My fiancé was a commercial airline captain. He was dedicated, precise, and highly respected in his field. But when our flight hit severe turbulence and faced a potential crash, he grabbed my life jacket and gave it to his first love. Later, when I confronted him, he just looked at me with sheer impatience. “It’s not like you died, Chloe!” As I clutched my chest and collapsed, he carried his first love in his arms and walked away without looking back. He didn’t know I had a congenital heart condition. I couldn’t handle extreme stress. In the end, that flight had only one casualty. Me. 1 Panic was spreading fast in the cabin. As the lead flight attendant on this flight, I had to hold onto the handrail in the aisle just to stay upright, doing my best to calm the passengers. “Please remain seated and keep your seatbelts fastened! We are just experiencing some severe turbulence. Everything is under control!” Honestly, even I didn’t believe my own words. Turbulence was common, but violent shaking like this was highly unusual. A terrifying thought crossed my mind. Sure enough, my words did nothing to soothe the passengers. As the plane took another violent dip, the screams grew louder and more desperate. Right then, Ethan walked out of the cockpit. I was stunned to see him. “Ethan? What are you doing out here? Shouldn’t you be at the controls?” He kept his head down, giving me a dismissive, half-hearted answer. “The co-pilot has the controls. I came out to help manage the cabin.” I nodded, assuming he only came out because the passengers were getting too hysterical. Even though a tiny voice in my head told me something was off, the urgency of the situation didn’t give me time to think. I immediately went back to securing the cabin. Because of that, I missed the way Ethan’s eyes drifted toward the left side of the cabin. Right where his high school sweetheart was sitting. “Ethan, quick! Put your life jacket on!” I had just grabbed my own life jacket. Before I could even put it on, I hurriedly handed the last available crew jacket to my boyfriend. The entire plane was shaking violently. It was almost impossible to stand. Ethan took the jacket from my hands and slipped it on without a second thought. I held his hand tightly, my heart hammering against my ribs. In our flight attendant training, we practiced for every emergency scenario. We knew the protocols by heart. But when real danger hit, and the ground was literally slipping from beneath my feet, fear still took over. At that moment, only one thought kept me sane. At least the man I loved was right by my side. If the worst happened, at least… we would die together. With that thought, I squeezed Ethan’s hand even harder, trying to feel his warmth. But I didn’t notice that his eyes were never on me. He was staring intensely at a woman a few rows away. “Watch out!” Ethan suddenly yelled, throwing my hand off him. He lunged toward the other side of the aisle. A heavy carry-on bag had slipped from the overhead bin. It slammed hard against his back, but he didn’t care. He was shielding a woman beneath him. Seeing the dark stain of blood instantly seeping through his white captain’s shirt, I gasped. “Ethan!” But Ethan didn’t hear my worried cry. He frantically pulled the woman up, his voice trembling with anxiety. “Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?” The woman stared at him in a daze for a few seconds before shaking her head. “Thank you… I’m okay.” At first, I thought Ethan was just being a hero, doing his job to protect a passenger. Until my eyes accidentally fell on the passenger manifest clipboard on the nearby seat. A name jumped out at me, turning my blood to ice. 2 Lily Carter. Ethan’s first love. The girl who was with him from middle school through college, the one who defined his youth. And the one who dumped him right after graduation to chase a richer life. In that instant, the face of the woman Ethan had just risked his life to save overlapped perfectly with that name. It wasn’t a selfless act of heroism. He was just protecting his precious ex. I stood there frozen, watching him carefully shield her. My eyes stung with hot tears. The plane took another massive dip. I didn’t have time to wallow in my heartbreak. After making sure all the passengers had their life jackets secure, I could only pray in silence. I knew prayers wouldn’t fix an engine, but right now, it was all I had. The cabin was a chaotic mess, so I didn’t immediately notice that Lily didn’t have a life jacket. The two of them were whispering to each other. Then, Ethan walked over to me. He stood there, staring at me silently. I found it bizarre. “As the captain, you should be in the cockpit or at least reassuring the passengers. Why are you standing in my way?” He looked at me with a conflicted, almost embarrassed expression. But then, he opened his mouth and said something I never expected to hear from him. “Chloe… you haven’t put your life jacket on yet. Give it to one of the passengers.” I stared at him, wondering if the cabin pressure was making me hallucinate. But looking at his tightly pressed lips and guilty eyes, I knew I had heard him perfectly. I clutched my life jacket tightly to my chest and looked away. “Every passenger has a life jacket assigned to their seat. Why do they need mine?” Seeing my resistance, Ethan said defensively, “An older lady in the front couldn’t find hers. In the panic, she tried to grab Lily’s. They fought over it and ripped it. So…” “So you want me to give up mine? Ethan, do you have any idea how dangerous it is for me to be without a life jacket?!” I interrupted, my voice cracking. “If you’re so worried about her, why don’t you give her yours?” I sneered. Ethan’s face went stiff, and his guilt instantly turned into anger. “I’m the captain! If something happens to me, this plane is doomed! You’re a flight attendant. Did you sleep through your training? Put the passengers first! That’s your job!” He raised his voice, trying to convince himself as much as me. Before I could even speak, he ripped the life jacket out of my hands and walked away without looking back. I watched him hand it to Lily like a prize, receiving a look of pure adoration from her. I stood in the aisle, completely numb. It wasn’t that I refused to sacrifice for a passenger. I knew my duties. And in a real crash, a life jacket might not even save me. But the fact that Ethan—my fiancé—had physically ripped it from my hands to give it to his ex-girlfriend broke something inside me. As the only person in the cabin without a life jacket, I had to finish the flight in absolute terror, trying to keep up a professional face. Fortunately, after passing through the storm, the plane stabilized. We finally landed safely at our destination. When the last passenger stepped off, the tension that had kept me going finally snapped. The moment I relaxed, I realized my heart was racing at an alarming, dangerous speed. 3 I knew something was wrong. I needed my medication. I quickly walked out of the terminal. But not far from the airport exit, I saw Ethan walking out, his arm wrapped supportively around Lily. The sight of them brought all the anger, betrayal, and humiliation of the flight rushing back. The fury eclipsed the pain in my chest. Ignoring my wildly pounding heart, I marched straight up to them and blocked their path. “Ethan Vance, what is the meaning of this?!” Faced with my confrontation, he looked uncomfortable. He muttered dismissively, “I was just doing my job for a passenger’s safety. Don’t make a big deal out of it.” His evasive attitude made me see red. I grabbed his arm, glaring at Lily. “Don’t play games with me. I know exactly who she is. And don’t forget, Ethan—I am your fiancée!” Lily looked up at Ethan, her eyes wide with mock surprise. “She’s your girlfriend?” I noticed how she intentionally downgraded “fiancée” to “girlfriend.” Ethan angrily shook off my hand. His face was twisted with annoyance. “Are you really going to make a scene over a stupid jacket? It’s not like you died, Chloe!” Maybe it was because of my questioning, or maybe because I had exposed his relationship status in front of his precious first love. He was furious. But his words felt like a physical blade stabbing straight through my chest. My heart, which had been beating too fast, suddenly gave a violent squeeze. I couldn’t breathe. I clutched my chest, reaching out to him for help. Before I could squeeze a word out, Lily suddenly whimpered and collapsed to the ground. “Lily!” “Ethan… help me…” My faint plea was completely drowned out by Ethan’s panicked cry. His eyes were entirely focused on the woman on the ground. But I saw it. I saw Lily’s eyelashes fluttering. She was faking it. Ethan didn’t care. He scooped her up in his arms, his face pale with worry, and started running toward the exit. Using the absolute last ounce of my strength, I reached out and snagged the hem of Ethan’s jacket. “Ethan… please… I can’t breathe… help me…” Ethan turned back, his face full of disgust. His words were poison. “Are you seriously doing this right now? Lily faints, and suddenly you’re having a medical emergency too? stop being so pathetic!” “If you’re sick, call 911! I’m not a doctor!” The lack of oxygen choked off my voice. I couldn’t say another word. I collapsed onto the cold floor. In my fading vision, I watched Ethan run away, holding Lily close. He didn’t know I had a congenital heart condition. It was fatal. I curled up on the freezing floor, feeling my heartbeat slowly fade. The noise of the airport began to slip away, leaving me in absolute silence. I forced my eyelids open for one last look at the world. It looked just like any other day. Except I would never see tomorrow. Right before my eyes closed forever, I saw a couple in the distance carrying a birthday cake. A cake… what a shame. I wouldn’t get to celebrate my birthday this year. Somehow, my mind drifted back to my birthday last year. Ethan had prepared the gifts and the cake early in the morning, presenting them to me the moment I woke up. Back then, his eyes held only me. I had been so drowned in his love, feeling like the luckiest girl in the world. While I was daydreaming, Ethan had blown out the candles for me. “I wish for Chloe Summer to be happy forever, and for us to be together forever!” Three “forevers.” At least at that moment, I knew his love was real. I had playfully punched his shoulder and looked away, pretending to be annoyed. “Why are you making a wish on my birthday?” “Besides, who said I’m staying with you forever? Don’t flatter yourself.” Ethan had laughed and kissed my cheek. “Then tell me, Princess Chloe, what is your wish? Let’s see if your boyfriend can make it come true.” I relit the candles, closed my eyes, and made a silent wish: I wish for Ethan and me to have a long, happy, and safe life together. After blowing out the candles, Ethan had leaned in, begging me to tell him what I wished for. “If I tell you, it won’t come true. Secret!” Ethan had smiled, reached behind his back, and pulled out a velvet box. He dropped to one knee, looking up at me with absolute devotion. “Well, your boyfriend has a wish too. Chloe, will you marry me?” Inside the box was the exact ring I had admired in a boutique window weeks ago. Tears had rushed to my eyes. I hugged him tightly, whispering in his ear, “My wish was for us to be safe, happy, and together forever.” I guess it was true. Wishes really don’t come true once you say them out loud. Not only did we not stay together, but I couldn’t even have a safe and healthy life. With my final gasp of air, I unlocked my phone and dialed 91 But… before the ambulance could arrive, my heart slowed down from its frantic pace, flattening into a straight line. I was the only casualty of that flight.

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During a destination wedding shoot, the bride kept complaining to me. “Can you believe how clingy men can be? We already did one wedding shoot, but he wasn’t satisfied. He insisted on flying me all the way to Switzerland for another.” “He even prepared so many designer gowns. Doesn’t he get tired of posing?” As she spoke, the girl pulled up the photos on her phone to show me. My eyes swept across the groom’s familiar face, and I froze right where I stood. It wasn’t until I saw the groom’s name on the itinerary that I finally let out a breath. Julian Vance. My boyfriend’s twin brother. Years ago, when their parents got a messy divorce, Julian went with their father and became the sole heir to a massive Los Angeles real estate empire. Meanwhile, Ethan, who stayed with their mother, was just an ordinary clerk living paycheck to paycheck, barely earning enough to get by. Just last month, Ethan claimed he had rear-ended a Porsche while driving his boss’s car. He had to drain our entire joint savings, the money we had saved for our future house and wedding, to pay for the damages. I pushed down my envy, forcing myself to smile, about to offer some polite congratulations. But then, my eyes caught a behind-the-scenes photo. The man was wearing silk pajamas, and his collar was slightly parted, revealing a crescent-shaped burn scar near his collarbone. It was identical to the scar my boyfriend, Ethan, had gotten three years ago when he pulled me out of a kitchen fire.

The dressing room door was pushed open. Julian walked in. He naturally walked over to Scarlett’s side, planting a soft kiss on her cheek. “Are you done with your makeup, babe? If we wait any longer, we’ll miss the sunrise over the Alps.” He looked up and met my eyes. In that split second, I saw him freeze. It was just a momentary flicker of panic, but in that instant, I knew. He was Ethan. There was no divorced twin brother. There was only a bored, rich heir who liked to play pretend, pretending to be poor just to mess with me. Julian quickly averted his gaze, his face turning cold and composed again. “Photographer, get ready.” I clenched my fists, suppressing the urge to scream and demand answers. I raised my camera, staying professional. How pathetic. Confronted with such a devastating truth, my very first thought wasn’t even to cause a scene. It was that I couldn’t afford to lose this job. In the dressing room, only Scarlett’s playful, spoiled complaints echoed. “Didn’t you take a whole month off work just to accompany me for this shoot? I don’t believe today is the only day we’ll get a sunrise.” Julian gently patted her head with pure adoration. “Alright. Whatever you want.” My mind flashed back to a month ago. I had sent Ethan a screenshot of our savings account. I was so happy when I texted him: “Ethan, I’ve worked out the budget. We don’t need a fancy wedding shoot, and we don’t need to go to the mountains. This money is enough for our marriage license and the down payment on a small apartment!” But all I got in return, thirty minutes later, was a notification showing our account balance had been wiped to zero. Ethan had come home looking completely devastated. He told me he had crashed into a Porsche, and all our money had to go toward the deductible and out-of-pocket settlement. I had to suppress my own crushing disappointment, forcing a smile to comfort him. “It’s okay. Money can be remade. We’ll save up again, slowly.” That night, he held my hand and promised: “Chloe, the company has a project out of town for a month. Once I get the bonus, I’ll make it up to you.” So, this was his “out-of-town project.” Marrying another woman. My heart grew colder by the second, but my hands holding the camera remained steady. I kept clicking the shutter. Soon, the first shoot was over. Passing by a boutique luxury store, Scarlett’s eyes lit up. She abandoned our shooting schedule and rushed inside to try on jewelry. At checkout, Julian casually signaled his assistant. “Buy everything she tried on.” Scarlett giggled, wrapping her arms around his neck. “I was just playing around. Why did you buy them all?” “As long as you like it.” A wave of bitter memories flooded my chest. Ethan used to hate it when I spent money. For our anniversary last year, I had merely suggested wanting a simple silver bracelet as a gift. He had stood right outside the store, his face instantly darkening. “Chloe, can you stop trying to keep up with the Joneses? We are trying to build a life here. We can’t afford to waste money on useless things.” The gift he ended up getting me was a single, discounted cupcake from the grocery store. It was strawberry flavored. He didn’t even remember that I was allergic to strawberries. Scarlett rummaged through the shopping bags, pulled out a pair of promotional gemstone earrings, and handed them to me. “Thanks for your hard work today. Here, a gift for you.” Julian frowned. “Look at how she dresses. She looks so plain. She can’t pull off those kinds of flashy earrings. Don’t waste them on her.” Scarlett hugged her shopping bags, her voice sassy. “I don’t care. I already decided to give them to her.” Julian looked like he wanted to argue, but instead, he just tugged at his shirt cuffs. I knew that gesture. It was his signature sign of extreme impatience. Whenever we argued in the past and he made that gesture, I would immediately back down and apologize. But this time, the one who backed down was Julian. He glanced at me, his eyes freezing cold. “She gave them to you. Why aren’t you taking them?” I didn’t say a word. I just stiffly reached out and took the bag. As I turned to follow Scarlett’s steps, my foot slipped on the uneven cobblestone step, and I stumbled violently. I didn’t dare let go of the camera to grab the railing. All I could do was use my body to shield the twenty-thousand-dollar equipment. In the next second, a strong pair of hands firmly caught my waist, pulling me against a hard chest.

Julian frowned, his tone sharp with irritation. “Can’t you even walk straight?” Before I could speak, Scarlett turned around. Her eyes locked onto Julian’s hands, which were still wrapped around my waist. “Well, look at you, playing the knight in shining armor.” I quickly pushed myself away from him, bowing deeply. “I am so sorry, Mr. Vance. It was my mistake.” He clearly had no intention of letting me off easy. His words were cutting. “Then pack up your things and get lost. We don’t need you here.” My colleague wanted to plead on my behalf, but I stopped them. Without another word, I handed over the camera memory cards, went back to the hotel, and immediately packed my bags. The next morning, I stood in the lobby with my suitcase, ready to head to the airport. But as soon as the elevator doors opened, I saw Julian standing near the entrance. He was wearing his cheap, worn-out clothes. His hair was messy from the wind, looking as though he had traveled a long distance in a rush. “Chloe.” The moment he saw me, he ran over. “My business trip got rerouted to Switzerland. I noticed you weren’t answering my Snapchat messages. I was worried you were having a hard time here, so I came to check on you.” Looking into those eyes full of fake concern and tenderness, I felt a sudden urge to laugh. Every single bit of misery I was experiencing was caused by him. Yet, he could stand here so effortlessly, playing the role of the worried, loving boyfriend. I couldn’t hold back the bitterness in my throat anymore. I uttered his real name: “Julian Vance.” His expression didn’t change, but his brow furrowed deeper. “What are you talking about, Chloe?” “Julian Vance. The heir to the Vance empire,” I said, word by word. “Scarlett’s fiancé. There is no twin brother. There was only ever you. You got bored of your rich life, found a regular girl, played the poor boy, and lied to me for three whole years.” His pupils dilated slightly. “When did you find out?” “Yesterday.” My eyes fell on his chest. “I saw your scar.” He fell silent for a few seconds, his throat bobbing. “Chloe, I can explain…” I looked at him calmly. “Please step aside, sir. I have a flight to catch.” Just then, a sharp, familiar voice rang out behind us. “Julian?” The elevator door opened again. Scarlett stood there, her hair disheveled, clearly having just woken up. Her gaze darted from Julian’s cheap clothes to me, and her face twisted in rage. “What the hell is going on here?” Julian turned to her, his voice immediately softening. “Scarlett, go back to your room. I’ll explain everything in a minute.” “Explain what?!” “Julian, I canceled all my modeling gigs for this shoot. You said you wanted to do this, so I came. You said you needed a month, so I gave you a month. And what do you do? You’re hooking up with a cheap photographer behind my back?!” “No, Scarlett, it’s not…” Scarlett didn’t let him finish. She furiously threw her phone at the floor. “Then why were you holding her waist yesterday? Why are you here in her hotel lobby first thing in the morning?!” Tears streamed down her face, her voice shrieking. “Have you two been sleeping together?!” The hotel staff and guests in the lobby all turned to look at us. I stood there, instinctively trying to de-escalate. “Miss Scarlett, you’ve got it wrong…” “Shut up!” Scarlett whipped her head around, her eyes burning with pure hatred. “I am talking to my fiancé! Who gave a peasant like you the right to speak? You cheap whore, trying to steal another woman’s man. Have you no shame?!” Before I could react, she lunged forward and slapped me hard across the face. I couldn’t dodge in time. The sharp diamonds on her acrylic nails ripped across my left cheek. A stinging, burning pain flared up. Something warm and wet began to trickle down my cheek. “Enough!” Julian grabbed Scarlett’s wrist, pulling her back into his arms. “I will handle this. Go back to your room right now.” Scarlett’s lips trembled, but she didn’t argue further. Julian turned to the bodyguards standing behind her. “Take her back upstairs. And get a doctor to check on her face.” “Her.” He meant me. Then, he wrapped his arm around Scarlett’s shoulders, whispering something soothing into her ear as they walked back toward the elevator. From beginning to end, Julian never looked back at me once. A bodyguard stepped in front of me, his face expressionless. “Miss, please come with us.” I gripped my suitcase, wanting to push past him, but two more towering guards blocked my path, forcing me back into my hotel room.

