Seven years. That’s how long we were together, and in all that time, there wasn’t a single trace of me on Maya’s social media. No tagged photos, no subtle shots of my hand across a dinner table, nothing. Until yesterday. She posted a photo with a junior colleague from her firm—a clean-cut guy she’d mentored back in college. They were standing in a sleek conference room, looking like a power duo. Her caption read: “Look who’s all grown up and holding his own against me at the negotiation table.” The guy commented almost instantly: “Checkmate, Maya. I’m just getting started.” This time, I didn’t pick a fight. I didn’t even send a snarky text. I just felt a strange, hollow quiet settle in my chest. When my mom called later that evening to suggest a blind date with a family friend’s daughter, I didn’t argue. I just said, “Okay.” The high school reunion was held two weeks after I walked out on Maya. It was the first time I’d seen her since the breakup. … When I walked into the private room at the bistro, the old gang was already mid-toast. Our old class president was teasing Maya. “Come on, Maya,” he laughed. “Are you really going to play the Ice Queen forever? You’ve been single since graduation.” “Seriously,” another girl chimed in. “I’ve tried setting you up with half the eligible bachelors in the city. What’s your type, anyway? Does he even exist?” I kept my head down, sliding into an empty seat at the far end of the table. Maya’s eyes shifted, landing directly on me. She took a slow sip of her water and looked back at the class president. “Ask him,” she said. The table went silent. Twenty heads turned toward me in unison. “Oh, that’s right! Ben, you were her desk mate for three years. You’ve got the inside track. What does our resident genius actually look for in a man?” “How would I know?” I said, my voice flatter than I intended. The guy who asked looked a bit taken alphabetical back by my tone. Maya’s lips twitched into a faint, unreadable smirk. She didn’t look away. Someone else broke the tension. “Wait, Ben might not know, but I have a theory! Did you guys see Maya’s post the other day? That guy in the suit? With a face like that, I don’t blame her for finally catching feelings.” “I saw that!” Suddenly, everyone was fumbling for their phones, scrolling through Instagram to find the photo. But they hit a wall. “So stingy, Maya!” someone teased. “Did you archive it already? Keeping him all to yourself?” “Lucky for you, I took a screenshot!” a girl at the end of the table announced, proudly waving her phone. She sent it to the group chat. In the photo, the guy’s eyes were bright, his gaze fixed on Maya with an expression that bordered on worship. Maya stood beside him in a sharp blazer, the corner of her mouth lifted in a rare, soft smile. They looked like the lead couple in a high-end legal drama. The room erupted into chatter about how “perfect” they looked together. My best friend, Matt, nudged me with his elbow. “Maya never comes to these things,” he whispered. “What’s she doing here today?” I took a long pull of my soda. “Who knows.” A few days ago, on my birthday, Maya and I had the worst fight of our seven-year relationship over that very photo. I asked her why she could never acknowledge me—not once—but could post a glowing tribute to some guy she’d known for five minutes. She just frowned and told me I was being “insecure and dramatic.” Seven years is a long time to wait for a person to be proud of you. I couldn’t do it anymore. The anxiety, the constant questioning of my own worth—it had eroded everything. I’d reached the end of my rope. That night, I had lit a single candle on a grocery-store cupcake. I made a wish. For seven years, the wish had been the same: Please let her love me enough to show me off. This year, I changed it. I looked at Maya’s tired, annoyed expression and said, “Maya, my birthday wish this year is for us to break up.” It was the first time I’d ever suggested it. She froze for a second, her face transitioning back to its usual, cool composure. “Are you sure about that?” she asked, her voice dangerously quiet. “Ben, if you walk out that door, you’re the one who’s going to regret it. Not me.” I knew what she meant. She had the pedigree—the Ivy League degree, the seven-figure salary at a top tech firm, the effortless beauty. She was the girl who had everything. And me? I was the son of a high school teacher. I worked a steady, mid-level marketing job. I was “fine.” If my mom hadn’t been the head of the honors program, I wouldn’t have even been in the same classroom as Maya, let alone her life. But that night, I just nodded. “I’m sure.” It took me three hours to pack my life into boxes. I moved out before sunrise. “Earth to Ben,” Matt said, snapping his fingers in front of my face. I blinked, returning to the present. Maya was currently fielding questions about the “mystery man.” “Stop it, guys,” she said smoothly. “He’s just a junior from the office. He recently transferred to my department.” Matt leaned in closer to me. “I don’t buy it. Maya doesn’t post anyone. You don’t break a streak like that for a ‘junior.’” “I guess not,” I muttered. It took seven years of me begging, and I couldn’t even get a blurred photo of my shadow on her grid. When the reunion ended, a light drizzle had started to fall. I didn’t want to wait twenty minutes for an Uber, so I pulled my jacket over my head and started jogging toward the subway station. I was halfway there when a familiar black Audi pulled up to the curb. The window rolled down. “Get in,” Maya said. I didn’t stop. I kept walking, my sneakers splashing through the puddles. Maya hopped out of the car and grabbed my arm. “Why are you being so stubborn? You’re going to catch a cold.” I wrenched my arm away. “Since when is that your problem?” “Ben,” she said, her grip tightening. “Are you actually serious about this? This… tantrum?” I knew what she was doing. She was giving me a “way out.” A chance to apologize, to slide back into our routine, to pretend the breakup never happened. “What do you think, Maya?” She let out a sharp, cold laugh and let go of my arm. “Fine. Suit yourself. I’m done playing games.” She got back in the car and floored it. The spray from her tires soaked my jeans and sneakers. The spring air in the city was starting to turn, but the rain brought a biting chill. I pulled my jacket tighter and kept walking toward the station. When I finally got back to my mom’s house, she was waiting with a mug of hot ginger tea. “I figured you’d be walking in the rain,” she said, shaking her head. “You never listen, Ben. I told you to take an umbrella.” I took the mug, leaning against the kitchen counter. I’d ignored a lot of warnings lately. “Did you see Maya?” Mom asked, her eyes lighting up. She loved Maya. To my mom, Maya was the gold standard—the star student who had actually made it. She kept tabs on Maya’s career like it was a hobby. “Yeah. I saw her,” I said, looking into my tea. “I wonder if she’s seeing anyone,” Mom mused. “A girl like that… she’s so brilliant, so picky. Most men wouldn’t even know how to talk to her.” I felt a sharp ache behind my eyes. I swallowed a mouthful of the spicy tea. “I think she’s found someone.” “Really?” Mom looked genuinely excited. “Yeah.” She must have noticed my mood shifting. She went quiet for a moment, then added, “Well, my Ben is a catch too. If you’d just put yourself out there, you’d find someone wonderful.” I looked up at her. “Do you really believe that, Mom?” She looked surprised. Usually, whenever she brought up dating, I’d get defensive or change the subject. She nodded firmly. “Of course! Your Aunt Sarah mentioned a girl—Chloe. She’s lovely, very successful, and she’s back in town for the holidays. Why don’t you meet her for a drink?” “Okay,” I said. “Let’s do it.” The next two days were quiet. I slept in, spent hours scrolling through apartment listings, trying to figure out where I’d move once I got back to the city after the break. I was walking out of my bedroom on the third morning when I stopped dead. Maya was sitting on our living room sofa. My mom came out of the kitchen with a plate of sliced fruit. She saw me and frowned. “Ben! You’re still in your pajamas? Maya stopped by to say hello, and you’re being a terrible host. Go change.” I retreated into my room and stayed there as long as possible. I wasn’t being vain. Maya had been a student of my mom’s, and she came by every year to pay her respects. The irony was that even after we’d started dating, Maya insisted we keep it a secret from my mother. At first, I thought it was romantic—our little secret. Then, as years passed, it felt like a cage. “I’m just not ready to tell her yet,” she’d say. “It’ll be awkward. Let’s just keep things as they are.” “I’m not the type to do the whole ‘meet the parents’ thing as a couple. It’s cringe.” “Next year, Ben. I promise.” Next year turned into seven years. When my mom called for me the third time, I forced myself out. “Look at him, he’s actually shy around his old classmate,” Mom joked. I didn’t look at Maya. “Mom, I’m actually heading out to meet someone. I should probably get going.” “Oh?” Mom’s eyebrows shot up. She lowered her voice, a huge grin spreading across her face. “Is it for your date with Chloe?” I didn’t answer, but my silence was all the confirmation she needed. “Go, go! Don’t keep a lady waiting.” Maya spoke up suddenly. “Who’s Chloe?” “A girl Ben’s aunt set him up with,” Mom answered, beaming. “She’s wonderful. She works in the city too. Actually, Maya, you should look out for our Ben since you’re both in the same circles. Make sure he doesn’t pick someone too crazy.” She didn’t notice Maya’s face go pale and then settle into a cold, hard mask. “Mom—” I cut her off. “I’m leaving.” I walked out the door, but I didn’t even make it to the end of the driveway before Maya caught up to me. “A date?” she hissed, grabbing my wrist. “Care to explain that, Ben?” I shook her off. “Does it matter to you?” She let out a sharp, angry breath. “My boyfriend is going on a blind date. Yeah, I’d say it matters.” “Ex-boyfriend,” I corrected her. Maya’s jaw tightened. “You’re really doing this? Over a stupid Instagram post? You’re throwing away seven years because of a photo of a coworker?” “I’m not throwing it away,” I said, and to my surprise, my voice was perfectly calm. “I’m just finally realizing there’s nothing left to hold onto.” Maya stared at me, looking genuinely confused. She was brilliant, but she had a blind spot for things she didn’t value. And she didn’t value my feelings. Before she could speak, Matt pulled up to the curb in his beat-up truck. “Hey, Ben! Sorry I’m late, man. You ready?” He hopped out and saw Maya holding my arm. “Uh… what’s going on?” Maya suddenly let go. A strange, smug little smile played on her lips. “Oh, I see,” she said, her voice dripping with relief. “You’re ‘meeting’ Matt. I should have known.” She reached out and playfully flicked my forehead, as if I were a child who’d been caught in a lie. “I was wondering how you could possibly be over me so fast. Go have fun with your friend. Get it out of your system.” She turned and walked toward her car, humming to herself. Matt looked at me, then at her retreating back. “What the hell was that? Is she… okay?” My phone died later that afternoon. When I finally plugged it in at home that night, I had fifteen unread messages from Maya. I opened them, expecting an apology or another lecture. Instead, it was like the breakup had been erased from her memory. “Are you home yet?” “Want me to come pick you up?” “I bought those honey cakes you like. I’ll bring some back to the city for you.” “The company site crashed today. I had to fix the backend before it went viral. Your girlfriend is a genius, isn’t she?” “That boba place you like has a new seasonal flavor. We’ll go when we’re back.” I scrolled up to the very top of the thread, back to the night of my birthday. I had sent her a photo of us that a colleague had taken at a Christmas party. I looked hurt in the message: “Am I really that much worse-looking than your junior? Is that why you won’t post us?” I had sent three more photos. “I’m not an ugly guy, Maya. Pick one. Post it. Let’s just be public for once.” Her reply, thirty minutes later, had been: “Don’t be insecure. It’s not a big deal.” She never tried to comfort me. She never used more words than necessary. She knew I would eventually just… deal with it. But looking at these new, “warm” messages, I realized I didn’t want them anymore. I hovered over the option to Clear Chat History. My thumb trembled. Deleting seven years felt like cutting out a piece of my own chest. It took the loading circle a full minute to finish. When the screen went white, I fell back onto my pillow and finally let the tears come. The Sunday after New Year’s was always the day we drove back to the city together. Usually, I’d have to lie to my mom, tell her I was taking the train, wave goodbye at the station, and then sneak back out to meet Maya at a nearby gas station. Maya’s Audi was idling in front of my house. She had texted me the night before: “Picking you up at ten. Be ready.” She was certain I’d be there. After all, I’d spent seven years begging to be part of her world. She probably thought that by showing up at my mom’s door, she was finally “giving in” and making me happy. Maya stood at the front door, her heart racing. For the first time, she wasn’t just visiting Mrs. Adler as a former student. She was here as the woman who loved her son. My mom opened the door, looking surprised. “Maya? What are you doing here?” “Mrs. Adler,” Maya said, her voice tight. “I’m here to pick up Ben.” My mom’s expression turned to one of confusion. “Oh, dear. You missed him. Ben left for the city hours ago. I just got back from dropping him off.” Maya froze. She pulled out her phone and opened our chat. No new messages. She didn’t believe it. He wouldn’t leave without her. “Ben, where are you?” she typed. The message sent, and then—a bright red exclamation point appeared.

