I was ten minutes late to the movie theater, stuck in the pouring rain and unable to get a ride. I quickly apologized to my boyfriend, Liam Walker. He impatiently said, “What’s the point of apologizing?” I froze. Every time I apologized, he never forgave me. I’d pulled three all-nighters working non-stop and forgot to snag concert tickets for him. He coldly pulled his hand away from mine. “What’s the point of apologizing? You can’t even handle a simple task.” I accidentally stained his favorite white shirt, and he flew into a rage. “What’s the point of apologizing? This is my favorite shirt!” But when his intern, Chloe Davis, spilled coffee and ruined his proposal, he didn’t get angry. Instead, he wiped her tears. “You don’t need to apologize. It hurts me to see you cry.” Watching him get angry now, I finally let go of our seven-year relationship. I was tired. From now on, I wouldn’t apologize anymore. I was drenched, rain trickling from my hair onto the carpet. Liam didn’t even glance at me. He walked straight to the VIP lounge. His intern, Chloe Davis, was sitting there. She held two steaming cups of coffee in her hands. Seeing Liam, she immediately broke into a sweet smile, then nervously peered past him. “Liam, isn’t Alice here yet? Should I not have come to drop off these files? Am I interrupting something…?” Her voice, not far away, reached my ears perfectly. Liam naturally took the coffee. “She’s late. Someone with no sense of time doesn’t deserve to be on a date.” “But the movie’s about to start…” “Since you’re here, take this ticket and watch it with me.” Liam’s tone was flat, as if he were talking about the most ordinary thing. I froze. That wasn’t just any movie ticket. To qualify for this exclusive limited-time premiere, I’d pulled three all-nighters, doing the entire marketing and publicity campaign for the organizers for free. All because Liam had casually mentioned, “I really wish I could see it on the big screen just once.” I used to think this movie would be a milestone in our seven-year relationship. But now, he had casually handed my hard work over to an intern he’d only had for three months. I took a deep breath, choking back the bitterness in my throat. Squelching in my rain-soaked heels, I walked step by step towards them. Hearing my footsteps, Liam turned sharply. When he saw it was me, his brows furrowed instantly. He instinctively shielded Chloe behind him. His eyes were filled with undisguised defensiveness and disgust. “Alice Linwood, if you dare make a scene here, we’re over.” “Alice, please don’t misunderstand, I just came to drop off some urgent files…” Chloe cowered behind him, her eyes instantly welling up with tears. I didn’t cry, nor did I question him. I simply took the two tickets from my bag and handed them over. Liam was stunned. He looked at my expressionless eyes, his frown deepening. “What game are you playing now?” “Nothing.” I slipped the tickets into his coat pocket, my voice as soft as the wind. “Liam Walker, enjoy the movie.” With that, I didn’t hesitate for a second. I turned and walked out of the cinema. Until the glass doors closed behind me. I could still feel his incredulous gaze. He probably couldn’t fathom it. The Alice Linwood who loved him so much she lost herself. Why today, there wasn’t even an apology after the fact.

Outside, the heavy rain continued. I didn’t carry an umbrella, letting the icy rain pour over me. My body, exhausted from three days of non-stop work, was wracked with painful stomach cramps. As I passed a flooded intersection, a delivery scooter ran a red light and skidded violently. The handlebars slammed hard into my side. I was thrown through the air, crashing hard onto the asphalt road. Excruciating pain swept through my entire body. The delivery guy was terrified and repeatedly apologized. I was in too much pain to speak, only able to tremble and wave my hand, signaling him to go. Rainwater mixed with mud seeped into my wounds, making me shiver uncontrollably. I lay in a puddle, my vision blurred. Instinctively, I fumbled for my phone and dialed the pinned number. Seven years. It was my reflex. When in danger, when wronged, Liam was the first person I’d call. The phone rang for a long time. Just as it was about to go to voicemail, it connected. “Liam, I was hit by a car…” “Alice Linwood, haven’t you caused enough trouble?” Liam’s voice was low, filled with barely suppressed anger. “Did you time this perfectly to ruin the mood?” “Do you have any idea the movie just got to the most touching part? Chloe was crying because it was so moving!” “Do you seriously have to use this pathetic stunt to guilt-trip me right now?” I opened my mouth. Rainwater poured into my mouth, bitter and acrid. The severe pain in my side made it almost impossible for me to make a sound. But I could still faintly hear the end credits rolling on the big screen from his end of the call. That was the Easter egg I’d shamelessly begged the organizers to add, just to get the tickets. At the very end of the acknowledgments, there would be a small line of text: [To Liam Walker: Our seventh year. May you always swim free like a fish in the deep blue sea. – Alice] I had imagined that when that line appeared, I’d be leaning on his shoulder, listening to him tell me he loved me. Instead, he was sitting in that very seat, with another girl by his side. He didn’t even have the patience to glance at the screen, only caring about wiping away someone else’s tears. “Speak up! Are you mute?” Liam’s patience completely ran out. “I’m warning you one last time, drop the spoiled princess act.” “When I get home, I expect you to apologize to Chloe. You really scared her today.” The call was mercilessly cut. I looked at the black screen and suddenly laughed. A raw, gut-wrenching sound, tears mixing with the rain as they streamed down my face. It pulled at my wounds, making me gasp from the pain, but I couldn’t stop. It felt like a ball of cotton was lodged in my throat. I painfully dragged myself out of the muddy water, limping back home. But the Alice Linwood who always carefully tried to please him. She had died in that downpour.

Pushing open the door, the house was silent. I groped my way into the bathroom in the dark. The person in the mirror was disheveled and pathetic. The bruise on my side was swollen and purple, and the slightest movement sent a sharp, stabbing pain through me. I found the first-aid kit, and trembling, I pressed an iodine swab to my knee. The keypad lock clicked open at the entrance. Followed by Liam’s deliberately lowered, gentle voice: “Watch your step. You can sleep here tonight. I’ll find someone to fix the leak in your dorm tomorrow once the rain stops.” “But, Alice will be angry if she sees me…” Chloe’s voice was timid. “What right does she have to be angry?” Liam sneered. “There’s no way I’d let you stay alone in an apartment with no power.” The overhead living room light flared on, filling the room with blinding white light. Liam walked in, one arm around Chloe, the other carrying her duffel bag. He turned his head and saw me, slumped on the bathroom floor. The curve of his lips instantly vanished. His gaze swept over the bloody swab, his eyes filled with disgust. “Alice Linwood, what kind of stunt is this now?” He walked over, towering above me. “I wondered why you hung up so fast. Turns out you were cooking up some grand scheme at home.” “You dabbed on some antiseptic, made a huge mess, and you think that’s going to make me feel sorry for you?” Antiseptic. The heavy rain outside had washed away the blood on my body. Seeing my silence, Liam grabbed my arm and forcefully pulled me up. His hand clamped down hard on my bruised side. A jolt of excruciating pain shot through my brain. My legs gave out, and I collapsed back onto the floor. “Ah!” Chloe flinched back in fear. Liam abruptly let go, as if touching me for another second would contaminate him. “Alice Linwood, haven’t you made enough of a scene?!” “Chloe’s been startled and got wet from the rain. Do you have to give her grief right now?” I was covered in cold sweat, trembling from the pain. He clearly saw that I was drenched. But he only felt pity for Chloe getting wet. “I’m not making a scene.” Clutching the doorframe, I shakily pulled myself up, my voice hoarse. “I just accidentally fell.” Liam paused for a moment. Perhaps my lifeless gaze made him uneasy. “Good. Go change the sheets in the master bedroom. Chloe has a fever; she’ll sleep in there tonight. You can sleep in the guest room.” That sentence, like a dull knife, severed our last remaining connection. The master bedroom contained the bed I’d chosen, the custom-embroidered pillows with my name, all my personal belongings. Now, he wanted me to give it to another woman. “That’s my room.” I looked at him. “This is my apartment!” Liam pointed to the front door. “If you feel so wronged, then get out now! Don’t stand there bothering me!” Chloe tugged at his sleeve, her eyes brimming with tears. “Liam, I can just sleep on the couch…” “Don’t mind her. She just doesn’t know her place!” Liam squeezed her hand reassuringly. A sweet, metallic taste filled my throat. I didn’t cry, nor did I argue. I turned, dragging my aching leg, and walked into the master bedroom. From behind me, Liam let out a cold snort: “See? If you’d just listened earlier, you wouldn’t have to make such a fuss.” I pulled out the black suitcase from under the bed. I didn’t change the sheets, didn’t tidy the room. I only took my documents, a change of clothes, and my work laptop. Seven years of my youth, it weighed so little. A small suitcase couldn’t even fill it. When I walked out dragging the suitcase, Liam was pouring Chloe a glass of water. Seeing the suitcase, his pupils contracted sharply, then he let out a sneering laugh. “What? Can’t sleep in the master, so you’re playing the runaway game?” He walked towards me, blocking my path. “Alice Linwood, you tried that three years ago. Do you think I’ll chase after you and beg you to come back?” He pointed to the stormy rain outside. “If you’ve got the guts, then get out today.” “If you step foot out that door, even if you beg on your knees, I won’t let you step foot in this apartment again!” My fingers gripping the handle were white, and my legs were so sore I could barely stand. “Okay.” Without a second’s hesitation, I walked past him and pulled open the front door.

I don’t know how long I walked before my phone vibrated in my pocket. The screen lit up. It was a text from Liam: [I canceled your joint credit card. If you don’t have money for a hotel, stop being dramatic and come back to apologize.] I looked at the words on the screen and gave a stiff, humorless smile. That card was for buying our future home. For seven years, I’d faithfully deposited my entire salary into it every month. In his eyes, it was all his money. He could cut off my livelihood at any time, just to force me to yield. I didn’t reply. I immediately blocked his number, pulled out the SIM card, and tossed it into the gutter by the road. Along with it went seven years of my youth, utterly wasted. It was two in the morning. Gritting my teeth, half-dead, I checked into the emergency room at City Hospital Two. The ER doctor held up my X-ray, his brows furrowed in a tight knot. “A comminuted fracture of the right scaphoid bone, and severe soft tissue contusion in your lower back.” “Why did you wait so long to come in for your hand?” The doctor glanced at my medical record. “You’re a concept artist, aren’t you? Your finger joints show long-term strain from holding a pen.” “You need surgery for steel pins immediately, or else this hand won’t even be able to lift heavy objects in the future, let alone hold a pen.” I was drenched, sitting on the cold plastic chair, my mind blank. I was a concept artist. My right hand was my life. “Doctor, please schedule the surgery.” My voice was horribly hoarse. “Go pay the fees. A twenty thousand dollar deposit.” I took the paper and walked with difficulty to the payment window. I searched all my pockets and found only an old payroll card, not linked to Liam. Balance: thirteen hundred dollars. This month, to get those two exclusive movie tickets for Liam, I’d used up all my savings, even overdrafting my food money for next month. I clutched that thin bank card tightly, suddenly feeling despair. I pulled out my phone, wanting to ask someone for money. Scrolling through my contact list, I realized how pathetically barren my life was. To accommodate Liam’s schedule, I had canceled all my social engagements and outings. My closest friend, Chloe Davis. She was currently lying in my master bedroom, sleeping in my bed. At twenty-seven years old, I was homeless, penniless, and nearly an invalid. “Are you going to pay or not? There are others waiting behind you.” The cashier impatiently tapped on the glass. I stiffly stepped aside. Leaning against the pale hospital wall, I slowly slid down, squatting on the floor. I buried my face in my knees, a broken laugh escaping my throat. I trembled with laughter, tears splashing onto the muddy floor. It was too ridiculous. Alice Linwood, you truly live like a joke. Just as I was laughing so hard I could barely breathe. The harsh fluorescent light overhead was suddenly blocked by a shadow. “Alice.” The voice was familiar, yet filled with an undisguised tremble of panic and concern. I slowly lifted my head. Ethan Reed stood before me, breathless. He must have just come from a business function, but his hair was wet with rain. “I was just in the neighborhood for a project, and I saw someone who looked a lot like you walking in the rain…” He crouched down, his gaze falling on my right wrist and my blood-stained knees. His eyes immediately reddened. “What have you done to yourself?” I looked at him, opened my mouth, but no sound came out. The nerves that had been taut all night. Upon hearing that long-lost concern, they completely snapped. My vision went black, and I lost consciousness. In the last second before I passed out, I faintly heard Ethan’s furious roar: “Doctor! Help her!” Meanwhile. New York, our old apartment. Liam Walker stood by the floor-to-ceiling window. Looking at the overwhelming downpour outside, he impatiently tugged at his tie. Half an hour. Alice Linwood hadn’t cried and knocked on the door in the hallway as usual. Nor had she sent any begging texts. “Liam…” Chloe Davis, wearing Alice’s silk pajamas, walked over timidly. “Alice went out so late, will she be okay? Maybe you should call and check?” “What could happen? She has no money, and I canceled that joint credit card.” Liam snorted, his voice certain. “Don’t worry about her. The rain’s so heavy outside, she’ll come crawling back, crying and begging me to open the door, in less than half an hour.” He turned and walked towards the couch. His gaze suddenly caught something on the table, tucked under a glass. It was the velvet ring box he’d bought for his proposal next month. And next to the box, a set of keys lay quietly. Alice Linwood’s apartment keys. Liam’s heart suddenly, inexplicably, skipped a beat.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “409058”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

I was kidnapped 99 times by my husband Caleb Hayes’s enemies. The hundredth time, I cut my ropes and escaped home, just wanting to fall into his arms and cry. But at the door, men’s and women’s clothes were strewn across the floor. The tie I’d given him for our anniversary was draped over a piece of sexy lingerie. From the bedroom, Willow Fairmont’s voice drifted out. “Caleb, you have Mia kidnapped every time you want to avoid taking her out, and then you sleep with me. What exactly is she to you?” Through the crack in the door, Caleb’s low chuckle echoed. “What can Mia compare to you? She doesn’t even have a high school diploma. She’s too embarrassing to bring out.” “Besides, even if she found out, what could an orphan with no money or power do?” I froze, my blood running cold. It turned out that every single kidnapping over the past five years had been orchestrated by him. But he didn’t know that my billionaire parents had just reconnected with me three days ago. Mia POV I was kidnapped 99 times by my husband Caleb Hayes’s enemies. During the 100th kidnapping, I used a small knife hidden in my shoe to cut the ropes and escape. Stumbling and scrambling to my feet, my first thought was to go home. Caleb must be frantic, searching for me. But when I opened the door, what I saw were men’s and women’s clothes scattered from the entryway into the living room. Among them was the tie I’d given Caleb for our fourth wedding anniversary. Draped over the tie was a piece of sexy lingerie. My mind went blank, and my breath hitched. I stiffly walked toward the bedroom, the intimate sounds growing clearer as I approached. “Caleb, every time you need a date for a public event, you have Mia kidnapped and send me in her place. I’m the one you’re sleeping with, so who’s really your wife? Aren’t you afraid she’ll find out?” “Or is it that Mia just can’t satisfy you?” The voice belonged to Willow Fairmont, Caleb’s former arranged marriage partner, and supposedly his enemy. Yet now, despite her provocative words, her tone was clearly triumphant. Then, Caleb’s husky, satisfied voice came from behind the half-closed door. “What can Mia compare to you?” “Her embarrassing appearance at her first formal event cost me a major project and made me a laughingstock for a year.” “Business is war, and the woman by a man’s side reflects his capability. I can’t have a woman without even a high school diploma standing beside me. She just lacks the refinement I need.” “Besides, even if she found out, what could she do?” Caleb sounded supremely confident. “She’d never give up the status of Mrs. Hayes now.” “I only have her kidnapped because I’m afraid she’ll make a scene if she knows. It’s a hassle.” Willow chuckled. “Then why not just drug her? We could even do whatever we want while she’s incapacitated. Wouldn’t that be more exciting?” “Drugging her…” Caleb mused for a moment, then replied lightly, “Drugging her would be too harsh on her body. Kidnapping is more straightforward.” He laughed, teasing, “What, are you jealous? Want a title? How about being my mistress?” “You think you qualify as my lover?” Willow wasn’t offended. “Don’t forget who called me a bitch and then crawled into my bed.” “Yes, I fell first. From the first time I saw you, I was captivated.” “Willow, I’ll tell them to keep Mia for a few more days… will you stay with me for another week?” The atmosphere grew increasingly intimate, and I couldn’t bear to listen anymore. I fled from what, just a second ago, had felt like my safest haven. I ran faster and faster, but my leg injury, still not fully healed from a previous kidnapping, flared up. With a thud, I fell into the mud from the recent rain, splattering myself from head to toe. My elbow scraped raw, leaving me utterly disheveled. “Don’t cry.” I bit down hard on my lower lip, forcing myself to hold back the tears. “Mia, there’s nothing to cry about!” From childhood, when I was homeless with no parents, I didn’t cry. When I was robbed of food and beaten on the ground, I didn’t cry. Every time I fell, I never cried. I shouldn’t cry now either. But tears welled up uncontrollably. It turned out that all my suffering over the past five years had been inflicted by Caleb. From the first kidnapping, I was pushed from a third-story window, breaking my leg. During the second kidnapping, I was so traumatized that I miscarried the baby I was carrying, making it impossible for me to conceive again. The third kidnapping left me with claustrophobia. I nearly suffocated. By the 99th kidnapping, I was suffering from severe PTSD. I was terrified of strangers, the dark, ropes. Any small fright would send me into trembling fits and make me vomit. At my worst, I spent three months in the hospital, surviving only on IV drips, unable to eat anything. My stomach churned. Even though I was safe now, the illness struck, and I couldn’t stop dry heaving. I began to sob softly, then burst into uncontrollable tears. It was as if I needed to release all the love I had for Caleb. It started twenty years ago, when I was six and saved a dying Caleb. We scavenged for food together, hid from human traffickers, and then entered the same orphanage. When I was in tenth grade, the orphanage closed, and we ended up on the streets. Our teacher said Caleb’s grades meant he had a good chance of getting into a prestigious university like Harvard. I couldn’t bear for him to miss a life-changing opportunity, so I started working to support his education. During our poorest times, I gave him all my money, surviving on instant noodles once a day for three months. Caleb watched me waste away, his eyes red as he promised, “Mia, I will give you the best life possible.” His promise was fulfilled in another way. After graduating from Harvard, the Hayes family found him. Still with grease stains from the kitchen on my pants, I was brought by Caleb to their opulent mansion. The Hayes family was extremely displeased with me, threatening Caleb with disinheritance if he didn’t break up with me. “Who are you to be his wife?” Caleb immediately took me to register our marriage. “My Mia deserves all the best things in the world. I can disown myself from your family, but I will only marry her in this lifetime.” So, when Caleb said he was worried I’d be kidnapped by more enemies and therefore never appeared with me in public or in the media, I understood. No matter how much pain I suffered because of him, I never blamed him. But I failed to notice that Caleb had changed long ago. From the first formal event I attended, where, unaccustomed to high heels, I was intentionally tripped, and a champagne tower spilled all over me. I became a laughingstock. But that wasn’t my last public embarrassment. Some people laughed because I didn’t understand French and deliberately taught me to insult myself in the language. They mocked my cheap food, called my name old-fashioned, and covered their noses, saying I smelled. I endured it. I thought as long as Caleb didn’t find me embarrassing, it didn’t matter. But now, his heart belonged to another woman. All that was left for me was deceit and pain. If that’s the case, then I don’t want him anymore. I don’t want our twenty years together. Wiping away my tears, I stood up and borrowed a stranger’s phone to call his mother. “As you wish, I agree to divorce Caleb.”

