyes swept over the box of worms in Chloe’s hand, the stunned Alaric, and finally landed on my barely breathing form. They instantly turned scarlet. “It seems my fish will have fresh bait to eat!” Rhys casually followed behind, his eyes fixed on Chloe with a look of terrifying fascination. “That face… it would make a perfect lampshade.”

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After a passionate night with Isabella Brown, the city’s renowned heiress, she ended up pregnant with twins. While she was still weak from childbirth, I, Arthur Hayes, slipped away with one of the swaddled infants. Five years later, a job transfer brought me from overseas to the bustling city of Kingston. “Son, you stay home and play with Aunt Mae. Dad’s just popping out to sign a contract, I’ll be back in a bit, okay?” My son, Adrian, zoomed through the living room with his toy gun, making “pew-pew” noises, assuring me he’d be fine. I’d barely finished discussing business when I spotted a stranger carrying my son towards a car. I sprinted, two steps at a time, throwing a rapid combination of punches to rescue him. My son’s eyes were wide with terror, brimming with tears. My heart softened, and I scooped him up, heading home. Later that evening, as I was bathing him, my phone rang. Adrian’s sweet, childish voice came through the speaker. “Dad, I need to tell you something, but don’t get mad, okay?” “I snuck out to find you, but halfway there, a stern-faced lady took me home. It turns out, her kid looks exactly like me, and she didn’t realize she had the wrong baby!” “What do we do now, Dad?” I froze, dumbfounded by his words. If my son wasn’t home, then the child sitting in the bathtub… couldn’t possibly be her child, could he? … “I told her I wasn’t her kid, but she didn’t believe me! She even said because I snuck out, I wasn’t allowed to eat dinner!” Adrian’s pitiful voice whined through the phone. Before I could reply, the little guy in the tub spoke up. “Don’t be scared. She’s not a bad person, just a bit strict. She’s actually very kind, and she’ll have the maid bring you food tonight.” I stared at him, bewildered. “How do you know…?” Then, a sudden realization hit me. “Could the ‘lady’ my son mentioned be your mother?” I asked, my voice uncertain. The little boy nodded. My vision swam. What an insane twist of fate. I’d brought home the wrong child, and my own son had been taken home by someone else. I took a deep breath, steadying myself, and spoke to Adrian on the phone. “It’s too late tonight. Tomorrow, Dad will come over and we’ll swap you two back, okay?” Both Adrian and the little boy in the tub protested simultaneously. “No!” “You can’t!” I looked curiously from the phone to the child in the tub. He shifted his gaze left and right, avoiding my eyes, before finally whispering, “Just for one day, please? I… I just want to know what it feels like to have a dad.” I paused, a strange ache in my chest. For some reason, I found myself unable to refuse his request. Perhaps it was because I thought of my own son, who grew up without a mother, and wondered if he felt the same way. Just then, Adrian’s voice burst through the phone, a surprised gasp. “Oh, what a coincidence! I don’t have a mom either! But I want to stay because the food here is super yummy!” I truly wanted to reach through the phone and flick him on the forehead. At a time like this, all he could think about was food! Not even a flicker of worry about being sold off. The two boys, in unison again, pleaded, “Please, Dad, just this once!” “Please, Uncle, just for today!” I was surprised by their uncanny coordination and couldn’t bear to refuse. I sighed. Fine. Knowing Adrian is safe, one day it is. “Alright, just for tomorrow. But by nightfall, you two have to switch back.” Getting their confirmation, Adrian happily hung up. I looked at the little boy in the tub, my voice softening involuntarily. “What’s your name?” “Mom calls me Ethan.” “And Ethan, do you usually sleep by yourself, or do you need someone to stay with you?” He shook his head, like a miniature adult. “I’ve slept by myself since I was two. I don’t need company.” See? That’s the difference. My son always needed me to stay with him, telling stories until he drifted off. Ethan, on the other hand, had a maturity beyond his years, his eyes filled with a quiet seriousness. As for their identical looks, I simply thought the world was full of coincidences. Haven’t we all seen doppelgangers online? Just a fluke, I reasoned. The next morning, after preparing breakfast for Ethan, I decided to fulfill all his little wishes for the day. “Today, you can plan whatever you want during the day, anywhere you want to go, and I’ll go with you.” Ethan’s eyes instantly lit up. “Anywhere?” “Yes.” “I want to go to the zoo, and then to the amusement park, okay?” With my confirmed reply, he finally acted like a child, cheering with joy. A pang of sympathy hit me. It was clear his mother rarely took him to such places. I took him to the zoo first. Throughout the entire visit, the light in Ethan’s eyes never dimmed. The usually quiet boy, who had been so reserved since we met, would enthusiastically grab my hand to tell me about the habits and preferences of various small animals as we passed them. After the zoo, we went to the amusement park. Ethan was braver than Adrian, trying out many of the more thrilling rides. Finally, he dragged me to play the spinning teacups again and again until I couldn’t stomach the dizzying sensation anymore and begged for mercy. Ethan’s face, however, remained unfazed. “Please, Uncle, let me off… If I spin any more, I’ll surely throw up… Ugh…” Ethan patted my back, saying, “I want to play more…” As the sun set, I, weak with exhaustion, walked out of the amusement park, holding Ethan’s hand. I knelt down, meeting his gaze. “Did you have fun today?” He nodded, then shook his head. I was confused. Ethan’s eyes welled up with tears. “I know you’re taking me home now, and I had a lot of fun today.” “But when I think about not seeing you again, I feel sad.” “If…” Ethan hesitated. “If you were my dad, it would be perfect.” I felt a pang in my chest and gently ruffled his hair. After a moment, I said, “If… if we meet again, I’ll play with you again, okay?” Ethan nodded enthusiastically. I drove to the exclusive villa district following Ethan’s directions. As we reached the main gate, I called Adrian’s smartwatch. It rang only a few times before it was answered. I instructed Adrian to seize the opportunity when no one was looking, open the door, and come out quickly. Then, Ethan would swiftly slip in, completing the switch without anyone noticing. As Ethan walked inside, he couldn’t resist looking back and waving at me. Seeing their identical faces, I felt a strange mix of tenderness and sorrow. But just then, through the open gate, I saw a woman approaching the entrance. My heart began to pound. It was her. Isabella Brown, the renowned heiress of the Brown family. Without a second thought, I grabbed Adrian’s still-waving little hand and turned to leave. I was such a fool. How could two people in this world look exactly alike, and share such an uncanny connection? Seeing Isabella Brown, I knew there was only one possibility: Ethan was the other twin son Isabella had given birth to. But weren’t they living in the capital city? Why were they in Kingston? Five years later, I never would have imagined that fate would bring me face-to-face with my other son in such a way. It turned out the child I had rescued that day was also my own flesh and blood. Lost in thought, Adrian skipped over and took my hand, his little chatterbox mode activated. “Dad, this was such a strange trip! He looks just like me, and his mom didn’t even recognize him!” “And he has a mom but no dad, and I have a dad but no mom. Isn’t that just a perfect match?” “Dad, you don’t know how super strict his mom is! She makes him get up at 5 AM, piano lessons at 9, English class at 10:30, only two hours for lunch, and then at 2 PM, some kind of thinking and business class!” “Just now, she wanted me to memorize some long theory, and I couldn’t remember it at all! His mom said if I didn’t recite it, no dinner! Good thing you swapped us back in time, Dad, otherwise I wouldn’t have eaten anything tonight!” I listened, growing angry. Ethan was only five, a playful age. Yet she had filled his schedule with endless lessons. No wonder he had such a prematurely serious look. It was all because of her. I looked down at Adrian beside me, his face a picture of innocence. I suddenly felt a pang of anger at my past self. Why hadn’t I taken both children? Left her with none, at least ensuring they both had a happy childhood. But the truth was, with my capabilities back then, I could only properly raise one child. Leaving the other with the Brown family would guarantee him a life of comfort and wealth. It was the best solution I could devise. Still, the thought of Ethan filled me with guilt. Three months flew by. One day, the kindergarten sent a notice: a parent-child sports day on Friday, requiring parental attendance. I blocked out the time in my schedule. On Friday, I dressed Adrian and myself in matching parent-child athletic wear. Today, Adrian declared, we were aiming for first place. As a devoted father, I had no choice but to give it my all. The first event was the “Coordinated Forward Run.” As the referee was tying my and Adrian’s legs together, I realized Adrian was gone. I frantically searched around and then saw a familiar figure walking towards me. I quickly scooped him up and brought him to the waiting area, then sternly lectured him. “Who said we were aiming for first place today? If you wander off again, forget first place, you won’t even be last!” Adrian, surprisingly, didn’t argue. He just nodded, his bright eyes shining. “No wandering, aim for first!” It was our turn to compete. At the sound of the whistle, we lifted our legs and sprinted towards the finish line. We had an incredible synchronicity in this race, not a single stumble, reaching the finish line smoothly and taking first place. We hugged and cheered. The second event was a relay race where we had to carry a small water balloon between our bodies, carefully moving forward. We reached the finish line in the shortest time. Victorious. Adrian was overjoyed. Like this, we passed every challenge with perfect coordination, ultimately winning first place in all events. But then I noticed something wasn’t quite right with Adrian. I tentatively called out, “Ethan?” The little boy chirped in response. Then, he quickly clapped a hand over his mouth, his eyes full of regret for his slip of the tongue. I rubbed my forehead. There was no need for further explanation. Coincidentally, both boys were dressed identically today. “What exactly is going on?” Ethan’s face was a mixture of emotions for a long moment, then he bravely said, “I recently transferred to this kindergarten, and I only just realized today at the sports day that we’re in the same kindergarten!” “He saw me just now, and came over to ask if we wanted to swap again. He said we could switch back after the sports day was over, and I… agreed.” “I’m sorry, Uncle.” Looking at Ethan’s cautious expression, my voice softened involuntarily. “Did you have fun today, Ethan?” Ethan’s eyes were full of unbridled joy as he nodded emphatically. I couldn’t resist ruffling his hair but still had to say, “The sports day is almost over now. Take me to your class’s area. You two need to switch back.” I knew he would be sad to hear that, but I had no choice. If Isabella Brown discovered the child with her wasn’t Ethan, she would surely trace it back to my identity. I just wanted to live a quiet life with my son. And this kindergarten was no longer safe. Ethan looked up at me, his little face anxious. “Can I still come play with you often?” Looking at his hopeful and timid eyes, the refusal lingered on my tongue. I simply couldn’t bring myself to say, “Don’t come again.” Besides, I was already planning to move Adrian to a different kindergarten; after a while, our secret would inevitably be discovered. My prolonged silence conveyed the answer. His eyes slowly filled with tears. He turned his head away, wiping his tears with the back of his hand, then looked up at me, forcing a smile. It twisted my heart. Just then, we arrived at his class’s area. My eyes immediately fell upon Isabella Brown, the most striking figure in the crowd. I was surprised. In my memory, she rarely paid attention to anything outside of her company. I had assumed a nanny or aunt would accompany Ethan to the sports day. I never expected her to be here herself. Adrian was sitting dutifully beside her, not a trace of his usual mischievousness. Last time, I’d been too focused on escaping. This time, I hid in the crowd, observing Isabella from a distance. She sat there, as aloof and arrogant as ever. Yet, she possessed a beauty that was truly breathtaking. It stirred desire in others, yet no one dared to take that step closer. Thinking back, I truly admired my past self for being able to capture this cold beauty from the city’s elite. I waved at Adrian from afar. He saw me, then cautiously glanced at Isabella. Taking advantage of her inattention, he ran towards me. As he got close, I flicked him on the forehead, and he yelped, rubbing his head in protest. He was getting too bold. I gently nudged Ethan back towards her, then grabbed Adrian’s hand and turned to leave. Just then, a cool, clear voice drifted from behind us. “Ethan! Where are you running off to again?” Isabella Brown’s commanding voice floated into my ears. She was still the same, used to her own way, treating her child like an employee under her command, so demanding. A child wasn’t a static entity; he had thoughts and desires of his own. But with Isabella, he was always measured by adult expectations. Ethan softly explained, “Mom, I really need to pee. I just wanted to go to the bathroom. I promise I won’t run off again.” But Isabella cut him off. “I don’t know who you take after with that temper of yours. Usually, you can sit still, but today you’re fidgeting like you’ve got ants in your pants.” “Did I not give you enough schoolwork?” “When we get home tonight, copy all your lessons twice.” I bristled. Was she perhaps taking out her old anger at me on Ethan, simply because his features vaguely resembled mine? Just then, a male voice chimed in. “Did you find Ethan?” Jake Vance’s voice instantly made my eyes narrow. It seemed he had been by Isabella’s side all these years and was doing very well for himself. His status had risen considerably, even accompanying Isabella to Ethan’s parent-child sports day. He noticed the tears in Ethan’s eyes and spoke gently, “Ethan, don’t blame Ms. Brown. She turned her head and saw you weren’t there, and she was frantic. We split up to find you.” “It’s a good thing you’re safe, or what would Ms. Brown have done?” He turned to Isabella, advising, “Ms. Brown, Ethan is just a child. Being lively and active is natural. Please, calm down.” In just a few sentences, he diffused the tense atmosphere between the mother and son. He was as smooth as ever. Back when I was around, he was just as manipulative. I took Adrian’s hand and started walking out again. But then, a scrutinizing gaze fell on me. “You, stop right there.” She couldn’t be calling me, I thought, and kept walking. “The one in the gray athletic wear. I’m talking to you.” I glanced around. I was the only one wearing gray athletic wear. A chill ran down my spine. I had only nudged Ethan towards her through the crowd. Logically, she shouldn’t have seen me. But why was she specifically calling me out? “Turn around.” Isabella Brown’s cool voice sounded again. I whispered to Adrian, “Stay hidden close to Dad. Don’t show your face.” The sun was blazing today. I had deliberately worn a hat and a mask when I left the house, covering myself thoroughly. She definitely wouldn’t recognize me. Then I turned around, looking directly at her. “Is there something you need?” Jake Vance, hearing the commotion, handed the child to the nanny behind him and approached. “I just saw Ethan running towards you through the crowd?” “Do you know him?” Isabella Brown squinted at me. She was questioning me. I had thought that being in the crowd would prevent her from noticing, but I forgot that as the Brown heir, she had always been acutely sensitive to everything around her. I disguised my voice, speaking softly. “That little boy just now was running so fast he almost fell, so I just helped him. I was about to leave when you called me.” “If you don’t believe me, you can check the security cameras.” Perhaps my words seemed sincere, and since this was a school, kidnapping was unlikely. Isabella Brown nodded after hearing what I said and turned to leave. Jake Vance, however, lifted his chin and said, “You know, you helped the child of Brown Industries’ heir. You’re quite lucky. Ms. Brown cares deeply about her child. Take this check; you can cash it for ten thousand dollars at any bank, consider it our thanks.” I scoffed inwardly. He really was acting like the man of the house, looking so proud. But I showed no emotion, simply refusing. “It was just a small thing. Anyone would have helped.” He sneered. “Fine, then you can go.” Ah, that’s exactly what I wanted him to say. I turned, ready to leave with Adrian, but Isabella Brown, who had already walked away, turned back. “Which class is your child in? How old is he this year?” An alarm rang in my head. Transferring schools would take time, so I couldn’t tell her the truth. I casually named a class and lied about Adrian’s age. Isabella Brown said nothing more. Perhaps it was just my imagination, but I felt a hint of disappointment in her eyes. Jake Vance, seeing the stunned Isabella Brown, prompted, “What’s wrong, Ms. Brown? Is there a problem with him?” Isabella Brown snapped out of it, shook her head as she had when she arrived, and turned to leave with an arrogant expression. Jake Vance followed beside her, but not before glancing back in my direction.