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My roommate thought her online boyfriend was too much of a “paternal freak,” so she decided to hand him over to me. “He’s constantly checking my location, even policing what I wear. The internet says guys like this are dark, obsessive types—the kind who end up trapping you in some twisted, forced-romance scenario,” Brianna complained, tossing her phone onto her duvet. She looked at me with a pitying smirk. “Since you grew up without a father, I figured you’d actually enjoy an old man with a savior complex and a need for control.” I was half a second away from slapping the taste out of her mouth when a flicker of glowing text drifted across my vision—a stream of digital comments, like a live-chat feed from another dimension: [Girlie, don’t overthink this! Older men have the looks, the money, and more stamina than a frat boy. Give him a little sugar, and he’ll give you the world.] [Sure, he’s ‘forced.’ Forced to buy you a penthouse, forced to cook you five-star meals, forced to get you into an Ivy League school.] [It’s fine. This side character is just a bridge. Once he realizes he’s been talking to someone else, he’ll fly across the ocean just to find our girl. That’s when the real ‘possessive’ drama starts!] My hand, which had been raised high to strike, softened. I lowered it gently and patted Brianna’s cheek. “Thank you,” I said, my voice sweet as honey. “I’ll make sure to take very good care of him.” It wasn’t about the money—at least, not entirely. It was mostly because I really, really wanted to get into Yale. … The moment I got the login for Brianna’s burner account, I changed the password. As soon as I logged in, the screen exploded with notifications. [Are you there? Why aren’t you answering?] [You missed your morning seminar. Why has your GPS been stuck at the dorms all day?] [Pick up the phone.] The last message was sent two hours ago: [I’ve already booked a flight back to the States. You’d better have a damn good explanation for this silence.] I scrolled through their chat history. Brianna was right—he was an older man, constantly traveling for business. They didn’t talk much, but when they did, he was hyper-focused on her life. He asked what she ate, what she wore, and if she was studying. He kept pushing her to transfer out of our mediocre community college, to aim for a Master’s, then a PhD. He didn’t just lecture, though. He sent money. Five thousand dollars at a time, just because. For a normal college student, that was a fortune. For Brianna, it wasn’t even enough for a new designer bag. She’d tried to ask for more, but he’d shut her down. [I’ve done the research. The average student’s living expenses don’t exceed two thousand. Five is more than enough.] [Don’t be flashy. Stay humble at school so you don’t invite unnecessary envy.] Those two sentences were enough for Brianna to write him off as a stingy, lecturing bore. Her loss, my gain. It had been two days since she last replied, and he was clearly spiraling. I pulled up the keyboard and typed out a frantic apology. [I’m so, so sorry! I’ve had a brutal fever the last two days. I was completely out of it, and I ended up dropping and breaking my phone.] Less than three seconds later, the phone vibrated with an incoming voice call. I took a sharp breath, declined it, and typed: [My throat is so raw, I’ve lost my voice…] The chat went silent for a few beats. Then, a notification popped up. A transfer of $100,000. [Was it because I didn’t give you extra spending money last time? Are you angry?] I stared at the zeros on the screen, my fingers trembling. One hundred grand. Who said this man was stingy? This was the most generous man I’d ever encountered. I didn’t accept the money. I typed back: [I don’t want the money.] Him: [Then what do you want?] I stared at the text, my heart hammering against my ribs. [I don’t want to be in school anymore.] The chat box went dead. Immediately, the “bullet comments” flashed before my eyes: [The gold-digger is showing her true colors. She wants to be a caged bird already.] [Too bad he hates lazy women. He likes them ambitious.] [Just wait. He won’t reply. Men like him have zero respect for girls who just want a free ride.] My chest tightened. I quickly added another message: [What I mean is… I want to drop out and retake the SATs. I want to aim higher. I want to get into Yale. Can you help me?] The seconds ticked by. One minute. Two. I was starting to sweat, certain he’d figured out I was an impostor. Then, a single bubble appeared. [Okay.] The next morning, I got a call. The man on the other end identified himself as Mr. Miller, an executive assistant for a Mr. Bennett Crawford. He told me to gather my transcripts and meet him at a high-end coffee shop off-campus to discuss my “Ivy League roadmap.” Brianna had never shared her real ID with him, so I was terrified of being caught. But Mr. Miller barely blinked when he looked over my papers. “Do you have a target school?” he asked. I felt a flush creep up my neck. “I want to go to Yale.” Mr. Miller looked surprised. The bullet comments went nuclear. [Is she serious? Does she think Yale is just a place you ‘decide’ to go to?] [She thinks she can just buy an Ivy League degree lol.] [Girl, stay in your lane at community college.] I knew how ridiculous it sounded. But for a girl from a dead-end town in the Rust Belt, Yale was the dream. The only reason I was at this community college was because I’d missed my finals senior year due to a high fever. My parents refused to let me retake them. They told me to get a degree fast so I could start working to pay for my younger brother’s tuition. Even with that fever, my scores were still higher than Brianna’s. I expected Mr. Miller to laugh, but he just nodded. “Understood. We will tailor the plan for Yale, Ms. Jade.” He explained the strategy. First, I’d drop out of this school. Since the quotas for top-tier admissions were brutal in my home state, he would establish my legal residency in a high-performing district. Then, he’d hire a team of elite private tutors for one-on-one prep. I was stunned. Residency in a better district? Private tutors? If I’d had a private tutor in high school, I wouldn’t have spent my nights crying over AP Physics. “Mr. Miller,” I whispered. “How much is all of this going to cost?” “Don’t worry about the finances, Ms. Jade. Mr. Crawford will handle everything.” After the meeting, Mr. Miller took me to a luxury mall. He said Mr. Crawford had instructed him to buy me a new wardrobe and the latest phone. During the shopping trip, I learned a bit more about the “old man.” His name was Bennett Crawford. He’d started his own firm, which Mr. Miller described as a “small startup” expanding overseas. He wouldn’t be back for at least six months. I did a quick search on my new phone for “Bennett Crawford.” “Small startup” was the understatement of the century. When I saw the name Crawford Global, I nearly choked. The man’s net worth was more than all the trust-fund brats in Brianna’s orbit combined. And his face… he wasn’t some decrepit old man. He was striking, with a sharp jawline and eyes that seemed to see through the screen. [It’s over. Now that she knows who he is, she’ll never let go.] [Get away from him! Bennett belongs to Brianna!] [Don’t worry, once he realizes she’s a fake, he’ll toss her out like trash.] The word trash hit me like a cold shower. Eventually, Bennett would come looking for Brianna. Until then, I had to be the perfect girlfriend. I had to treat him like a god. In a fit of panicked gratitude, I sent him a flurry of romantic texts. My thumb moved faster than my brain, and I sent: [Thank you for everything, Daddy. I’m going to work so hard for you. I’ll make you proud.] The moment I realized what I’d sent, I tried to unsend it, but it was too late. I’d leaned too hard into the “Daddy” thing. Surely he’d see through me now. My Ivy League dream was dead before it started. Then, a voice note popped up. “You’re welcome, sweetheart.” His voice was deep, a low baritone that sent a shiver down my spine. I could tell—he liked the “Daddy” title. He liked it a lot. When I got back to the dorm with my designer shopping bags, Brianna was waiting. “Jade? Who was that guy dropping you off? And what is all this?” I hesitated. “It’s… that guy you gave me. The online one.” Brianna’s brow furrowed. She looked pissed. “What did you do? When I was with him, he only gave me five grand a month. How did you get all this in one day?” I’d anticipated this. I opened the bags and showed her the most basic items. “It looks like a lot, but it’s mostly just high-street stuff. This tee was on sale, these jeans were cheap… the whole haul was under two grand.” Her face softened, but only slightly. “Are you lying? I saw the car. That was a hundred-thousand-dollar Mercedes at least.” “It’s a company car,” I said, my voice steady. “He’s just an executive assistant—a high-end errand boy. His boss lets him use the car for errands sometimes.” Brianna scoffed. “I knew it. I thought he was actually rich for a second.” She rolled her eyes. “Still, for someone like you, an errand boy is a catch. He spent a lot on you today, so you owe me. Buy me dinner.” I ignored the insult. “Of course. What do you want?” “I’ll think about it. I’m bringing a few friends, you don’t mind, right?” I nodded. Within two hours, the rumor that I’d been “picked up” by a stingy old errand boy had spread through the entire dorm. I didn’t care. I was leaving soon anyway. I packed my things and sent a photo of my new outfit to Bennett. [Daddy, I love the clothes Mr. Miller picked out. Which one should I wear tomorrow?] Bennett: [The first one.] From that day on, I reported everything. I asked what to wear, where to go, and sent him my location without being asked. I even texted him when I was drinking a glass of water. It turned out he was controlling—and the more I obeyed, the more generous he became. Mr. Miller was efficient. Within a week, my withdrawal from the college was processed. When the girls in the dorm saw me packing, they swarmed. “Jade, are you crazy?” my other roommate, Megan, asked. “At least get the associate’s degree. What are you going to do for work?” “Exactly,” Taylor added. “Don’t be stupid. Men are unreliable. If he dumps you, you’ll have nothing.” Before I could speak, Brianna chimed in with a smirk. “Oh, leave her alone. Jade is going off to live the ‘good life.’” She turned to the others. “Even if he is a bit of a penny-pincher, he’s still better than what she’s used to. It’s her choice. Haven’t you heard of respecting someone’s journey? Let her be.” I kept my head down and continued packing. Brianna was right—respect the journey. She just had no idea where mine was headed. I moved into a sprawling estate with a butler, a private chef, and a 24-hour on-call doctor. I lived in luxury, but I kept my social media “persona” humble. I posted about being a “trad-wife,” pretending I was cooking and cleaning for my boyfriend every day. I posted photos of “gifts” I found on Pinterest—cheap $20 trinkets—claiming he’d bought them for me. Brianna commented on every post: So jealous! But in our old group chat, she was telling everyone: [Jade is so pathetic. She’s basically his unpaid maid, and she thinks she’s going to be a trophy wife.] The bullet comments were equally toxic: [This girl is so shameless. All of this should belong to Brianna.] [She’s literally gaslighting her roommate so Brianna doesn’t find out the truth and take him back.] I didn’t care. Their words couldn’t take away the residency papers Mr. Miller handed me on my third day. “Ms. Jade, your new residency and registration are complete.” I gripped the folder, my hands shaking. My parents had spent years trying to get my brother into a district like this. I’d done it in a week. Next came the tutors. A former Ivy League admissions officer for English, a math genius who wrote the textbooks, a linguistics professor for prep… I set my schedule from 8:00 AM to 11:00 PM. Bennett saw the schedule and was furious. He forced me to stop at 9:00 PM, saying I’d have a mental breakdown. I wanted to tell him that where I came from, 11:00 PM was an early night. But I didn’t argue. He was “Daddy,” after all. The months blurred by in a fever of study and “good girl” reporting. Suddenly, it was time for the exams. The night before the SATs, the bullet comments—which had been quiet for a while—suddenly went wild. [The Big Boss is back!] [Here we go! He’s going to find out she’s a fraud and kick her to the curb!] [I can’t wait to see her face when she realizes she can’t take the test because he’s done with her lol.] My heart stopped. Bennett was back? Now? I grabbed my bag and ran for the door. I didn’t care about the money or the house, but I had to take that test. I had to get into Yale. I yanked the door open and slammed straight into a broad, solid chest. I looked up, trembling, into a face that was even more handsome—and far more intimidating—than the photos. Bennett Crawford looked down at me, his expression unreadable. “Where are you going?”

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In the fifth year of our marriage, I died saving Ethan Matthews. The only thing I left him was our four-year-old son. After that, Ethan raised our son alone, living with memories of me. Until he met Sophie, who pursued him relentlessly. No matter how many times Sophie confessed her feelings, Ethan gently refused. “I promised Charlotte that I would love her forever, and she would be my only wife.” I watched from the sidelines. Silently praying that Ethan would keep his word. But not long after, Sophie fell into a coma after risking her life to save our son from a fire. Ethan could no longer hold back. He knelt by her hospital bed, begging her to wake up. But Sophie didn’t wake up. Instead, my soul uncontrollably attached itself to her body, opening her eyes in her place to see Ethan. Of course he didn’t recognize me. He only choked out a confession: “Sophie, I love you.” For a split second, I thought I’d heard him wrong. But Ethan immediately repeated it. “Sophie, I love you.” “I’ve told my parents—once you’re out of danger and wake up safely, we’ll start preparing for the wedding.” He pressed my hand against his face, looking at me with devotion. But I didn’t know how to tell him that I wasn’t Sophie. I was his wife, Charlotte. And I had no idea how to face the fact that he had truly fallen in love with Sophie. Seeing my silence, Ethan apologized frantically. “I’m sorry, Sophie. It was all my fault before. I fell for you but was too afraid to admit it.” “I swear, from now on I’ll love you with all my heart. Is that okay?” Those words were exactly the same as what he’d said when he proposed to me years ago. Back then, I’d hugged his arm and playfully said: “Then it’s a promise! If you ever change your heart, I won’t forgive you even if I die!” Yet now, at this moment. I could only dig my nails into my palm, holding back tears as I told him. “But I’m not Soph—” Before I could finish saying “Sophie,” someone burst into the hospital room. “Mom! You’re finally awake!” My whole body trembled. I watched helplessly as my son’s small body embraced me, crying until his eyes were red and swollen. Feeling his warm body temperature, I was momentarily overwhelmed by immense joy, my voice even trembling. “You… what did you call me?” “Say it again, please?” It had been so long since I’d heard little Henry call me Mom. However, before Henry could speak again, Ethan covered his mouth and patiently corrected him. “Henry, you can’t call her that. Your Aunt Sophie hasn’t agreed to marry Daddy yet!” “She’s not your mom right now.” Those words hit me like cold water, snapping me back to reality. Right now, I was “Sophie.” Even Ethan hadn’t noticed anything unusual. How could my young son know that I was his mother? My nose suddenly stung. I lowered my head and tried to explain again. “Actually, I am Henry’s mom…” But Ethan misunderstood my meaning and grabbed my hand excitedly. “So, does this mean you’re agreeing to marry me?” I froze, about to shake my head. But Henry happily hugged me. “That’s great! So from now on, Aunt Sophie will be my mom, right?” I looked at the joy in their eyes. The truth on the tip of my tongue could no longer be spoken. In the three years since my death, this was the first time the father and son had been this happy. They truly liked Sophie. As for me… A person who’d been dead for three years—no matter how unwilling, how could I take away the happiness they wanted? My eyes grew hot. I hurriedly turned my face away and nodded. “Yes.” I didn’t know when I would disappear. Since they only wanted to see Sophie. Then I would be as they wished.

Hearing my answer, father and son both embraced me excitedly. Ethan’s voice choked up again. “Sophie, thank you…” “Thank you for being willing to forgive me, and thank you for being willing to be Henry’s mom.” Henry was still young and only knew to burrow into my arms, thanking me along with his dad. Smelling the scent on them, I felt dazed. After all these years, they still had the gardenia fragrance. It was my favorite scent from before. I used to buy laundry detergent with this scent to wash their clothes. Henry would always cling to my legs when I hung up the laundry, acting cute: “Mommy smells so good! So nice!” Ethan would also tell me: “Every time I smell the gardenia scent on you, it makes me feel so at peace.” This was a scent that belonged exclusively to our family of three. Now, they were holding another woman’s body with this scent. An indescribable revulsion and rejection welled up inside me. I pushed them away and held my breath. “What’s that smell on you? It’s too strong.” Ethan sniffed his sleeve, then his whole body stiffened. Henry explained for him. “It’s gardenia fragrance. Dad said it was Mom’s favorite before…” Before he could finish, Ethan covered his mouth. “It’s just ordinary laundry detergent. If you don’t like it, we’ll change to a different one tomorrow.” Ethan carefully explained it to me. The next day, the scent on them had changed. It was the fruity fragrance I used to hate most. But Henry kept asking me if I liked it. Looking at his innocent smile. I could only nod against my will and persuade myself once again to let go of the past. I wasn’t Charlotte anymore. I had to work hard to play Sophie well, until the day she came back. Coming quietly, leaving quietly. That way, I could still deceive myself. At least in memories, our family was still as beautiful as ever. For Ethan and Henry now. “Sophie’s” feelings were the most important. Because he thought “Sophie” didn’t like it. Ethan took off his wedding ring, leaving a white ring mark. Because he thought Sophie didn’t want to see anything related to Charlotte. Henry also put away the bracelet on his wrist and never wore it again. Slowly, the father and son erased all traces of me from themselves, bit by bit. And I could only watch helplessly. Close to my discharge date, my period came, and I lay in bed trembling with pain. Henry ran into my arms and hugged me, using his warm little body to warm my stomach. Ethan specifically took leave from the company and went home to make me almond milk. Everything was just like before. But I knew they still hadn’t recognized me. Ethan brought the milk to my lips. “Be good, drink it while it’s hot. The pain will go away after you drink it.” It was clearly sweet milk, but it stung my eyes. I turned my face away. “I don’t want it.” Ethan’s hand holding the cup froze, his tone anxious. “Wasn’t this your favorite drink before? Why don’t you want it suddenly?” “Is your stomach upset?” As he spoke, he turned to call a doctor. But my words interrupted him. “Ethan, I’m allergic to almonds. I never drink this stuff.” “Who is this person you’re talking about?”

My dead heart was reignited. God knows how much I hoped Ethan would discover the truth. I hoped he could find evidence from the subtle clues that he still loved me. However, after his lips moved for a long time, he still didn’t say a word. I was allergic to almonds. But in my memory, Sophie was allergic to almonds and had told Ethan many times. Now he’d forgotten about this. Did that mean he still had me in his heart? Henry looked back and forth, tugged Ethan’s sleeve, and quietly reminded him. “Dad, the one who loved almond milk was Mom.” My eyes grew hot, and I bit my lip hard and turned away. I couldn’t describe what I was feeling. Ethan put down the bowl in his hand and hugged me, apologizing repeatedly. “I’m sorry, Sophie… I forgot.” “Charlotte really did like drinking this before. Every time she drank the almond milk I made during her period, she’d be happy for a long time.” “I just haven’t adjusted yet. I’m really sorry.” “Give me a little more time. I promise I’ll remember your preferences and forget Charlotte completely, okay?” I bit through my lip, letting the blood flow into my heart. So be it… Stop hoping for anything from Ethan and torturing yourself. I leaned on his shoulder and nodded lightly. “Don’t let it happen again.” Henry also snuggled over, saying sweetly, “From now on, I’ll supervise Dad to remember everything about Mom.” The father and son kept their word. They never got Sophie’s preferences wrong again. After leaving the hospital, Ethan brought me home. In the years after my death, I’d been by their side. I also knew that Ethan couldn’t bear to throw away the things I’d left behind. He’d maintained the house’s original appearance and didn’t allow anyone to damage it. Once, Sophie had the nerve to visit our home and threw away a puzzle I’d been working on with Henry. Ethan got really angry. Later, regardless of his image, he personally went to the trash to find the puzzle pieces, put them back together with Henry one by one, and returned them to their original place. But now… I looked around the living room. The puzzle that had been on the entryway cabinet was gone. The vase I’d bought for the table was nowhere to be seen. And the family photo of the three of us that should have been hanging on the living room wall had also been put away. All traces of me had been completely removed by Ethan. An empty, uncomfortable feeling filled my heart. I unconsciously spoke out loud. “This house… is missing a lot of things.” Ethan hugged me from behind and said softly. “You’re right. This house is missing a lady of the house. Sophie, will you marry me?” As he spoke, a diamond ring came into my view. Even though I’d known this day would come, I couldn’t stop trembling inside. Should I say yes? If the real Sophie were here, she would definitely agree, wouldn’t she? While my thoughts were in chaos. Ethan walked in front of me with the ring and knelt on one knee. “Sophie, I’m serious.” The next second, countless people rushed out of the room, releasing countless party poppers with a “bang,” cheering loudly. “Marry him! Marry him!” For an instant, I thought I’d returned to long ago, when Ethan proposed to me. Back then, there were also so many people blessing Ethan and me, wishing us a long life together. Ethan had also declared his love publicly just like now. He thanked Sophie for lighting up his world, thanked Sophie for pulling him out of the abyss. And thanked Sophie for saving him and his child. “Charlotte was the love of my first half of life, but Sophie, you are the redemption of my entire life.” “Marry me.” The fire reflected from the ring stung my eyes. I knew Sophie would agree. I should choose to accept too. But at this moment, I couldn’t say a single word. What woman could hand over her own husband to someone else? I couldn’t do it. Seeing that I still hadn’t moved, Ethan’s parents approached me with red eyes, saying carefully: “Sophie, we know any woman would mind that Ethan was married before.” “But after that person died, Ethan was depressed until he met you and finally showed signs of life.” “As parents, our greatest hope is for our child to be happy. We also hope Ethan can move on from the past and live well.” “Sophie, are you willing to grant our request?”

