After realizing I was nothing but a disposable background character in someone else’s grand romance, I pivoted. I became the female lead’s absolute best friend, and when she inevitably left the country, I gladly took her brooding, wealthy, hopelessly devoted runner-up of a suitor off her hands, ensuring she and her bad-boy soulmate could ride off into the sunset. But ten years later, she returned. She announced her newly single status to the world, and in our long-dormant college alumni group chat, she dropped two simple texts. [I’m back. Let’s all get together soon.] [@Colin, you’ll be there, won’t you?] The group chat instantly exploded. Everyone remembered Vanessa. She was the radiant, untouchable IT girl of our graduating class. The fact that she had walked away from Colin—the brilliant, ice-cold valedictorian who had spent four years worshipping the ground she walked on—was a tragedy our classmates still gossiped about. I looked down at Colin sleeping soundly beside me. I raised a single eyebrow. I felt a little tragic about it too. After all, his assets weren’t entirely in my name yet. 1. [Colin has to go, right? The man waited ten years for Vanessa. That’s some Gatsby-level devotion!] [Seriously! The guy hasn’t even been spotted with another woman. He’s the ultimate romantic.] [I could obsess over this dynamic forever. It’s too good.] I stared at the screen as the notifications rolled in, my fingers unconsciously tightening around my phone. My gaze drifted back to Colin. He slept so peacefully. His breathing was steady, the sharp, handsome lines of his profile softened by the amber glow of the nightstand lamp. Fifteen years. It had been exactly fifteen years since my senior year of high school, when I had that sudden, shattering epiphany. I realized I was living in a world where I was a nameless extra, a girl destined to fade into the wallpaper of Vanessa’s spectacular life. The moment I got to college, the first thing I did was orchestrate a way into her orbit. Vanessa. The dazzling protagonist of our universe. Relying on my uncanny intuition of how “her story” was supposed to go, I appeared exactly when she needed someone. I said the exact words she craved when she was crying. Seamlessly, inevitably, I became her absolute best friend. Everyone used to say, Claire, you’re so lucky to be in Vanessa’s inner circle. Only I knew the truth. I was just basking in her main-character aura, using her blinding light to carve out a slightly easier path for my own life. For four years, I shadowed Vanessa to every exclusive party and elite networking event. That was how I met everyone in her world. Including Colin. He came from old money. He had a razor-sharp intellect. But his eyes only ever saw Vanessa. Until graduation year, when Vanessa chose Tristan, the notoriously wealthy, rebellious trust-fund kid, and moved to Europe with him. Before she left, she took my hands in hers. Her smile was as blinding as ever. “Claire,” she said, “Colin is a truly good man. You two should be together. I’d feel so much better knowing you’re with him.” I looked at her radiant face, knowing the truth better than anyone. Colin only loved her. And I knew that according to the invisible script of our lives, ten years from now, Vanessa would return, and Colin would scoop up our child and run straight back into her arms. But so what? Colin’s family pedigree, his Ivy League credentials, his relentless capability—these were stepping stones a girl from a blue-collar background like me could never reach on my own. Marrying him meant I could climb. I could access a higher echelon of society, build my own wealth, and secure my future. As for love? I never expected it. I never even asked for it. So when Vanessa played matchmaker, I accepted Colin’s proposal without a second thought. At the time, I was as cold and calculating as a corporate merger. I had mapped out every single step. I would use Colin’s resources to launch my own startup. I would build my capital. And when Vanessa finally came back and Colin inevitably cheated, I would file for a very public, very lucrative divorce, take half of everything, and walk away a queen. But I had calculated everything except the treacherous, softening nature of the human heart over time. By our third year of marriage, my company was taking off, largely due to the quiet, subtle ways Colin funneled industry contacts my way. By our fifth year, our son, Noah, was born. Colin was the one clumsily learning to change diapers. He was the one waking up at 3:00 AM to warm bottles. He memorized my coffee order, remembered I hated cilantro, and always knew to keep a heating pad ready when my cramps were bad. By our eighth year, when my company faced a brutal financial crisis, he liquidated his own personal portfolios without a word to pull me back from the brink. Ten years. Everyone told me, Claire, you married a saint. And God help me, I almost fooled myself into believing it. I almost believed that living like this forever wouldn’t be so bad. But now, Vanessa was back. The plot was finally snapping back into place. Watching the alumni chat light up, the last, pathetic remnants of my hesitation were ruthlessly crushed by my own logic. Fine. I would give him one last chance. If he chose me, if he chose this family, I would pretend none of this ever happened and we would carry on. But if he chose Vanessa… Then it was time to execute the exit strategy. 2. The next morning, pale sunlight spilled through the gap in the curtains. Colin was already awake. He was lying on his side, watching me. When my eyes fluttered open, he reached out, his fingers gently brushing the hair from my face. His voice carried that deep, gravelly rasp of sleep. “Morning.” “Morning,” I murmured. I stretched, feigning a casual yawn. “Oh, by the way, the college group chat was losing its mind last night. Vanessa is back in the States. She’s talking about a reunion this weekend. Are you going?” His hand paused in my hair. Just for a fraction of a second. Then he rolled onto his back, staring blankly at the ceiling. His tone was perfectly flat. “No.” “Why not?” I propped myself up on one elbow, studying his profile. “I mean, back in the day, you guys—” “There’s no point,” he cut in, turning his head to meet my eyes. His gaze was steady, unblinking. “It’s all in the past. Besides, those things are exhausting. A bunch of people pretending to still be close, inflating their resumes. I’m not interested.” I didn’t say anything. I just waited. He reached out, pulling me down by the waist until my head rested on his chest. He pressed his chin against the crown of my head. His voice vibrated against my ear, sounding slightly muffled. “You shouldn’t go either.” “Why?” “Noah has his ballet evaluation this weekend. He needs one of us there. If you go play catch-up, who’s going to take care of him?” I lay against his chest, listening to the rhythmic, steady thud of his heart. I let the silence stretch for a few heavy seconds before I spoke. “You’re right. I’ll skip it.” Colin pulled me tighter, pressing a long kiss to my forehead. “Good girl.” Friday night, Colin came home earlier than usual. At dinner, he plated a piece of salmon for me, his voice light and affectionate. “By the way, I’m going to have to go into the office this weekend. We’ve got a massive push for the new acquisition.” My fork hovered over my plate. I looked up at him. “Both days?” “Yeah. It’s going to be a late one, too,” he nodded, pouring himself a glass of water. “I’m going to drop Noah off at my parents’ place tomorrow morning. Let them spoil him for the weekend. You should just rest. You’ve been burning the candle at both ends lately.” I looked at his face. It was the same gentle, trustworthy face I had woken up to for a decade. I forced a soft smile and nodded. Deep inside my chest, the last glowing ember of hope hissed and went dead. “Okay. Don’t work yourself to the bone. Make sure you actually eat something.” Colin looked at me, his eyes softening with what looked incredibly like love. “What would I do without you?” Saturday morning, Colin slipped out of bed with the practiced silence of a considerate husband. I kept my eyes shut, breathing deeply. I felt the mattress shift as he leaned over, pressing a soft kiss to my cheek. He tucked the duvet securely around my shoulders, then tiptoed out of the room. The moment I heard the heavy thud of the front door closing, my eyes snapped open. Ten minutes later, dressed in a nondescript trench coat, a baseball cap, and oversized sunglasses, I was sitting in the back of an Uber, trailing Colin’s Audi. He didn’t take the highway toward the financial district. Instead, the car wound its way toward the east side of the city, pulling into the manicured driveway of a highly exclusive, private country club. I told my driver to idle across the street. Through the tinted window, I watched my husband step out of his car. And then, I saw her. Vanessa. She was wearing a striking crimson dress, her dark hair cascading in perfect waves over her shoulders. She stood near the ivy-covered entrance, laughing. A bright, intoxicating laugh. Ten years hadn’t touched her. She was still the breathtaking, radiant girl who owned every room she walked into. Colin walked toward her. Vanessa met him halfway, seamlessly slipping her arm through his. She tilted her head back, smiling up at him, her lips moving as she whispered something meant only for him. Colin looked down at her. The sharp angle of his jaw caught the morning light—the exact, tender expression I knew so intimately. Then, Vanessa unspooled her arm from his, stepping fully into his space, and wrapped her arms around his neck. Colin froze. His whole body went rigid. But he didn’t push her away. They stood there, wrapped in each other in front of the club, like two star-crossed lovers reuniting after a lifetime apart. I sat in the back of the idling Uber, perfectly still. My heart wasn’t racing. I didn’t feel the urge to cry. There was only a cold, sweeping expanse of clarity. That pathetic, fragile expectation I had harbored? Extinguished. Gone. I pulled out my phone, zoomed in on the two figures, framed the shot perfectly, and tapped the shutter button. “Sir,” I said to the driver, my voice steady. “Take me to the financial district. I need to see a lawyer.” 3. The air conditioning in the law firm’s conference room was running too high. The air was frigid. I slid my phone across the polished mahogany table. On the screen was the crisp, high-resolution photo of Colin and Vanessa embracing outside the club. My lawyer, Diane, was a sharp, pragmatic woman in her late forties. She adjusted her wire-rimmed glasses, examining the photo with professional detachment before looking up at me. “Claire, a single photograph of a hug is circumstantial at best. If you’re looking to leverage adultery for a heavily skewed asset split, the court requires a much higher burden of proof. We’re talking explicit photos, undeniable text threads, or—even better—a paper trail of marital assets being spent on the affair.” I smiled faintly and took my phone back. “The evidence will come. Diane, I want you to start drafting the paperwork. My terms are very simple: I am surrendering primary physical custody to him. In exchange, I want every single cent of my rightful half of the marital estate. No negotiations.” Diane raised an eyebrow, clearly taken aback by the sheer lack of emotion in my voice, but she nodded sharply. “Understood. I’ll get the initial drafts moving. But honestly, if you can secure harder evidence of infidelity, especially financial infidelity, it puts us in a much stronger negotiating position.” “I know.” I stood up, smoothing the front of my coat. “Email me the drafts when they’re ready. I’ll be waiting to sign.” By the time I left the firm, it was early afternoon. I didn’t go home. Instead, I went to Newbury Street. I spent an hour browsing a high-end boutique and bought a beautiful, ridiculously expensive silk dress. Then I treated myself to a two-hour facial. It was past four when I finally walked through my front door, shopping bags in hand. The house was dead quiet. Predictably, Colin wasn’t home. I made myself a simple bowl of pasta. I had just taken the last bite when my phone buzzed on the counter. An incoming multimedia message. From an unknown number. I opened it. It was a ten-second video. The lighting was dim, clearly a private booth in a lounge. Colin had Vanessa pressed against his chest. His head was bowed, his lips moving against hers with a desperate, reverent kind of hunger. The resolution was sharp. You could see the exact contours of his face. You could see the faint trembling of his eyelashes as he kept his eyes squeezed shut. As soon as the video ended, a text bubbled up from the same number. Claire. I really think a marriage only works when a man actually loves his wife. Don’t you agree? I saved the video to a secure cloud folder. Then I took a screenshot of the text message and saved that, too. At 7:00 PM, my phone rang. It was Colin. “Hey, honey,” his voice filtered through the speaker. The background was strangely quiet. No clinking glasses, no restaurant chatter. “I got dragged into a vendor dinner. It’s going to run late. Don’t wait up for me.” “Okay,” I said, my voice smooth and perfectly pleasant. “Don’t drink too much on an empty stomach.” I hung up. I moved to the living room, curled up on the sofa, and turned on a random movie. It was a terrible movie. I fell asleep halfway through. Sometime in the middle of the night, I felt the mattress dip. Someone was slipping into bed, moving with agonizing slowness. He smelled faintly of expensive gin and someone else’s perfume. Colin reached out in the dark, pulling my back flush against his chest. He buried his face into the crook of my neck, breathing in my scent. Then, barely louder than a whisper, he murmured: “I’m sorry…” I didn’t move a muscle. I kept my breathing deep and even, playing the part of the sleeping wife. But in the dark, my mouth twisted into a bitter, silent laugh. What was this? A sudden strike of conscience after sleeping with his true love? Or did the guilt just make him want to throw me a crumb of counterfeit tenderness so he could sleep better at night? Colin held onto me for a long time. Eventually, his breathing leveled out, and he fell asleep. I opened my eyes, staring at the moonlight cutting across the bedroom floor. My chest felt completely, utterly hollow. 4. Over the next few weeks, Colin’s “late nights at the office” multiplied exponentially. Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays—he always found a flawless excuse not to walk through the front door until well past 10:00 PM. “We’re pushing to meet the Q3 deadline.” “Client dinner ran long.” “Mandatory team-building drinks.” The excuses were varied, but the outcome was always the same. He was gone. And Noah, who usually only spent one night a week at his grandparents’ house, was suddenly spending three or four nights there. Every time Noah came back home, the way he looked at me shifted. The coldness in his little eyes grew sharper, the disdain more pronounced. “Mom, why are you always in such a bad mood? You look crazy.” “Mom, why are you never home? Is it because you don’t love me?” “I hate you! You’re a bad lady! Go away, I don’t want you here!” …I knew exactly what was happening. Vanessa had started spending time with him. The plot of the book was unfolding, practically word for word. Colin was going to take our son, and together, they would run into Vanessa’s waiting arms to form their perfect, fated family. And me? The stepping-stone wife? It was my cue to exit stage left. But I refused to leave this stage without taking every single prop I was owed. I hired a private investigator to do a deep forensic dive into Colin’s assets. The results made my blood run cold. In the span of just one month, the deeds to three of our investment properties, shares from two shell companies he operated, and the bulk of our liquid savings had been quietly siphoned offshore. The name on the receiving account? Vanessa. But the final nail in the coffin was the corporate account. Colin had diverted over three million dollars in company funds—embezzlement, plain and simple—directly into Vanessa’s offshore trust. I methodically took photos, downloaded PDFs, and archived every single wire transfer, deed transfer, and falsified invoice. I compiled it all into a massive, encrypted dossier. I sent the file to Diane. Thirty minutes later, my phone rang. Her voice was pure, lethal professionalism. “Claire. Your husband isn’t just breaching his fiduciary duty by dissipating marital assets. The corporate embezzlement is a federal crime. This is wire fraud territory. The evidence you’ve provided is enough to strip him of everything in civil court, and practically guarantees he’ll be facing criminal prosecution.” “I strongly advise we file for divorce immediately and file an emergency injunction to freeze all his accounts.” “I know.” I stared at the blinking cursor on my laptop screen. My voice was a calm, steady hum. “Diane, draft the final injunctions. I have a specific date in mind. I’ll tell you when to pull the trigger.” “When are you planning to serve him?” I paused, a specific chapter from the original novel floating into my mind. Vanessa’s birthday was coming up. In the book, she throws a massive, opulent gala at a country estate. And during that party, overcome by the sheer magnetism of their fated love, she and Colin sleep together in one of the VIP suites. In the novel, that gala is the climax of their reunion arc. It’s where she publicly announces her divorce, her return to high society, and her rekindled romance with Colin. “Give it a few days,” I told Diane. “Right after her birthday party.” I hung up the phone. I pulled up my desk calendar and stared at the date circled in red ink—three days from now. Vanessa’s birthday. I traced the red circle with my fingertip, a slow, freezing smile pulling at my lips. Vanessa. I really hope you like the gift I got you.

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I ran into my wife Judy and her assistant Liam having sex in a BMW downstairs from the company. Watching the shaking, heaving car body, I sneered and floored the gas pedal, ramming straight into it. They were so scared they didn’t even have time to put their clothes on before they scrambled out and ran. When Judy realized it was me about to hit them, she stormed over furiously, pointing at my nose and cursing. “Charlie, Liam and I were just playing games in the car, and you dare ram into me?!” Her assistant also fanned the flames beside her: “If Judy hadn’t taken you in, you would have starved to death on the streets long ago. You’re nothing but a dog Judy keeps!” I looked at Judy, who had already cheated a hundred times, smiled slightly and said: “You just wait to go bankrupt!” “What? You’re going to make me go bankrupt? Who the hell do you think you are! What ability do you have to bankrupt me?” Liam wrapped his arm around Judy’s waist right in front of me, lowering his head to kiss her sexy red lips. “This waste must have been driven crazy by the two of us to dare threaten you like this. Just treat his words like a fart—let it go and forget about it.” They thought I was just bluffing them, that I couldn’t stir up any real trouble. If it weren’t for the fact that Judy’s grandfather once saved my grandfather, I never would have accepted their forced arranged marriage and married Judy. During these three years, I’d done enough for Judy’s family. I’d repaid the debt of gratitude. What I wanted now was the attitude of Judy’s father. I called six times before her father answered. “Thiago, your daughter has cheated a hundred times. Today I caught her in the act, and she still won’t change her ways. I just want to ask you—what punishment does she deserve!” To my surprise, Thiago scoffed: “Only a hundred times, so what? If she likes it, she can cheat ten thousand times and it’s not your place to comment, you waste.” “I really don’t understand what my father was thinking, actually making my precious daughter marry garbage like you with your unknown origins.” After hearing Thiago’s dissatisfaction with me, I finally understood a principle. What they call the evil of human hearts. I’d risked life and limb for Judy’s family, helping Thiago Group step by step reach today’s glory. Even without merit, there was hard work. How had I become a waste in their eyes? They even denied the contributions I’d made for them. I wanted Thiago’s attitude, and now he felt that Judy’s family had grown strong wings and no longer needed me as their guide. Fine. The day after tomorrow was when Thiago Group would announce going public. I decided to send them a generous gift. The debt of gratitude—I’d already repaid it for my grandfather long ago. After doing so much for Judy’s family, it was actually Judy’s family that owed me. “You hear that, waste? Even my dad agrees with me, which proves I did nothing wrong.” “Everything you have now was given by our family.” “Not only are you ungrateful, you even fantasize about bankrupting our family.” “If you dare interfere with me again, watch out—I’ll kick you out of my house, and you’ll end up as a beggar on the streets.” After saying this, she stopped hiding and instead openly threw her arms around Liam in return, going in for a French kiss. Around us, many colleagues who had just finished overtime had unknowingly gathered. Various voices humiliating me reached my ears. Not a single person could stand on my side and consider things from my perspective. These people clearly all knew I’d done many things for the company, didn’t they? Yet now they all surrounded me to watch the spectacle of my humiliation. Only then did I realize that when they called me Mr. Charlie, it was just a surface greeting. Deep down, they looked down on me entirely. “Hey, waste, what are you standing there stupidly for? Hurry up and go buy us condoms.”