Mia POV Afraid I would change my mind, she demanded I come sign the divorce papers the next day. “You don’t need to worry about Caleb. Don’t tell him about this. Just wait a month until the divorce is finalized, and then leave immediately.” “And of course, you won’t get a penny.” I had no objection. No sooner had I hung up than a Maybach screeched to a halt on the roadside. Caleb got out of the car and strode quickly to my side, not caring about the dirt on me as he hugged me tightly. “Mia, I was so worried about you!” He held me as if he wanted to absorb me into his body, his voice trembling with obvious urgency. In the past, every time I was rescued, I only felt safe in his arms. But now, as I smelled Willow’s perfume on him, I only felt revulsion and a chill throughout my body. “Worried about me?” My voice was cold. “Were you really worried?” When he laughed about having me kidnapped for a few more days, was he worried about me, or was he savoring Willow’s kiss? Caleb keenly sensed I was different from usual, assuming it was just because I was traumatized. When he saw the scratches on my hand, his expression changed. “How did you hurt your hand? Did you get injured while escaping? Does it hurt?” “I’m sorry, it’s my fault. I failed to protect you again. Don’t be afraid, we’re going home.” Without waiting for my answer, Caleb picked me up and placed me in the car. Less than an hour later, the mansion was spotless, with no trace of another woman. After applying medicine to my wounds, Caleb was about to hold me and sing my favorite songs repeatedly, as he had the ninety-nine times before. But I refused his touch. “I want to be alone today.” Caleb paused but didn’t seem to suspect anything. The next morning, after signing the divorce papers, I went to the orphanage to sort things out before my departure. After Caleb brought me back to the Hayes family, I gradually used my savings to build an orphanage. Even when my condition wasn’t suitable for work after being kidnapped, I continued to serve as director, personally managing its affairs. But now that I was leaving, I needed to arrange for the children’s future. The vice-director was the best candidate. We grew up in the same orphanage, and I trusted her character and ability. Things were a bit sudden, but Chloe eventually solemnly promised not to let me down. “Mia, you’re leaving? Where are you going?” I shook my head. “I don’t know, I just want to live in a different city.” “Are you going with Caleb? I still remember when he was ten, someone wanted to adopt him, but he clung to you and refused to leave, saying he couldn’t be separated from you.” I paused, not answering. But Caleb had changed. Once a person changes, all their past promises mean nothing. Now, I just wanted to be as far away from him as possible. Chloe was about to say something else when a girl suddenly rushed into the office, smiling and bowing to me. “I haven’t had a chance to thank you personally. I got an internship at Hayes Corporation. If Mr. Hayes hadn’t given me an interview opportunity because of you, my qualifications would have surely been screened out at the resume stage.” I was a bit taken aback. “An interview?” Chloe explained, “You didn’t know? Caleb has actually been helping you all along.” “Not just with the internship. Last month, when you were hospitalized, a girl who had been abandoned was taken back by her parents. If Caleb hadn’t intervened, that girl would have been sold to Southeast Asia. Several children in the orphanage who needed surgery, he connected us with hospital specialists and paid for their treatments.” “Yes, yes!” Lily, the girl next to us, chimed in. “Mr. Hayes cares so much about you! He’s been secretly donating to the orphanage and said you weren’t well and he didn’t want you to worry too much about the place.” “He said he would prepare everything for you.” I was stunned for a long while. In the five years since returning to the Hayes family, Caleb had not truly gained his parents’ approval or real power within the company. Therefore, I wouldn’t trouble him with my own affairs. Even during the early days of establishing the orphanage, when funds were scarce, I never asked for his money. It turned out Caleb had done so much behind my back. But then I thought, what else had he hidden from me?

Mia POV After spending a week completing the handover, I returned to the mansion with a complicated heart, only to see Willow standing in my room. She held a lighter, using it to set fire to a stuffed doll. “What are you doing?!” My face instantly drained of color. I ran over, snatched the doll, and extinguished the flames with my bare hands, but it was too late. The cloth doll, once ignited, burned quickly. Even with my desperate attempts to save it, only a few charred cotton remnants and shredded fabric remained. This doll was the only thing I had carried with me during my homeless days, and my only connection to my birth parents. I had carefully preserved it for twenty years, and now it was gone, just like that. “How dare you destroy my property?!” Willow, however, merely chuckled dismissively. “Oh, I thought it was just some trash.” “You’re getting so worked up over a piece of garbage. How can you be Caleb Hayes’s wife and still be so common?” “Did you get addicted to picking up trash when you were a kid?” I frowned. “What nonsense are you talking about!” The commotion attracted Caleb and Willow’s mother, but before they reached us, Willow suddenly slapped herself. By the time I realized what she was doing, Willow had completely changed her expression, her face a mask of grievance as she rushed into her mother’s arms, who had just entered the room. “Mom, Mia suddenly lost it and slapped me because of a broken doll.” Willow’s mother’s gaze instantly turned icy. “Caleb, are you trying to insult us? My daughter finally forgave you for breaking off your engagement, and now you let her suffer such humiliation? Do you still want our families’ collaboration to continue?” Caleb’s face darkened. “Mia, what are you doing? Apologize at once!” The blisters on my hand from the fire stung, and I gritted my teeth. “Apologize for what? Can’t you see this blatant setup? I didn’t hit her; she burned my doll!” “You know that doll was the only thing my parents left me!” Willow, her eyes red and swollen with tears, said, “I’m sorry, Mia. That doll was so tattered, I thought it was garbage. I didn’t know what it meant to you.” “But your parents didn’t want you, and keeping that doll won’t make them want you now.” Her words completely infuriated me. I bristled, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, and lunged forward, wanting to slap Willow’s provoking face. But before I could even touch Willow, Caleb shoved me away. My head slammed directly against a table, the pain so intense that my vision blurred. “Enough, Mia! Look at where we are!” “This isn’t a big deal; why would you hit her?” Caleb’s face was grim. “Besides, is she wrong? It’s been over twenty years. If your parents really wanted you, they would have found you by now.” “Hitting someone over a broken doll. When did you become so unreasonable?” “You may not have parents to care for you, but others do! Apologize!” The man before me spoke the most hurtful words. He had personally witnessed people pinning me down, forcing me to admit I was unwanted trash. I was beaten until I coughed blood, but I never broke down. Yet, he would still, for Willow, stab a knife into my heart. And the sharpest blade, no less. I suddenly laughed. Laughed at my own foolish self-pity. He said he would prepare everything for me, secretly handling the orphanage’s problems. I had thought he at least held a little genuine feeling for me. Slap! I landed a harsh blow across Caleb’s face. Before anyone could react, I raised my hand again. Another slap! “Caleb, this is unreasonable.” My voice was ice-cold. Caleb’s face darkened, and he, too, was enraged. After all, even during his time on the streets, no one had ever hit him like that. And after five years with the Hayes family, he was no longer the orphan who had to endure to survive. “I’ve spoiled you too much, allowing your old bad habits to fester into this. You’re due for a bit of hardship.”

Mia POV Caleb locked me in the basement and didn’t even send food down. “Go reflect on your mistakes. You’ll come out and eat when you admit you were wrong.” Over the years of being kidnapped, I had developed severe stomach problems. I also had nyctophobia; I had to sleep with the lights on, or I would tremble uncontrollably. Caleb knew all this. He had seen me white-faced with stomach pain and had stayed up all night caring for me; he had cried with concern when he saw me huddled in a corner, shivering. Yet, he still did this to me because of Willow. I laughed, a truly bitter laugh. This stalemate lasted three days. On the evening of the third day, huddled in the corner, I received an audio message from Willow: “Back then, I was afraid of her rude and unreasonable personality, which is why I faked her kidnappings.” “You wouldn’t believe it, there was a girl who sent Caleb a love letter once, and Mia had her face disfigured.” “Honestly, I somewhat regret impulsively rushing into marriage with her back then.” My heart felt a dull ache, and I gritted my teeth, suppressing a surge of bitterness. Caleb only remembered me disfiguring that person’s face but forgot that the girl had deliberately pushed me down the stairs first. At the time, that girl had sent him a love letter only because she had made a deal with someone. To date him and sabotage his grades to knock him from the top of his class. I hadn’t told him these things. But it made him wrongly believe I was jealous. After he got involved with Willow, he feared I would harm her, so he chose to hurt me instead. I suddenly felt like a complete joke. As if the audio wasn’t enough, Willow continued. “Mia, that day you escaped, you heard the sounds from the mansion, didn’t you?” “Your husband plans to take me to Australia to buy a vineyard as compensation. Guess what, will you be kidnapped again?” She sent me details of all the places she and Caleb had visited over the years and what they had done. Last month, they drank wine under the Eiffel Tower. At that time, I was abandoned in a desolate area, listening to wolves howl for nights. Last winter, they went to the Southern Hemisphere to enjoy spring. At that time, I was being harassed with lewd comments by kidnappers, too terrified to sleep, clutching my clothes in fear for a week. They traveled the world. And these locations were all places Caleb and I had wished to visit together when we were kids, huddled under blankets. It turned out that the wishes two people made together could be fulfilled with someone else. While I prayed countless times for Caleb to save me from my predicament, he was gently kissing Willow, laughing so happily. The contrast was too stark; my stomach clenched physiologically, the pain making me break into a cold sweat. Eventually, I even threw up a mouthful of blood. I fainted. I woke up again in a hospital, with an IV drip in my arm. Caleb sat by my bed, his eyes shadowed with dark circles, clearly having stayed up all night to care for me. We looked at each other in silence. After a long time, he sighed deeply and was the first to lower his head. “Alright, it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have said such harsh things. My mistake.” “But you also have to understand me. You slapped me in front of our guests; where does that leave my dignity?” “But you can’t bully Willow anymore. You’re so strong; how could a fragile young woman like her withstand your slap?” He still thought it was my fault, but I no longer bothered to explain. Whether he believed me or not, it didn’t matter anymore. Seeing my silence, Caleb thought I was still angry. He took my hand and coaxed, “Alright, don’t let this affect our relationship. Your birthday is in two days. For the past few years, you were either kidnapped or I was busy, so we never celebrated properly. This year, how about I take you to your favorite restaurant for your birthday?” I pulled my hand away, closed my eyes, and said nothing. There were still twenty days until the divorce was finalized. Just twenty more days to endure. On my birthday, a driver picked me up and took me to a private dining room at a restaurant. After sitting down, it wasn’t Caleb who arrived. “Well, well, isn’t this Caleb Hayes’s little… woman? Why are you alone? Did Caleb leave you lonely?” I looked over; it was Victor Thorne, a business partner of Caleb’s. He seemed to have been drinking, his face flushed, as he steadily advanced towards me. I immediately realized his intent, and my scalp tingled with dread. “What are you doing? Get away! Or I’ll call for help!” My threat had no effect. He lunged at me, pinning me to the ground with one hand and fumbling with my clothes with the other. “Blame your husband! He’s ruined my plans too many times. Today, I’m going to make him taste what it’s like to have his wife humiliated!”

Mia POV “Let go! Let go of me!” “Help!” I struggled, landing a punch on Victor’s face, which completely enraged him. His eyes were vicious, and he clamped his hands tightly around my throat. “You want to die, don’t you?!” A sudden wave of suffocation washed over me. He really intended to kill me, and I couldn’t break free. Gradually, I lost my strength. Just as I despaired, the private room door was kicked open. The next second, Victor was yanked up by Caleb, his fists smashing into bone with increasing force. Caleb’s voice was as cold as ice. “Who gave you the guts to lay a hand on my person?!” Caleb was in a frenzy, his eyes blazing with a terrifying crimson. After dealing with Victor, he carefully took off his jacket and draped it over me, his hands shaking as he held me. “Mia, are you okay? It’s over, I’m here.” Tears streamed uncontrollably from my eyes. I tried to say something but passed out. When I woke up, it was night. The marks on my neck had been treated with medicine. Caleb stood a short distance away, talking on the phone. “Mom, Dad, I will press charges against Victor. Even if you object, even if it jeopardizes our collaboration with his family and costs the company, I will make him pay.” “I can’t let Mia be wronged.” On the phone, his parents vehemently opposed him, but Caleb was no longer listening to them as he usually did. His mother, furious, blurted out, “Mia is about to divorce you! Are you still going to jeopardize the company’s development for her?” My heart skipped a beat at her words. Caleb frowned. “Mom, what are you talking about?” “I told you, even if Mia can never have children, I will not divorce her.” “She only has me now.” With that, he hung up the phone. Seeing me open my eyes, he walked to the bedside, his coaxing voice so gentle it could melt ice. “You’re awake? Does anything hurt?” “It’s okay; the bad guy has been dealt with. No one will hurt you again.” My throat was terribly sore, and I couldn’t speak for a moment. “Throat hurts? Here, the doctor said drinking this medicine will help.” Caleb held the medicine and personally fed it to me. For a moment, I was lost in a haze, feeling as if I had returned to the days when we relied on each other. “Oh, right, I prepared a birthday gift for you.” After feeding me the medicine, Caleb pulled out a beautifully wrapped gift box. Inside was a thick gold bangle, with roses carved all around its surface. “You always said you’d buy gold when you had money. It’s a bit late, and I didn’t expect tonight to turn out like this, but… happy birthday, Mia.” He put the gold bangle on my wrist, held my hand, his expression sincere. “I hope my Mia is always happy and joyful.” I was speechless. If it had been before, I probably would have been moved to tears. Moved that he remembered my casual remark. But this gift came truly too late. My throat injury wasn’t severe enough to require hospitalization. Back home, I collapsed from exhaustion and fell asleep. I woke up in the middle of the night due to discomfort in my throat and got out of bed to get a glass of warm water. Passing Caleb’s study, I overheard him talking on the phone with his lawyer friend. “Caleb, I didn’t realize you’d sacrifice your own wife to get revenge for Willow.” “But your plan was brilliant: drug Victor, make him lust after Mia and sexually harass her, then you swoop in as the hero, taking the moral and legal high ground to punish him.” “After this incident, the Thorne family is doomed, and he’ll never dare to offend Willow again.” I was stunned, my blood freezing in my veins. “But why didn’t you let Willow handle Victor herself? With the Fairmont family’s connections, Victor could have gotten a harsher sentence.” Caleb frowned. “That method, while effective, carries risks.” “Victor is quite strong, and Mia has been good at fighting since she was a child, so she wouldn’t truly be harmed. Unlike Willow; she’s never even gotten a scratch since she was little, how could she endure a beating?” “Aren’t you afraid your wife would get hurt? No matter what, she’s still a woman. Victor was so brutal then, what if…” Caleb pressed his lips together, and there was a moment of silence. After a while, he spoke softly: “But what you said didn’t happen, did it? Mia has always been strong. A few injuries are nothing. A little hardship, and I can compensate her.” “Besides, Mia offended Willow a few days ago, so this was a good opportunity to make amends to her.” “Willow is different.” His voice carried a note of preciousness. “She’s a princess; how could I bear to let her suffer any hardship?”