I looked at my former in-laws, inexplicably feeling unable to breathe. Even they had accepted Sophie as a matter of course. Ethan’s friends also came over, telling me not to mind his past. “Ethan is devoted. Once he’s committed to someone, he’ll love them forever. You don’t need to worry at all about him changing his heart.” I stood there in a daze, pulling at the corner of my mouth. Love forever? Won’t change his heart? Then why didn’t he love me anymore? My fingertips had gone numb with pain. I knew I had to make a decision. I reached out my hand to Ethan, using all my strength to say. “Okay, I’m willing.” His eyes lit up, and he immediately grabbed my hand and put the ring on me. It felt heavy on my ring finger. But I felt something inside me was empty, with nothing there. A group of people clapped with red eyes, blessing us. Henry jumped around us happily. “Great! Mom and Dad are together! I have a mom again!” Ethan also hugged me excitedly, crying and laughing. “Once your body fully recovers, we’ll have the wedding together.” “I promise I’ll give you an unforgettable wedding…” Like a controlled puppet, I stiffly pulled at the corner of my mouth. “Okay…” Before I could finish speaking. Two people burst in from outside, roaring at Ethan. “What wedding! We don’t agree!” I was startled and quickly came back to my senses, looking at them. Dad… Mom? Henry rushed over and hugged them happily. “Grandma! Grandpa! I’m going to have a mom again!” Hearing this, my parents’ faces darkened so much they could drip ink. “What do you mean your mom!” “In this world, your only mom is Charlotte!” With that, Mom walked over and slapped Ethan across the face. “Back then you insisted on taking Charlotte mountain climbing with you, and you got into a car accident on the way. It was Charlotte who risked her life to protect you!” “We only had one daughter! She wasn’t even 30 years old! And she died for you!” “What did you promise us at the funeral?” “You said you’d guard Charlotte for life and raise Henry well!” “But how long has my daughter been dead, and you want to remarry and find a stepmother?” “Then what about my daughter? What is she to you?” “How do you think her soul in heaven feels?” “I’m putting it out there today—if you want to remarry and find Henry a stepmother, no way!” I looked at my parents’ aged wrinkles and gray hair. My heart ached unbearably. In this world, probably only my parents still cared about my feelings. Ethan lowered his head without speaking, probably also remembering the car accident that led to my death, his face full of guilt and helplessness. His mother and my mother started arguing directly. “My son is in his prime. He’s kept faithful to your daughter for so long—why can’t he remarry?” “Besides, Henry needs a mother right now. What’s wrong with remarrying? Don’t you see that he also wants a new mom?” “Are you trying to force my son and grandson to death?” Mom’s face turned livid with anger, her trembling finger pointing at her. The next second, she closed her eyes and fell backward. My heart jumped, and I rushed over to catch her, blurting out: “Mom!” In the chaos, no one noticed my slip. Except Ethan, whose pupils dilated in shock, looking at me in disbelief.

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Movie star Ethan Shaw once promised me that when he won his fifth award, he would propose to me. But on the night of the award ceremony, he only thanked his first love, Nina Grant. Backstage, I overheard his conversation with his agent: “Ethan, you’ve been putting off this promise for five years. Aren’t you afraid Sophia Mann will stop waiting for you? She’s an award-winning screenwriter.” Ethan lit a cigarette: “She doesn’t need a formal status. She loves me so much that even if I never marry her, she’ll always stay by my side.” I smiled. He had no idea that I’ve always been good at both loving and letting go. The moment I watched him tear up that proposal draft with my own eyes, I blocked all his contact information. It just so happened that an invitation from an internationally renowned director could no longer be postponed. From now on, someone else could write Ethan Shaw’s scripts. The air conditioning in the auditorium was running at full blast. I sat in the seat farthest to the side in the first row. Ethan had specifically arranged this spot for me. He had said: “Sophie, tonight I’m going to win my fifth Best Actor trophy. I’ll propose to you in front of everyone and make you the happiest woman in the world.” For this, I had specially commissioned a famous designer to create the most expensive dress I’d ever owned in my career. I even brought a hidden camera to record everything, along with the custom engagement rings I’d ordered. On stage, the presenter opened the envelope. “The winner of this year’s Golden Dragon Award for Best Actor is… Ethan Shaw! Congratulations!” Applause surged like a tidal wave. I watched Ethan stand up. He looked particularly triumphant today. The blue diamond-studded custom tuxedo I had personally selected for him brought out his brooding movie star charisma to perfection. I unconsciously tightened my grip on the ring box in my hand, pressing down on my wildly beating heart. Five years. One thousand eight hundred and twenty-five days. Soon, I would become his fiancée. On stage, Ethan accepted the trophy and leaned toward the microphone, his proud gaze sweeping across the entire venue. I straightened up, waiting to lock eyes with him affectionately. However, his gaze merely swept past my corner. As if he had never known me at all. Then. It settled on Nina Grant in the center of the front row, where the spotlight was brightest. Coincidentally, she was also wearing a blue trailing gown similar to Ethan’s outfit. My heart sank. Back in our student days, Ethan had regarded her as his first love. After graduation, to be closer to her, he had given up a stable job to enter the entertainment industry. If she hadn’t married into a wealthy family later, I never would have had a chance to get close to Ethan. Now, after five years, she had made a comeback. And Ethan had never mentioned a word of it to me. “Thank you to the director, the judges, and the team.” Ethan’s voice pulled me back from my thoughts. “Finally, I want to give special thanks to someone who has accompanied me through the hardest times, someone most special to me.” His drawn-out tone made my heart leap into my throat. I quietly smoothed my dress, even preparing to lean forward slightly to greet the spotlight that would soon fall on me. But his next words plunged me into an icy abyss.

“That person is Nina Grant!” “Thank you for being in my life, for giving me the courage to face challenges when I felt disappointed and hopeless time and again.” The spotlight fell on Nina. She covered her mouth in surprise, smiling shyly. Ethan smiled tenderly, his tone even more gentle. “Welcome back, my superstar.” The venue immediately erupted with loud chants of “Get together!” like waves about to overturn the auditorium. Online, netizens were going crazy, calling them “perfect for each other” and saying they wanted to see them get married. I looked at the comments, then at the ring box I had spent a year choosing, and my nose instantly stung. For five years, to send him to the top, I had turned down invitations from top international director Chris Evans time and again, locking myself in an 8-square-meter study to craft roles for him word by word. I could even go three days without sleep to revise emotional turning points just to make one of his crying scenes more impactful. People in the industry said Ethan was lucky, that from his debut he always landed scripts that perfectly suited his image. They didn’t know that the souls that made him dazzle audiences were carved out bit by bit with my own blood and sweat. But now he had erased my name—the name of his greatest contributor—from the crown of his deification. Why? He was the one who first held my hand and said to forget the past and embrace a new life together. He was also the one who promised to propose to me tonight and make me the happiest woman. I couldn’t understand. When Ethan and his agent, Charlie, went to the lounge during the intermission, I followed them, avoiding everyone else. My hand had just touched the door handle. Voices from inside reached me first. “Ethan, have you lost your mind?” Charlie’s voice was filled with suppressed anger. “Three months ago, you said you’d marry Sophia Mann after winning the Golden Dragon Award. We spent a whole month convincing the company. We even laid out the PR plan for you.” “The proposal procedure, the diamond ring—everything was prepared.” “But just now on stage, you didn’t mention Sophia once. Instead, you mentioned Nina. How do you think that makes her feel?” The room fell into brief silence. Ethan took a drag from his cigarette, his expression hidden in the shadows, cold and vague. “Nina just got divorced. She’s having a hard time.” “She’s sensitive. If her comeback isn’t successful, she’ll overthink things.” “Since she asked me for help, I’m just lending a hand, giving her some publicity buzz. That’s all.” Charlie stamped his foot in frustration. “What about Sophia? Don’t you have any idea how much she’s sacrificed for you these past years?” “The latest script for ‘Long Wind’—she worked on it for a year. She put all her heart into it for you!” “If you break her heart and she leaves, what will you do then?” The room fell silent. I stood outside the door crack, holding my breath, waiting for his answer. Waiting for a reason that would make me stay. “She won’t mind.” Ethan’s tone was so certain it made me feel cold. “She loves me. Even if I don’t marry her, she’ll still stay by my side.” My fingers tightened bit by bit. I could barely breathe. “Besides, she’s different from Nina. She has a strong heart. She’ll understand me.” With that, he tore up the proposal plan in Charlie’s hand. And threw it in the trash like garbage. “As for the proposal, we’ll talk about it later. Bringing it up now would steal Nina’s spotlight.” Those torn pieces of paper glared blindingly bright. I stood in the dim corridor. For the first time, I felt like my five years with him were a joke. However, he was right about one thing—I did have a strong heart.

Strong enough that at this moment. I didn’t push the door open and hysterically demand answers. Even though my eyes and nose stung terribly, I still didn’t allow myself to shed a single tear. I just very quietly took out my phone. Blocked. Deleted. Cleared. Over three thousand photos together disappeared before my eyes one by one. Just like my five years with Ethan. Fading from my memory bit by bit. Until there was nothing left on my phone related to the person named “Ethan Shaw.” Only then did I put away my phone and turn to leave. When I reached the entrance, Director Chris Evans’ overseas call came through again at just the right moment. “Sophia, have you considered my proposal? The screenwriter position for ‘Against the Current’ can only be yours. But you need to leave tonight. We have an emergency workshop in London tomorrow.” Every time before, I had refused. But this time I replied, “Okay.” As I accepted my coat from the attendant at the door, I had already booked a 3 AM flight to London. When I sent this to Chris, he screamed with excitement. “Wonderful, Sophia! You’re finally willing to leave that pretty-boy boyfriend. I’ll arrange everything you need.” “Including our London gentlemen.” He made me laugh. Just as I was about to respond, my phone was snatched away. Ethan’s voice exploded from above my head. “What London gentlemen?” I didn’t answer, just grabbed my phone back. Ethan’s attention was instantly diverted as he ruffled my hair. “What’s wrong? Still upset that I didn’t propose at the Golden Dragon Awards?” “There were reasons for that.” Ethan pulled me into the dark corridor, resting his head on my shoulder, wanting to explain. “Nina and I aren’t just classmates. When we were kids, she even saved…” Before he could finish, his phone rang sharply. The name “Nina” glared on the screen. After answering, Ethan’s tone suddenly became tense. “Okay, wait there. I’m coming right now.” After hanging up, he hastily planted a kiss on my head. “Sophie, Nina’s being harassed by some idiots. I’ll be right back. Wait for me at home and I’ll explain everything.” If he cared about me even a little, he would have noticed the London flight ticket on my phone screen. But he didn’t. Watching his figure grow smaller in the distance, I pressed down on my aching heart. Home? When did we ever have a home? I took out my phone and quickly arranged for a moving company. Once I moved my things to my small apartment, I could leave for London without any concerns. Just as I was about to turn off my phone screen, a string of trending topics about Ethan and Nina popped up. [Breaking! Suspected romance exposed, movie star escorts Nina Grant late at night] [Hot! The two share a car, intimate behavior, suspected kiss.] My finger paused. I clicked it. In the video, the lighting was dim. Ethan was shielding Nina as they quickly left through the crowd. She pressed her entire body against him, her hands tightly gripping his lapels. And he lowered his head, his lips about to fall on her forehead. Like a knight protecting his princess. The comment section had already exploded. [This must be the female lead Ethan thanked on stage just now. So beautiful, they look so good together.] [If they don’t announce their relationship now, I’m already obsessed.] [What about Sophia Mann? Didn’t rumors say she was the real girlfriend?] [Bullshit real girlfriend. She’s a nobody. If it weren’t for our Ethan starring in her scripts, who knows where she’d be struggling. How could she possibly be good enough for our Ethan?]

[How can a screenwriter compare to Nina’s looks? A handsome man should be with a beautiful woman.] I scoffed and liked each of their comments. When I got home to direct the movers, Charlie called me. “Miss Mann, I just saw the trending topics. Let me explain—please don’t misunderstand. Ethan and Nina are just friends!” I didn’t respond to that statement, just asked where Ethan was. He paused, not knowing how to answer. But I smiled. “He’s keeping Nina company at the hospital, isn’t he?” A minute ago, I had already seen the video of him feeding Nina porridge at her bedside. In five years of dating, even when I had a fever, he had never fed me porridge spoonful by spoonful. Ethan always said. He was busy and liked strong women. So I learned to get IV drips alone, to take care of myself when I had a fever. Trying not to burden him. But now that Nina was back. He didn’t find it troublesome anymore. He wasn’t too busy anymore. Charlie became even more embarrassed, only able to explain awkwardly. “Yes, he’s with Miss Grant.” “But there’s nothing intimate between them, and there are other people around…” “You don’t need to explain so much. None of this matters to me.” I looked at the villa that was already half-empty and said word by word: “Tell Ethan I’m breaking up with him.” Charlie wanted to say something else, but I had already hung up. As the last box of belongings was moved out. I stood at the door and took one last look. The closet was emptied. The desk was cleared. Even the cup I always used in the kitchen had been thrown into a box. Four years of living traces. Turned out they could all be erased in one night. Before getting in the car. I took out the ring engraved with both our names from my bag. It was what I had originally planned to give him tonight. I looked at it for two seconds. Then casually tossed it into a roadside trash can. When I arrived at the airport, my phone showed a friend request from a stranger. As soon as I accepted it. A photo was immediately sent over. A woman’s ring finger, wearing a diamond ring that glittered blindingly under the light. [Does the ring Ethan gave me look good?] I stared at it for two seconds, then smiled. Nina. Really knew how to be disgusting. I couldn’t be bothered to reply and blocked her immediately. But I couldn’t swallow this insult either. I immediately sent an email to Charlie. Fully revoking Ethan Shaw’s authorization to film ‘Long Wind.’ And as the copyright holder of the script, unilaterally terminating all cooperation with Ethan Shaw’s studio. A second later, my phone exploded. “Sophia Mann! Have you lost your mind?” Charlie was practically shouting. “What do you mean by the copyright revocation notice?” “Ethan just finalized things with the investors. Filming starts next month! Do you know how much capital is eyeing this script?” “By revoking authorization now, are you trying to destroy him?!” My tone was very flat. “Destroy him?” “Charlie, you’ve got it wrong.” “I wrote this script. I can give it to whoever I want.” He froze, his tone softening. “But you’re a couple. You’re supposed to spend your lives together. How can you backstab him at a time like this?” “Didn’t I explain to you? He and Nina have nothing going on. I can guarantee Ethan only has you in his heart.” “Three months ago, he told us he wanted to marry…” “Enough.” I rubbed my temples wearily. “He already chose to abandon me.”

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I loved Lucas deeply for five years. He harmed himself to fight against his mother for me, promising to marry me. But when his first love, Meredith Rivers, returned, he forced me to break up with him. The most heartbreaking moment came when kidnappers took both Meredith and me hostage. Without hesitation, he pointed at me, pregnant with his child. “Sara, you die. Save Meredith’s reputation.” I nodded through my tears. As the blade pierced my body, my heart died completely. After I left for Europe, I became the inventor of a breakthrough cancer drug and stood on the Nobel Prize stage. My lover Enzo knelt on one knee, proposing to me with deep affection. I nodded with a smile. At that moment, Lucas’s hoarse, desperate voice came from below the stage. “Sara… don’t marry him. I regret everything…” I didn’t even glance at him. Sara POV “Miss Sara, did you and Lucas break up?” While packing Lucas’s luggage for his business trip, the housekeeper suddenly asked. I froze. Lucas and I had indeed broken up, but only temporarily. Five years ago, my only family, my brother Samuel, died saving Lucas. Lucas took me into the Knight family home. We developed feelings for each other and secretly started a relationship. When his mother discovered us, she flew into a rage and demanded I be sent away. Lucas immediately stabbed himself in the abdomen, using self-harm as a threat to make me stay. His mother was furious but helpless against Lucas’s determination. She could only target me in secret. She found excuses to slap me, and Lucas slapped himself ninety-nine times. She “accidentally” spilled hot water on me, and Lucas immediately scalded his own hand until it blistered. Over time, Lucas’s mother had no choice but to accept us. Lucas promised that once he successfully inherited the family business, he would marry me openly. That was, until a month ago, when Lucas suddenly told me with red eyes. “Sara, my mom is sick. The doctor said she can’t handle any stress. I’m afraid something will happen to her. Can we break up for now?” He held me, his warm tears soaking my clothes. He looked so pitiful and aggrieved. Seeing him like that, my heart twisted into knots. I softened and agreed. But this was just a temporary separation, not a real breakup. I hadn’t planned to announce it publicly. Where did the housekeeper hear this news? Meeting my confused gaze, the housekeeper slapped her thigh hard and said in frustration. “The Rivers family has already announced the engagement! Mr. Knight is joining forces with Miss Rivers through marriage. The invitations are already printed. And you’re asking me where I heard this?” I felt like I’d been hit by a thunderbolt. My mind went completely blank. The housekeeper sighed and shook my shoulders. Tears were already streaming down my face. I jumped up and ran toward the club to find Lucas. I ran the whole way. Just as I was about to push open the half-closed door, I heard the obscene sounds of a man and woman together. My heart leaped to my throat. I pushed the door open just a crack. “Lucas, be gentle.” Lucas, his eyes red, kept thrusting into the woman’s body, gripping her hands tightly as if trying to merge her into his bones. After a low groan, the man released inside the woman. The room fell silent except for their intertwined breathing. “Meredith, do you know what these five years have been like for me? Five years ago, you left for abroad without a word, leaving me alone here. You’re so cruel.” Meredith? The Miss Rivers who’s engaged to Lucas? Outside the room, I stood frozen, as if hit by a thunderbolt. My phone lit up with a news notification: “Two major families,Knight and Rivers, unite through marriage.” I clicked on the news. A photo of Meredith and Lucas embracing pierced straight into my eyes. Meredith wore an elegant dress. She was so beautiful that I couldn’t even think to compare myself to her. The voices inside pulled me back. “I’m sorry, Lucas. My family wouldn’t let me be with you. I had no choice.” Meredith cupped his face and planted a deep kiss. “I won’t let you leave again this time.” Lucas was silent for a few seconds before speaking softly, his tone filled with a carefulness I’d never heard before. “The engagement news is already out. Don’t even think about leaving me again.” “What about your girlfriend? If you’ve fallen in love with her, I won’t interfere.” Lucas’s veins bulged instantly. “You want to leave? Impossible! Sara… her brother saved my life. I have a responsibility to her… I’ll explain things to her.” A bone chilling cold swept through me from head to toe. Five years of living together, of tender affection. Was it all just because he felt responsible for me? I didn’t have the courage to keep listening. I turned and rushed out of the club, running wildly home in the freezing wind. Back at the villa, looking at the familiar bed, I remembered that night three years ago when Lucas carried me to bed like I was precious, asking softly. “Is this okay? Sara, I’ll love you forever.” Even though the man was burning with desire, he carefully waited for my permission. Looking into his sincere eyes, I nodded gently. That day, his clumsy movements weren’t comfortable for me, but my heart was full of contentment. But it was all fake! There had always been another woman’s shadow in his heart. I laughed lowly and wiped the tears from my face. I decided I didn’t want Lucas anymore. I picked up my phone and dialed a number I’d buried in my memory. “I agree to join you. Please process the paperwork.” “We’re honored, Miss Sara. Processing the relevant documents will take fifteen days. I’ll contact you then.”