By the second day of my confinement in the hotel, a viral post about me blew up online. The poster claimed to be Scarlett’s close friend. They wrote a long, detailed “expose” post. The post claimed Julian and Scarlett were childhood sweethearts with a long-standing family arrangement, and that I had tried to seduce Julian during their romantic wedding shoot, only to be caught red-handed. The comment section was filled with pure toxicity. “Homewrecker,” “gold-digger,” “disgusting whore.” The insults were endless. Someone even doxed my personal information and my photography studio’s address. People started calling the studio, leaving death threats. Fearing the PR backlash, my boss sent me a termination letter via email. I wanted to defend myself, but I didn’t even know where to start. Say that I didn’t seduce him? Say that we had been together for three years, and that he had lied to me from day one? Who would believe a broke photographer over a billionaire heir? I turned off my phone and sat on the bed in silence for hours. On the third day, my phone rang. It was my mother. “Chloe, I saw the things online. Your grandma saw them too… she had a panic attack and was rushed to the hospital.” “The doctor said she needs urgent heart surgery. The deposit is twenty thousand dollars. I’ve emptied my accounts, but we’re still way short. Can you find a way?” Twenty thousand dollars. For me, that was an astronomical amount. I forced down my panic, transferring the last few hundred dollars in my account to her. “Mom, I’m coming home right now. Don’t panic, I’ll find a way to borrow the money.” After hanging up, I frantically started making calls. Friends, college roommates, former clients… I called everyone in my contact list. “Sorry, Chloe, I just paid my rent…” “I’m a bit tight this month…” “Chloe, your name is dirt on the internet right now. If I associate with you, I’ll get canceled too. I can’t help you.” After making over twenty calls, I managed to scrape together less than a thousand dollars. Clinging to my last shred of hope, I sent Julian a Snapchat message. “Let me go. My grandma is in the hospital. I need money.” The message was marked as read. No reply. I sent another: “I’m begging you.” Still, read but no reply. I called his phone. It rang for a long time before he finally picked up. He only said one thing: “I’m busy right now, we’ll talk later,” and hung up. In the second before the call cut off, I heard Scarlett’s breathless voice in the background: “Julian, don’t think this means I’ve forgiven you yet…” In the early hours of the next morning, I received a text from my mother. My grandmother had passed away. I sat on the bed like a hollow shell, unable to cry, unable to feel. I just stared blankly at the screen. Was any of this real? I was just an ordinary girl. I had no grand ambitions. I had worked hard, saving every penny with the man I loved. My family had supported us. We were supposed to get married. We were supposed to be happy. At three in the afternoon, the door finally unlocked. Julian walked in. He was wearing a bespoke designer suit. A single cufflink on his sleeve cost more than my entire life’s savings. He reached out to touch my hand, but I flinched back. “Chloe, I was dealing with Scarlett’s family yesterday. I didn’t mean to ignore your calls.” Julian rubbed the bridge of his nose, looking exhausted, as if he had truly worked all night to resolve the crisis. But right beneath his collar, there were faint, unmistakable hickeys. I laughed, though tears spilled over my eyelashes. “Julian, you lied to me for three years. Are you still trying to lie to me now?” “I’m tired. I don’t want to be your toy anymore. Please, just let me go.” Julian stepped closer, panic flaring in his eyes. “I never saw you as a toy!” “Then what was I to you?!” My voice cracked, and I screamed hysterically. “You locked me in this room for six days! My grandma was dying in a hospital bed waiting for money to save her life, and you couldn’t even reply to a single text! What was I to you?!”

He fell silent. For a very long time, he couldn’t say a word. Finally, only three words slipped from his lips: “I am sorry.” My blood ran cold. “Did you do this?” “No, it wasn’t me,” he said, looking at me desperately. “It was Scarlett. She was the one who had those articles posted. She sent people to show the posts to your grandmother to trigger her illness. She also blocked your family from getting loans.” Scarlett. A girl who had everything, yet because of a petty tantrum, she decided to destroy my entire life. “And you knew about all of this?” He didn’t deny it. I could hear my own voice trembling. “You knew everything, and you did nothing.” “I did! The moment I found out, I sent my people to handle the hospital. I already wired the surgery money to your mother’s account.” “It was just… too late.” “Yeah. Because while all of this was happening, you were busy in her bed. How could you possibly have made it in time?” A sharp ringing echoed in my ears. My body moved before my brain could think. By the time I snapped out of it, my hand had already slapped him across the face. A bright red mark bloomed on Julian’s cheek. He didn’t dodge. All the strength drained from my body, and I collapsed onto the floor, consumed by bitter self-loathing. It was all my fault. I was so pathetic, so stupid. Julian was a prominent figure; he had appeared on the cover of Forbes and financial news channels multiple times. But every time he showed me those articles, he would spin a sob story about his hatred for his father and his “evil twin brother”: “I hate my brother. He knew what a monster our father was, but he still chose the money and abandoned our mother.” And I, like an idiot, had believed every single word of his poorly written script. The room fell into a suffocating silence, save for my ragged breathing. “Julian, we’re done. Don’t ever show your face to me again.” His expression finally cracked. “No.” He grabbed my arm, his eyes filled with desperation and struggle. “Chloe, listen to me. I don’t love Scarlett, and I have no intention of marrying her. Once our family’s joint venture is complete and I take full control of the Vance Group, I will call off the engagement.” Just then, his phone vibrated. He glanced down. It was a message from Scarlett. I couldn’t see the text, but I saw how quickly his emotional panic turned back into cold calculation. “Chloe, I have to handle something. Stay here. I’ll be back for you later.” With that, he turned to leave. The moment he unlocked the door, I made a desperate dash for the exit. “Chloe!” His reflexes were too fast. He grabbed my arm, pulling me back. I thrashed violently, but his grip was like iron. In the struggle, he yanked me hard. I lost my balance and fell forward, my lower abdomen slamming violently against the sharp wooden corner of the nightstand. In that instant, a blinding, white-hot pain tore through my body. I curled into a ball on the floor, clutching my stomach as cold sweat drenched my forehead. In my blurred state of mind, I suddenly remembered that I had missed my period for the past two months. A terrifying realization hit me. I gasped, begging him. “Julian… please… take me to the hospital…” But he didn’t even turn around. He just threw a cold sentence over his shoulder: “Chloe, stop acting. I won’t let you use this as an excuse to leave me.” The door slammed shut. The click of the lock echoed through the quiet room like a death knell. His footsteps faded away down the corridor. The pain in my abdomen intensified. Warm blood began to seep out, running down my thighs. I looked down and saw blood, dark red, spreading across the beige carpet. My consciousness started to fade. The harsh white light above me dimmed, and everything went black.

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On my wedding day, my fiancée, Chloe, made an excuse and sent me to the front desk to pick up our wedding rings. When I got back, all I saw was my mother, covered in blood, being rushed into an ambulance. The doctor declared her dead at the scene. They couldn’t save her. I thought it was just a tragic accident. It wasn’t until after the funeral, when I went to find Chloe, that I overheard a conversation outside her private lounge. “Tyler, did you really prank Ethan’s mom to death? What happened?” “I was just messing with her! I told her Ethan got into a horrific car crash. Who knew the old lady would be so gullible? She panicked, ran out, fell down the stairs, and broke her neck.” “Dude, that’s a sick prank, even for you!” “Chloe knew about it too. To help me pull it off, she purposely sent Ethan away to fetch the rings.” Chloe sighed inside the room. “Nobody talk about this ever again! Let it die.” Standing outside the door, my blood ran cold. My eyes widened in disbelief. My mother’s death wasn’t an accident. She was pranked to death by Tyler Harrison. And the woman who swore she loved me had actively participated in it, helping him cover up his dirty secret. If that was the case, I didn’t want this wedding anymore. Not a single person who played a part in my mother’s death would get away with it. …

“Look, I know I messed up, okay? I won’t play that kind of joke again.” Tyler said the words, but the smug grin on his face couldn’t be hidden. I thought his friends would call him out for being a psychopath, but instead, they laughed and patted his shoulder. “Man, you’re crazy! A literal prank god.” “Don’t beat yourself up over it. It’s not entirely your fault.” “Yeah, who knew the old lady had no common sense? It was just a joke, and she rushed out without even thinking.” “Exactly! Maybe it was just her time to go. She was destined to die on her son’s wedding day anyway.” Tyler clapped his hands, looking thrilled that they appreciated his “genius.” “Chloe, listen to them! It really wasn’t my fault,” Tyler said. “The old lady just didn’t use her brain. I prank you guys all the time, right? Has anyone ever died from my jokes? No!” The others laughed and nodded, mocking my mother’s death as if it were just bad luck. I clenched my fists so hard my nails dug into my palms. A burning rage consumed me. What disgusted me more was that Chloe didn’t yell at Tyler. Instead, she just shook her head with a fond, indulgent smile. Suddenly, someone yelled, “Holy shit! Is that a hickey on your neck, Chloe?” “Hahaha! Spill! Who did you spend last night with?” Chloe’s best friend teased, leaning in to inspect the mark. Tyler smirked, looking incredibly proud of himself. “Who do you think?” Everyone looked at each other. Realizing what Tyler’s smug face meant, the room erupted. “No way! You slept with her?” “Is that even a question? Ethan’s been busy running around throwing a funeral for his mom. When would he have the time or mood to sleep with Chloe?” “So Chloe got lonely and went to Tyler to get her fix. Damn.” Tyler gave the guy a thumbs-up. My heart didn’t just burn with rage; it sank into a bottomless pit of despair. What a sick joke. After my mother passed, I was so worried about Chloe feeling neglected. The moment the funeral ended, I rushed over to find her. Yet, she didn’t care about me at all. My mother died because of them, and while I was grieving, she was sleeping with the murderer, throwing salt on my bleeding wounds. “Man, Ethan is seriously pathetic.” “If he finds out Tyler’s prank killed his mom, and that you’re sleeping with Chloe, do you think he’ll sue?” Tyler laughed scornfully. “With what evidence? He has nothing. What can he do to me?”

Hearing Tyler’s arrogant voice, I couldn’t hold back anymore. I kicked the door open and stormed in. My sudden entrance wiped the smiles off their faces. Everyone froze. The entire VIP lounge went dead silent. The atmosphere became suffocatingly heavy. Only Tyler remained unfazed. He gave me a mocking smirk and leaned back, hiding behind Chloe. Chloe froze with her wine glass halfway to her mouth. She glanced at Tyler, then turned to look at me. Her voice was calm, almost indifferent, as if none of this had anything to do with her. “Is your mom’s funeral over?” I didn’t speak. I just glared at them with pure, unadulterated hatred. Chloe sighed, and the others began exchanging nervous glances. They were trying to figure out how much I had heard. “Ethan, did you hear what we were just talking about?” “Yes,” I said, my voice trembling with rage. “My mother didn’t die from an accident. She died because Tyler pranked her…” Before I could finish, Tyler jumped up and pointed a finger at me, shouting, “Hold on! What do you mean I pranked her to death? She was just stupid. She couldn’t tell a joke from reality! Have you never joked with anyone? It was her own fault she fell. Stop blaming me for her death!” “Who the hell plays with someone’s life on their wedding day?!” I roared. “And who made sure I was out of reach? Who took my phone so no one could call me?! My mother had a heart condition! She couldn’t take that kind of shock!” In the face of my fury, everyone shut their mouths, too scared to speak. Except Tyler. He grabbed a glass from the coffee table and hurled it at my head. I dodged it, lunged forward, and tackled him to the couch. I threw punch after punch. He was no match for me and was quickly pinned down. But his friends quickly jumped in to help him. Under the pretense of “breaking us up,” they grabbed my arms and pinned me down, giving Tyler a free shot to punch me in the ribs. Chloe, blind to the unfairness, stood up and screamed at me, “Enough!” “How long are you going to keep making a scene, Ethan?!” *I* was making a scene? I was trying to get justice for my dead mother, and my fiancée was protecting the killer. Oh, right. I almost forgot. She cheated on me. She slept with Tyler while I was organizing my mother’s funeral. Of course she would take his side. “Chloe, even now, you won’t apologize. You’re just helping him escape the consequences.” I ripped my arms away from the guys holding me, scanning the room of disgusting hypocrites. Maybe Chloe felt a tiny speck of guilt from my broken expression, because she turned to Tyler and said, “Tyler, just apologize to him.” Tyler scoffed, but not wanting to upset Chloe, he gave me a lazy, insincere glance. “Fine. My bad, okay? Now stop acting like a psycho.” Chloe’s smile returned as she looked at him. “And don’t play those kinds of jokes anymore, got it?” Then, she turned to me. “Tyler is young and a bit arrogant. Just let it go, Ethan. He apologized.” Every word she spoke was dripping with favoritism. It was a knife wrapped in velvet. She excused a fatal action as “being young” and expected the victim to just move on. My fingernails cut deep into my palms. It was painful, but I felt completely numb. “I don’t accept that pathetic excuse for an apology,” I said, adjusting my collar. “If a simple ‘sorry’ can solve a murder, then I guess I won’t mind ending him myself.” I walked to the door and stopped. “The wedding is off. We are done.” I slammed the door behind me, ignoring Chloe’s angry screams calling my name.

“Chloe, it looks like Ethan is actually serious this time.” “Is your wedding really cancelled?” Chloe shrugged, her voice filled with absolute confidence. “He’s just throwing a tantrum right now. Once he cools down, he’ll regret speaking to me like that. Cancel the wedding? Never. He loves me too much to ever walk away.” She then glared at Tyler. “Don’t play those jokes again. I mean it.” Tyler saw she was genuinely annoyed and quickly nodded like a good boy. Standing just outside the door, I heard every single word. It was so ironic. Tyler had once been trapped in a burning car crash, and I was the one who risked my life to pull him out. I never expected him to be such a heartless beast. He killed his savior’s mother for a laugh and slept with his savior’s fiancée. How evil did someone have to be to do that? If I hadn’t saved him back then, none of this would have happened. But there are no “what ifs” in life. Only consequences. I left the bar and immediately went to retrieve the security footage from the wedding venue. But the footage of that day was gone. Chloe had already destroyed it. No wonder Tyler was so cocky. I walked down the dark, empty street. It was past midnight. A bitter pain swallowed me whole. Right then, my phone rang. It was Chloe’s mother. “I heard you told Chloe the wedding is off. Is that true?” The Davis family had always looked down on me. Even though I worked tirelessly to help Chloe build the Davis Tech Group from a second-rate startup into one of the top tech companies in the city, they still treated me like trash. They thought Chloe deserved a billionaire, not me. When I didn’t answer immediately, Mrs. Davis grew irritated. “Are you mute?” “Mrs. Davis, watch your tone,” I said coldly. “And yes, we are over. Isn’t this exactly what you wanted?” “Hmph! Since you’re the one who called it off, don’t you dare regret it. Don’t go crawling back to her. My daughter deserves a much richer man.” I hung up. There was nothing more to say. When I finally got back to my apartment, it was 3:00 AM. To my surprise, Chloe was waiting inside. The moment she saw me, she stood up. “Where have you been? Why are you back so late? I already chewed Tyler out for you. It was an accident. To make it up to you, and because of all the hard work you’ve done for the company, I’ve decided to announce your promotion to Vice President tomorrow morning.” I looked at her, my expression dead and cold. She had no idea I had already agreed to the breakup with her mother. “Chloe, get out of my house. I need peace.” My coldness caught her off guard. I am a man with boundaries. I could never accept her cheating, and I could definitely never forgive her for helping the man who caused my mother’s death. “I didn’t just come to see you,” she said, her eyes turning red. She walked over to my mother’s memorial photo, placed a bouquet of flowers down, and bowed deeply. “I’m sorry, Sarah. Our stupid joke went too far. I really didn’t mean for this to happen.” She began to sob, making it hard for me to kick her out right then. Before she left, she looked at me with tearful eyes. “Ethan, that night… I was just so consumed by guilt. I drank too much and mistook Tyler for you.”