Mia POV Outside the door, I felt as if an invisible hand was squeezing my throat again. I rubbed my dry eyes. Looking at the gold bangle on my wrist, I smiled bitterly. So, this was compensation. So, resisting his parents to sue Victor wasn’t for me after all. In his eyes, what was I? Injured, but it wouldn’t hurt; wronged, but it was nothing. I meant nothing at all! Even though my heart ached, I was already numb. I didn’t rush in to confront him; I just quietly returned to my room. During my recovery, Caleb cared for me meticulously, except when he was at work. Meanwhile, I began to deal with the things Caleb had given me. I sold the gold bangle and all the luxury items Caleb had given me, converting everything into cash and depositing it into the orphanage’s account. With fifteen days left until the divorce was finalized, Caleb took me for a follow-up check-up at the hospital. Willow came with us. “I need a check-up, too. Caleb, can you give me a ride on the way? Mia, you don’t mind, do you?” Without waiting for my answer, she opened the car door and sat directly in the front passenger seat. Caleb frowned slightly. “You should sit in the back. It’s not appropriate for you to sit in front.” Willow pouted. “Oh, is that Mia’s exclusive seat? But I always sit in the front passenger seat. Otherwise, I won’t go.” “Mia, do you mind if I take your seat?” I ignored her and got into the car. Willow paused for a moment, then smiled. “See? Even Mia doesn’t care. Caleb, I don’t care, I’m sitting in the front.” On the way, the car was filled only with Willow’s sweet, delicate voice. Caleb, however, responded distractedly, constantly checking me in the rearview mirror. “Mia, what do you want to eat after your check-up? Should I cook for you personally?” “Whatever.” Caleb was about to say something else when Willow suddenly reached into his suit pocket and exclaimed. “Caleb, so my lipstick was here all along! No wonder I couldn’t find it.” “It must have fallen in when you slept over at my place, I wasn’t careful.” Her words were intimate, and Caleb instinctively looked at me, but I showed no reaction. He hastily said, “Mia, I stayed overnight at Willow’s house to discuss a project; it wasn’t for any other reason. Don’t misunderstand.” Willow also smiled and explained, “Yes, Mia, there’s no way anything could happen between Caleb and me. Even though we’re collaborating now, he and I will always be enemies.” I heard the provocation in her words. I could foresee that if I hadn’t discovered the truth about the kidnappings, if we hadn’t divorced, then scenes like today, designed to cause ‘misunderstanding,’ would play out countless times in the future. Once I questioned Caleb, I would be labeled as an unreasonable, crazy woman. But I didn’t want to be a crazy woman. “Understood.” Caleb saw my cold reaction and was about to speak when suddenly, BAM! Our car was rear-ended directly by a large truck. Through the rearview mirror, I saw the driver was Victor Thorne, who had escaped. “Caleb Hayes, you want to send me to prison, you want to ruin me, right? Then let’s die together!” His eyes were savage, and his car sped wildly, clearly intending to take us all down with him. Just as we were about to collide with the vehicle ahead, Caleb swerved the steering wheel sharply. Our car slammed into the roadside barrier, and Victor’s truck careened into the opposite lane, crashing into a large concrete barrier. Victor died instantly. A dull pain exploded in my abdomen. In the second before I lost consciousness, I saw Caleb quickly shield Willow beneath him. When I regained consciousness, I felt as though my internal organs had shifted. The immense pain made every breath feel like torture. “Caleb, I’m in so much pain.” Willow’s face was covered in blood, and she cried piteously. “I’ve lost so much blood; am I going to die?” “But I don’t want to die…” I saw Caleb tightly holding her hand, hooking his pinky finger to promise, “No, you won’t. I won’t let you die.” Beside me, there was no one. All three of us were injured. Caleb’s injuries were the lightest, and he could still walk. Willow and I, however, were both lying on stretchers. Nurses rushed over after checking our blood. “Doctor, both patients are O-negative, but the hospital blood bank is out of O-negative blood. It’ll take at least half an hour to get emergency blood delivered.” The doctor frowned. “That’s too long.” Caleb quickly stepped forward. “I’m O-negative; I can donate blood to them.” “Doctor, he’s also injured. We can’t take too much. Right now, it’s only enough for one patient.” “Which one first?” The doctor pointed at me. “Give Mia the transfusion first. Willow can still speak and can wait for the blood to arrive. But Mia has lost too much blood. If she doesn’t get a transfusion soon, she’ll die.” At these words, Willow clung to Caleb, her wails suddenly escalating. “Caleb, I hurt! Save me! I feel like I’m going to die!” I strained against my heavy eyelids. I felt myself teetering on the edge of death. Only Caleb was familiar in this chaos; I wanted him to hold me. I wanted to say I was scared, I was so cold. And I hurt, too. But I didn’t even have the strength to speak. In the silence, my eyes met Caleb’s. I also saw him hesitate, then point at Willow. “Save her first.” The doctor tried to persuade him further, but Caleb insisted, “It’s my blood. I say who gets saved first. Otherwise, I won’t donate.” In that instant, I stopped myself. I didn’t want to say anything. It was pointless. In Caleb’s eyes, I was no longer important. It was a good thing I didn’t love him anymore. I would never love him again in this lifetime. After a brief stalemate, the doctor didn’t dare wait any longer. She told Caleb to get ready while urging the nurses to rush the emergency blood delivery. That day, waiting for the blood, I felt like I was going through all the pain I’d ever experience in my life. Every breath tugged at the wound in my abdomen, every tiny movement hurt so much it made my vision blur. I could hear Caleb constantly encouraging Willow. I wanted to cry, but my tears seemed to have dried up along with my blood.

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Five years after my divorce, I received an old diary from my ex-husband. It contained things he couldn’t let me know until he died. [An arranged marriage? Seriously? Over my dead body!] [Chloe Sterling just had a kidney removed, she’s not dying. She’s just being overly dramatic.] [Ridiculous. She actually thinks she’s special, that this will make me want her back?] [Where are you? Please, come back.] [Chloe Sterling, I was wrong.] [In the next life, I hope you never meet Liam Thorne again.] I was getting Leo ready for preschool when Liam Thorne’s package arrived. I tossed the delivery box onto the entryway table without a second thought. My heart, which I thought had long been calm, still rippled with emotion. Back home, I hesitated for a long time. Eventually, I opened that old diary. [July 25, 2015, Saturday, Sunny to Cloudy My old-fashioned father actually wants me to get into an arranged marriage with that naive Sterling girl. Doesn’t he know how much I can’t stand her? And an arranged marriage with her? You’ve got to be kidding me. (Unless it was her sister, Willow Sterling, then maybe I’d consider it.)] Only these few lines were on the first page of the diary. The handwriting was light and messy, reminding me of our younger days. Our families, the Sterlings and the Thornes, had been intertwined for generations. So Liam and I were practically childhood sweethearts. Too bad I was raised as a daughter of the prominent Sterling family but wasn’t their biological heir. Willow Sterling was the true Sterling daughter, found after being separated from the family for years. But after all, I was the daughter the Sterlings had raised for eighteen years, and I had a compliant personality. The Sterlings decided not to send me away, letting me stay as the younger Sterling daughter. The Thorne family also continued to treat me warmly. Except for Liam Thorne. He always picked on me, ever since we were kids. At three, he pulled my pigtails. At thirteen, he pulled my bra strap. Now he was mocking me for being a fraud. He was utterly annoying. At my eighteenth birthday party, a fallen candle ignited balloons, causing a fire. Unexpectedly, the annoying Liam Thorne was the first to rush over, shielding me from the flames and getting a large burn on his back. From that moment on, I fell hopelessly in love with my hero. For four years in college, I did everything to pursue him. Friends in our circle called me Liam Thorne’s biggest simp, but I didn’t care. I loved it. After college, I begged my father for half a year before securing an arranged marriage with Liam Thorne. I knew he wasn’t happy; he scowled throughout the entire engagement party. He only spoke to Willow. Back then, I was foolish enough to believe. Even if Liam was an iceberg, I could slowly melt him, making him fall in love with me. It wasn’t until after we were married that I found him and Willow kissing in our marital home. The heartbreak felt like a dagger twisting in my chest, making me refuse to admit it. He really didn’t love me. “Chloe Sterling, our marriage is purely to maintain family interests.” “As you can see, the one I love is your sister, Willow.” “How about, from today on, we live separate lives?” I sat dejectedly on the floor, watching the mockery in his eyes, my hands clutching the carpet, feeling utterly powerless. He left with Willow and didn’t come back for six months. I searched the city like crazy for him. I became the talk of the town as a deserted wife, scorned and ridiculed by everyone. Until that night, I saw a drunken Liam Thorne outside a private club room. He’d been dumped. Willow had broken up with him. I took him back home and nursed him back to health, treating him like he was the most precious thing. “Chloe Sterling, are you really that stupid?” “I think you’re just pathetic. Saving you back then was a mistake.” “You’re like a leech, impossible to shake off.” During that time, Liam drank all day long. Drunk or sober, he’d always say something to hurt me. I took it all in. What else could I do? I loved him, hopelessly so. I put down my car keys, walking to the living room while reading the diary. I opened the fridge and grabbed an ice-cold soda. Curling up on the couch, I turned to the next page.

[December 8, 2017, Friday, Light Rain Married Chloe Sterling for two years now, and she’s still so boring, always just circling around me. It’s really annoying. Besides, I’m the city’s most notorious playboy, so what if I go out with some girls? What’s the big deal? She’s just like my dad, always trying to control me, so old-fashioned. I, Liam Thorne, swear, I will never love Chloe Sterling even a little bit in this life. If I ever do, may I rot in hell.] A mouthful of soda nearly choked me. I tossed the remaining half bottle. Anyway, I didn’t even like the stuff. It was Liam’s favorite, though. Liam loved thrills, adventure, and everything challenging. That’s how he fell for Willow, too. Willow was brought back home from the countryside when she was eighteen. She was different from me. She was fiery, daring, and willing to try anything new and exciting. Liam loved her bravery and detested my timidness. Later, the brave Willow also found Liam timid and boring, so she dumped him. She called me that day. “Chloe Sterling, I never loved Liam. I just purely envied you for living my heiress life for eighteen years. So, I took Liam from you purely for the thrill of it. Now, I’m giving him back. We’re even from now on.” She was as impulsive as ever. Before I could say a word, she hung up. But how could Liam, who had once loved Willow, settle for ordinary? So he started his own challenges. Challenges like collecting twelve zodiac girlfriends, and twenty-four seasonal girlfriends. I remember December 8, 2017, was the hundredth time I caught him out cheating. His left arm was around a young model, and his right hand was getting cozy with a B-list actress. When I arrived, I smashed his table, drenching him in whiskey. “Chloe Sterling, you’ve gone too far!” He surged to his feet in a rage, clutching the liquor bottle tightly, but he didn’t throw it. I gave him a cold stare, grabbed the bottle from his hand, smashed it on the floor, and yelled. “Come home with me!” For the first time, he actually listened to me. It was drizzling outside the bar, and I just dragged him, stubbornly walking him all the way home. “Liam Thorne, how long are you going to keep playing these games?” “None of your business!” “We’re married.” “Pfft, you think I wanted that?” I stared at him. He stripped off his clothes right in front of me, not caring one bit, and walked into the bathroom. Two years married. He had never touched me, yet he had no qualms about letting me see his body. I knew he was trying to disgust me, to insult me. From that day on, I started trying to change. Liam loved soda, so I filled the fridge with it. He loved to see my pained expression when I drank soda, so he forced me to drink can after can. My throat burned like fire, and I looked at Liam through teary eyes. Over time, I actually started to like soda. Liam, then, found it boring. Later, on our fourth wedding anniversary, he unexpectedly gave me a motorcycle. “Here, Chloe Sterling. Since you love me so much, come ride with me!” “You’re not scared, are you?” My heart churned as I touched the motorcycle, but I kept a brave face. “What’s there to be scared of? I’ve already gone skydiving with you, this is nothing!” Liam’s lips curved into a smile, and he took me to the most dangerous cliffside road in the city. I followed him on my bike, the wind making my legs tremble. Liam was definitely doing this on purpose. He knew I had a fear of heights. “Chloe Sterling, if you can follow me around this track today, I’ll promise to be a proper husband. Do you dare?”

He looked at me provocatively, his contemptuous and disdainful gaze clearly visible through the helmet visor. “What, what’s there to be, to be scared of? Let’s go!” The roar of the engine drowned out his mockery, and the motorcycle exhaust stung my nostrils. I revved the engine and sped up, determined to fight for a new life. Cleaning up the soda spilled on the table, I picked up Leo’s leftover sandwich, eating it as I turned to the next page. [May 20, 2020, Sunday, Cloudy What right does Chloe Sterling have to demand I spend Valentine’s Day with her? That incident was just an accident, I don’t feel guilty at all. Besides, Chloe Sterling just had a kidney removed, she’s not dying. Why are both the Sterling and Thorne families fawning over her? I think she’s just being overly dramatic.] I closed the diary, shaking my head with a bitter smile. Thanks to Liam Thorne, I’d had one kidney removed, making my life much more inconvenient afterward. My memory drifted back to that cliffside road. The winding mountain road was narrow and winding; for a novice, completing the entire route was impossible. I could only cling to Liam’s trail, staring at the back I had chased for years, trying to boost my own spirits. But fate, however, had other plans. After a sharp turn, a large pothole appeared on the road. I slammed on the brakes in fright, and the inertia sent me flying off the bike. When I woke up again, I was already on the operating table. Under the glaring fluorescent lights, several doctors stood, their faces grim, operating on me. Eight hours of surgery. I passed out, woke up, passed out again. It wasn’t until I was moved to a regular ward that I fully understood. After I was thrown off the cliff, a tree branch had punctured my left kidney. Mom held my hand, crying uncontrollably. “Chloe, don’t blame me. If your left kidney isn’t removed, you won’t live!” I looked at her swollen, red eyes, my heart aching as I gently stroked her hand. Later, I stayed in the hospital for three months. During this time, Liam only came once, secretly peeking at me from the doorway before leaving. Actually, I knew it all. I was taken back to the Sterling family estate to recover, and Mom and Dad still doted on me like I was their precious gem. But my heart felt hollow. I understood then: it no longer beat for Liam Thorne. Two days before May 20, 2020, I sent Liam a SnapChat message. “Spend Valentine’s Day with me, and I’ll set you free.” On May 20, I waited for him at the restaurant where I had held my coming-of-age party. I thought he’d rush over, eager to get his freedom. But by the time the restaurant closed, he still hadn’t arrived. I called him, but the line was busy. I laughed at myself bitterly. I’d overestimated my importance. Stepping out of the restaurant, a blast of cold air hit me, making me sneeze. “Chloe Sterling, it’s so cold, why aren’t you dressed warmer?” A familiar scarf was slipped around my neck. I looked up. It was Liam. He still looked so impatient. But he had come, to claim his freedom. That night, we drank a lot. He spent the entire night telling me how much he detested me. He hated me so much he couldn’t even find a comfortable way to kiss me. He hated me so much he was afraid of hurting me when we got intimate. Yes, after that night, we finally started acting like a married couple. He would occasionally wake up early to make me breakfast. He would sometimes join me for walks by the river. I finally lived the life I had dreamed of for a while. But… why did I suddenly find it so boring? On August 20, 2020, our fifth wedding anniversary. That day, I kept my promise and divorced him. There was no cooling-off period; the day after we finalized the divorce. I vanished.

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Everyone said I hit the jackpot. I was an orphan, yet the Vance family picked me out at a glance and took me in as their foster daughter. From then on, I was treated like royalty, just like Brittany Vance, the Vance family’s true eldest daughter. We had the same lavish lifestyle, the same upbringing, the same everything. After a big family dinner on a holiday evening, my adoptive mother, Eleanor Vance, smiled and presented a box, asking us to draw slips. “There are two slips here. One says ‘Study Abroad.’ If you draw it, you’ll go overseas for further education and eventually take over the family business.” “The other says ‘Stay Home.’ If you draw that, you’ll stay here with me.” Brittany was absolutely confident. As a Vance by blood, it was only natural for her to study abroad and inherit the family. And I, the foster daughter, was meant to be a convenient pawn, staying by her mother’s side, serving tea and water, keeping her amused. I thought so too. But to my surprise, I drew the “Study Abroad” slip. Brittany’s face instantly contorted, and she shrieked, insulting me. “Did you cheat?! Everything in the Vance family is mine! You illegitimate mongrel, who knows where you came from, how dare you even think of inheriting the family business?!” “Mom, are you really going to let an outsider steal my life?!” Normally, whenever Brittany threw a fit, Eleanor would compromise, giving her whatever she wanted, even my parents’ keepsakes. This time, however, Eleanor’s face was devoid of expression as she slapped the screaming Brittany hard across the face. “Rules are rules. Whoever draws it, gets it.” “From now on, the Vance family business will be inherited by Alice.”

Brittany clutched her face, staring at Eleanor in disbelief. “Mom! How could you hit me for *her*?! I’m your own daughter! What kind of spell has that little brat, who knows where she came from, cast on you?!” Eleanor seemed not to hear her cries, not even sparing her a glance. She simply turned to me, her voice calm as she instructed. “Alice, go get all your documents ready. I’ll take you to process the paperwork tomorrow.” Seeing that her crying and screaming had no effect, the hurt on Brittany’s face was replaced by venomous resentment. She spun around abruptly, glaring at me through gritted teeth. “Alice Vance, you just wait! You think you can steal what’s mine? No chance in hell!” She then shrieked at Eleanor again, attempting a final threat. “Mom! If you really give everything in the Vance family to this outsider today, I’ll… I’ll disown you! I’m leaving right now!” A flicker of heartache crossed Eleanor’s eyes, but she merely pressed her lips together, ultimately saying nothing to stop her. She didn’t even look at Brittany as she slammed the door and left. Eleanor just softened her voice when she spoke to me. “Alice, don’t take it too hard. I’ll talk to Brittany later.” I nodded obediently on the surface, but a sense of dread filled me. I knew Brittany’s personality better than anyone. In the past, without direct conflicts of interest, she enjoyed tormenting me. The bruises and scratches that appeared on me every other day were already commonplace. Now that I had snatched away the inheritance she considered her birthright, how could she possibly let it go? I took a deep breath, putting on a sensible facade, and walked towards Eleanor. “Mom, the Vance family has raised me for so many years. I’m already so grateful; I never dared to dream of inheriting anything.” “That study abroad spot, and the inheritance, rightfully belong to Brittany. Please, don’t let me ruin your mother-daughter relationship with Brittany.” Eleanor turned, her gaze lingering on my face for a moment, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes. She sighed, her tone, however, was firm. “Alice, you’re just too sensible. Brittany, she’s been spoiled by me. I know in my heart that you are the one truly suited to carry the Vance family’s legacy.” “Since destiny decreed that you draw the slip, this is your fate, and the Vance family’s fate. Accept it with peace of mind. I’ll handle everything else and won’t let Brittany mess things up.” Seeing her resolve, the words I was about to say died in my throat. I truly didn’t care about the Vance family’s vast wealth, but that study abroad spot was the only key to escaping my suffocating life. In the Vance household, I was ostensibly a glamorous foster daughter, but in reality, the hidden bullying and exclusion were harder to bear than in the orphanage. With this study abroad spot, I could leave the Vance family openly and legitimately. At most, I would just go along with Eleanor’s wishes for now, leave this place, and once the plane landed, I could find an opportunity to explain to her and give up the inheritance. It wouldn’t be too late. Thinking this, I lowered my eyes and meekly agreed. At Eleanor’s urging, I went back to my room to pack my essential documents. Just as I opened the drawer and took out my passport, my door was violently kicked open. Brittany stood in the doorway, her eyes bloodshot, but those eyes were fixated on the passport in my hand. “Alice Vance, are you actually planning to take my family’s money and go live it up overseas? Don’t you have any shame? Any decency? How can you feel so smug about stealing someone else’s things?!” As she spoke, she rushed over and snatched my passport.