Sara POV I put down my phone and looked at the dark moon outside the window, remembering when Lucas held me and said. “I wish I could take you to the moon. Then it would be just the two of us.” My heart felt crushed by an invisible hand. Suddenly, a strong wave of nausea surged up. I rushed to the bathroom. Five minutes later, I stared at the pregnancy test in my hand showing two lines, frozen on the toilet. We’d used protection every time. How could I be pregnant? “Sara, when we get married, let’s have two children. A boy who looks like me and a girl who looks like you, okay?” I remembered Lucas lying on my stomach, looking at me with eyes full of hope, planning our future together. But given the current situation, this child’s timing couldn’t be worse. I gently touched my stomach but ultimately couldn’t bring myself to be cruel. I decided to give Lucas one more chance. That evening, Lucas came home from outside. The kiss marks on his neck painfully stabbed my heart. “Lucas, explain this to me.” I pushed my phone in front of him, showing news about the Knight and Rivers families’ upcoming partnership. Lucas was silent for a moment, then stepped forward to hold me, his voice full of helplessness. “Sara, I have no choice. Mom’s condition has gotten worse. Marriage is her last wish.” “Then how do you explain this?” I pointed at the red marks on his neck. “The company business requires some socializing. I couldn’t avoid it.” I pulled myself out of Lucas’s embrace, my eyes scrutinizing the man before me. Lucas thought I was just angry. He smiled and ruffled my hair with the same indulgent smile as always. “Are you mad? Tell me what I need to do to make you feel better.” My heart grew colder. I felt like I’d never truly known this man. His acting was terrifyingly good. “Take me to Meredith’s birthday party tomorrow. Then I’ll believe you.” I’d seen the news online that he would make a high-profile appearance at Meredith’s birthday celebration tomorrow. All those past moments weren’t fake. Lucas wasn’t completely without feelings for me. But if he had to choose between me and Meredith, who would he pick? A secret hope rose in my heart. I couldn’t believe these five years had left no mark on him. Lucas was silent for a few seconds but finally agreed. The next day, I wore a formal dress I’d never worn before and arrived at the evening party. As soon as Lucas entered, he became the center of attention. The Rivers family called him over to greet guests with Meredith. I, his date, could only stand awkwardly in a corner, enduring curious, scrutinizing, and malicious glances from all directions. I watched the two of them dancing a waltz in the ballroom. The man was tall and handsome, the woman charming and beautiful. The pain in my heart kept churning. I turned to leave, but Meredith’s group of friends blocked my path. “Isn’t this Lucas’s mistress? How dare she attend Meredith’s birthday party?” I didn’t want to deal with them. I silently tried to walk around them, but someone grabbed my arm. “Don’t rush off. Lucas and our Meredith are getting engaged. If you know what’s good for you, get out of the Knight family.” Everyone around noticed the commotion. Countless eyes swept over. “I’ve never seen this girl before. Lucas’s new woman?” “Another one trying to climb the social ladder. I wonder how her parents raised her. No shame at all.” Harsh voices flooded my ears. I jerked my arm free from Linda’s grip. “Get lost! My relationship with Lucas is none of your business!” “You bitch, how dare you talk to me like that?” Linda raised her hand and slapped my face. She used all her strength. I was knocked to the ground, hitting a nearby table. Red wine spilled all over me. I looked for Lucas to help me, but couldn’t find him anywhere. The slap left me dizzy. Through blurred vision, I saw Meredith walking elegantly toward me. “Miss Sara, I’m sorry. Linda and the others didn’t know about your relationship with Lucas. I apologize on their behalf.” I looked up, finding Meredith’s smile unbearably glaring. “What, are you admitting to being the mistress?” Meredith froze. “It’s normal for men to have some affairs before marriage. Lucas has promised he’ll only love me from now on.” As she spoke, Meredith bent down to help me up. When the two of us got close, she whispered in my ear. “Don’t you think you and I actually look quite alike?” So I’d been Meredith’s substitute all along! Endless jealous rage burned away my rationality. I flipped over and straddled Meredith. Just as my hand was about to strike down, Lucas burst out from the crowd and shoved me away. My lower back slammed hard against the table edge. Excruciating pain shot through me from behind. I could only use all my strength to protect my stomach. “Sara, what are you doing!” Lucas comforted Meredith in his arms while shouting angrily at me. Seeing Meredith with tears in her eyes, forcing herself to endure the pain, the heartache in Lucas’s eyes quickly dissipated. When he looked at me again, his eyes were ice cold. “Sara, I thought you’d be sensible. I didn’t expect you to attack Meredith at the party. Those who make mistakes must be punished.” Lucas raised his hand to signal the bodyguards. “Kneel outside until the party ends. Consider it your apology to Meredith.” I opened my mouth but found I couldn’t make a sound because of the pain. A flash of heartache crossed Lucas’s eyes. He was about to stand and check my injuries when Meredith spoke from his arms. “Lucas, I’m in so much pain. Should I not have come back?” The bodyguards lifted me by my arms. I watched Lucas carry Meredith away. I wanted to say something but ultimately chose silence. Light rain began falling outside the banquet hall. I shivered in the rain. But the cold on my body was nothing compared to the bone-chilling cold in my heart. I was wrong. I shouldn’t have had any expectations of Lucas. I’m sorry, baby. I might not be able to bring you into this world.

Sara POV After kneeling in the rain for four hours, my vision went black and I collapsed. When I opened my eyes again, I was back in my room at the Knight residence. The housekeeper sat by the bed. Seeing me wake, she quickly brought water to my lips. “Mr. Knight said to confine you for seven days. I think that’s actually good. Look how much weight you’ve lost these past few days. Stay here and rest. I’ll feed you until you’re nice and plump.” I knew she felt sorry for me, but I couldn’t help asking. “Lucas, he…” The housekeeper hesitated but spoke under my insistent gaze. “Mr. Knight said Miss Rivers was traumatized. He took her to the Maldives to relax.” “Mr. Knight also said that if he didn’t punish you, the Rivers family’s anger isn’t something an orphan like you could bear. He’s saving you.” An ugly laugh escaped my throat, but tears wouldn’t stop sliding from the corners of my eyes. If he’d always loved Meredith, why did he treat me so well? It wasn’t that I couldn’t bear the Rivers family’s anger. Clearly, he just wasn’t willing to protect me anymore. For the next seven days, I stayed in my room without saying a word. Besides eating and sleeping, I packed my belongings. In five years, this room held too many memories of Lucas and me. The plushie we won at the amusement park on our first visit, the necklace Lucas made for me by hand, photos from our travels around the world… I asked the housekeeper to sell the expensive bags and luxury goods. I donated useful things to charity and threw away the rest. When I walked out of the room, it had returned to its original state. “Miss Sara, hasn’t your condition been very poor recently? When the mother is extremely sad, the fetus will choose to stop developing. You must have a dilation and curettage procedure immediately.” Holding the doctor’s report, I walked into the operating room. My tears had long since run dry. Without my knowledge, the child had already chosen not to be born into this world. Maybe this was for the best. In the next life, she could go to a happy family. I walked slowly into the Knight residence. The silent cramping in my lower abdomen reminded me of what I’d lost. In the living room, Lucas held Meredith while watching a movie. Seeing me enter, they stood up unhurriedly. “Miss Sara is back.” Meredith’s eyes curved as she smiled in greeting. I had no mood to deal with them and walked straight past. “Sara, don’t act like a child. Meredith is greeting you.” Lucas looked displeased, but seeing me, he couldn’t help softening his tone. “Sara, what’s wrong with you…” Before he could finish, Meredith interrupted. “Miss Sara went to a bar, didn’t she? Linda said she saw you there. I didn’t believe it.” Lucas’s expression hardened. “Sara, if you want to stay in the Knight family, behave yourself.” “Meredith shares your major. She just returned from abroad and needs a paper to establish herself in the family. Give Meredith your research paper on pancreatic cancer drugs.” “Consider it your apology for being rude to her at the party.” I looked at Lucas in disbelief. “Just how grave was my crime? I knelt in the rain for four hours, and Miss Rivers still hasn’t forgiven me?” “Sara, you really need to fix that temper. Meredith didn’t hold it against you because of me. If it were anyone else, it wouldn’t have been just four hours of kneeling.” I opened my mouth but said nothing in the end. I was tired and didn’t want to argue anymore. “Fine.” Not expecting me to be so cooperative, Lucas froze, then smiled. “You’ve really grown up. Now I can relax as your big brother.” In this relationship, I never had a choice. “Miss Sara, I’ll compensate you. Here’s a card with five million dollars. Take it.” Meredith placed a black card in my palm. Seeing me accept the card, Meredith’s lips curved. “To avoid future academic disputes, I need Miss Sara to sign an agreement acknowledging that all your previous research plagiarized my experimental results.” I looked up at Meredith, feeling ice cold all over. Meredith was making sure I could never raise my head in the medical field again! I turned to look at Lucas. “Did you agree to this too?” Meredith turned and threw herself into Lucas’s arms. “Lucas, if I don’t show medical talent, the Rivers family won’t acknowledge me as their daughter. Sara is gifted. With support from both our families, she can achieve other results quickly.” I watched him look at me with a somewhat pleading expression. I said nothing, just stared straight at Lucas. The three of us were at a standstill for a long time. Finally, Lucas raised his hand to signal the housekeeper forward. “I’m sorry. I’ll compensate you.” With that, Lucas had the housekeeper forcibly press my hand down to stamp the document. I collapsed helplessly on the ground, watching their departing backs. I don’t know how much time passed before the housekeeper dragged me to the stables. “Miss Sara, the master has decreed that from now on, you’ll live in the stables.”

Sara POV A week after the rain, the temperature dropped sharply. The stables were drafty on all sides, causing my already weakened body to develop a high fever. Delirious with fever, I seemed to see a figure appear before me. It was Meredith. “Why won’t Lucas just let you leave the Knight family? Even though you’re living like a dog in these stables, barely surviving, just seeing you makes me uncomfortable.” I was planning to leave the Knight family, but no one would listen to me. Since Meredith’s return, I hadn’t had a single healthy day. “Oh, right. Lucas has published news across the internet that you plagiarized my research. You’ll never be a doctor again.” Meredith shoved her phone in front of me. The words “plagiarist” stabbed into my eyes. More glaring than that were the red marks on Meredith’s collarbone. I knew those marks too well. They were left by Lucas when he was aroused. I thought I’d completely given up on Lucas, but why did my heart still hurt so much? My barely maintained consciousness snapped under the final straw. I gradually lost consciousness. When I woke again, I was in a hospital room with Lucas sitting by my bed. “Lucas, please let me go. Let me leave, okay?” My voice came out hoarse. No matter what, I was grateful Lucas had arranged my brother’s funeral and, whether sincere or not, had given me such a happy period of time. I didn’t want anything anymore. I just wanted us to part on good terms. Lucas frowned. “Samuel’s dying wish was for me to take care of you. From now on, you’re my sister. As long as you don’t provoke Meredith, the Knight family will always have a room for you.” “Where else could you go if you left? You can’t be a doctor anymore. The Knight family doesn’t lack the money to feed you.” With that, Lucas turned and left the room. I covered my head with the blanket and cried silently. He was the one who fought desperately to be with me. Now he’s the one calling me his sister. Lucas had turned me into a complete joke. I stayed in the hospital for two days recovering, then checked myself out. The foreign company had already messaged me. In three more days, my documents would be ready and I could leave. Before leaving, I needed to pay my respects to my brother one more time. Just as I walked out of the hospital entrance, someone suddenly covered my mouth from behind. A pungent smell filled my nostrils. My vision went black, and I lost consciousness.

Sara POV When I woke again, I found myself hanging from the rafters of an abandoned warehouse with Meredith. After a huge explosion, Lucas emerged from the smoke. “Meredith!” Seeing this scene, the veins on Lucas’s forehead throbbed. His eyes bloodshot, he looked at the kidnapper. “If you have a problem, come at me. Let Meredith go.” The kidnapper laughed wildly. “Let her go? Of course I can. But I’m livestreaming for my brothers. We’ve got to give them a show.” “Two women, you choose one. Strip her down for my brothers to see!” Only then did Lucas notice me, also tied up above. My heart filled with bitterness. In this kind of choice, Lucas would never choose me. “I’m only giving you ten seconds to decide. Ten.” “Nine.” “However much money or women you want, the Knight family can provide it. Just let both of them go!” Lucas roared. “Six.” The kidnapper ignored his words and continued counting down. Lucas’s gaze shifted between us, finally settling on me. He spoke with difficulty. “Sara, Meredith is the daughter of the Rivers family. Her reputation can’t have any stain.” “Don’t worry. I’ll compensate you. No one in the Knight family will know about this.” Lucas raised his hand and pointed at me. Seeing this, the kidnapper walked straight to me. “Looks like you’re very unlucky. This gentleman’s feelings for you are pretty lukewarm.” The man’s greasy hands roamed over my body, removing my clothes piece by piece until I was completely naked. The moment Lucas pointed at me, I closed my eyes. Cold wind blew across every inch of my skin. Tears silently slid from the corners of my eyes. No matter what, I had to survive. This was my brother’s wish and my only desire now. Even if I suffered every humiliation and lost all dignity, I had to survive. “Can you let them go now?” Lucas shouted at the kidnapper. The kidnapper shook his head. “Years ago, your father took my wife and daughter and played a game with them.” “He said only one of them could live. If one volunteered to die, the other could survive.” “Now I want to play this game with you. If one of these two women volunteers to die, the other can live.” The kidnapper toyed with the knife in his hand, waiting for Lucas’s answer. “Again, ten seconds.” Hearing the kidnapper’s words, Meredith cried out to Lucas. “Lucas, I don’t want to die. We grew up together. You even bought me my first sanitary pad. Because of our families, we’ve already missed five years. Lucas, I really want to be with you forever.” Lucas’s heart shook. Without any hesitation, he shouted at me. “Sara, I will definitely rescue you. Tell the kidnapper you’re willing to die first. Stall for time.” I opened my eyes and stared straight at Lucas. The man who once was willing to harm himself and defy his mother for me was now asking me to die. “Five.” The kidnapper’s countdown continued. “Sara, your brother’s grave is still in my family cemetery. If you don’t agree, I’ll have someone blow it up.” I never imagined Lucas would use my brother’s grave to threaten me. “My brother died because of you. How dare you?” “Two.” “For Meredith, there’s nothing I won’t dare do. Are you sure you want to bet on this?” Looking at Lucas in his manic state, I knew at this moment he would do anything for Meredith. I closed my eyes and nodded in resignation. “I’m willing to die.” Two streams of tears ran down my cheeks. Meredith was released as promised. Lucas held her tightly, carefully examining the injuries on her body. The kidnapper took out dozens of throwing knives and threw them at my body one by one. The blades cut across my body. Before long, I was covered in blood. The blood loss made me feel weaker and weaker. Before losing consciousness, I seemed to see someone rushing toward me. “Sara!”

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In my previous life, when the lab caught fire, I was pinned under a bookshelf, unable to move. But Veronica grabbed her beloved Ethan’s hand and fled with the data drive, never looking back. After my rebirth, I quit the research group and cut all ties with her. Seven years later at a university alumni gathering, she clung to Ethan’s arm and mocked me for being a washed-up book restoration worker. When their academic fraud was exposed on the spot, the Quinn family pulled their funding and loan sharks came knocking. They turned on each other in the mud. I stood on the awards podium while Sabrina held our son’s hand and applauded warmly. Veronica clutched an old magazine on the street corner, murmuring, “Adrian…” And I leaned down to kiss Sabrina’s lips, whispering softly, “Darling, let’s go home.” Adrian’s POV In my previous life, when the fire broke out, my wife’s first instinct was to grab her true love Ethan and run out of the lab. She completely ignored me, trapped under a fallen bookshelf and unable to move. After my rebirth, rescued just in time, I pulled out my IV and walked out the door. From that moment on, we went our separate ways. Seven years later, I encountered my ex-wife at a top-tier academic conference. She and Ethan mistook me for a maintenance worker and tried to throw me out. Little did they know, the conference they’d worked so hard to sneak into was only held to please me. I never expected to see Veronica again in this lifetime. At the university’s alumni reunion, Veronica stood arm-in-arm with Ethan in the center of the crowd, no longer showing the exhaustion from staying up late revising papers years ago. People around her constantly praised and flattered her. “Professor Reed is exceptional in academia, and Professor Hayes has an overseas background. You two are truly our university’s dream couple.” Brilliant lights shone on stage, with a banner reading “Annual Alumni Reunion.” Ethan stood in his tailored suit, confidently gripping the microphone. “Our joint key laboratory will officially open at the end of this year. We welcome all colleagues in the field to visit and exchange ideas.” Veronica took the microphone, her voice carrying through the speakers across the venue. “Research requires patience. We want to deliver the most rigorous results to the academic community.” She looked at Ethan, her eyes full of admiration. The audience erupted in applause. As the two returned to the lounge, people began whispering. “They’ve been working together for seven years, and they’ve been researching that project for seven years too. How come they only just became professors?” “I heard there used to be a really talented data analyst. After they left, progress slowed down considerably.” I stood in the shadows watching this scene unfold. Without my core algorithms, it took them a full seven years to barely scrape together enough achievements to qualify for professorships. If my son hadn’t snuck out while I was working, I would never have set foot in this place again in this lifetime. I moved through the crowd, trying to find that familiar small figure. The venue was carpeted in red, with champagne displayed on the refreshment tables. Everyone around wore elegant attire. My outfit looked completely out of place. A university administrator holding a wine glass frowned and avoided me, brushing off his sleeve in disgust. I ignored him, scanning the area beneath the refreshment tables. Suddenly, commotion erupted ahead. The figure I was looking for flashed past and darted into the main exhibition hall. I instinctively quickened my pace and accidentally bumped into a volunteer distributing brochures. “Crash!” Glossy brochures scattered across the floor. The volunteer spun around, saw my appearance, and immediately raised their voice. “Which maintenance department are you from? Can’t you see guests without credentials aren’t allowed in the core area?!” The previously noisy conversations instantly quieted, and countless eyes turned toward me. I bent down to pick up a brochure and brushed off the dust. “Sorry, I’m looking for someone.” “Looking for someone? There are only experts and professors here. Who are you looking for? The cleaning supervisor?”