The next morning, I went to the office. Chloe had texted me multiple times, insisting I wear a formal suit. When I entered the building, my coworkers were whispering and pointing at me. “Mr. Miller is back!” “I heard he’s getting promoted to VP today. That’s why he had to come.” “He deserves it. No one has worked harder than him… But do you know why Chloe is suddenly promoting him?” “Oh, I know. Chloe and Tyler pranked his mom to death on his wedding day. And get this—Chloe slept with Tyler right after. She cheated on Ethan.” “Oh my god. So she’s giving him the VP title to buy his silence?” Everyone stared at me with a mix of pity and disgust, thinking I was selling my mother’s soul for a corporate title. I ignored them, carrying a heavy weight in my chest as I walked to my office. I began packing up my personal belongings. Halfway through, a colleague came to tell me the board meeting was starting. Everyone was already there. Chloe looked at me and smiled, then stood up to speak. “Everyone, thank you for coming. Today, I have a major announcement. The position of Vice President has been vacant for too long. It’s time we give it to someone with talent, dedication, and leadership.” Everyone in the room turned to look at me. In their eyes, I was the only one who fit that description. Chloe smiled warmly at me, gesturing for me to stand up. I paused, then stood. But in the next second, Chloe’s voice rang out: “Let’s welcome our new Vice President—Tyler Harrison!” “Please give him a round of applause!” The room erupted into quiet snickers and mocking whispers directed at me. “Oh my god, it’s not Ethan? Why did he stand up then?” “Hahaha, this is so embarrassing. I would literally die.” I had bled and sweat for this company for years, only for Chloe to hand my hard work to Tyler on a silver platter. She had publicly humiliated me. Tyler stood up, strutting past me. As he did, he intentionally stepped hard on my dress shoe. He leaned in, whispering so only I could hear, “You pathetic loser. Your mom was easy to fool, and you’re even easier. Chloe lost a bet to me, so she had to help me prank you guys. You have nothing.” I watched him walk to the podium. The rage in my heart crystallized into cold determination. I turned around and walked out of the conference room. Chloe tried to look after me while talking to Tyler, but Tyler held her back. I had already known her promise of a promotion was too good to be true. I walked into my office, placed my resignation letter on the desk, and pulled out my phone. I made a few quick calls to our top clients and partners, informing them that I was leaving Davis Tech Group and that none of their future projects had anything to do with me anymore. Then, I blocked Chloe on Snapchat, Instagram, and cell. I grabbed my box of belongings and walked out of the building without looking back.

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I participated in a viral Snapchat trend, pretending to make a “space-time call” to my 17-year-old self. Filled with hope, I whispered into the phone, “Ethan, what is our life like at twenty-eight? Are we married? Are we… happy?” There was a long silence on the other end. Then, Ethan’s exhausted voice came through: “Not great.” “Chloe, I’ve wasted my entire life on you.” “Do me a favor. In your parallel universe, just let me go.” I froze, almost believing I had misheard him. When I finally snapped out of it, I called my mom, crying hysterically. “Mom, I—” “I know,” my mom interrupted, letting out a gentle, pitying sigh. “You’re seventeen-year-old Chloe right now, aren’t you?” “Ethan hasn’t had it easy. He and Sienna have been deeply in love for ten years. Because of you, they’ve had to suppress their feelings all this time.” “Chloe, take my advice. In the next life, just let him be with Sienna.” The tears dried instantly on my cold face. My hands shook as I made one last call—to my sister, Sienna. On the other end of the line, she was in the middle of a passionate, breathless tryst with Ethan. She let out a muffled, trembling sob: “Chloe, please forgive me. Just tonight. He only belongs to me tonight.” “I won’t fight you for him in this life. But I beg you, in the next life, please step aside for once.” With tears streaming down my face, I hung up the phone. My heart was completely dead. Forget it. No need to wait for the next life, or some parallel universe. In this life, I would set them free.

Ethan didn’t come back until the next morning. He brought with him the faint scent of rose body wash, and the tips of his hair were still damp. As he took off his coat and hung it on the rack, he cast a casual glance at me. “Why are you up so early?” “I couldn’t sleep,” I replied calmly. After a brief pause, I spoke again. “Ethan, let’s call off the wedding.” He stiffened, turning his head to meet my slightly swollen eyes. “Are you… kidding me?” “I played a game last night,” I said, looking straight into his eyes. “A viral challenge. A space-time phone call.” Ethan’s hand froze. As he stared at me, his expression gradually shifted. “Chloe, are you testing me?” I let out a self-deprecating laugh. I hadn’t expected that his interrogation would come even before any explanation. “If I didn’t, would I have spent the rest of my life being kept in the dark like an idiot?” “Ethan.” My eyes turned red. “Are you two not disgusted by yourselves?” With a sharp *slap*, my face was whipped to the side. I held my burning cheek, utterly stunned. Ethan stared at his own hand, also frozen. It seemed he hadn’t expected himself to actually hit me. He pursed his lips tightly, drew his hand back, and looked down at me with a dark, warning gaze. “Chloe, if you have bitter words, direct them at me. I won’t tolerate anyone calling her names.” All the blood in my body rushed to my head. With tears of anger in my eyes, I raised my hand and slapped him back with all my might. “How dare you hit me!” “Ethan, not even my parents have ever laid a hand on me since I was a child!” But before my hand could land again, Ethan grabbed my arm in a death grip. He let out a cold sneer. “Your parents?” “Your parents know everything about me and Sienna. Did you know that?” “Last Thanksgiving, when you came home, before you could even sit down, your mom rushed to take you shopping, and your dad claimed he had to go buy pumpkin pie.” He leaned down close to my face, his tone dripping with mockery. “Your entire family was helping cover for us.” It felt like a bolt of lightning had struck me. I snapped my head up, staring at him in utter disbelief. He released me with a contemptuous smirk. “Wake up, Chloe.” “If I were you, I’d use whatever guilt I still have left for you as your future husband.” “After all, even your own parents don’t love you.” I collapsed heavily onto the floor, tears pouring down my face. “Why…” I gasped, struggling to lift my head. “Why do this to me?” “Ethan,” my voice shook violently. “I’m not a desperate clinger.” “If you really wanted to be with Sienna, I could have accepted it! I could have broken up with you, cancelled the wedding, and let you marry her!” “Why did you have to hide it from me? Why did everyone have to conspire to keep me in the dark!” “Go be with her! Why do you still want to marry me?!” I screamed in despair, my heart aching so intensely it felt like I was dying. He looked down at me from his height. After a long silence, he let out another cold laugh. “Why else? Do you actually think it’s because I love you?” He bent down, wiping the tears from my chin, making a clicking sound of pity and disdain. “Sienna is your older sister. She’s a single, divorced mother, and she already has a hard life.” “I don’t want her to suffer any judgment from others.” “If our wedding is called off and I immediately end up with her, how do you think our relatives will look at her?” “So…” He gripped my shoulders, his voice sweet but incredibly cruel. “Chloe, I can’t bear to let her suffer, so I have to make you suffer instead.” I stared at him, my whole body turning ice-cold. “So your plan is to use our marriage as a cover-up so you can secretly sleep with my sister?” “Smart girl,” he said, playfully pinching my nose. “So you’ll cooperate, right?” I slapped his hand away violently and yelled in rage: “Ethan, what makes you think I will just sit here and let you guys manipulate me?” “Oh, you will,” he smiled, pulling a folded piece of paper from his pocket and laying it in front of me. “Your checkup from last week. You’re pregnant.” “Chloe, this is our child. Our first baby. You conceived when you were still full of hope for our marriage, when you loved me the most.” “You wouldn’t want him to grow up without a father, would you?” “Besides, you love me so much. We’ve been together for ten years. You gave me your entire youth. Can you really bear to cancel this wedding?” “Even if you do, who would want a single, pregnant woman?”

I picked up the pregnancy report, my hands shaking so much I could barely hold it. Tears poured down, blurring my vision. Suddenly, I burst into laughter, my tears dripping onto the paper. “Ethan, you really are ruthless.” He smiled, gently stroking my hair with a mix of warmth and absolute malice. “Good girl, Chloe. You don’t have a choice.” “Just remember, don’t let Sienna know you found out about this. I don’t want her to carry any psychological burden, understand?” I stared at his threatening, protective expression, feeling as if I were seeing him for the very first time. He stood up smoothly and walked right over me without a backward glance. I rushed into the bathroom and threw up violently into the toilet. A wave of intense nausea surged up from my stomach. I couldn’t tell if the burning pain was coming from my heart or my gut. I knelt on the cold floor, trembling all over, laughing and crying at the same time. Finally, with mechanical movements, I took out my phone, stopped the voice recorder, and saved the entire conversation. Then, I booked the earliest appointment for an abortion. Ethan was wrong. I did have a choice. As long as I was more ruthless and reckless than him, I could choose. The next day was supposed to be the day we went to City Hall to sign our marriage license. Ethan called me repeatedly, but I didn’t answer. Eventually, Sienna called me. “Chloe,” her voice was gentle, laced with a bit of sisterly playfulness. “Today is the day you sign the license. How can you throw a tantrum and not show up?” “Did you and Ethan have a fight? I’ll scold him for you, okay? Just be a good girl and come get registered.” I listened to her voice in a daze. She sounded like an entirely different person from the woman who was moaning in Ethan’s arms the other night. For a moment, I wished that night had just been a terrible nightmare, and that once I woke up, Sienna would still be my loving sister, and Ethan would still be my dependable fiancé. But alas… Leaning against the hospital bed, I spoke in a hoarse voice: “I’m sick. I can’t make it.” “Tell Ethan we’ll do it another day.” I hung up immediately and opened the dashcam app on my phone, which was synced to Ethan’s car. The video stabilized. It showed Ethan and Sienna inside the car. Sienna looked worried. “Ethan, what’s wrong with Chloe? Why is she acting up out of nowhere?” “Do you think she found out about us…” “No way,” Ethan leaned over to kiss her lips. “She’s too stupid to notice anything.” “Even if she did, she wouldn’t dare do anything,” he said with absolute confidence. “Sienna, I won’t let anyone hurt you.” Sienna still looked anxious. “But if she doesn’t sign the license, how are we going to…” “Then we won’t sign it. The wedding ceremony will still go on as planned anyway, just for show,” Ethan said lazily. Suddenly, he looked at Sienna with deep intensity. “Sienna, let’s get married.” Sienna gasped. “What did you say?” Ethan pulled her into his chest. “I’ll give her the ceremony, but I’ll sign the license with you.” “From now on, you will be my only true wife.” On the other side of the screen, my breath caught. I already knew they were dirty. But seeing the man I once loved with all my heart look at another woman—my own sister—and say those words still pierced my heart like a dagger. On the screen, Sienna’s eyes welled with tears. She nodded instinctively, then shook her head rapidly. “No, we can’t. We’ve already wronged Chloe so much. This… this is too cruel to her.” “And isn’t it cruel to reject me?” He leaned closer. “Sienna, are you going to choose your sister over me?” Sienna struggled, her face twisted in pain. Finally, as if making a monumental, tragic decision, she nodded. “Okay. We’ll sign the license.” “Even if we have to annul it or divorce later, I don’t care.” She looked at him with tears in her eyes, as if she were a martyr sacrificing herself. “Ethan, in this life, we can at least say we were husband and wife once.” They gazed into each other’s eyes, locked in a deep, passionate kiss. On the other side of the screen, my tears fell like rain.

This was the sister I thought loved me most, and the man I thought was my soulmate. Blood ties, sacred vows—all of it was a joke. And I was the biggest joke of all. I closed my eyes and let the nurses wheel me into the operating room. Three days later, on the morning of the wedding. I sat in front of the vanity mirror, watching my mom gently style my hair. Her expression was warm and loving, showing no sign of guilt whatsoever. Suddenly, I spoke up. “Mom, do you think I’ll be happy?” My mom’s hand paused. She looked up to meet my eyes in the mirror, her gaze a mix of irritation and helplessness. “Chloe, you’re marrying the man you love most. How could you not be happy?” “Think about Sienna…” She stopped herself, unable to finish the sentence. The corner of my mouth twitched. If I didn’t know the truth, I would have assumed she was referring to Sienna’s failed past marriage. But now, I knew all too well what she meant. She meant that I had stolen Sienna’s happiness. I had taken her lover. My parents had always favored Sienna. I knew that. They always said having an elder daughter and a younger son was the perfect family structure, but since I was a second daughter, I was just an extra. But I never imagined their favoritism could go this far. To help their eldest daughter cheat with their younger daughter’s fiancé. Without a shred of remorse, they even blamed me for stealing their eldest daughter’s happiness. “Yeah,” I sighed. “I’m marrying the man I love most.” “But does he love me the same way?” “Mom,” I tilted my head to look at her. “Do you love me as much as I love you?” My mom froze. For a split second, I clearly saw a flash of panic in her eyes. But she quickly recovered her composure. “Of course,” she smiled warmly, her mask flawless. “A mother always loves her children more than anything.” “It’s just that Sienna wasn’t as lucky as you, so I can’t help but look out for her a bit more.” My heart turned to stone. Watching me marry a treacherous man, conspiring with everyone to deceive me, and yet she called me “lucky.” Meanwhile, Sienna, who had secretly signed the marriage license with Ethan and was legally his wife, had to hide her relationship to avoid public scandal. And that was called “unlucky.” How could a parent’s heart be so twisted? “Chloe,” she said with a loaded tone, “I want to remind you that nothing in this world is perfect, and no marriage is flawless.” “Sometimes, being content with what you have and not being too greedy is the key to a peaceful life, okay?” I curled my lip in mockery. Was this a mother’s blessing? Or was it a pre-emptive warning? She was telling me that even if I discovered something in the future, I shouldn’t make a scene. I should just shut up and live with it. I lowered my gaze, hiding the coldness in my eyes. “I understand.” Satisfied, my mom smiled and went downstairs to greet the guests. I slowly opened the drawer and gripped the USB drive in my palm. Outside, the wedding party had arrived, and the car horns were blaring. The bridesmaids laughed and swarmed toward the door of the bridal suite to playfully block the groom. Only Sienna remained still, standing quietly by my side. I looked at her eyes. Her makeup was slightly smudged; she had been crying. She was wearing a long, white lace dress. Unlike the other bridesmaids, she looked more like a bride. Outside, the groomsmen laughed and shoved, finally pushing the door open. Ethan walked in, looking triumphant. He took large strides forward. And then, bypassing me entirely, he scooped Sienna up in his arms. The bridesmaids gasped. The groomsmen, completely oblivious, burst into laughter and patted his shoulder. “Wrong bride, Ethan! Wrong bride! Your bride is sitting on the bed!” “We know Sienna looks like Chloe, but you can’t just carry her away!” Everyone laughed off the awkward moment. Ethan slowly let Sienna down, looking at her with lingering affection. “Ah, my mistake.” He turned to look at me, his eyes narrowing with a subtle threat. “Chloe, you don’t mind, right?”

I stared at him, my fingernails digging deep into my palms. Only I knew what he really meant: marrying me was his mistake. He hadn’t carried the wrong person. From the very beginning, the only one he wanted to hold was my sister. “I don’t mind,” I said, my voice so calm it surprised even myself. The corner of his mouth ticked up, clearly pleased with my compliance. When it was time to leave, I held up my wedding gown and went toward the back seat of the limo. Ethan, already sitting inside, glanced at me and ordered: “Go sit in the front passenger seat. Let Sienna sit in the back.” I paused, looking up at him. Having a bridesmaid sit with the groom in the back while the bride sat alone in the front was unheard of. He was intentionally humiliating me. “Why?” I clenched my fists. “Do you really need a reason?” he sneered. “Sienna gets carsick easily. Is that enough?” Carsick? Everyone knew that sitting in the front passenger seat was better for motion sickness. Several of the groom’s relatives who came to assist with the wedding gave me amused, mocking looks. My parents stood nearby, completely ignoring the situation as if they hadn’t heard a thing. Ethan leaned in closer, lowering his voice. “Baby, for the sake of the baby in your womb, just bear with it. I promise you’re still the main event today.” “But you can’t expect to get me without paying some price, right?” The baby. He was still using the baby as leverage. I looked into his eyes and smiled coldly. “Sure.” I silently picked up my skirt, got out of the back, and sat in the front passenger seat. And my sister, without saying a word or looking at me, naturally slid into the back seat next to Ethan. She even playfully bumped my shoulder as she walked past, as if she were throwing a childish tantrum. Between her sister and a man, she always chose the man. When they slept together, when they signed the license, and now. The bridal motorcade set off toward the venue. In the rearview mirror, I saw the two of them secretly holding hands, their fingers tightly intertwined. Sienna’s face was solemn, her head turned to the window as she fought back tears. Ethan stared at her with eyes full of heartache. What a pair of tragic lovers. I coldly looked away. Why cry? I’ll set you free in a moment. … Finally, it was time for the ring exchange ceremony. Sienna held the ring box, walking down the aisle with grace and poise. The guests on both sides whispered among themselves. “Why is the maid of honor wearing white? Isn’t that clashing with the bride’s dress?” “Yeah, if I didn’t know better, I’d think she was the bride.” “Probably just wants to steal the spotlight…” But it was only minor gossip; no one truly cared. Ethan took the female ring and went to slide it onto my ring finger. It was loose and clearly didn’t fit. I stared at the ring and suddenly spoke aloud: “This isn’t my ring.” Ethan’s brows furrowed in annoyance. “Chloe, don’t make a scene. We’re in the middle of the ceremony.” I looked up at him, raising my voice so everyone could hear: “I said, this isn’t my ring.” In the next second, I grabbed Sienna’s hand and slid the ring onto her finger. The camera feed instantly projected a close-up on the giant screen. Everyone could see clearly that the wedding ring fit Sienna’s ring finger perfectly. The crowd gasped in shock. Sienna’s face went pale. She tried to pull her hand back, but I held on tight. Ethan glared at me with a furious expression, whispering through gritted teeth: “Chloe, have you lost your mind?” “Think about your baby! Do you want him to grow up without a father?” “Do you want to be a pregnant, rejected woman that nobody wants?” He sneered, confident he had me trapped. “You’d better use your brain before you do something stupid.” “Ruining this wedding does no good for either of us.” “You mean it does no good for *you*,” I corrected him gently. “What?” He was stunned. “You’re the one who needs this marriage as a cover-up, not me.” “And that baby won’t grow up without a father.” “Because,” my smile turned ice-cold, “he’s already gone.” His expression shattered. “What did you say?” “What do you mean? Chloe, make yourself clear! What happened to the baby?!” I smiled and remained silent. Suddenly, the big screen went black. Then, my mom’s voice echoed through the entire hall from the speakers:

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On our seventh wedding anniversary, I came home early from my academic fellowship abroad. When I pushed open the bedroom door, I didn’t find a welcoming surprise. Instead, I saw my professor husband, Julian Vance, conducting a “hands-on anatomy lesson” with his favorite female graduate student. “Mrs. Vance, please don’t get the wrong idea,” The girl, wrapped only in our bedsheets, stammered, “Professor Vance was just… helping me with my thesis data. He was personally guiding me…” “Oh? Since when does the Department of Life Sciences require professors to get naked on their wedding beds to guide research?” Suddenly, the girl clutched her stomach and dry-heaved. Julian immediately shielded her behind his back. “She’s pregnant!” he snapped. “Don’t you dare stress her!” What a familiar scene. Three years ago, when I miscarried our child, Julian was busy “guiding students” in his lab. He didn’t even pick up my calls. Now, he was gently cradling another woman’s pregnant belly, glaring at me with pure hatred. “Clara,” he pointed toward the door, “get out. Don’t disrupt our research.” Fine. I turned around, pulled out my phone, and called the Chancellor. “I’d like to report Professor Julian Vance from the Department of Life Sciences for severe academic and professional misconduct.” “Proof?” I looked back at the panicked couple on my bed. “He’s currently in my bedroom, performing a live demonstration. Would you like a FaceTime link?”