I reached out to grab it back, but Brittany shoved me with even greater force. My back slammed against the wall, and I gasped in pain, sliding to the floor. She loomed over me, clutching the passport in her hand. “You want to steal my things to study abroad? Alice Vance, I’m telling you, dream on! You dirt-poor wretch, rotting in the mud, how dare you compete with me?!” To my horror, she tore the passport in half with both hands. I endured the pain and questioned her, my voice trembling. “Brittany Vance! Mom decided this herself! Aren’t you afraid Mom will be angry if you tear up the passport?!” Brittany casually tossed the torn passport pieces onto my face and sneered. “Angry? I’m her only biological daughter! No matter what I do, she’ll always side with me in the end! Didn’t she say nothing when I treated you like that before?!” Although I had suspected it for years, Eleanor probably wasn’t entirely unaware of Brittany’s bullying. Perhaps she simply thought an adopted child could serve as a useful punching bag for her biological daughter. But hearing her say it so bluntly still sent a chill down my spine. Tearing up the passport wasn’t enough for Brittany; she started rummaging through my room, determined to destroy all my documents. I didn’t want to lose this opportunity. Enduring the pain, I struggled to my feet and stood between her and the cabinet. “Get lost! You dare block me?!” Seeing my defiance, Brittany’s rage intensified. She raised her hand, ready to slap me across the face! “Stop that!” Eleanor’s sharp shout suddenly came from the doorway. My body instantly froze. Brittany’s action paused for only a moment, then she ignored Eleanor, not only failing to pull back but even escalating, slapping me hard to the ground. Eleanor stormed into the room, her eyes immediately falling on the pile of passport fragments on the floor. Her face darkened instantly. “Brittany, you’ve gone too far! I’ve made my decision on this, and I won’t change my mind, no matter how much you fuss!” She wasted no more words, directly calling the servants outside the door to take the still-raging Brittany back to her room. Quiet returned to the room, leaving only me, a displeased Eleanor, and the mess scattered across the floor. Eleanor’s gaze fell on me, her tone carrying a hint of dissatisfaction. “Alice, you’re going to lead the Vance family someday. How can you not even hold onto a passport?” “Forget it. I’ll have someone fast-track a replacement passport for you. Keep your other documents safe, and be ready to leave with me tomorrow, don’t mess this up.” I lowered my head, not offering any explanations, just quietly agreeing. Eleanor gave a few more instructions, telling me not to provoke Brittany further, and to be more yielding with her, before turning and leaving. I slowly knelt, tidying up the mess on the floor, silently counting down the days until my departure. Just a little longer, just a few more days, and I would be free. Before the appointed time, I locked myself in my room, doing my best to avoid any potential contact with Brittany. My door was locked, and even my meals were delivered directly to the entrance by the servants. However, the next day, at the agreed-upon time, as I tried to quietly leave the house, I found my door wouldn’t open. My heart sank. I twisted the doorknob harder, even tried to ram the door with my shoulder, but the lock didn’t budge. I pounded on the door, screaming for help. But the servants passing by outside seemed not to hear a thing.

I screamed until my voice was hoarse. Finally, a voice full of reluctance sounded from outside the door. “Miss Alice, please don’t shout, it’s no use…” It was Maria, the housekeeper who usually cleaned this floor. Her voice came through the door, tinged with fear. “It’s Miss Brittany’s strict order. She said anyone who dares to open your door will be fired immediately. We have no choice.” My last sliver of hope extinguished. I slid down the door to the floor, my body turning cold. The servants all knew perfectly well that Brittany was the rightful eldest daughter of this house, and I was merely a foster daughter who could lose favor at any moment. I watched the sky outside the window slowly dim. I stopped shouting, just sat with my knees hugged, my hope fading with time. Just then, Eleanor’s voice, full of suppressed anger, suddenly came from outside the door. “You’ve all gone mad! Who gave you the nerve to lock Alice in her room? I’m still alive and well in this house! Who are you to give orders?!” “Open that door immediately!” The door was quickly opened. Outside, several servants stood in a trembling line, heads bowed, not daring to breathe. Brittany, hearing the commotion, also burst out of her room, screaming at Eleanor. “Mom! What are you doing?! I just don’t want this mongrel to steal my things! Why are you helping her?!” Eleanor looked at her daughter’s hysterical state and said nothing more. She simply ordered James, the butler, standing nearby. “Take Miss Brittany back to her room and keep her there. She’s not allowed to step out until Alice and I return!” Brittany’s screams were cut off behind the door. Eleanor then turned to me, not saying much, and hurried me into the car. The atmosphere in the car was suffocatingly heavy during the drive. Eleanor kept staring out the window, her brow furrowed. I knew she was worried about Brittany; after all, this was the first time she had spoken such harsh words to her beloved daughter. Sure enough, not long after we arrived at the office, Eleanor’s phone rang. It was James, the butler. “Madam, it’s terrible! Please come back quickly! Miss Brittany, she’s… she’s threatening to jump! She’s sitting on the windowsill now, refusing to come down no matter who tries to persuade her!” Eleanor’s face instantly went pale. She abruptly stood up from her seat, grabbing her bag in a panic, not even sparing me a glance. She just hastily tossed out a single sentence. “Alice, you finish the rest of the paperwork yourself!” My heart sank heavily. Brittany had indeed resorted to the most extreme measure. I was afraid Eleanor would soften and compromise again under her daughter’s suicide threat, so I didn’t dare to delay for a moment. I rushed through all the procedures as quickly as possible. Even with the plane ticket and documents firmly in my hand, I felt a little dazed. Had it really gone through? Brittany hadn’t managed to sabotage everything at the last minute? It was almost too smooth, leaving me with a faint sense of unease. I took a deep breath and walked out of the office lobby. The next second, I froze in place. Right at the main entrance of the building, Brittany stood leisurely, a triumphant sneer replacing her earlier frantic expression. And behind her, five or six muscular men in black suits blocked all my escape routes. “Alice Vance, so eager to take what you stole and fly off? As expected, trash is trash. You steal things and act so righteous.” She lifted her chin and commanded the men behind her. “Go, teach her a good lesson. Teach her that other people’s things are not to be touched.”

At her words, the men’s faces twisted into grim smiles as they closed in on me. My heart pounded. I turned to run, but they quickly surrounded me, blocking every exit. Seeing no escape, I steeled myself, curled into a ball, and clutched the document bag containing my ticket and papers tightly to my chest. I was pressed to the ground. Someone yanked my hair, and slaps rained down on my cheeks. The coppery taste of blood filled my mouth. I bit down hard, not making a sound, enduring the punches and kicks raining down on me, my vision blurring. Brittany stood a few steps away on the stairs, arms crossed. Seeing me curled up, protecting the document bag, her voice was petulant. “Alice Vance, aren’t you so capable? Daring to snatch things from me, daring to process paperwork behind Mom’s back. Why aren’t you so tough now?” “Keep hitting her until she lets go. I want to see just how hard this wretch’s bones are.” I don’t know how long it lasted, but the one-sided beating finally stopped. My whole body ached, and I could only lie on the ground, gasping for breath. Brittany squatted down, nudged my shoulder disdainfully with the tip of her shoe, then snatched away the document bag. She casually flipped through the ticket and papers inside, then pulled a lighter from her pocket. “No!” My eyes burned with fury. I found a burst of strength from somewhere and desperately grabbed her pant leg. Just as Brittany kicked me away and was about to ignite the folder, Eleanor finally arrived. She rushed over, panting. The bodyguards following her quickly subdued the thugs and Brittany. “Brittany Vance! You’ve even learned despicable tricks like faking suicide by jumping?! I’m telling you, from today on, none of your schemes will work on me!” Back at the Vance home, Eleanor dragged a crying and struggling Brittany into the study for a lecture. I, dragging my aching body, returned to my room. The next morning, I sat in the car, waiting. After a long time, Eleanor finally emerged with a red-eyed, swollen-faced Brittany. “Alice, Brittany knows she was wrong. I specifically asked her to see you off today and apologize properly. After all, you two are sisters, you’ll always need to support each other in the future.” Saying this, she nudged Brittany. “Go, help your sister with her luggage. Consider it an apology.” Under Eleanor’s unwavering gaze, Brittany grudgingly walked over, snatched my backpack, and deliberately slammed her elbow into yesterday’s wound. I gasped in pain, a cold sweat instantly breaking out on my forehead. But I bit down hard, swallowing my cry of pain. No more complications, I told myself. Just endure a little longer, everything would be over soon. At the airport, Brittany seemed to have adjusted her mood. She was laughing and chatting with Eleanor as if she hadn’t been the frantic person of yesterday. And I, seeing the boarding gate so close, couldn’t help but let out a faint smile. Finally, the announcement for my flight to begin boarding echoed through the speakers. I took a deep breath, stood up, and extended my hand to Brittany for my backpack. However, at that very moment, Eleanor suddenly stood up. She clamped one hand tightly on me, holding me in her embrace. With her other hand, she used all her strength to push Brittany forcefully towards the boarding ramp. Eleanor’s voice suddenly rose, her eyes filled with reluctance as she looked at Brittany. “Alice! Study well over there! Mom will wait for you to come back and inherit the family business!” Before I could react, a group of fully equipped police officers surrounded Eleanor and me.

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“Alex, I’m buying you an apartment next year.” My mother, who always favored Chloe over me, suddenly announced this at dinner. The entire dining table fell silent. After all, we hadn’t spoken properly in twenty years, ever since I witnessed her affair. The next second, my sister’s angry voice cut through the quiet. “Mom, why?! Alex is a grown man, he has hands and feet, why would you buy *him* an apartment?” “I’m getting married soon! If all the money goes to him, what about me?!” With that, Chloe slammed her forks down and stormed off. My father, who always claimed to love me the most, panicked at my mother’s sudden show of kindness. “Chloe’s right. She’s getting married soon; she needs enough savings so her fiancé doesn’t look down on her.” “Alex, you’re a man; you should take on more responsibility. If you’re worried about not having money for a wedding, you can always find a rich girl to marry and move in with her family, become a house husband, whatever!” “What do you say, Alex?” I stared at him blankly, nodding stiffly. My father breathed a sigh of relief. But this time, I didn’t listen to him. Later, when he saw the three property deeds in my hand, my father’s composure finally shattered.

“No, I’m buying Alex an apartment, no matter what!” “If Chloe doesn’t have money for her wedding, then she just won’t get married!” My mother’s stance was firm, and my father’s anxiety deepened. “Why? What’s gotten into you? Why are you suddenly thinking about buying our son an apartment?” “You two weren’t… weren’t…” My father stammered, unable to finish his sentence. I knew what he wanted to say: *Weren’t we enemies?* After all, when my father found out about my mother’s affair, he directly dropped eight-year-old me at his mistress’s doorstep. He looked at me with teary eyes. “Alex, if your mom doesn’t come home, Dad will have to take you with him to die.” Then, he just left. Eight-year-old me cried hysterically outside the door, my heart-wrenching screams attracting a huge crowd, practically blocking the street around the mistress’s house. My mother had no choice but to appear. Amidst the stares and whispers, she grabbed me by the arm and dragged me back. Once we were home, I got a brutal beating. From then on, my mother resented me for the public humiliation. And I hated her for betraying my father. Since that day, we hadn’t spoken properly in twenty years. I never called her “Mom” again. … Hearing this, my mother turned her gaze to me. There was a profound meaning in her eyes that I couldn’t decipher. After a long silence, she finally spoke. “No reason. He’s my son. As his mother, it’s only right for me to buy him an apartment. This matter is settled!” “Robert, you always said I favored Chloe. Now that I’m being good to my son, why are you suddenly unhappy?” My mother’s cold tone made my father’s face stiffen. Hearing her, I put down my forks, quietly waiting for my father’s reply. After all, my father always favored me, and that favoritism only grew stronger after Chloe was born. “Alex, girls eventually leave to start their own families, but I’ll always be able to count on you, Alex. It’s only right that I treat you better now.” So, I always got first pick of the good food; Dad always bought me designer clothes while Chloe got stuff from discount stores; Even my cash gifts during the holidays were thicker than Chloe’s. … My mother saw my father’s favoritism, which only made her resent me more and love Chloe more. This time, I didn’t understand why my mother was suddenly being kind to me. Nor did I understand why my father reacted so strongly. After all, Chloe’s wedding apartment and her entire wedding fund were already prepared. Even if my mother bought me an apartment now, it wouldn’t affect Chloe’s marriage. My father’s eyes darted around, and his voice unconsciously grew weaker. “That’s not what I meant. I… I… I just thought that once our daughter gets married, her new family will need a lot of money… shouldn’t we, as parents, help them out more?” “Besides, if our son-in-law finds out we bought Alex an apartment, it’s hard to say he won’t fight with Chloe. After all, you promised all the family assets would go to Chloe. What if… what if he refuses to marry Chloe because of this?” Every single word was filled with worry for Chloe. A heavy weight settled in my chest, making it hard to breathe. Turns out, in my father’s heart, a prospective son-in-law was more important to him than his own son. My mother let out a cold laugh. “If Chloe and her husband can’t support their own family, then they shouldn’t get married! Don’t drag us down!” “Besides, I’m spending my own money to buy my son an apartment. What’s it to anyone else?!” “If you object, then we’re getting a divorce!” With that, my mother simply stood up and walked away.

The word “divorce” struck my father hard. Even when confronted with my mother’s affair and his mistress’s provocations back then, my father hadn’t wanted to divorce her. This time, my mother proposed divorce to buy me an apartment, and my father clearly couldn’t accept it. His eyes teared up. “Alex, what am I going to do? You have to talk to Eleanor for me. I only have you.” I frowned, my heart a jumble of mixed emotions. I’d heard those same words for twenty years. Back then, when my mother beat me raw, my father stood by silently, with no intention of stopping her. Only after my mother had calmed down did he approach, gently applying medicine to my wounds. “Alex, Dad’s just doing this so you can have a complete family.” “You have to make me proud, kid. I only have you.” “For you, Alex, I’d go through anything! Any hardship, any pain, I’d bear it all!” Looking at my humiliated father, little me decided then and there to study hard, make something of myself, and take my father away from all this. Three months later, news came that my mother was pregnant again. I thought, even if my father loved my mother, he would surely divorce her this time. But to my surprise, my mother had an amniocentesis, confirming the baby was my father’s. My mother returned to the family, and they reconciled, both eagerly awaiting Chloe’s arrival. My resolve felt like a joke. … Now, my father’s plea was just another demand for me to compromise. My heart grew colder, bit by bit. “Dad, if you just agree to Eleanor buying me an apartment, she won’t divorce you.” “No!” Seeing I wouldn’t budge, my father angrily let go of my hand. “Alex, I’ve really spoiled you all these years! How can you be so thoughtless about your sister?!” “Chloe’s job and education aren’t as good as yours, do you know how hard it is for her?! If she goes into her marriage without enough funds, do you know how much flak she’ll get from her in-laws?” “I don’t care! Go tell Eleanor you don’t want her to buy you an apartment! Otherwise, I’ll kill myself, I swear!” My breath caught in my throat. If I didn’t agree to his demands, my father would threaten to die. Seeing a flicker of hesitation on my face, my father sighed. “Alex, please don’t make your Dad’s life harder, okay?” “You’re a boy, it’s fine if you don’t have an apartment. There are always girls willing to pay for everything.” “After Chloe gets married, they’ll need money for so many things! They’ll have to buy a car, pay off their mortgage, and when they have kids, raising them will cost a fortune…” My father kept rattling on, and my heart was filled with bitterness. “Dad, do you know how much stress I’m under right now? If I could have my own apartment, it would be a huge relief.” My father brushed it off. “If you’re stressed, just find a rich girl to marry! Being a house husband isn’t so bad! When her parents pass, won’t all their money be yours?” “Don’t worry, Dad will definitely find you a wealthy wife, so you can enjoy life once you’re married! Just forget about Eleanor’s assets, okay?” My heart was filled with disappointment. My father seemed to have forgotten how gravely he once warned me never to be a house husband. To never live such a pathetic, undignified life, like him! Seeing my prolonged silence, my father slammed the table. “Are you seriously going to stand there and watch me die?!” My throat felt like it was stuffed with cotton, and I could only nod helplessly. … That night, I tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. Faint arguments drifted from my parents’ bedroom next door. Driven by an unknown urge, I crept to their door. “Robert, you still have the nerve to bring up what happened back then?” “All these years, haven’t you done enough things to hurt Alex?” My heart was in my throat.