Adrian’s POV The lounge door opened a crack. Ethan walked out while adjusting his tie. His voice wasn’t loud, but in this quiet corner, I could hear him clearly. “Sabrina is coming today, Veronica. You must find a chance to connect with her. If the Quinn family is willing to attach their name to our lab, our funding will be secure.” Veronica was touching up her lipstick with a compact mirror, her expression showing barely concealed anxiety. “I know, but I’ve heard Sabrina has extremely high standards. My new paper’s data isn’t ready yet. If she asks…” “The data is the students’ job.” Ethan interrupted impatiently. “You just need to look good on stage.” Veronica looked at herself in the mirror, pressed her freshly colored lips together, and nodded vigorously. “Right. As long as the persona holds, the resources will come.” The two confidently turned the corner and happened upon the commotion on my end. Brochures were scattered across the floor. Ethan frowned and looked over with disgust, as if my shabby appearance ruined the venue’s sophisticated atmosphere. Veronica stopped in her tracks. “Adrian? How did you sneak in here?” I bent down to pick up the last brochure and brushed dust off the cover. “Delivering materials.” A nearby guest holding champagne asked curiously. “Professor Reed, who is this?” Veronica’s eyes flickered, her voice cold. “Um, a former… lab technician I supervised.” The guest nodded in understanding. Ethan casually added. “Couldn’t get into the doctoral program, right? Some people really aren’t cut out for research. Switching to support staff early is also a way forward.” Veronica didn’t contradict him. She didn’t even glance at me again, turning instead to the aggressive volunteer. “Forget it, don’t make a fuss. Let him go.” Lab technician. I looked at her averted profile. In my previous life, during countless late nights, she’d lean on my shoulder and say, “Adrian, you’re the most important person in our group. I couldn’t graduate without you.” Now, under the spotlight, that most important person had become a shameful support staff member. When faced with self-interest, memories can be rewritten. I smiled. The last ripple of emotion toward an old acquaintance completely settled in my heart. The surrounding crowd began whispering. “That guy’s pretty good-looking, but unfortunately he’s just manual labor. Professor Reed actually supervised someone like that?” “Birds of a feather flock together. Look at Professor Hayes. This guy clearly just coasted along. No wonder he doesn’t belong.” Ethan listened to the recognition of his elite status from those around him and raised his chin even higher. The volunteer remained relentless, pointing at the ink stains and paper scraps on my clothes. “You need to leave now. You’re filthy. Don’t dirty the carpet.” Veronica sighed and stopped the volunteer. “Forget it. Do me a favor.” Ethan stood on the steps, looking down at me from above, and laughed. “Adrian, you at least have an undergraduate degree. How have you fallen to this state?” Veronica pulled a credential with a gray lanyard from her bag and held it out to me like charity. “Why force your way in? Even if you listen to these high-level lectures, they won’t help you. You wouldn’t understand them anyway.” She pushed the credential forward. “Take it. I worked hard to get this guest pass. Go sit in the back.” I looked down at the credential. It read “Temporary Visitor.” Meanwhile, Veronica and Ethan wore bright red VIP guest badges around their necks. One credential divided two worlds. She could never imagine that I personally approved the distribution list for these red VIP badges the day before yesterday.

Adrian’s POV Veronica pulled out her phone and opened her QR code business card. “Scan my card. I’ll send you the digital conference handbook.” Her finger swiped across the screen twice before freezing. “You deleted me?” I didn’t understand why she was surprised. “Back in the ambulance, you said we shouldn’t contact each other anymore to avoid affecting Ethan’s future.” I put away my phone, my tone flat. “I don’t need the guest pass either.” Veronica put her phone away and laughed dryly. “Deleting me is probably for the best. Saves you from seeing our achievements on Ins and feeling bitter.” Ethan put his arm around her shoulder. “Exactly. The circle we’re in now discusses cutting-edge research. A manual laborer like him wouldn’t understand even if he followed us. He’d just feel awkward.” I glanced at them. “True. My circle is quieter. No room for things that are too noisy.” Veronica’s expression changed. She understood my meaning. She slammed the gray guest pass on the table. “Adrian, if it weren’t for the fact that you used to run data for me, you’d never get into a national-level conference like this in your lifetime. Don’t be ungrateful.” Ethan patted her back and pointed at me. “Don’t bother with people like him. He’ll be a temp worker with no official status his whole life. His worldview is as narrow as the bottom of a well.” Temp worker. Those words made me stop. I thought back to my previous life. Ethan was a typical academic tailor. He rose through the ranks by stitching together concepts and networking, completely clueless about data analysis. During graduate school, Veronica asked me to help build a model so Ethan could pass his evaluation. I pulled three all-nighters in the lab, using my core algorithms to complete the project for her. On the final publication, Ethan was first author, Veronica was second author. My name wasn’t on the list. Veronica told me we were a team. Ethan was good at securing projects, I was good at technical work. With resources secured, I wouldn’t be shortchanged. This “collaboration” lasted seven years. I remained a shadow behind the scenes. Veronica used the excuse of limited official positions to never formalize my status. Until the lab caught fire. At the only escape route, Veronica pushed past me, pinned under the bookshelf. She pulled up Ethan, who’d merely scraped his skin, while clutching the data drive containing my latest calculations in her other hand. The glass door locked from the outside. I watched her protect Ethan as they left. She never looked back once. The smell of burning plastic seemed to fill my nostrils again. I instinctively touched the wedding ring on my ring finger. The cool metal brought me back. That suffocating feeling disappeared. In this life, I owed no one. The first thing I did after rebirth was apply to leave the research group. Watching them panic over missing data, I switched careers to a rare book restoration center and cut all contact. I turned to leave, but Ethan blocked my path. “Don’t rush off. Without the university platform, you can only do manual labor.” He pulled out a business card from his jacket and stuffed it into my shirt pocket. “My new lab happens to need people. Washing beakers and test tubes. It’s contract work, but at least you’d be working at a university.” The people around laughed. Someone chimed in, telling me to hurry up and thank the kindhearted Professor Hayes. I pulled out the business card and tossed it into a nearby trash bin. “Thanks, but I already have a job. Restoration specialist.” Ethan burst into exaggerated laughter. “Restoration specialist? You mean book repair, right? Ha ha ha ha! Who still does that these days? You mean taping things together at a street stall?” His laughter drew more attention. Veronica looked at me, her eyes complex. “Do you work at a print shop binding photocopies for people? What future is there in that kind of mechanical labor?” She sighed, as if feeling sorry for me. “For old times’ sake, I can put in a word at the library to get you a librarian position. The salary isn’t high, but it’s stable.” I shook my head. “My skills are enough to support my family. Thanks for the concern.” Veronica’s expression turned cold. “Adrian, you’re willfully degrading yourself. You can’t teach mud to climb a wall. Don’t expect me to bail you out in the future.” She turned around, linking arms with Ethan, and stopped looking at me. I couldn’t be bothered explaining to them. I’m currently the chief restoration specialist at the National Museum. I handle antique rare books. Even Veronica’s university president needs to make an appointment to see me. If I told them this, they’d only think I was lying.

Adrian’s POV Having escaped the peripheral entanglement, I quickly walked toward the core exhibition area. The security level here was noticeably higher. Red barrier tape stretched tight, and inside were displayed several centerpiece treasures for this conference. I avoided a university administrator holding champagne, my gaze moving past the sea of heads. At the edge of the barrier, a small figure flashed past. My heart tightened. I bent down, preparing to duck under the barrier. “Stop!” A hand pressed heavily on my shoulder. The security manager Jeff blocked my path, looking me up and down. “Which construction crew are you from? Your clothes are so dirty and you dare barge into the core area? Can you afford to pay if you damage the exhibits?” “I’m looking for my child. I’ll leave as soon as I find him.” Ethan and Veronica followed over as well. Ethan put his hands in his pockets and sauntered over to Jeff. “I know this guy. He used to be someone who couldn’t even get official status. Now I think he repairs junk. You’d better watch him closely. Don’t let him steal anything.” Jeff’s back immediately straightened. He put on an ingratiating smile for Ethan, then turned to me with his features scrunched together. “You hear that? Professor Hayes has spoken! This is a high-class venue, not a place for poor people like you to cause trouble! Get out!” I brushed off the hand on my shoulder and emphasized again. “I told you, I’m just a father looking for his child. And my clothes are protective wear. They’re not dirty, are they?” Ethan scoffed and exaggeratedly waved his hand in front of his nose. “Protective wear? More like reeking of poverty. Who would run around in shabby work clothes like that in an academic sanctuary like this?” Veronica stood to the side, frowning. “Adrian, are you really resorting to making scenes just to get in? I kindly offered you a pass, but you refused, just to protect your pathetic pride?” I ignored her words and looked directly into Jeff’s eyes. “I’m just here to find my child. You don’t need to keep harassing me.” Jeff was momentarily intimidated by my tone and hesitated. But he glanced at the special guest badge on Ethan’s chest, then at my old toolbox. “Stop talking nonsense. Get lost!” I didn’t want to waste more words. Taking advantage of the security’s hesitation, I sidestepped his obstruction and rushed toward the interior of the exhibition area. “Stop him!” Ethan’s furious shout came from behind. Veronica pulled out her phone, her fingers rapidly tapping the screen, her eyes cold. Since I didn’t know what was good for me, she’d have security throw me out to avoid embarrassment when Professor Quinn arrived.

Adrian’s POV The crowd suddenly stirred with discussion coming from all directions. “Is Professor Quinn here?” Ethan adjusted his tie, raising his voice several notches. “Professor Quinn is known as a genius. She came specially to support our conference.” Veronica’s face immediately showed anticipation. She quickly adjusted her expression and looked toward the entrance. People around were discussing Sabrina’s distinguished background and academic standing. “If we could get Professor Quinn’s support in medical funding, our project would be set.” “I heard Professor Quinn’s child is here too. Apparently the kid’s a prodigy.” Just then, the conference center’s director Mr. Cooper came running over, drenched in sweat, shouting at Jeff. “What’s going on? What a mess! Professor Quinn is almost here!” Jeff pointed in my direction, quickly deflecting responsibility. “Some lunatic brought a kid and broke in. We’re trying to catch them!” Mr. Cooper’s face went pale. He wiped his sweat while issuing orders. “Handle it quickly! Don’t let Professor Quinn see this unseemly mess! Also, has anyone seen Professor Quinn’s child?” Hearing that the Quinn family’s child was missing, everyone enthusiastically looked around, hoping to curry favor. Veronica and Ethan also joined the search, temporarily too busy to deal with me. I ignored the chaos behind me and walked straight to the core exhibition area. In front of an antique painting display in the corner, I spotted my son. He held a small portable magnifying glass, standing on tiptoes, reaching out to touch the painting hanging on the wall. That was the antique Ethan had been bragging about all evening. “Pull your hand back.” I quickly stepped forward and grabbed my son’s wrist. My son pouted and put the magnifying glass back in his pocket. “Dad, it’s just a piece of junk paper. What’s so special about it?” I followed his gaze and glanced at the painting. One look and I frowned. The paper was too white, the heat treatment incomplete, with obvious machine-made grid patterns on the edges. The seal’s ink color sat on the paper’s surface, clearly a product of computer scanning, inkjet printing, and artificial aging. This was the so-called national-level conference’s centerpiece treasure. Absurd. “Stop!” A sharp rebuke interrupted my thoughts. Ethan strode over, blocking the exhibit, righteously pointing at me. “Your lack of manners is one thing, but bringing a child to destroy cultural relics? This is an antique! You couldn’t afford to replace it in several lifetimes!” Veronica followed behind him, looking at me with furrowed brows, her eyes full of disappointment. “Adrian, to get my attention, you’d actually have a child vandalize such a valuable exhibit?” Jeff led several guards over, seeking credit with the arriving Mr. Cooper. “Sir, this is the one! Trespassed into the core area and attempted to destroy cultural relics!” Mr. Cooper didn’t even see my face clearly. He only heard “destroy cultural relics,” and being in a rush to welcome Sabrina, simply waved his hand. “Restrain him first! Get the child away from the danger zone!” With Mr. Cooper’s order, Ethan became even more unbridled. He bent down, putting on a kind face for my son, trying to pull the child over. “Stay away from this rude man. I’ll take you to find your parents. Don’t let him be a bad influence.” My son stepped back in disgust, avoiding Ethan’s outstretched hand. He turned and hugged my leg, and under everyone’s gaze, spoke crisply. “Dad, this painting is fake.” The scene fell into deathly silence. Ethan’s smile froze on his face. Veronica looked at the child in disbelief, seeming to think he’d gone crazy like me, willing to say anything for attention. My son pointed at the painting and delivered another blow. “The paper’s too new. The seal is inkjet.” Ethan snapped back to his senses and shouted furiously. “Nonsense! This child has clearly been corrupted by you, spouting lies!” He turned to Mr. Cooper and security, his voice shrill. “What are you all standing around for? Arrest this father and son with no manners! Call the police! This is slander, it’s causing trouble!” To calm the situation, Mr. Cooper gave the security a knowing look.

Adrian’s POV Mr. Cooper gave a firm order. Four security guards gripping rubber batons surrounded us in a fan formation. Ethan stood on the outer circle, pointing at me and shouting. “Don’t let him hurt the child! This man’s mentally unstable. Grab the kid!” I ignored him, shielding my son with one arm and turning to face the approaching human wall. “I’d like to see who dares.” My hand, steady from years of holding carving knives, didn’t waver. My voice wasn’t loud, but those security guards instinctively stopped. My son looked up at me from within my arms, not particularly scared-if anything, a bit excited. I brushed the dust off his clothes. “Still going to run off?” Seeing the guards weren’t moving, Ethan flew into a rage and tried to charge over. “You-” My gaze swept over him. “I’m his father. When is it your turn to teach me how to raise my child?” Ethan’s accusation caught in his throat halfway through. His gaze darted between my blue work clothes stained with paper scraps and my son’s logo-free athletic wear. My son’s clothes were bought by Sabrina, custom made without tags. But to Ethan’s eyes, they looked like street market goods. He gave a cold laugh, seemingly finding a new point of attack. “Father? No wonder he has no manners. The kid just said the painting was fake. You taught him that, didn’t you? Making up lies to avoid compensation.” My son bristled and tugged at my sleeve. “Dad, it really is fake. Mom’s upstairs preparing to speak. I got bored and came down. And the paper used for this painting is obviously new.” He pouted, complaining quietly. “You’re usually stricter about those old books than you are about me. How would I dare touch something real?” I sighed and picked him up. Seeing me ignore him, Ethan was completely enraged. He pulled out his phone and waved it at Jeff. “If you won’t act, then I’m calling the police. Destroying a national treasure is enough to get you seven or eight years.” Veronica walked over at this point. She grabbed Ethan’s arm and looked at me with an expression of disappointed frustration. “Adrian, at a time like this you’re still being stubborn? Just have the child apologize and pay some compensation. If this really gets to the police station and you get a criminal record, your life is ruined.” I looked at these two people and found it somewhat amusing. “Call the police? Fine.” I pointed at the painting. “Perfect timing for the police to come see what brand of printer was used to make your so-called antique.” Ethan’s expression changed, his voice jumping several octaves. “I see you won’t shed tears until you see your coffin!” Just then, Mr. Cooper came rushing over. He had no interest in listening to our argument. While wiping sweat, he pointed at me. “I don’t care who he is. Throw him out! Don’t block the entrance! Professor Quinn is about to come in! If she sees this scene, none of you will have jobs!” With the leader’s directive, the security guards no longer hesitated. A baton whistled through the air, aimed straight at my shoulder. I didn’t retreat. I advanced. My left hand protected my child’s head while my right hand rose, precisely blocking the descending baton the instant it fell. Clean and efficient. The guard stumbled back a step, losing his balance. Gasps rose from the surrounding crowd. My son suddenly shouted toward the back of the crowd. “Mom!” Mr. Cooper was about to lose his temper when he heard this shout. He instinctively followed the child’s line of sight, and his entire body froze. A few meters away, Sabrina was striding over with a group of university leaders following behind. Her face was frighteningly cold. Mr. Cooper looked back at me, then at my son’s face that bore some resemblance to Sabrina’s. Cold sweat immediately broke out. His legs buckled. He bent nearly double, his voice shaking. “You… you’re Professor Quinn’s husband?” I lowered my blocking hand and straightened my son’s collar. “Yes. Here to pick up my child.” Mr. Cooper’s jowls twitched twice as he forced on a smile more painful-looking than crying. “Oh my, what a misunderstanding! Mr. Parker, you’re our special consultant. Please, come this way to be seated.”