“Don’t you want me to wear one?” “I’m just trying to leave you some dignity. After all, being a man to this extent, you’ve really lost all face for men.” As soon as he finished speaking, he released Judy, walked to the front of the car, pulled out the keys and threw them at me. “This car is a supercar Judy gave me. Now that you’ve damaged it, shouldn’t you compensate?” I smiled slightly: “This car is mine. If I’m not mistaken, Judy drove it over to give you as a birthday present, right!” As soon as the words fell, Judy’s expression instantly darkened: “Your car? How shameless.” “Every cent you spend, doesn’t it come from my family?” “Since you’re spending my family’s money, I have the right to decide the car’s fate.” Hearing this, I shook my head and laughed voicelessly. “You damn waste, what are you laughing at?” What Judy and Liam hated most about me was that no matter the situation, I could remain calm in danger and instead mock my opponents. They felt I was humiliating them now. “Judy, whether I’ve spent your family’s money or not, you and your father know best.” “I’ve never been a waste living off others, and I’ve never spent a single cent of your family’s money.” But Judy didn’t believe it at all, insisting I was lying. “Just because you say you haven’t doesn’t mean you haven’t. Who would believe that?” “I used to think you were just useless, but now! I’ve discovered you’re not only a waste but also full of lies.” “Come with me to city hall tomorrow. Let’s get this divorce done quickly.” When she said this, her eyes were full of disdain and weariness toward me. And I felt a sense of desolation. Husband and wife for several years, yet I couldn’t enter her heart, couldn’t warm her up, and she cheated time after time. And my colleagues’ words made me even more disappointed. “See that? Trash should recognize its own position. Go back to wherever you came from.” “We all graduated from prestigious universities. Our work abilities aren’t worse than his. Why should he get to enjoy benefits by relying on a woman, always lording it over us?” “The company goes public the day after tomorrow, and there’s no place for him anymore. What great news.” Facing a dozen pairs of eyes condemning me and waiting to see my humiliation, I didn’t feel sad but instead felt a cold laugh rising within. I was very strict in management, especially cautious when responsible for projects and following up on contract signings. If the company was to go public, certain rules and agreements had to be established. I never expected my dedication would be seen by them as me lording it over them. And getting Thiago Group to the point of going public, creating new benefits for them—wasn’t that something I fought for them? If it weren’t for me, those who should resign would resign, those who should be fired would be fired. Because Thiago is a cunning fox who only exploits employees—how would he give them benefits! Now one by one they act like this, as if afraid I’m not hurt enough, calling Liam “Mr. Liam” right in front of me. “Ms. Judy, I think Liam’s abilities are quite good. You could promote him to a higher position.” “Right, the Market Director position would be perfect.” The Market Director position—wasn’t that the position I currently held? This was blatantly pulling me down, and also a bargaining chip to please Liam. I clenched my fists tightly. They were going too far. I wanted to see how, in the end, they would be treated by the very person they were working so hard to please. They want me to get lost, right? Then don’t cry later. “Charlie, did you hear everyone’s opinion?” “It’s not that I want to pull you down, but everyone wants to pull you down.” “You’re such a failure, and you also disgust me—to think I was husband and wife with you for so long.”

She was the one who disgusted me, okay? If it weren’t for repaying my grandfather’s debt of gratitude, how could I possibly have married her? Talking to a dog was simply a waste of time. Fine, I’ll leave. But just as I was about to leave, Liam blocked my path again. “You want to leave without compensating me for the car?” Facing such a shameless person, I couldn’t help but get angry. “I told you, the car is mine. I can ram it if I want.” Because I had plenty of cars—I didn’t lack this one at all. “Big words. This was clearly bought with Judy’s money. How can you say it’s yours?” “I have evidence to…” “Enough, I don’t want to hear your nonsense anymore. If you don’t compensate Liam, then I’ll use my own methods to make you willingly pay.” I narrowed my eyes and stared at Judy: “What do you mean?” She just smiled coldly. I clearly saw calculation in her cold smile. Just then, my phone rang. “Mr. Charlie, come home quickly!” “Your dog has been tied up and hung in mid-air.” My heart couldn’t help but tighten. Even I, who was usually so calm, showed panic. Seeing that I’d finally shown a change in expression, Judy became even more certain of how much I cared about that golden retriever. She immediately laughed with delight, determined to use the golden retriever to force me to apologize to Liam. I had no time to think about their schemes, my only thought was to rush home and save my golden retriever. The golden retriever was a relic my mother left me, also my emotional support. Through countless lonely times, it was the golden retriever that accompanied me. Judy knew how much I cared about this pet, yet she dared to use it to threaten me. When I rushed back, I found it tied by its feet and hung upside down, four meters above the ground. If they let go, it would definitely fall to its death. My breathing became rapid, my heart panicked beyond control. I kicked open the courtyard gate. The violent impact made a huge noise. I sprinted over quickly: “You’re looking for death, daring to treat my pet like this.” “Lower it down slowly, or I won’t spare you.” I never liked joking around, but when they heard my words, they didn’t care at all. “What waves can a waste like you stir up? Hahaha, and you dare speak so boldly in front of me.” Thiago, surrounded by bodyguards, swaggered out. The moment our eyes met, he truly wanted me dead, felt that my identity lowered Judy’s family’s dignity. “So it seems the idea to tie up my pet was yours.” Thiago nodded without thinking: “Yes. What can you do to me?” “It’s just a beast. Killing it is as easy as turning my hand.” He looked at the entrance. Judy was bringing Liam, walking over step by step. Thiago suddenly smiled coldly: “Judy, see that!” “For those who resist, you must reach out and grab them by the throat, making them unable to resist.” “Then he’ll obediently submit and let you dispose of him as you wish.” Judy nodded obediently: “Got it!” As soon as she finished, she turned back to look at me with a smile, but her words weren’t directed at me. “Someone, throw this disobedient biting dog to its death.”

“No! Stop right now.” Judy knew how important the golden retriever was to me. No matter how cold and ruthless she was toward me, she couldn’t kill the innocent! My eyes turned red as I stared at her viciously: “What do you want me to do before you’ll let it go!” Seeing me finally willing to lower my head to her, Judy, Liam and the others smiled with satisfaction and mockery. Looking at the three people working in collusion before me, I really wanted to rush up and beat them. Liam laughed loudly and walked in front of me, punching me in the face. “I want to see if this coward dares to resist!” Unprecedented rage surged to my head. I couldn’t help but reach out and grab Liam’s neck. But he wasn’t scared at all—instead, he smiled arrogantly. “You really dare to resist!” “But… your resistance will only result in it being smashed to pulp.” After speaking, Liam raised his hand in a gesture, and the bodyguard on the roof let go. My breathing became rapid as I roared in desperation: “Stop!” Just as it was about to hit the ground, Liam shouted “Stop,” and the bodyguard pulled the rope back. This frightened the golden retriever into howling and barking in mid-air, apparently receiving an unprecedented shock. No matter how much I wanted to kill Liam, I had to swallow this anger first. I slowly released my hand, making Liam even more unbridled. After gaining his freedom, he patted his neck, then viciously raised his foot and kicked me down. I was forced to kneel before him, like fish on a cutting board, at the mercy of others. “It seems this dog is very important to you. Judy told me it’s a relic your mother left you.” “Then I’m sorry, but it might die here tonight.” I raised my head and glared at him angrily: “If you dare kill it, I’ll definitely castrate you.” “Castrate me? I’m afraid you don’t have that ability.” “Because I want you to bark like a dog first.” He stepped on my head, and then Judy brought over a divorce agreement for me to sign, leaving with nothing. “Just worried you wouldn’t leave with nothing. If you don’t want it to fall to its death, sign the contract unconditionally.” I wanted to resist and push away Liam’s foot, but suddenly thought of something and swallowed this anger. “If you want me to sign, then take your foot off!” Liam lowered his head, patting my face with vicious arrogance. “Before signing, bark a few times for me to hear!” “You… don’t go too far.” “I’m going too far—what can you do to me!” “You damn waste, can’t even satisfy your wife. I have to help you out.” “Are you going to bark or not?” For my pet, I had to bark. “Woof woof!” “No, your barking has no emotion. You need to sound as sorrowful as if a family member died, understand?” Liam hooked one arm around Judy’s waist while giving me orders. My face turned blue with bulging veins, but I had to do as they demanded. The two burst into laughter, treating me like a dog. Suppressing my unquenchable rage, I picked up the pen and quickly signed my name. “Not bad. This is what a good dog does.” “Can you let the golden retriever go now?” Liam clicked his tongue: “What are you all standing around for? Throw this beast to its death!” “Liam! You’re going back on your word!” He twisted his waist, doing his self-created dance moves and winked at me: “To a waste like you, what promise is there to speak of?” “Drop it!” “No…” As soon as the words fell, my golden retriever was thrown alive to the ground. I punched Liam again and urgently ran over to hold it. Its mouth was full of blood that couldn’t be stopped at all. Since my mother’s death, I hadn’t shed a single tear, but tonight, at this moment, I cried again. Liam was still there laughing, and Thiago also left satisfied with a wave of his sleeve. I quickly picked up the golden retriever and ran out. If I couldn’t save it, I would definitely destroy Judy’s family and castrate Liam. After leaving Judy’s house, I took out my phone and contacted my subordinates. “Bankrupt Judy’s family! Whoever dares help them dies together with them.”

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After my billionaire parents brought me and my twin brother Mueller back home, my brother, who had always matched my grades, threw away his books and started living a life of extravagance. Seeing that I still studied diligently, he mocked me with disdain: “I’ve got it all planned out. Once the SATs are over, I’m going to study abroad in Europe. Our parents are billionaires—what’s the point of being a bookworm? You need to learn how to network with high society.” He constantly bragged to me about which heiress he’d met today, which heir he’d made plans to hit the bar with. Seeing me clutching my books, Mueller laughed contemptuously: “Can’t help it—after all, I’m the boy. I’ll be the heir in the future. You’re a girl, so all you can do is study hard to please our parents.” How laughable. What era does he think this is, that he can still claim an advantage based on gender? Doesn’t he realize that both Mom and Dad graduated from top global universities? The Franklin family’s first rule is clear: only those who get into Harvard are qualified to be the heir.

I didn’t take Mueller’s words to heart and continued attending classes attentively and working hard on practice problems after school. Say what you will, the faculty at this elite private school was genuinely exceptional. Until the day we had to submit our competition registration forms, I couldn’t find mine anywhere. I remembered the last time I saw my registration form, Mueller happened to be right beside me. “Competition registration form?” Mueller said casually. “I didn’t see it.” I grew anxious. “Think harder. Tomorrow’s the final deadline—if I don’t submit it, I’ll lose my eligibility!” He snorted. “Why bother with that thing? I already told you last time, learning all this stuff is useless. You’re a girl—no matter how good your grades are, you’ll still end up getting married.” “Come with me after school to Rivers’s birthday party. Learn how to deal with people. It’ll help you manage business for me in the future.” I looked up at him and asked calmly, “Mueller, I’m asking you one more time. Did you take my registration form?” Students around us noticed the tension between us and turned to look. I knew it. He’d hidden it. I held out my hand. “Give it back.” He suddenly laughed derisively. “Can’t give it back. I burned it. It’s in the trash can—go look for it yourself.” My hand involuntarily tightened into a fist, anger surging through me. “Why?” Mueller said indifferently, “Who told you not to listen to me? You kept going against me, so I had to make you understand who’s in charge of this family!” I froze. I never imagined that my brother, who’d grown up with me since childhood, would turn into this. I looked at him deeply, then turned to go to the office to ask the teacher for another form. But the teacher told me, “No one from our school has ever participated in this competition. I had to pull strings just to get that one form.” Even though I was confident I could place well, without a registration form, I didn’t even have the qualification to compete. I laughed coldly. If Mueller could only pull these petty tricks, he wasn’t worth worrying about. I’d only signed up for this competition to see what the Washington competition was like anyway. As I left the office, Mueller blocked my way. “Well, since you can’t participate anyway, you can finally come with me to Rivers’s birthday party, right?” Only then did I realize why he’d burned my registration form. I looked at him coldly. “I’m not going. I’m going home to study.” He scoffed. “How many times do I have to tell you? Why do you only know how to study like a bookworm?”

“Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed that Rivers likes you. His family owns one of Washington’s top tech companies. If you just keep him happy, isn’t that better than participating in some stupid competition?” Rivers walked over, putting his hand on Mueller’s shoulder with a smile. “Olivia, don’t listen to Mueller. I don’t think studying is useless.” “It’s just that today’s my birthday. Do me a favor, okay? Plus, I invited a lot of classmates.” Mueller wasn’t wrong about one thing—Rivers’s family company did have business relations with mine. I didn’t want to make things too awkward, so I glanced at the time and reluctantly agreed. “I need to be home by nine-thirty.” But unexpectedly, Rivers took our group to a bar. The bar was chaotic and noisy. Mueller raised his glass and shouted, “Come on, let’s toast to Rivers’s eighteenth birthday!” I didn’t drink alcohol. What I raised was juice. Mueller’s face turned cold. “Olivia, what’s your problem? Everyone’s drinking, and you’re the only one with juice. What are you trying to prove?” I took a deep breath and looked at this brother who was only born minutes after me, saying calmly, “You forgot—I’m allergic to alcohol.” Mueller was about to say something when Rivers stepped in. “Come on, I’m the birthday boy and I haven’t said anything. Why are you getting worked up?” I stood up to go outside for some fresh air. But suddenly Rivers blocked me at the door of the private room. “It’s my birthday. How about you give me a gift?” A bad feeling crept over me. I forcefully pushed away his face as it came closer. “I’m going home.” But the next second, Rivers suddenly grabbed my wrist, pressing his whole body against mine, his breath inches away. Every hair on my body stood on end. I turned my head and yelled, “Mueller!” At that moment, I still instinctively relied on Mueller. But whether it was because the bar was too noisy or not, Mueller didn’t hear me. He didn’t come out. I desperately tried to avoid Rivers’s touch, my voice urgent and rapid. “Rivers, both our families are respectable. Aren’t you afraid I’ll tell my parents what you’re doing?” I could only hope my words would intimidate him. But unexpectedly, Rivers scoffed. “Come on, have you had enough of this playing-hard-to-get act?” He blew smoke in my face. “Mueller already agreed to let you keep me company. Even if you complain, he can testify that you seduced me.” My scalp went numb instantly. Gritting my teeth, I shouted fiercely, “Mueller, get out here right now!” “I’m your sister! How dare you do this to me? Has your conscience been eaten by dogs?” My voice was so loud there was no way he couldn’t hear me. But there was no response. The door behind me remained closed. Just as Rivers’s hand touched my shoulder and he forcefully tried to tear my clothes, I gathered all my strength and suddenly lifted my leg, kicking him hard in the groin. Rivers let out a piercing shriek. His whole body collapsed to the ground, his face deathly pale. The door behind me burst open with a bang. Mueller rushed in. “What happened?” Seeing Rivers’s miserable state, he froze for a moment. He frantically helped Rivers up, and seeing Rivers clutching his groin, he angrily questioned me, “Olivia, what did you do to Rivers!” I stood up, straightened my clothes, and walked over to Mueller. Furious beyond measure, I raised my hand and slapped him hard across the face.

I was too angry—one slap wasn’t enough. I raised my hand to slap him a second time. Mueller suddenly grabbed my hand. “Are you crazy?” My eyes locked onto Mueller’s. “Do you know what Rivers was just doing to me?” “My life was almost ruined!” Mueller lost his patience, frowning at me. “Olivia, stop being so ungrateful!” “It’s only because you’re my sister that I’m thinking about your future. You’re a girl—what other path do you have besides marriage?” “If you keep Rivers happy and marry him in the future, you can be a comfortable rich wife. Isn’t that good?” “All this talk about studying hard—you just want to fight me for the inheritance. Well, let me tell you, no way!” I looked at Mueller, who stood half a head taller than me. For the first time, I felt this brother I’d grown up with was a complete stranger. Before today, I’d always thought he was just a bit narrow-minded. But I never imagined he could be both stupid and vicious. I laughed coldly. “Mueller, this isn’t over between us.” “You’d better pray the Franklin heir is me. Otherwise, I have ten thousand ways to make you bankrupt and homeless.” “And you, Rivers,” I looked at him with icy eyes, “a good-for-nothing punk like you probably doesn’t know that attempted rape is also a crime, right?” “This time, I’ll let you off for the sake of our families’ business relationship.” My voice grew increasingly oppressive. “I suggest you stay away from me from now on. If you piss me off again, I won’t mind sending you to prison to experience life there.” Rivers’s face darkened, but he couldn’t utter a single word of rebuttal. He could only watch helplessly as I picked up my backpack from the floor. Mueller looked at me mockingly. “You’re a girl, and you think you can compete with me for the heir position? As if you’re qualified.” “Make me bankrupt and homeless? Ha!” I knew he didn’t take me seriously at all. I looked at him quietly, my eyes frighteningly calm. “Mueller,” I said mockingly, “so you want to be the Franklin heir?” I paused, my gaze sweeping over everyone who was watching the drama unfold. Finally, my eyes landed on Mueller’s face, full of mockery and contempt. “Then let’s each rely on our own abilities.” From that day on, I started treating Mueller like air. I continued studying hard every day, working through practice problems. Every exam, I held steady in first place in the entire school. But after the brief attention I received when I first ranked first in school, I practically disappeared from view. I didn’t care whether anyone paid attention to me. I only wanted to work hard toward my goal. While I studied, Mueller thrived in the elite school. He used his identity as the billionaire’s son to form cliques. Until just before the SATs, Mom and Dad specially held a grand recognition banquet. They formally introduced us to society as the children of the Franklin family. I looked at the important figures before me—people I’d only seen on TV and in magazines—and felt involuntarily nervous. But Mueller was completely different. He moved through the crowd with ease, wine glass in hand. As the banquet ended, Mueller stopped me, his tone smug. “Did you see that?” “Many of the people who came today are parents and relatives of our schoolmates. They don’t even recognize you, but they praised me highly.” “Mom and Dad were so happy just now. I brought them so much honor.” His eyes showed contempt and disdain as he said matter-of-factly, “What’s the use of you being first in your class every day?” “In society, it’s all about who has the wider network and knows how to deal with people, right?” “Look at those big bosses and rich people—how many of them were first in their class? Understanding how to navigate social relationships is more important than anything.” I looked at him calmly. “So?”

Seeing that I remained unmoved, Mueller’s face showed a trace of annoyance. “Olivia, apologize to me properly right now.” “In the future, when I take over Mom and Dad’s fortune, I can give you a little more.” I smiled mockingly. “No need.” Mueller glared at me. “Fine, fine, fine. Don’t you dare regret it. Even if you kneel and beg me in the future, I won’t show you any mercy!” I shrugged, not taking it seriously. But unexpectedly, on SAT day, Mueller locked me in the house. I pounded on the door. “Mueller, let me out!” His careless voice came through. “Olivia, I told you studying was useless, but you never listened to me. I had no choice but to lock you at home.” I shouted the housekeeper’s name. Mueller scoffed. “Stop shouting. I sent everyone away. I hid your phone a long time ago too.” I was both shocked and furious, asking in disbelief, “Why won’t you let me take the SAT?” His voice was cold. “Sorry, Olivia. I need to eliminate every opportunity you have to compete with me for the heir position.” “Since my grades aren’t good, you shouldn’t get to win against me through exams.” I took a deep breath. “Mueller, if you don’t open the door right now, we’re done being siblings!” Mueller fell silent for a moment. When he spoke again, his voice was resolute. “Then let’s be done. I’ll make you understand the consequences of going against me!” I closed my eyes, completely disappointed in Mueller. I wasn’t released until the first day of testing was over. He was triumphant. “Even if you do well, it’s useless. I’m the one qualified to inherit the Franklin family. I’m helping you accept your fate sooner!” I didn’t cry or make a scene. Instead, I lowered my eyes and laughed mockingly. Mueller probably didn’t know that my target was never the SAT—it was Harvard. And among the conditions for Harvard admission, the SAT was never mandatory. I’d only wanted to take the SAT to give myself closure after twelve years of hard study. I just never imagined Mueller would go to such lengths for his own selfish desires. If I hadn’t applied to Harvard early, Mueller would have really succeeded. I didn’t attend the remaining two days of testing. Mueller thought I’d truly accepted my fate. He came to persuade me again. “Rivers said what happened last time was a misunderstanding. As long as you’re willing to be with him, after I take my position, he’ll help me maintain my place as the richest.” “After you two get married, just focus on being a good wife and mother.” I looked up and coldly spat out one word: “Scram.” Mueller held a grudge. He picked a time when both Mom and Dad were home and deliberately apologized to me. “Olivia, I’m sorry. I was just thinking that since you didn’t take the SAT, you can’t even get into community college. Rivers is a well-known young master in Washington.” “His family’s situation isn’t much worse than ours. Since he likes you, you should seize the opportunity. I didn’t expect you to be so resistant. It’s all my fault.” The more he spoke, the more aggrieved his voice became, as if everything were my fault. Mom and Dad’s expressions grew increasingly surprised as he spoke. Mueller looked determined to succeed. “Olivia, Rivers really likes you. Why don’t you give him a try?” Dad put down his fork, frowning as he interrupted Mueller. “Who told you Olivia can’t even get into community college?” “Don’t you know she’s already been accepted to Harvard?” I smiled slightly at Mueller. “Mueller, you didn’t know, did you? In our Franklin family, we don’t support freeloaders. Only those who get into Harvard are qualified to be the heir.” All color drained from Mueller’s face instantly.