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The day my mother, Amelia, married Arthur Cullen, his father, Danny Dant was drunk. His eyes, bloodshot and raw, fixed on me. “Joanna Cole,” he slurred, “was letting your mother marry into wealth your only purpose for being with me?” “Fine! Just fine!” In that moment, the damaged boy I had so desperately tried to save turned to hate me completely. He didn’t break up with me. But from that day forward, he changed, bringing different women home every single night. Now, he had set his sights on the new secretary. This time, though, it was different. Three months had passed, and he still hadn’t ended things with me. On New Year’s Eve, I saw them both at a Michelin-starred restaurant. I was working late, closing a deal. He and Chloe Dant were having a candlelit dinner. Ten years of shared love, yet we sat at adjacent tables, like strangers. I spoke eloquently, smiled politely, but the client’s hand grazed mine with an unwelcome familiarity, implicitly offering a hotel room key. Just as the situation hung in an awkward stalemate, a sudden BOOM ripped through the air outside. Fireworks exploded across the night sky. DANNY DANT LOVES CHLOE DANT In that moment, I looked at Danny. My heart plummeted. He had won. After the meeting, I turned and made a call. “Mom, I agree to break up with him. Arrange for me to go abroad next week.” 1. Still on the phone, I walked aimlessly through the streets. The last night of the year was unusually cold. Sleet fell, and the wind howled, piercing straight to the bone. As the New Year’s bells chimed, cheers erupted from passersby. I followed the sound, and across the digital screen of Cullen Tower, a line of text scrolled brightly. “Wishing Cullen Corp’s most beautiful and capable fairy, Chloe Dant, a Happy New Year.” On the first day of the New Year, that name still lingered relentlessly. The envious murmurs of strangers reached my mother through the phone. She seethed. “This is too much! I’m going to talk to Arthur about it.” “No need, Mom. I’m leaving anyway.” I hung up, detached, no longer gasping for air from the pain. Only when the ride-sharing app showed a two-hour wait did a strange irritation bubble up. A discordant honk broke through the silence. Danny’s car pulled up, following me at a discreet distance. Chloe leaned out of the passenger window, greeting me with an exaggerated warmth. “Joanna, heading home?” “Mmm,” I replied flatly. She feigned elaborate sympathy, practically plastered against Danny. “Oh, it’ll take ages to get a cab tonight! We’re going the same way, but Alaric sent so many gifts, the back seat is completely full. Otherwise, we could have given you a ride.” I stopped, peering through the car window. A massive bouquet of flowers indeed occupied most of the back seat. Before I could look closer, a suit jacket was flung hard at my face. I instinctively caught it, and Danny’s disdainful scoff reached my ears. “Cover up that reek of alcohol. You smell disgusting. Don’t go stinking up the place and getting complaints to the company.” The stiff suit jacket stung my face. Watching Danny’s tail lights disappear, I tossed the jacket – which I had personally ironed, now tainted with another woman’s scent – into a roadside donation bin. I didn’t get home until three hours later. The house was brightly lit but empty. He must have gone out again. I thought I was used to it. But as the bathroom filled with steam, and the ambiguous handprints on the mirror misted over, the alcohol in my stomach churned uncontrollably, mixing with tears as I vomited. By the time I emerged from the bathroom, dawn was breaking. My phone showed two unread messages. One was a flight confirmation. The other was from Danny. [Busy, not coming back.] Scrolling up, our communication over the past year was sparse. More often, it was Danny’s curt [Busy] after I had frantically dialed countless unanswered voice calls. I instinctively clicked on Chloe’s social media. As expected, a meticulously curated nine-panel grid. Nine hundred ninety-nine roses, New Year’s fireworks… The centerpiece was a mirror selfie of her and Danny, embracing. I recognized the reflection; it was Danny’s property on the west side of town. In the corner of the mirror, a faded sticker from a movie we once saw, a character from “Zootopia,” was still stuck. It was now waterlogged and peeling, disgustingly limp. Danny didn’t come back for the next few days. My housekeeper was on holiday, leaving the vast house empty, with only the timely delivery of takeout reminding me of the passage of time. Spicy noodles, Kung Pao chicken, “blood curd” hotpot… When the fifth takeout box appeared on the table, I couldn’t stomach it anymore. I swept them all into the trash, then took a photo and sent it to Danny. [Don’t order anymore. I don’t like spicy food.] The phone rang almost immediately. Danny’s voice, husky and laced with an afterglow, was tinged with impatience. “Throwing a tantrum by starving yourself, are we? Fine. Just don’t call me when you end up in the hospital again.” Chloe’s playful, peacemaking voice chimed in. “Joanna, just try it! Alaric and I tried all these places, they’re super delicious!” “Ignore her. She can eat it or not.” I pressed my lips together, silently biting back the humiliating question I wanted to ask. Danny, you remember I have a stomach condition and need regular meals, but do you remember I ended up in the hospital because of spicy food? The words caught in my throat for a moment, before I finally replied, “I’ll order my own.” “Ha, order your own?” Danny repeated, his tone ambiguous, then scoffed. “Joanna, you’re not asking for food, you’re just asking for money, aren’t you?” 2. “Joanna, aren’t you and your mother just after my family’s money?” The mocking voice overlapped with the memory, still hitting me hard a year later. Tears fell onto the dining table. When I came back to myself, the call had already ended. My bank account showed a transfer of fifteen thousand dollars, along with a voice message from Danny. “Five thousand for meals, ten thousand for your errand fee. Chloe left a bra strap in the sofa cushion. Find it and bring it to her when Arthur gets to work.” Moving aside the matching throw pillows, I found the black bra strap in the crevice. The sofa was one Danny and I had picked out together at the furniture store. The moment I saw it, I loved it. Danny tested its firmness and softness, smiling as he agreed. “The size is perfect. I’ll even ask for extra throw pillows so we’ll be more comfortable.” Lovers, in the throes of passion, often speak with double meanings. I playfully chided him, and he laughed. That’s how we picked out one item after another, decorating the home in our hearts. But now, looking at the things I had carefully chosen, and seeing them in the same space as him and another woman, I felt only repulsion and sickness. Since I was leaving, I might as well throw everything away. From dawn until dusk, I packed. Eight years of love transformed into five boxes of junk and one suitcase. Only after triple-checking that nothing of mine remained in the house did the unsettling feeling finally subside. Now, only one last item remained. I pulled out a photo album from the bedside drawer. Inside, two hundred seventy-nine photos had been torn to shreds, then painstakingly taped back together. From after our high school graduation to college, then living together and working, the photo paper chronicled my entire youth with Danny. The last photo was from New Year’s Eve last year, where we raised our glasses, celebrating seven years together under the fireworks. Three days after that photo was taken, Arthur, who had been widowed for years, and my mother, divorced for years, announced at dinner that they wanted to spend their lives together. Danny’s face remained impassive, indicating his approval. I, too, was happy for them. But back in our home, he tore the photos and threw them at me, screaming. “Joanna, you and your mother are both equally shameless. Aren’t you just after my family’s money? And you talk about ‘adding to the family’? How disgusting!” I stood there, bewildered, watching him vent his rage, helpless. Danny and I had learned the news at the same time. I thought he had truly accepted it. I carefully removed all the photos, tearing them along the same delicate lines I had once meticulously re-glued, and tossed them into the pile of junk. 3. The next time I saw Danny was at the first morning meeting after the holidays. He sat at the head of the table, and Chloe sat beside him, whispering and laughing intimately. Our relationship had never been public at the company. In the past, to avoid suspicion, our most affectionate gesture was just a shared, knowing smile. My gaze fell on his well-defined hands on the table. On his left middle finger, there should have been a plain silver band, a matching pair to my necklace. It was something Danny had earned from part-time jobs during college, before his family became wealthy. But now, it was replaced by a gold ring with a green emerald, a dazzling, matching couple’s set, just like the one on Chloe’s hand. It wasn’t until a colleague gently nudged me that I snapped back to reality. She offered a sympathetic whisper, “Don’t be sad, Joanna. Everyone knows what she did to get ahead. You’re the real top salesperson in our hearts.” Hearing this, I stared, bewildered, at the large digital screen. Today’s meeting was the annual summary, and the top sales position was conspicuously held by Chloe Dant, someone who didn’t even belong to our sales department. With just one project, she had pushed me, with my twenty-seven completed projects, to second place. Danny’s explanation was that this single project yielded significantly higher revenue than the others. But this project was one I had painstakingly closed during my overtime on New Year’s Eve, the details of which, along with a subtle hint, I had placed on his desk that very morning. He had seen with his own eyes the difficulties I overcame to secure that contract. My pen slipped, tearing the paper, making a strikingly loud sound in the awkward silence of the meeting. After the meeting, Danny called me into his office alone. Both of us were stubborn, neither speaking first. Danny’s face grew increasingly grim. His hand tapped impatiently on the table, the ring on his finger glinting, hurting my eyes. I couldn’t hold back anymore. “Is there something you need?” “Don’t you have anything to ask?” Both voices spoke at once. I paused, then smiled. Ask what? Ask why he didn’t come home on our anniversary? Why he gave my project to someone else? Or how much longer he intended for us to torture each other? For me now, none of it mattered. The resignation letter I submitted to HR yesterday, approved directly by Arthur, would finalize my departure today. The house was already empty of my belongings. My packed suitcase was in the trunk, ready for me to head straight to the airport after work. I calmly continued, “If there’s nothing, I’ll be leaving.” Danny stared at me, his face dark. “Where are my things?” It took me a moment to realize he was referring to his “anniversary” gift. Every year, we would make each other a handmade gift, but given how things had turned out this year, I thought we had an unspoken understanding. “I forgot,” I offered a perfunctory excuse. Danny’s face hardened. He impatiently tugged at his tie. “Joanna, can’t you have some empathy? Haven’t I given you enough money? Do you really have to cause a scene over this?” “Chloe lives in this city alone. My accompanying her on New Year’s Eve was a gesture of corporate goodwill. And she needs this bonus more than you do.” He paused, then added awkwardly, “If you really want this bonus, I can just give it to you directly.” Those words negated all my efforts. After our argument last year, I worked tirelessly, pulling all-nighters, achieving six-figure sales for several consecutive months. I wanted to show him that I truly wasn’t after his money, that I could earn plenty on my own. But I vividly remembered Danny’s condescending expression back then when he said, “Isn’t all this money from my family anyway?” Fearing that contemptuous look again, I shook my head. “No need. Is there anything else?” He grumbled, a frustrated “Tsk,” sounding almost like he was gritting his teeth. “No.”