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Ever since I gained weight during puberty, my childhood friend Chase stopped talking to me on his own initiative. But on the day of the NYU guaranteed admission interview, he handed me a glass of milk. I was so touched that I drank it all. When I woke up, I found my long hair scattered all over the floor. The head cheerleader, Vivian White, was holding scissors and smiling sweetly: “Chase, this sleeping pill of yours works really well. I’ve almost shaved this pig bald.” Meeting my disbelieving eyes, Chase only said indifferently: “Vivian lost at Truth or Dare. If she didn’t cut your hair, she’d have to add random guys on SnapChat on the street.” “You’re fat anyway. You don’t look good with or without hair.” The person who once said he’d marry me when my hair reached my waist had changed. That day I dried my tears. And quietly changed my guaranteed admission choice to Oxford University, thousands of miles away. The head in the mirror looked like it had been gnawed by a dog. My carefully maintained long hair now stuck up in tufts here, bald patches there. Ugly and ridiculous. My hand holding the comb was shaking badly. With just a light brush, broken strands kept falling. Mixed with my unstoppable tears, they fell into the sink. It felt like my heart was being torn open. I really wanted to rush out and demand answers from Chase. Why exactly did he use my hair to pay for Vivian’s game? But the interview was about to start. I bit my lip hard. I couldn’t go out like this. My trembling hands tried to press down the standing hairs, tried to pull the remaining long hair from the back forward to cover it. But it was all futile. The person in the mirror looked wretched and laughable. Like a complete clown. “Hey, did you hear? Vivian actually cut that fat pig Evelyn’s hair!” Suddenly the sound of several girls laughing came from outside the stall. My whole body stiffened, and I shrank miserably into the innermost stall. “Really?” “Of course it’s real! To make sure Vivian got the guaranteed admission, Chase even went to buy sleeping pills to put in the milk. Otherwise, how could Evelyn have slept so deeply?” “Oh my god, Evelyn is pretty pathetic though.” “Pathetic? She’s a fat pig who doesn’t know her place, insisting on liking Chase and blocking Vivian’s path to guaranteed admission. She deserves it!” “Exactly. How dare a pig like the baseball team captain? Everyone knows Chase and Vivian have been a couple for ages. He only humors that fat pig because of their families’ relationship.” “It’s hilarious just thinking about it. She actually thought Chase could be interested in her? She should take a good look at herself in the mirror.” Those undisguised taunts pierced into my ears like needles. Puncturing my last bit of self-deceiving fantasy. Separated by only a thin door panel, I slowly slid down to sit on the floor. I even forgot to cry. I just felt like my bones had frozen, shivering from the cold. So that’s how it was. What adolescent sensitivity and caring about appearances. What maintaining distance in front of classmates. All lies. He simply thought I was embarrassing. Not worthy of him. So he could easily use my hair to please Vivian. Could permit or even assist her in destroying the interview I’d carefully prepared for years. Just to clear obstacles on her path to guaranteed admission. Countless details from these years floated before my eyes. When I fell while running, he frowned and said “how can you be so careless,” then quickly walked away, leaving others snickering around me. The breakfast I brought him, he passed to someone else. When I gathered courage to try walking alongside him after school, he quickened his pace, leaving me far behind. Every time, I made excuses for myself. He’s under study pressure, he’s in a bad mood, boys are all like this… I was so stupid. Stupid enough to think that as long as I starved myself to lose weight and got top grades, I could get close to him. That I could make that gentle childhood promise have even a slight possibility of coming true. But it turned out. During every day and night I struggled in pain to be worthy of him. In his eyes, I was just a pestering fat pig. He and someone else had been a default couple all along. My heart felt like it was being violently squeezed by a large hand. It hurt so much I couldn’t breathe, yet was so numb not a single tear would flow. I curled up on the cold, dirty bathroom floor. The girls outside had long since left. The world was terrifyingly quiet. My phone vibrated in my pocket. It was a message from Mom: “Evelyn, how was the interview? Don’t be nervous, Mom believes in you.” I looked at those words, my vision blurring then clearing again. Then, I typed out a reply word by word. “Mom, go to Chase’s house and cancel the engagement.” “But don’t let him know yet.”

After leaving the bathroom, I didn’t go to the NYU interview location. Instead, I turned and walked toward Oxford University’s classroom. When I entered with that ridiculous head, the examiners were clearly taken aback. I took a deep breath and focused on answering questions. Perhaps it was my composure, or perhaps the answers themselves. The examiners’ gazes moved away from my hair and turned into approving nods. “Evelyn, we look forward to seeing you on campus in September.” Walking out of the classroom, my palms were sweaty and my heart raced. Chase and I had agreed to go to New York together for a long time. This tacit agreement had once been my motivation to study hard. But just now, after sending that text to Mom in the bathroom. I had already decided that my future life plans would no longer include him. That evening, both families had dinner together. Mom and Aunt Riley spoke in low voices, then left for the bedroom. Chase sat across from me, distracted. Finally, he couldn’t resist asking: “How did the interview go?” I kept my head down. “Pretty good. The professor looks forward to seeing me on campus.” His expression changed. He put down his chopsticks: “With your grades, getting into NYU is no problem. Why did you have to compete for this guaranteed admission spot? That’s too selfish.” Selfish? I looked at his handsome face and only felt it was absurd. I pulled my lips into a smile. “My hair was cut like this, and you’re still worried my score is higher than hers?” The boy recoiled as if burned, hastily retorting: “What do these two things have to do with each other? I was just afraid something would happen to Vivian during their prank.” “She’s different from you. She’s so pretty—what if she met bad people on the street?” She’s different from you. Six simple words, yet they made my heart ache so much. I numbly nodded. Just then Mom and Aunt Riley came back, eyes a bit red. So I got up to go home with her. Chase’s mind grew more chaotic. He grabbed my wrist and asked: “What were they just talking about?” It had been a long time since he’d had physical contact with me. Probably found it disgusting. I paused, then pulled my hand back. “Nothing much.” I looked at his uneasy eyes. “Probably just worried about our future.” Chase. We have no future anymore. The next day at school, when I walked into the classroom, everyone looked at my ridiculous hair. “Pfft—the pig changed her hairstyle!” “The fatty’s pretty trendy. Got herself a perm hahaha.” Laughter burst from the group of boys. Chase was among them, pulling his lips into a smile. When our eyes met, the curve of the boy’s mouth froze just like that. My heart felt like it had been stung by a bee. I looked away and ignored all the voices. Walked to my seat and took out my textbook. The bell rang. The homeroom teacher announced one final rotation of class officers. I walked up to the podium with my ridiculous head. Throughout, the boys’ snickering and mockery below never stopped. My hands were shaking, but I still firmly delivered my speech from memory without notes. As I bowed, the homeroom teacher was the first to applaud, and the girls gradually followed. Just when I was breathing a sigh of relief, Vivian suddenly stood up and walked onto the podium. She wore a short skirt, her long hair flowing. A stark contrast to my disheveled state. Vivian held a piece of scrap paper and casually said a few words about wanting to serve everyone. She even stumbled in the middle. The girl blushed and stuck out her tongue while the boys below laughed indulgently. I couldn’t laugh. Voting, vote counting. Vivian and I had the same number of votes. The teacher looked at Chase: “Where’s your vote? You can’t abstain. Cast one more.” The whole class’s attention focused on that corner. Chase pressed his lips together and stood up. He was tall, his school uniform casually unbuttoned, walking step by step toward the podium. Sunlight outlined his lean silhouette. I stared at him, my eyes burning and stinging. Though I no longer held any hope for him. A small voice in my heart still whispered. What if? What if he remembered elementary school, when he was the one who pushed the crying me onto the podium, when he bought candy and gave it to classmates to vote for me, when he smiled even brighter than me after I was elected, saying “our Evelyn is number one.” What if he still remembered that I once said being class president made me feel not so useless. The boy walked to the podium and handed the folded note to the teacher. The teacher unfolded it, glanced at it, and announced: “Vivian 25 votes, Evelyn 24 votes.” “The new class president is Vivian. Evelyn, do the handover after class.” I sat on the stool for a long time, motionless. The surrounding sounds faded away, leaving only the dull ache in my heart. Chase had returned to his seat. He didn’t look at me. His profile showed no clear expression. I lowered my head. Tears fell in large drops onto my textbook. The girl sitting next to me panicked and kept patting my back to comfort me. Ten years. I’d been class president for almost ten years, from needing him to bribe classmates for me to get elected, to later winning recognition through my own ability. He knew better than anyone what this position meant to me, a fat girl living under strange looks. It was the little bit of pitiful self-confidence I had carefully constructed. But he didn’t hesitate to pull even that away. For Vivian. I was so sad I couldn’t even say “I’m fine.” The little boy who bought me candy to win votes had already died in my memories. The Chase of now was the baseball team captain, a top student, the cheerleading captain’s romantic interest. Just not my Chase anymore.

After school, I went to find Vivian for the handover. She sat in her seat, undisguised triumph on her face. “Actually, there’s nothing much to hand over.” She leisurely looked in a mirror, not even glancing at me. “Chase said I’d definitely be fine, told me to boldly run for it.” “I think so too. If even you could be a good class president, then it must be the simplest thing ever.” I picked up my things and turned to leave. “Evelyn!” Chase caught up and blocked my way by the wall. The sunset stretched his shadow very long. “Just now.” He paused, as if explaining to me was something very difficult to say. “I didn’t deliberately not choose you. It’s just that Vivian has never been a class officer. It’s almost graduation—letting her experience it is like having no regrets in youth.” “Don’t overthink it.” I said nothing. The boy reached out to pull me, but I dodged sideways. My gaze inadvertently swept past the fitness band on his wrist. He’d worn it until the edges were frayed. I remembered it. Vivian’s birthday gift to him last year, a few dollars from the convenience store. She’d put it on his wrist herself. And those signature edition sneakers I’d saved several years of New Year’s money to buy. He’d never worn them once. At this moment, this several-dollar plastic band was firmly circled on his wrist bone. Glaring as if mocking how all my heartfelt gestures were worthless. I said nothing and ran home. After that, Chase seemed to sense something. When boys pointed at my hair and laughed strangely during breaks, he would actually frown and scold: “What’s so funny? If you’re bored, go do practice problems.” When I couldn’t find my exam papers, he’d pass his own from behind. After school he’d also dawdle instead of leaving, as if wanting to wait for me. Late rain fell on an already cracked heart. It had no moisturizing effect. It just felt noisy. For the last school festival before graduation, each class had to put on a performance. At Vivian’s suggestion, our class would perform a short play with a script she carefully wrote. When the script was being passed around, I was doing practice problems. Bursts of laughter came from the class. I seemed to realize something. When it finally reached my hands. I understood what they were laughing at. The protagonist was an obese, shameless, witless high school girl. Her daily routine was doing all kinds of absurd things to seduce the male lead. Secretly hiding the male lead’s sneakers, deliberately falling when the male lead passed by, imitating the female lead’s dress and becoming a laughingstock. Every line was incredibly ridiculous and despicable. My whole body trembled. After class, the boys had no more reservations and laughed loudly. “Art comes from life.” “Vivian observed so carefully!” Chase was chosen to play the male lead. After he got the script, his brows furrowed deeply. He glanced in my direction. Unable to read anymore, I went to knock on the homeroom teacher’s door with red eyes. She sighed and said the program had already been submitted. Not knowing what to do, my whole body went cold. I sat at my desk with tears flowing wildly. That night, I stayed up late writing Chase a long letter. Using every humble word I could think of, begging him not to perform. Begging him to leave us with just a bit of dignity at the end. The next day during rehearsal, I saw him arguing with Vivian in a corner of the hallway. The boy was frowning. Vivian pulled on his arm, eyes slightly red, saying something quietly. A thread of hope ignited in my heart. Maybe there was still a chance. On the day of the school festival performance, I sat in the least noticeable corner below the stage, so nervous I wanted to vomit. Just as I was silently praying, That ugly character based on me, wearing a messy wig and exaggerated ugly makeup. Appeared with affected mannerisms. “Honey, don’t get so close to those bad women. My little heart can’t take it!” The audience below laughed like crazy. People kept looking at me. Some raised their eyebrows and pointed me out to others. “Look, that’s the fatty.” In my most painful moment, Chase and Vivian made their entrance. A handsome man and beautiful woman, triggering waves of heckling. “Kiss!” “Get together!”

People acted on stage. The audience below was noisy. But my world was silent. He still performed. My face was bloodless as I watched that boy who’d grown up with me, who had once been my whole world, on stage. My heart felt so empty. Wind passed through it, leaving only coldness. The performance was very successful. Vivian beamed on stage. Chase was distracted, his gaze urgently searching for something in the crowd. But I had long since left the school. “Evelyn, where are you?” “It’s just a performance, everyone’s going crazy before graduation, don’t be so sensitive.” “Answer the phone. Let’s talk.” “Evelyn, answer the phone!” All calls went unanswered. Chase panicked. He ran to the office to ask about interview results. The answer he got was that Evelyn’s guaranteed admission was almost certain. The boy relaxed again. After the college entrance exam, he performed well. His messages to me became: “When school starts, we’ll go to NYU together and everything will be fine.” “I made a NYU freshman guide. I’ll take you to the most famous food street—they have the Thai crepes you like.” “Evelyn, let’s date.” But all messages sank like stones in the sea. Chase felt uneasy, but he still believed that when September came and school started, everything would get back on track. He still had four years to coax an angry girl. Finally, September 1st arrived. NYU started school. New students were chattering everywhere. After Chase finished organizing his dorm, he rushed to the girls’ dormitory and waited downstairs. His face was full of anticipation, with a trace of barely noticeable nervousness. The phone rang a few times. It connected. “Hello? Evelyn, where are you? Come downstairs. Let’s go to the food street.” Chase tried to relax his tone, acting familiar and natural. “We haven’t seen each other in so long and you didn’t look for me.” “But I’m magnanimous. I forgive you.” The other end was very quiet. After a while, my voice came through, very soft. But also very clear. “I didn’t apply to NYU.” The boy froze. “…What?” “I’m at Oxford University.” The sun was high. Chase suddenly felt the whole world spinning.

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The day before I was to exchange engagement rings with Ethan Gould, Vice President of Gould Corporation, Isabella Carter, heiress of Carter Group, suddenly showed up at my door claiming to be family. She said she was the real daughter of Prosecutor Thomas Bennett. The moment I heard her speak, I knew—she had been reborn too. After both families did DNA tests, they each took back their biological daughters. I transformed from Thomas Bennett’s unloved daughter into the sole heir of the Smith Corporation. And my late birth mother, Mary, was the twin sister of Elizabeth Norton, wife of the current richest man. Everyone said I could walk sideways through this city now, but I couldn’t. Because this month, Elizabeth would be cast out, and next month, Smith Corporation would be seized and go bankrupt. After that, my fiancé would become the new business leader, taking over the Smith family’s commercial empire. In my previous life, he even earned me the honorary title of “Philanthropist’s Wife,” while Isabella ended up in the gutter, tortured to death. So she came back to swap our lives. But how could I let her have her way…

I had just returned to the Smith residence with an excited Michael Smith when Elizabeth sent someone to bring me to her. After whispering with the messenger assistant, Michael earned the opportunity to drive me to the club entrance. He stood at the door, shouting at me: “Grace! Dad will be waiting here to take you home!” I really liked this feeling. I made up my mind—I won’t run anymore. I’ll save him. When I entered the private club, the assistant who came to get me was very excited. It wasn’t until I saw Elizabeth for the first time that I realized— I really did look like my birth mother, which meant I also resembled Elizabeth when she was young. In my previous life, when I attended banquets with my honorary title, the head seat was already occupied by Mrs. Lewis, wife of the new chairman Damian Lewis, so this was my first time seeing Elizabeth. Elizabeth tenderly held my hand, looking me up and down, saying how wonderful this was, how good. She even asked my name. I thought for a moment and told her my name was Grace Smith. Elizabeth got even more excited and pulled out a blank check on the spot, offering me a hundred million dollars. I was stunned. So the sisterly bond between them really was as legendary as rumored. Even blank checks could be casually given to a sister’s daughter. Then why did she suddenly go bankrupt? Carrying this question, I clutched the check and was escorted out by a crowd of people. Michael looked satisfied at the long line of people following me and the gift boxes in their hands, then waved his hand grandly. “Let’s go home. Dad will add a bit more to your personal fund.” Our procession was quite the spectacle. On the way back, we passed by the Prosecutor’s house and even disturbed Isabella. I heard she secretly fumed for quite a while. Oh right, Isabella had already changed her name to Isabella Carter. The moment I got that hundred million, her “socialite” title was stripped from her social circle. Knowing her as I did, she definitely couldn’t eat for three days. But I was different. Top-tier Japanese cuisine, French food, and private kitchen dishes were all brought to the table. Time to dig in. Michael kept chattering beside me, serving me fish with his chopsticks, worried I wouldn’t have enough. While eating, I chatted with him, casually probing to see if I could find any trace of the bankruptcy and seizure. After half a day together, calling him “Dad” came very smoothly. “Dad, all these years, you really haven’t had any other women?” Michael got anxious and quickly raised his hand to swear. “My devotion to Mary is witnessed by heaven and earth. Ask anyone at the company—don’t I light incense for her morning and evening?” “I believe you, I believe you. Just curious.” He huffed, and before I could even coax him, he’d already soothed himself, even saying he’d make me supervise him thinking of Mary a hundred times a day. “Dad, I heard you and Mr. Lewis recently had some disagreements?” “Nonsense! It’s not disagreements, just different viewpoints.” “Dad, I heard Gould Corporation wants to acquire shares from you?” “Ridiculous! My businesses are all in manufacturing. I’d never leave them in capital markets for speculation.” “Dad, I heard that you…” Michael suddenly slapped the table. “Grace, stop with all this ‘I heard’ business. If you want to know something, just ask me directly. I’m definitely more reliable than those financial bloggers out there.” Too direct! I suddenly didn’t know what to say! Could I really just ask outright whether he’d committed tax evasion or bribery? For such a large corporation to be seized, I could only think of these two major crimes. In my previous life, Smith Corporation was dealt with secretly. The circle didn’t allow discussion of it, and even my nouveau riche fiancé kept his mouth shut. In the end, the Smith family was left with just Isabella, who went to work as a… Right, Isabella—she was reborn too. I needed to find an opportunity to meet with her.