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I’m a professional bridesmaid. At a wedding, the bride asked me to share a love story. I immediately said: “My husband and I got married after knowing each other for only six months. Besides my parents, he’s the person who loves and cherishes me most in this world.” “He makes all my birthday wishes come true. He cooks me breakfast every day. When it rains, he always tilts the umbrella toward me.” Amid envious blessings, a girl suddenly stood up from the audience, looked at me with a smile and said: “Really? But Jace told me he loves me the most. If you don’t believe me, ask him yourself.” Gripping the microphone tightly, I recognized the girl immediately. She was my husband’s phone wallpaper. His niece from abroad, no blood relation. I suppressed my emotions, forcing a smile as I tried to lead her away. But she shook off my hand, looked me up and down, her disgust and disdain unconcealed. “Six months ago, if I hadn’t made Jace angry and left the country, how could I have left him behind?” “Why else would he settle for a woman like you?” “You’re only with Jace for money, aren’t you? It’s absolutely disgusting.” Vivian’s tone and manner were exactly like a wronged wife confronting a mistress. Yet I held the marriage certificate with Jace, but felt like discount merchandise, despised by her from head to toe. I’d always known that Jace’s brother had adopted the daughter of a fallen comrade. Jace doted on her to the bone. But I never imagined they had this kind of relationship. My nails dug into my palms as I forced myself to stay calm, holding back from slapping Vivian at a client’s wedding. Guests were already pointing at us and gossiping. “What’s going on? This woman’s husband is involved with his niece?” “And the niece is openly competing for him right in front of her? What kind of family is this!” “Just now this bridesmaid was saying how much her husband cherishes her. Sigh, looks like she’s just another foolish woman.” The bride was already displeased, signaling me with her eyes to control the situation. I pinched my palm hard, forcing a smile. “What are you saying, Viv? If you’ve had too much to drink, go home. Jace is waiting for us.” Vivian laughed mockingly and without hesitation raised her hand and slapped me. “You’re not worthy of mentioning Jace in front of me. Jace loves me most. If you don’t believe it, ask him yourself.” My struck ear was still ringing when I numbly turned my head. I saw Vivian’s feet give way as she fell sideways. And Jace appeared just in time, catching Vivian in his arms. Vivian buried herself in his embrace. “Jace, I missed you so much.” Jace stroked her head, responding indulgently. “Mm, I know.” In that instant, my heart felt like it had been completely carved out, leaving me frozen in place, unable to move. Eight years. I’d pursued Jace for eight whole years. Later, when Mom was diagnosed with cancer, I was busy earning money and lost contact with him. Until six months ago, when Jace suddenly found me and proposed. I thought he’d finally seen my worth, or had grown accustomed to my devotion. Whatever the reason, as long as it was him, I was willing. After marriage, Jace did the laundry and cooking, showing favoritism in every aspect of life. I became even more certain he truly loved me. But now I was being told all of this was just because Vivian had left the country in a fit of anger, and Jace was settling out of spite? “Sorry, my kid is a bit willful. I’ll take her away. Compensation will be transferred to your account shortly.” Jace carried Vivian princess-style and left. The Maybach’s exhaust quickly disappeared. I couldn’t help but laugh, tears streaming down simultaneously. To pay for Mom’s treatment, I worked desperately to earn money. Professional bridesmaid, pet funeral director, dog walker, hourly worker… Wherever people were needed, I went, working almost 24 hours without rest. How ridiculous that only now did I discover my pillow partner who earned three thousand a month and occasionally needed my financial support actually drove luxury cars and wore custom clothes. The most laughable part wasn’t even that. It was what Jace whispered as he brushed past me. “Say one wrong word, and you’ll be collecting your mother’s corpse.”

After the wedding ended, I swiped my card to compensate the bride. Only to find my bank card had been frozen. I immediately understood Jace had manipulated it. I was reported by the bride and kicked out of the ceremony. When I messaged my boss to explain, all I saw was a glaring red exclamation mark. I took a deep breath, forced to face reality. I’d lost this job. Mom’s life-saving money had decreased by another source. On the way home, I leaned against the car window, pupils dilated, eyes unable to focus. I couldn’t understand how days that should have gotten better and better had turned out like this. That winter, Dad was hit by a car and became a vegetable. The driver fled the scene. Mom couldn’t handle the shock and fainted. Leaving only sixteen-year-old me to take charge. During that time, I often stared blankly at the 17th-floor window. That’s when Jace appeared like a ray of light. He helped me raise money, took care of Mom, comforted my emotions. And arranged Dad’s funeral when he passed away. Jace was the deity heaven sent to me. I couldn’t believe he’d never loved me. When the car reached its destination, I pulled myself from my memories. I needed to ask Jace for answers. Pushing open the door, inappropriate sounds came from the bedroom. “Jace, I’ve always loved you. I don’t want to leave you. Please break up with that old woman, okay?” “Just thinking about you kissing her, having children with her—I’m going crazy.” “Jace, don’t you love me?” I froze in place, legs as if filled with cement, unable to move a step. The next second, Jace’s low voice came through. “I won’t allow her to give birth to a child.” A thunderous crash—my mind went completely blank. We’d had a child. It was the night he proposed six months ago. I was overjoyed, thinking it was heaven’s gift to us lovers finally united. Later I lost the baby from overwork and blamed myself painfully for a long time. Could it be… I burst through the door, voice trembling with tears. “The baby—what really happened with the baby!” Vivian shrieked, followed by a glass being thrown at my forehead. “Get out!” Tears welled in my eyes as I wanted to curse these shameless pair. But when I opened my mouth, I choked, unable to say anything. Ten minutes ago, Jace had backed Vivian, not giving me a single glance from start to finish. And now they were intimate on my bed while I stood there bleeding. Jace was startled for a moment and immediately got up to walk toward me. Before he could take half a step, Vivian grabbed him tightly. She said petulantly, “Jace, if you make me angry again, I’ll never speak to you again!” He looked so helpless as he bent down to kiss her forehead. I held back my tears, fixated on one question. “Was the baby really…” “Yes. I didn’t want to make Vivian unhappy.” Jace said it so casually, as if discussing something as trivial as taking out the trash. I smiled bitterly. At this moment, I was a joke. A joke played for a fool. “Jace, let’s get divorced.” Jace responded indifferently, “Fine.” I was truly exhausted and turned to leave. My phone suddenly rang. “Ms. Shaw? Your mother’s condition isn’t good. Please prepare two hundred thousand for surgery immediately.” My mind exploded with a boom, blood taste filling my mouth. I lowered my head to Jace. “Please, save my mother.”

“What? Jace, you’re still spending money on her?” “Didn’t I say your money can only be spent on me!” Vivian’s tears came instantly, leaving Jace flustered like a clueless boy. He could only turn and threaten me. “Help me explain. I’ll unfreeze your bank card.” I didn’t hesitate for a second. “Vivian, you’ve misunderstood. He’s never spent a penny on me.” “I even thought his monthly salary was only three thousand, and I gave him an extra thousand for household expenses every month.” Vivian smiled satisfactorily, hugging Jace’s waist coquettishly. The two flirted while my mother couldn’t wait. “Jace, the bank card!” After watching him unfreeze it, I immediately rushed to the hospital. Mom had already fallen into a coma. I transferred all one hundred thousand from the card to the bank, but still needed another hundred thousand. I begged bosses from various jobs but only scraped together thirty thousand. My last hope could only rest with Jace. “Jace, I’m still seventy thousand short. Consider it a loan. I’ll definitely pay you back later. Please let my mother get treatment, okay?” Before Jace could speak, Vivian panicked. “No way! I’ve seen plenty of materialistic women like you who’ll do anything for money, even using your mother’s illness as an excuse. How shameless!” “I’m not lying…” I was about to confront her when I turned and saw broken pieces in the corner. I immediately lunged over. Tears fell uncontrollably as I roared, “Who did this! Who did this!” Vivian giggled. “Hehe, my hand slipped accidentally. You won’t blame me, will you?” The pain in my heart nearly made me pass out. Jace stood protectively in front of Vivian. “Vivian hasn’t seen this kind of camera before. She was just curious and took a closer look. It was an accident.” I slowly stood up, staring hard at his face. “Jace, you know this is the only thing my father left me. You know how much I treasure it normally. And now you’re treating me like an idiot with simple words like ‘accident’ and ‘didn’t mean to’?” Jace’s initially reluctant expression showed a hint of impatience. “What more do you want?” Vivian leaned close to my ear. “I know why you fell hopelessly in love with Jace.” “There’s something you don’t know. The hit-and-run driver who killed your father was me.” “I was a minor then. Jace didn’t want me to go to prison, so he ran away with me.” “Helping you later was just to clean up my mess. Did you really think anyone would help you that selflessly?” My eyes turned red as I slapped Vivian hard across the face. Vivian screamed as I was pushed to the ground. “Vivian, are you okay?” Vivian said nothing, just looked at Jace with red, pitiful eyes. Jace immediately grabbed me and shoved me into a small room. The door locked from outside. I crawled over using my hands and feet, but was already locked inside. “Jace, let me out!” “My mother is still waiting for me. I can’t waste time here.” I screamed hoarsely, nearly desperate. “Jace, if anything happens to my mother, I’ll hate you forever!” Jace’s cold voice came through. “What could happen to your mom? She’s been on medication for three years and hasn’t died yet.” “I think I’ve been too good to you. You need to be taught a lesson.” I slumped powerlessly to the floor. Was this his idea of being good to me? Even our first meeting was a lie. Now I felt like I was standing in fog, seeing Jace less and less clearly. Then my phone rang. “Ms. Shaw, your mother couldn’t be resuscitated. Please accept our condolences.”

When the door opened, I took a long time to finally relearn how to walk, moving my steps. Jace reached out to support me, anxiously explaining, “Summer, I didn’t know Mom was really critically ill. If I’d known, how could I possibly…” I didn’t give him a single glance, walking straight past. What’s the point of saying these things now? The plot beside Dad’s grave was one Mom had bought for herself long ago. Now I came to see her off on her final journey. Tears fell like broken beads, one after another. My heart felt like it was being ground in a meat grinder. I couldn’t feel a single beat. I didn’t know if I was alive or dead. I numbly wiped the dust from my parents’ faces when suddenly a bouquet of chrysanthemums was placed beside me. “Mom, rest in peace. I’ll take good care of Summer.” My stomach churned violently. I almost vomited right there. “Don’t say such disgusting things in front of my mother. You’re polluting her ears.” I took a deep breath, wiped away my tears, keeping my tone as calm as possible. “Jace, let’s get divorced.” I thought he’d be happy I was voluntarily stepping aside. But his eyes remained indifferent. “After the divorce, where do you want to go?” “Riverport?” I looked up sharply. He remained calm and cold. “I’ve already declined Riverport University’s invitation on your behalf and recommended Vivian instead.” “Vivian will go in your place to advance her photography skills. I’ll stay with you and fulfill my duties as a husband.” I pushed him away and roared. “What gives you the right to make decisions for me!” “You know my life’s faith is to become a deep-sea photographer and fulfill my father’s last wish. I finally got this training opportunity, and you gave it to your mistress! What gives you the right!” “Who do you think you are? Who wants you to stay with them?” I raised my fists and pounded on him, but Jace just looked at me coldly. He was certain I couldn’t do anything about it. Just like when Dad’s camera was smashed to pieces—besides heartache, I could do nothing. “Jace, so you’re here! I found you!” Vivian skipped over and jumped into Jace’s arms. Pointing at Mom’s portrait, she yelled, “What is this thing!” “Jace, I had my eye on this plot long ago! The dog we raised together for nine years is buried here. How can we let some dirty thing disturb its peace!” Jace hesitated slightly. “But…” Vivian cried and made a scene. “I don’t care! I want Summer to dig out that old woman’s ashes and kneel to apologize to my dog!” “Otherwise I’ll never speak to you again!” Whenever Vivian used this tactic, Jace would absolutely obey. Sure enough, Jace looked at me. “Vivian is young. Just give in to her.” “Slap!” I used all my strength to deliver that slap. Staring coldly at Jace. “Are those even human words?” Vivian kept making a scene. Jace personally held me down. Just as my knees were about to hit the ground, a group of people holding cameras swarmed forward, practically shoving them in Vivian’s and Jace’s faces. “You’re the girl who disrupted the wedding a few days ago, right? What was your psychology when you publicly provoked your aunt?” “Miss Pool, rumors say you have an inappropriate relationship with Mr. Lambert. Is this true?” “Miss Pool, we heard you were adopted. You entered the wealthy Pool family at age five. Have you maintained this inappropriate relationship with Mr. Lambert since you were five?” “Mr. Lambert, we heard Miss Pool aborted a child. Was the child yours?”

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I’d been dating my boyfriend Matthew for three years, but he still refused to Mark me. He was the illegitimate son of an Alpha and a human woman, raised by his human mother from childhood. He endured relentless bullying and humiliation from purebred werewolves. So he hated werewolf customs and rituals. But he promised me that if I proposed to him 9 times, he would marry me. The first time, his human assistant Tiffany made a mistake at work. He rushed back to handle it, leaving me alone at the proposal venue. The second time, Tiffany knocked over the champagne tower. Glass shards cut my arm, but he rushed to take the terrified Tiffany to the hospital instead. He left me with just one sentence: “You can heal yourself anyway.” After that, no matter when I proposed, Tiffany always had some kind of trouble that needed him. By the ninth time, he still hadn’t accepted my proposal. My heart turned cold, and I finally decided to leave. After I left him, he went crazy searching for me everywhere. 0

Today was my ninth proposal to Matthew Blackwood. All our friends knew that Matthew had promised me that if I proposed to him 9 times, he would officially become my mate. My boyfriend had told me he was a werewolf raised by humans, so he deeply valued human ceremonies. So I carefully arranged the wedding venue time after time. I hoped to become his true mate and start a new family together. But the first 8 times, he left at the last minute. This was the ninth time, and also the last. Matthew assured me that this time he would definitely arrive on time. But as the ceremony time approached, Matthew, who should have been on stage, broke his promise once again. He called to tell me. “Tiffany hurt her leg. I need to take her to the hospital. Human bodies are fragile, unlike yours. Let’s cancel this proposal. Next time, I’ll definitely be there next time.” In three years of dating, this was the ninth time he’d cancelled our proposal ceremony because of Tiffany. If it had been before, I would have made a scene at this moment, demanding to know why he had to leave right now. But this time, I smiled softly. “It’s okay. Humans are indeed fragile. It would be bad if something happened.” Matthew paused slightly, seeming surprised by how agreeable I was being. “It’s good you can think that way. I’ll bring you that mango cake you like tonight.” I hummed in acknowledgment. The moment he hung up, I dropped the smile. He’d forgotten that I hated mangoes and despised eating cake. The person who loved mango cake wasn’t me. He’d bought one before to cheer me up. Not wanting to disappoint him, I forced myself to take a bite despite the nausea, only telling him afterward that I really hated mangoes and cake. When he found out, he immediately opened his phone and added it to his notes, saying he would never forget. Just one year later, “never” had passed. The scorching sun overhead made my whole body burn, but my heart remained ice cold. I laughed coldly and went back to announce the ceremony was cancelled. I knew that these three years of feelings should be cancelled along with it. I called my parents directly. My father was the Alpha of a powerful Pack in New York, and I was the Alpha’s daughter. With my status, Matthew wasn’t worthy of being my mate. It’s just that after turning 18, I never found my own mate. Until I met Matthew in college and was deeply attracted to him, coming here with him against my parents’ objections. He was the illegitimate son of the Shadowfen Pack’s Alpha and a human, raised by a human woman. Even after being brought back to the Shadowfen Pack, he was constantly mocked for never being able to shift. Because he hated when people flaunted their privileged families most of all. So for three years, I never told him my true background. Plus I told him I was mocked for never finding a mate. He always thought I was an ordinary werewolf who suffered bullying just like him. To prove himself, he worked desperately hard to gain the recognition of Alpha Silas of the Shadowfen Pack. Over three years, I worked with him at Alpha Silas’s company, helping him rise from the bottom to manager. Finally earning Alpha Silas’s recognition, who acknowledged his status as the Alpha’s son. He also promised me he would marry me soon. Everyone knew I was his girlfriend. So much so that everyone joked that fate must have made a mistake. Matthew and I should have been destined mates. Our lives got better and better. I thought Matthew wouldn’t mind my background anymore, but I never had the chance to tell him. Until he met that fragile human girl. He told me that girl reminded him of his own mother. So despite everyone’s objections, he broke protocol to hire her at the company and made her his assistant. Thinking about it, I sighed. In the end, I wouldn’t need to tell him after all. “Mom, Dad, I accept the arranged marriage. I’ll come home in three days.” My parents immediately replied. “Good girl, Mom and Dad will book your plane ticket right now!” 0