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After my family went bankrupt, I became Christian’s kept woman, a call-girl at his beck and call. Watching my mother in the ICU, I gritted my teeth, mimicking the moves of those adult film actresses, desperate to please him in bed. When Christian slapped my butt, casually telling me to “lift it higher,” I felt nothing but shame. Still, I swallowed it down, reminding myself: Just hold on a little longer, Mom needs this money to live. “You’re really something when you’re like this, so wanton.” I was mortified, my voice hoarse as I asked, “When will you transfer the money?” He lit a cigarette, a dismissive tone in his voice. “Next month, I guess.” A chill instantly spread through me. I turned, pleading desperately, “But you said tomorrow! My mom won’t last until next month. Please.” Christian slowly exhaled a smoke ring, his voice as calm as if discussing the weather. “The liquid funds went to buy Melissa the latest sniper rifle. The girl’s on her first mission, needs a little reassurance.” He expected me to throw a fit, to turn everything upside down like before. But this time, I was just too tired. … “You’re going out like that?” Christian glanced at my torn clothes, his gaze sweeping to the door he’d deliberately left ajar. I knew he was reminding me that his men had seen everything through the gap. But they’d witnessed far more humiliating things; what was this? I numbly pushed the door open, but he seized my wrist. “Can’t you show some decency?” I met his gaze, unflinching. “Did you ever give me any decency?” He fell silent. We both knew the truth. From the age of nineteen, after I beat him three times consecutively in a sniper competition, he became utterly infatuated with me. He’d always said he loved the fierce, unyielding look in my eyes when I pulled the trigger. But in just seven short years, he grew tired of it. All it took was Melissa, the new recruit, snuggling into his arms and whimpering, “Christian, Audrey’s stare… it scares me so much.” And he personally severed the tendons in my hands, ensuring I could never hold a gun again. Seven years of sharing life and death, reduced to nothing by a newcomer’s tear. He’d brought up breaking things off seven times, each instance because Melissa wanted a title. Even now, knowing my mother lay in the ICU, waiting for money to save her life, he remained unmoved. My eyes suddenly burned. My voice, rough with unshed tears, asked, “How much did that sniper rifle cost?” He said, with a shrug, “Three million.” Three million. My heart felt like it was being squeezed by an unseen hand, a pain that stole my breath. I only needed fifty thousand—a mere fraction of that amount—to save my mother. Seven years with him, and I was worth less than Melissa’s sniper rifle. Christian was a man of his word; if he said a month, he wouldn’t change it, even if I died on the spot. I stopped arguing, pulling the door open. Outside, a few team members were smoking, falling silent as they saw me. They awkwardly averted their eyes, one of them giving a forced chuckle. “Audrey, is your special training over?” They exchanged knowing glances, suppressing muffled laughter. Christian hurled a glass from inside, the shards grazing my lower leg. Drops of blood seeped into my trousers, but I barely felt it. He frowned at the bloodstain, then, for show, tossed his jacket over my shoulders. “I said a month, not that I wouldn’t give it to you. Who are you putting on a face for?” The jacket wasn’t even buttoned, just draped carelessly, a performance for the onlookers. I gazed deeply at the man I had loved for seven years. I always thought if I was just a little more obedient, a little more subservient, he would remember how I once shielded him from a bullet, willing to give my life. They say true love feels empathy, but his eyes held only cold indifference. The moment I stepped out of the compound, all strength drained from me, my legs trembling too much to stand. As tears streamed down my face, I heard unrestrained laughter from inside. Someone asked Christian, “It’s clear the Howards were set up this time. Christian, aren’t you going to do anything?” Christian’s voice was dismissive. “I set the trap. Melissa said Audrey publicly humiliated her when she first joined the organization, and after all these years of feeling wronged, she deserves some satisfaction.” “Aren’t you worried she might actually leave? She’s a top sniper, tough as nails.” Christian laughed outright. “Don’t be silly. Known her for eight years, been with her for seven. When has Audrey ever not come running back at my call? If she could really leave, I’d actually think more of her.” I leaned against the wall, biting down hard on my hand to stifle a sob. The family bankruptcy, my desperate pleas for help met with silence – it was all Christian’s doing. All because Melissa shed a tear three years ago. The wound on my leg clung to my damp clothes, each movement tearing at my skin. I pictured my mother, tubes everywhere, and remembered the doctor’s warning: No payment, no machines. I slapped myself hard, twice. “Idiot. If you hadn’t fallen for him, you wouldn’t have dragged your whole family into ruin.” I never imagined a love I’d entrusted my life to would end like this. The Fosters controlled half the underground arms trade; Christian’s word could mean life or death. He was determined to appease Melissa, and no one in the criminal underworld dared to help me. I stood shattered on the bridge spanning the river, gazing at the churning water below, nearly wanting to leap. But I couldn’t. If I died, what would happen to Mom? “Wait, Melissa.” I suddenly remembered her. Three years ago, on an international mission, I, as Miss Howard, attended with her; she was a new recruit then. In the lounge, a drunken arms dealer groped her leg. I happened to see it and intervened. At the time, Christian and I were in a cold war over his rumored affairs. He, ever keen to provoke, chuckled in front of everyone, “So, Miss Howard is the only one who likes playing the hero? You, new girl, you’re under my command from now on.” I never realized that was the beginning of our tangled three-way mess. I don’t know when Christian started seeing Melissa. He showered her with top-tier equipment, hired the best instructors for her special training, and assigned her to the most critical missions. To ensure she never suffered the slightest injustice, he bought an entire smuggling route and gifted it to her for her birthday. Whenever Melissa so much as frowned, I’d know it without even asking. Christian would cut off contact with me, then make amends on my behalf to the organization. He’d always say, “Melissa is fragile; she can’t handle these things.” She couldn’t be wronged, so it always had to be me. I stumbled to the private club where Melissa’s celebration was being held tonight, only to be stopped by bodyguards at the door. “Apologies, Miss Howard, but Mr. Foster has given instructions that Miss Melissa is not to be disturbed by anyone.” This club used to be a place Christian often brought me. Now, I was discarded, and no one would show me any courtesy. The night wind cut through my thin clothes, reopening my wound, making my teeth chatter with pain. “Let her in.” I looked up to see Christian standing in the hallway, looking down at me. Something flickered in his eyes, quickly replaced by coldness. “Who are you trying to play the victim for? Don’t you know a high fever will trigger your old wound?” He was right. I’d been shot in the lung saving him once, and catching a chill always gave me a fever. During the best of our relationship, he would always wrap me in his coat, staying by my side all night while I received IVs. I lowered my head. “I want to speak with Miss Melissa.” Christian frowned slightly, a mocking smirk playing on his lips. “You’re still the same, Audrey.” He was afraid I would give Melissa a hard time. After all, I had “previous offenses.” When I first found out Melissa was constantly calling Christian in the dead of night, claiming nightmares, I stormed into her dorm. In front of the entire team, I threw her phone into the swimming pool. As everyone snickered, Christian walked over and slapped me. Every team member froze. I jutted out my chin, staking my claim. “You’re my man. No one gets to bother you in the middle of the night.” Christian merely gave me a cold glance, then publicly shielded a pale-faced Melissa behind him. “Look at you, you crazy witch. Do you even deserve to call me your man?!” He left me standing there, exposed to everyone’s whispers and pointed fingers. Melissa then replaced me for a crucial overseas mission I’d been preparing for a month. During that time, Christian locked me in the dungeon for “reflection.” For every day Melissa was upset, I was kept locked away. Without food or water. It took Christian a whole week of sweet-talking before he came back. And to shield her from the gossip, he directly transferred a port operating license to her as compensation. I shook my head, forcing a smile that was more a grimace. “I just want to explain to her that we have nothing to do with each other anymore.” The clear suspicion on his face made my chest ache. I admitted I still loved him. Knowing Christian, as the Foster scion, had immense pride, I had never crossed him all these years, fearing even a glance might hurt him. Yet, I never anticipated he would be so cruel to me. All to appease Melissa, he orchestrated the ruin of my family, cutting off my livelihood. It wasn’t that I didn’t love him; it was that I couldn’t anymore. Once the hurt broke through, it spread wildly. My eyes instantly turned red. Christian’s brows furrowed. “Just talk, why are you crying…” He was about to lift his hand when a figure rushed out of the club. Melissa, in a custom evening gown, exuded an aura of lavish confidence. Far more dazzling than the timid newcomer she once was. More than me, she looked like the princess Christian cherished. “Why are you out?” Christian’s tone softened instantly. She lowered her head, her eyes barely reddening before Christian was flustered, pulling her into an embrace and gently coaxing, “Who made our Melissa upset?” Melissa then broke into a tearful smile, playfully hitting his shoulder, whispering, “I heard Audrey was here, so I came out to see.” “Did you see her? Are you satisfied?” He asked Melissa, but his gaze landed on me. I imagined she was. The Miss Howard who once saved her on a mission was now in tattered clothes, hair plastered to her face with blood and sweat. Utterly pathetic. What more could she possibly want? I wanted to question her, but I didn’t dare. I was afraid of upsetting Melissa, fearing Mom wouldn’t even last her final days. I forced a fawning smile. “Melissa, long time no see.” She was more composed than I. “Audrey, you really didn’t need to come all this way. I’ve already forgiven you.” I looked up at her. Forgiven me? For throwing her phone when she was flirting with someone else’s man, or for standing in the way of her becoming Mrs. Foster? I was momentarily dazed, just staring at her blankly. Christian, however, suddenly flared up. “Melissa, in her great mercy, has forgiven you. Shouldn’t you offer your thanks?” It felt like a thousand arrows piercing my heart. I clenched my jaw, refusing to let the tears fall. The three words were ground between my teeth until my tongue bled, finally forcing themselves out in a broken whisper: “Th-thank… thank you…” Christian averted his gaze, pulling out a black card and placing it in Melissa’s palm. “There’s fifty thousand in there. It’s up to you whether you give it to her.” My eyes instantly lit up. With that money, Mom could live. I cast a hopeful glance at Melissa, but watched as she slowly closed her fingers around the card. Melissa’s lips curled into a slight smile. “Audrey made the whole team laugh at me back then, and she made Christian misunderstand me. I can’t just give her the money that easily, can I?” Christian chuckled, playfully tapping her nose. “Whatever you wish.” I instantly panicked. Mom was waiting for that money to save her life. All my savings had been used to plug the holes in my family’s finances. Now I was penniless, hounded by creditors and enemies. Mom’s heart was already weak, and the shock had landed her in the ICU. This last chance was within reach, and I pleaded desperately, “Melissa, I’m so sorry. Punish me however you want, just please, help me.” Melissa tilted her head, pondering for a moment, then, with a playful glint, said, “How about this? Audrey, you bark a few times for me right here, and I’ll give you the card, okay?” She smiled sweetly, but her words were laced with venom. “Make it sound convincing, though. I heard Audrey used to be so good at disguises and infiltration on missions, she could imitate anything.” Christian remained silent, standing beside Melissa as if to endorse her actions. “Oh, you don’t want to…” she said, feigning disappointment, as she started to tuck the card into her pocket. I immediately cried out, “I will!” As the words left my mouth, she laughed triumphantly, her eyes curving in anticipation of my performance. I glanced at Christian, who remained impassive. My throat felt scraped raw, like sandpaper. It was just a few barks, but it felt like being stripped naked of all my dignity in public. I opened my mouth, but no sound came out. My nails dug into my palms, the taste of blood spreading in my mouth. “Woof…” The first bark trembled out, my voice shaking. “Woof woof…” The second was clearer. A waiter in the hallway couldn’t help but chuckle. “Sounds just like it,” someone whispered. Melissa laughed with satisfaction, then feigned regret, “Oh, Audrey, I was just kidding! Why did you actually do it?” I didn’t stop. I lowered my head and continued, “Woof… woof woof woof…” Each bark felt like a razor blade scraping my throat. “Sigh…” Melissa sighed lightly, dropping the card at my feet. I bent down to pick it up, tears splattering onto the gilded surface. Mom was saved. Christian, I would never dare to love again. I stood up, my voice low. “Thank you.” Christian’s face darkened. He pushed Melissa’s hand away and turned, walking back inside. “Christian…” she called, but he didn’t look back. Melissa shot me an irritated glare. “Aren’t you leaving?” I clutched the card and walked out of the club. Behind me, I heard Melissa’s friend’s voice. “Melissa, are you really Christian’s girlfriend? The Fosters are the most powerful family in the underworld!” The earlier unpleasantness vanished. Melissa raised an eyebrow triumphantly. “I told you, you didn’t believe me.” Her friend, excited, then asked, confused, “That Audrey just now, wasn’t her relationship with Christian quite… special? And you just gave her fifty thousand for nothing?” Melissa’s eyes darkened slightly, and a smirk played on her lips. “Who said for nothing? I’ve already had someone anonymously upload the recording of what just happened to the internet.” “What recording?” Melissa chuckled. “Nothing much. Just Miss Howard, Audrey, barking like a dog at the club entrance. That’s all.” The hospital wasn’t far from the club. I ran quickly, feeling a sense of calm I hadn’t known before. Mom, I’ll be able to pay for your surgery soon, and take you out of here. The ICU was on the seventh floor. I saw lights on that floor, figures moving at the nurses’ station. I held up the card. “Doctor! I’m here to pay!” I wanted to shout the news for everyone to hear. But the elevator doors opened to chaos. Doctors and nurses were rushing a patient on a bed toward the emergency room. “Patient suffered cardiac arrest from shock!” I froze, then rushed to the payment counter, slamming the card down. “Payment! For Elizabeth Howard in ICU!” The cashier glanced at me, then at the gurney, her eyes full of pity. She didn’t take the card. I stood frozen. On that gurney, it was my mother. Panic instantly seized my breath. “Mom!” Death, I realized, descended so silently. I ran after the gurney, but was blocked outside the emergency room. Downstairs, ambulance sirens wailed, growing louder then fading away. The hospital suddenly grew chaotic. “Listen to this audio circulating online! Miss Howard, Audrey, barking like a dog!” “Oh my god, how could she end up like this…” More and more people put on headphones. But I couldn’t move. All the blood in my body instantly froze. I hammered on the emergency room door like a madwoman. All I saw was the flatline on the cardiac monitor. “Mom! Mom!” The world plunged into darkness. I couldn’t understand why I had the money, but Mom was gone. That line lay silently on the screen. “Mama!” I cried until my voice broke. “Why didn’t you wait for me… I got the money, I got it!” I pressed the black card against the door, babbling incoherently, “Look, Mama, look, it can save you…” I cried. I screamed. That line never stirred again. I completely broke down. I didn’t understand why hope could be so close, yet still be lost.