“You always claimed to love Alex the most, but didn’t all the good stuff always go to Chloe in the end?!” “What are you talking about?!” I clenched my fists tightly, not daring to make a sound. “Weren’t all the designer clothes he bought for you knock-offs?!” “And the snacks he bought you, weren’t they always the ones Chloe didn’t like?!” “And the cash gifts, didn’t you always slip Chloe an extra bill the very next day?!” “How dare *you* accuse *me* of favoring girls?!” My blood ran cold. The argument inside continued, and my mind went blank with a buzzing sound. I walked back to my room with stiff steps. I pulled the covers over my head, finally letting the tears flow freely. As I cried, I picked up my phone. I opened Eleanor’s SnapChat chat and slowly typed “Okay.” … The next day, I showed up with puffy, red eyes. Chloe, seeing me at the breakfast table, snorted. “Mom’s buying you an apartment, what are you crying for?! So dramatic!” My mother silently drank her coffee. My father, seeing my state, brought me an ice pack for my eyes, all while shooting me meaningful glances. I knew what he wanted, and slowly I spoke. “I don’t want the apartment. Let Chloe have the money.” Chloe looked at me in disbelief. “You… you’re crazy?” Hearing this, my father pretended to be angry with Chloe. “How can you talk to your brother like that!” “Your brother is successful; he can buy his own apartment. Not like you, who only knows how to mooch off her parents!” Though she was scolded, Chloe’s face was beaming. “That’s right! Older brothers should always take care of their younger sisters!” “Mom, since Alex doesn’t want it, buy it for me!” “Perfect, three apartments. You and Dad live in one, Ethan and I live in one, and the last one for Ethan’s parents.” My mother finally looked up at me, just about to speak, when a knock sounded at the door. Chloe’s fiancé arrived. “Ethan, what brings you here?” My father greeted him, his face eager to please. “I came to visit for the holidays.” Though he said this, Ethan’s face held no trace of a smile. My father quickly took out a cash gift and handed it to him. To my surprise, Ethan pushed it away, speaking in a cold voice. “Chloe, I’ve decided not to marry you!” Hearing this, Chloe’s face changed. “Why?” Ethan sneered, looking at me. “Why? Your parents said all the family assets would go to you, but now they want to buy your brother an apartment! Why would we even get married then?!” Hearing this, my father anxiously spoke. “Ethan, don’t worry, that won’t happen.” “Alex already said he doesn’t want the apartment Eleanor bought him.” Chloe quickly chimed in. “That’s right, Mom already promised to buy that apartment for us, and then we’ll bring your parents over too.” Ethan’s eyes flickered with a hint of struggle. “I don’t believe it! Unless…” “Unless all three apartments are transferred to our names!” Hearing this, I laughed, infuriated. “Ethan, aren’t you being too greedy?” Before he could answer, my mother, who had been silent, suddenly stared at me and spoke. “Fine. After the holidays, we’ll go handle the transfer!” Seeing my mother agree, the three of them immediately beamed with joy. “Eleanor, I knew you loved your daughter the most!” Ethan quickly changed his expression to a smiling one. Then, he looked at me with mockery. “Alex, if you want to buy an apartment, go work for it yourself! Don’t always depend on your parents’ stuff!” “From now on, this is Chloe’s and my home. As an outsider, you should come back less often!” With that, he and Chloe walked out hand-in-hand to go shopping. My father looked at me, his lips trembling, but in the end, he said nothing. My last shred of hope finally shattered. Just then, my mother sent me a message. “Parkside Estates, Building 10, 8th floor, Unit 5. Your new apartment. Go check it out.” “If you like it, I’ll pay the deposit immediately.” I looked up, surprised, at my mother. But she just calmly went back to her room. Parkside Estates, the most exclusive development in our city, selling for a ridiculously high price per square foot. Why was my mother acting so strange all of a sudden? My mind was filled with questions. “Alex, don’t blame Dad for not speaking up for you earlier.” “You have to understand, Chloe finally found someone she likes, and your mom and I have to make her happy.” “Don’t worry, from now on…” Before he could finish, I got up and left for Parkside Estates. The apartment my mother chose was south-facing, with amazing natural light. It even had three bedrooms and a living room. It was nothing like the small apartment I had imagined. My doubts grew stronger. My mother, who had always favored Chloe, why was she being so abnormally good to me now? I rushed home, wanting to ask her for a clear explanation. But my mother wasn’t home. For the next few days, my mother continued to leave early and return late, busy with who knows what. The only time we saw each other was during family meals. My mother’s expression became increasingly relaxed, and her eyes sparkled with excitement. I had a faint feeling that something was off and wanted to ask, But my mother inexplicably avoided me. As my holiday was about to end, my mother sent me another message. “Tomorrow morning, we’re going to handle the property transfer.” The next morning, my mother and I quietly left the house. She took me to the real estate agency and paid cash for an apartment for me. My name was the only one on the owner’s title. Before I could even fully grasp it, she took me directly to the property registration office. “Please transfer the two properties under my name to my son’s name.” My mother had already prepared all the documents, and the procedures were completed quickly. By the time we arrived home, I had three property deeds in my hand. As soon as we opened the door, the three people in the living room immediately rushed over. “Mom, where did you go so early? Do you know how long Ethan and I have been waiting?” “Hurry up and handle the transfer! The office will close soon!” My mother casually glanced at them and spoke unhurriedly. “No need. It’s already done.” Their faces changed color. Then, they finally noticed me behind my mother, and the property deeds in my hand.

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A new “Little Miss Innocent” transferred into our elite private academy. She practically had the words “The ‘I Can Fix Him’ Heroine” glowing in neon letters above her head. Every single day, she hovered around my fiancé, showering him with excessive concern and handing him cheap lollipops. Whenever I got close to my fiancé, she would shield him behind her back and scream at me: “I—I know you’re rich and powerful, but I won’t allow you to bully him!” With tears welling in her eyes, she looked like she had suffered the ultimate injustice. Me, having literally done nothing: “Are you psycho?” 1 Mia Collins was delivering candy again, while I was spinning my pen in sheer boredom. The classroom was a chaotic mess of chattering voices. My desk mate, Zoey, who was busy checking her makeup in a compact mirror, suddenly nudged me with her elbow. She tilted her chin to the left, her eyes full of blatant disgust. “Chloe, that transfer student is giving Liam candy again.” Her again. Mia Collins, the scholarship student who always acted like she was the designated savior heroine of a tragic romance novel. I stopped spinning my pen and looked over at her. She was wearing a brand-new pristine uniform. In one hand, she clutched her usual cheap lollipop. In the other, she held a slightly warped plastic thermos filled with some kind of hot white liquid. Looking straight ahead, she marched past the first row, then the second, heading straight for the back of the class. Finally, under the increasingly gossipy gazes of everyone around us, she shyly took a seat at Liam’s desk. A few students in the back huddled together, whispering excitedly. Mia remained completely unfazed. She gently placed the lollipop in front of Liam’s pencil case, then decisively unscrewed the cap of a high-end insulated tumbler sitting on the corner of his desk. Zoey pointed at Mia in shock. “Chloe! Isn’t that the tumbler filled with the imported vitamins your family got for Liam?” “Looks like it,” I replied casually. Resting my chin on my hand, my eyes followed Mia as she marched over to the trash can, poured out every last drop of the expensive supplements, and scurried back to Liam’s desk to mess with her plastic thermos. A girl nearby caught my eye and leaned in toward Mia, pretending to be curious. “Hey, transfer student. Did you ask Liam for permission before messing with his stuff?” Mia put on an incredibly shy expression and whispered, “This is warm almond milk. I just wanted to prepare something for him myself…” As she spoke, she began pouring the almond milk into the expensive tumbler. Zoey let out a mocking scoff. “Do you honestly not know what Chloe Sterling and Liam Vance are to each other?” Mia’s hands froze. She cast a fleeting, pitiful glance in my direction before quickly lowering her head, her voice trembling with manufactured grievance. “I know. I just… I just wanted to be nice to him. I wanted to warm his stomach.” Honestly, whatever she wanted to do with Liam had very little to do with me. But watching this entire performance unfold, I was getting a serious whiff of manipulative “pick-me” energy. Her constant, victimized glances in my direction were starting to annoy me. I clicked my tongue and casually reminded her, “Transfer student, Liam has a sensitive stomach. He can’t drink almond milk.” Zoey chimed in, “And the supplements you just poured down the drain cost a small fortune, by the way.” Mia flinched. The hands holding the tumbler and the plastic bottle went completely stiff. The hot almond milk missed the rim and spilled over her fingers. Scalded, she let go. With a loud BANG, the heavy tumbler crashed onto the floor. The scalding hot almond milk splattered everywhere in a messy puddle. The classroom instantly went dead silent. Countless eyes zeroed in on the scene. A sudden, burning pain flared across my left calf and foot. Even the back of my hand, resting on my desk, hadn’t escaped the splash zone. I had been pampered my entire life. No one had ever treated me like this. I looked down at the reddening skin on my leg, and then at the custom $7,000 leather loafers that had just been delivered yesterday. I let out a dry, irritated laugh. “Talk about rotten luck today.” Mia’s eyes filled with tears. She didn’t utter a single word of apology. I stood up, intending to head to the locker room to change my shoes. As I walked past Mia, I paused. “Mia.” My voice sounded sharp in the unnaturally quiet classroom. I wiped my hand with a tissue, looking down at her coldly. “That tumbler? I gave it to Liam. It’s worth about $1,500. I won’t even count the imported vitamins you poured out. But these shoes cost me seven grand. My lawyers will contact you after school.” The kids in our social circle never shied away from drama. They immediately started jeering: “The Sterling family’s legal team is known as the undefeated sharks of Wall Street.” “Transfer student, you’re screwed!” Hearing this, Mia cried even harder. She sat at Liam’s desk, sobbing and hiccuping. “You… you rich kids are all bullies. You’re so mean!” That was exactly when Liam walked in. He stopped just to the right of me and Mia. He was tall and lean, wearing a pair of silver half-rimmed glasses resting on his straight nose. His indifferent gaze swept past Mia, who was weeping a river at his desk, and locked onto me without a trace of emotion. “Chloe Sterling, what did you do this time?” 2 Liam and I locked eyes in the tense silence. Three seconds later, I suddenly stepped into his personal space. “Liam, my darling fiancé. How come you only saw the little innocent flower crying, but you completely missed the burn on my leg?” Only then did Liam lower his gaze to my legs. He looked down and saw the angry red patch on my pale calf, still dotted with droplets of almond milk. I casually took a seat at an empty desk nearby, crossing my left leg and swinging it slightly so he could get a good look. Before Liam could say a word, Mia suddenly lunged forward, throwing herself between us. She screamed at me: “I—I know you’re rich and powerful, but I won’t allow you to bully him!” With tears streaming down her face, she looked like a martyr suffering for love. I hadn’t even done anything yet, and here she was, screaming at me like a lunatic. My temper flared. “Are you psycho?” Mia didn’t answer. She just looked at Liam with big, pitiful, tear-filled eyes. Oh, two can play that game. I kept my mouth shut, crossed my arms over my chest, and stared at Liam. Liam let out a nearly inaudible sigh. He grabbed a tissue, crouched down, and wrapped one hand around my ankle. His grip was firm. The rest of the class, completely used to this dynamic, went back to whatever they were doing. With lowered eyes, his long lashes casting faint shadows on his cheeks, Liam meticulously and gently wiped the sticky residue off my leg. After several passes, a faint stinging sensation returned. My skin was incredibly sensitive. If he kept rubbing, he was going to peel a layer off. “Stop,” I frowned, annoyed. “Liam, that hurts.” I tugged my leg twice, but I couldn’t break free. Instead, his grip tightened. Liam looked up. His eyes were like a dark abyss, practically swallowing me whole. “Does it hurt?” he asked. His intense stare made me uncomfortable, and my first instinct was to escape. Without thinking, I kicked out lightly, leaving a distinct half-footprint right on his crisp, pristine white uniform shirt. Liam had severe OCD and was a massive neat freak. Looking at the glaring smudge on his shirt, I felt a twinge of guilt. “I just wanted you to let go.” Even though I felt bad, I kept my chin high, maintaining my arrogant facade. I glared at him fiercely. “Did you hear me?” “Yeah,” Liam’s voice was slightly hoarse. “I’ll let go.” He stood up, completely ignoring the dirt on his shirt, and looked down at the dented tumbler that had rolled next to my desk. Mia seized the opportunity. She scrambled to pick up the tumbler, cradling it in her hands. She looked up at Liam and stammered, “I brought you warm almond milk this morning. I wanted to put it in your cup, but—” She shot a rapid, meaningful glance at me, acting as if she had been forced into silence. “Anyway, it fell on the floor and got dented.” Liam looked at her blankly. “Got it.” His voice was flat and slow. But Mia was overjoyed just to get a response. She held the cup out to him with both hands. Liam took the tumbler. In the very next second, he brushed past her, walked straight to the trash can, and tossed the expensive tumbler inside. Leaving Mia staring in absolute shock, he walked out the back door of the classroom. A few minutes later, Liam returned carrying a pair of delicate, black designer flats—my backup shoes from my private locker. He crouched down, meeting my dazed eyes. “Change your shoes.” Mia’s face turned beet red with rage. She rudely pointed a finger at me, then screamed at the crouching Liam, “Liam! Are you her dog?!” Liam kept his head down, completely deaf to her words. Looking at Mia practically stomping her feet in frustration, I raised an eyebrow. “Liam, I think she feels sorry for you.” “Yeah. And?” Liam looked up, his gaze locking onto mine. “What do you think?” He was as cold and indifferent as ever. I blinked, flashing a wicked little smile. “I have no idea.” 3 Liam and I had been engaged since we were kids. Logically speaking, no one should have been able to tolerate my spoiled, princess-like temper. Some of our friends even had secret bets going on about when Liam would finally snap and break off the engagement. To their shock, the golden boy, Liam Vance, had always catered to my every whim, taking care of me down to the smallest detail. In our social circle, everyone called us the golden couple, a match made in heaven. After high school, the Sterling and Vance families used their wealth and connections to enroll us in the elite Crestwood Academy. Unlike normal universities, Crestwood assigned classes based on asset evaluations and offered incredibly flexible schedules. The tragedy happened during our freshman year. Liam’s mother died in a horrific car crash. His social-climbing father immediately moved his mistress and illegitimate son into the family estate, seizing the assets and inheritance that rightfully belonged to Liam. Overnight, the wealthy, untouchable young heir lost everything, plummeting from the clouds into the dirt. After that, Liam moved out of the mansion and into a modest, run-down apartment near the school with his grandmother. I don’t know exactly when, but he learned how to smoke. He became incredibly frugal. The boy who never had to worry about money began aggressively entering every single academic competition that offered a cash prize. He became quieter, harder, and almost unapproachable. But he still took care of me exactly like he used to. It was as if no one else in the world could trigger his emotions—except me. Until… Mia arrived. From her very first day as a transfer student, she locked her sights directly on Liam. And whenever she looked at me, underneath the blatant jealousy, there was always a strange trace of pity. At first, Liam ignored her completely. But then, out of nowhere, he started paying attention to her. He even initiated contact. I wasn’t some brain-dead, clueless villainess from a YA romance novel. I knew there was something weird about Mia. And I also knew that if you wanted to win the war, the worst thing you could do was act impulsively and lose the long game. 4 After the almond milk incident, Mia finally kept a low profile for a few days. It was raining today, the sky a gloomy, muted gray. Liam was off-campus representing the school in a physics decathlon, which meant Mia had no one to perform for. During the afternoon study hall, the girls in our class gathered around my desk, chatting about the latest designer drops. “Chloe, that dress you posted on Instagram last week—can I borrow it for my birthday party?” Zoey’s cheeks were round and pink, and she was incredibly cute when she begged. I laughed, unable to resist pinching her cheek. “You’ve got a good eye. Do you even know how much that vintage haute couture piece is worth?” “Like, sixteen hundred dollars, right?” Zoey grabbed my hand. “Please, Chloe? My favorite princess, just let me wear it once!” “Pfft—sixteen hundred dollars?” Mia, sitting across the aisle, laughed out loud. “You need to borrow a sixteen-hundred-dollar dress?” The girls exchanged looks and laughed even louder than Mia. “Hahahaha!” “Is she telling a bad joke?” Zoey rolled her eyes directly at Mia and scoffed, “It’s two point five million dollars, transfer student.” Mia froze, a flash of deep embarrassment crossing her face. But she quickly recovered, turning to me with a self-righteous glare. “Two and a half million dollars for a single dress? Don’t you think that’s a massive waste? Wouldn’t it be better if you donated that money to children in poverty?” Her expression was the picture of moral superiority, her eyes full of judgment. I stared at the invisible words floating above her head for a long moment, staying completely silent. I finally got it. This “Savior Heroine” wasn’t just delusional; her moral compass was completely twisted. Mia squirmed under my intense stare. “A-Am I wrong?” “No, I think you’re absolutely right,” I smiled, my eyes curving into crescents. Mia let out a breath of relief. “So—” I rested my chin on my hand. “How about I just give the money directly to you, transfer student?” Mia’s eyes widened in shock. Her heart clearly skipped a beat. “T-Two and a half million? You’d just give it to me?” “Yep.” I tilted my head, putting on a perfectly innocent expression. “I’ll wire it right to your account.” Mia, trapped by her own moral grandstanding moments ago, struggled to maintain her pride. She stammered, “Well, if… if you’re offering it to me—” “Ah,” I cut her off mercilessly. I inspected my fresh manicure, speaking slowly and deliberately. “But of course, our noble, selfless transfer student would never accept a handout like that, right?” Mia finally snapped, her face burning with humiliation. “I was just giving you a suggestion! You don’t have to humiliate me like this!” “Oh,” I replied lazily. “I was just stating facts. No need to overreact.” Zoey muttered loudly beside me, “She clearly doesn’t read the news. She has no idea how many millions the Sterling family donates to charity every year.” Though Zoey kept her voice low, she made sure Mia heard every word. Mia’s face turned an ugly shade of pale. She turned away and refused to speak to us. A little while later, she began checking the clock above the chalkboard obsessively. Just past five o’clock, Mia pulled a clean, dry towel and a pack of severe cold medicine out of her backpack. She slapped a sticky note with illegible handwriting onto the medicine, placed it gently on Liam’s desk, and sat there clutching the towel, staring expectantly at the front door. In the next second, the invisible “Savior Heroine” halo above her head glowed even brighter. “Transfer student, are you preparing for a rainy day, or are you just praying for Liam to catch a fever?” Zoey asked, clearly fed up with Mia’s existence. Preparing for a rainy day… I rested my left hand on the desk, tapping my index finger rhythmically against the wood. Was she preparing for a rainy day, or did she already know the future? My eyes suddenly lit up. I grabbed Zoey’s round face and planted a loud kiss on her cheek. “The dress is yours!” I stood up, ready to walk out of the classroom. Zoey, dizzy from the sudden kiss, asked, “Chloe, where are you going?” “Me?” I flashed a brilliant smile. “I’m going to do something worth way more than two and a half million dollars!”