For our seventh wedding anniversary, I finished my academic exchange in Berlin a week early. I hadn’t told Julian I was coming home. I was carrying a box of pastries from his favorite local bakery, eagerly imagining the thrilled look on his face when he saw me. Seven years. We went from college sweethearts to husband and wife. We had gone from sharing stale bread in a cramped, rented studio to him becoming the youngest tenured professor in the Department of Life Sciences. I had survived every single hardship by his side. Everyone in our academic circle called us the golden couple. The cab pulled up in front of our apartment building. I looked up at our window. The lights were on. He was home. The moment I unlocked the front door, the unmistakable sounds of heavy breathing and soft moans crashed into my ears. On the entryway floor lay a trail of discarded women’s clothes. Next to them was a man’s dress shirt—the anniversary gift I had bought Julian just last month. My brain went completely numb. The box of pastries slipped from my hand, hitting the hardwood floor and bursting open. Through the half-open bedroom door, two bodies were rolling around on my wedding bed. My husband, Julian, who claimed he was “working late at the lab,” was actually right here, performing a highly primitive “life sciences experiment” with another woman. “Professor Vance… is… is this the right way to do it?” “Right there… feel the rhythm… yes, keep track of that sensory feedback…” Julian’s voice was deep, filled with a raw lust and urgency I had never heard before. I kicked the door wide open. The girl shrieked, frantically grabbing the duvet to cover herself. She revealed a panicked, youthful, and pretty face—Chloe Miller, the graduate student Julian always praised as his most promising protege. Julian reacted even faster. He practically bounced off the bed. He grabbed his trousers from the floor and scrambled to pull them on. “Clara?! What… what are you doing here?!” He was actually demanding answers from me. Chloe, wrapped in my sheets, began to cry, tears streaming down her face. “Mrs. Vance… please, don’t get the wrong idea… Professor Vance was just helping me correct my thesis data. He was guiding my hands-on experiment… we were just doing schoolwork…” Schoolwork? On my bed? As if reminded by her words, Julian straightened his back. His tone turned righteously indignant, as if I were the intruder. “Clara! Since when did you become so vulgar and unreasonable?! How dare you insult a basic academic discussion with your filthy mind?!” My eyes fell on a thick copy of *Molecular Biology* tossed on the nightstand—and the corner of a black lace thong sticking out from underneath it. Suddenly, I laughed. I was shaking so hard from anger, yet a cold laugh escaped my throat. “So, Professor Vance,” my voice was so calm it terrified me, “your academic guidance requires you to strip naked on our wedding bed?” Julian’s face flushed red, then turned an ugly, pale color. Before he could lie further, I unlocked my phone. The screen lit up with a crystal-clear photo: backstage at a major international science conference, Julian and Chloe were locked in a passionate kiss, his hand slid deep inside her formal blazer. “Why don’t you explain this instead?” I stared at his suddenly bloodless face. “Is this ‘academic exchange’ which won you the ‘best collaborative research award’ some new kind of study?” The air in the room froze. Right then, Chloe suddenly clutched her mouth, dry-heaving violently as her face turned pale. Julian lunged forward to hold her. “That’s enough, Clara! She’s pregnant! You can’t stress her like this! If you have a problem, take it out on me!” Pregnant. Those words felt like an ice pick dipped in poison, stabbing straight into my chest. How incredibly familiar. Three years ago, I was pregnant with our child. Because I had spent weeks working late to help him compile his research data, I miscarried from sheer exhaustion. When I called him from the emergency room, he was in the lab “guiding students.” He didn’t even pick up. Later, he only said coldly, “It was a critical moment for my research. Why were you so careless?” And now, he was cradling another woman’s pregnant stomach, screaming at me to protect her. The last warmth in my heart died right then and there.

Looking at his handsome face, twisted with rage and defensiveness, I felt utterly disgusted. He looked like a complete stranger. “Julian,” my voice sounded eerily quiet, “you make me sick.” He pointed to the door. “Clara, get out! Now! Don’t disrupt our work!” Our work. Fine. I turned around slowly, without giving him or the weeping girl another glance. I walked into the living room, my cold fingers dialing the Chancellor’s personal number. The call connected almost instantly. “Hello? Who is this?” “Hello, Chancellor Andrews. This is Clara Sterling, Professor Julian Vance’s wife.” My voice was steady, polite to a chilling degree. “I am calling to formally report Professor Julian Vance for severe academic misconduct, trading grades for sexual favors, and maintaining an ongoing inappropriate relationship with his graduate student.” There was a stunned silence on the other end. “What? Report Professor Vance? Mrs. Vance… are you sure? Do you have proof?” Proof? I looked back at the bedroom doorway. Julian was peering out anxiously, with Chloe hiding behind his shoulder. I spoke clearly into the receiver: “Proof?” “He’s currently in my bedroom, on my bed, giving a live demonstration with his student, Chloe Miller.” “Would you like me to start a FaceTime stream for you?” The phone went dead silent for a few agonizing seconds. I could only hear the Chancellor’s heavy, stunned breathing. “Mrs… Mrs. Sterling…” Chancellor Andrews finally found his voice. “Is… is what you’re saying absolutely true? This is not a joking matter!” “Every word is true.” My voice remained ice-cold. “Both the witnesses and physical evidence are right here. If the university needs it, I can send over photos of Professor Vance and his student hooking up backstage at the conference, alongside a live description of their current state in my bedroom.” “No! Stop!” Julian finally snapped out of his shock. He charged at me like a madman, trying to claw the phone out of my hands. “Clara! You’re insane! Hang up! Do you have any idea what this will do to me? It’ll ruin everything!” I stared at him coldly. “Are you scared now, Professor? When you brought your student to our wedding bed, did you not think about the consequences?” On the other end of the line, the Chancellor clearly heard Julian’s hysterical shouting. “Mrs. Sterling, please stay calm! I am contacting the Title IX office, the Ethics Committee, and campus security immediately! Please preserve all evidence! We are sending a team to your apartment right now!” “Thank you, Chancellor. I’ll be waiting.” I hung up. The living room fell silent, save for Julian’s ragged breathing and Chloe’s muffled, desperate sobbing. Julian collapsed onto the floor like a pile of wet garbage, his hands buried in his hair. “It’s over… it’s all over… Clara… how could you be so ruthless?” “Ruthless?” I looked down at him. It was like looking at a cockroach. “Julian, compared to what you did to me, compared to what you did to our seven-year marriage, this isn’t even the interest on the debt you owe me.” I walked over to the sofa, sat down, and poured myself a glass of ice water. I drank it slowly, waiting. Every passing second was agonizing torture for Julian and Chloe. Chloe began to babble, begging me through her tears. “Mrs. Vance… I’m sorry… I really am… it was Professor Vance… he forced me… he said he wouldn’t let me graduate if I didn’t sleep with him… please let me go… I’m still so young…” Julian whipped his head around, glaring at her with venom. “What the hell are you talking about?!” Watching them turn on each other was truly a beautiful sight. About twenty minutes later, the doorbell rang sharply. I stood up and opened the door. Standing outside was Chancellor Andrews, his face dark with rage, alongside the head of the Title IX office, university legal counsel, and two campus security officers. “Mrs. Sterling…” the Chancellor spoke, his voice heavy. I stepped aside to let them in. “Please, come in. They’re in the bedroom.”

The group filed into the apartment. When they saw Julian slumped on the floor and Chloe shivering under the sheets in the bedroom, surrounded by chaos, their expressions turned incredibly grim. The evidence was undeniable. No explanations were needed. The Title IX officer took a deep breath, walked up to Julian, and said coldly, “Professor Vance, put some clothes on immediately. You need to come with us to the administration office for a formal investigation.” Julian looked as if his soul had been sucked out. He put on his clothes like a robot. Chloe was also told to get dressed and was escorted out. She was sobbing so hard she could barely breathe, repeating “I’m sorry” and “I was forced” over and over again. Before leaving, Chancellor Andrews walked over to me. His voice was heavy with apology. “Mrs. Sterling, the university is deeply shocked and saddened by this. We will conduct a thorough investigation, and there will be no leniency. On behalf of the university, I offer my deepest apologies for the pain this has caused you and your family.” I simply nodded. The crowd ushered a despondent Julian and a hysterical Chloe out of the apartment. The place instantly became quiet. Seven years of love had ended in the ugliest way possible. But I knew this was only the beginning. The university’s investigation, the public scandal, the division of assets… A much longer and harder battle was waiting for me. Julian wouldn’t just sit back and take it. His mentor, who cared about reputation more than life itself, and the other faculty members whose interests were tied to Julian, would definitely try to strike back. I pulled out my burner phone—thankfully, I had prepared beforehand. I dialed a number. “Hello? Is this the investigative reporter from the *Academic Watch*?” “Yes, speaking.” “I have an exclusive scoop on a top-tier Life Sciences professor at Bayview University. It involves severe academic fraud, embezzlement of research funds, and sexual exploitation of students. The evidence is solid. Are you interested?” An excited voice came from the other end. “Absolutely! Who am I speaking with?” “It doesn’t matter who I am,” I said, looking out at the dark city skyline, a cold smile touching my lips. “What matters is that the truth needs to be told.” “See you on the front page tomorrow.” The next morning, I turned on my burner phone. Instantly, it exploded with notifications. Hundreds of missed calls. They were from Julian, his mentor, our mutual friends, and even some distant relatives I barely knew. My Snapchat and messages were completely flooded. Pleas, accusations, threats, demands… it was a complete circus. Julian’s messages started with furious threats: *“Clara, you fucking bitch, you ruined me! If I go down, I’m taking you with me!”* Then they turned into pathetic begging: *“Honey, I’m so sorry. I was stupid, it was a temporary lapse of judgment. Please give me another chance. I can’t live without you…”* And finally, desperate curses: *“You cold-hearted bitch! I hope you burn in hell!”* I scrolled through them with an expressionless face, feeling absolutely nothing. Then, Dr. Arthur Lewis, Julian’s mentor, called me. His tone was accusatory. “Clara, how did things get this far? Julian made a mistake, yes, but young men falter. You have to look at the bigger picture! His academic future, the reputation of our department—they can’t be destroyed over a domestic dispute! Why couldn’t you resolve this behind closed doors? Why drag it out to the public and make us a laughingstock?” I sneered. The bigger picture? A laughingstock? My marriage and my life were apparently nothing more than a tiny footnote in their precious “bigger picture.” I opened my news app. As expected, the story by *Academic Watch* was already viral. *“Scandal at Elite University! Vanguard Fellowship Nominee Caught Performing ‘Anatomy Lesson’ on Wedding Bed!”* *“Academic Ethics Shattered! Famous Professor Exposed by Wife for Fraud and Sexual Exploitation!”* *“Leaked Backstage Photos at Science Conference Reveal Shocking Behavior!”* The headlines were incredibly dramatic. Although the faces of Julian and Chloe were pixelated, the background and clothing were distinct. Anyone in the academic community could recognize them in a heartbeat. The comment sections were a warzone. People were bashing academic corruption, expressing sympathy for me, calling Julian a monster, and a few trolls were questioning my motives, asking why I hadn’t reported him sooner. The story was spreading even faster than I had anticipated. But this was exactly what I wanted. To blow this up so spectacularly that the university couldn’t possibly sweep it under the rug. To ensure Julian was completely ruined, with zero chance of recovery. Right then, an unknown local number flashed on my screen. I hesitated for a moment, then picked up.

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Before the finals of *The Voice*, my wife’s throat was poisoned by a toxic rival. In my despair, I made a deal with a mysterious System: I would give up my own voice and become mute, in exchange for restoring hers. During the five years of my silence, she went from an unknown contestant to a world-famous pop queen, her path paved with flowers and applause. But our meetings became rarer, and her attitude grew colder. Her attentive assistant, her handsome co-star—everyone in her life seemed better than me. Watching her cozy up to the industry’s top male star on national TV broke my heart. Later, when our secret marriage was leaked, she didn’t defend me. Instead, she posted a video telling the world that I was just a delusional stalker who was making her life a living hell. Hunted by the media, attacked by her fans, I touched the bleeding gash on my forehead—a gift from one of her angry shippers—and felt my heart go completely numb. I quietly called out to the System in my mind: “End it. Let everything go back to the way it was.”

Today was our fifth wedding anniversary. Chloe and I hadn’t seen each other in over a month. I had to beg her for weeks just to get her to agree to come home for dinner tonight. It was dead quiet outside. It was getting late. I glanced up at the clock. 11:30 PM. The day was almost over. But Chloe, the other half of this anniversary, was still nowhere to be seen. I unlocked my phone to text her, but a breaking news notification popped up on my screen first. It was the top trending topic on Instagram: #Austin and Chloe’s Steamy New Cover Shoot for WQ Magazine# I knew then that she wasn’t coming home tonight. In the beginning, we were so happy. Chloe and I grew up in the same group home under the foster system. We were childhood sweethearts. I loved to paint, she loved to sing, and we grew up leaning on each other. Our love felt as natural, sweet, and inevitable as the changing of the seasons. The summer after I proposed, Chloe entered a massive national singing competition. She unexpectedly made it all the way to the finals. She told me that the day she took home the trophy would be the day she proudly told the world I was her husband. But a week before the finals, tragedy struck. Chloe, naive to the dark side of the industry, drank a bottle of juice given to her by someone claiming to be a fan. She ended up rolling on the floor in agony, her throat burning like fire. By the time I got her to the hospital, the doctors told me her vocal cords were permanently destroyed. Outside the ICU, I collapsed against the cold, white wall and prayed to any god that would listen. I had never been religious, but at that moment, I would have sold my soul to anyone who could help her. I loved her more than life itself. I was willing to give up anything to save her dream. Suddenly, a mechanical voice echoed in my head: *“Host Logan, I feel your desperate desire. I will offer you a deal: your voice in exchange for hers.”* At that moment, I didn’t care if it was a demon, a god, or a System. I agreed instantly, like a moth to a flame, just so Chloe could sing again. Chloe recovered completely. She won the competition, got signed to a major label, and quickly gained millions of fans and endless endorsement deals. The price? I lost my voice. I could only make raspy, pathetic grunts from my throat. But I didn’t regret it. The day she won, we got married in secret. Even though it was a hidden marriage, I understood. I wanted to protect her career. But things soon spiraled out of my control. Chloe’s fame skyrocketed, and her social circle changed. Two years ago, Chloe and the top pop star, Austin, starred in a reality show together. Their “ship” exploded online, gaining a massive following of obsessed fans. That was when Chloe started staying away from home. They lived and ate together during filming. Chloe told me it was just for the cameras. They went on vacations together. Chloe told me it was a PR stunt to dodge the paparazzi. Even when the entire internet was begging them to date in real life, she told me it was just marketing to promote her new album. I believed her. As long as she gave me an excuse, I chose to trust her. But eventually, she stopped bothering to make up excuses. Her handsome young assistant, Ethan, started driving her home, acting way too familiar with her. When I tried to write down my feelings and ask her to reassure me, she snapped at me, saying I wasn’t as gentle or understanding as Ethan. When I tried to use my raspy, broken voice to struggle out her name, Chloe just looked at me with disgust and cut me off. “Enough, Logan! You can’t even speak clearly. Can you just be mature and give me some space? This is my job. Stop acting like a clingy child, okay?” I shut my mouth. Completely. This fifth anniversary was a date I had practically begged her for. We couldn’t go to public places, but she had promised she would at least come home to have a quiet dinner with me. A FaceTime call suddenly rang, dragging me out of my memories. It was Chloe. I swiped to answer, waiting to see what excuse she would give me this time.