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When I was eight months pregnant, my husband Orion—the Alpha heir of Pathseekers Pack—and I were attacked by a group of Rogues. We fought them fiercely. Because of my pregnancy, I was at a disadvantage in the fight and was quickly surrounded by several Rogues. Orion quickly defeated the Rogues he was fighting. I used the mind-link to ask Orion to help me, but suddenly he said he had to leave immediately. He replied: “Tia just mind-linked me. Her cat is missing. I need to go help her find it.” Tia was Orion’s dead brother’s wife. Orion had always taken care of her. I’d been understanding before, but now, facing the Rogues surrounding me, I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Orion lost his patience and just left, throwing out one last sentence: “Tia can’t wait any longer. I’ll send someone to rescue you. They’ll be there in half an hour!” Watching Orion leave, my heart sank to rock bottom. During that chaotic fight, I’d done everything I could to avoid several fatal attacks, but my pregnant body wasn’t what it used to be. The wound on my left arm where a Rogue had clawed me was still bleeding, and my abdomen had several gashes. The dull pain made cold sweat break out all over my body. Several Rogues Orion had knocked down still lay around me, groaning, temporarily unable to move. But there were still several Rogues forming a circle around me, closing in. I stood alone on this desolate interstate highway, eight months pregnant, surrounded by vicious Rogues. My stomach hurt more and more—it felt like I was about to give birth. Suddenly, a black SUV came speeding up from behind and screeched to a stop beside me. A young, athletic woman got out. She quickly took down two Rogues, broke through their encirclement, and reached my side. “Are you okay?” Her eyes showed a trace of concern as she quickly scanned my swollen belly and the wound on my arm. My trembling hands clenched into fists as I forced out a few words with difficulty: “I think… I’m going into labor.” She cursed under her breath and quickly helped me into the back seat, telling me her name was Kalia, daughter of the Ashclaw Pack Alpha. Seeing my face grow paler, she asked anxiously: “Where’s your mate!” The question left me at a loss for words. I was carrying Orion’s child, close to delivery, yet I couldn’t compete with Tia’s missing cat. Even this strange she-wolf was more worried about my life than my own husband. The pain of contractions suddenly hit. I hurriedly took a deep breath. I pulled out my phone and called Orion. He hung up without hesitation. Once, twice, three times… It wasn’t until the sixteenth call that he finally answered impatiently. “What now!” It was quiet on the other end, but within two seconds, I heard Tia’s voice. “Orion, I think I see Snowball!” Hearing this, Orion had no patience to listen to me anymore, leaving only: “Leo will be there soon, just wait a bit longer!” Then he hung up. The words “I’m in labor” stuck in my throat. Warm fluid flowed down my legs. My heart sank. Seeing this, she hurriedly tried to drive to the roadside. But every lane was already completely blocked. Several cars damaged by the Rogue attack lay across the middle of the road, and with the security vehicles that had arrived afterward, the entire highway was almost completely paralyzed. She pounded her fist heavily on the steering wheel and cursed. But she didn’t forget to turn back and comfort me: “Don’t be afraid, everything will be okay!” She stuck her head out the car window and roared toward the front: “Move aside! I’ve got a pregnant woman in labor here!” But the endless line of cars couldn’t hear her shouts and didn’t budge an inch. I tried to calm myself and hurriedly called Leo, the son of Orion’s brother—the Beta guard. As long as they arrived in time to clear the road, my baby and I would be saved. “Clara? What’s wrong?” The sound of horns and wolf howls on the other end nearly drowned out his voice. The pain hit again at that moment. I gritted my teeth hard, forcing myself through the agony to explain frantically. “I’m in labor, but the car is stuck on the highway, you guys…” Before I could finish, I heard a scoff from the other end. “Clara, if Orion hadn’t specifically warned us, we almost would’ve believed you.” “You’re only eight months along. It’s way too early for labor. We’ll get there as fast as we can, so just wait there like you’re supposed to!” The call was hung up mercilessly. The pain tormented me until I could barely hold my phone. Seeing this, Kalia hurriedly got out of the car and knocked on the windows of cars in the emergency lane one by one. “Please move aside, there’s a pregnant woman about to give birth in the car!” “It’s a matter of life and death, please save her!” I collapsed onto the seat, struggling to dial Orion’s number. This was my last hope. But—his phone was off. I tried again—still off.

Just when I was on the verge of despair, a chorus of car horns suddenly sounded outside. Car windows rolled down, and drivers stuck their heads out, shouting toward the front: “Cars up front, clear the lane! Someone’s about to have a baby!” The emergency lane was cleared. Kalia’s car sped forward. About five minutes from the highway exit, we were blocked again. She’d pressed the horn so hard it was nearly smoking, but the cars ahead still didn’t move. Several guard vehicles were blocking the middle of the road, as if conducting some kind of inspection. The pain in my abdomen came faster and more urgent. Amniotic fluid mixed with blood dripped onto the car floor. Cold sweat soaked my entire body. I couldn’t tell anymore when I was conscious and when I’d passed out from pain. When I regained consciousness again, Kalia was arguing with someone outside. “The emergency lane is for saving lives! Blocking it like this will get someone killed!” A wolf reeking of alcohol stumbled down from a beat-up pickup truck. “It’s not just me blocking the road. If you want to complain, go up front!” “Stop yelling at me, or don’t blame my fists for not having eyes!” When the thug actually looked like he was going to hit Kalia, I forced myself through the pain to open the car door and pull her behind me. “I… I really am in labor, please, let us through…” This action took all my remaining strength. I stumbled and couldn’t support myself, collapsing to the ground. Seeing this, the thug hurriedly got back in his car and slammed the door shut. “This isn’t my fault, don’t try to blame me!” Perhaps my condition looked dire enough—many people got out of their cars and ran toward the vehicles ahead. They knocked on windows one by one, desperately trying to explain. “There’s a pregnant woman who can’t hold on much longer!” “We all have wives and children. Please save her!” The pain struck again. Just as my consciousness was fading, the vehicles ahead moved in unison to clear the emergency lane. Some cars even pressed tightly against the cars beside them, not caring about scratches, just to make the road wider. Kalia and people nearby quickly lifted me into the car. “Don’t be afraid, we’ll be at the hospital soon!” The car started again. Tears streamed uncontrollably down my face. “Thank you all!” Kalia smiled. “We’re saving you, but also saving ourselves from future danger.” But we’d barely driven two minutes when we were stopped by Pathseekers Pack patrol cars. Orion’s friend Leo got out of the car with a frown. He was the Beta guard’s son, had grown up with Orion, and wore the pack guard uniform. “So you’re the ones obstructing traffic and forcing cars on the highway to crash?” He looked coldly at Kalia. Kalia tried to explain. Leo cut her off directly: “You people are so reckless. Sooner or later you’ll all end up in prison!” Kalia’s face flushed red with anger. Before she could argue back, she heard my scream. She hurriedly got in the car to wipe the cold sweat from my forehead. “Just hang on a little longer, we’ll be at the hospital in five minutes at most!” Leo walked forward and, seeing it was me, a trace of suspicion flashed in his eyes. “Clara, what are you doing here?” I bit down hard on my finger, forcing myself to stay conscious. “I’m in labor, you guys…” Halfway through my sentence, Leo’s phone rang. “What’s up, Orion?” “Clara? Yeah, we found her, but…” He looked at me with confusion, “She seems to be in labor!” Orion’s scoffing laughter came through the phone. “How is that possible? She’s still a month away from her due date.” “To compete with Tia for attention, she’d even make up this kind of lie.” “Don’t bother with her! I left her with those Rogues on purpose today to teach her a lesson!” My head spun instantly, and the pain felt like it was tearing my body apart. After one scream, everything went black, and I passed out completely.

When I woke up again, I was already in the hospital. From the conversation between the nurses nearby, I learned that I’d been in emergency care for an entire day. I lay weakly in bed. My belly, which hadn’t yet gone down, throbbed with pain. I knew the baby was gone. Before I could process my grief, Orion walked in. Tia followed behind him, holding her cat. Orion casually tossed a pack of diapers onto the nearby couch. “Clara, you really know how to cause trouble. Didn’t you say you were in labor? Where’s the baby!” Looking at his completely indifferent expression, I laughed bitterly to myself and said nothing. Tia stroked her cat a couple of times and glanced at me carelessly. “Clara, there’s really no need for this. Orion and I are completely innocent. Making such a big scene just to get at me—aren’t you embarrassed?” Embarrassed? I gripped the bedsheet tightly, my nails nearly digging into my flesh. “If giving birth to my own mate’s child is embarrassing, then you calling my mate to find your cat must be utterly shameless!” Her eyes immediately reddened. “I know having a baby is important to you, but Snowball may be a cat, but she’s still a living creature!” “If Orion hadn’t arrived in time, I might never have seen Snowball again!” Right, the cat was still alive. Orion had arrived in time, so her cat survived. But… I couldn’t hold back my grief and anger anymore. I grabbed the water glass from the bedside table and hurled it at them. “But my child is dead! I’ll never see him again!” Orion’s face instantly darkened. “How is that possible? How could my child be dead? You’re just making up excuses to blame me!” If Orion had asked the nurse just one question when he arrived, or if he’d shown even a bit of concern about my condition, he would know what had happened. But he did nothing—just blamed me baselessly. “Snowball is the only thing my brother left for Tia. Since I promised him I’d take care of her, I can’t let her lose that connection and be sad!” “Besides, you lied and caused such a scene out of jealousy that you mobilized the entire pack’s guard force. You might have no shame, but I do!” I found it laughable and pathetic. My poor child. He should have been born with everyone’s expectations, enjoying the warmth of this pack. But because of a cat, he died miserably on a cold highway. He didn’t even get a chance to see this world. My heart was as dead as ashes. I closed my eyes and pointed trembling fingers at the door. “Get out!” Orion looked at me in disbelief. “You’re telling me to get out?” He stepped forward and grabbed my wrist. “You really think being pregnant means you can do whatever you want? I heard you were in labor and rushed here overnight, and this is the attitude you give me?!” He was so agitated that his collar trembled slightly as he spoke, revealing the red marks on his neck. This sight stabbed painfully at my eyes.