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On the day Carter Hayes got engaged, reporters shoved microphones in my face, asking how I felt. Carter Hayes. He was the untouchable, blue-blooded prince of the Upper East Side. No one approved of the eight years I spent with him. His mother would refer to me simply as “the actress,” spitting the word out like a slur. His inner circle of friends would warn him behind his back, “She’s just a little starlet. Play with her for a bit and let it go.” And Carter? He’d just flip his expensive lighter open and shut, joking carelessly, “What are you scared of? It’s not like I’m actually going to marry her.” I looked right into the interview cameras and said slowly, “Although we aren’t close, it’s a good thing. I wish them a happy engagement.” The video went viral across the internet. Carter took his private jet, flying overnight from New York to L.A. The news of Carter’s engagement completely overshadowed the headlines of my Best Actress win. Looking at the news on my phone, you could only read his name, never see his face. Carter’s photos were strictly kept out of the press. But facts and rumors alike couldn’t stop the public’s insatiable appetite for gossip. Because for the past eight years, thanks to me, he had lingered in the public eye like a ghost. His moniker in the tabloids was simply: “Serena Vance’s Sugar Daddy.” Everyone found amusement in their disdain for me, waiting eagerly for the moment I would fall from grace. “Serena, we heard you met Mr. Hayes when you were eighteen, is that true?” “Serena, you’ve been with him for so many years, why didn’t you end up together? Did his family reject you?” “Mr. Hayes chose today of all days to announce his engagement. Was he intentionally trying to humiliate you?” “Were you ever really together? Did Mr. Hayes dump you?” “Did you split up with this billionaire because of the hand-holding scandal half a month ago?” My eyes slowly swept over their frantic faces. Their gazes felt like they were trying to skin me alive, desperate to dig out an even more explosive headline. Carter Hayes… Got engaged today? I plastered a flawless, graceful smile on my face and looked back at them. “I am not very close with the Mr. Hayes you are referring to. “However, an engagement is a joyous milestone in life… I wish him a happy engagement.” Looking directly into the lens, I said it slowly, one more time: “Happy engagement, Mr. Hayes.” They excitedly analyzed my words layer by layer, acting like detectives searching for hidden clues. I handed my phone back to my manager, Chloe, who looked at me with deep concern. “The internet is saying Mr. Hayes dumped you. Your endorsements and casting offers are probably going to plummet. You know I don’t fully understand his background, but I know he’s someone nobody messes with. “If a man like that puts out a word against you, even a fresh Best Actress award won’t save you.” I felt incredibly drained. “Chloe, don’t worry too much. I won’t let it drag you down…” She offered an awkward smile, her lips moving, but she didn’t say anything else. No one believed that for those eight years, we were just like any ordinary couple. We went from flirtation to deep affection, from a passionately inseparable romance to a heartbreaking, tear-you-apart ending. Carter had a pair of chilling, desolate eyes. When those eyes locked onto you, you instantly felt like you were nothing but dust. It wasn’t intentional on his part; he was simply born that way. He possessed an innate, apathetic indifference toward everything in the world. The first time I looked into those eyes, I subconsciously wondered: in a world this loud and crowded, how much love could a man who stood so far removed from it all truly give? It was 2012. The Mayan doomsday prophecies were everywhere, Taylor Swift was blasting on every radio station, and The Perks of Being a Wallflower was making waves on campus. I was eighteen. My eighteen was fiery, impulsive, and fearless—the age of ignorance where you truly believe love conquers all. That was the year I met Carter Hayes. At the time, I was juggling classes, working part-time jobs, and desperately running around trying to audition for various indie films. When a so-called “investor” placed his rough palm on my thigh during a casting call, I instinctively stood up and smashed my bag over his head. As I ripped the door open and bolted, I heard him scream from behind, “You little bitch! Someone stop her!” I was screaming and struggling, looking like an absolute wreck, when a slightly raspy voice echoed through the hall. “Hey. The girl said no. Didn’t you hear her?” It was a voice so light it barely carried weight, yet it worked instantly. He just threw me a casual glance, as if he happened to see a stray dog getting kicked and, being in a decent mood, decided to intervene. He was leaning against the hallway windowsill, propped up on his elbows. The breeze blew in from outside, ruffling his dark hair. His white dress shirt was unbuttoned at the top, the sleeves rolled up to reveal a luxury watch. The cigarette trapped between his fingers flickered faintly. The men chasing me out of the room saw him and practically scrambled away with their tails between their legs. Clutching my bag to my chest, I gave him a deep, ninety-degree bow and sincerely thanked him. Suddenly, I heard him let out a soft chuckle. He looked out the window, put out his cigarette, and asked lazily, “Acting major? Which school?” “NYU Tisch.” He nodded, as if it were just a passing question. “They’re gone. You can head back.” The first time I saw Carter Hayes, everything about him was so understated that I didn’t even bother to think about who he might actually be. It was only later I realized that when people reach a certain echelon of power, they no longer need outward extravagance to prove themselves. They are often more low-key than anyone else. When we were together, we actively avoided talking about our family backgrounds. To Carter, I was just someone to have fun with; there was no need for explanations. To me, I was just enjoying the fleeting moments of pleasure. It wasn’t until one night at his friend’s private club. The only guy in his circle who was somewhat friendly to me got drunk and accidentally let slip a family name. I didn’t catch it clearly, but I knew it was a name completely out of my reach. Only later did I realize that wasn’t friendliness at all. It was just a different kind of warning: I was completely out of his league. Unfortunately, I was young and arrogant. I refused to listen to anyone’s advice and wasted so many years entangled with him. After the awards ceremony, the afterparties were inevitable. I walked out of the underground parking garage of The Plaza with a slight buzz, waving off my team, choosing to head upstairs alone. As the elevator ascended, I looked at my reflection in the massive mirrored walls. Tonight was supposed to be the proudest moment of my life. I should be cheering and ecstatic. I vaguely remembered a time when I missed out on a tiny, insignificant award and cried uncontrollably. Carter had sighed, pulling me into his arms, murmuring softly: “It’s just some garbage award from nowhere, you don’t need it anyway. Someday you’ll win Best Actress, and we’ll slap it in the faces of everyone who was too blind to see your talent. Stop crying, okay?” I cried even harder, asking uncertainly, “Can I really win Best Actress? I can’t even get a supporting role. When will I ever win Best Actress? You’re just humoring me…” He laughed. “Our Serena is amazing. If you don’t believe in yourself, at least believe in me. When has Carter Hayes ever lied to you?” I wrapped my arms around his waist, wiping my tears all over his ridiculously expensive shirt, leaving him rubbing his temples, afraid to get mad but clearly exasperated. After taking a shower, I threw myself onto the soft sofa, picking up my phone to reply to the flood of congratulatory messages. My finger paused over one specific name. The last message was from half a month ago. Back then, we had a massive blowout. Exhausted to my core, I sat in the passenger seat and said calmly, “Let’s break up, Carter.” His knuckles turned white as he gripped the steering wheel, the veins bulging on his forehead. Through gritted teeth, he spat, “Impossible. Don’t even think about it.” I smiled—warmly, but cruelly. “I’ve already humiliated you like this. Do you really want to keep going?” He whipped his head to look at me, breathing heavily. It took him a few seconds to calm down. “Serena, what exactly are you throwing a tantrum about now? I’ve been exhausted lately. Just give me some time…” The argument ended in a bitter stalemate. Neither of us was willing to be the one to back down. The doorbell and my ringtone went off at the exact same time. It was probably the same person. I sat there coldly, letting the phone and doorbell ring for ages, ignoring them completely. It wasn’t until I heard the doorknob turn that I remembered I hadn’t changed the keypad code yet. I sat on the sofa, looking toward the entryway. Covered in the dust of travel, Carter looked at me with dark, heavy eyes. The eyes are the organs of desire. His eyes used to hold nothing, caring for nothing. I was the one who dragged him down into the mortal realm, only to leave him to struggle bitterly in a sea of desire. I was much calmer than I expected. Some things just needed to be resolved properly. “It’s so late. You flew all the way from New York?” He stopped right in front of me, blocking most of the light. His dress shirt was slightly wrinkled, the sleeves still rolled up. After a moment, he sat down and rested his head heavily on my shoulder. He seemed exhausted as he sighed, “What are you throwing a tantrum for?” How much of this was real, how much of it was love? It was impossible to say. Carter, can you really not see that this game is finally reaching its end? I asked him calmly, “Are you thinking that after you get married, I’ll just be your mistress? “Carter, don’t degrade me like that. “Please.” He froze, eventually murmuring, “Just give me some time…” I cut him off. “We tried, didn’t we? Carter, I tried. But all it gave me was a broken, bleeding head. Do you really have to drag me down to crash into a brick wall one more time before you let it go?” I looked down at his ring finger and said sincerely, “Your new ring is beautiful.” Carter’s hand instantly went completely rigid. I tilted my head back, smiling at him exactly like I did when we first met. “So, can I have the ring I gave you back?” What a tragedy. A passionate, all-consuming teenage romance, ending in such mutual disappointment. When I saw Carter again at eighteen, it was at a college gala. I had been pulled in last minute as a backup dancer. I thought our first meeting was just a passing coincidence, but it was actually the beginning of a long, messy entanglement. I was wearing a pure white ballet dress, waiting off to the side. I didn’t know if he had been there all along or had just arrived. He held his cigarette out the window and called out lazily, “Little Swan?” I turned my head. The moment I saw it was him, a spark of light flared in my eyes. He let out a low chuckle. “Didn’t mistake you. It really is you.” I walked over, asking curiously, “What are you doing here?” He looked down, the wind carrying the clean, intoxicating scent of him. “I was bored. Took a walk, ended up here.” He spoke to me like he was humoring a child, but I didn’t care enough to argue. He continued to tease me, saying I owed him a meal as repayment for saving me. I came fully prepared, pulling out all my part-time job savings to take him out. He looked so incredibly expensive that I couldn’t even imagine him sitting in a greasy, rundown diner. The contrast was too jarring. But he just navigated his way through the campus and sat down at the college dining hall for a late-night snack. He barely ate. After a few bites, he put his chopsticks down, explaining to me that he had a bad stomach and couldn’t eat much. At first, I thought he was just being polite, but after we got together, I realized he had actually destroyed his own stomach. When we were together, I learned how to cook all sorts of comforting soups and porridges just to take care of his stomach issues. Whenever his pain flared up, I stayed by his side day and night, treating him like he might shatter. He would lie half-propped up in bed, his face pale, pinching my cheek with a faint smile. “Look at how tense you are. Anyone would think I had terminal cancer.” I slapped his hand away in anger, grabbing the empty bowl and storming downstairs without looking back. Carter owned several startups at the time. During the early days, like most founders, he was working himself to the bone. For a while, I genuinely believed he was just a self-made guy who started out with a little seed money from his family. I secretly rejoiced, thinking that if I just worked hard enough, the gap between us wouldn’t be that wide. After several back-and-forths, we always found an excuse to talk. By the time I realized what was happening, Carter had already embedded himself in my life. The first time I met his friends was at a notorious, exclusive club in New York. I had dressed up meticulously, wanting to leave a good impression. When Carter saw me, he looked surprised for a moment. Once we got there, I understood why. The room was divided: the men were his friends, and the women were just arm candy brought along by them. His friends treated my presence next to Carter as totally unremarkable. They threw me a single glance and went straight back to greeting him. A lot of times, making someone feel painfully insecure in a crowd doesn’t require active bullying or insults. Neglect and indifference are the sharpest weapons. A simple, dismissive glance from someone born in a different social stratosphere is enough to make your skin crawl. Clearly, Carter had no intention of introducing me. Both to his friends and to him, my role that night was probably just entertainment. When you’re young, you have too much pride. If he wasn’t going to take me seriously, I was going to make damn sure he noticed me. His friends were playing high-stakes games. I casually swirled my cocktail. “One drink, call. Show them.”