Elizabeth would be cast out in ten days. Time waited for no one, so I decided to take the initiative. But before I could find Isabella, she came looking for me. She brought along the woman I’d called mother for over a decade, who berated me for seducing someone else’s fiancé. What “someone else’s fiancé”? I looked at the mother-daughter pair in confusion. Mrs. Bennett said coldly, her face harsh, accusing me of shamelessness: “The Gould family’s son was promised to my Bennett family’s daughter. You’re a Smith now, so this marriage alliance belongs to my daughter Isabella. You’re not to see Ethan Gould again.” Oh, so the “someone else’s fiancé” referred to Ethan Gould! In our previous life, if not deeply in love, we at least treated each other with respect. After my rebirth, I genuinely wanted to marry him again. After all, he didn’t talk much and was generous with money. I’d even felt a twinge of regret when we acknowledged our true families. Hadn’t Ethan said he’d only marry the Bennett family’s daughter? Didn’t that make this marriage Isabella’s now? Why were this mother and daughter acting crazy now? Besides, I hadn’t even seen him since my rebirth. Seeing my silence, Isabella’s mouth turned down, about to play the victim, while Mrs. Bennett prepared to bombard me again. It seemed Isabella really wanted to marry Ethan Gould. Seeing I still wouldn’t speak, Isabella lost her patience. “Grace, you’re the Smith Corporation heiress now. Even heirs of top-tier wealthy families are yours to choose from. The Gould family must be beneath you now.” “Besides, you haven’t exchanged rings yet. This engagement doesn’t count.” “Just write a message breaking off this engagement.” I looked at her in confusion and asked: “If this engagement doesn’t count, why do I need to personally write a message?” Isabella blurted out: “Isn’t it because the Gould family sent word that…” “Isabella!” Unfortunately, her words were cut off by Mrs. Bennett before she could finish. I guessed that the Gould family had valued my business acumen before. Now that they were getting the circle’s famously spoiled socialite instead, how could they willingly take that loss? They must want to make the Bennett family suffer. When she was my mother, why didn’t she think wholeheartedly of me? Could it be she already knew I wasn’t her biological daughter? Before I could verify this suspicion, something major happened. Ethan Gould was promoted early from Vice President to President. Financial bloggers were waxing poetic about how Ethan saved the day at the annual meeting and heroically controlled an emergency situation. I couldn’t help but spit out my coffee and whisper to my assistant. “Sophie, do people nowadays tell stories without even a draft? Subduing criminals barehanded—does he think he’s a superhero?” “Why couldn’t he subdue them barehanded? And who’s a superhero?” This voice sounded so familiar. Wait, how could he eavesdrop on my private conversation? I turned, ready to scold, only to see Ethan Gould in a custom-tailored suit, carrying what looked like a cage covered with cloth in one hand. How was he here? And dressed so formally—he’d scared poor Sophie so much she didn’t dare raise her head. Also, since when did he like keeping birds? Ethan looked down at his outfit and unconsciously moved his car keys to the front. Then he stared at me, making me feel inexplicably awkward. I admit you look good dressed like that, but I’m sick of seeing it! In my previous life, if not for needing you to go out and handle business deals, I wouldn’t have said I loved seeing you dressed this way. It hurt my eyes. “Hmm?” He looked at me questioningly. I then remembered what I’d just said.

I quickly said: “You misunderstood. I wasn’t saying you couldn’t subdue criminals barehanded.” “Grace.” He suddenly called my name, extending the cage toward me. “This is for you.” Oh, it’s a white rabbit. Why was he keeping it like a bird? Though I loved white rabbits, I didn’t take it. After all, I wasn’t a Bennett anymore. He looked at me questioningly. Based on my understanding of him, he must have found out from somewhere that I liked rabbits. He was probably thinking: Didn’t she say she liked white rabbits? Why won’t she take it? Women are so troublesome! I felt it necessary to remind him. “Mr…. ahem, Mr. Gould, your fiancée is the Bennett family’s daughter. My surname is Smith now.” Ethan said without changing expression: “But my engagement ring has always been engraved with your birthday.” This? What could I say? Maybe you could change it? I’m sure Mrs. Bennett would be very cooperative. The white rabbit was just held between us. Before we could speak, Isabella appeared at the door, her eyes lighting up at the sight of Ethan. “Ethan! I finally get to see you. I heard that you…” But before she could finish, Ethan put down the rabbit and nodded. “Miss Smith, I’ll take my leave now.” With that, he decisively turned and left, not even glancing at Isabella. I could see Isabella was furious. She glared at me through gritted teeth, saying viciously: “Don’t forget your position. Ethan Gould is the Bennett family’s son-in-law.” I smiled, picking up the rabbit to play with it. “You reminded me. Speaking of position, I’m the Smith family’s daughter now, Miss Carter.” Isabella clearly remembered the many times she’d used status to pressure me before, and her expression became rather colorful. Before I could add fuel to the fire— Isabella blurted out: “Fine, Miss Smith. Don’t get too smug. You might be in prison tomorrow.” There it was—this person’s mouth was really loose. I pressed her while the iron was hot: “My aunt is the richest man’s wife. What prison would I go to?” “Elizabeth colluded with foreign capital. She’ll be cast out soon. Once Elizabeth falls, your Smith family will be finished too.” “You all deserve to die!” She was initially triumphant, but as soon as the words left her mouth, she realized something was wrong and quickly covered her mouth. Anyway, I’d heard clearly—foreign capital, was it? Isabella knew she’d spoken out of turn. She shut her mouth and said no more, just staring deadly at my precious rabbit. “You speak recklessly, slandering Elizabeth. Can Thomas Bennett cover for you?” She smiled bitterly without thinking. Yes, my former father was the most timid, risk-averse, and profit-seeking. Now that her marriage to the Gould family wasn’t settled, he definitely wouldn’t do anything for this daughter. Having learned a key piece of information, I handed the rabbit to Sophie and prepared to leave. But before leaving, I kindly reminded her. “I heard Mr. Lewis’s son has returned. Take care of yourself.” She probably remembered being tortured by the Lewis family’s young master, Nathan Lewis, in her previous life. Her face went deathly pale as she ran off. She must be going to ask her mother how to marry into the Gould family as soon as possible. That wasn’t important. What mattered now was the foreign capital. As far as I knew, Elizabeth had lived in this city since childhood. How did she get involved with foreign capital? To quickly figure this out, I realized I could only ask Michael about it. When Michael heard about this, his expression turned strange. But he still told me that after defeating foreign rivals in a business war years ago, the other side proactively sent investment proposals. As he spoke, he went off-topic. Dad! Who has time to hear about your heroic business war exploits right now? We need to save Elizabeth first! I could only interrupt him to continue asking: “Dad, does Elizabeth have any connection to foreign capital?” Michael’s expression grew worse as he said: “Why are you asking about this?”

I said seriously: “This question is very important. I need to know clearly right now. If you don’t tell me, I’ll have to investigate myself. If I find out wrong information, it’ll cause big trouble.” Michael was startled by my gaze. Since returning home, this was probably the first time he’d seen his carefree little cotton-padded jacket speak to him so seriously. He first pondered for a moment. “To be precise, the one connected to foreign capital is Mary.” “Ah, what does this have to do with Mom?” Michael looked at me meaningfully. “I even suspect that the one Mr. Lewis originally fancied was Mary.” Ah, this was getting more complicated. I couldn’t help but press on: “Then how did Elizabeth end up marrying Mr. Lewis? Does she know the foreign capital people too?” Actually, at this point, I’d already guessed some things. Nothing more than he admired her, she fancied him, and he couldn’t let her go. Michael told me many things. I blamed myself for only managing the household, balancing books, and looking after my husband in my previous life, never taking time to listen to circle gossip. It turned out Mary and Elizabeth came from a wealthy family and, as rare twin sisters, were often brought to social occasions by family elders from a young age. Over time, they became familiar with Damian Lewis and coincidentally met Victor Monroe, who’d grown up domestically. Because Old Mr. Lewis, Robert Lewis, had joked about choosing one of them as a daughter-in-law, Damian took it to heart. The older sister was lively and spirited, the younger sister steady and mature. The elders all thought Damian fancied the younger sister, so Robert arranged the engagement. Who knew that upon hearing this, Damian said it was wrong and was about to ask Robert to cancel the arrangement. But just then, he saw Mary and me walking in hand-in-hand, asking to be engaged. Hearing them say they were in love, and thinking he’d already arranged Elizabeth for Damian, Robert figured Mary marrying into the Smith family would also help Damian in the future. He waved his hand and agreed directly, even having the sisters get engaged on the same day. I could imagine how devastated Damian must have been returning to his room. Then all four married on the same day. After marriage, both couples were loving and harmonious, becoming a celebrated story. Especially Damian’s devotion to Elizabeth—they were truly inseparable. A year after marriage, they had their eldest son. By contrast, Michael and Mom still bickered occasionally. Michael said Mom liked to throw little tantrums and often ran back to her parents’ home. They only had me three years after marriage. Since things went so smoothly, how did foreign capital get involved? I pressed Michael for a long time, but he also didn’t know about the foreign capital connection. When I pushed too hard, he simply threw up his hands and told me to ask Elizabeth myself. Hearing that, I lifted my skirt and headed to the club. Seeing me arrive, Elizabeth was delighted, constantly urging me to eat and drink, then giving me clothes and jewelry. Feeling emotional, I blurted out: “If my mom were here, she’d be as gentle and attentive as you.” Hearing this, Elizabeth paused, then stroked my head. “I’m Mary’s sister, which makes me your mother too.” I nodded vigorously, unsure how to broach the subject. It didn’t seem right to barge in and directly ask an elder about their youthful romance. Elizabeth was indeed clever. Seeing my hesitation, she told me to say whatever I wanted and forget it once I left this room. In that case, I directly asked about Victor Monroe. Elizabeth hadn’t expected me to ask about him and knocked over her teacup. The assistant was about to smooth things over, but she signaled it wasn’t necessary and had everyone else leave. Now I really didn’t know how to save Elizabeth. Since I’d lived again, I had to make something of it.

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Your wife is sleeping in my bed right now! In the photo, Chloe was sleeping with her eyes closed. Her exposed skin was covered with marks left after lovemaking. I received this provocative text and photo while I was in the kitchen making soup for Chloe. Today was the fifth anniversary of my marriage to Chloe. But close to the end of her workday, Chloe apologetically told me that something urgent came up at the company and she needed to work overtime. Turns out she was “working overtime” in bed with her non-blood-related brother, Adrian. How ridiculous that I was worried she’d been working too hard lately and wanted to cook her a nice meal. The angle of that photo was clever, perfectly capturing the hotel’s logo and room key card. It seemed the person who sent me the photo very much wanted me to show up in person. With a calm expression, I poured all the soup from the pot down the drain. Grabbing my car keys, I drove straight to Seattle’s most luxurious hotel. The drive was smooth, and I arrived at the hotel. I took the elevator directly to Room 1806, a couples’ suite. The door was slightly ajar. The room was filled with roses, champagne, and cake—romance permeated every corner. “Splash…” The sound of water came from the bathroom direction. Then a woman’s flirtatious voice rang out: “You’re so bad, you splashed water all over my face…” My hand tightened on the doorknob. That voice… I’d listened to it for five whole years. It was my wife, Chloe. “Bad boys are what women love, aren’t they? You love how bad I am, don’t you?” The man laughed wickedly, his voice rising at the end. I wasn’t unfamiliar with that voice either. It was Chloe’s non-blood-related brother, the free-spirited artist Adrian. In the round bathtub scattered with rose petals, water splashed everywhere. Chloe wore only a revealing black lingerie set, her hands resting on Adrian’s shoulders. Adrian was shirtless, one arm wrapped around Chloe’s waist. The two laughed and played without restraint. Adrian sucked hard on Chloe’s neck, leaving a bright red hickey. “Not there, if he sees it he’ll get suspicious.” Chloe hit Adrian’s chest in mock displeasure. Adrian only laughed carelessly: “What’s there to be afraid of? Henry’s just an idiot.” “He’s been raising my son for five years and he’s still so proud of himself.” As Adrian spoke, his eyes were full of smug satisfaction. “Come on, I can’t wait any longer.” With that, Adrian pressed Chloe beneath him… I gripped the doorknob tightly, maintaining my position without moving. Adrian’s phrase “raising my son for five years” replayed in my mind over and over. Those words pierced my heart like a barbed knife. The people inside were too caught up in their passion to notice me standing at the door. Until a “crack” sound—I broke the doorknob clean off. Chloe and Adrian froze mid-action and turned their heads toward the door in unison. When they saw me standing at the doorway, Chloe’s pupils constricted sharply. “Henry?” The flush hadn’t yet faded from Chloe’s face, and her eyes held a trace of panic at being caught in the act. The lewd smile on Adrian’s face instantly froze. The next second, he lowered his head submissively as he usually did when facing me, as if he were terrified of me. After a brief moment of panic, Chloe quickly regained her composure. She leaned forward, shielding the trembling Adrian behind her. “Henry, what’s with that look? Look what you’ve done to Adrian!” I never expected that Chloe, caught red-handed in adultery, wouldn’t explain or show guilt, but would brazenly protect her lover. Adrian, protected behind Chloe, slowly lifted his head. The fear on his face had vanished, replaced by a provocative smile directed at me. But when Chloe looked at him, Adrian immediately put on a look of panic and anxiety again. Looking at Chloe protecting Adrian like a mother hen shielding her chick, my heart went completely cold. “What’s wrong with my look?” “And don’t you think you owe me a reasonable explanation?” “Why did you tell me you were working overtime, but ended up in Adrian’s bed instead?”

Chloe’s eyes flickered rapidly twice, but the anger of being questioned quickly replaced her guilty conscience. She suddenly raised her head, bristling like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, her voice sharp and piercing: “Henry! What are you talking about?!” “Stalking me is one thing, but now you’re slandering me?” “Don’t we have even the most basic trust after five years together?” I was almost amused by Chloe’s self-righteousness. She didn’t mention her own deception at all. Instead, she turned the tables, pushing all the blame onto me. As if the one at fault wasn’t her, the cheating wife, but me, the husband who discovered the truth! Trust? I repeated those words, feeling like I’d heard the funniest joke of the century. “Weren’t you the one who lied to me first? And now you’re talking to me about trust?” Chloe choked, then continued to argue stubbornly: “So what if I lied to you?” “Do you know how much pressure I’m under every day? And what have you done for me besides cooking and cleaning?” “Adrian and I grew up together. To me, he’s like family! He IS my brother!” “He felt bad for me and wanted to help me relax with a professional spa massage!” “Why does it become something dirty in your eyes?” Chloe spoke with such conviction. If I hadn’t seen the intimate marks all over her body, I might have almost believed her. “Henry, you’ve really misunderstood! I… I just thought Chloe had been working so hard lately, I wanted to help her relax…” Adrian timidly poked half his head out from behind Chloe. “There’s nothing between Chloe and me. I absolutely have no improper thoughts about her.” As Adrian spoke, he looked at me cautiously, as if I were some man-eating demon. I couldn’t help but laugh coldly. “A misunderstanding? No improper thoughts?” “Do you even believe what you’re saying?” I looked at Adrian mockingly. Would someone with no improper thoughts send me photos of them in bed to provoke me? “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, it’s all my fault, it’s all my fault, Henry, please don’t fight with Chloe because of me.” Adrian’s eyes reddened slightly, like a wronged puppy. As he spoke, Adrian made as if to stand up, but his peripheral vision secretly glanced at Chloe. Sure enough, Chloe didn’t disappoint him. Adrian’s appearance of accepting all the blame made Chloe’s heart ache, and it aroused her protective instinct even more. Chloe grabbed him, looking at me angrily. “Henry, are you done yet? Apologize!” “Henry, I want you to apologize to Adrian, right now!” When Chloe looked at me, the disgust in her eyes was undisguised, while Adrian’s face was full of smug satisfaction. Looking at the two of them before me, I suddenly laughed. “Apologize… okay…” I nodded. The next second, under Chloe’s disbelieving gaze, I picked up the wine bottle on the table and smashed it hard against Adrian’s head.