“Logan?” Chloe’s voice was cautious. I didn’t make a sound. On the other side of the screen, Chloe sighed, looking annoyed. But her flawless makeup and stunning designer gown told a different story: she was having the time of her life. My video preview sat in the top right corner. I was sitting in the dark, looking like a ghost that didn’t belong in her bright world. “Logan, listen to me. Tonight is the wrap party for Austin’s first television show. Tons of press are here, and I have to show support. The fans and media are watching my every move.” “I literally had to sneak away to the bathroom just to call you!” I wanted to laugh. She acted like calling me was some grand act of charity. I was her husband. I was the man who traded his own voice so she could have this glittering career. I didn’t want to hear her lies anymore. I typed on my iPad and held it up to the camera: *“So, you’re not coming home tonight, right?”* Chloe nodded, looking exasperated. Even though I knew the answer, a sharp pain still pierced my chest. I let out a bitter, silent smile. Chloe’s brows furrowed instantly. “What’s with that face, Logan? Seriously, do you have to do this every single time? Why can’t you just support me for once?” I felt utterly helpless. I hadn’t even said a word. I had only smiled, and yet I was the villain. A deep, icy chill washed over me. I typed again on my screen: *“It’s fine. You don’t have to come back. Don’t worry about coming back ever again. I’ll come find you tomorrow.”* Chloe lost her temper instantly. “Why are you coming to find me? I told you I’ll come home once this busy season is over! What if the paparazzi spot you? How am I supposed to explain a mute husband to the media? Logan, please, grow up! I don’t expect you to be a powerful connection in my career like Austin is, but the least you can do is stop throwing these jealous tantrums!” I watched her beautiful face twist with anger. Her lovely voice was strained from trying to keep her volume down. I felt completely hopeless. I gave up. I hung up the call. Then, I blocked her Snapchat, her number, and every other way she had to contact me. Exhausted, I leaned back in my chair and whispered in my mind: “System, are you there?” The System’s voice chimed in my head, asking for my request. The pain was gone, replaced by a strange, hollow peace. “I’m tired,” I said in my mind. “End it. Take back what’s mine. Let everything go back to the way it was.” Suddenly, I felt a slight vibration in my throat. For the first time in five years, I felt the wonderful sensation of my vocal cords moving. I let out a low, raspy hum. Tears welled up in my eyes. The System asked one final time: *“Host Logan, are you sure you want to reverse the trade? Once confirmed, your voice will gradually return to normal, and Chloe will lose hers completely. This exchange is permanent. Do you confirm?”* “Confirm.” I wiped my tears away. No more hesitation. It was time for everything to return to its rightful place.

The next morning, before I could even go find Chloe, she was already pounding on my door. And of course, she had brought Ethan with her. I knew she hadn’t come to apologize or to make up for our anniversary. She was just terrified that I would show up at her studio and ruin her image as a glamorous single pop star, which would kill her lucrative PR romance with Austin. “Logan, you are seriously a nightmare! I had to cancel my morning interviews to rush over here. Do you have any idea how exhausting it was dodging the paparazzi?!” Chloe yanked off her sunglasses and mask, looking like a busy CEO who had just graced a peasant with her presence. I was in the kitchen cooking and didn’t bother to look at her. I was done with her attitude. The scent of food filled the kitchen. I flipped the vegetables in the pan. Over the past five years, even though I couldn’t speak, I had used my free time to learn new things. Like cooking. And painting, which I had never truly given up. My cooking was probably the only reason Chloe ever came home. She was a picky eater, but I always found ways to make things she loved. I ignored her shouting from the living room. But the peace didn’t last long. Ethan walked into the kitchen. Despite being just an assistant, he was wearing an expensive designer suit, leaning against the counter with an arrogant smirk. “Well, look at Chef Logan. Long time no see.” Ethan sneered, his eyes filled with mockery. Ethan was the only one in Chloe’s circle who knew I was her husband. He had been with her since her debut. At first, he was incredibly respectful, calling me “sir” and acting very humble. I thought he was a good kid and felt safe having him manage Chloe’s schedule. But as Chloe’s attitude toward me grew colder, he began to show his true colors. I kept cooking, ignoring him. But Ethan wouldn’t stop. He started pacing around the kitchen, pointing at things as if he owned the place. “Is this floor even clean? And this pan looks ancient. Don’t tell me you can’t afford a new one?” He tapped the edge of the pan with his expensive watch, making a sharp, annoying sound. “Logan, I remember Chloe used to praise you for being so neat and hardworking. But honestly, this place looks like a dump.” I remained silent. He was clearly trying to get a reaction out of me, but I didn’t give him the satisfaction. “Why aren’t you answering?” Ethan leaned in closer, pretending to be surprised. “Oh, right. Silly me. It’s been so long, I forgot you’re a mute.” Chloe walked into the kitchen then. She saw Ethan making trouble, and her brow furrowed slightly, but she quickly smoothed it over. “Ethan, why are you in the kitchen?” Chloe’s voice was soft, filled with a gentle tolerance she never showed me. Seeing her, Ethan immediately changed his face. He walked over to Chloe, grabbed her arm gently, and put on a victim act. “Chloe, I just couldn’t help it. The kitchen is such a mess, and I wanted to help Logan clean up.” “But I think he took it the wrong way. And look at this food. You have a cover shoot coming up and need to stay in shape. This stuff is loaded with oil and salt. I just don’t want you ruining your diet.” Ethan looked at her with puppy-dog eyes, acting as if he cared so much about her health. Chloe looked back at Ethan, her eyes filled with a tenderness I hadn’t seen in years. “Ethan, thank God I have you. Go wait in the car and help me check my schedule for the week.” Once he left, she turned to me. I didn’t react, keeping my face completely blank as I continued cooking. My lack of emotion only angered her more. “Logan! What is this silent treatment supposed to be? Acting like you don’t care about anything, playing the victim… it’s exhausting to look at!” “You begged me to come back, and now that I’m here, you’re giving me attitude!” It was hilarious. I had begged her to come back *yesterday* for our anniversary. She had missed it, and now she was acting like she was doing me a favor. She snatched the spatula out of my hand to stop me, but her reckless movement knocked the pan. Hot oil splashed out, landing directly on my wrist. Chloe froze, not expecting that. I looked down at my wrist. A painful blister was already forming. My expression didn’t change. I felt as if my heart had been stabbed so many times that a little physical pain couldn’t even register anymore. Even with me acting this abnormal, Chloe didn’t notice anything wrong. She just gave me a cold, dismissive excuse to ease her own guilt: “Whatever. Ethan is just blunt, don’t take it personally. And besides, a little cheat meal won’t kill me.” Whether it was the superstar Austin or this cheap assistant Ethan, it seemed like anyone in Chloe’s life deserved her kindness except me. A random assistant got all her warmth, while my sacrifice was treated like garbage. I was so, so tired.

The food was finally on the table. I set the plates down one by one. But Ethan, pretending to be clumsy, bumped the table and knocked a bowl of hot soup right onto the floor, splashing everywhere. He immediately let out a dramatic cry, acting as if he had been badly burned. Chloe rushed over, grabbing his hand to inspect it. “Chloe, don’t worry about me. Eat your lunch before it gets cold. We still have a shoot to catch,” Ethan said, looking sweet and harmless. Ethan only had a tiny red mark on his hand—he wasn’t hurt at all. But Chloe still turned on me, screaming: “Logan! How could you be so careless?! Serving food that’s boiling hot!” Her eyes were filled with disappointment and anger, as if I had committed a crime. If I hadn’t dodged quickly, the hot oil from earlier would have covered my entire arm, but Chloe hadn’t cared at all. Yet a fake red mark on Ethan’s hand made her heart bleed. Perhaps realizing she was being too harsh, Chloe tried to justify her anger: “Ethan is my assistant. My career depends on him. It would be a nightmare if he got seriously hurt!” I actually laughed. Her career depended on Ethan, her fame depended on Austin. She always had an excuse. It turned out I was the only one who was completely disposable. I placed the last dish on the table, then slid my phone and a manila envelope toward her. On my phone screen, I had typed: *“Chloe, let’s get a divorce.”* Chloe froze. Even Ethan looked shocked. Seeing the signed divorce papers ready in the envelope, they realized I wasn’t joking. “Are you out of your mind?” Chloe sneered, clearly thinking this was just another dramatic attempt to get her attention. I shook my head, letting her know I was dead serious. Ethan glanced between the two of us, sensing the tension. Chloe never expected me to actually bring this up. “Logan, I know you’ve been feeling neglected, but the romance with Austin is just for PR. If you don’t believe me, ask Ethan. Austin and I are just business partners. Why are you being so jealous?” “Just behave, okay? Once this promo cycle is over, I’ll take you on a trip to Europe to make up for our anniversary, alright?” Chloe offered a half-hearted sweet talk mixed with a warning, expecting me to soften up like I always did. But I was no longer the foolish man who could be manipulated by her empty promises, the man who would sacrifice his life just for a scrap of her affection. Every single thing she had ever promised me had fallen through. The “later” she always talked about never came. Chloe probably thought a few sweet words would keep me quiet and loyal. She looked at me with that familiar, helpless expression, waiting for me to yield. But my gaze was cold and steady. I forced the air through my vocal cords, making a raspy but distinct sound: “Let’s… get… a divorce.” Seeing me like this, Chloe looked deeply annoyed. She told me to calm down, slammed the door, and left. Strangely, the moment the front door slammed shut, the tightness in my throat loosened. I tried to whisper my own name. For the first time in five years, I heard my own normal voice. I knew the System’s reversal had begun.

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I have face blindness. If my boyfriend of three years changes his coat, I won’t even recognize him. Because of this, Ethan Vance ordered a custom coat with a giant red rose embroidered on the back. He used to say, “Just look for this rose, and my little blind girl will never get lost.” That was until his childhood friend, Chloe Mercer, returned from abroad. We were skiing in Alaska when a massive blizzard hit. Ethan told me to stay in the cabin while he went to fetch the car. Half an hour later, he sent me a Snapchat: “The snow is too thick. I can’t drive the car in. I’m waiting for you at the corner ahead. Do you see the red rose?” “Chloe is right. If I don’t force you a little, you won’t even try to recognize me.” Bravely facing the freezing blizzard, I stumbled to the corner and finally saw the coat with the red rose. I ran over and threw my arms around him. But when the man turned around, he was a filthy, reeking, drunken vagrant! He pinned me to the frozen ground, tearing at my clothes. I fought with all my might, escaping with a dislocated shoulder. I ran as fast as I could and called Ethan. But it was Chloe’s giggling voice that answered the phone. “Serena, congrats! You hugged the wrong guy!” “I made a bet with Ethan. I told him that if we put his coat on someone else, you’d hug even a hobo. Turns out I was right.” “So, for the rest of the trip, Ethan is going to the hot springs with me. Having you around just ruins the mood anyway.” In the background, Ethan’s pampered, helpless laugh drifted through the speaker: “Alright, you won the bet. We’ll do whatever you want.” Depending on someone carries a heavy price. It’s so heavy that if he hands your only lifeline to a monster, you won’t even have a chance to survive. I clutched my dislocated arm in the freezing cold. This time, I was done looking for that rose.

The automatic doors of the medical clinic slid open. The receptionist rushed over to support me. “Dislocated shoulder,” I told her. The doctor had me sit on a chair and pressed his hand against my right shoulder. “Hold still.” *Pop.* The bone snapped back into place. I gritted my teeth, refusing to make a sound despite the agonizing pain. The doctor wrapped my arm in a sling. “The shoulder capsule is damaged. Don’t lift anything heavy for the next two weeks.” He looked up at me. “It’s late. No friends with you?” “They’re busy.” I took the bill with my left hand. As I walked out of the clinic, my phone screen lit up. Ethan had sent a voice message on Snapchat. I tapped play, and his voice filled the quiet night. “Sere, are you still throwing a tantrum?” “Chloe was just playing a harmless prank. She didn’t mean any harm. Who knew you’d actually throw yourself at a random stranger with your eyes closed?” “Where are you? Stop acting like a child and running off.” “We’re at the restaurant on the third floor. I ordered your favorite dishes. Hurry back.” He didn’t ask if I was okay. He didn’t ask what that drunk vagrant had done to me in the snow. To him, I was just a spoiled, dramatic girlfriend throwing a fit. Chloe’s voice drifted from the background. “Ethan, I want my steak medium-rare. Cut it into smaller pieces for me, okay?” “Sure, babe. Just a second,” Ethan replied to her. Ten seconds later, he called me. I pressed answer. Chloe’s smug voice beat him to it. “Oh, Serena, sweetie, I’m so sorry! If I knew you couldn’t tell Ethan apart from a beggar, I never would’ve made that bet. Don’t be mad at him. He cancelled so many meetings to ski with me. He’s exhausted.” Ethan took over the phone. “You heard her. Chloe apologized. It’s freezing outside, get back here and eat. After dinner, I’ll take you to the private hot springs. Stop making a scene.” I clutched the phone, staring down at my bruised hand. Should I tell him? Should I tell him what I just went through? All I would get in return was a half-hearted apology and a sigh, blaming me for ruining their fun. The pain from my right shoulder surged through my back, leaving me numb. “Ethan,” I spoke quietly. “Yeah?” “How’s the food?” “Pretty good. The seafood here is really fresh.” His tone was perfectly casual. “Find your way back. Hurry up.” I hung up. I went into my contacts and set Ethan’s number to Do Not Disturb. At the clinic’s front desk, I scanned the code to pay my bill. Outside, a snowplow was clearing the driveway. “Excuse me,” I knocked on the driver’s window. “Are you heading to the airport?” The driver rolled down the window. “To the airport in this weather? What happened to your arm?” “I fell,” I said. “I’ll pay double.” “Hop in.” Using my left hand, I pulled myself up into the passenger seat. The plow cleared the thick snow ahead as we drove down the mountain. The cabin reeked of heavy diesel. With my left hand, I cancelled my return flight with Ethan. I booked a new one, paid, and got a ticket back to Seattle on the next available flight.

My flight landed. I returned to our empty apartment. My right arm was still in a sling, the pain throbbing constantly. Using only my left hand, I struggled to unzip my ski jacket. The fabric was torn where the vagrant had grabbed me, the collar and hem stained with dried, dark red blood. I stuffed the ruined jacket into a black trash bag. The next afternoon. I heard the sound of keys turning in the lock. The door swung open. Ethan walked in and changed his shoes. Behind him came a pair of quiet, deliberate footsteps. The scent of sharp, suffocating iris perfume instantly flooded the living room. I looked over. To my eyes, the visitor’s face was nothing but a blur. But she was wearing the exact beige coat I always wore, and her hair was tied up in a high ponytail—identical to the way my best friend usually styled hers. She wanted to see if I would mistake her for someone else again. I picked up the heavy black trash bag from the table and walked straight over to her. I let go, dropping the bag right into her arms. “Are you the new maid?” I asked, my voice flat. “Take out the trash. And hand-wash the clothes inside. If they aren’t clean, I’m docking your pay.” She didn’t catch the bag. Instead, she stumbled back half a step. The trash bag hit the floor, spilling open to reveal the torn ski jacket with its dark red bloodstains. “Serena,” Chloe gasped. “You can’t even recognize me?” Ethan stepped up from the hallway. He bypassed Chloe and bent down to pick up the blood-stained jacket. “Sere, how can you not even recognize Chloe?” Ethan draped the jacket over his arm. “She came all this way just to apologize to you. Stop targeting her.” The blood from the jacket stained his clean cuffs. “She dressed up like that and barged into my home,” I said calmly. “I could only assume she was the help.” “It’s just a coat.” Ethan picked up the trash bag, his eyes finally landing on my right shoulder. “What’s wrong with your arm?” “Dislocated.” “From skiing?” he asked. “Why didn’t you tell me you were hurt?” “You guys were busy eating.” “I told you to go back to the hotel. Why the hell did you fly back home without saying a word?” His voice grew cold. “Stop acting so childish.” I touched my sling with my left hand and remained silent. Chloe stepped out from behind Ethan. “Ethan, is Serena still mad at me for borrowing the red rose coat?” She played with her sleeves. “Maybe I should just buy her a new one.” “You don’t need to pay her back,” Ethan told her gently. Then, he turned his cold gaze back to me. “It’s just a coat. Do you have to make everyone miserable over it?” He dropped the trash bag by his feet. “Tomorrow, I’ll buy you ten of the exact same coats. I’ll have the dry cleaners pick this one up. Chloe is exhausted from the jetlag. Stop bossing her around.” “Don’t bother cleaning it,” I said, turning toward the bedroom. “Just throw it away.” Ethan followed me, blocking the bedroom door. “What are you looking for?” he demanded. “My documents.” I pulled open the nightstand drawer. I took out my savings book, passport, and ID, shoving them into my canvas bag. It contained all the money I had saved over the years—enough to cover Grandma’s expenses at the care home for the next two years. I slung the bag over my left shoulder. “Take Chloe out for dinner,” I said, walking past him. “I need to visit Grandma at the care home.” “Why are you going there now?” Ethan didn’t budge. “To pay her bills.” “I already paid for six months of her care last month.” “Grandma wants to move into a south-facing private room.” I pushed past him. Ethan grabbed my left arm. “Stop throwing a fit, okay?” He looked down at me, his eyes full of irritation. “We are done with this topic.” I pulled my arm back. “Fine.” Seeing how Ethan unconditionally protected Chloe, it was time to take Grandma and leave. Chloe stood by the front door and chimed in perfectly. “Ethan, I’m starving. Let’s go.”