Tia tugged at Orion’s collar from behind. “Orion, don’t be like this. Clara is still pregnant after all. She deserves to be treated preciously.” Orion, who usually had a terrible temper, softened a bit after hearing this. But when he looked at me, his eyes still held contempt. “If you could be half as sensible as Tia, we wouldn’t be fighting like this!” Exhausted physically and mentally, I had no energy left to argue with them. Just as I was about to lie down and rest, Tia walked toward me with her cat. She bent down close to me, “Clara, I know…” Halfway through her sentence, the cat she was holding suddenly jumped onto my stomach. The area had just been injured. When the cat scratched it, the wound tore open. The piercing pain made me sit up abruptly. Startled, the cat panicked and leaped wildly around the hospital room. “Snowball!” Tia was frantic, desperately trying to catch the cat. The hospital room instantly descended into chaos. I clutched my stomach, my face pale, leaning against the pillow. In her attempt to catch the cat, Tia lunged toward my stomach again. The intense pain forced me to push her away. Tia stumbled and fell to the ground, hitting the cabinet beside her hard. Her forehead immediately swelled up. Orion rushed to help her up. “Tia, are you okay!” His eyes were only on Tia. He didn’t even notice that I was in too much pain to make a sound. I laughed bitterly to myself. If the baby were still here, Tia and her cat’s double assault would have been enough to cause complications during delivery. Tia sniffled and wiped away her tears pitifully. “Orion, I’m fine. Just hurry and help me catch Snowball!” The cat that had been in the room suddenly jumped onto the windowsill and then leaped out, disappearing from sight. Tia screamed and rushed to the window. “Snowball, my Snowball!” Orion was heartbroken. Just as he opened his mouth to comfort her, Tia suddenly charged at me. “Clara, why are you so vicious!” “I just asked Orion to help find Snowball, did you really need to make it jump out of my hands out of jealousy! Don’t you know you could kill it!” “You cat murderer!” She grabbed my arm and shook it frantically, secretly pinching hard. I winced in pain and tried to shake her off, but I had no strength left. I could only grit my teeth and look at her. “I didn’t do anything.” Tia used the same trick again, suddenly falling backward. Fortunately, Orion reacted quickly and caught her waist, preventing her from falling. Tia leaned in his arms, tears falling at will. “Orion, without Snowball I don’t want to live anymore!” Orion gently comforted her. After helping her sit down, he walked up to me with a dark expression and yanked me out of bed. My body hit the floor hard. He only focused on dragging me toward Tia. “Clara, apologize to Tia…” Halfway through his sentence, he noticed something wrong and suddenly looked back. Only then did he discover that my heavily swollen pregnant belly had deflated by half. His face instantly turned pale, and his voice trembled. “You, what’s wrong with your stomach? The, the baby?” At that moment, the hospital room door was kicked open. Kalia quickly helped me up from the floor and glared at Orion. “The baby is dead! Because when she was surrounded by Rogues, you abandoned her!”

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I was framed as a corporate spy and personally sent to a psychiatric hospital by my fiancé. He forced me to sign a confession so he could use it as a gift when marrying Linda. He didn’t know that the eight week old baby in my womb had already been destroyed by his drugs. I smiled and signed it. I even agreed to be a bridesmaid at the wedding. Seven days left. After seven days, he would know the truth. And that wedding would be my final gift to him. Sophia POV The 100th day since I was locked in the psychiatric hospital. The TV was broadcasting news of Tristan Shaw’s upcoming wedding. The orderly pressed my head down, forcing me to swallow two white pills. “Swallow them. Tristan said if you take your medicine obediently, you can attend the wedding.” I didn’t resist. I swallowed them. The pills scraped down my throat. Very bitter. I stared at the man on the screen. Tristan Shaw, a name I’d called for ten years, and the person who personally sent me here. Five years ago, the Shaw Group’s core data was leaked, and hundreds of billions in assets evaporated. All the evidence pointed to me. Tristan didn’t believe my explanations. He only said one thing: “Sophia Lane, even a dog I raise would wag its tail. All you do is bite.” From that day on, I became the Shaw family’s criminal. The iron door opened. Marcus walked in and tossed a document onto the filthy sheets. “Sign it.” I picked up the document. Termination of Adoption Agreement. And a confession statement admitting that I’d sold the Shaw Group’s secrets for money years ago. “Tristan said once you sign this, he’ll let you out.” Marcus covered his nose, unwilling to look at me for even a second. “Linda is a kind person. She wants your blessing at the wedding. Sophia, this is your last chance to atone.” My fingers trembled uncontrollably. A side effect of long-term psychiatric medication. Atone. For five years, I’d been rotting away in that word. I picked up the pen and signed my name on the confession admitting I was a corporate spy. I used to refuse to sign even if it killed me, because I hadn’t done it. Now it didn’t matter. “How many days until the wedding?” I asked. Due to prolonged dehydration, my voice was very hoarse. Marcus collected the documents. “Seven days. What, can’t wait to watch Tristan marry someone else?” Seven days. I looked at the dingy gray sky outside the window. Just yesterday, I’d dug up that buried pregnancy test from the hospital’s flower bed. That was the reason I was sent here. Two months pregnant. To pave the way for Linda, to punish me for my “betrayal,” Tristan forcibly sent me here to “get treatment.” The baby dissolved into a pool of blood on the third day, under the influence of the drugs. I stood up. My body swayed. I’d promised Tristan’s mother that I would watch over him until he established himself, until someone could replace me in taking care of him. Seven more days and he’d be married. My promise was about to expire. This rotten life should end too. “Let’s go,” I said. Marcus froze for a moment. The car was parked in the courtyard. I sat in the back seat. The car window reflected my face. Extremely thin, with sunken eye sockets. I touched my empty abdomen. Tristan, I’ve repaid the Shaw family’s kindness in raising me. For the remaining seven days, it’s time to settle our five-year-old grudge.

Sophia POV The car didn’t go back to the Shaw house. It went straight to the skyscraper in Manhattan. The rotating restaurant on the top floor had been reserved. I stood at the entrance of the magnificent hall wearing an ill-fitting hospital gown. Tristan sat by the window, cutting steak for Linda. He wore a well-tailored suit, his movements refined. Hearing footsteps, he didn’t even look up. “What are you standing there for? Come here.” His voice was cold. I walked over. With every step, the old injury in my knee hurt. That was the root of the problem left from kneeling in the snow all night five years ago to help him secure an investment. “Tristan, don’t be like this.” Linda laughed sweetly, feeding a piece of steak to Tristan’s mouth. “Sophia just got out. She must be starving.” Tristan ate the meat, then finally turned to look at me. His gaze scraped over me. “You’ve lost weight.” He commented, “The hospital food doesn’t suit your taste.” I lowered my eyes. “It’s fine.” “Sit.” Tristan pointed to the seat across from him. The waiter brought out a serving of foie gras. The fishy smell hit my nostrils directly. I hated eating organ meat most, even expensive foie gras, because when I was homeless as a child, I survived by scavenging rotten meat from trash cans. Tristan knew this. Five years ago, he would still pick out the foie gras and replace it with desserts I liked. Now, he only wanted to watch me suffer. “Eat.” Tristan tapped the table. “Specially ordered to celebrate your release from prison.” Release from prison. In his mind, the psychiatric hospital was a prison for me, this “corporate criminal.” I picked up the knife and fork. My hands were shaking badly. I couldn’t cut it. Tristan let out a scoff. “What, playing pitiful? When you were stealing company data, your hands were quite steady, weren’t they?” That matter again. I didn’t explain. I’d explained it countless times. It was useless. I speared the entire block of foie gras and stuffed it into my mouth. The greasiness and fishy smell exploded in my mouth. I bit down hard, didn’t chew, and swallowed it whole. My esophagus hurt from the obstruction. “Does it taste good?” Linda asked, her eyes full of mockery. “It’s good.” I picked up my water glass, gulped down a large mouthful of ice water to suppress the urge to vomit. “Thank you for treating me to all this.” The expression on Tristan’s face froze for a moment. He didn’t like this dead look of mine. The old me would have smashed plates when wronged, would have shouted loudly “I didn’t do it.” Now I’d learned to put away my temper and obediently follow Tristan’s instructions. “Since you’re out, don’t be idle.” Tristan tossed over a room key card. “Linda’s wedding dress needs some detail adjustments these days. Go help. Don’t forget that you studied design too.” Studied design. I looked at that room key card. My hand was the one he stomped on and broke on that rainy night. I could never pick up a paintbrush again. “Okay.” I took the room card and bowed. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll leave first.” I turned and left. My back was very straight. Tristan watched my retreating figure, his brows furrowing tighter and tighter. “Tristan, she seems different,” Linda said softly. “She’s pretending.” Tristan snorted coldly, cutting a piece of bloody steak. “This kind of ungrateful person who could sell out her family for money, she’s the best at acting.” I rushed into the bathroom. Everything I’d just swallowed came back up, all acidic water and blood streaks. I looked at myself in the mirror. Six more days. As soon as I sent Linda down the wedding aisle, my mission would be complete.

Sophia POV I was brought back to the Shaw mansion. Not to my room, but to the servants’ quarters. “Tristan said you don’t deserve to live upstairs.” The housekeeper threw me a moldy blanket. “Sophia, behave yourself. Now Linda is in charge of the Shaw family.” I made the bed and lay down on it. The bed board was very hard, making my bones ache. In the middle of the night, someone knocked on the door. It was Linda. She wore silk pajamas and held a cup of hot milk in her hands. “Sophia, are you asleep?” Linda pushed the door open and fanned the air with her hand in disgust. “This place really stinks. Only you could get used to living here.” I sat up and leaned against the wall. “Do you need something?” “I’m trying on my wedding dress tomorrow. You have to come.” Linda put the milk on the table. “Tristan said you have to kneel and arrange my train. Just like five years ago, when you knelt in front of that investor.” My body tensed. That time I knelt was to beg the other party to spare Tristan. In Tristan’s eyes, it became evidence of my degradation. “Okay,” I said. Linda froze. Her eyes rolled, and suddenly she splashed the hot milk on my face. The scalding liquid flowed down my cheeks, burning my skin red. “Oops, my hand slipped.” Linda laughed, throwing the empty cup on the floor. “Sophia, don’t blame me. Blame yourself for having a worthless life. Tristan said keeping you alive is just to let you watch us be happy.” I wiped the milk stains from my face. Very hot, but better than the cold in my heart. “I know.” I looked at Linda. “I wish you two will be together forever and always be happy.” Linda was infuriated by my reaction. “Sophia, what are you acting so noble for! That bastard of yours has already been aborted, so why are you still hanging around here?” Bastard. That was Tristan’s child. My hands gripped the sheets tightly. “Linda.” I raised my head, my eyes frighteningly calm. “I’ll leave. Once you’re married, I’ll leave right away. I won’t be an eyesore.” Linda felt uneasy from my gaze. She cursed “crazy woman” and turned to leave. I got out of bed and washed my face with cold water. The face in the mirror had a large burn, red and swollen. I didn’t need medicine. This pain could keep me sober. I pulled out the signed termination agreement from under my pillow. Every word on it reminded me: Tristan had long stopped wanting me. I persisted for five years, for that promise, for that ridiculous love. Now it was time to wake from the dream. The next day. The bridal shop. Linda wore a custom wedding dress worth tens of millions, standing on the fitting platform. Tristan sat on the sofa, holding a magazine, but his eyes kept glancing toward the corner. I knelt on the floor. I held a needle and thread, repairing a snag in the train. Linda had deliberately damaged it and insisted I fix it on the spot. “Ouch!” Linda suddenly cried out. “You pricked me!” She kicked my shoulder. I wasn’t prepared and fell backward, my hand pressing into the pin box on the floor. Several long needles pierced my palm. Blood welled up. “What happened?” Tristan put down the magazine and strode over. “Tristan, she did it on purpose!” Linda accused him with red-rimmed eyes. “She’s jealous of me and deliberately pricked my leg with the needle!” Tristan glanced at Linda’s leg. Not even a red mark. Then he looked at me. Blood was still dripping from my palm, the drops falling on the pure white wedding train, especially conspicuous. “You got it dirty.” Tristan frowned, his tone disgusted. “Sophia, why is your blood so filthy?” I hid my hand behind my back. “I’m sorry.” I lowered my head. “I’ll compensate you.” “Can you afford it?” Tristan sneered. “Even if you sold yourself, you wouldn’t be worth this corner of the dress.” He pulled out a handkerchief and wiped Linda’s non-existent wound. As for the blood all over my hand, he turned a blind eye. “Go wash it clean.” He ordered, “Don’t bring the bloody smell to the wedding. It’s unlucky.” I crawled up and staggered toward the bathroom. Behind me came Linda’s coquettish voice. “Tristan, send her away. I’m scared just looking at her.” “Endure it for a few days.” Tristan’s voice came through. “After the wedding is over, send her to the African branch. Let her atone there for the rest of her life.” Africa. I turned on the faucet, washing the blood from my hand. He’d already arranged my escape route. Unfortunately, he miscalculated one thing. Dead people can’t go to Africa.