After handling everything, I returned home. As soon as I pushed open the door, I smelled sickly sweet perfume in the air, and the musky scent of sex. The living room lights were off. Only warm yellow light leaked from under the bedroom door that was left slightly ajar, along with… some scattered, sticky sounds. My heartbeat skipped. I walked over quietly. Two intertwined figures rose and fell on my bed. Tiffany’s long hair was messily scattered across Matthew’s pillow, her nails digging deep into his sweat-slicked back. Matthew was panting low, with an obsession I’d never heard before. No screaming. No questioning. I gently closed the door, shutting that sordid scene behind me. Then I took what few personal belongings I had and moved into a hotel. Fortunately, Matthew had always refused to Mark me all these years. Now I didn’t need to worry about how to break a mate bond. Early the next morning, I went to the company with my packed luggage to resign. Beta Thompson knew my identity and my relationship with Matthew. He was still trying to convince me to stay. Just then, Matthew walked in carrying documents. My eyes caught sight of the kiss marks on his neck and Tiffany’s perfume scent all over him. Clearly he’d been very satisfied last night. He used to hate when I left marks on him, saying it affected his work. So when we were intimate, I tried hard to control myself, or just gripped the sheets instead. He didn’t dislike being marked—he just didn’t want it to be by me. As soon as he walked in, the supervisor immediately spoke up. “Beta Thompson, your girlfriend wants to resign. Did you two have a fight?” “It has nothing to do with him.” “You want to resign?” Two voices rang out simultaneously. In the corner of my eye, I saw his gaze fixed tightly on me, lips pressed together. “Sure enough, you’re angry I cancelled the proposal ceremony yesterday, aren’t you?” Beta Thompson tactfully left to give us space. The moment the door closed, he stepped forward to question me. “I already told you yesterday Tiffany hurt her leg, that’s why I cancelled. How can you be so petty?” I tried to stay calm, looking up to lie. “I’m not angry. I’m resigning because I’m tired and want to take a vacation and rest.” He crossed his arms, frowning in confusion. “If you want a vacation, just take paid leave. If you suddenly resign like this, people will think you have a problem with Tiffany. How can she stay at the company then?” He’d forgotten. This year I’d already used up all my paid leave on every cancelled proposal ceremony of his. And people’s alienation of Tiffany was largely because she lacked ability but was hired through special treatment. Just because Tiffany reminded him of his own fragile human mother. I shifted my gaze back to the lipstick mark on his neck, saying nothing. He noticed and instinctively covered his neck. “I accidentally scratched myself. Don’t overthink it.” I laughed coldly inside. This excuse was too clumsy. Werewolves had extremely strong healing abilities. How could such a mark remain? But I nodded, not exposing his lie. Matthew breathed a sigh of relief. Thinking I’d calmed down, he smiled and put his arm around my shoulders. “That’s more like it. Being generous is what qualifies you to stand by my side. Stop making a fuss about resigning. Tonight I’ll take you to Moonlight Restaurant for French food, okay? Consider it compensation.” I still didn’t speak. He took it as agreement. The thought of saying a proper goodbye was pushed down inside me. Now I didn’t want to tell him about going to New York. “Matthew!” Just then, Tiffany pushed the door open without knocking. Matthew was startled and immediately let go of me. Tiffany smiled apologetically. “Sorry to interrupt your date with Lily, but I had no choice. I don’t quite understand this project…” Hearing this, Matthew walked toward her without looking back, taking the documents from Tiffany’s hands and asking patiently what she didn’t understand. Tiffany deliberately stood very close. The two of them whispered in front of me, forming a barrier. Then Tiffany pulled Matthew outside. The moment the door closed, she turned back with a provocative smile. In that instant, I saw the clear bite mark on her neck. No wonder he didn’t want to Mark me. He’d already fallen in love with that human. In the empty room, only my breathing could be heard. The next second, the gemstone necklace around my neck fell and shattered on the floor. Without reason. That was the anniversary gift Matthew gave me on our first year together. He’d said he hoped our relationship would be like that gemstone—forever beautiful and solid. I was silent for a long time, finally calmly cleaning up the fragments, along with what remained of my reluctance to let go, throwing it all in the trash. After getting Alpha Silas’s approval, I returned to my workstation to hand over my remaining work. Chris, the colleague taking over from me, usually got along well with me. Learning I was leaving, she seemed reluctant to part. “Lily, are you really leaving?” “Then won’t I have to watch those two showing off in front of me every day!” Following her gaze, Matthew was explaining the project to Tiffany. Tiffany seemed unhappy after being mildly scolded by Matthew. Matthew sighed and suddenly pulled out a sparkling platinum diamond bracelet from his suit pocket. She immediately broke into a smile, putting it on right there, even holding it up to the light to look at it. Then she met my eyes and stood up in apparent panic. “Lily, Matthew and I have no relationship. It’s just an ordinary bracelet!” As soon as she said this, everyone’s eyes immediately wandered between her and me. In three years of dating, the most expensive gift Matthew ever gave me was probably that necklace that just shattered. And Tiffany, who’d only been here less than a year, had already received bags, shoes, and now a diamond bracelet. Everyone thought I was pitiful. Even Chris standing beside me was indignant on my behalf. “You’re still boyfriend and girlfriend, and they’re playing you for a fool!” I pressed down on her hand, shaking my head repeatedly, signaling her not to impulsively start a fight, then continued looking at Tiffany. “The bracelet is very sparkly. It suits you.” Tiffany, not seeing me lose my temper, seemed unwilling and continued. “Lily, it’s really not expensive. Please don’t be angry at Matthew…” I just found it baffling. Angry? No need. My mother’s jewelry box had countless bracelets like this. I just never wore them to the company. 0

Hearing Tiffany’s words, Matthew stood up, looking at me with displeasure. “Lily, mind the setting. Don’t make a scene.” I sighed and shook my head. “I’m not making a scene. You two are being too sensitive.” My calmness surprised him. He snorted coldly. “You’d better really think that way.” He pulled Tiffany to sit down, comforting her in a low voice. Chris couldn’t help asking me, “You’re just letting it go like this?” I continued organizing documents, shrugging. “What else? In my heart, the relationship is already over.” At closing time, Matthew unusually came to my workstation. “Let’s go. I made a reservation at Moonlight Restaurant for seven-thirty.” His gaze swept over my bare neck and he suddenly froze, asking somewhat urgently, “Where’s the necklace I gave you?” “Put it away. Afraid of losing it.” He clearly relaxed, smiling. “You wore it every day before. Now you know to treasure it?” I didn’t answer, because Tiffany had already fluttered over like a butterfly, dangling car keys in her hand. “Matthew, I brought your car up from the garage for you! It’s downstairs.” Matthew was immediately drawn to her, nodding. “Wait for me in the car.” I watched Tiffany skip lightly toward his sports car, smoothly opening the passenger door and getting in. In three years of dating, I’d never sat in that seat. He said it was reserved exclusively for his future wife. At this moment, through the car window, Tiffany cast me a look mixing pity and provocation. I calmly looked away, my heart a numb silence. In the private room at Moonlight Restaurant, Matthew pulled out a chair for Tiffany. Then the two of them huddled together discussing the menu, but no one asked my opinion. After the main course, Tiffany suggested going to the terrace to see the night view. I didn’t want to follow, but Matthew forcibly brought me along. Tiffany, wearing stiletto heels, walked beside me. “Can you take a photo of Matthew and me?” She suddenly came over and grabbed my hand. I was about to shake her off. Just then, Tiffany let out a short cry and fell to the ground with a thud. “Tiffany!” Matthew’s face changed drastically. He rushed forward in one stride, holding her tightly in his arms, his voice carrying a panic I’d never heard before. “Are you okay? Where are you hurt?” Tiffany leaned in his arms, her eyes instantly reddening. “I’m… I’m fine… I was careless, didn’t stand steady… It’s not Lily’s fault. She might just… just not like me very much…” “She’s like this and you’re still speaking for her!” Matthew suddenly looked up, his gaze like a blade stabbing at me. “Lily! I didn’t think you could be so vicious! Pushing her? How could you do that!” “I didn’t push her.” I stood there, my voice so calm it surprised even myself. “Still lying?!” Matthew strode up to me. His figure appeared especially tall in the night and lamplight, carrying an intimidating pressure. I clearly saw the veins bulging at his temples. “I was just standing here. She herself…” “Enough!” The sound of a loud slap cut off all my unspoken words. A burning sting spread across my cheek, my ears ringing. I turned my head, tasting a faint rusty flavor on my tongue. “That slap was to pay you back on Tiffany’s behalf.” Matthew’s voice was ice cold and piercing. “Apologize to her. Now. Immediately.” Tiffany’s sobbing rose at just the right moment, full of helplessness and grievance. I slowly turned my face back, looking directly at Matthew. “Apologize?” I stepped forward. Under Matthew’s slightly stunned gaze, I picked up my purse that I’d left on the chair. Then I said: “I’m sorry for wasting your time watching such a boring show.” With that, without waiting for his reaction, I turned and left. I walked straight to the waiting taxi by the roadside. My phone vibrated in my bag. I didn’t need to look to know who it was. I got in the car, told the driver the airport location, then took out my phone. Matthew’s messages filled the screen: “Where are you going? Come back and make things clear!” “Tiffany sprained her wrist. I’m very disappointed.” “It’s just a slap. You’ll heal quickly. Don’t throw a tantrum over such a small thing!” “Answer the phone! Or don’t expect me to marry you.” The last one said: “Fine. If you have the guts, don’t come back!” I replied expressionlessly. “Okay.” By the time I was about to board, he sent another message. “I have to take care of Tiffany tonight, so I won’t come home. Take care of yourself at home.” I laughed coldly, already understanding everything. “It’s fine. You can even live at her place. I’ve already moved my luggage and left. We won’t have any relationship from now on.” “Matthew, goodbye forever.” After sending him the last message, I immediately blocked and deleted him.

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After eight years together, Ethan Pierce promised me his company’s IPO would be my wedding gift. But on the night the Lancaster family went bankrupt, he wanted to extract our daughter’s bone marrow to save his mistress’s son. When I signed the divorce papers, I finally learned the truth, this marriage had been his way of tearing down the Lancaster family from the very start. It wasn’t until Adrian Cooper appeared in my life, the man who had waited twelve years for me, that Ethan finally knelt in the rain, banging on my door. “Autumn, I regret everything!” I deleted his number and whispered to my daughter. “From now on, Adrian is your father.” Autumn Lancaster POV Eighth year together, fifth year of marriage. Lancaster Industries went bankrupt. That same night, the tallest building in downtown Manhattan lit up with massive LED displays announcing Ethan Pierce’s company going public. And he was at Mount Sinai Hospital’s VIP ward, keeping his childhood sweetheart Sylvia Sterling company. Sylvia updated her social media with a new post. The photo showed Ethan leaning back on a couch, his profile exhausted in sleep, still wearing the custom suit I’d ironed for him that morning. The caption read: “The one who shelters me from every storm has always been you. Even if the whole world misunderstands me, I only need you.” I stared at those words for a long time. Eight years ago, when Ethan first introduced me to his friends, he’d said something similar. It was at a college reunion after graduation. He protected me from behind, smiling at those teasing him. “Cut it out, she’s shy.” Someone asked him. “When did you finally win over Autumn?” He’d had a few drinks and smiled with pride. “I didn’t chase her.” He said, “I finally waited until she came back to me. For this lifetime, she’s the only one I want.” I calmly saved the image, then placed the signed divorce agreement on the coffee table in the living room. Ethan returned early the next morning. Seeing me sitting by the couch, he froze for a moment. Then he loosened his tie, his tone carrying a victor’s condescension. “Autumn, what happened to the Lancaster family can’t be reversed. That’s just business. If I hadn’t swallowed Lancaster Industries, someone else would have.” He walked over, habitually reaching to touch my face. “But don’t worry. I promised your father I’d take care of you for life. Even without the Lancaster family, you’re still the glamorous Mrs. Pierce.” He called me the glamorous Mrs. Pierce, but when I married him, there was no such thing as Mrs. Pierce yet. Ethan proposed to me in a small restaurant in New York. His hands trembled with nerves as he handed me the ring box and said. “Autumn, I have nothing right now.” “But I’ll work myself to death to make money.” “I’ll make sure everyone knows that marrying me isn’t marrying down.” That day, everyone in the restaurant watched us. He knelt on one knee, looking up at me, his eyes shining frighteningly bright. “Autumn Lancaster.” “Will you take a chance on me?” I smiled and nodded. I bet on him for life. Turns out he only bet eight years. I turned my head away, avoiding his hand, and pushed the agreement in front of him. “Ethan, sign it.” Ethan’s hand froze mid-air. He glanced down at the title, his expression darkening instantly. “Autumn, what are you pulling now?” He grabbed the agreement, crumpled it into a ball, and threw it on the floor. “The Lancaster family just went bankrupt and you’re already asking for divorce? What will people think of me? That I’m burning bridges?” “Isn’t that exactly what you’re doing?” I asked back. “I said I’d take care of you!” Ethan’s voice rose, anger seeping through. “Besides losing the title of Lancaster heir, you haven’t lost anything! What more do you want from me?” I looked up, quietly studying this man I’d loved for eight years. “I want a divorce. I don’t want anything except our daughter. Whatever’s left of the Lancaster mess, along with my shares in Pierce Corporation-I’m giving it all up.” “Impossible.” Ethan rejected it flatly. “Maya Pierce is Pierce family blood. I will never hand her over to you.” “Pierce family blood?” I suddenly felt like laughing. “Ethan, do you really love Maya?” “What do you mean by that?” “Sylvia’s son has leukemia, and Maya just happens to be a match. You think I don’t know what you’ve been doing for the past two weeks, running Maya through every medical test imaginable?” Ethan jerked back half a step. “You don’t want a divorce?” I stood up, pulling my suitcase. “Fine. Then we’ll drag this out. But as long as I have breath in my body, neither you nor Sylvia will lay a finger on my daughter.” “Autumn!” Ethan grabbed my wrist. “Let me explain. It’s not what you think. Sylvia is just…” “Just a poor single mother?” I interrupted, prying his fingers off one by one. “Ethan, you’ve been playing the devoted husband for eight years. Aren’t you tired? I’m exhausted just watching.”

Autumn Lancaster POV Ethan and I used to be the model couple in our circle. He doted on me endlessly. I couldn’t eat onions, so no matter how late his business dinners ran, he’d always detour to downtown to buy me cream pasta without onions. When I had complications delivering Maya, he cried like a child outside the delivery room, swearing in front of all his friends that he’d never let me suffer again. The year Maya was born, he posted photos of our daughter on social media almost every day. The first photo he took after Maya was born was of a tiny wrinkled foot. The caption read: “My life’s greatest masterpiece.” Back then, Ethan’s company hadn’t gone public yet. He was so busy his feet barely touched the ground. But whenever he came home, the first thing he did was hold Maya. Once when Maya ran a fever in the middle of the night, I panicked and cried. He carried our child and paced the living room all night long. By dawn his eyes were red, but he still smiled at me. “It’s okay. I’m here.” When Maya turned two, Ethan’s company hit a crisis. To help him, I dragged myself to entertain investors despite just having had appendix surgery, drinking until I developed a stomach ulcer and ended up in emergency care. When I woke up, Ethan was kneeling by my hospital bed, slapping himself twice across the face. “Autumn, I swear to God, once I get through this, I’ll give you my life.” He did manage to take his company public. But he gave his life to Sylvia instead. I discovered Sylvia’s existence six months ago. Ethan’s old phone was charging in a drawer when the screen lit up. A text from an unsaved number: “Ethan, Noah asked about you again today. He says he misses your cheese baked shrimp.” I unlocked the phone using Ethan’s birthday. Inside was just one hidden social media account. He’d transfer money to Sylvia late at night, noting it as “Noah’s medical expenses.” He’d help Sylvia pick out necklaces. When she complained about the hardship of raising a child alone, he’d reply: “Wait for me. Soon.” What pierced me most was a photo Sylvia sent of Maya. It was from the day Ethan took Maya to the amusement park. Sylvia commented below: “I wish Noah could be as healthy as Maya.” Ethan replied: “He will be. Noah will get better. Whatever Maya has, Noah will have too.” In that moment, the blood in my veins ran cold. I finally understood why he’d suddenly become so concerned about Maya’s health. I finally understood why when Lancaster Industries’ cash flow broke, not only didn’t he help, but he pushed things along. He wanted to drain the Lancaster family of its last drop of blood to pave his road to marrying Sylvia. He wanted to use my daughter’s bone and blood to save his beloved’s son. “Mommy?” From the second-floor stairway came Maya’s childish voice. She hugged an old stuffed rabbit, rubbing her sleepy eyes, timidly watching us in our standoff. Ethan’s expression changed. He immediately put on a gentle smile, reaching out to her. “Maya, did we wake you? Come here, Daddy will hold you.” Maya didn’t move. She looked at Ethan, then at the suitcase in my hand. Then she ran downstairs and hugged my leg tightly. “Mommy, where are we going?” Ethan’s hand froze in mid-air. “Maya, I’m just discussing something with Mommy.” Ethan tried to pull her. “Mommy isn’t going anywhere.” “We’re leaving.” I touched Maya’s head, not sparing Ethan another glance. “Autumn!” Ethan blocked the doorway, eyes red. “If you dare step out this door today, I’ll immediately stop dealing with the Lancaster mess! And your brother Lucas won’t have it easy either!” I stopped, turned around, looked at his face twisted with anger, and smiled slightly. “Fine, Ethan.” I pulled out my phone, opened a pre-drafted report email, my finger hovering over the send button. “Want to guess what happens if I send this internal ledger documenting Pierce Corporation’s tax evasion, double bookkeeping, and illegal seizure of Lancaster assets to the federal authorities? Will the position of Mrs. Pierce that Sylvia’s been dreaming about still be secure?” Ethan stood frozen, staring at my phone screen in disbelief. “Did you think these eight years I was really just some foolish woman who only revolved around you?” I put away my phone and pushed past his rigid body. “Ethan, game over.”

Autumn Lancaster POV The moment the car started, I saw through the rearview mirror that Ethan was still standing in the doorway. I didn’t return to the Lancaster estate. The Lancaster mansion had long been seized by the bank. I took Maya to an old apartment in Brooklyn-a small place I’d bought after college graduation. Ethan had always found it too remote and desolate. He said. “You’re Mrs. Pierce now. You don’t need to live in a place like this.” So in the eight years we were together, I never came back here. Maya sat on the couch, hugging her stuffed rabbit, asking me quietly. “Mommy, are we not keeping Daddy anymore?” I crouched down to look at her. “Does Maya want Daddy?” She lowered her head and thought for a long time, then shook her head. “Daddy’s been really mean lately.” My chest tightened. Even a three-year-old could see it. But it took me eight years. The next day, Ethan called. “Autumn.” Ethan’s voice was terribly hoarse. “Where are you?” “Does it concern you?” “Stop being stubborn, okay?” His voice was pressed low, as if he was holding back. “I can explain about Sylvia. Just come home first. Maya is still young. She can’t be running around with you.” “Ethan.” I interrupted him. “What’s Sylvia’s son’s name again? Noah?” Silence for several seconds on the other end. “I checked. Five years old, leukemia, acute type. Over the past six months, you’ve taken him to every blood disease hospital across America, right?” “Autumn…” “You love him so much, why didn’t you say so earlier?” I asked calmly. “If you’d told me five years ago you had this illegitimate child, I wouldn’t have married you.” “He’s not my son!” Ethan nearly shouted. “Noah isn’t my child. He’s Sylvia’s with her ex-husband! I’m just helping her!” I laughed. “Ethan, do you even believe that yourself?” He went silent. “Do you know what I saw in that hidden social media account?” I said slowly. “Every message you sent Sylvia, every photo, every transfer.” “That necklace you picked for her? I looked at it three times in the boutique but couldn’t bring myself to buy it.” “The day you celebrated her birthday, you told me the company had a business dinner.” “The day you took Noah to the aquarium, you told me you were on a business trip.” “Those were just…” “You said whatever Maya has, Noah will have too.” I asked softly. “Ethan, what does Noah want? Does he want my daughter’s blood?” A heavy breath came from the other end. “I didn’t mean it that way.” Ethan’s voice dropped. “The match was just a coincidence. I never thought about it.” “You never thought about it?” I stood up and walked to the door. “Then what were you doing these past two weeks, putting Maya through every medical test?” “Forcing her to eat those blood-building supplements every day-what was that for?” “You wouldn’t even let her touch her favorite strawberries, saying it might affect her test results-what was that about?” He didn’t answer. “Ethan,” I said, “were you waiting for her to be well-nourished, fattened up, before taking her to extract her bone marrow?” “Autumn!” Ethan roared. “What do you take me for? An animal?” “Then tell me,” I said, word by word, “what are you?” Only heavy breathing remained on the other end. I hung up.