A day later. I returned home, packed a few changes of clothes, and took a taxi to the premium nursing home in the suburbs. Ethan had funded this high-end facility. When we first started dating, he had pulled strings to secure the best room for Grandma. He had promised to give me a stable home so I wouldn’t have to carry the heavy burdens of life alone. Her room was on the sunny third floor. I pushed the door open. Grandma Evelyn was leaning against the headboard. She suffered from severe Alzheimer’s and was extremely sensitive to her surroundings. As I approached with a basket of fresh fruit, she shrank back into the corner, waving her hands wildly to keep me away. “Grandma,” I whispered, holding out an apple. She slapped my hand away. The apple rolled under the bed. She kept her head down, her thin, skeletal hands desperately clutching her chest. She was holding a worn, tarnished brass pocket watch. Grandpa Arthur’s name was engraved on the cover. She wound the watch, and it let out a steady, rhythmic *tick-tock, tick-tock*. Hearing that sound, her tense shoulders finally relaxed. The nurse, who was changing the IV drip, turned to me. “Her condition has worsened lately. She doesn’t even recognize you. Now, she only responds to this watch. She can only sleep when she hears it. The nurses tried to clean it yesterday, and she literally bit them.” I sat on the folding chair by the bed. I watched her wind the old watch over and over. Footsteps echoed down the hallway. The door was pushed open. I immediately smelled that sharp iris perfume. Chloe walked in first, with Ethan close behind. “Serena,” Chloe walked to the bed. “Ethan said you were visiting Grandma today, so I wanted to join.” Her eyes immediately locked onto the pocket watch in Grandma’s hands. “Ethan,” she gasped, turning to him. “That watch is perfect for the play I’m acting in! The props team has been searching for an authentic vintage piece like this for weeks.” She took a step forward, reaching for Grandma’s wrist. “Grandma, can I borrow this watch for a few days?” Grandma shrank back in terror, hiding the watch under her blanket, making distressed noises. I stood up instantly, shielding the bed. “No,” I glared at Chloe. “You can’t have it. It’s her lifeline.” Chloe pulled her hand back, lowering her head like a victim. “I just thought it was sitting here doing nothing. It would make a perfect prop.” She looked at Ethan. “If she won’t lend it, fine. No need to yell at me.” Ethan walked over. He reached out and gently stroked my hair. “Alright, we won’t borrow it,” Ethan said softly. “Whatever Serena says. Chloe, you’ll have to find another prop.” A nurse knocked on the door. “Miss Serena, Director Miller wants to see you in his office to go over the next phase of treatment.” I turned to look at Grandma. She was still clutching the watch. “Go ahead,” Ethan sat by the bed. “I’ll stay here and watch her.” I walked to the door and looked back one last time. Ethan was leaning over, carefully tucking Grandma’s blanket in. He was tall, blocking most of her small frame, but his movements looked incredibly gentle. I walked to the Director’s office. The director pulled out an agreement, going over the dosage and risks of the new medication with me line by line. I read every word carefully, checked every charge, and signed my name. When I got back to the room, the door was slightly ajar. I pushed it open. The room was silent. Grandma was lying flat on the bed, her eyes closed, breathing softly. The blanket was pulled up tightly, her hands hidden underneath. Ethan was standing in the hallway, holding Chloe’s hand. “She fell asleep,” Ethan whispered to me. “She just drifted off, so we shouldn’t disturb her.” Chloe had her arm slipped through Ethan’s, her other hand stuffed deep in her coat pocket. “Your arm just got put back in. Don’t carry heavy things.” Ethan naturally took the fruit basket from my hand. “Let’s go. I’ll make you some soup back home.” I closed the room door. I followed them toward the elevator. Through the small window on the door, I took one last glance at Grandma. She lay there, completely still. Ethan held my hand, his palm warm. “Don’t come here alone next time,” he said. “It’s not safe.”

It was New Year’s Eve. Outside, fireworks were exploding in the sky, a relentless barrage of noise. Suddenly, my phone vibrated on the table. It was the nursing home. “Miss Serena, I’m so sorry. Your grandmother is gone!” I stood up instantly. “What do you mean gone?” “Her pocket watch went missing. When she woke up and couldn’t find it, she went into a frenzy. She actually broke through the safety restraints. By the time we ran after her, she had already escaped through the back gate.” The nurse was panting heavily on the other end. “A massive blizzard is blowing outside, and the security cameras can’t see anything!” I grabbed the flashlight from the shoe rack and bolted out the door. “I’m on my way.” Sitting in the back of a taxi, I dialed Ethan’s number. “Where is the watch?” I demanded. The background of the call was filled with the deafening boom of fireworks. Ethan was outside; I could hear the howling wind around him. “It’s New Year’s Eve, Serena. What are you picking a fight for now?” Ethan’s voice was completely calm. “I asked you, where is Grandma’s pocket watch?!” I raised my voice, trembling. “Chloe has it. Her film crew is running behind and needed to shoot some extra scenes. She just borrowed it as a prop,” Ethan said casually. “The old woman won’t die without a watch.” “It is her life! She’s escaped into the blizzard because of it!” “Then tell the staff to look for her,” he snapped. “I already had my assistant buy and deliver a brand-new solid gold watch to her. It’s worth a thousand times more than that cheap piece of brass.” “An old woman is easy to comfort. Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill on New Year’s.” In the background, Chloe’s voice squealed, “Ethan! Look at that huge firework!” “Careful, don’t slip on the snow,” Ethan called out to her. “Give it back,” I whispered. Ethan went silent for a few seconds. “Do you have to act like this? Chloe is finally having a good time.” He paused again. “I’ll call the nursing home and have them send more people to search. Don’t panic. I’m three hours away right now. I’ll drive back first thing in the morning—” I hung up. Forty minutes later, the taxi pulled up at the base of the mountain behind the nursing home. The snow was knee-deep. Turning on my flashlight, I began searching along the path leading from the back gate. After her stroke, Grandma dragged her right foot when she walked, leaving a distinct trail in the snow. In the distance, the flashlights of the nursing home staff cut through the dark night. I spotted a faint drag mark, half-covered by the fresh snow. Following the trail, I plunged into the deep snowdrifts and headed up the mountain. The tracks led into a dense pine forest. It was 5:00 AM. I trudged through the freezing snow, step by step. I screamed her name over and over, searching frantically. If only I could find her, if only I could give her the watch, she would stop. The tracks abruptly ended near an abandoned, dry concrete reservoir. Grabbing a dead branch for support, I slid down the steep slope into the bottom of the pit. There, curled up in the corner, was a tiny shadow. A thick layer of snow covered her. Her hair and collar were frozen solid. I rushed over. I dropped my flashlight and used my frozen, numb hands to brush away the snow. “Grandma,” I sobbed. There was no answer. Her face was a pale, bluish-gray. Her lips were black. Her eyes were half-open, covered by a thin layer of frost. Her body was stiff. I tried to pry her hands open. Her ten fingers were tightly curled against her chest. When I finally managed to open them, I saw what was inside. It was a stone. It was roughly the same shape and size as the pocket watch. She had clutched that stone to her chest, pretending it was her watch. I sat in the freezing dirt at the bottom of the reservoir, pulling Grandma’s stiff body into my arms. The snow from her body melted onto my clothes, then quickly froze again. Until her very last breath, she was just searching for her only sense of safety. The phone in my pocket vibrated. I pulled it out with trembling fingers and answered. “Did you find her?” Ethan’s voice came through. “It was such a minor thing. Why did you hang up on me?” “Where is the watch?” I asked, my voice dead. “Are you still obsessing over that? I told you, I bought her a gold one.” Ethan sighed. “Did you find her or not? Chloe just found out you were panicking. She’s been crying, feeling incredibly guilty for borrowing it. If you want to scream and yell, do it at me. Don’t freeze yourself out there. And stop making Chloe feel bad.” The snow kept falling. I took the stone from Grandma’s chest. I slipped it into my pocket. Then, I tightened my grip on her cold, stiff corpse. “No need,” I said into the phone. “What do you mean, no need?” “She’s dead.”

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Five years into my marriage, I caught Julian, my childhood sweetheart and husband, cheating on me with Serena—my illegitimate half-sister. I didn’t handle it gracefully. In a fit of rage, I dragged that wretched girl to a clinic and forced her to abort the child. In retaliation, Julian drove my mother to jump from a rooftop. One funeral. Three lives lost. The baby in my own womb didn’t survive the chaos either. Julian and I tore each other apart for three years, fighting until we had absolutely nothing left. Exhausted, broken, and covered in scars, I finally gave up. I married Dominic Hale, my lifelong rival, who had been waiting for me in the shadows all along. After our wedding, Dominic spoiled me to no end. He put his entire multi-billion-dollar fortune under my name. When a speeding truck barreled toward us, he threw himself over my pregnant body without hesitation, shielding me and landing himself in the ICU. I truly believed Dominic was my savior. My safe harbor. Until today, when I accidentally saw my ex-husband, Julian, standing inside Dominic’s private office. “Uncle Dominic, thank you for taking one for the team,” Julian said, his voice dripping with smugness. “Marrying that psycho Vivian for all these years just to protect Serena.” “Using a fake marriage and a fake trust fund to gain her trust, ensuring she’d never target Serena again. It was brilliant.” “Vivian doesn’t even know that during the car crash, you weren’t protecting her. You were protecting Serena’s baby in her womb.” “She ruined Serena’s body and made her infertile. It’s only fair she uses her own womb to give Serena a child.” Dominic’s lips curved into a cold, indifferent smile. “Enough. The details don’t matter, as long as Serena knows my heart. She saved my life all those years ago. I owe her this debt.” The prenatal report in my hand—the one showing maternal-fetal tissue rejection—slipped from my fingers and hit the floor with a soft thud. I laughed until tears streamed down my face. Three years ago, I died once. Today, I died a second time.

A suffocating pain slowly engulfed my chest. My heavily swollen, eight-month-pregnant belly felt like a stretched wire, sawing at my nerves and tearing my sanity to shreds. I don’t know how long I stood there before the door creaked open. Dominic walked out, freezing instantly the moment his eyes fell on me. “Vivian? What are you doing here?” I looked up at this man whom I had once viewed as my ultimate salvation. My eyes burned with unshed tears. I wanted to scream, to tear the place down. But when I spoke, only a quiet, broken whisper came out. “Dominic, if I weren’t standing here today, how much longer were you planning to lie to me?” Dominic took a deep breath. He knelt down on one knee, took off his suit jacket, and gently wrapped it around my waist. “Vivian, don’t make a scene here, okay? Let’s go home. I can explain everything.” Only then did I notice that the air conditioner was blowing cold air directly toward my belly. He was always so attentive. So detailed. I used to think this was unparalleled love. But now, looking at his hands, I shrank back. I was terrified that if I accepted his warmth, it would just be another layer of poison. I trembled, pushing his hands away. “We don’t need to go home. Explain it right here.” “Explain the fake marriage. The fake trust. Explain why the baby in my womb belongs to Serena.” My voice wasn’t loud, but it was enough to make the passing employees turn and stare. Those sharp, judgmental looks felt like needles piercing my skin. It was humiliating. Yet, I didn’t move an inch. Even knowing that my entire life was a lie. I wanted to hear it from his own mouth. But the first thing I got was a loud, mocking laugh from behind him. “Vivian, when did you become so pathetic?” Julian walked out of the office, looking down at me with utter contempt. “Are you really too cowardly to accept the truth when it’s staring you in the face?” “Uncle Dominic had a vasectomy the very night you two signed those fake papers. You went through dozens of agonizing rounds of IVF these past few years. Didn’t you ever find it suspicious?” A vasectomy. How laughable. Over the past three years, Dominic had treated me so well that I had let down all my guards. I had smoothed out all my sharp edges just to be loved. Even if I was delusional, I had fought so hard to hold onto this last saving grace. But now, every single illusion was brutally shattered. “I will abort this child,” I said, closing my eyes and forcing the last shred of my dignity into my voice. “I will get a hysterotomy. Today.” Before I could even turn around, Dominic’s face paled. He rushed forward and grabbed my wrist. “Are you insane, Vivian?! You’re eight months pregnant! A late-term termination right now will kill you!” His voice was laced with frantic worry, sounding exactly like the doting husband I thought he was. But I only laughed, tears spilling over. “Dominic, are you worried about me? Or are you worried about Serena’s baby?” “Of course I’m worried about you!” Dominic answered instantly, without a shred of hesitation. “A mere fetus cannot compare to you. Vivian, you have to know, you are my only treasure!” Yes. When the entire world had turned its back on me, Dominic was the only one who had stood by my side. My heart trembled violently. But in the next second, a sweet, playful female voice echoed from down the hall. “I’m so sorry, Dominic! I overslept a little. I hope I didn’t ruin your morning schedule.” That voice. I knew it all too well. I whipped my head around and saw the woman I hated down to my very bones. Serena walked toward us. Her words apologized, but her face held no remorse. Instead, she playfully stuck her tongue out at Dominic. “Good morning, Mr. CEO! Your personal secretary is officially on duty!” Serena. My brain felt like it had been hit with a sledgehammer. I looked back at Dominic. I fought with everything I had to keep my voice from cracking. “Dominic, you said you could explain everything. Then explain this. How is she here?” “You swore to me you blacklisted her from the entire industry. Is this your version of blacklisting? Hiring her as your personal secretary?”

I had once naively believed that Dominic was the only light left in my dark life. After all, the year my mother was driven to suicide. The year I was driven to a miscarriage in utter despair. The year my own father took the side of his mistress’s daughter and told me to stop throwing tantrums. It was Dominic—the rival who had always clashed with me—who had forced Julian to kneel before me. Dominic had forced him to slap himself a hundred times to apologize to me and my dead child. It was Dominic who had thrown down billions to banish Serena and her mistress mother from New York, forcing them back to their trashy hometown. And it was Dominic who had stayed by my side through my severe clinical depression for three long years, slowly piecing my broken soul back together. “If all of that was a lie… then what was real?” I whispered to myself. The physical symptoms of my trauma—the severe shaking and nausea—returned instantly. My entire body trembled uncontrollably. “Don’t do this, Vivian. Calm down! I didn’t lie to you about those things! Everything I did for you was real!” Dominic stepped forward, desperately trying to hold my shoulders. He knew my triggers better than anyone. But now, his intimate knowledge of my pain felt like a sharp blade twisting in my chest. I stared at his familiar yet suddenly foreign face, my fingernails digging into the fabric of his expensive suit. “Dominic, even now, you’re still trying to play me?” “I’m not playing you.” Dominic let me claw at him, his eyes frantically scanning my stomach. “Vivian, it’s not what you think!” Unfortunately for him, I was no longer the stupid girl who trusted him blindly. I shoved him away and pointed directly at Serena. “Then prove it! Prove you’re not lying to me! Kick her out right now!” I knew I was being pathetic. Even if he kicked her out, what would it prove? A lie was still a lie. But if I didn’t scream, if I didn’t vent, I felt like I would suffocate and die in the next second. Yet, the man who had promised to protect me forever stood his ground. He did not move. “I’m sorry, Vivian. I can’t do that. Serena is innocent in this.” “Serena… innocent?” I let out a hysterical laugh. “Haha… innocent…” Seeing that I was on the verge of a total breakdown, Dominic finally let out a long sigh. “When I stood up for you back then, it was because I mistakenly thought you were the girl who saved my life. But I was wrong.” “Twenty-five years ago, before the Hale family took me in, I was starving on the freezing streets of Chicago.” “A little girl wearing a red velvet ribbon in her hair gave me three mango cupcakes.” “That girl was Serena.” Twenty-five years ago. A red ribbon. A freezing street. Three cupcakes. My mind flashed back to a snowy, freezing night from my childhood. A sharp, physical pain shot through my head, and I closed my eyes. “Dominic… what if I told you that the little girl was me?” “Vivian, have you no shame?!” Julian interrupted, sneering at me from his height. “Are you so desperate that you’re trying to steal Serena’s history now?” He was the one who had ruined my life, yet in his eyes, I was always the villain. “Vivian, can you stop acting crazy for once?” Dominic sighed, looking as though a massive weight had been lifted from his shoulders. “If you’re going to lie, at least make it believable. Twenty-five years ago, I was stranded in Chicago. You grew up in New York. Tell me, how did you magically travel hundreds of miles just to save me?” “Don’t blame me for this. Because of your lies, I almost drove my actual savior to her grave.” “That’s why I got angry. That’s why I used the fake marriage and the fake trust fund to punish you.” “It’s only fair.” Yes. Fair. “Did you ever bother to ask *why* Serena was in Chicago back then?” I closed my eyes. I couldn’t believe I had to rip open my mother’s deepest, most painful scar just to prove the truth. “I was in Chicago because my father bought a secret townhouse to hide his mistress and her bastard daughter there! My mother found out, and she dragged me across states in the middle of a blizzard just to catch them red-handed!” The snow that year was so cold. And the tiny bit of warmth I had given to a starving boy had ultimately turned into a bucket of ice water, poured over my freezing body.