Sophia POV Torrential rain. The Shaw house was hosting a bachelor party tonight. The garden was brightly lit with a towering champagne fountain. As a “servant,” I was assigned to cut fruit in a corner. My hand was injured, so my movements were very slow. “Faster! Didn’t you eat?” The housekeeper came over and slapped the back of my head. I didn’t stand steady, and the fruit knife cut my finger. New wounds on top of old ones. I didn’t make a sound and switched to my other hand to continue cutting. In the center of the hall, Tristan was being surrounded by people toasting him. Someone asked, “Tristan, what about that Sophia? I heard she was released?” “She’s working in the back.” Tristan swirled his wine glass. “Those who make mistakes must be punished. The Shaw family doesn’t support freeloaders.” “You’re still magnanimous. If it were me, I would have sent this kind of corporate spy to prison long ago.” Everyone laughed. I finished cutting the last piece of watermelon and carried the plate out. The rain was getting heavier. I was soaked through, and the fruit on the plate was also drenched. Just as I reached the pool, a foot stretched out. It was Rachel Stone, Linda’s best friend. I was tripped and fell right into the pool. A loud splash. The early winter water was bone-chillingly cold. Screams and laughter rang out around me. I couldn’t swim. I thrashed in the water, choking down several mouthfuls. Through the water’s surface, I saw people on the shore watching the show. Tristan stood at the back of the crowd, holding a cigarette between his fingers, watching coldly. No intention of saving me. Five years ago, when I was beaten by a group, he watched the same way and said, “This is what you deserve.” I gave up struggling. My body slowly sank. Just then, a hand pulled me up. It was an unfamiliar man. He dragged me ashore and took off his jacket to cover me. “Are you okay?” His voice was deep, with anger. I lay on the ground coughing violently, spitting out several mouthfuls of dirty water. I looked up and saw the man’s face clearly. It was Ethan Grant, Tristan’s business rival. “Thank you.” I pushed away his jacket and struggled to stand up. I couldn’t accept his kindness. In these seven days, I couldn’t form bonds with anyone. “Tristan, is this how you treat your guests?” Ethan looked at Tristan, his tone mocking. Tristan walked over, his gaze falling on me. My wet clothes clung to my body, outlining my skeletal frame. “If you like this kind of goods, I don’t mind giving her to you.” Tristan flicked his cigarette ash. “She’s just damaged goods nobody wants anyway.” My body trembled. I didn’t look at Ethan, nor at Tristan. I bent down to pick up the fruit plate from the ground, though the fruit inside had already scattered everywhere. “Never mind.” I said, my voice calm. “Someone like me doesn’t deserve Ethan Grant.” I turned around, dragging my soaked body, walking step by step into the rain. Back in the servants’ quarters. I started running a fever. Hot and cold all over, my head felt like needles were jabbing it. I curled up under the blanket. If only there hadn’t been that data leak case five years ago. Back then, Tristan would still carry me on his back for ten miles to buy good food. Now, he would just watch me drown. I pulled out a tin box from under the bed. That was my only luggage. Inside was just one photograph. A photo of me and Tristan’s mother, Mrs. Shaw. I touched the gentle woman in the photo. “I can’t hold on much longer. In four more days, I’ll come find you.” Footsteps sounded outside the door. Tristan pushed the door open. He reeked of alcohol. “Did Ethan touch you just now?” He walked over, yanked off the blanket, and grabbed my wrist. “Let go.” I was too weak from the fever, my voice soft. “Stop pretending to be pure.” Tristan threw me onto the bed. “Back then you could sell the company for money, now you can sell your body to climb up, right? Sophia, you truly disgust me.” He pulled out a stack of cash from his wallet and threw it at my face. “Go buy some medicine. Don’t die before the wedding. It’s unlucky.” The bills scattered across the bed. Tristan slammed the door and left. I picked up one bill. It was all stained with Tristan’s insults. I folded the bills one by one and placed them by my pillow. I’d keep this money. I’d need it to buy sleeping pills.

Sophia POV My fever broke, but the cough never got better. My lungs felt like they were on fire. Early in the morning, the entire Shaw household was in chaos. Linda’s wedding ring had gone missing. It was a pink diamond that Tristan had specifically bid for at an auction, worth a fortune. “It must have been stolen!” Linda cried like a pear blossom in rain. “Yesterday only Sophia went into my room!” Everyone’s gaze focused on me. I was wiping the stair railing. Tristan walked over, looking down at me. “Hand it over.” I stopped what I was doing. “I didn’t take it.” “In the entire Shaw house, besides you, this thief with a record, who else would do such a thing?” Tristan’s words were like nails. Criminal record. Referring to that confession statement I was forced to sign. “Search her!” Linda shouted. Two bodyguards walked up and held me down. “Tristan.” I looked at him. “You also think it was me?” Tristan didn’t meet my eyes, saying coldly, “The evidence is conclusive. Stop wasting words.” The bodyguards roughly searched my entire body. Besides the few bills of change left from buying medicine, there was nothing in my pockets. “It’s not on her, it must be hidden in her room!” Linda led people charging into the servants’ quarters. A thorough ransacking. The sheets were torn, the pillow slashed open. Finally, Linda kicked over that tin box. The photograph fell out. That was my most treasured possession. Linda stepped on the photograph and ground it hard with her foot. “Found it!” She dug out a diamond ring from a crevice in the mattress. “Right here! Caught red-handed!” I looked at that photograph that had been stepped on and soiled. As for how the ring got into the mattress, I didn’t want to ask or argue. Too clumsy. But Tristan believed it. Or rather, he needed a reason to hate me. “Sophia.” Tristan looked at the ring. “You’re truly hopeless.” “Since you like money so much, this ring is yours.” He threw the ring on the floor. “Take it and get lost. Don’t let me see you again.” I squatted down. I didn’t pick up the ring. I carefully picked up that photograph and brushed off the dust. In the photo, Mrs. Shaw’s smiling face was somewhat blurred. “What, not enough?” Seeing me not pick up the ring, Tristan became even more furious. “Five years ago you sold the company for billions, now you look down on these tens of millions?” I stood up, pressing the photograph to my heart. “Mr. Tristan Shaw.” For the first time, I addressed him so formally. “I didn’t leak the data from five years ago.” “Enough!” Tristan cut me off. “Still lying at this point! All the network addresses pointed to your computer, the transfer records were also from your account! The evidence is ironclad!” I laughed. That kind of laugh when helplessness reaches its extreme. Back then, my computer was taken by Marcus to be repaired, the account was opened by Marcus for me. I’d said so. He didn’t believe me. Because Marcus was his most trusted assistant, and I was the “wolf that could never be tamed.” “Fine.” I nodded. “I took it. I stole the ring, I sold the data. I’m the bad person, you’re all good people.” I admitted it. Since I was going to die anyway, what did carrying infamy matter? “Lock her in the basement!” Tristan didn’t want to see my face anymore. “Starve her for three days. She can come out when she’s willing to admit her mistakes.” The basement. Dark and damp there, rats running rampant. I was pushed inside. The moment the iron door closed, the light disappeared. I fumbled in the darkness to sit down. Three days. Exactly one day before the wedding. Tristan, you really know how to calculate time. I hugged my knees and closed my eyes in the darkness. Three more days. This road was finally nearing its end.

Sophia POV I was locked in the basement for a full three days. There was no food or water here. I survived by licking water droplets that seeped down the walls. My stomach condition flared up, the pain making me roll on the ground. But I didn’t make a sound. Before, when I cried out in pain, Tristan would feel sorry for me. Now when I cried out in pain, he’d only think I was acting. On the evening of the third day, the door opened. Marcus stood in the doorway. “Come out. Tristan wants you to go to the cemetery.” I supported myself against the wall to stand. My legs were so weak I nearly fell. “Where to?” “Mrs. Shaw’s death anniversary.” Marcus said, “Tristan wants you to kneel there and repent.” Mrs. Shaw’s death anniversary. My eyes flickered. That’s right, today was the fifth anniversary of Mrs. Shaw’s death. Back then, she had a heart attack from the shock of the data leak news. I was taken to the public cemetery. Tristan was already there. He wore a black trench coat, standing in front of the tombstone. Linda stood beside him, holding a black umbrella. “Kneel.” Seeing me arrive, Tristan spoke coldly. I walked over and dropped to my knees with a thud. The photo on the tombstone was very kind. That was the only person in this world who had given me warmth. “Mother.” Tristan looked at the tombstone. “I brought the criminal.” “Sophia, tell my mother the truth.” He turned to look at me, a trace of expectation in his eyes. “As long as you admit you were wrong back then, as long as you’re willing to change, I…” “I was wrong.” I interrupted him. I knelt on the ground. “Mrs. Shaw, I wronged the Shaw family. I shouldn’t be alive.” Tristan froze. He hadn’t expected me to admit fault so readily. All the blame he’d prepared stuck in his throat. “Since you know you were wrong, behave yourself from now on.” He tugged at his tie. “Tomorrow at the wedding, you’ll be a bridesmaid. Don’t embarrass the Shaw family.” Bridesmaid. Making the ex be a bridesmaid. That was the greatest humiliation. “Okay.” I agreed very readily. After the memorial, Tristan took Linda and left first. I stayed behind. “I’ll talk to her a bit more.” I said to Marcus. Marcus glanced at the time. “Hurry up. The car is waiting for you below.” Everyone left. Only the sound of wind remained in the cemetery. I pulled out that tin box from my pocket. I dug a hole in the soil beside the tombstone with my hands. My nails broke, my fingertips bled. I felt no pain. I buried the box inside. Inside were that photograph and the diary I’d written for Tristan over these ten years. Those girlish thoughts, those grievances that couldn’t be voiced. All buried here. I lay on the mound of earth, saying softly, “I did what I promised you.” “You said to watch over him, not to let him be destroyed by hatred. These five years, I let him hate me. Better than letting him hate the world.” “Now he’s getting married, and Linda will take care of him. I should rest too.” I patted the soil off my hands and stood up. The setting sun stretched my shadow very long. The wind blew past. I took one last look at the tombstone. Goodbye. After tomorrow, Sophia will exist in this world no more. Back in the car. Marcus handed me a white formal dress. “Tomorrow’s bridesmaid dress.” I took it. It was a style I’d designed five years ago. Linda had taken it and modified it, turning it into the current bridesmaid dress. I’d wear clothes I designed myself to send the man I loved to marry someone else. “Pretty good.” I touched the fabric. “Very suitable for a funeral.” “What did you say?” Marcus didn’t hear clearly. “Nothing.” I looked out the window. It was dark. Before dawn comes the darkest hour. As long as I endured it, there would be release. I closed my eyes and shed a tear. If there’s another life, I don’t want to fall in love with Tristan again.