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I fell asleep reading a novel, and when I woke up, I realized I had transmigrated into the book. I had become the most despised, vicious villainess in the entire story—a girl who shared my name, Chloe. At this exact moment, I was leading a group of my delinquent lackeys, cornering the novel’s second male lead in a narrow alley: Liam. Pushed against the brick wall, the boy wore a faded gray school hoodie. He was lean and stood tall, his messy black hair falling forward to slightly obscure his eyes. A dark bruise on the left corner of his mouth stood out starkly against his pale skin. Yet, he remained silent and stubborn, his narrow, dark eyes looking at me with freezing indifference. My legs turned to jelly. Of all the moments to transmigrate, it had to be now! The novel was a cliché, melodramatic mess. Liam had secretly loved the female lead for years, but because he came from a poor family and was deaf in his right ear, he buried his feelings deep in his heart, choosing to protect her from the shadows. And I—Chloe—was a spoiled, arrogant rich girl who lusted after his looks and harassed him relentlessly. After he publicly rejected my confession, I brought my crew to corner him. That wasn’t the main issue. The main issue was that today, his grandmother was going to suffer a sudden hypertensive crisis. Because I delayed him from going home, he wouldn’t be able to get her to the hospital in time, and she would pass away. From that day forward, Liam hated me to his core. Years later, after discovering I was still bullying the female lead, the now highly-successful, ruthless billionaire Liam used an iron fist to bankrupt my family and send me straight to prison. …And today was the pivotal turning point of it all! Looking at the boy’s face right in front of me, I knew that if I leaned in just an inch closer, our lips would touch. Remembering my tragic, horrific ending in the book, my legs went weak, and I stumbled a step back. “Hey? Chloe, what’s wrong?” The crowd of lackeys started jeering. “You haven’t even kissed him yet!” I gritted my teeth and put on a bored, unamused expression. “Forcing it is boring. One day, he’ll be begging to kiss me.” As my words fell, the group erupted into raucous laughter and cheers. “You tell ’em, Chloe!” Liam’s expression remained calm and distant, as if he didn’t even register these people or this situation in his eyes. He slung his backpack over his shoulder and walked out of the alley. Seeing his lean silhouette disappear at the intersection, I turned around, getting ready to leave as well. But after two steps, the thought of his grandmother weighed heavily on my mind. I couldn’t just let it go. My foot stepped on something hard. I looked down. This looked like… Liam’s student ID? I snatched it up, hastily bid my crew goodbye, hopped into my family’s chauffeured car, and immediately told the driver to turn around and head straight for Liam’s house. I value my life very much! Please, let nothing go wrong! Chapter 1 The car pulled up to a dilapidated, rundown apartment complex. I practically leaped out of the vehicle and immediately spotted Liam walking up ahead. Sensing something, he turned his head and looked back. Seeing it was me, his brows knitted together, and his voice was ice-cold: “Why are you here?” I was in such a rush to check on his grandmother’s condition that I blurted out: “Isn’t it obvious? I’m stalking you.” Liam: “…” I almost bit my own tongue off. No! Chloe, even if you’re playing the bad girl, you have to follow basic logic! I paused. Seeing his defensive, guarded posture, I figured sticking to my mean-girl persona was the safest route. I braced myself. “Since I’m already here, aren’t you going to invite me in?” Chapter 2 Liam obviously wasn’t going to agree. He just stared at me, his eyes freezing cold. I curled my lip in a sneer. “Forget it if you don’t want to. Do you really think I care?” I turned around and got back into the car. Only when I told the driver to pull up to the intersection did I watch in the rearview mirror as Liam walked down the narrow alleyway leading to his building. “Mr. Miller, drive slowly.” I silently counted the seconds in my head. Ten minutes later, a frantic commotion erupted from the alleyway. I could hear some neighbor lady yelling in a panic: “Call 911! Hurry!” My chance! I rolled down the window and looked back: “Liam!” The boy looked up in stunned disbelief. … “Good thing you got her here in time! If you had been twenty minutes later, the patient’s condition would have been critical!” Hearing the doctor’s words, the heavy rock suspended in my heart finally plummeted to the ground. Okay, okay! I had safely navigated through this death flag! I happily skipped over to the billing department to pay her hospital deposit. Surely this would offset at least a fraction of the heinous crimes the original Chloe had committed against Liam, right? The Chloe in the book was a spoiled, headstrong rich girl doted on by her parents. Even though she was only a senior in high school, her bank account balance was staggering. Compared to me, who grew up in the foster system before transmigrating, she was living like royalty. Especially since this money was buying my literal survival, spending it didn’t hurt my heart at all. When I walked back, I saw Liam stepping out of the hospital room, leaning against the wall with his head slightly bowed. It was already dark outside. The hospital corridor smelled strongly of antiseptic, and the harsh fluorescent lights cast shadows over the boy’s thin frame. I couldn’t help but sigh internally. Honestly, with a face like that, who wouldn’t be completely mesmerized? No wonder the original Chloe had been insanely, obsessively in love with him. As if sensing something, Liam turned his head and looked my way. I walked over. “I already paid your grandmother’s hospital deposit.” Liam pressed his thin lips together. It took him a long while to speak. “Thank you. I’ll pay you back as soon as possible.” Liam’s family was dirt poor, and he was just a high school senior about to take his final exams and apply for college. Where was he supposed to get the money? His grades were easily Ivy League level. Unfortunately, in the original story, he was so derailed by his grandmother’s tragedy that he bombed his final exams and missed out on his dream school. …Oh, wait. That was my fault too. There were only three months left until graduation. No matter what, I had to make sure he took his exams in peace! But Liam was incredibly stubborn. Who knew what dangerous things he might do to scrape together the money to pay me back? Thinking of this, I raised an eyebrow. “No need. To pay me back, you can just be my private tutor.” Liam clearly hadn’t expected me to say that. His dark eyes widened in astonishment. …I couldn’t blame him. The original Chloe had probably never even opened a textbook. I lifted my chin arrogantly. “From now on, you’ll do my homework for me. On top of that, you’ll tutor me three times a week, no less than an hour per session. How about it? Got a problem with that?” In just two sentences, I perfectly showcased my ulterior motive of wanting to spend time alone with him. Sure enough, hearing this, Liam’s brow furrowed ever so slightly. I threw more fuel on the fire, stepping closer with a sly smile, whispering, “Or, you can just pay me back with your body and be my boyfriend.” Liam instinctively leaned back, putting distance between us, a faint trace of cold hostility flashing in his eyes. Weighing the two options, he obviously knew which one to choose. “Fine. Friday to Sunday, nine PM, at the public study hall.” … I was incredibly satisfied. However, that good mood came to a screeching halt the second I walked into my classroom the next day. “Did you hear? Chloe confessed to Liam yesterday and got brutally rejected! It’s so funny. Has she looked in a mirror? Why would a guy like Liam ever like someone like her?” Chapter 3 As the words fell, the group of girls gathered around the desk burst into mocking laughter. One of them had sharp eyes and spotted me. Her face instantly drained of color, and she frantically shoved the arm of the girl who was talking. The laughter died instantly. The entire classroom became so quiet you could hear a pin drop. “Ch-Chloe, you’re here?” One of the girls whispered, her face pale with panic. Sigh. It was obvious my notorious reputation preceded me. I didn’t even have to say a word; just standing here was enough to terrify them. I ignored them, walking down the aisle to my seat in the very back row, lazily tossing my backpack onto the desk. Thud. The classroom grew even quieter. “Chloe? Mrs. Davis wants to see you.” A guy standing at the classroom door called out. Me: “…” Dammit! How could I forget? After I cornered Liam yesterday, someone snitched to the teachers, which originally resulted in me having to read a humiliating public apology at the morning assembly! Even though I hadn’t exactly been an honor roll student in my past life, I was at least well-behaved and never caused trouble. Thinking of the impending storm, my face crumpled into a grimace. But as I walked out the door, I ran right into Liam. He had a band-aid over the bruise on the corner of his mouth. I only gave him a fleeting glance before heading toward the faculty office, asking the guy who called me, “What does she want with me?” The guy stammered, “…I don’t really know. You’ll find out when you get there.” The moment I stepped away, the classroom erupted into chaotic murmurs again. I glanced back over my shoulder and saw a girl with a high ponytail standing in front of Liam. She was the very definition of pure and gentle. With just one look, I knew she was the female lead: Mia. I vaguely heard her asking softly, “Liam, are you hurt?” To Liam, Mia was the single ray of light in his dark, dreary life. He was willing to give everything for her, asking for nothing in return, as long as she was okay. Just like right now—Liam seemed to glance in my direction for a split second, then quickly withdrew his gaze and shook his head lightly at her. He had been bullied and cornered, but he couldn’t bear to let Mia worry about him. Then I thought about my current situation— “Chloe, do you know why I called you here?” In the faculty office, our forty-something homeroom teacher, Mrs. Davis, looked furious. I shook my head. Mrs. Davis’s brow furrowed tightly, and she raised her voice. “Someone reported that after school yesterday, you and your friends bullied Liam. Is this true?” Even though it was true, I would take that secret to my grave! I braced myself. “No.” “Really? No?” “Really, no.” “Chloe!” Mrs. Davis’s face turned even uglier. She slammed her hand against her desk. “Even now, you’re still lying to my face!” It was obvious she didn’t call me here to ask for my side of the story. She wouldn’t believe a single punctuation mark that came out of my mouth. Makes sense. What teacher would believe a delinquent mean girl who constantly skipped class? “This Monday at the morning assembly, you will stand up there and read a public apology!” I struggled. “Mrs. Davis, I really didn’t do it.” Mrs. Davis sneered. “Still denying it? Fine. If you can find someone to prove your innocence, I’ll believe you!” Me: “…” Imagining my crew of edgy, rebellious lackeys standing in the faculty office to act as my character witnesses made my vision go dark. Looks like I really couldn’t escape this one. I closed my eyes, saying desperately, “…Nobody can prove my innoc—” Knock, knock. Someone knocked on the open door. A cool, distant voice floated in. “Mrs. Davis.” I turned around in shock. Liam. His dark eyes were completely calm. “I can prove her innocence.” Chapter 4 Never in a million years did I expect the person to step up and save me to be Liam. But hearing this, Mrs. Davis’s frown deepened. She glanced at me, then raised her voice to speak to Liam: “Liam, if someone is threatening you, don’t worry. The school and the faculty will protect you.” Me: “…” Liam shook his head, his expression serene. “No one is threatening me.” Mrs. Davis asked again, “Then why did some students say they saw you two together after school yesterday?” Liam paused, then explained, “She had some questions about our coursework that she didn’t understand. She wanted to ask if I had time to tutor her.” Now, Mrs. Davis’s eyes practically popped out of her head. “What?” She looked at me, her eyes brimming with suspicion. Honestly, any teacher hearing this would think they were losing their mind. But Liam had already laid down the perfect excuse. It would be rude of me not to play along. I quickly concocted a lie, lowered my head, and spoke with a devastated tone: “Yes. My parents are talking about divorce right now. I thought if I could get my grades up, they might be so happy they’d change their minds.” Sorry, Mom and Dad! I owe you one! In reality, my dad was a self-made millionaire who married my mom for one simple reason: she was stunning. And when she nearly died giving birth to me, they decided one child was enough. As their only daughter, I was spoiled absolutely rotten. Mrs. Davis’s expression grew incredibly complicated. It took her a long moment before she finally said to Liam: “Helping a classmate is a good thing, but finals are coming up. Don’t let this drag down your own grades.” I wasn’t offended. With my current academic standing, there wasn’t much room for me to drag anyone down anyway. The moment I stepped out of the office, I let out a massive sigh of relief. “Chloe? How did it go? Mrs. Davis didn’t give you a hard time, did she?” A guy with a buzzcut suddenly popped up. I squinted and recognized him as Tyler, one of my lackeys from yesterday. Noticing Liam standing next to me, Tyler instantly went on high alert, stepping between us and glaring viciously. “Did you snitch on Chloe to the teacher?!” Liam’s expression was indifferent. Without saying a single word, he bypassed Tyler and kept walking. “Hey! You—” Seeing this idiot about to blow up, I quickly grabbed his arm. “Tyler! Shut your mouth!” You’re offending the future billionaire who could crush me like a bug! You get to act like a tough guy, but Liam’s gonna put all that resentment on my tab! Tyler looked skeptical but, seeing how serious I was, backed down. He scratched his head and grinned, holding out a drink. “Chloe, your favorite! Taro bubble tea!” I took it. “Thanks.” Tyler asked, “Hey, Chloe, we booked a table at the pool hall tonight. You coming?” I hesitated. Honestly, I didn’t want to go. I wasn’t the real Chloe. But if I changed my personality completely overnight, people would definitely get suspicious. Liam suddenly glanced back over his shoulder in our direction. A lightbulb went off in my head. “Why would I go? I have actual important business tonight.” Tyler looked confused. “What important business?” I took a sip of my boba and said slowly: “Attending study hall.” Tyler’s jaw dropped. “No way, Chloe? You don’t even go to regular classes, and now you want to go to study hall?” I kicked him in the shin. “What do you know! This study hall is way more important than you guys!” This is my golden opportunity to suck up to Liam! Anyone who stops me is dead meat! Liam withdrew his gaze, looking as though he had heard me, but also as if he didn’t care at all. I hurried to catch up with him. “Liam! Today is Friday. You promised to tutor me, don’t forget!” Liam didn’t say anything. Remembering he was deaf in his right ear, I leaned in closer to his left side and confirmed, “Hello? You can’t back out now!” Liam finally gave a slight nod. “Yeah.”

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My mom got pregnant with a little brother. When we went to the hospital for a checkup, we found out he had Jacobs Syndrome. Everyone told my mom to terminate the pregnancy. My mom cried and refused to give him up. I asked her what Jacobs Syndrome meant. She told me, “It means your brother is going to be the manliest of men. He’s going to protect you.” I half-understood, until the year my brother turned seven, and he repeatedly smashed a brick into my mother’s head. I think I finally understood what she meant by “the manliest of men.” 1 When I was six years old, my mom got pregnant. Once she was far enough along, my parents secretly paid someone to find out the gender. When my mom heard it was a boy, she was overjoyed. Even though my dad always said having me, his sweet little girl, was enough, having a son had always been my mom’s ultimate wish. Until the amniocentesis results came back, and everything changed. They said my unborn brother had an XYY chromosome pattern. The legendary “Super Male Syndrome.” I was eavesdropping outside the door. My dad was desperately trying to convince my mom to give it up. “Let it go. Having Lily is enough for us! The doctor even said kids like this have strong antisocial tendencies in the future. We can’t raise a child like that.” Tears streamed down my mom’s face. She shook her head, clutching her stomach. “No, I can’t bear it. Look how big the baby already is. Are you really going to end your child’s life over one thing a doctor said?” My dad hesitated, his brows furrowed tightly. My mom said firmly, “Didn’t we raise Lily perfectly? I believe this child will be fine too. As long as we educate him properly…” My dad was so frustrated he was left speechless. He went to the balcony to smoke alone, leaving my mom crying with red eyes. I crept closer and asked, “Mommy, what does Super Male mean?” My mom looked at me sadly, thought for a moment, and said, “It means your brother is going to be the manliest of men. He’s going to protect his big sister.” I hesitated. “Will you only love my brother and not love me anymore?” My mom stroked my head. “How could that happen? Mommy loves you the most.” I smiled. A few months later, my brother was born. Everyone who saw him praised how beautiful he was. Big eyes, pale skin—he looked like an angel baby from a painting. Whenever someone complimented him, my mom swelled with pride. She’d say, How could such an adorable baby ever be violent? She vowed to spend her entire life loving him. Wrapped in my mom’s protective love, my brother slowly grew. He started babbling in a cute baby voice and began to express his emotions. It’s just that his way of expressing emotions was a little different from other kids. If he didn’t like the carefully prepared baby food, he would just smack the bowl onto the floor. If his toy car ran out of battery and stopped moving, he would fly into a rage, violently stomping and smashing the car against the floor. He was only happy once the toy was completely pulverized. He had an extreme desire to destroy. Toys in our house never survived past the second day. When he ran out of toys to destroy, he’d move on to other things. It was as if destroying things brought him infinite joy. No matter how my dad tried to discipline him, it was useless. My mom, however, stuck to positive reinforcement. “Good job, sweetie! Our baby is so strong!” I felt wronged. I went to complain to my mom. “Why do you hit me when I break something, but you never hit my brother?” My mom sighed. “Your brother is different. We have to guide him gently. Lily, you’re the older sister, you need to be understanding.” I didn’t understand. It was blatant favoritism. 2 To cultivate a gentler temperament in my brother, my mom bought each of us a pet rabbit. She smiled warmly. “You have to treat the bunnies well, okay? They are living things too.” My brother stroked the bunny’s ears, nodding as if he couldn’t put it down. But the next morning, when my mom went to change the cabbage leaves in the cages, she let out a bloodcurdling scream. I rushed onto the balcony. The bunny my brother was taking care of had been sliced open and killed. Its intestines had spilled out all over the bottom of the cage. Meanwhile, the bunny in my cage had its ears pinned back, trembling violently in the corner. My brother stood behind my mom with a huge smile, holding his arms up to be carried. “Mommy, I want another bunny!” I hugged my bunny tightly to my chest, shivering. Ever since my brother was born, all my parents’ energy had gone to him. Even my grandma came all the way from out of town specifically to help take care of him. He became the center of our entire family’s universe. I had to admit, most of the time he didn’t look any different from other little boys. He had a sweet smile, liked eating snacks, and loved watching cartoons. But this bright, cheerful boy could turn into a demon the very next second. Once, my grandma simply told him he couldn’t have a snack before dinner. He bit down hard on her arm and refused to let go, exactly like a wild jackal. No matter who tried to pull him off, his jaws stayed locked. Another time, I was just sitting there watching cartoons. As my mom carried him to the balcony, he casually grabbed the TV remote and hurled it straight at my head. Blood streamed down my face, and he smiled with pure delight. When he finally reached preschool age, my parents spent a ton of energy and money to enroll him in a daycare that specialized in early childhood mental health and development. But not long after, the teachers called my parents in. The reason: an older kid in the pre-K class had bullied him, making fun of him for being skinny and small. I don’t know where he learned it, but during nap time, while the teacher stepped out to use the restroom, he sneaked into the pre-K nap room, used a lighter to set the bedsheets on fire, sprinted out, and locked the door from the outside. If the teacher hadn’t come back when she did, the consequences would have been catastrophic. Even the teachers were horrified. “Does your child watch violent cartoons at home? I’ve never seen a kid act like this! It’s terrifying!” Under pressure from the other parents, my brother was expelled. My parents bowed, apologized endlessly, and paid a massive settlement just to make it go away. As my parents were bowing and apologizing, my brother stood to the side, biting his fingernails, giggling. The teacher asked him what was so funny. He said, “I wanted to burn you all to death!” My dad’s face went ghost white. He slapped my brother across the face right in front of everyone. My brother fell to the ground. He started bawling. The bystanders watched coldly. My mom was the only one who threw herself onto the ground to hug him. “Mommy is so sorry! It’s all Mommy’s fault!” 3 My parents had a massive blowout argument. My dad was screaming in the bedroom. “We never should have kept him! He’s a monster!” My mom pointed a finger in his face, screaming back hysterically, “Even if he is a monster, he’s your flesh and blood! And he’s already born! What’s the point of saying this now?!” My dad wanted to argue back but couldn’t find the words. He left my mom crying alone in the room. My mom tried desperately to send him to other preschools, but he either bullied the little girls—cutting off their braids—or bullied the younger boys, shoving their heads into the toilets and forcing them to drink the water. When he saw a teacher who was seven months pregnant, he actually told the other kids he wanted to kick her hard in the stomach. And later, he actually did it. When the pregnant teacher was walking to the bathroom, he sneaked up and tripped her. She lost her balance and fell forward. If someone nearby hadn’t caught her in time, the outcome would have been unthinkable. The teacher’s husband caused a massive scene. He demanded the preschool pay for emotional distress and demanded to know why my brother was so purely malicious at such a young age. The principal had no choice. She refunded our tuition and practically begged my mom, “Please, take your child and go. Our little school can’t handle him! I’ve been running preschools for thirty years, and I’ve never seen a child like this!” Neither my dad’s anger nor my mom’s pleading worked. Eventually, my mom gave up. She had my grandma watch him at home until he was old enough for elementary school. As the only grandson in the family, my grandma doted on him. She gave him whatever he wanted. Because of her age, her legs weren’t great, making stairs difficult. But even so, she would gladly walk to the grocery store every single day to buy whatever food he wanted to eat. One day, just as my grandma was heading out for groceries, the moment she reached the top of the stairs, I saw my brother charge out with a wicked grin and violently shove her from behind. The grocery basket tumbled down the steps, followed immediately by the sickening thud of my grandma’s body rolling down the stairs. My brother clapped his hands and laughed. His laughter echoed through the entire stairwell. I saw the whole thing with my own eyes. After that, my grandma was paralyzed. My dad slapped my brother like a madman. He looked like he wanted to kill him. My mom cried and clung to his legs, screaming, “He’s just a child!” My dad roared, “That is not a child! That’s a monster!” He slumped into a chair, muttering to himself, “We should have aborted him. We should have aborted him back then.” My brother glared at him with pure hatred. I was the only one who walked over to my dad. I told him not to be sad, that Grandma would get better. My dad hugged me tight, tears suddenly falling from his eyes. When I got home from the hospital, I was in a great mood. I hummed a song while feeding my bunny some lettuce. My poor bunny was still traumatized from seeing its companion killed; it shivered whenever someone came near. I shoved the lettuce against its mouth. “Eat it.” The bunny wouldn’t open its mouth. “Why aren’t you eating?” Finally, I opened the cage, and personally watched the lettuce go into the bunny’s stomach before I left, satisfied. 4 After Grandma was paralyzed, there was another person in the house who needed constant care. To prevent any more “accidents,” my mom quit her job to stay home and look after my brother and Grandma. No one knew why my brother pushed her, but according to him, he just thought it would be fun. That was how he always operated. Seeing other people suffer was fun to him. His happiness was only real if it was built on someone else’s pain. After being betrayed by her precious grandson, Grandma’s attitude completely changed. She stopped talking to him and finally started realizing my worth. Whenever she had something good to eat, she would call me over and save it for me. She didn’t give my brother a single second of her time. My brother caught us talking and sharing snacks a few times. He stared at us with a dark, sinister look. “What are you guys doing?” We stayed silent. He turned around and went back to watching cartoons. I let out a sigh of relief. But I underestimated my brother. He held grudges better than anyone. How could he just let it go? Not long after, on a day when Grandma was taking a nap, my mom and I went to the supermarket. My mom told him, “Stay out of the kitchen, and wait nicely for us to come back, understand?” He smiled sweetly and agreed. An hour later, when we got back and opened the door, we were immediately hit by the smell of smoke. My mom’s face went pale in horror. She threw the door open to find the apartment filled with smoke. She screamed his name like a madwoman. My brother was in the living room, completely unharmed. But when I went to look for Grandma, I realized the smoke was pouring out of her bedroom. Grandma was still lying in bed. I covered my nose and yelled, “Grandma! Grandma, get up!” She didn’t answer. I yelled a few more times. My mom rushed in, shaking her. “Mom! Mom! What’s wrong? Mom!” Grandma remained lifeless. As the smoke cleared slightly, I could faintly see her lips were turning purple. My mom reached out with a trembling finger to check her breathing. Two seconds later, she let out a piercing scream and collapsed onto the floor. Grandma was dead. 5 Soon, police cars, ambulances, and fire trucks completely surrounded our building. The paramedics pulled a white sheet over Grandma’s body. The firefighters looked at the floor, covered in shredded firecracker paper, and let out a long sigh. The mattress was flipped over, and the space under the bed was charred black. A firefighter told the police, “Preliminary findings suggest the child lit a string of firecrackers in the room. The elderly woman was asleep at the time. The shock likely triggered a fatal heart attack.” A police officer frowned and turned to my mom. “Leaving a child home alone is bad enough, but how could you leave firecrackers where he could easily reach them? Do you have absolutely zero common sense as a parent?” My mom hadn’t even recovered from the shock yet. She stuttered, “I… I didn’t know. There were no firecrackers in the house…” The police looked at my mom in disbelief. Meanwhile, my brother sat on the sofa like nothing happened, sucking on a lollipop and giggling as people rushed in and out. Someone glanced at him and whispered, “Look at that kid. His grandma just died and he’s sitting there laughing.” But they didn’t know. My brother didn’t have a heart to begin with. When Grandma’s body was wheeled past me, my nose started to sting. Even though she had only been nice to me toward the very end, those were still unforgettable memories. Just then, my dad rushed through the door, just in time to see Grandma’s body being loaded into the ambulance. He leaned against the doorframe, his legs gave out, and he slowly slid down to the floor. My mom stood defensively in front of my brother. She said weakly, “You… you need to calm down. Your mom was over seventy, and her heart was already bad.” My dad had already gotten the news before he arrived. He stared dead at my brother, a bottomless well of hatred surging in his eyes. Suddenly, he let out a roar, violently shoved my mom to the floor, grabbed his heavy leather briefcase, and swung it directly at my brother’s head. The briefcase slammed into him, knocking my brother to the floor. Blood from his nose stained the floorboards red. My mom screamed hoarsely, clinging to my dad’s legs. “It was just an accident! It was an accident!” My dad dragged my mom up off the floor and roared, “Get the hell away from me!” Seeing the situation spiraling out of control, the police quickly pulled my dad away. “It already happened. Please calm down! You didn’t discipline your child when it mattered, and now that someone is dead, you want to beat him?” The firefighter quickly added, “Exactly. If this had started a structural fire, could you take responsibility for the casualties of the entire building?” My brother used the distraction to sprint back into his room. When he came back out, he was holding the remaining string of firecrackers. Right in front of all of us, he lit the fuse and hurled it straight at my dad. “I’m going to blow you all up!” The firecrackers exploded in a deafening, crackling roar, filling the room with thick smoke again. Everyone just stared at my brother in dead silence. He was a monster. 6 Grandma’s death was officially ruled an accidental death. After taking care of the funeral arrangements, the house was left in ruins. After that day, my dad never spoke a single word to my brother again. He acted like he didn’t exist, and barely spoke to my mom either. After Grandma was cremated, my dad stood holding her urn and said coldly to my mom, “Let’s get a divorce.” This time, there was no explosive argument. I don’t know when, but my brother suddenly appeared behind me. He whispered, “Grandma’s dead. I thought you’d be happy.” A violent chill ran down my spine. I snapped, “What are you talking about? Why would I be happy that Grandma died?” He didn’t say anything. He just stared at me, unblinking. The next morning, my dad had already packed his bags. My mom was leaning against the headboard in the bedroom, her eyes red from crying. He left all the money and the house to my mom and voluntarily gave up custody of both of us. Right before he left, I cried and asked him, “Dad, are you really leaving?” My dad smiled bitterly. “Be a good girl, Lily. I know you’re the most sensible one. You need to take good care of your mom from now on. If anything happens, call me.” I sobbed, “If I’m so sensible, then please don’t go!” My dad sighed. “Lily, it’s not your fault. It’s all my fault. I never should have gotten married and had kids. I was never capable of living a normal life, and now I’ve ruined so many people’s lives.” With that, he grabbed his suitcase and walked out the door without looking back. From that moment on, it was just the three of us left in the house. Because I had promised my dad, I worked even harder. I scored exceptionally high on my middle school entrance exams and got into the best public middle school in the city. Because of the arson incident, every elementary school in our district was terrified of my brother. Seeing that no school was willing to accept him, my mom came up with a plan. She legally changed his name and we moved to a completely different school district. After all the chaos, she finally managed to get him enrolled just before September. My mom had aged visibly in those few months. The divorce hit her incredibly hard, but she still refused to give up on my brother. She always hoped her love could somehow change him. But my brother used his actions to prove to her that some kids are just born evil. They can never be changed.