“Vivian, stop lying to yourself.” Dominic reached out, his fingers brushing a stray lock of hair from my forehead with a look of pity. “I forgot to tell you. The cupcakes the little girl gave me were mango-flavored.” “You are highly allergic to mangoes, Vivian. The only one who loves mango cupcakes is Serena.” Right. The entire world catered to Serena, so why wouldn’t my father? My father had completely forgotten about my life-threatening allergy. He had bought those mango cupcakes to please Serena, and then handed them to me to soothe his own guilt! But before I could speak, Serena stepped forward. Tears welled up in her eyes, making her look incredibly fragile. “It’s okay, Dominic. Let’s just say Vivian saved you. I don’t mind. I won’t hold a grudge against my sister.” “These past few years of happiness were stolen anyway. As long as Vivian is willing to give birth to Julian’s and my child, I’d gladly step aside.” The moment she said those words, both men’s expressions changed. Julian immediately pulled her behind his back, glaring at me. “Vivian, you hurt Serena six years ago. I won’t let you touch her again!” Dominic gently coaxed her, his tone identical to the one he used to use on me. “Don’t worry. I won’t let anyone hurt you. Your child will come into this world safely.” With just a few words, they stripped away my right to speak. I suddenly felt incredibly tired. At this point, words had lost all meaning. Serena stood protected by two of the most powerful men in the city. A triumphant gleam flashed in her eyes, but when she looked at me standing there like a statue, she quickly masked it with terror. “But… I’m so scared,” Serena whimpered. “I’m scared Vivian will run to a shady clinic and abort the baby just to get revenge on me.” “An eight-month-old baby can survive outside the womb now.” Julian immediately chimed in, “She’s right, Uncle Dominic. The baby is eight months along. Why don’t we just schedule a C-section today? That way, Serena doesn’t have to live in fear.” “No! Dominic, do you hear me?! I will not give birth to this child! I’d rather die!” I screamed, lunging forward to grab Dominic’s sleeve. Dominic remained silent for a long time. His eyes shifted from my frantic face to Serena’s tear-stained cheeks. After a moment of hesitation, he slowly but firmly pulled his sleeve out of my grip. “Be good, Vivian. It won’t hurt.” At that moment, my heart completely died. Under Julian’s arrangement, a private hospital was booked. The surgery was scheduled for 3:00 PM that very afternoon. I only had four hours. Julian even hired two muscular bodyguards to watch me, ensuring I couldn’t escape. Serena pretend to plead for me, but under her “merciful” suggestion, my ankles were fitted with heavy, humiliating electronic shackles. Dominic watched the entire thing and said nothing. His silence was his approval. Locked inside a windowless, soundproof hospital room, I was treated like livestock, waiting to be dragged onto an operating table to have my stomach sliced open. Three hours before the surgery, my father arrived. He brought legal documents stripping me of my inheritance and transferring everything to Serena. From this day forward, Serena was no longer the shameful bastard child. And I was erased from the family tree, reduced to a nameless nobody. Two hours before the surgery, Serena came to my room. Since we were alone, she didn’t bother pretending anymore. A smug, vicious smile spread across her face. “My dear sister, when you and your dead mother drove my mom and me out of New York, did you ever think you’d end up like this?” “To thank you for carrying my baby, I’ve prepared a very special gift for you.” “The moment the baby is born, the doctors will inject a heavy dose of a psychotropic drug into your system. You will go completely mad. You will try to strangle the baby with your own hands, and Dominic and Julian will watch. They will despise you forever, and you will spend the rest of your miserable life in an asylum.” “How is it? Isn’t the script I wrote for you perfect?” The room was perfectly soundproofed, so she spoke without any fear. I actually found it amusing. “If I strangle the baby, won’t you lose the child you claim to love so much?” Serena laughed. “Who cares? If the kid is smart, it should be glad to die to help its mother.” “Did you honestly think I care about a stupid baby? Please.” “The first baby I lost six years ago? I aborted it myself just to frame you. You, of all people, should know how far I’m willing to go.” I didn’t say another word. I just sat there quietly, preparing my own gift for her. I only hoped she would be able to handle it.

Julian walked in fifteen minutes before the scheduled surgery. He looked at me, his eyes still filled with arrogant disdain. “Vivian, once you deliver this child, you and Serena are even.” “I hope you have some self-awareness and stay away from me. The only woman I’ve ever loved is Serena—a pure, kind angel. Not a venomous snake like you.” Leaving those parting words, he walked out. Dominic was the last to arrive, barely minutes before they pushed my gurney. He brought a thick stack of legal documents. They were the exact same trust fund papers he had given me on our wedding day. Only this time, the notary stamps were real. Dominic held my hand, his voice laced with what sounded like genuine guilt. “Vivian, these are the billions in trust I promised you. I’m officially transferring them to you today. I hope it’s not too late.” “Promise me you’ll deliver the baby safely.” “Once it’s over, we will get legally married. Okay?” Was he trying to bribe me into compliance, or did he genuinely want a future with me? I didn’t know, and I didn’t care anymore. I gave him a sweet, gentle smile. “Okay.” But he had no idea. We had no future left. The heavy double doors of the operating room slammed shut. Serena exchanged a subtle nod with the head surgeon she had bribed, signaling that everything was going according to plan. A triumphant smirk played on her lips. But the moment she turned back to Julian and Dominic, her face fell into a mask of pure agony. “Julian… Dominic… my stomach suddenly hurts so much. Can you guys please walk me to the OB-GYN clinic downstairs?” Julian, of course, was eager to oblige. Dominic rubbed his temples, refusing at first. “No, you guys go. Julian can take care of you. I need to stay here.” But after Serena whimpered and begged, Dominic finally relented and agreed to accompany her downstairs. Yet, the moment they stepped out of the lobby, a shadow fell from the sky, crashing onto the pavement with a sickening thud. When Dominic saw the face of the broken body, he lost his mind. “VIVIAN—!” A guttural, blood-curdling scream tore from his throat. Dominic sprinted forward, slamming past Serena and Julian without a second thought. He stumbled and fell to his knees in front of my mangled, blood-soaked body. There was blood everywhere. He knelt in the crimson pool, his hands hovering over me, trembling, terrified to touch me yet desperately wanting to pull me into his chest. “Doctors! Get out here! Help her! SAVE HER!” That day, Dominic called in every top surgeon in the state. But he was quickly dragged into a living nightmare of regret. “Vivian, I’m sorry… I was wrong. Please, don’t punish me like this.” The cold, atheistic billionaire did something entirely out of character. He had a crucifix brought to the hospital and knelt outside my ICU room. For three days and three nights, without food, water, or sleep, Dominic knelt on the hard floor, his forehead pressed against the cold tiles, begging whatever god was listening to save my life. During this time, Serena tried to play the role of a caring sister-in-law, urging him to rest. “Dominic, don’t do this to yourself. She isn’t worth it.” In response, Dominic wrapped his hand around her throat, choking her as he roared at her to get out. For the first time, Serena felt a very real, very terrifying urge to kill radiating from Dominic. Terrified out of her mind, she scrambled out of the hospital and didn’t dare utter another word. On the fourth day, while I was still fighting for my life in surgery, Dominic’s assistant found something in the room where I had been held. The moment the assistant saw the object, his face drained of color. He ran back to Dominic, stumbling over his own feet. “Mr. Hale! Look at this! What is this?!” Interrupted in his prayer, Dominic was about to snap, but his eyes locked onto the object in the assistant’s hand. His breath caught in his throat. It was a red velvet ribbon. It was very old and faded. To anyone else, it looked like a worthless piece of junk. But Dominic knew better than anyone. This ribbon was unique. His hand hovered over the red ribbon, shaking violently. He made three urgent phone calls, ordering his security team to retrieve a locked box from his private safe. Fifteen minutes later, another red ribbon was placed next to the one from my room. They were identical. For twenty-five years, Dominic had kept that ribbon close to his chest. It was the exact same ribbon his assistant had just found.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “452699”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

I was kidnapped in broad daylight while shopping. When the heavy fog of the drug finally cleared, I woke up in a strange hotel room, bound and terrified. I screamed, fighting with every ounce of strength I had left. Suddenly, the door to the connecting room burst open. My husband, Julian, who was supposed to be away on a business trip, rushed in. He was completely naked, smelling heavily of sex and cheap sweat. In a frantic panic, he untied me and dragged me out of the room. As we stumbled into the hallway, I caught a glimpse of the room he had just escaped. Through the half-open door, a woman was sitting on the disheveled bed, her skin flushed, her clothes scattered across the carpet. I recognized her instantly. Chloe. The college intern Julian’s company had hired at the beginning of the year. The “forever” he had promised me crumbled to dust right then and there. While I was fighting for my life, my husband was losing himself in another woman’s arms just a wall away. Numb and cold, I dialed my father’s number. “Dad,” I whispered, my voice devoid of emotion. “I’m ready. I’m coming home to take over the family empire.” That was it. I was done wasting my love on the wrong man.

“Are you absolutely sure, Sera? If you come back now, you’re starting from the ground up to take over everything. I need to know you’re fully committed this time.” My father’s voice came through the receiver, as warm and commanding as ever. I looked down at the unsigned divorce papers sitting on the coffee table. “I’m sure, Dad. I’ve made up my mind. My career is my only priority now.” My father sighed with relief, though he still had no idea what had finally made me snap out of my domestic fantasy. For the past three years of my marriage to Julian, I had given up my career, put my inheritance on hold, and poured my entire soul into being a perfect housewife. I was the girl he had proposed to thirty times. The one he had chased for five long years before I finally said yes. He had sworn to love me until his last breath. But during our first year of marriage, my doctors discovered I had a severe fertility issue. Getting pregnant naturally was going to be nearly impossible. So, I quit my job to focus entirely on grueling fertility treatments and hormone therapies. Through all those painful years of trying, Julian never complained. In fact, he seemed more attentive than ever. He drove me to my monthly checkups, cooked special meals for me, and held me when the pregnancy tests came back negative. I honestly thought we were going to be happy forever. Today was supposed to be my monthly clinic appointment. I didn’t remind him. Instead, I quietly sat on the lounger after breakfast, flipping through a magazine. Julian had woken up earlier than usual. He had spent the last forty minutes in the walk-in closet, meticulously picking out his outfit. When his phone buzzed on the dining table, I glanced at it from the corner of my eye. “Hey Julian, same place as usual. I want you to cook for me today. See you soon, babe x.” The sender’s name was Chloe. The message burned into my retinas. I closed my eyes and pretended to be asleep. Hearing his phone buzz, Julian rushed out of the closet. When he saw I hadn’t moved, he let out a subtle sigh of relief. He leaned down to kiss my cheek, but a heavy, expensive cologne hit my nose. “Did you change your cologne?” I asked, casually tilting my head away to avoid the scent. Julian’s face didn’t betray a thing. He maintained the same gentle, doting smile he always wore. “Yeah, do you like it? I read online that keeping things fresh is important in a marriage. Scent is a big part of that.” I looked at his perfectly styled hair and his tailored suit. It wasn’t my taste at all. He looked flashier, like a peacock looking for a mate. “The doctor said my hormones are finally stabilizing, but the new medication makes me highly sensitive to strong smells. You should probably be careful with that cologne, Julian. We don’t want to ruin our progress.” During fertility treatments, everything had to be scheduled—even our intimate nights. Maybe he grew tired of the clinical routine. Or maybe he was just a liar. Either way, he had cheated. I brought up the doctor to see if he would remember what today was. He didn’t even blink. He just adjusted his tie and gave me a dismissive smile. “You got it, boss!” “Oh, by the way, babe,” he added, heading for the door. “A massive, high-profile client just landed in town. I have to host them tonight. I have no idea how late it’s going to run, so don’t wait up for me. Get some sleep, okay?” His phone buzzed again. He practically bolted out the door. I knew the truth. Chloe was probably waiting for him, growing impatient. Since the hotel incident, I hadn’t confronted him. Julian took my quietness as trauma from the kidnapping, thinking I was too shaken to notice the obvious signs. They truly thought I was an idiot. But it didn’t matter anymore. His early departure actually made things easier for me. I had someone to meet today. Even though I had told my father I was ready to take over the family business, I had been out of the corporate world for too long. I needed to catch up on the industry. My father had arranged for me to shadow a brilliant young CEO in the city—someone who could help me get back on my feet quickly. Our meeting was scheduled for this morning.

I stood in front of the towering headquarters of the Mercer Group, my heart a mess of emotions. This glass-and-steel skyscraper wasn’t just a monument to wealth; it was the starting gate of my new life. My father wanted me to learn from the best, and there was no one better in the business than the Mercer Group’s young CEO. Ever since I married Julian, I had isolated myself in my own little bubble of fertility clinics and domestic duties. I had cut ties with the industry, only attending the occasional family dinner. Looking up at this bustling corporate world, a wave of anxiety hit me. I took a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves, and walked inside. As I stepped out of the private elevator on the top floor and opened the door to the CEO’s office, my jaw dropped. Sitting behind the desk was Christian. My childhood best friend. The brilliant heir to the Mercer empire. He looked stunning. He wore a perfectly tailored charcoal suit, his broad shoulders and sharp jawline exuding a quiet, effortless confidence. After college, we had taken completely different paths. I had chosen Julian and a quiet marriage. Christian had gone to Europe to get his MBA and expand his family’s global reach. We hadn’t spoken in years. Julian had always been incredibly insecure about Christian, constantly begging me to cut him off because he “couldn’t bear the thought of losing me.” I had foolishly complied. I never expected to see him here. “Christian?” I gasped, my voice trembling slightly. He spun his chair around. His eyes locked onto mine, and for a second, he just stared. Then, a warm, breathtaking smile broke across his face. For a moment, the years melted away. I saw the boy who used to steal my diaries and chase away my bullies. “Sera,” he said softly, walking over to me. He gently squeezed my shoulder. “It’s been too long.” We sat down, and the conversation flowed as if we had never been apart. I found myself laughing and relaxing for the first time in months. “Your dad called me,” Christian said, his eyes filled with a mixture of tenderness and respect. “He told me you wanted to get back into the game. I’m incredibly proud of you, Sera. I’ll do whatever it takes to help you succeed.” “Thank you, Christian. Seriously,” I murmured. He didn’t ask about Julian. He didn’t ask why I was suddenly coming back. He just gave me the safe space I desperately needed. “Come on,” Christian smiled, standing up. “Let me show you around. We have a major board meeting in ten minutes. You should sit in.” I smiled and followed him down the long hallway. But as we reached the double doors of the boardroom, a sudden, violent wave of dizziness hit me. The floor tilted. My knees buckled, and my vision went black. “Sera!” Christian’s voice cracked with panic. Before I could hit the cold floor, his strong arms caught me. Without a second thought, he scooped me up into his arms and sprinted toward the private elevators, yelling for his assistant to get the car ready. I was too weak to even open my eyes. In the back of his car, he held me close, his voice a soothing whisper against my hair. “Don’t worry, Sera. I’ve got you. We’re going to the hospital. You’re going to be okay.” Leaning against his chest, listening to the steady, frantic beat of his heart, a profound sense of safety washed over me. Just like when we were kids, as long as Christian was there, nothing could hurt me. At the hospital, Christian handled everything, barking orders at the staff and getting me admitted immediately. But the doctor’s diagnosis left me completely paralyzed.

“There’s no need to panic,” the doctor said, looking over my chart. “This is just a classic case of severe physical exhaustion combined with a sudden emotional spike during early pregnancy.” “You’ve had a lot of stress today, haven’t you? Your body is very weak.” The doctor turned to Christian, assuming he was my husband. “You need to take extra care of your partner. Given her medical history, conceiving this baby was a miracle.” Christian opened his mouth to correct the doctor, but I beat him to it, my voice trembling. “Doctor… pregnancy? Are you saying I’m pregnant?” The doctor gave me a sympathetic look. “Yes, dear. According to your records, you’ve been coming in for monthly checks. You’re about eight weeks along. Did you really not know?” For three years, Julian and I had planned our lives around this potential baby. And now, when the miracle had finally happened, my marriage was already dead. Christian’s face went pale. The confident, stoic CEO looked utterly devastated. “Doctor,” I whispered, my hands shaking. “If I terminate the pregnancy… how dangerous is it for my body?” Both the doctor and Christian stared at me in shock. “Sera,” Christian gasped, grabbing my hand. “What are you saying? I thought you wanted this more than anything. Is it because of the work? We can delay the training, I can—” I let out a bitter, lifeless laugh. “It’s not about the work, Christian.” The doctor cleared his throat, adjusting his glasses. “At eight weeks, a termination is surgically straightforward. But… given your severe fertility issues, if you abort this baby, the chances of you ever conceiving again are virtually zero. This might be your only shot at motherhood.” The doctor’s words hit me like a physical blow. Christian helped me back to my private recovery room, but I refused to climb into the bed. I wanted to go home. “Sera, you need to rest,” Christian pleaded, his eyes dark with worry. “Should I call Julian? Let him know you’re—” “No,” I cut him off. Christian was smart. From my question about the termination, he had already guessed what was going on. “Sera,” he said softly, stepping closer. “Don’t carry this alone. Tell me what happened. Let me help you.” I looked at him, my defenses finally crumbling. “Julian is cheating on me. I caught him. We’re getting a divorce.” Christian’s face instantly darkened with a terrifying rage. He stood up so fast his chair screeched against the floor. “He did what? How dare he! After everything he promised—” “It’s fine, Christian,” I said, putting a hand on his arm to calm him down. “I’m leaving him. It’s not too late to save myself.” Christian’s eyes were bloodshot. I couldn’t quite read the raw emotion in them, but his voice was thick with protective fury. “Whatever you need, Sera. I’m here. Just… don’t let me see that bastard. I might actually kill him.” I knew he meant it. But this was my battle to fight. When I got back to the penthouse, I expected Julian to still be wrapped up in Chloe’s arms. Instead, the lights were on. And on the entryway floor, next to Julian’s Oxfords, was a pair of cheap, flashy red heels that definitely didn’t belong to me. From the living room, a sickeningly sweet giggle echoed through the quiet apartment. “Oh, Julian, stop! We’re so bad doing this while your wife is away.” “You’re the little devil who insisted on driving me home,” Julian’s voice laughed, dripping with lust. “And since Sera’s not here, why shouldn’t we have a little fun?” “Hmph. What if she actually gets pregnant? Are you going to dump me then?” “Are you kidding? A baby would just be a headache. You’re the only one who knows how to make me feel alive, babe.” Listening to their vulgar, shameless whispers, something inside me finally snapped. But I didn’t feel sad. I felt… free. Sometimes, realizing you married a monster takes only a single second. Without a shred of hesitation, I pulled out my phone and sent a text to my doctor: “I’ve made my decision. Please schedule the termination procedure for tomorrow morning. As early as possible.” Then, I unlocked the front door and walked in.