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I damaged my uterus saving my husband, yet he had his mistress bear his child and wanted me to adopt it. To force my acceptance, he stripped my dress off in public. I signed the divorce papers and disappeared from his life completely. Three years later, I won an international award with my new film. When reporters asked him about his ex-wife’s success, his eyes reddened on camera. “The biggest regret of my life was losing her.” And I smiled, arm in arm with my new boyfriend. “Sorry, I don’t know this person at all.” Vivian’s POV A year after remarrying Ethan, I received a family photo from Grace at the hospital where I was getting my prenatal checkup. The man labeled “the child’s father” in the photo was none other than my husband, Ethan Carter. In the examination room, the doctor frowned as she held my test results. “Miss Rivers, as your doctor I have to tell you responsibly. With your current physical condition, your chance of successfully carrying a baby to term is less than 5%. You need to be mentally prepared.” The doctor looked at me and repeated the words she’d probably said countless times this month. “Okay, I understand.” My voice was hoarse as I struggled to hold back tears. After saying those words, all my strength drained away and I collapsed into the chair. A year of treatment, taking over a hundred different medications, countless needle marks on my belly. None of it mattered anymore in the face of this photo. I was in a daze as I went downstairs. I missed a step and tumbled down the stairs. Blood immediately began pooling beneath me. The doctors rushed me into the operating room. I was already half dead from pain, able only to let the doctors move me around: registration, blood draw, changing clothes, and finally lying on the operating table. My body was pried open by cold instruments, and excruciating pain shot through my lower body. I could clearly feel a sharp tool scraping inside me. I gripped the operating table hard to keep from making a sound, two streams of tears sliding from the corners of my eyes. I had to remember this bone-deep pain. Starting today, Ethan and I had nothing to do with each other anymore. Half an hour later, I shuffled down the hospital corridor with one hand supporting my abdomen and the other braced against the wall. The waves of stabbing pain from my lower abdomen reminded me of what I’d just lost. Two nurses walked toward me, holding thick stacks of cash with joyful expressions. “Mr. Carter really is the heir of the city’s top family. He gave each of us a hundred thousand dollar bonus!” “I know, but that woman didn’t seem to be Mrs. Carter…” The nurses walked away, but I stood frozen in place. So Ethan and Grace’s child was also born in this hospital. The same hospital where that woman’s child was born with everyone’s anticipation, while my child had already become nothing more than a bloody mess in the trash. I followed the direction the nurses came from. It didn’t take long to find Grace’s delivery room. I looked through the window. Ethan, who had always been cold, aloof, and had a cleanliness obsession, was actually helping Grace clean up the waste her body had expelled. Seeing the care and patience in his eyes, I felt like I’d fallen into an ice cellar. In the four years Ethan and I had been together, even when I accidentally stained the sheets during my period, he would replace the entire bed. But facing Grace, his almost pathological obsession with cleanliness had completely vanished. Tears fell from my eyes. I leaned weakly against the wall, my abdomen and heart both sending waves of excruciating pain. Ethan’s tender expression made me think of when we first met. It was at a speech Ethan gave at his alma mater. He fell for me at first sight and pursued me intensely. The whole city knew that the Carter heir had someone in his heart, and he would pluck the stars from the sky for me if I asked. To marry me, Ethan didn’t hesitate to go against the entire Carter family, even willing to give up his position as heir. In the end, his mother couldn’t resist his persistence and agreed. But I never expected that the man who promised me forever at our wedding would cheat on me just one year later. I went crazy, bursting into company meetings, making scenes at banquets, even threatening suicide. Nothing worked. Ethan would apologize for less than two days before reverting to his old ways. Finally, I was exhausted. I decided to let both Ethan and myself go, and divorced him. But after the divorce, Ethan pursued me back like a man possessed. That proud man humbled himself, begging frantically for me to come back. I couldn’t let go of our relationship either, and eventually remarried Ethan. But this time, I’d lost the bet again. His mother’s words still echoed in my ears. “Ethan has never lacked women. But you’re the first one who voluntarily left him. He begged you back this time, but there will never be only you by his side in the future.” I laughed bitterly at myself. I’d overestimated myself, thinking love could make a playboy settle down. I took out my phone and sent a message to Ethan’s mother. “I lost. I accept my loss. I’m willing to leave Ethan. I hope you’ll keep your promise too.” I’d just put my phone away when the doctor came to check on patients and saw me outside the door, looking pained. “Miss, are you alright?” Hearing the voice outside, Ethan opened the hospital room door and froze when he saw me. “Vivian, what are you doing here?”

Vivian’s POV Seeing we knew each other, the doctor said nothing more. After going inside to confirm Grace and the baby were fine, she left the room. I took a deep breath and forced myself to walk inside. I refused to show weakness in front of these two. “What, afraid I’d discover your little secret here?” I laughed coldly. “Or did I interrupt your happiness?” Ethan’s expression changed. He strode over and grabbed my hand. His grip was strong. After several failed attempts to pull free, I simply let him. “Vivian, you damaged your uterus saving me back then, making it hard for you to conceive. This past year you’ve pushed your body to its limit trying to get pregnant.” Ethan looked at me. “This child will go through adoption procedures to become our child. You won’t have to suffer like this anymore.” Years ago, not long after Ethan and I got together, we were caught in an assassination attempt. The moment I saw the assassin pull the trigger, I didn’t hesitate to shield Ethan. I laughed coldly. “If you hadn’t mentioned it, I’d almost forgotten. I damaged my uterus taking a bullet for you. So this is how you treat me? Cheating with someone else and then making me raise your mistress’s child.” Ethan’s brow furrowed tightly as he pressed his lips together. I took the opportunity to pull my hand free and walked toward Grace on the bed. “You knew all along that Ethan had a family. So did you knowingly interfere with a married man, or are you trying to use the child to secure your position?” Grace clutched the child in her arms, her eyes reddening. The next second, tears began falling in large drops. This was my first time looking closely at Grace’s appearance. She did have beautiful features. Pure, delicate. This tearful look would awaken protective instincts in any man. “Miss Rivers, I didn’t think that much about it. I truly love Ethan. I just want to stay by his side, even without status.” As she spoke, Grace tried to push the child in her arms toward me. “Miss Rivers, the baby’s name is Liam. He’s very well-behaved. From now on, he’ll be your child. As long as I can occasionally see him from afar, I’ll be satisfied.” Her child? My child had already become a pool of blood, a piece of rotting flesh! “Enough!” I trembled with rage and slapped Grace’s hand away. The child in Grace’s hands instantly fell to the floor. The baby’s cries filled the entire hospital room. “Miss Rivers, you can treat me however you want, but how can you do this to a child!” “Vivian, what are you doing?” Ethan quickly picked up the child and examined him. I was pushed aside, lost my balance, and fell to the floor. At the same time, I knocked over the water glass on the bedside table, shattering it. “You’d better pray nothing’s wrong with Liam.” Ethan left me with one cold look and strode out of the room carrying the child. I knelt on the floor, my hands and knees cut by glass shards, drawing lines of blood. The bone-deep pain brought my fading consciousness back. I got up from the floor, left the room to have my wounds treated, then returned to the Carter house. I didn’t have much. After all, I’d already cleared everything out during our last divorce. Half a suitcase held all my belongings. After packing everything, I took out a document from the bedside table drawer. A divorce agreement already signed by Ethan. This was the escape route I’d left myself when we remarried. “Vivian, if I ever do anything to wrong you again, take this and leave me.” I’d softened then and agreed to remarry him. When we got the marriage certificate, Ethan’s eyes were shining. “Vivian, you’re mine again.” But I only stayed silent. This remarriage was partly because I couldn’t let go of our relationship, but more because it was a conscious withdrawal treatment. After the divorce, I couldn’t sleep night after night, my mind full of Ethan. Nothing worked. I couldn’t move on. So I decided to return to his side. And now, just as I’d hoped, I resolutely signed my name. I called my lawyer. “I’ve sent you the divorce agreement. I don’t want any assets. Please process it as quickly as possible.” “Understood. It should take about three days. I’ll notify you immediately of any progress or changes.” Three more days. Then I could end all of this completely.

Vivian’s POV I took my packed luggage and cabbed to my company, planning to make do there for the next three days. I could also catch up on the work I’d fallen behind on this past month while trying to preserve the pregnancy. I’d started this company after my first divorce from Ethan. Calling it a company was generous. It was more like a studio. I only had two artists under contract, and to keep the company running I even had to take on planning side jobs. I took two painkillers to suppress the pain throughout my body and quickly threw myself into work. I needed to finish my work as soon as possible and arrange the studio’s plans for the next month so I could leave without worries. Five hours later, I finished my work. Just as I was about to stand up from my chair to stretch, I saw Ethan opening the door and walking in. As soon as Ethan entered, he fixed his eyes on my hands wrapped in bandages. “Vivian, what happened to your hands?” The concern in Ethan’s eyes didn’t seem fake, but it made me sick. “Thanks to you.” I laughed coldly. “What do you want?” I really didn’t want any more contact with Ethan. Ethan was silent for a moment, his eyes darkening slightly. “The doctor checked. Liam is fine. But Grace fainted from emotional distress.” “What does this have to do with me?” Ethan’s face darkened. He wanted to say something, but seeing my still-bleeding palms, he softened his tone. “Grace kept apologizing to you while unconscious. This whole thing has nothing to do with her. She’s just an ordinary girl. I was the one who asked her to have the child. She won’t threaten your position as Mrs. Carter. She’ll just stay by my side. Can’t you accept that?” He spoke earnestly, but his words chilled me to the bone. My whole body trembled as tears fell uncontrollably. “Ethan, do you remember what you promised me when we remarried?” From pregnancy to delivery takes at least ten months. It meant at the latest, Ethan had cheated by the second month after our remarriage. Ethan pulled me into his embrace. “Vivian, you’ve seen enough of the world these years. This kind of thing is normal in our circle. I’ve been very good. I promise you Grace is the first and the last.” “Back then I had so many women around me, but you chose to forgive me in the end. Now I’m just letting Grace stay by my side as the child’s mother. You can accept this, right?” My body stiffened in his arms. For a moment I didn’t know what to say. I couldn’t understand how Ethan could selectively forget all that pain and speak of cheating during marriage and choosing two women at once as if it were perfectly natural. As if I was the one who’d been unreasonable all along. After taking a deep breath, I pushed Ethan away. “You’re right. You have been very good.” But I wasn’t willing to pick through men in a swamp. Ethan froze. “You can accept this?” “Yes.” In three days we’d have nothing to do with each other. He could do whatever he wanted. “Vivian, that’s wonderful. Now we’ll have our own child.” Ethan pulled me into his embrace again. The man’s hot breath fell on my neck, his familiar scent surrounding me. This moment that once made me feel happy now only made me nauseous. Fortunately it didn’t last long. After receiving a message, Ethan’s expression changed. He said there was an emergency at the company and hurried away. Soon my phone received a message. “I said I was afraid of the dark at night and couldn’t sleep, so Ethan immediately came over to hold me.” “Ethan also said he’s going to give me and the baby a gift. I’m really looking forward to it.” The attached image was a side-view photo of a man embracing a woman. I had no intention of acknowledging this low-level provocation. After blocking, deleting, and turning off my phone in one smooth sequence, I lay down on the couch to get some proper sleep. Tomorrow’s charity event was the most important project for our studio this year. I needed to be in the best mental state possible. The next morning, I dressed simply and arrived at the event venue. I’d personally handled everything from planning to execution for this event. If it went smoothly, after the event ended, my studio’s only two artists would see a resource upgrade, and the studio itself could take another step forward. I carefully checked every aspect of the venue. Only after confirming everything was correct did I sit in a corner and drink some water. When I looked up again, I discovered Ethan had somehow arrived at the venue and was directing his bodyguards to modify the site setup. I strode toward Ethan. “This is my independent project. It has nothing to do with Carter Corporation, nothing to do with you. Isn’t this going too far?” The bodyguards’ movements paused. They stood in place, unsure whether to continue. Ethan raised his hand, signaling the bodyguards to continue, then pulled me aside. “Vivian, I promised to give Grace and Liam a gift. A charity foundation established in both their names would be perfect. Liam is your son too. Consider it a birth gift for him.” I stood frozen in place, my whole body trembling. “Ethan, Carter Corporation has everything. Why must you trample on my work like this?” Ethan seemed to know his actions were somewhat thoughtless. He took out his phone and operated it for a moment. The next second, I received a notification of five million dollars being deposited into my account. “Vivian, Grace’s issue right now is you. Ordinary luxury goods or jewelry can’t make her better. Only by giving this to her and letting her know you’ve accepted her, accepted Liam, will she be happy.” “Accept a mistress? Never!” I looked at him. “As long as I’m here today, I won’t let you change a single thing about this event. You can try!” With that, I threw myself at the bodyguard tearing down posters and blocked them with my body. Ethan’s eyes darkened as he spoke coldly. “Whether you accept it or not, this is happening today.”