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At fourteen, my family suffered a tragic accident, and my fiancé’s family took me in. Carter Hayes was seven years older than me. He was always polite, yet distinctly distant. When I started working and was preparing to move into my own apartment, he suddenly spoke up: “You’re twenty-four now. It’s about time we got married.” 1 Walking out of the courthouse, my brain was still buzzing. Just like that, we were married. Living under the same roof for eight years, Carter’s attitude toward me had always been polite, maybe even a little aloof. I was actually a bit intimidated by him, always treating him with the cautious respect you’d give a strict older brother. I always assumed the “engagement” arranged by our parents years ago was just a joke. Add in the fact that my family had lost everything and the massive disparity in our social statuses, and I never took it seriously. The night before I was supposed to move out, Carter suddenly knocked on my bedroom door. His eyes were calm, his voice cool: “You’re twenty-four now. It’s about time we got married.” I froze, then dumbly nodded. “Are you free this Wednesday? Let’s go to the courthouse.” I pressed my lips together, speechless. “You don’t have to reject me right away. I can give you a week to think about it.” “I’m free,” I blurted out. After he closed the door, it took me a long time to process what had just happened. It was absolutely insane. But thinking about it logically, Carter was the perfect catch: handsome, constantly in the gym, financially secure, and emotionally stable. It was just that I had never viewed our relationship in that light before, and I couldn’t switch roles in my head that fast. Getting the marriage license felt rushed, and we hadn’t even told his parents yet. “Can we wait a little while before telling your mom and dad about this?” I asked. “I just started a new job and I’m really overwhelmed. I don’t think I can handle the family drama right now.” “That’s fine,” he said. “But I’m keeping the marriage certificate.” “Thank you.” Carter went to get the car, and I stood on the sidewalk waiting. When we signed the papers, a promotional health booth outside the courthouse had handed us a goodie bag. I hadn’t checked what was inside. Opening it now, I found ten boxes of condoms and three bottles of prenatal vitamins. My face instantly burned scarlet. The bag suddenly felt like it was on fire. There was a trash can nearby, and I marched over, ready to toss it. If Mr. and Mrs. Hayes saw this at home, I wouldn’t be able to explain it to save my life. “What are you throwing away? That’s a waste.” Carter had pulled the car up without me noticing. He stepped out and opened the passenger door, startling me so badly I dropped the bag on the pavement. Carter leaned down and picked up the boxes. His Adam’s apple bobbed slightly as his voice dropped an octave: “I’ll keep these at my downtown apartment. Get in the car.” The air grew thick with awkwardness. I coughed lightly and nodded. Sitting in the passenger seat, I caught a glimpse of myself in the rearview mirror. My face was as red as a tomato. I silently gave myself a pep talk: You’re married now. Some things are bound to happen eventually. Stop being a prude. When we pulled into the driveway of the Hayes estate, he didn’t get out. “Aren’t you coming in?” I asked. Ever since graduating college, Carter had lived in his own luxury apartment and rarely stayed at the family estate. “I need to head back to change clothes. I’ll be over this afternoon.” Carter was dressed in a sharp black suit today. To match him, I had deliberately worn a white dress this morning. We looked like we were wearing matching couple outfits. “Okay, see you later then.” 2 I was so anxious last night that I barely slept, so I ended up napping all afternoon before finally heading downstairs. Carter was already back, sitting in the living room playing chess with his dad, Mr. Hayes. Hearing my footsteps, he looked up. Our eyes met. Staring into his deep, dark eyes, I felt a sudden wave of guilt and softly called out, “Hey.” Carter gave a faint nod, looked away, and went back to his chess game. I went into the kitchen to grab a glass of water, but Mrs. Hayes stopped me: “Harper, honey! Come have some fruit.” “I bought your absolute favorite: blue cheese and crackers.” Mr. Hayes chimed in from the living room, “Doesn’t your son absolutely despise the smell of blue cheese? Why did you buy so much of it today? We’ll never finish it.” “Didn’t you say it was your favorite? I bought it specifically for you,” she shot back. “Nonsense. You can’t even remember my favorite dessert. Harper is the only one in this house who actually likes that stinky cheese.” Maybe I was just too nervous, but when I took a bite of the cheese, I couldn’t taste a thing. I was terrified Mrs. Hayes would notice something was off. “Harper, are you seeing anyone lately?” Like clockwork, the older generation always had to check in on my love life. “You should start putting yourself out there. Don’t spend all your time focused on work. Don’t end up like Carter—he’s in his thirties and doesn’t even have a girlfriend.” I nodded, offering a polite, noncommittal smile. “Come look at these guys. I picked out a few handsome young men at the gala last week. Good-looking, great personalities—whatever your type is, I’ve got it.” From the living room, Carter’s gaze drifted over. I avoided his eyes, picking up my glass to take a tactical sip of water. Mrs. Hayes smiled warmly. “It’s a shame Carter is so old and always has that icy look on his face. He doesn’t know how to treat a woman right. If only you two could be together, that would be perfect.” Cough, cough! My hand shook, and I nearly choked on my water. Mrs. Hayes quickly patted my back. “Oh, don’t be scared! I’m just joking around. I’d never force you to marry that grumpy brat.” “Now, do any of these guys catch your eye?” She shoved a stack of photos into my hands. Suddenly, Carter stood up from the chessboard. His voice was perfectly even: “What do you want for dinner? I’ll cook.” But as he spoke, his eyes were locked dead on me. I quickly lowered my gaze, pretending to study the photos of the blind dates. 3 Carter was an incredible cook. The spread of garlic butter shrimp, creamy corn chowder, slow-roasted beef brisket, and roasted asparagus was enough to make anyone’s mouth water. Following our usual seating arrangement, Carter sat directly across from me. I usually ate like a vacuum cleaner, but today I found myself subconsciously acting demure, taking small, elegant bites. I was so focused on eating my rice that I forgot to grab any of the main dishes. My favorite corn chowder was sitting a bit too far away. I glanced at it several times, but after hesitating, I didn’t want to stand up and reach for it. “Harper, you’re barely eating today,” Mrs. Hayes noted. “I’m just not very hungry tonight.” Carter seemed to read my mind perfectly. He ladled a bowl of the corn chowder and placed it right in front of me. “You haven’t touched the soup. Drink up. It won’t taste as good tomorrow.” My spine stiffened. His parents didn’t notice anything unusual, continuing their conversation about some neighbor’s new grandchild. I let out a long breath and whispered, “Thank you.” Because I didn’t eat enough at dinner, I woke up in the middle of the night starving. I grabbed my phone, turned on the flashlight, and tiptoed down to the kitchen to raid the fridge. There were only leftovers and raw ingredients. I sighed and prepared to head back to my room. Suddenly, there was someone standing right behind me. Carter had clearly just showered. He was wearing gray sweatpants and a matching t-shirt, his damp black hair falling over his forehead, his eyes dark and deep. My heart nearly jumped out of my chest. I patted my chest to calm down. “Jeez, you scared me.” “Didn’t eat enough at dinner?” “A little.” He pursed his lips. “Go wait in your room. I’ll heat up some tortellini.” I went back upstairs, used the bathroom, and caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. My hair was a bird’s nest, and my pajamas were wrinkled. I had worn this oversized cartoon t-shirt for all three years of grad school. It was faded, and the collar was stretched out. I loved the character on it, so I never threw it away. Mrs. Hayes would occasionally buy me new clothes, so I dug through my closet, found a brand-new silk pajama set, and changed into it. Looking in the mirror again, I looked much cleaner and far more put-together. A knock sounded at the door. I walked over and opened it. “Hey.” He gave a soft “Mhm,” his gaze lingering on my body for a fraction of a second before quickly looking away. I reached out to take the bowl from him. “It’s hot. I’ll carry it,” he said. Carter set the bowl on my desk and handed me a fork. “I’m flying to Paris tomorrow for a business trip. Is there anything you want me to bring back?” I sat down, shoved a piece of tortellini into my mouth, and mumbled, “Nope.” The pasta was literally steaming. The moment I bit down, it felt like the roof of my mouth was peeling off. I winced in agony. But with Carter standing right there, my pride wouldn’t let me spit it out. I just sat there, panicking about whether to swallow molten lava or spit it out like a toddler. “Spit it out.” Long, elegant fingers offered me a tissue. I froze, staring at him with teary, confused eyes. “Spit it out. No one is going to steal your food.” I wanted to defend myself, but swallowed my words and spit the pasta into the tissue. Carter grabbed another tissue and roughly wiped my face. My defensive instincts flared. “What are you doing?” The corner of his mouth twitched into a smirk. “You had drool on your chin.” My face instantly burned bright red, but at least it wasn’t a runny nose. Carter sighed, his voice softening unconsciously. “Harper, you don’t need to be so tense.” I swallowed hard, looking up at him. “Is it really that obvious?” I felt like I had been acting neurotic all day, terrified his parents would find out. And whenever I faced Carter, there was a subtle, bizarre shift in my brain that made me act totally unnatural. He nodded. “Like when?” “Usually you eat two bowls of rice at dinner. Tonight you only ate half a bowl…” “…” My cheeks felt like they were on fire. “I just… I just need a little time to adjust.” His voice was slow and steady: “Take all the time you need.” As he was about to close the door and leave, he paused. “Did you change into new pajamas?” I bit my lip. “My old ones got a little wet.” “They look good on you.” 4 When I came down for breakfast the next morning, Carter was already gone. His business trip was going to last two weeks. Combine that with how incredibly busy I was at my new job, and I practically forgot I was a married woman. Friday evening, my coworkers dragged me out for drinks. Someone handed me a cocktail, and after downing it, my face flushed bright red. Walking home, I couldn’t stop scratching my face and neck. I felt impossibly itchy and uncomfortable. I had rushed out the door this morning and forgotten my keys. I rang the doorbell, and the door swung open. A tall figure stood in the entryway. The top two buttons of his dress shirt were undone, and his face was sharp and handsome. I was completely stunned. My brain short-circuited. Why was Carter answering the door at this hour? Wasn’t he on a business trip? Even when he was in town, he rarely stayed at the estate. “Carter?” I asked awkwardly. He nodded, looking down at me. “Have you been drinking?” I nodded, my voice a little raspy. “Just one drink.” My neck was so itchy it was begging to be scratched. His expression instantly turned serious, his tone dropping. “Don’t you know you have an alcohol allergy?” I shook my head. I had barely ever touched alcohol. In college, I took one sip of cheap beer, hated the taste, and spit it out. Just as I reached up to scratch my neck, he grabbed my wrist. His voice was heavy. “You’re going to scar your face.” “Go wash your face with cold water to bring the temperature down. I’ll go find some antihistamines.” I looked in the bathroom mirror and saw an unnatural red flush across my cheeks, and a massive red rash spreading across my collarbone. Because I had been scratching so aggressively earlier, I had actually broken the skin in a few places. Thank God it wasn’t on my face. He walked into the bathroom holding a pill and a glass of water, plus a tube of hydrocortisone cream. “Swallow this first. Then apply this cream to stop the itching.” I was wearing a button-up blouse today. To make it easier to apply the cream, I unbuttoned the top two buttons, exposing a large patch of skin. His eyes darkened, and he politely turned his back to me. Once the cream was on, the itching subsided significantly. I buttoned up my shirt and straightened my collar. My voice was a little dry when I asked, “When did you get back?” “I flew in this afternoon. I texted you.” I frowned. He texted me? Why didn’t I get a notification? I checked my phone and realized it was on ‘Do Not Disturb’. I had a million work messages, and Carter’s text was buried near the bottom, easy to miss. “I was so busy I forgot to check my phone.” “Are you still feeling sick?” “I’m okay, it’s not too bad.” Silence fell, and the atmosphere grew incredibly awkward. He looked exhausted, his voice slightly gravelly: “Get some rest. If anything happens tonight, come find me. Your gift is on your desk.” My tone softened unconsciously. “Thank you. You get some rest too.” Carter’s eyes darkened, and he gave a soft “Mhm.” The allergic reaction wasn’t actually that bad, and by the time I woke up the next morning, it was completely gone. I had been so tired last night that I completely forgot to open the gift on my desk. Opening it now, I found a stunning evening gown that could also pass for upscale everyday wear, but it was incredibly eye-catching. There was also a necklace, a watch, and some other jewelry. I picked out the watch and strapped it to my wrist. The dial was a soft baby blue that complemented my skin tone perfectly. I opened my bedroom door just as the door across the hall clicked open. Carter was wearing a sharp, dark brown suit over a light blue dress shirt. His broad shoulders and tailored fit were enough to make anyone weak in the knees. His voice was cool and even: “Feeling better? Any lingering symptoms?” “I’m all good.” He glanced down at my wrist. I instinctively hid my hand behind my back. Carter didn’t say anything and just turned back into his room. … Breakfast was already prepared. I sat at the dining table, taking small bites of my oatmeal. Footsteps echoed on the stairs. Carter came down and sat directly across from me, pouring himself a cup of coffee. Mr. Hayes and Carter were discussing company business when Mr. Hayes suddenly changed the subject: “That watch you’re wearing looks awfully similar to Harper’s. I’ve never seen you wear it before.” My heart rate spiked, and I shot a panicked glance across the table. It wasn’t just “similar.” It was the exact same watch in a different size. Carter looked completely unfazed, his voice perfectly calm: “I’ve had it for a while.” I stammered through an explanation: “Uh, a friend of mine brought this back for me from Europe… I must have just accidentally bought the same one Carter has.” Mr. Hayes didn’t pry any further. Terrified that staying any longer would blow our cover, I grabbed my purse and spoke in a rushed tone. “Mr. and Mrs. Hayes, I’m going to be late for work! I’ve gotta run.” “Harper, have Carter drive you!” “No, no! I’ll just take my Vespa, it’s faster!” After graduation, the Hayes family had gifted me a car, but even though I had my license, I was terrified of driving. It sat in the garage collecting dust, and I commuted on a little electric Vespa. It was super convenient.

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