I pushed the door open. The atmosphere in the living room froze instantly. Julian and Chloe were tangled on the couch, their eyes wide with panic. Julian scrambled backward, practically throwing Chloe off him as he tried to create distance, trying to erase the thick air of betrayal in the room. I stood there, watching them with a cold, detached expression. Now that I had decided to flush his baby and this farce of a marriage down the drain, I felt absolutely nothing. “Sera! You’re back early. Where… where were you?” Julian stammered, his face turning a sickly shade of pale. I didn’t answer his question. “I thought you had a massive client tonight? That you’d be out late.” Julian swallowed hard, forcing a fake smile. “Yeah, but I missed you too much, babe. I handed the client off to my VP so I could come home to you.” “Is that so?” I let out a dry, mocking laugh. I was so done playing along. Chloe, sensing the tension, stood up and smoothed down her tight skirt, flashing me a sweet, patronizing smile. “It’s true, Mrs. Sterling! We’re all so jealous of how much the boss adores you. Unlike us poor interns who have to drive him home after hours. I’m practically exhausted!” She walked over to me, her eyes glittering with fake warmth. “You really need to tell him to go easier on us working girls! Oh, we should swap Snapchats! We should totally hang out sometime.” “Sure,” I said, pulling out my phone and letting her scan my code. I didn’t want to make a scene. Not yet. I had bigger plans. The moment Chloe left, I sat on the sofa and opened Instagram. I searched for her private account. It didn’t take long to find. Her feed was a curated gallery of her affair with my husband. There were photos of them at boutique hotels, cozy dinners at expensive restaurants, and weekend getaways to places Julian had always promised to take me but “never had the time” for. Every single post was a silent, mocking slap in my face. Looking at their happy photos, I realized I had been a ghost in my own marriage for a very long time. The next morning, the winter sun broke through the curtains, but it did nothing to warm the chill in my bones. I packed a small bag and drove to the hospital alone. I didn’t tell my parents. I didn’t want them to worry. But when I stepped into the clinic, Christian was already there waiting for me. The wait was agonizing. But as the nurse finally called my name to lead me to the operating room, my phone blasted a frantic ringtone. It was Julian. “Sera! Are you pregnant?! Why didn’t you tell me?!” He had found the copy of my lab results I had left on the kitchen counter. “I didn’t tell you because I don’t want this baby,” I said, my voice eerily calm. “I’m at the clinic right now. Once the procedure is done, my lawyer will contact you with the divorce papers.” Julian’s voice cracked, turning into a pathetic sob. “What? No! Sera, please! We’ve been trying for three years! You’re joking, right? Is this a surprise? Please tell me it’s a joke!” “I know about you and Chloe, Julian. I’ve known for a while.” Without waiting for his response, I hung up. Within fifteen minutes, Julian arrived at the hospital, frantically screaming my name. But Christian was standing guard at the double doors of the surgical wing, his towering frame blocking him completely. The anesthesiologist administered the drug. My vision began to blur. Through the heavy doors, I could hear Julian’s distant, desperate muffled screams, mixed with the quiet murmurs of the medical staff. I closed my eyes. I said goodbye to the little soul that would never be, and to the man I had foolishly loved. Then, darkness swallowed me whole.

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The diagnosis paper confirming my terminal stomach cancer was still warm in my hand when Ethan Vance threw the divorce papers right at my face. The sharp edge of the paper sliced across my cheek, leaving a stinging cut. “Sign it.” His voice was as cold as ice. “We found a kidney match for Lily. It’s you.” I gripped the diagnosis sheet. My knuckles turned white, but I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “Ethan, I’m your wife. You want to harvest my kidney to save your precious first love?” Ethan looked at me with pure disgust. “Chloe, stop acting so noble. If you hadn’t set me up all those years ago, I would never have married you.” “Lily is sick because of me. You owe her this.” I owed her? I was the one who dragged him out of that raging fire. I was the one who inhaled so much toxic smoke that my vocal cords were permanently damaged. But Lily was simply the one who wore my jacket and sat by his hospital bed crying when he woke up. I crumpled my diagnosis paper into a tight ball, squeezing it in my palm. “And what if I say no?” Ethan grabbed my jaw, squeezing so hard I thought my bones would shatter. “Then I’ll throw you in prison. Trust me, Chloe, I have a million ways to make your life a living hell.” “Don’t push me to do this the hard way.” Looking into his ruthless eyes, the last flickering spark of hope in my heart died.

I didn’t even make it to prison. Because Lily couldn’t wait that long. I was kidnapped and tied up inside an abandoned shipping container by the ocean. Lily was standing in front of me, wearing a pristine white designer dress. Her makeup was flawless. She didn’t even need her wheelchair. She looked down at me as I hung suspended over the edge, laughing like a lunatic. “Chloe, I absolutely despise your eyes.” “Did you know? Every time Ethan looks at you, he gets distracted.” I spat out a mouthful of blood. “So what? Are you going to gouge them out?” Lily knelt down, tracing a scalpel just millimeters away from my face. “Not just your eyes.” “I want him to watch you die. I want him to see you die like a dog right in front of him.” “Only if your death is horrific—and only if he believes you died because he refused to save you—will he feel guilty. He will remember forever how much I suffered for him.” This woman was completely insane. Suddenly, a phone rang. It was a FaceTime call. Lily answered it, and Ethan’s panicked face appeared on the screen. “Lily! Where are you? Did that crazy bitch Chloe hurt you?” Watching the man on the screen, my heart twisted in agony. In a split second, Lily switched to a trembling, tearful voice. Her acting was Oscar-worthy. “Ethan… save me! Chloe has gone mad! She’s trying to push me off!” Lily angled the phone camera toward the wild, crashing waves below. She held onto the railing with one hand and held a knife to her own throat with the other. As for me, I was hanging by a rope outside the shipping container, swaying in the wind. The other end of the rope was in Lily’s hand. If she let go, I would plunge into the deep ocean, and my body would never be found. “Chloe! If you touch a single hair on her head, I will ruin your entire family!” Ethan’s roar blasted through the speaker, hurting my eardrums. Battling the howling wind, my voice cracked. “Ethan, if I tell you she’s the one who kidnapped me, would you believe me?” “Shut up!” He didn’t hesitate for even a second. “Lily is too weak to even stand! How could she kidnap you? Chloe, your lies make me sick!” Lily gave me a smug, victorious look, then cried even harder for the camera. “Ethan, Chloe said only my death would make you love her… I’ll give you two your freedom…” “Don’t do anything stupid!” Ethan’s eyes were bloodshot with panic. “Lily, let go of the rope! Let the rope go! Don’t worry about that bitch!” “A toxic woman like Chloe deserves to die a thousand deaths! It’s not worth it!” “Be good, let go!” To save Lily, he wanted me to die. Even though I might still have his… Oh, wait. The diagnosis paper said the cancer cells had already spread. The baby was gone weeks ago. The smirk on Lily’s face widened. She mouthed three words to me: Go to hell. Then, right under Ethan’s watchful eyes, she pretended to lose her strength and opened her hand. “Ah! Chloe!” She screamed in fake terror. I watched the sky rapidly recede above me, and caught a fleeting glimpse of Ethan’s sudden shock on the screen. My body free-fell. The freezing seawater instantly rushed up my nose and into my lungs. In that final moment, I actually felt a sense of relief. Ethan Vance. For ten years, I loved you like a loyal dog. Now, I’m giving you my life back. We are finally even.

The feeling of ocean water filling your lungs is like swallowing handfuls of crushed glass. But I didn’t die. Maybe God thought the joke of my last ten years wasn’t finished yet, and didn’t want me to exit the stage so early. When a passing fishing boat dragged me up, I was lying on the deck like a dead fish. The burning in my lungs clashed with the sharp agony in my stomach. I coughed up a puddle of bloody saltwater. In that moment, I didn’t cry. I just thought: Ethan, since death didn’t want me, we have some serious scores to settle. Three days later. Wearing an oversized, fish-smelling old jacket I borrowed, I pushed open the door to the VIP suite at Mercy General Hospital. Inside, the scene was picture-perfect. Ethan was sitting by the bed, carefully holding a bowl of soup, blowing on it gently before feeding it to Lily. Lily’s cheeks were rosy. She didn’t look traumatized at all. “Ethan, do you think Chloe… is really never coming back?” Tears gathered in her eyes, but her mouth opened perfectly to take another spoonful of soup. Ethan’s movements were incredibly gentle, but his voice was pure venom. “Why bring up that trash? She got what she deserved.” “But…” “No buts. It’s better that she’s dead. Saved me the trouble of dealing with her.” I leaned against the doorframe and couldn’t help but chuckle. “Wow, Mr. Vance. Hearing you talk, one would think she killed your entire family.” The air in the room instantly froze. I clearly heard the clink of the metal spoon dropping back into the bowl. Ethan snapped his head around. The shock, confusion, and fleeting panic in his eyes were a sight to behold. Lily let out a sharp shriek, throwing herself into Ethan’s arms. “A ghost! She’s a ghost!” She pointed at me, her finger trembling. That terrified face of hers was the best thing I’d seen all week. I stepped into the room, leaving wet, dirty footprints on the pristine floor. “Your eyesight must be failing you, Lily. It’s broad daylight. Where would a ghost come from?” I walked to the foot of the bed, looking down at the two of them. “Or are you just feeling guilty? Afraid I’d come back from the grave to drag you to hell?” Ethan finally snapped out of it. He pushed Lily aside and marched over to me in giant strides. His beautiful eyes were webbed with red veins. Not from grief, but from pure rage. “Chloe!” He grabbed my neck, slamming me hard against the wall. The impact sent a wave of pain through my back, and my stomach cramped violently. Cold sweat broke out on my forehead. But he didn’t see any of it. He only saw my “wickedness.” “You’re alive?” He growled through gritted teeth, his grip tightening. “How the hell are you still alive?!” I forced a weak, mocking smile. “What’s wrong, Ethan? Disappointed?” “You actually staged a fake death just to scare Lily and get my sympathy! You are sick!” Ethan’s logic was always mind-boggling. To him, whether I was forced to jump or was just trying to survive didn’t matter. What mattered was that since I was alive, I must have been acting. I was using my life to threaten his precious little princess. “Ethan, is your brain made of concrete?” I stared into his eyes, my voice hoarse. “Didn’t you see Lily cut the rope on the FaceTime call?” “Shut up!” He cut me off furiously. “Lily told me! You forced her to let go! You jumped on purpose just to frame her!” “You crazy bitch, what won’t you do just to make me feel guilty and stop the divorce?” I actually laughed. Seriously. Ten years. I loved this man for ten years. And in the end, in his eyes, I was just a desperate, scheming psychopath who would do anything for his attention. “If that’s what you want to believe, then sure. Let’s say I was acting.” I closed my eyes, refusing to look at his disgusting face anymore. “The show is over. I’m tired. Let me go, Ethan.” “Let you go?” Ethan let out a cold, vicious laugh. “Chloe, you scared Lily so badly she almost had a heart attack. She nearly died, and you think you can just walk away?” “In your dreams!” He let go of my neck, grabbed my wrist instead, and began dragging me out of the room. “We are going to the transplant center right now!” I stumbled behind him, my stomach churning so hard I almost threw up on his back. “Ethan, have you lost your mind?” “I’m perfectly sane! Lily’s condition is getting worse. The doctor said she needs the transplant immediately!” He threw a sharp glance over his shoulder. “Since you survived, it must be God’s way of keeping you alive to pay for your sins!” “Your kidney is coming out today!”

Ethan was a man of action. Especially when it came to doing things for Lily. His efficiency was terrifying. I was dragged directly into the examination room. Cold medical scanners slid over my body. Lying on the hard bed, staring at the sterile white ceiling, my mind was surprisingly calm. Terminal stomach cancer. The cancer cells had already spread everywhere. My body was a hollowed-out wreck. Only a blind idiot like Ethan would think I was a perfectly healthy walking organ bank. The doctor reviewing my scans on the monitor started frowning deeply. He glanced at Ethan, who was standing nearby, and hesitated to speak. “What is it?” Ethan asked impatiently. The doctor wiped the sweat from his forehead. “Mr. Vance, Mrs. Vance’s physical condition… all her indicators are extremely bad…” “Especially her stomach. There’s a massive dark shadow here. It looks like—” “It looks like she’s faking it, right?” Ethan cut him off coldly. The doctor gasped. “No, Mr. Vance, this is—” “Faking illness is her specialty.” Ethan shot me a look of pure disgust. “She even forged a terminal stomach cancer diagnosis before just to get out of donating her kidney.” “I’ve seen this show a thousand times.” Lying on the bed, listening to him, I found it almost comical. The bloody diagnosis paper he had thrown on the ground and stomped on that day was now just a “fake prop” in his head. “Ethan, you are pathetic,” I said softly. He spun around, slamming his hands on either side of my head, trapping me against the bed. “I’m pathetic?” “Chloe, let’s see if you can still talk back when the scalpel slices your stomach open!” He turned back to the doctor, his tone leaving no room for argument. “Ignore her fake test results. As long as the kidney match is good, schedule the surgery immediately.” “But…” The doctor tried to protest. “No buts! If anything happens, I’ll take full responsibility!” Ethan barked. The doctor shrunk back, terrified, and nodded quickly. Looking at Ethan’s face so close to mine, I suddenly didn’t want to explain anymore. Really. What was the point of explaining? I’d rather let him see it. Let him see what happens when they cut me open, and instead of a healthy kidney, he finds a body eaten alive by cancer. I wondered what his face would look like then. It would definitely be a masterpiece. “Fine.” I met his gaze, smiling brightly. “Ethan, since you want it so badly, take it.” “I just hope you don’t regret it.” Ethan hesitated for a second. He probably didn’t expect me to agree so easily. A flicker of suspicion crossed his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by his usual coldness. “Regret?” He stood up, adjusting his collar. “Chloe, the only thing I regret in my life is marrying you.” With that, he turned and slammed the door shut.

The surgery was scheduled for the next morning. That night, I was kept under house arrest at the Vance estate. This house used to be our home. I had personally picked out every piece of furniture, every single decoration. Now, it was just my prison. The maids avoided my eyes, whispering in corners. The dining table was piled high with a lavish feast. But I couldn’t swallow a single bite. My stomach felt like it was filled with heavy concrete. Even drinking water brought sharp pain. “What? A hunger strike?” Ethan walked down the stairs, a glass of red wine in his hand. He had changed into loungewear, looking less tense, but the coldness in his eyes remained. I put down my fork. “I’m not hungry.” “You have to eat even if you’re not.” He sat opposite me, swirling his wine. “The surgery is tomorrow. You can’t be weak. Lily needs a healthy kidney.” Looking at the greasy food on the table, my stomach did a violent flip. “I can’t eat.” “Chloe, don’t make me force-feed you.” He slammed his glass onto the table. I looked at him, and the last shred of warmth in my heart turned to ash. He truly didn’t care if I lived or died. Even if you raise a dog for ten years, you’d feel some affection, wouldn’t you? But to Ethan, I was worse than a dog. I picked up the bowl, forcing myself to swallow a mouthful of rice despite the nausea. Before I could even chew, a hot, metallic taste rushed up my throat. I gasped, covering my mouth, and ran toward the bathroom. But I only made it two steps before I lost control. Bright red blood, mixed with white rice, sprayed across the polished marble floor. It was a horrific sight. Ethan, who was about to yell at me, froze instantly. He stared blankly at the pool of blood, then at my deathly pale face. For a moment, his mind seemed to go completely blank. “Chloe…” He took a step forward instinctively. “Are you…” I leaned against the wall, gasping for air, blood dripping from my chin onto my collar. “Are you satisfied, Mr. Vance?” I wiped the blood from my lips, letting out a weak laugh. “Is this part of my act too? A fake blood capsule?” Ethan’s fists clenched tightly. He stared at me, something in his eyes cracking. “What is wrong with you?” He rushed over, reaching out to grab my hand. I flinched away. “Don’t touch me.” “You’re dirty.” Ethan’s hand froze mid-air. Right then, his phone rang. It was Lily’s custom ringtone. The man who had looked shocked and almost remorseful a second ago instantly changed his expression. He answered the call, his voice shifting to a gentle tone I hadn’t heard in years. “Lily, what’s wrong?” “What? Your stomach hurts?” “Don’t worry, I’m coming right now!” He hung up, not even glancing back at me as he rushed toward the door. At the threshold, he paused. But he didn’t turn around. “Clean up the floor.” “Don’t be late for the surgery tomorrow morning.” Then, he slammed the door. The moment the door closed, my legs gave out, and I slid down the wall onto the floor. This was the man I had loved for ten years. When I was coughing up blood on the floor, his only concern was that I was messing up his clean marble. But the moment Lily whimpered, he ran to her like a dog chasing a bone. Ethan Vance. Consider this kidney my final parting gift to you.

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