Vivian’s POV The next second, two bodyguards grabbed my arms and dragged me aside. I struggled continuously, only earning even more forceful restraint from the bodyguards. “Ethan, even if you can give her the charity foundation, so what? Don’t forget that the Carter family will never accept her. They’ll never accept Liam either!” Ethan’s face was dark, his eyes unfathomable. He walked slowly toward me and gripped my chin. “I’d almost forgotten if you hadn’t mentioned it. Then let’s handle it all today. Years ago I got you married into the Carter family. Today I can make them acknowledge this child.” Ethan roughly shoved me into the car and ordered bodyguards to bring Grace and her child to the old mansion before getting in himself. Half an hour later, the car stopped in front of the Carter family mansion. The car with Grace and her child arrived at the same time. Ethan’s mother, Helen, was already waiting inside. As soon as Ethan entered the living room, he dropped to his knees. Grace followed suit, kneeling while holding the child. I leaned against the doorframe, waiting to watch this performance. “I’ve come today to ask you to acknowledge this child as part of the Carter family.” Helen sat in the position of authority, expressionless. “Do you know our family’s rules? To protect the Carter legacy, only when the mistress’s mother is dead can the illegitimate child become a Carter son.” “Without this rule, you wouldn’t know how many siblings you’d have. If you want my acknowledgment, follow the rules.” Ethan remained silent for a long moment. Grace beside him spoke up first, her voice choked with tears. “Ethan, as long as you and the child are well, I’m willing-” Before she could finish, Ethan cut her off. “The child is too young to be without you.” He turned to look at Helen. “This is my first child, and he’ll be my only child. I’ll use proper adoption procedures to make him mine and Vivian’s child.” “Even so, isn’t that acceptable?” Ethan’s eyes were full of pleading. The always proud heir to a great family, willing to abandon his dignity for a mistress. How touching. Hearing his words, Helen looked at me with some surprise. I shook my head, signaling her not to mention the divorce. “Since you insist, it’s not impossible.” Helen’s tone shifted. “Back when you wanted to marry Vivian, you took 99 lashes. So for this illegitimate child to enter the family, you must also take 99 lashes.” Grace’s voice trembled. “Liam was just born. How could he withstand the lash? Let me take the punishment for him!” Helen nodded in agreement. The next second, four executioners walked in, pressed Grace onto a bench, pulled out whips soaked in salt water, and prepared to begin. The whip cut through the air toward Grace. Just as it was about to touch her skin, Ethan stepped forward and caught it. “Grace just gave birth. 99 lashes might kill her.” His gaze swept toward me by the door. “Liam will ultimately be mine and Vivian’s son. We’ll split the 99 lashes equally.” I looked at Ethan in disbelief. This man who took 99 lashes for me three years ago was now making me take punishment for his mistress’s son. Ethan couldn’t not know how heavy the Carter family’s whip was. When he was dragged out that year, he was barely breathing. Helen frowned. “Are you sure?” “Grace is weak. As for Vivian, she can handle it.” Only one thought filled my mind. Run. The moment I stepped out the door, Ethan’s bodyguards forced me back. Facing the control of several large men, I had no ability to resist. I was tied to the bench. Before I could react, searing pain shot through my back. Before I could catch my breath, the next lash fell heavily on me again. Under the immense pain, I’d long lost the ability to think and could only wail continuously. “Vivian, you’ll be fine. I’ll get you the best doctors.” The smell of blood filled the entire living room. I’d already lost the strength to cry out and couldn’t hear the executioner’s count clearly. I gradually stopped feeling the pain in my body as my consciousness began separating from my flesh. In the last moment before losing consciousness, I seemed to see myself from four years ago when Ethan and I were passionately in love. I was so foolish then. And by today, I’d already paid a hundred times over for that choice.

Vivian’s POV When I woke again, I was in a guest room at the old mansion. Helen sat beside my bed. “Awake?” Helen brought water to my lips. I took a small sip. “I told them to hold back. They’re all minor injuries. They just look scary. There won’t be scars.” Helen set down the water and opened a drawer, taking out a document and handing it to me. “Divorce papers. Attorney Lewis couldn’t reach you, so he sent them here.” Looking at the document in my hands, I couldn’t help crying. “Thank you.” I thanked Helen softly. Honestly, my feelings about Helen were complicated. She was the one who initially opposed my marriage to Ethan, but both times I wanted a divorce, Helen helped me. When I was with the Carter family, Helen never targeted me. She even taught me a lot about running a business. Sometimes I even felt a kind of kindred spirit connection with Helen. Helen held my hand and spoke softly. “I apologize on Ethan’s behalf. I knew his nature, which is why I opposed your marriage so strongly.” “The elite circle is a cesspool. Everyone in it is already set in their ways. When girls from ordinary families enter, they can’t get out without being torn apart.” I smiled bitterly. “I was too young then. I thought love was enough.” Helen patted my hand gently. “Let’s not talk about this anymore. In two days it’s my fiftieth birthday banquet. Can you attend the banquet before you leave?” Helen paused. “News of your divorce from Ethan can’t be revealed to the outside world yet.” “Just show your face at the banquet. I’ll handle everything after that.” I thought for a moment and agreed. Showing my face wouldn’t take much effort. Helen had helped me so much. I should repay her within my means. I spent these two days recovering at the Carter mansion. Occasionally I’d hear news about Ethan from the servants. That child had ultimately been entered into the Carter family registry as Ethan’s eldest son. After learning this news, Ethan disregarded his own injuries and invited his close friends from their circle to a celebration. Grace attended throughout as his female companion. When the servant reached this part, I clearly sensed her looking at me with a complicated expression, schadenfreude mixed with sympathy. I didn’t feel much about it. I just ate, slept, and recovered normally. The day before Helen’s birthday banquet, she brought me a gown. “This gown is a Carter family heirloom. Ethan’s grandmother passed it to me. If you wear it and make an appearance at the banquet, everyone will understand what it means.” I nodded and silently accepted it. The next day, the family driver took me to the banquet hall. I picked up a glass of red wine and walked around the venue, making sure enough people saw me before returning to a corner to wait for the banquet to end. Helen, as the guest of honor, would make her grand entrance at the end. At the banquet, Ethan was escorting Grace around, greeting guests. The two were intimate, as if they were a real married couple. Everyone tactfully refrained from asking about their relationship, only casting inquiring glances at me. “What’s going on with the Carter family? The wife is right here, yet the mistress is so brazenly accompanying him?” “Did you see what Vivian is wearing?” “Now that you mention it, I remember that’s a Carter family heirloom! Looks like this mistress still can’t surpass the wife.” Many of the guests had good judgment. Soon they’d recognized the origin of my dress and naturally drew their conclusions. Grace also sensed the shift. From the initial respect to undisguised contempt later on. Her eyes darkened as she looked at me with a trace of malice. In my corner, I was oblivious to all this. After receiving Helen’s notice that I could leave, I drained the red wine in my glass and turned toward the back door. Just as I was about to leave the banquet hall, an unfamiliar middle-aged man blocked my path. “Miss Rivers, why did you donate toxic stationery to children? Where is your conscience?” The man in front of me had bloodshot eyes and disheveled hair. He grabbed my hand, his voice hoarse with accusation. I struggled to pull my hand free, gently rubbing my wrist as I looked up at him. “Who are you?” “Me? You’re asking who I am? I’m the principal of Sunrise Children’s Home! Paul Walker!” My brow furrowed as my brain rapidly searched for any information about Sunrise Children’s Home. I was certain I’d never had any contact with anything related to this children’s home. Principal Walker must have found the wrong person. With this thought, I spoke softly. “I’m sorry, you have the wrong person.” This sentence seemed to ignite Principal Walker. His voice suddenly rose, immediately attracting everyone’s attention. “I’m looking for YOU! Vivian Rivers, Miss Rivers. You donated a batch of stationery to our school two days ago. We thought you were a good person, but it turned out to be toxic stationery!” “Three hundred and twenty-two children in our school were hospitalized because of this. Fourteen children are still in intensive care.” “How can you act like nothing happened?” Principal Walker gripped my hand so tightly it felt like he’d crush my wrist. But two days ago I’d just woken from unconsciousness at the Carter mansion. How could it have been me? Donation… charity… Ethan and Grace, who heard the commotion, walked over. The moment I saw Grace, all the clues connected in my mind. It was that charity foundation Ethan took from me to give to Grace! Ethan stopped in front of us, his face dark. “Vivian, what are you making a scene about now?”

Vivian’s POV Before I could speak, Principal Walker repeated everything to Ethan. “Your Carter family must take responsibility for the children. Not only must you pay all medical expenses, you must provide additional compensation. Yes, and I want Vivian to apologize publicly.” The surrounding guests all discussed in low voices. At the center of the crowd, Ethan’s face darkened further. His cold gaze shot toward me. “This is the work you’ve always insisted on?” The sarcasm in his words stabbed my heart. I took a deep breath, trying to keep my voice as calm as possible. “This has nothing to do with me. Didn’t you give that charity foundation to her? I’ve been at the mansion these past two days. Mrs. Carter can vouch for me.” Hearing my formal way of addressing Helen, Ethan froze for a moment. Now wasn’t the time to dwell on that. Ethan turned to look at Grace. Based on my understanding of Ethan, he wouldn’t tell a lie so easily exposed. After transferring the foundation to Grace, he hadn’t asked about it again. Now that something went wrong, it could only be Grace’s problem. At this moment, Grace’s eyes brimmed with tears as both hands clutched his arm tightly, as if grasping her last lifeline. Ethan pressed his lips together, his eyes constantly shifting between Grace and me. Finally, under Principal Walker’s urging, his gaze settled on me. He spoke one word at a time. “The Carter family will pay compensation. You, apologize to him now.”I stared at Ethan in disbelief. He clearly knew Grace was behind this, yet he still didn’t believe me! If I admitted to this, my career would be completely ruined. “Ethan, I didn’t do this. I won’t apologize.” I turned to look at Principal Walker. “I can provide evidence. Just give me some time.” “Enough!” Before I could finish, Ethan cut me off roughly. He raised his right hand slightly. Two bodyguards in black suits stepped forward and restrained my arms from both sides. The next second, they forced me down to the ground without a word. Ethan turned to Principal Walker. “Is this apology acceptable?” Principal Walker froze, then nodded repeatedly. “As for compensation, my assistant will handle everything. Today is my mother’s birthday banquet, so I won’t keep you.” The assistant showed the man out. The bodyguards released me at Ethan’s signal. Ethan walked over and whispered in my ear. “I’ll compensate you for this. Grace is an ordinary girl. She can’t handle these things.” In an instant, coldness spread from my feet through my entire body, while rage erupted in my heart. Again with this. Grace can’t handle it. But I can. So I deserve to be treated like this forever? “Ethan, you disgust me.” I swung my right hand forward hard, but it was intercepted mid-air. “Don’t!” Grace rushed forward and blocked the slap, covering her left cheek as she fell into Ethan’s arms. Her originally fair skin visibly swelled and reddened. The guilt on Ethan’s face vanished completely, replaced by heartache for the woman in his arms. He carefully moved Grace’s hand away and examined her injury with extreme gentleness. Watching the intimate scene between them, all the fire in my heart suddenly extinguished. Ethan was no longer the man who couldn’t live without me. His heart and eyes were full of Grace now. “Ethan, it’s all my fault for making you both so unhappy. Your mother has already given the family heirloom dress to Miss Rivers. I shouldn’t have any more expectations.” “After today, let’s not see each other anymore.” Grace looked at Ethan with tear-filled eyes, on the verge of crying. He tightened his arms around her in distress and comforted her softly. “Don’t talk nonsense. You’ll always be Liam’s biological mother. You’re my woman.” His gaze turned to me. “Since you find me disgusting, then don’t wear the Carter family’s clothes. Consider it an apology to Grace.” “But don’t worry. One thing at a time. I’ll still give you the compensation I mentioned.” Before I could process what he meant, Ethan turned and left with Grace in his arms. The bodyguards who had withdrawn earlier stepped forward again. Without a word, they began removing my gown. I struggled desperately but it was futile. With a ripping sound, the zipper on my back was pulled open. The bone-chilling wind gave me goosebumps all over. The mocking laughter around me, the lewd stares, the strange men’s hands on my body. Everything trampled my dignity into the ground. Those few minutes felt like a lifetime. Finally, the dress was removed. The bodyguards tossed down a suit jacket like charity, barely covering my body. I used the jacket to cover my private areas and walked out of the banquet hall step by step. “Take me home.” I returned to the old mansion, changed my clothes, grabbed all my documents, and headed straight to the airport. An email invitation on my phone was the escape route I’d prepared for myself. Even sitting on the plane, I still felt a sense of unreality. Two hours ago, I was being humiliated in the banquet hall. And now, I was heading toward a future without Ethan. As the plane took off, the landscape below gradually shrank. The sense of unreality in my heart slowly transformed into calm and relaxation. From now on, the Carter family’s affairs had nothing to do with me. Vivian was just Vivian.

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