Autumn Lancaster POV That afternoon, I took Maya grocery shopping. Pushing the cart through the aisles, I suddenly realized it had been years since I’d shopped for myself. At the Pierce house, the housekeepers did these things. All I had to do was attend galas I didn’t want to go to and deal with people I didn’t know. Maya sat in the cart, holding a bag of chips. “Mommy, can we buy this?” “Yes.” “Mommy, can we buy that?” “Yes.” She blinked, hardly believing it. At the Pierce house, the high-priced parenting expert Ethan hired had rules: Maya could only have sweets once a day, no snacks, limited tablet time, couldn’t do this, couldn’t do that. Ethan never said anything. Whatever the expert said, he followed. “Mommy, will the parenting expert be angry?” I pushed the cart forward. “Maya, from now on, whatever you want to eat or play with, just tell Mommy.” “Really?” “Really.” She cheered, almost jumping out of the cart. At checkout, my phone rang again. This time it was a message, from Sylvia. She sent a photo. In it, Ethan sat in a hospital corridor, hands covering his face, shoulders slightly trembling. Beside him was Sylvia’s hand, gently resting on his shoulder. “He’s really hurting.” “For you, and for Noah. Autumn, don’t blame him. If you want to blame someone, blame me.” “If you have any conscience at all, come back and talk to him properly. Maya is a Pierce child. You can’t take her away.” I stared at the photo for a long time. Then I took a screenshot and saved it. After checking out, I pushed Maya out of the supermarket. “Mommy, aren’t we going home?” “We are going home.” I said. “To our home.” Passing a law office, I stopped. A business card was posted on the glass door: Adrian Cooper, Partner Attorney. Maya tugged my hand. “Mommy?” “It’s nothing.” I pushed her forward. “Mommy’s just thinking about something.” That evening, after putting Maya to bed, I sat alone on the balcony. The old apartment’s balcony was tiny, barely fitting one chair. I sat there, watching the lights in the apartment complexes across the way, listening to the sounds from downstairs, feeling strangely calm. For the first time in eight years, I felt this calm. At 2 a.m., Maya woke up again. I held her, pacing in the small room, gently patting her back. “Mommy, I’m scared.” “Scared of what?” “Scared Daddy will come find me.” My heart clenched. “Why would Daddy come find you?” She buried herself in my embrace, not speaking. I gently stroked her hair. Two weeks ago, when Ethan took Maya for a checkup, her mood had been off when they returned. I asked what was wrong. She said the blood draw hurt a little. Looking back now, that was probably the first time. Then came the second, the third. Ethan said the company arranged annual checkups for employees’ families, and Maya’s was just routine. I didn’t think much of it. Who would think in that direction? Who would imagine a father would scheme against his own daughter? But he wasn’t an ordinary father. He was a father who kept saying Noah would have everything too. That child had leukemia and urgently needed a bone marrow transplant. The odds of a successful match were extremely low, yet Maya matched. There are no such coincidences in this world. I held Maya until dawn.

Autumn Lancaster POV Three days later, I met Adrian Cooper. He was my high school classmate. We’d sat at the same desk for two days. Back then he was the poorest student in class, wearing faded old clothes, eating only the cheapest bread for lunch. I was the Lancaster heir, with chauffeurs picking me up, imported snacks in my backpack. We shouldn’t have had any connection. In sophomore year, Adrian’s mother fell critically ill and needed a large sum for surgery. He worked at a coffee shop near school until the early morning hours every day. I learned about this when I passed the coffee shop after school one day and saw him. His first reaction upon seeing me was to turn his head away. I said nothing. The next day I slipped a check for fifty thousand dollars-my saved allowance-into his desk drawer. He chased after me, cornering me in the hallway. “Autumn, what’s the meaning of this?” “No meaning.” I said. “It’s a loan. Just pay it back later.” He stared at me for a long time, his eyes reddening. Later he got into Harvard Law School and after graduating joined New York’s top firm. His mother’s surgery was successful. She’s still alive. The fifty thousand dollars. He paid it back his first year after graduation, with interest. I refused the interest, so he said. “If you ever need help with anything, just ask.” Over a decade passed. We’d never been in contact. But now, I needed a lawyer. Adrian Cooper’s law office was in Manhattan’s most expensive office tower. When I brought Maya upstairs, the receptionist warmly greeted us. “Are you Autumn? Adrian is waiting for you.” The office was large, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the entire city skyline. Adrian stood by the window. Hearing us, he turned around. He was much taller than in high school, wearing a charcoal suit and gold-rimmed glasses, exuding an air of steady composure. But when he saw me, he smiled, the curve of his mouth exactly the same as a dozen years ago. “Autumn.” He walked over. “Long time no see.” “Long time no see.” He looked down at Maya and crouched. “Little one, what’s your name?” Maya hid behind me, peeking out. “Maya.” “Maya, that’s a beautiful name.” He took a candy from the desk. “Want some candy?” Maya looked at me. I nodded. She accepted it, saying softly. “Thank you.” Adrian arranged for an intern to take Maya to the lounge, then invited me to sit and personally poured water. “So, what’s the matter?” I placed the divorce agreement and the photo Sylvia sent in front of him. He read carefully, his brow gradually furrowing. “This Sylvia Sterling. Who is she?” “Ethan’s childhood sweetheart.” I said. “They grew up together. Later Sylvia married someone else and went abroad. Five years ago she came back with her child, saying she’d divorced.” “When did you find out?” “Six months ago.” Adrian took off his glasses, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “Autumn,” he looked up at me, “do you want to leave, or do you want to fight?” “Both.” I said, “But most importantly, Maya. I absolutely cannot let Ethan get custody of her.” “Reason?” I explained about Ethan’s medical tests on Maya these past two weeks. Adrian’s frown deepened. “Do you have evidence? Proof that he wants Maya to donate bone marrow to that child?” “No.” I said. “But he has the motive.” “Motive isn’t evidence.” Adrian leaned back. “And legally speaking, bone marrow donation requires guardian consent. You’re the child’s mother. As long as you don’t agree, he can’t make that decision.” “What if he gets custody?” Adrian fell silent. “He’ll find a way.” I said. “Sylvia’s child can’t wait much longer.” “Did Ethan love me? Perhaps, once.” “But he loves Sylvia more.” “For Sylvia, he’s capable of anything.” Adrian looked at me, something in his gaze I couldn’t read. “Autumn,” he asked, “do you love him?” I froze. Love him? I did once. Loved him for eight years. From twenty to twenty-eight, a woman’s best eight years. I accompanied him from having nothing to a net worth of hundreds of millions, through the hardest startup period, entertaining clients until I developed a stomach ulcer, living in cramped basement apartments and then penthouse suites, giving birth to his daughter. I once thought that was love. I once thought we’d be together forever. But that night, when Manhattan’s tallest building lit up with displays celebrating his company going public, when the entire city celebrated his success, he was in a hospital VIP ward keeping his childhood sweetheart company. Standing on the ruins of my family name. He wore the suit I’d ironed, leaning on a couch beside her, asleep. She photographed it, posted it online with the caption: “The one who shelters me has always been you.” In that moment I understood. The Ethan I loved never existed. What I loved was someone I’d imagined. What I loved was a dream I’d woven through eight years of youth. “I don’t love him anymore.” I said. “Haven’t for a long time.”

Autumn Lancaster POV Adrian looked at me and suddenly smiled. “That’s good.” He said. “I’ll take this case.” When we left the law office, it was already dark. Maya held my hand, walking and asking. “Mommy, is that man your friend?” “Mm, he’s Mommy’s old classmate.” “He’s a good person. He gave me candy.” I smiled, saying nothing. Waiting at a crosswalk for the light, a black Mercedes slowly stopped beside us. The window rolled down, and Ethan’s face appeared. He’d lost a lot of weight, eyes sunken, unshaven, his suit wrinkled-a far cry from his high spirits three days ago. “Autumn.” His voice was hoarse. “Get in.” Maya shrank behind me. I stood still. “You want to talk here?” He glanced around. “Fine by me, as long as you don’t care about being seen.” “I don’t care.” I answered. “I have nothing left. What is there to care about?” Ethan pushed open the car door and stepped out, standing before me. “Come back with me.” “No.” “Autumn!” His voice rose. “What exactly do you want? I said I’d take care of you, I said I’d look after you for life. What more do you want?” I looked up at him. That face. I used to know it so well. I’d watched it countless mornings when I woke up, secretly kissing his brow while he slept. I once thought we’d grow old together, watch our daughter grow up, become elderly together. But now, I only felt he was a stranger. “Ethan,” I said, “do you remember what you said the day we went to City Hall to register our marriage?” He froze. “You said that for this lifetime, you’d protect me completely, never let me suffer even the slightest grievance.” I smiled slightly. “Do you remember?” He didn’t speak. “And in fact, that night you were at Sylvia’s.” I stared at him intently. “The night we celebrated our wedding, I waited for you in our room while you were out drinking with friends.” I said. “I sat on the bed waiting all night. You didn’t come back. The next day you explained it was a company emergency. I believed you.” “Autumn…” “Later I learned that night Sylvia had returned to New York.” “She called you, said she was at the airport with her child, alone with nowhere to go. You went immediately, then stayed at her place all night.” Ethan’s face went white. “You’ve been lying to me ever since.” I said. “Five years. A full five years.” “That’s not true.” He grabbed my wrist. “Autumn, let me explain. There’s really nothing between Sylvia and me. She’s just… she’s just a friend I grew up with. When she’s in trouble I can’t ignore it. I don’t have those kinds of feelings for her…” “Don’t have those feelings?” I shook off his hand. “Then tell me, why was the necklace you bought her the exact one I looked at three times in the boutique but couldn’t bring myself to buy? Why did you tell me you had a business dinner on her birthday? Why did you tell me you were on a business trip when you took her son to the aquarium?” He didn’t answer. “Speak.” “Autumn, those were all things she requested. She’s raising a child alone, it’s not easy. Sometimes she complains to me and I just soften for a moment…” “Soften?” I laughed. “Ethan, who have you ever softened for? Me? The day Lancaster Industries went bankrupt, where were you? You were with her. The day your company went public, where were you? Still with her. When I had complications delivering Maya, where were you? You were at the airport picking her up.” “That day she’d just gotten off the plane with Noah. No one was there to meet her. She didn’t know anyone…” “So?” I interrupted. “So her convenience is worth more than my life?” Ethan stood stunned. “Ethan,” I said, “let’s get divorced.” Ethan stood motionless. I took Maya’s hand and walked around him, continuing forward. “Autumn!” He called from behind. “If you leave, the Lancaster family is truly finished! Lucas is still in there. Who’ll pay for your father’s medical bills? You…” I stopped, turned around, and looked at him. “Ethan,” I said, “do you think I’m still that Autumn you could manipulate at will?” I pulled out my phone, opening that report email. “I’ve already sent this material to Adrian Cooper. You should still remember him, right? Harvard Law graduate, now one of the top lawyers.” “If anything happens to me, he’ll send this email immediately. Want to guess whether the federal authorities would be interested in your public company after seeing this?” Ethan’s face went completely white. “You… you’ve been prepared all along?” “I told you,” I smiled slightly, “these eight years, I wasn’t just some foolish woman revolving around you.” “Everything you’ve done, I’ve kept track of. Including evidence of you seizing Lancaster assets, including all your transfer records with Sylvia, including those materials you forged when finding bone marrow matches for Noah.” He stepped back. “Autumn…” “Ethan,” I looked at him, “game over. You won against Lancaster Industries, but you haven’t won against me yet.” With that, I turned and left. This time, he didn’t chase after me.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “379579”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

After my divorce from Julian Rivers, he begged me to remarry him a hundred times. I refused every single one. On the hundred and first time, I said yes. Only because his dying mother guilted me into it, trading the favor of saving me from kidnappers three years ago for three months of a contract marriage. When those three months ended, I should have walked away unscathed. Instead, he personally beat me half to death and threw me out of the house, just to make space for his returning first love. He thought I would die in that snowy night. But when we met again, he knelt in the rain begging me to come back, while I held my new boyfriend’s hand. “Excuse me, sir. You’re making us late for our wedding dress fitting.” Melanie Johnson POV After Julian Rivers and I divorced, he begged me to remarry him 99 times. Julian knew I loved adventure, so he prepared the most romantic rose-covered hot air balloon for me, took me to see fireworks by the Seine in Paris, and accompanied me to chase the Northern Lights in Iceland. Everything I had ever wanted, Julian gave me. But even so, after 100 marriage proposals, I still hadn’t agreed. Then came the 101st time. Julian knelt before me and asked to get back together. “Melanie, this is my 101st proposal. This time, will you marry me again?!” I looked at the man before me, but my thoughts drifted back to the beginning, when I first met Julian. Back then, he pretended to be a poor guy. But I didn’t care about his money or status. I just loved him for who he was, so I married him without a second thought. But shortly after the wedding, I gradually discovered some strange things. For instance, Julian would often stare at his phone in the middle of the night. Once, I accidentally glimpsed a woman’s photo on the screen. I was about to ask who she was, but Julian quickly put his phone away. I didn’t think much of it. After all, back then I trusted him completely. But later, similar scenes became more and more frequent. He would get blackout drunk on certain specific days, or receive a phone call that left him distracted for an entire day. When I asked what was wrong, he’d just say it was work and tell me not to worry. Then a sudden kidnapping changed everything. I was locked in a basement for five whole days. The kidnappers demanded my husband deliver five million dollars, plus a promise that the Rivers family would stop monopolizing their industry. That’s when I learned my husband wasn’t some poor guy, but the billionaire heir to the Rivers family fortune. But four days passed, and Julian didn’t come. I waited and waited in the darkness. The injuries on my body grew worse with each failed escape attempt. But I believed Julian must be figuring something out. He must be more anxious than anyone. Then, on the fifth day of my captivity, the kidnappers threw me a phone. On the screen was surveillance footage from a bar. Julian sat in a corner booth, drinking glass after glass. On his phone was a photo, that familiar photo of the woman I’d glimpsed before. I watched my husband stare at that photo for the longest time. In that moment, something viciously squeezed my heart. The pain was unbearable. When I was being beaten, he was drinking. When I was desperately trying to escape, he was grieving over another woman. Who was she? Who could be worth my husband completely disregarding my life or death, even getting drunk over a photo in a bar every day while I was kidnapped? Later, I learned that the days I was kidnapped coincided with the news of Moira Templeton’s death. And Moira was his beloved first love, the girlfriend he’d dated for years before they broke up. Later, I was rescued by Julian’s mother, who paid the ransom. They sent me to the hospital. I was unconscious for three days. When I woke up, I learned I’d lost the ability to have children. At that time, I cried in that hospital bed for three days and three nights. But what truly chilled my heart wasn’t the devastating news about losing my fertility. It was that Julian never once appeared. Not until the day I was discharged did Julian finally show up. He stood in the hospital room doorway, looking haggard, his eyes red. I looked at him, waiting for him to speak, waiting for an explanation. But he just stood there, opened his mouth, and finally said, “You… take care of yourself.” Then Julian just turned and left. Later I learned he was rushing to the airport that day. Someone said they’d found Moira’s body, and he had to personally go retrieve it. That day, lying in my hospital bed, listening to nurses gossip about how devoted billionaire Julian was, I suddenly laughed. Turns out, from beginning to end, what I thought was love was just him settling. And I was merely a substitute during his first love’s absence. I initiated the divorce. On the day of the divorce, Julian asked me with red-rimmed eyes, “How can you be so heartless?” I didn’t answer. I wanted to ask: During those five days I was kidnapped, where were you? When I was lying in the hospital losing my ability to have children, where were you? When I needed you, who were you getting drunk over? But I didn’t ask any of it. There was no point. After that came those 98 remarriage proposals. Hot air balloons, fireworks, Northern Lights. Julian suddenly seemed enlightened, making every romantic thing I’d ever mentioned come true. But looking at this man kneeling before me, my heart no longer felt a single ripple. I knew what he was thinking. But so what? Then Julian’s mother became critically ill. She lay in the hospital bed, tears filling the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes. “Melanie, I know the Rivers family wronged you. But I still want to ask you, agree to Julian’s 99th proposal. Consider it…fulfilling the contract from when I saved you three years ago.” “Julian still needs time to establish his position in the company. The Rivers family shares need him to inherit them. Just three months. As his wife in name, help him for three months. Once he gets what he needs to get… whether you want to leave or stay, the Rivers family and you will have no further connection.” I looked at this elder who had once saved me. After a long silence, I finally nodded. So now I stood here, and amid everyone’s blessings, I finally slowly extended my hand. “I do.” “That’s wonderful! Melanie, I love you! I’ve never minded that you can’t have children. This time I swear I’ll love you properly and never lose you again…” Julian cried like a child. He reached out and hugged me tightly, but there was no emotion whatsoever in my eyes. Three months. I would play the role of a good wife by his side, help Julian smoothly inherit everything after his mother’s death, to fulfill the contract she’d made before passing. I nodded, having just calmed Julian down. But before I could ask about the remarriage timeline, I saw the man beside me, who had been so excited just moments ago, suddenly freeze in place. And the friends Julian had specially invited also stopped their congratulations and fell silent. In that moment, I saw disbelief on everyone’s faces. “Julian, I’m sorry for making you worry. I’m three years late, but… I’m back.” In the distance, a woman with slightly red eyes, wearing a white dress, slowly appeared in everyone’s view. I froze in place. Even though I’d never seen her before, I recognized at a glance that this woman was the lover Julian had cried over every night in the bar three years ago, looking at her photo…

Melanie Johnson POV Moira’s return was like a blade suddenly severing my previously smooth life. Julian never mentioned remarriage to me again. He even asked me to temporarily move out of our marital home. “Why should I move out? You already proposed to me yesterday. What’s wrong with me living in our marital home?” I stood blocking Julian and Moira, who stood beside him. My gaze was calm, but my feet didn’t budge an inch. “Melanie, don’t be so unreasonable.” Julian’s expression darkened. “Moira barely survived, not to mention she just returned to the country. She has nowhere to stay. Provide her some help. Why are you being so petty about it?” “Besides, can’t the Johnson family even provide you with a place to live? If that’s the case, I don’t mind personally calling your father to ask.” Julian spoke vaguely, but I still turned pale. He clearly knew that the Johnson family now only got a small share of the energy industry from the Rivers family. If Julian really abandoned the Johnson family, what could I do? Moreover, if not for fulfilling the contract terms, perhaps I wouldn’t have gotten involved with Julian again at all. I stopped talking. It was only three months. As long as I endured until Julian completed the equity transfer and the new year in January arrived, I could leave… “I can agree to everything else, but moving out-no.” My attitude remained firm, but I no longer mentioned remarriage. “Since you want to stay here so badly, you can’t just freeload without doing anything.” Julian pressed his lips together, thinking for a moment. “How about you stay by Moira’s side, help her get familiar with the environment, and make her some pancakes and sandwiches.” Hearing Julian’s words, my whole body stiffened slightly. What did he mean? Make me Moira’s personal maid? What did he take me for? My lips moved, but for a long while I couldn’t speak. Finally, I nodded as if compromising. In that moment, Julian looked at me with a strange expression in his eyes. But ultimately he said nothing more, just lowered his head and spoke gently to Moira beside him. “Where do you want to go today? I’ll come with you.” Moira, standing beside Julian, naturally didn’t hold back when he spoke. She turned and raised her chin at me. “Melanie, I just returned to the country. I don’t know what’s changed here.” “Why don’t you be the driver today and take Julian and me to that club we used to frequent?” “…Okay.” I agreed, then got the car and drove Julian and Moira to New York’s largest premium private club. I thought Moira was just acting on a whim, wanting to have some fun. But when I followed them into the private room, I realized Moira had already called all their mutual friends from before.