“Bang!” The bottle shattered on impact, bright red blood mixing with wine and flowing down. “Ahh!” Adrian clutched his head, letting out a pig-like shriek of pain. “Henry, you’re insane!” Chloe was furious. She quickly pressed a towel to Adrian’s wound and held him in her arms protectively. “Adrian, don’t be afraid, I’m here.” Adrian looked at her with reddened eyes, his voice choked with grievance: “Chloe, this is all my fault. I made Henry unhappy. Please don’t blame him.” Even now, Adrian was still trying to win Chloe’s favor. Chloe held him tightly, then turned to scream at me: “Henry, you’re a complete lunatic.” “I want a divorce.” “Fine, I agree.” My voice was calm without a ripple. Chloe froze, not expecting me to agree so easily. Under Chloe’s disbelieving gaze, I turned and walked out of the room. On the way home, I contacted a private investigator. My requirements were clear: “Check all of Chloe’s movements over the past five years. Call records, purchase records, everything you can find. The more detailed, the better.” Opening the door, my five-year-old son Ryan was playing with toys in the living room. “Dad, what’s wrong?” Seeing my serious expression, Ryan asked with concern. I smiled and ruffled his hair. Looking closely, Ryan didn’t really look like me—he resembled his mother Chloe more. But over the past five years, out of complete trust in Chloe, I’d never questioned Ryan’s parentage. But now, having heard that conversation with my own ears, I found it somewhat difficult to look directly at this child I’d raised with my own hands. Pretending there was something in his hair, I took the opportunity to pull out two of Ryan’s hairs. Calling a courier, I sent the hair samples to two different paternity testing centers. I paid for rush processing on both. The wait was both long and agonizing. The moment the results came out, my nerves instantly tensed and my heart pounded irregularly. I opened the electronic report, skipped the beginning, and went straight to the last page. Based on DNA analysis, the possibility that Henry is the biological father of the tested sample (Ryan) is excluded at 99.99%. Two reports, identical results. I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly at myself. Five years. A full 1,825 days. I had devoted myself completely to Chloe, to Ryan, to our family, pouring in all my effort and heart. In the end, I was just a complete fool who had raised someone else’s son for five years. Adrian was right—I was a fucking idiot. Raising someone else’s son and feeling so proud of myself. I didn’t think there could be a bigger fool in the world than me. I wondered how Chloe and Adrian laughed at me in private. Rage, humiliation, and resentment all gathered in my heart. I clenched my fists hard. I used almost all my strength to barely suppress the destructive impulse in my heart. I took out my phone and made a call: “Santos, prepare a divorce agreement for me.” Ignoring the shock on the other end, I calmly told him to hurry.

Chloe didn’t come home that night. Early the next morning, I was woken by my phone ringing. Looking at the caller ID, I curled my lips coldly. “Henry, I’m giving you 10 minutes. Get your ass to the hospital right now!” The moment the call connected, I heard Chloe’s mother Bella’s shrill, piercing voice. Her tone was commanding as always, high and mighty. Before I could react, Bella hung up. I smiled coldly. It seemed they were planning a public trial of me. After a quick wash, I drove to the hospital. In the hospital room, Adrian lay in bed with his forehead bandaged, looking weak. Chloe sat by his bedside, her eyes red and swollen like two walnuts. When he saw me, Chloe’s father Mitchell kept a stern face and said nothing. Bella snorted heavily with a look of disdain. Adrian’s body flinched, and he leaned fearfully toward Chloe. Chloe patted his back soothingly. “You wanted to see me?” I looked at Bella expressionlessly. “You still have the nerve to ask?” Bella’s voice suddenly rose, and she grabbed the cup beside her and hurled it at me. “Henry, look what you’ve done! Look what you’ve done to Adrian!” “Chloe must have been blind to marry a violent man like you.” “Do you know that Chloe cried all night last night because of the shock?” Bella was emotional, hurling accusations at me. Chloe sobbed on cue, as if she’d suffered the greatest injustice. “Henry, you went too far last night. Adrian is someone we watched grow up, so naturally he and Chloe are close. You were wrong to hit him without asking questions first.” Looking at Mitchell speaking so righteously, I laughed coldly: “And then?” “And then?” Bella bristled like a cat whose tail had been stepped on: “Of course you apologize.” “You can only get up after Adrian and Chloe forgive you.” Bella’s tone was matter-of-fact. In the past, Chloe’s family had often used my love for Chloe to manipulate me. And over the past five years, I had indeed chosen to swallow my pride again and again for the sake of family harmony. Bella was certain that this time I would lower my head and admit my mistake as I always had, but this time they would be disappointed. “Are you finished?” “If you’re finished, it’s my turn.” “Chloe, let’s get a divorce!” With that, I slapped the divorce agreement the lawyer had prepared overnight in front of Chloe. Chloe froze, her sobbing stopped. Mitchell and Bella were also stunned, not expecting the word “divorce” to come from my mouth. Everyone stared at me in disbelief. Only Adrian, after a brief moment of shock, couldn’t hide the wild joy in his eyes. “Henry, don’t be ungrateful.” “You only get one chance.” Mitchell’s face grew darker, his voice heavy with warning. “Henry, I already told you last night was a misunderstanding. Why won’t you listen?” Chloe looked at me tearfully, tears falling like broken pearls, looking pitiful and wronged. Adrian grabbed my hand, his voice choked: “Henry, it’s all my fault, everything is my fault.” “I don’t need your apology. Just don’t fight with Chloe anymore. If you can’t stand me, I’ll leave tomorrow, disappear from your sight immediately, and never come back!” “Chloe really loves you. Don’t divorce her. I’m begging you, okay?” Looking at Adrian, I felt a wave of disgust in my heart. “Get lost!” I shook Adrian off forcefully and took two steps back. “Ah!” Adrian fell to the ground, crying out in exaggerated pain. “Henry! Have you lost your mind!” Chloe helped Adrian up with distress. Seeing Adrian’s reddened elbow, she screamed at me furiously. “You want a divorce, right? Fine, I’ll divorce you!” “It’s not like I can’t live without you.” With that, she picked up the divorce agreement to sign it. “Wait.” Bella stopped her. “Henry, we can divorce, but you have to leave with nothing. And you have to publicly claim that you had an affair during marriage, which led to the breakdown of the relationship.”

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My mother had severe OCD about cleanliness. To prevent urine from splashing on the toilet seat. As a boy, I was forced from a young age to sit down when using the bathroom. Until that day in the school restroom, when I stood in front of the urinal with my face flushed red, I discovered that suddenly I couldn’t pee standing up anymore. I trembled all over in panic, and in the end, I couldn’t release a single drop. It all ended up in my pants instead. I sobbed in shame. When my mother arrived with a cold expression on her face, she let out a sigh. “Ernest, you’ve disappointed me so much.” “You made such a mess of yourself just going to the bathroom. You’re no longer a clean child.” Seeing the disgust in my mother’s eyes, I felt like I was suffocating from grief. My mother had said that she would only love clean children. I thought, if I just wash myself clean, she won’t hate me anymore, right? I looked at that expression of revulsion in my mother’s eyes, my heart aching. I knew she was disgusted by me. That was the same look she had whenever she saw something dirty—brows furrowed, corners of her mouth turned down. But Mom, I’m not a dirty thing, I’m your son! Panicking, I reached out my hand, trying to grab hers. I wanted to tell her I’d wash myself clean right away, that I wouldn’t stay dirty. “Mom.” My fingers had just touched her sleeve. My mother jerked back as if she’d been electrocuted, yanking her arm away forcefully. I staggered back two steps, my back hitting the hallway wall, the back of my head bumping against it. The pain made my eyes sting. But I didn’t cry, because I saw my mother lower her head, staring at the spot on her sleeve that I had touched. She pulled a wet wipe from her bag and started cleaning it. She wiped it four times before folding the wipe neatly and throwing it in the nearby trash can. I looked down at my own fingers. They were wet, carrying the smell of urine. I slowly curled my fingers inward, clenching them into a small fist and stuffing it into my pocket. I wouldn’t reach out anymore. There was no one who wanted to hold my hand anyway. Ms. Levitt had been standing to the side watching. Now she crouched down, took off her jacket, and wrapped it around my wet pants. She put her arm around my shoulders, saying softly. “It’s okay, Ernest. I wet my pants when I was little too. It’s nothing to be ashamed of.” But when my mother saw Ms. Levitt hugging me, she immediately walked over. She smiled, bent down, and used two fingers to pinch a corner of Ms. Levitt’s jacket, removing it from my body. “Ms. Levitt, he’s dirty. Don’t let him soil your clothes.” She said it with a smile, her tone incredibly gentle. Ms. Levitt stood up, her expression darkening. She looked at my mother, then at me. “He’s only six years old. Wetting his pants is normal.” “What he needs right now is comfort, not disgust.” I thought my mother would get angry. But she spoke calmly and deliberately. “Ms. Levitt, I understand your feelings. But as an educator, you should be aware that the formation of behavioral habits before age six is a critical period.” “Unconditionally accepting children at this stage is equivalent to indulgence. Children without rules will only have worse boundaries as they grow up.” “This is basic educational knowledge.” Ms. Levitt opened her mouth but couldn’t find the words to respond. Several parents who had come to pick up their children nearby stopped and began whispering. “What this mom is saying does make sense.” “Yeah, you really can’t spoil kids too much these days.” “She’s doing it for the child’s own good.” I stood in the corner, listening to these words, feeling like the whole world was telling me: Mom is right, being dirty is bad. I lowered my head and sniffed myself. It smelled terrible. I said quietly. “I’ll go wash myself clean, then Mom won’t be angry.” No one heard me. Behind me, my mother was still discussing educational philosophies with Ms. Levitt. I turned and walked along the wall of the hallway, step by step toward the stairwell. My pants were wet, and as I walked, the fabric stuck to my legs, cold and clammy. When I turned at the stairwell, I looked back. My mother wasn’t looking at me. It didn’t matter. Once I washed myself clean, she would look at me.

Behind the school was a small path. At the end of the path was a flower bed and a water basin. The basin was used by the school for watering plants. It wasn’t large. But on this winter day, the wind was so cold it made me shiver. I walked to the edge of the basin and saw a thin layer of ice forming on the surface. I crouched down, rolled up my sleeves, cupped water in my hands, and splashed it on my pants. The icy water made me gasp. But I didn’t stop. I kept cupping water and splashing it on my pant legs, scrubbing as I muttered to myself. “Once I’m clean, Mom won’t be disgusted by me.” “Once I’m clean, Mom will hold my hand again.” I remembered the rules at home. Before using the toilet, I had to lay three layers of toilet paper on the seat, not more, not less. After urinating, I had to spray the toilet seat twice with disinfectant spray, from left to right, never in reverse. When washing my hands, I had to lather with soap and scrub for the time it took to sing the birthday song twice to be truly clean. Once I was in a hurry and sat down before laying the toilet paper. When my mother found out, she dragged me to the bathroom and scrubbed the inside of my thighs with a brush. She scrubbed until my skin turned red and burned with pain. As she scrubbed, she said, “So dirty, so dirty.” “How can you be so dirty? How can I ever get you clean?” After that, I never forgot to lay the paper again. I thought, Mom doesn’t not love me, she just loves the clean version of me. So as long as I stayed clean, she would always love me. After scrubbing for a while, I realized that just washing my pants wasn’t enough. My mother had said that anywhere touched by dirty things had to be cleaned, or the bacteria would spread. The urine had run down my pants onto my legs, so my legs were dirty too. I took off my shoes and stepped barefoot into the shallow water at the edge of the basin. The water covered my ankles, so cold that the muscles in my calves cramped. Gritting my teeth, I bent down to scrub my legs. I didn’t notice the slippery moss on the bottom of the basin. My foot suddenly slipped forward, and I lost my balance. Instinctively, I reached for the edge of the basin, but my fingers only grabbed a handful of slimy moss. My whole body pitched forward into the middle of the basin. My forehead struck the edge of the basin wall. There was a dull thud, and then I fell into the water. Water rushed into my nose. I tried to move, but my head was buzzing and my arms and legs suddenly felt very heavy. The light before my eyes gradually dimmed. I remembered what my mother used to say. “Ernest, I only love babies who are clean and spotless.” Mom, I’m washing myself. I’m making myself clean. Please wait for me. Once I’m done washing, you’ll hold my hand again, right? Ripples spread across the water’s surface in widening circles before fading away. A few dead leaves drifted down from the trees, landing on the water’s surface, sticking to my back.

In the hallway, my mother was still talking. “Ms. Levitt, it’s not that I don’t care about him. Quite the opposite—I want what’s best for him more than anyone.” “But that’s how education works. If I’m soft on him now, he’ll suffer greatly in society later.” Ms. Levitt stood across from her, lips pressed tightly together, wanting to speak but continually being cut off. Suddenly, she glanced down both sides of the hallway, her expression changing. “Where’s the child?” She turned around and looked. “Where’s Ernest? Where is Ernest?” My mother lifted her chin slightly, unworried. “He must have gone to the bathroom. He knows the rules—if he makes a mess, he has to clean himself up.” “I didn’t see him go to the bathroom.” Ms. Levitt was already running toward the classroom. He wasn’t in the classroom. He wasn’t in the boys’ bathroom either. She ran back, anxiously stopping a passing security guard. “John, did you see a little boy? About six years old, with wet pants?” The guard thought for a moment. “I think I saw a kid heading toward the flower beds out back.” Ms. Levitt’s heart sank. She knew what was behind the flower beds. She grabbed my mother and ran toward the back door, shouting as she ran. “Ernest! Ernest!” My mother was being pulled along, but she still maintained her unhurried demeanor. “Ms. Levitt, don’t panic. He won’t go far. The child is very timid.” The two of them went around the flower bed and onto the small path leading to the water basin. In the distance, they saw a small figure by the basin. Ms. Levitt squinted to look, breathed a long sigh of relief, but then immediately tensed up again. “He’s by the water? It’s so cold out, is he washing himself with cold water?” She quickened her pace. “No, no, in this freezing weather he’ll catch a cold. We need to pull him away right now.” My mother grabbed Ms. Levitt’s arm. “Ms. Levitt, don’t go over there. Let him wash himself.” Ms. Levitt froze. “He finally knows to clean himself up.” My mother looked at the small figure by the water basin in the distance, her eyes actually glimmering with tenderness. “See, I told you. Once the rules are established, children know what to do on their own.” The corners of her mouth curved upward slightly. “He’s learning to be Mommy’s favorite clean baby.” Ms. Levitt was being held by the arm, her foot suspended in mid-air before she drew it back. “But… in the middle of winter, using cold water… what if he catches a cold?” My mother waved her hand dismissively. “Children aren’t that fragile. Once he’s done washing, I’ll take him home to change clothes.” Ms. Levitt bit her lip and ultimately didn’t move forward. She stood in place, watching from afar that small figure hunched over by the water basin. She felt something was wrong, but couldn’t put her finger on it.

My mother released Ms. Levitt’s arm and slowly walked toward the water basin. As she walked, she said. “Once he’s done washing, I need to make sure he dries his hands thoroughly. Who knows how many bacteria are in that basin water.” “When we get home, I’ll have to wash him again with hot water and soak him in disinfectant for ten minutes.” My mother walked to about three meters from the basin and stopped. She saw that the water seemed a bit murky and was tinged with a faint reddish color. My mother frowned. “This water is so dirty, it smells like rust. When we get home I’ll definitely have to scrub him twice with body wash.” My mother shook her head in disgust and continued walking forward. Finally, she could see clearly what was in the basin. I wasn’t crouching by the edge—I was face down, lying in the water. My small arms hung on either side of my body, rising and falling gently with the ripples on the water’s surface. My mother’s footsteps paused. “Ernest? What are you doing?” “Lift your head up. The water is dirty, don’t lie in it.” Her tone was impatient. I didn’t move. I couldn’t move. “Ernest.” She bent down and grabbed my collar, pulling upward. Still muttering. “Get up, get up, your clothes are all wet, now I’ll have to wash them again!” “Do you have any idea how hard clothes are to wash!” My face emerged from the water. My mother’s hand froze. The face was a bluish-purple color. There was a gash on my forehead that had turned pale from being soaked in water. My mother’s hand gripping my collar started trembling. Her throat felt blocked, unable to make a sound. Behind her came Ms. Levitt’s urgent footsteps. She saw me in my mother’s hands, saw that bluish-purple little face, and screamed. Her knees went weak and she collapsed by the edge of the basin. With trembling hands, she took me from my mother, laid me on the ground, turned my head to the side, and pried open my mouth to let the water flow out. Then she interlaced her fingers and pressed them on my chest, pushing down rhythmically. Crying as she pressed. “Ernest, spit it out! Spit it out!” One. Two. Three. My head lolled limply with each compression. My mother knelt by the basin’s edge, her entire body frozen, not moving at all. Behind her, Ms. Levitt compressed for a full two minutes until her arms gave out, finally stopping. She collapsed on the ground, her voice full of despair. “Call 911… quickly call 911!” “Ernest isn’t breathing…”

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