Melanie Johnson POV “I’m back in the country today-let’s drink till we drop!” Moira excitedly popped open a bottle of champagne, not caring that the spray splattered all over my clothes. She just called out, “Where’s the bartender! Get everyone some drinks!” Everyone around joined in Moira’s excitement. My fingers gripping the wine glass turned white. I raised my eyes and looked toward Julian. But the man across from me just frowned slightly, and the moment our eyes met, he instinctively looked away. My heart immediately turned cold. I put down the bottle with a self-mocking smile and turned to leave. “What’s wrong, Melanie, you’re unwilling?” Moira’s voice suddenly came from behind, blocking my path, a slight smile on her face. “Seems like you’re not giving me face. After all, just a few days ago Melanie was so good at drinking and partying. If you won’t today, that means you look down on me!” As Moira spoke, she suddenly produced a thick stack of photos from somewhere. The photos clearly showed me sitting in a bar, pouring drinks for different male models. The air in the private room suddenly went quiet. Julian stood to the side, his eyes full of disbelief as he looked at the stack of photos Moira had thrown out. He froze in place, his face instantly flushing red, as if someone had publicly slapped him hard across the face. “Melanie Johnson, I thought you just liked to have a little fun, but I didn’t know you were this loose! Since you love playing with men so much, I’ll make it happen for you!” Julian seemed to have gone mad with anger. He grabbed that stack of photos and forcefully threw them in my face. Then he raised his hand and called in two security personnel, pointing at me and angrily ordering, “Hold her down and make her pour drinks for everyone as a server!” As the man’s words fell, I was immediately restrained. I was forced to pour drinks for everyone, even forced to drink. In that moment, I felt like a servant at everyone’s beck and call… completely stripped of my dignity as an heiress. Why… did I have to degrade myself to this extent? I bit my teeth hard, forcing myself not to cry. But Julian on the side kept watching me. Finally, he seemed unable to bear it. “Enough…” “Julian, just for me today, let’s drink happily and not let anything spoil the mood.” Before Julian could finish, Moira, sitting beside him, grabbed his hand. In that moment, with my mouth being forced open, I watched Julian stiffen slightly, then stop moving. He just turned and drank freely again with Moira and the others. By the time I finished pouring drinks for the last person, I’d already been force-fed into oblivion. I don’t know how I got back. When I woke up again, Julian was silently feeding me aspirin and water. “Take the medicine and go to sleep. Tomorrow is the company’s board dinner announcing the equity transfer. I don’t want you to be late.” After the man finished speaking, he shoved the water glass into my hand, turned, and left. I sat up silently and looked around, only to discover I’d been moved from the master bedroom to the cold basement.

Melanie Johnson POV The headache after the hangover was excruciating. When I woke up, there was only one hour left before the Rivers family dinner. I quickly got myself ready and rushed to the banquet hall. But as soon as I entered, I felt the strange looks the guests were giving me. What’s going on? I frowned, but the murmuring around me grew louder. “This is the ex-wife Julian Rivers proposed to? How dare she show up today?” “I heard a few days ago she spent hundreds of thousands at a bar on male models. A woman like that has the nerve to attend the Rivers Corporation dinner?” … The discussions surrounded me, countless voices entering my ears. I suddenly stopped, turned to face the nearest person with the loudest voice, and spoke clearly. “Yes, I admit I spent lavishly on male models at a bar a few days ago. But at that time I hadn’t accepted Julian Rivers’ proposal. I don’t think I did anything wrong.” I straightened my back, my voice firm and powerful. To ensure Julian’s equity transfer could proceed smoothly, after agreeing to Mrs. Rivers’ contract, I had proactively arranged a meeting with the Rivers family’s biggest business competitor a few days ago. When I learned the person in charge was a woman who loved drinking, I even chose New York’s biggest bar as the venue. During the meeting, I spent hundreds of thousands hiring several male models, just to get her to agree not to acquire the Rivers family’s scattered shares. But I couldn’t broadcast these things publicly. Julian was at a critical juncture in the equity transfer. If people with ulterior motives learned the details, I feared Julian wouldn’t successfully complete the Rivers family equity handover, and I would violate the contract. “Is that so, Melanie?” As my words fell, several Rivers family board members who had been sitting nearby suddenly stood up. “You being single and hiring male models is indeed not wrong, but you actually met privately with our biggest competitor at the Rivers family-what exactly were you trying to do?!” “I think you, Melanie Johnson, have ulterior motives! Getting close to Julian Rivers was just to extract Rivers family secrets. Now this photographic evidence is conclusive-what else can you argue?!” Those board members spoke, then suddenly produced the photos Moira had released at the club last night. “I didn’t! I…” I tried to explain, but when the words reached my lips, rationality made me close my mouth again. But my silence at this moment seemed like speechlessness after being exposed in a lie. In an instant, countless board members whose interests were tied to the Rivers family stood up and began accusing me. Some even pushed and pressured me! I was pushed back step by step under their shoving and insults, until suddenly someone shoved me hard. I felt my footing give way and immediately fell backward. But the expected pain didn’t come. A warm embrace steadily caught my body. With a familiar scent and voice, yet the tone was so cold. “Melanie Johnson, why did you betray me?”

Melanie Johnson POV I didn’t know when Julian had arrived at the banquet. Standing beside him was the smiling Moira. He looked down at me with disappointed eyes, his tone ice-cold. “I thought you just liked to have some fun. I know I wronged you badly back then, but I believed that as long as I was sincere, you would definitely come back to me.” “But I never imagined my sincerity would be met with your betrayal! I could overlook you drinking with male models before the remarriage. But you went alone to meet the Rivers family’s biggest competitor. How dare you claim you’re innocent?” I looked at the man before me and suddenly felt how strange he’d become. Even everything I’d done for him before now seemed so ridiculous in this moment. Perhaps his mother should never have paid my ransom back then. She should have let me be beaten to death by those kidnappers! That way I wouldn’t have to fulfill any contract, better than now experiencing the taste of sincere devotion being betrayed and wasted! I suddenly laughed, laughing until tears flowed, my whole body trembling violently. “Julian Rivers, you don’t believe me, but I didn’t do it! If it weren’t for the inheritance-related agreement, I…” Slap. Before I could finish, I heard a loud slapping sound. The next second, I felt a burning pain on my cheek. “What right do you have to mention that?! That was my mother’s life’s work in the Rivers family. You actually wanted to destroy it!” Julian’s eyes turned bloodshot, his words spoken through gritted teeth. “Melanie Johnson, you’re not worthy to stand at this banquet. Get out-! Get…” Before the man could finish, the surrounding guests suddenly erupted in shocked commotion. Before I could turn around, I heard someone roar, “Julian Rivers, go to hell!” In that moment, I don’t know if it was because of my former feelings for Julian or that contract requiring him to stay alive. I just instinctively rushed in front of him. As the voice hit the ground the next second, I only felt my abdomen go hollow. Blood instantly sprayed out, immediately staining the white dress I was wearing red. I saw Julian’s face change dramatically in that moment. Suddenly flustered, he rushed to me and caught me as I fell. Before losing consciousness, I seemed to clearly hear Julian’s panicked, terrified voice ringing in my ears. “Melanie Johnson, don’t fall asleep! You can’t die! Do you hear me?!” “Someone come quickly, call an ambulance now!” “If you can’t save Melanie Johnson, you’ll have me to answer to!” Warm palms seemed to press tightly against my bleeding wound. In a daze, I blinked weakly and finally couldn’t hold on anymore and passed out.

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The company’s top salesman came to me for his team-building expense reimbursement. I didn’t even look up as I flatly rejected his request. “I can’t approve this. The budget is gone.” He stared at me in absolute disbelief. “It’s only the 1st of the month. How can we be out of money? Every person gets a $100 allowance!” But I held my ground and absolutely refused to process his claim. Unable to tolerate it any longer, he went straight to the big boss to complain about me. “Boss! You can’t let her target her colleagues like this!” “If she doesn’t approve the team-building budget, how am I supposed to boost morale?” “She’s penny-pinching us to death! She’s trying to ruin the company!” Seeing that the situation had finally blown up. I smiled, stood up, and pulled out the last six months of billing records from my drawer… 1 When Jason’s expense report was slid in front of me, I didn’t even bat an eye. My fingers typed the final digit on the keyboard. Only after I saved the organized spreadsheet did I reach out and take that thin piece of paper. His flamboyant signature was scrawled across the top, and a glaring number was filled in the amount column. “I can’t approve this.” I pushed the form back to him, my voice flat and emotionless. “The departmental budget for this month is already depleted.” The smug smile on Jason’s face froze, as if he hadn’t heard me clearly. “What? Rachel, say that again?” I looked up, meeting his gaze directly. “I said, the administrative budget for this month is gone.” “That’s impossible!” He slammed his hand on my desk, drawing the side-eyes of everyone in the office. “It’s only the first of the month!” “The company’s team-building allowance is $100 per person per month. Our sales department has over a hundred people. You’re telling me a $10,000 limit is just gone?” A young salesman behind him immediately chimed in. “Yeah, Rachel, our top sales team just won a major contract. What’s wrong with having a victory dinner?” “You’re new here, so maybe you don’t know the ropes, but you can’t just block us like this, can you?” “Yeah, she has no social awareness.” “So petty!” “It’s not like we do this every month!” His subordinates chimed in one after another. Their voices weren’t loud, but they buzzed annoyingly like flies. I ignored the background noise, my eyes fixed solely on Jason. Seeing that I was unyielding, his expression of shock turned into rage. His face flushed red, and he pointed his finger at my nose, cursing: “Rachel, are you deliberately trying to make things difficult for me?” “Let me tell you, don’t think that just because you sit in that chair, you can control the sales department!” “We’re the ones making money for the company. We’re not here to take crap from a little accountant like you!” I leaned back in my chair, letting his spittle fly through the air, my tone remaining perfectly calm. “Jason, the rules are the rules.” “The portion your team overspent last month was automatically carried over and deducted from this month’s budget according to financial policy.” “So, this month’s allowance was completely wiped out at exactly midnight on the 1st.” My words carried clearly into every corner of the office. Instantly, a deathly silence fell over the room, leaving only the sound of the central air conditioning blowing. The colleagues who had been watching the drama unfold now looked at me with complex expressions. Some with pity, some with disdain, but mostly with an aloof indifference. They probably thought I was crazy—a new accountant daring to go head-to-head with the company’s hottest star salesman. What could possibly have overspent by that much? In the end, they definitely thought I was just too stingy to release that much money at the beginning of the month. Jason was choked up by my completely justified and factual statement for a long time, unable to utter a single word, his chest heaving violently. He had probably never imagined that his usually infallible tactics would hit a brick wall with me. Finally, he squeezed out a sentence through gritted teeth. “Fine, Rachel. Just you wait.” 2 He grabbed the expense report, crumpled it fiercely into a ball, threw it into the trash can in front of me, turned, and slammed the door as he left. The massive bang made the pen holder on my desk tremble. The tense air in the office only slightly loosened after his departure. Someone secretly shot me a “take care of yourself” look, then quickly lowered their head, pretending to be busy. Expressionless, I picked that crumpled ball of paper out of the trash, smoothed it out, and clipped it into a dedicated folder. They all thought this was the first time I had angered Jason, thinking I was a rigid, inexperienced rookie. Only I knew that this was not the first time. Jason’s expense reports were incredibly varied and staggeringly frequent. Dining out and hitting the clubs were commonplace; he even had the audacity to submit receipts from luxury spas and massage parlors for reimbursement. Every time, he would just toss the receipt on my desk and say something smooth. “Rachel, it’s all for team morale. You cover it first, and I’ll push the paperwork through immediately.” His “paperwork” meant never mentioning it again. When I first joined the company, before I understood how things worked here, I had fronted over $20,000. That money was still sitting lonely on my personal ledger, like an unclaimed bad debt. I had followed up twice. The first time, he laughed it off, saying he forgot and would get it done in a couple of days. The second time, he was in the middle of the office, surrounded by a group of subordinates, loudly boasting about the million-dollar contract he had just signed. I merely walked up to him and softly reminded him about the reimbursement. In front of everyone, he slammed his coffee mug down heavily on the table. The sound wasn’t loud, but it was enough to silence the entire sales department. He looked at me like I was a bothersome, ignorant child, and spoke slowly, his voice dripping with undisguised contempt. “It’s just a few thousand bucks. Do you really have to chase me for it every single day?” “One of my contracts is worth millions. Do I look like I’m short on your little bit of money?” The surrounding area instantly erupted in suppressed, mocking laughter. Those stares pierced me like needles. From that day on, I never asked for that money again. They all thought I had backed down, that I was a soft target scared off by a single sentence from the top salesman. Jason became increasingly brazen in front of me, treating my advances and tolerance as his natural right. I didn’t defend myself; I just slowly collected all this evidence, piece by piece. I would wait until he rolled his snowball of lies big enough, until the moment he could no longer cover it up himself. When all the bad debts exploded at once, he and his so-called “achievements” would be permanently nailed to the company’s ledger, with no chance of ever turning things around. I looked at the receipts in the folder that I had smoothed out—the evidence recording his greed—and a cold smile curled on my lips. Jason, don’t rush. This opportunity is coming very soon. 3 Starting the next day, my desk became the eye of the storm. At 5:59 PM, Jason’s most capable lieutenant, a guy named Kevin, dropped a half-meter-high stack of documents on my desk with a loud thud. “Rachel, urgent. These fifty contracts have to be mailed out tonight. The clients are waiting.” I glanced at the clock on the wall. The minute hand had just hit the twelve position. The office was filled with the noisy chatter of people packing up to leave. Kevin’s voice stood out clearly amidst it all, carrying undisguised provocation. I didn’t say a word. I simply pulled the pile of contracts toward me, verified the addresses one by one, checked the signatures and seals, and then packed them into shipping envelopes. The office emptied out, the lights went off one by one, until only the harsh white light above my head remained. The night deepened outside the window, and I was the only beacon of light left in the entire office building. When I dragged my exhausted body out of the building, it was nearly midnight. This was only the beginning. When I went to the pantry for water, someone would always “accidentally” bump into me. The boiling hot water would spill, either scalding the back of my hand or soaking the documents I had just organized. The apologies were light and utterly insincere, accompanied by suppressed snickers from those nearby. I could only repeatedly blot the soaked papers dry with paper towels, then spread them out on the radiator, watching the ink bleed into blurry smudges. The pantry became their stage. Jason and his followers would always specifically gather there to loudly boast when I was heating up my lunch. “Hey, look at some women these days, dressing like they’re from the middle of nowhere…” “All they know is how to pinch pennies. No wonder she’s destined to be a lowly clerk for the rest of her life.” “Right? Zero situational awareness. Treating the company like her own personal piggy bank, calculating every single cent.” “People like that, how could they ever be successful.” Their voices were neither too loud nor too soft, just enough for me and everyone else straining their ears to hear perfectly clearly. Expressionless, I took my lunchbox out of the microwave, turned, and left. Behind me was their increasingly brazen, roaring laughter. Rumors began to spread silently throughout the company. There were many versions, but the core idea was always the same— I, Rachel, because I had been publicly humiliated by Jason, was using my position to seek personal revenge. I was deliberately blocking the entire sales department’s reimbursements, trying to drag down the company’s performance. Those colleagues who had initially stayed neutral, or even exchanged polite nods with me, now looked at me differently. They began to deliberately avoid me. If they saw me in the hallway, they would turn down another corridor before we crossed paths. In the elevator, they would rather wait for the next one than share that small space with me. I was completely isolated. I became the “public enemy” of the entire company. A “petty,” “low-EQ” villain who was affecting the company’s lifeline over personal grievances. I still arrived at work on time every day, processing mountains of paperwork, turning a blind eye to the harassment and dirty looks. My silence, in their eyes, was seen as guilt, as stubborn resistance. Seeing that I still refused to “admit my mistakes,” Jason finally lost his patience. That afternoon, I saw Jason and several of his core salespeople walk into the Branch Manager, Mr. Sterling’s, office. I knew he was pulling out his ultimate move. 4 Half an hour later, the intercom rang, and a cold female voice came through. “Rachel, Mr. Sterling wants you in his office.” I put down my pen, smoothed my clothes, and walked over. Pushing open the heavy wooden door, the atmosphere in the office was oppressive. Mr. Sterling sat behind his large executive desk, his brows furrowed tightly. Jason stood to the side, a barely detectable smugness in the corners of his eyes. Seeing me come in, he even threw me a look of sorrowful helplessness, putting on a full performance. “Rachel,” Mr. Sterling’s voice was heavy, carrying obvious anger. “What exactly is going on with you lately?” I didn’t speak, waiting for him to continue. “Jason told me everything. Is it really just about approving an expense report? Did you really have to push things to this extreme?” “Right now, the sales team is full of complaints, and morale is at an all-time low.” “Several key members have even told me they’ve lost their motivation and want to quit!” Mr. Sterling’s fingers tapped loudly on the desk. “Do you know how much it costs to train a core salesperson?” “They are the heart of the company! They are the heroes who put food on all of our tables!” He paused, his tone growing even more severe. “Jason and his team are out there fighting tooth and nail for contracts. Do they really have to come back to the company and deal with your attitude just for a little team-building money?” “What do you think you’re doing? You need to be more service-oriented! You can’t be so rigid!” “Rules are dead, but people are alive! Do I really need to teach you this?” Every word was a dagger to the heart. I raised my eyes to look at Jason. The smugness on his face could no longer be hidden; the corners of his mouth turned up into the smirk of a victor. He looked at me, his eyes full of contempt and mockery, as if saying: See? You can’t beat me. So, this company had rotted to its very core. “Heroes” could ignore the rules, and the “heart” could do whatever it wanted. He probably had no idea how much public funds had been embezzled, treated as “small costs” to maintain morale. My heart instantly went ice-cold, but my face remained completely impassive. I lowered my eyes, looking at my clean fingernails, and spoke calmly: “Understood, Mr. Sterling. I will be more mindful.” No defense, no argument. Mr. Sterling seemed very satisfied with my “tact,” his expression softening slightly, and he waved his hand. “Alright, you can go. I know you’re very capable. Communicate well with Jason, and cooperate more in your future work.” I nodded, turned, and opened the door. Outside, the sales department staff were “coincidentally” hovering nearby. The moment I stepped out, all eyes simultaneously shot toward me, like countless poison-tipped arrows. Jason and his team followed me out, unabashed, victorious smiles plastered on their faces. I could read that kind of look. It was the strong crushing the weak; it was the thrill of watching an overconfident ant being stomped underfoot. The very air in the entire office had changed, filled with suffocating mockery. I could feel those stares on my back, peeling my skin, pulling my bones. I walked back to my desk, step by step, and sat down. It was terrifyingly quiet; even the sound of typing had disappeared. Everyone seemed to be enjoying a pantomime, and I was the sole clown. I clenched the hands hidden under my desk, my fingernails digging deep into my palms, causing a sharp sting. 5 The news that I had backed down after being “lectured” sprouted wings and flew to every corner of the company overnight. The next day, the atmosphere in the office was incredibly eerie. No one dared to speak loudly, but countless gazes wove over me, filled with schadenfreude and scrutiny. Jason arrived right on time at 10:00 AM, stepping to the beat of a victor’s drum. He was followed by the entire sales department, a massive entourage, like a triumphant army returning from battle, tightly surrounding my small cubicle. “Rachel.” Jason’s voice was loud, deliberately making sure everyone could hear. “You’ve thought through what Mr. Sterling said yesterday, right? Now, process my expense reports from last month.” “Then, for your inappropriate behavior, apologize to the guys in our sales department.” As soon as he finished speaking, his lackeys started jeering. Whistles and mocking laughter mixed together. Jason raised his hand to quiet them down, a magnanimous smile on his face, and stepped aside to clear a path. “Oh, right. I specifically invited Mr. Sterling over too.” “Young people make mistakes, it’s no big deal. Let the boss be a witness, so you don’t relapse in the future.” Mr. Sterling, his hands clasped behind his back, walked out from the back of the crowd and stood next to Jason. He looked at me, his eyes carrying the reprimand of a superior and a hint of impatience. He was clearly here to settle things, so this farce could end as quickly as possible. The air in the entire office solidified. Everyone stopped what they were doing, craning their necks, waiting for the moment I bowed my head in defeat. This was a public execution carefully orchestrated by Jason, designed to utterly trample my dignity underfoot. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, I didn’t look at the expense report shoved back in front of my face, nor did I look at Jason’s smug expression. I raised my head, my gaze bypassing him, and landed squarely on Mr. Sterling. Then, I smiled. “Mr. Sterling, since everyone is here, why don’t we have a meeting?” My voice wasn’t loud, but like a stone thrown into a dead pond, it sent clear ripples outward. Jason’s smile froze on his face, and Mr. Sterling also frowned. Before they could react, I stood up and pulled open the bottom drawer of my desk. I took out a thick folder and a compact black voice recorder. I walked to the door of the conference room, pushed open the glass door, looked back at the crowd, and said: “Please.” Everyone exchanged confused glances, but eventually, led by Mr. Sterling, they filed in. Jason and his crew brought up the rear. He stared at the things in my hand, a certain unease appearing in his eyes for the very first time. I walked to the head of the conference table and expertly connected my laptop to the projector. The folder and the voice recorder were placed right next to my hand. “Since this is about reimbursement issues, let’s start with reimbursements.” I clicked open the first file, and a massive spreadsheet was projected onto the screen. On the left were scanned copies of all the expense receipts submitted by Jason over the past six months. And on the right were the actual consumption records I had verified line by line. “First entry: December 3rd of last year. Jason requested a reimbursement for client entertainment, amounting to $8,600. The invoice was issued by ‘The Ritz-Carlton’.” I pointed a laser pointer at the entry on the screen, my voice steady. “But interestingly enough, at 7:30 PM that evening, Tyler from Jason’s team posted a set of photos from a karaoke lounge on social media, with the caption ‘Partying with the bros’.” “The location tagged was ‘Royal Club’ on the west side of town.” “In the photos, everyone from the sales department is present, but the ‘important clients’ you mentioned are conspicuously absent.” On the screen, right next to the invoice photo, that high-definition social media screenshot suddenly appeared. Face after young face, flushed red under the dim lights, the table piled high with imported liquor and fruit platters. Jason’s face changed color. His subordinates began to shift uneasily in their seats, whispering amongst themselves. 6 I didn’t pause, continuing to scroll down. “Second entry: January 19th. The reason for reimbursement: ‘Maintaining key client relations.’ Amount: $12,000.” “The invoice shows you spent this at a high-end luxury spa.” “But I checked the company’s access control records and the garage security footage. That afternoon, Jason, you and several core members of your team had no record of ever leaving the building.” “Third entry: February 14th. Valentine’s Day. Reimbursement for $5,200, under the category of ‘Emergency PR Expenses’.” “This receipt from a jewelry store in the attachments… I specifically called to verify it. The purchase was a women’s platinum necklace.” “I wonder which client required ‘Emergency PR’ that necessitated Jason personally going out to pick a Valentine’s Day gift?” Case by case, item by item. The evidence was irrefutable, fully documented with photos and text. In the entire conference room, apart from my voice, there was no other sound. The color slowly drained from the faces of the sales department staff; sweat began to bead on their foreheads. Jason finally couldn’t hold it in any longer. He stood up abruptly, pointed at me, and yelled: “Rachel! What is the meaning of this? What gives you the right to investigate my private life? This is all just chasing shadows!” “Chasing shadows?” I looked at him and pressed the play button on the voice recorder. Immediately, my own voice came through the conference room speakers. “Jason, the twenty-odd thousand dollars I fronted before…” Following closely was Jason’s familiar, arrogant tone, amplified by the speakers, sounding exceptionally harsh in the quiet room. “It’s just a few thousand bucks. Do you really have to chase me for it every single day?” “One of my contracts is worth millions. Do I look like I’m short on your little bit of money?” The suppressed, mocking laughter of his subordinates echoed around him. The recording continued. The scene shifted, the background a bit noisy. “…Just do as I say. Make the invoice out to our partner, ‘Apex Tech’.” “Write whatever you want for the description—office supplies, technical services, whatever. Keep the amount under five grand, and submit them in batches.” “That new girl, Rachel, might be a rigid pain in the ass, but she wouldn’t dare reject them…” This was an audio recording of Jason instructing his subordinates on how to falsify accounts. It was probably sent in their team’s private group chat and forwarded to me by someone. The recording finished playing. The conference room was deathly silent. Jason’s face had gone from flushed red to a deep, sickly purple. He opened his mouth, but couldn’t utter a single word. His lackeys were all ashen-faced, wishing they could sink into the floor right then and there. Mr. Sterling’s face was so dark it looked like a thundercloud. He stared fixedly at Jason, his gaze like a knife. “Jason, what else do you have to say for yourself?” “I… Mr. Sterling, I…” Jason’s voice trembled. “I did this for the team… to motivate everyone…” “Motivate?” I let out a cold laugh and projected the final document onto the screen. “I wonder if Jason’s ‘motivation’ also includes using company funds to poach the company’s own talent?” Appearing on the screen was a detailed corporate investigation report. “‘Vanguard Trading LLC’, registered just last month. Registered capital: $500,000.” “The legal representative is named Derek.” I paused, my gaze sweeping over Jason’s pale face. “As far as I know, that’s your cousin’s name, isn’t it?” “The most crucial point is that this company’s business scope—its core business operations—is almost exactly identical to the new product line our company is launching next month.” “And the capital used to register this company is less than a thousand dollars short of the total amount you’ve falsely claimed and embezzled over the past six months.” 7 I turned off the projector, and the conference room was bright again. I looked at Jason, who had collapsed into his chair, and articulated every word clearly: “Jason, this isn’t just corruption. This constitutes corporate espionage.” “You used our company’s resources and public funds to fatten up your own team.” “And now, you were preparing to use this money to set up a new company to steal our business. Am I right?” A fatal blow. The entire room was in an uproar. Mr. Sterling’s body shook with anger. He pointed at Jason, his lips trembling, unable to form a complete sentence for a long time. Jason’s face instantly went as white as a sheet of paper. His younger subordinates, who hadn’t been with the company long, also lost all color in their faces. They looked at him in terror, as if seeing this boss they had sworn loyalty to for the very first time. The entire office was dead silent, save for the projector’s cooling fan dutifully whirring away, a monotonous hum. It sounded like it was playing the final dirge for this farce. Jason suddenly sprang up from his chair, like a cornered beast, his bloodshot eyes glaring at me fiercely. That face, usually slick with overconfidence, was now twisted beyond recognition. “Forged evidence! This is illegal wiretapping!” He pointed his finger at me, his voice a hoarse roar, spittle flying across the conference table. “Rachel, who the hell do you think you are? What gives you the right to investigate me?!” He looked around at his subordinates, who were equally ashen-faced, trying to make one last desperate struggle. “You all saw it! This woman has had it out for us since day one!” “She just wants to ruin our sales department, to ruin the whole company!” His hysterical accusations were like a shot of adrenaline injected into the bodies of his die-hard followers. “Yeah! We bust our asses out there running sales! Why should we let an accountant screw us over like this!” “She’s just out for personal revenge!” “Mr. Sterling, you have to stand up for us!” Several people stood up along with him, shouting with false bravado. The previously frozen air became agitated again. Chaos rapidly fermented in the conference room, and the situation looked like it was about to spiral out of control. Just then, the heavy doors of the conference room were pushed open silently. A middle-aged man in a dark suit, his hair combed impeccably, walked in. He looked to be in his fifties, exuding a calm demeanor, but his eyes were sharp. Wherever his gaze swept, the clamor instantly died down. Everyone fell silent, including Jason. He stood with his mouth open, the slogan “ruin the company” still stuck in his throat. The man walked over to the conference table, his gaze falling on Jason’s trembling finger. He spoke slowly, his voice not loud, but it struck everyone’s heart like a heavy hammer. “What gives her the right?” He repeated Jason’s question, his tone flat, yet carrying an unquestionable authority. “I gave her the right.” The man’s gaze turned to me. He gave a slight nod, then his eyes landed on the already petrified Mr. Sterling. “Sterling, it seems there are massive problems with your management of the branch office.” “Rachel is an inspector I dispatched from headquarters, specifically responsible for auditing the financial and HR operations of the branch.” He paused, his gaze shooting toward Jason like cold lightning. “It looks like the audit results are quite spectacular.” “A star salesman, using company funds to wine, dine, and line his own pockets, even preparing to set up his own shop and hollow out the company.” “A branch manager, turning a blind eye to this, enabling corruption, and failing to manage his team.” The man’s voice grew cold, every word like a shard of ice. “Jason, you are suspected of corporate embezzlement and theft of commercial secrets. The company will immediately report this to the police. You can explain the rest to them.” “As for you, Sterling,” He looked at the pale-faced Mr. Sterling. “As of right now, you are fired.”

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In our past two lives, Declan Hayes couldn’t escape his fate of marrying me. The third time around, he accepted it. He no longer tried to save my sister first, leaving me to die in the freezing wilderness. He no longer showed disgust at the dark birthmark by my eye, instead calling it a mark God left for him to recognize me. His ambition was as relentless as ever. He crawled out of the slums, covered in frost and snow, collapsing at my feet. He was waiting for me to pull him up and take him home, just like I had in our past two lives. But this time, God showed mercy. The one who reached out and helped him up was my sister. And I? I picked up another little street rat, one even more wretched and battered than him. Smiling, I announced that I wanted to keep this one. Declan stared blankly as my hand bypassed him. He must have been overjoyed. So happy, he looked like he was about to cry. 01 It was an overcast winter day, the sky heavy with leaden clouds. The scouts rode back to our convoy, reporting that the northern mountain pass was frozen solid. We couldn’t get through. My older sister, Clara, sighed. She stroked my sleep-flushed cheek inside the carriage, lifted the velvet curtain, and instructed the driver, “Find an inn nearby for us to wait it out. Hazel is tired.” I crawled up from her lap and peered out the frosted window. The snow was blindingly heavy, making it look as though the clouds themselves had frozen over. Dozens of beggars were huddled under broken wooden awnings, shivering violently. A kindhearted tavern owner brought out buckets of leftover food and scraps. Instantly, the beggars swarmed the buckets like starving ants. Only two boys didn’t join the frenzy. One looked at the scraps with sheer disdain. The other was likely just too emaciated, lacking the strength to even stand, curled up in a corner with a mop of matted hair. Clara leaned over, pulling me back from the window. She had her nanny wrap a thick, white rabbit-fur scarf around my head and neck. “The wind is biting right now. Catching a fever is no joke,” she scolded gently. She didn’t let me step out of the carriage until I was bundled up like a marshmallow. The moment my boots hit the ground, a figure violently crashed at my feet. He grabbed the hem of my heavy cloak with such desperate force that he nearly dragged me down on top of him. “Oh my!” Clara rushed forward to catch me, frowning at the unconscious boy on the ground. The nanny took one look and gasped. “Oh, you poor boy. He’s covered in bruises and whip marks.” Clara had a bleeding heart. She couldn’t stand seeing others suffer. Seeing the overwhelming number of refugees, she handed the nanny a stack of cash to set up a soup kitchen. Then, she personally reached down to help the boy—the one who was still gripping my cloak in a death grip. I didn’t reach out. I just stood there, watching quietly. Suddenly, I asked, “Sister, are you going to keep this filthy beggar?” The boy’s tightly shut eyelashes fluttered. Clara smiled helplessly and pinched my cheek. “Hazel, be respectful. No matter what someone’s background is, you must be polite. Understand?” She thought for a moment, then added, “Uncle Arthur’s military academy has been recruiting refugee boys lately. Since fate brought him to us, let’s take him home. Consider it a good deed.” Knowing she wouldn’t scold me too harshly because of my age, I broke free from her grasp. I ran straight toward the cluster of broken awnings, pointing at the skeletal, half-dead boy in the corner. My eyes curved into a wicked, playful smile. “If you get to keep one, I want one too! I want this one!” No one else noticed, but I did. The boy leaning against Clara—the one pretending to be unconscious—snapped his eyes open the moment the words left my mouth. He stared at me in absolute disbelief. 02 Carefully observing the boy’s reaction, I was absolutely certain. This was Declan Hayes, the man who had been haunting my recurring nightmares for months. The dreams were fragmented, playing out like a tragic, twisted novel. In those dreams, I was the obnoxious, unloved adopted sister. I was ugly—ruined by the dark birthmark at the corner of my eye. I was spoiled, arrogant, and demanded everything my perfect sister had. Including the man she loved: Declan. I clung to Declan since childhood. Through two lifetimes, he couldn’t shake me off. In those lives, he treated me with pure cruelty. He abandoned me in the wilderness where I was nearly eaten by wild dogs. He mocked my appearance so relentlessly that it destroyed my self-esteem, driving me to use toxic, back-alley cosmetics to hide my birthmark until my skin rotted away, turning me into high society’s ultimate laughingstock. Yet, I acted like I was cursed, obsessively demanding to marry him. The love and hatred of two lifetimes tangled endlessly in my dreams. Every person, every scenario—I knew them by heart. So, when I heard the driver say the northern pass was frozen and we were trapped in this snowy town, I snapped fully awake and looked out the window. Sure enough, there was the young Declan. I was naturally rebellious, a girl who loved reading dark fairy tales and legends of reincarnation. When confronted with this bizarre intersection of dreams and reality, I wasn’t afraid. I was thrilled. I had been so stupid in my dreams. So pathetic to love a man who treated me like dirt. In reality, I was going to make sure Declan Hayes got absolutely nothing in his third life. I looked at the bed where the little street rat I had just picked up was lying. He had been given medicine but was still unconscious, tossing restlessly, his skeletal fingers trembling. I reached out and held his freezing fingertips. Finding warmth, his deeply furrowed brow slowly smoothed out. I smiled softly. I was going to raise this boy, Rowan, to be stronger, smarter, and more powerful than Declan. Then, Clara would undoubtedly fall in love with him instead. When that day came, Declan would lose the woman he loved, and he would lose the war for power and wealth. Watching him cry was going to be so much fun. 03 Saying I was going to raise Rowan properly was one thing; actually doing it was another. I couldn’t keep anything alive. Every stray cat or dog I brought home eventually had to be taken over by Clara because I was so bad at it. The only things I kept in perfect condition were my porcelain dolls. So this time, I made a firm resolution. I rolled up my sleeves, determined to do everything myself! But it immediately turned into a disaster. “Oh, my sweet girl! You don’t need to bathe him yourself! He’s a boy!” The nanny rushed back into the room holding a basin of water. Seeing me holding down a terrified teenager in a wooden tub, aggressively wielding a comb to fix his hair, she panicked. I didn’t see the issue. I naturally treated him like one of my dolls, adjusting him as I pleased. I said with absolute seriousness, “He’s mine.” I can do whatever I want. With that, I cupped the boy’s wet, rigid face, leaning in close, staring straight into his pitch-black eyes. “Your name is Rowan. From now on, I am your Lady. You will listen to me, forever and ever.” Rowan’s fingers gripped the edge of the tub so hard his knuckles turned white. “Nod your head,” I demanded bossily. He stared at me. Then, he nodded. I smiled in satisfaction and held up the comb. “Good! Now I’m going to comb your messy hair until it looks pretty. Don’t move.” Rowan tried his hardest to relax his body, his soaked rags floating on the surface of the water. But I overestimated myself. After just two strokes of the comb, I spotted something crawling in his hair. I screamed, threw the comb, and pushed him away forcefully. “Ah! Lice! So gross!” The nanny quickly pulled me back. “My precious girl, you aren’t made for this kind of dirty work. Alright, you’ve had your fun, let me take over.” I don’t know which word triggered Rowan, but he looked absolutely terrified that I was disgusted with him. He grabbed a pair of sharp shears from a basket by the tub and began frantically hacking away at his own hair. He swung so recklessly that the blades slashed his cheek, drawing blood. Both the nanny and I froze in shock. Strands of hair and blood hit the water. He gripped the shears, his hair now a jagged, chaotic mess. Like a lone, frightened wolf pup who didn’t know how else to please his master, he looked at me with helpless, desperate eyes. Clara heard the commotion and rushed in. Seeing the scene, she was also stunned. She looked at the shears in his hand with concern, then pulled me into her arms, coaxing me gently. “Hazel, do you really want a playmate? How about sister finds you a better one, okay?” At the doorway, Declan, who had been scrubbed clean and dressed in fresh clothes, was watching me. He even offered me a gentle smile. I found it completely baffling. Just as I was about to tell him he was worthless, I heard a splash. Suddenly, I was yanked out of Clara’s arms and pressed hard against a wet, bony chest. The boy’s voice was raspy, damaged, and incredibly stubborn. “Lady. Mine.” Declan’s eyes went dark for a split second. I turned my head and flicked Rowan on the forehead. “Idiot. It’s—I am yours, my Lady.” His eyes seemed to light up at the flick. “Yes.” He nodded. 04 Because we had been delayed for too long visiting our parents’ graves in our hometown, Clara ordered us to pack up and head for Uncle Arthur’s estate in the capital the second the ice melted. I was incredibly depressed. Because I knew that once we reached Uncle Arthur’s house, I would revert to being the universally disliked, annoying adopted cousin. I wasn’t like Clara. She was beautiful, elegant, and everything she did was perfect. The adults adored her, and our cousins idolized her. After our parents died, she took on the responsibility of raising me. She was so capable that everyone in elite society praised her. But me? The ugly birthmark by my eye made it naturally hard for people to like me. Plus, my temper was awful. If anyone offended me even slightly, I sought ruthless revenge. They only tolerated me out of respect for Clara. But I had made my peace with it. As long as I had Clara, it was enough. She treated me so well; I wanted to give her the best of everything the world had to offer. I looked across the carriage at Rowan. He was meticulously carving a birthday gift for Clara. I had braided a small section of his choppy hair, tying off the end with a blue sapphire bead. His face had filled out a bit, and the cuts from the scissors had faded to faint red lines. His eyes were exceptionally beautiful, like a crescent moon breaking through the dusk. There was no doubt he would grow up to be a devastatingly handsome man. He pressed his lips together in concentration, his nimble fingers using a small knife to smooth the edges of a wooden angel statuette. There were several failed attempts tossed in a box beside him. When he finished, he handed it to me. It seemed to be his best work. I turned it over in my hands, satisfied. “Yes, this one is the prettiest. Give it to Clara.” He shook his head and insisted I wear it instead. I lectured him. “How many times do I have to tell you? Clara is number one. You have to prioritize her above me.” I told him to put it away. He turned slightly, pretending he didn’t hear me, and picked up his knife to carve another figure. He replied curtly, “She has someone to treat her well.” Declan? I sneered in disgust. “What does he count for? You are a million times better than him. One day, you’re going to crush him under your boot, and all he’ll be able to do is cry.” Rowan paused. He looked up at me, his gaze complex. “You hate him?” I nodded. Rowan offered a strange, faint smile. “But he seems to like you. He likes you so much he looks like he wants to kill me.” Hearing that gave me goosebumps. I told Rowan he was being ridiculous and overthinking it. The bitter winter wind howled outside the carriage windows, the bells jingling. We were almost at the capital. I burrowed into the small blanket Clara had embroidered for me. Feeling sleepy, I closed my eyes and muttered: “Except for Clara, no one will ever like me…” The carriage was quiet for a long time. Just as I was drifting off to sleep, I thought I heard someone whisper low under their breath— “Is that so?” “Because I think there are far too many people who like you. So many that I want to kill them…” I rolled over, assuming I was just hearing things. 05 As dawn broke, our carriage passed through the city gates. The Montgomery family had sent people to wait for us early in the morning. “The young ladies are finally here! The General and Madam have been worrying for days, terrified you’d be trapped in the blizzard and miss the holidays!” Aunt Martha’s head maid hurried forward, eagerly helping Clara step down from the carriage. Clara pulled her hood tighter, breathing out a cloud of white mist. “I didn’t expect the snow in the capital to be this heavy…” She turned around and reached her hand out to me, who was lagging behind. “Come on, Hazel. We’re home.” The Montgomery staff completely ignored me, their eyes landing on Declan and Rowan with confusion. Seeing I hadn’t moved, Clara stepped forward, pulled me along, and smiled as she explained why we had taken the two boys in. Declan was officially brought in by Clara, so the Montgomery staff didn’t say much. But when they looked at Rowan standing by my side, their eyes turned noticeably colder. I was used to this blatant favoritism, but… I looked back at Rowan. He seemed entirely oblivious to their deliberate coldness, offering me a small smile. We walked past the grand statues, through several courtyards, and into the warm, luxurious parlor. Aunt Martha personally came out to pull Clara inside, affectionately rubbing her cold hands. “My sweet girl, the journey must have been exhausting.” She looked right through me, as always, and spoke only to Clara. “Your uncle told me before he left for the day—we need to move your parents’ graves back here eventually. Traveling up north every year in this freezing weather… it’s exhausting for everyone, and it’s simply not proper.” Declan and Rowan stepped into the parlor. Standing behind them, I saw Clara shake her head and reply softly, “Mother and Father spent half their lives defending the northern borders. Being buried there was their dying wish. As their daughter, I cannot go against their final requests just for my own comfort.” Aunt Martha pulled Clara onto the plush sofa, sighing with pointed meaning, “You’ve always been the sensible one…” I sat off to the side, my mind wandering. Suddenly, someone plopped down next to me and called out: “Hey, Hazel. That weird-looking stray with the short hair outside… you picked him up?” I turned my head, glanced at Rowan standing on the porch, and then looked at my cousin, Blair Montgomery. She loved making my life miserable. I ignored her. She smirked and held out her hand. “Give him to me. I’ll trade you this solid gold bracelet for him.” I didn’t even blink. “No.” The girl let out a cold laugh. “Do you honestly think that by copying Clara and pretending to have a bleeding heart, bringing a beggar home, my parents will actually look at you?” Blair leaned in closer. “Let me tell you a secret: as long as you live in my house, no one will ever respect you.” Her eyes curved maliciously. “What’s the big deal about giving me a piece of trash you found on the street? At least you get some real gold out of it. It’s a lot better than back when you used to eagerly sew shirts and shoes to please my parents and brothers, only for them to toss your handmade gifts to the servants without a second glance.” I finally looked at her. My smile didn’t reach my eyes. “Sure. As long as you can tame him and make him willing to follow you.” “That’s easy! There isn’t a wild horse I haven’t broken!” Blair cheerfully tossed the gold bracelet into my lap. Later, Blair took Rowan away, repeating my exact words to him word-for-word. Rowan seemed heartbroken. I lowered my eyes, refusing to look at him, and mindlessly played with the gold bracelet. 06 I didn’t entirely trust Rowan. He was far too obedient in front of me, completely unlike the fierce rival to Declan I remembered from my dreams. How could anyone hand over their absolute loyalty to someone else so quickly and without reservation? I didn’t buy it. He needed to be tested. Clara disapproved of my methods. “Since he placed himself in your hands, you owe him the same level of trust. He’s your companion, isn’t he?” I told her that once he passed the test, I would trust him completely. Clara pressed her hand to the top of my head, like an angel trying to educate a foolish mortal. “But he doesn’t know that. He only knows that you broke your promise and abandoned him. Hazel, you aren’t testing him. You are hurting him.” I didn’t fully understand, but Clara was always right. Early the next morning, I hurriedly washed my face and ran toward Blair’s courtyard. Trudging through the uncleared snow paths, my dress hem soaked and heavy, I bumped into Declan, who was dressed in a sharp training uniform. “Ha…” He paused. “Miss.” I ignored him. He reached out to help me. “The snow is too thick, it’s hard to walk. Let me help you.” Smack. I slapped his hand away, bristling like a porcupine. “Get lost.” Declan froze, his fingers curling inward as his hand dropped. “…Do I displease you that much, Miss? What exactly did I do to offend you?” I kicked at the snow, the biting cold seeping through my boots. “Every single thing about you makes me sick. Move! Stop blocking my way!” Declan smirked slightly. “Is that so.” He watched me stumble through the snow for a moment. Then, suddenly, he reached out, scooped me up under his arm, strode effortlessly through the snowdrift, and deposited me onto a dry, sheltered walkway. “Let me go!” I scratched his face, leaving red marks. Once I was steady on my feet, I shoved him hard and glared at him. Unlike his cold, sarcastic demeanor in my dreams, he just laughed and bent down, his eyes looking disturbingly affectionate. “Eat more food, little Miss. Grow up fast. When you’re older, you’ll like me.” In his dreams. After saying that, he crouched down and used his own sleeve to wipe the wet snow off the tips of my boots. This bizarre gesture actually made me freeze in shock. Declan didn’t stay long. Uncle Arthur was selecting refugees to train as reserve guards at the military camp today, and he needed to hurry. This was incredibly important. Rowan couldn’t miss this opportunity either. I had to go get him. I shook my head, pushing Declan’s weird behavior out of my mind, gathered my heavy, wet skirts, and sprinted into Blair’s courtyard. I had assumed Blair, lazy as she was, would still be asleep, making it easy to just take Rowan away. But the moment I stepped into the courtyard, I heard her screaming in rage. “I ordered you to kneel! You dare defy me?!” 07 Snow fell from the eaves. It landed silently on the boy’s thin, bruised shoulders. He was pinned down by several burly guards, but he absolutely refused to let his other knee touch the ground. Clutched tightly in his bleeding hand was a vicious, barbed iron whip. Those eyes, which had always been so gentle and submissive around me, were now pitch black and terrifying. “I only kneel to the dead.” Blair laughed out of sheer fury. She had grown up practicing martial arts with her father and was wild by nature. She let go of the whip and ordered a servant to bring a sword. “That stupid girl really brought back a tough one. Fine. I want to see just how tough you can be today.” A servant brought out a heavy broadsword. It was one of Uncle Arthur’s battlefield weapons. “Cousin!” I hurried out, compromising for the very first time, and called out to her. “I changed my mind. Give him back to me.” Blair looked at me like I had lost my mind. “Huh?” I shoved the gold bracelet back into her chest, roughly pushed past the guards surrounding Rowan, pulled him up, and stood protectively in front of him. To shut Blair up, I even handed over two of my own jade bracelets and promised to do her literature homework for two months. Blair reluctantly let him go, clutching her easy loot and muttering that there was something seriously wrong with my brain. On the way to escort Rowan to the military camp, he didn’t say a single word. I thought to myself, Clara was right. I had hurt him. I had always been the one getting hurt by others. But this time, I had become the kind of arrogant, cruel person who threw their weight around. It didn’t feel good. I promised to take him under my wing, but I didn’t protect him. Just like how my uncle had promised my dying mother he would take care of me, but failed. I had failed too. As we reached the camp gates, Rowan lowered his eyes and walked past me, his tone deliberately formal and distant. “Thank you for escorting me, Miss. Your subordinate will go in now.” I didn’t know what came over me, but my heart felt like it was stuffed with wet, rotting cotton. I originally just wanted to use him to make Declan miserable. I never intended to treat him like a real companion. Technically speaking, he was just a beggar. A servant. I gave him clothes, food, and a future. I had already been incredibly generous. But I felt awful. Thinking about it deeply, I realized that other than Clara, no one else had ever treated me with such unconditional priority and care. I was too selfish. I didn’t want to lose that rare, precious bit of favoritism. The winter sun was slow to rise, casting dim, nervous shadows at our feet. Rowan stopped walking. He looked down. Two stiff, freezing fingers were lightly tugging at his sleeve. “…I’m sorry.” I spoke in a tiny voice. “I won’t do it again.” The cold, desolate wind swept past us in silence. The boy, who seemed to have grown even thinner overnight, had sharp, striking features. His thick eyelashes cast shadows over his eyes, hiding his gaze. I only heard his raspy voice. “You said it. That’s the second time. If you push me away again, I will truly get angry.” He leaned down slightly, lifting his eyes to stare right into mine. “When I get angry, it’s terrifying. Miss, I will eat you alive.” Like a starving wolf betrayed by its pack. I thought he was joking, because he was smiling. His dark pupils were clear and completely harmless. So, I smiled back. 08 Rowan entered the military camp. I heard that Uncle Arthur originally didn’t want to keep him, either because he looked too frail or simply because I was the one who brought him in. But his reckless, do-or-die performance on the training grounds was impossible to ignore. Uncle Arthur accepted him. The rumors painted him as a blood-soaked brawler, but when I went to see him, he looked perfectly fine. He was neatly dressed and smiled, asking me out for the Winter Festival, proudly announcing he was now a man with a real salary. The Winter Festival was the most important family gathering for the Montgomerys. The whole family went out to see the lantern displays and enjoy the festivities. Clara tried her best to split her attention to watch over me, but she was surrounded by too many people. Her hand would inevitably slip from mine. Eventually, I was left standing alone, watching the lively crowd carry her further and further away from me. But with Rowan, I never felt that kind of loneliness. His eyes were only on me. He held my hand tightly, and no matter how dense the crowd became, he never let go. We walked down the grand avenue, past the arcades, watching acrobats and tightrope walkers. Above us were towering displays of lanterns, paper-mache figures moving like immortals. Growing up on the streets, Rowan knew all sorts of novelties. Whether it was sword swallowers or puppet shows, he could always explain the hidden mechanics behind the illusions. “The most important thing is the eyes.” His bright, obsidian eyes looked at me. “Many illusions rely on the eyes helping the magician lie. Exposing them isn’t easy, because your own eyes betray you first.” Rowan sometimes said profound things like that. I didn’t really understand. A massive, brilliantly lit lantern boat shaped like a dragon glided past on the river. I was captivated and leaned over the stone bridge railing to watch. 09 The wealthy always had plenty of pastimes. After the Winter Festival came the Spring Hunt. Spring arrived late this year. It still snowed occasionally, and the grass hadn’t fully grown in. But Blair threw a tantrum, insisting on going to the mountains to hunt, so the family indulged her. Looking at the barren, reddish-green landscape of the mountains, I remembered a scene from my dreams. In the dream, I was incredibly bratty, insisting on riding Clara’s horse and forcing Declan to hold my reins. But my riding skills were terrible. A sudden blizzard hit, the horse lost its way, and I was carried deep into the desolate woods. Declan had followed me at first, but when he heard Clara calling for me, he abandoned me to go to her. I was attacked by wild dogs and severely traumatized. After that, my temper grew even more volatile, and before I even turned eighteen, I forced Clara to beg Uncle Arthur to arrange my engagement to Declan. The sky was gloomy, and a chilling wind blew. It wasn’t good weather. I looked thoughtfully toward the stables. Even though my personality in reality differed slightly from the dream, Clara and I rode identical horses. Why did I insist on switching horses in the dream? The Montgomery brothers were helping Clara pick out a saddle. Blair was exceptionally eager, personally saddling Clara’s horse. I walked over and noticed Declan sticking closely to Clara’s side. I felt a slight wave of relief. Even though he treated me terribly, he was undeniably good to Clara. If there was danger, he would definitely protect her. But a faint, nagging suspicion pricked at my mind, like a splinter I couldn’t quite locate. Watching Clara about to mount her horse, a realization flashed through my brain. Since when was Blair so nice to Clara? She always hated how the family favored Clara over her, their own flesh and blood. My heart tightened. As I stepped forward, I chose to trust my dream-self. To believe that— No matter how bad I was, I would always protect my sister. I ran over and grabbed Clara’s reins, looking up at her. “Sister, I like the horse you’re riding. Let’s trade!”

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My mother was obsessed with the concept of a “lucky age,” an old superstition that added years to your life based on archaic folk math. When she went to register my eight-year-old brother for his social security number and official birth certificate, she insisted on putting him down as eleven. I thought it was absurd. Knowing it would cause him endless trouble in the future, I fought her tooth and nail, finally convincing her to only inflate his age by two years instead of three. Years later, my brother missed the cutoff for the final round of recruitment for a prestigious Air Force pilot program because he was officially two years too young. My mother told him, “If your sister hadn’t stopped me from giving you your full lucky age back then, you’d be the one accepted right now!” Because of that, my brother harbored a deep, simmering hatred for me. He believed I was the one who destroyed his dream of flying. During a hiking trip, he caught me off guard and shoved me off a cliff. My body was shattered on the rocks below, but they took the payout from my life insurance policy and lived a life of luxury. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day my mother went to register my brother’s official documents. This time, I kept my mouth shut and watched with a smile as she confidently declared his inflated age. 01 “A year from heaven, a year from earth, a year from the father, and a year from the mother. That’s how you ensure a long and prosperous life!” “My Jackson is eleven years old this year, that’s right! Go ahead and put it down!” The clerk at the Social Security Administration office looked at my brother, who was a full head shorter than kids his supposed age, with an expression of obvious disbelief. She shifted her gaze to me and asked for my brother’s birth year one more time, seemingly hoping to hear the correct answer from my mouth. In my previous life, this was the exact moment when I heard the registration year was three whole years earlier than my brother’s actual birth year, and I loudly stopped my mother. Back then, neither my brother nor I had been properly registered at birth. It caused a massive headache every time we had to enroll in a new school. It wasn’t until last year that my mom finally found a way to get me officially registered. But when she filled out my age, she habitually used that superstitious “lucky age” math. As a result, my official age was a full two years older than my actual age. I was constantly mocked by my classmates as the “dumb giant” or the “old lady.” To spare my brother from suffering the same fate, I exhausted myself trying to convince my mother to only inflate his age by two years instead of three. Because of that, my brother actually got along well with his classmates when he started middle school. However, when I caught a severe fever and went to a cheap urgent care clinic, my mother reflexively gave them my “lucky age.” This led the doctor to miscalculate my dosage. The IV caused the muscles in my left arm to necrotize, and I could never lift it again. That tragedy served as a wake-up call for my mother and brother, preventing a similar disaster from happening to him. But I never imagined that he would later miss the final Air Force pilot recruitment window because he was officially two years below the minimum age requirement. My brother was devastated and blamed my mother for not registering him as two years older. My mother secretly told him, “I wanted to use your lucky age when I registered you, but your sister stopped me!” “It’s my fault for being foolish and listening to your sister’s nonsense! Otherwise, you’d definitely be the one admitted right now!” Later, my brother achieved absolutely nothing in life. My mother complained, “It’s because your sister changed your age that she ruined your blessings!” Over time, my brother harbored a deep-seated hatred for me, convinced I was the one who ruined his aviation dream and the rest of his life. Later, he invited me on a wilderness hike and shoved me off a cliff when I wasn’t looking, leaving my body shattered and unrecognizable. He took the life insurance payout, bought a house, got married, and lived a life of wealth. And my mother, fully aware that he had murdered me, committed perjury to help him escape justice. I thought we at least had some familial love between us, but I didn’t know they only wanted to suck me dry. This time, I was going to sit back and watch just how much of a “blessing” my mother’s prized lucky age would bring my brother! Facing the clerk’s questioning gaze, I just smiled awkwardly and glanced at my mom. My mom impatiently yanked me behind her. “Do you think I don’t know how old my own son is? Why are you staring at her?” Seeing my mother’s volatile temper, the clerk didn’t want to cause a scene and registered the information exactly as she said. Looking at the freshly printed official document, my mother and I both smiled incredibly happily. 02 When we got back home, my brother was in the yard playing Pokémon cards with some neighborhood kids. My mom couldn’t wait to pull him in front of her. “Jackson, if anyone asks how old you are this year, what do you say?” My brother was entirely focused on his game and casually replied, “Eight!” My mom’s face instantly darkened. She emphasized her tone, “You are eleven this year! How can you not even remember your own age?” My brother struggled to get away so he could go back to playing, answering distractedly, “Okay, okay, I’m eleven.” But my mom wasn’t going to let him off easily. She closed the front door and asked again, “Now answer me again. How old are you this year?” This finally annoyed my brother. He looked thoroughly displeased. “Eight! Mom, you’re being so annoying!” “You ungrateful little brat! I carried you for nine months and brought you into this world, and I’m not even old yet, and you’re already sick of me?” Furious, my mom slapped my brother hard on his backside, correcting him while dramatically fake-crying. “You were born in December! Counting from the time you were in the womb, you are eleven this year!” “From now on, if anyone asks, you tell them you’re eleven. Do you hear me?!” My brother burst into loud wails and cried out to me for help when he saw me. In my previous life, after my arm was ruined by that injection, I made sure my brother memorized his actual age at all times. From then on, every time he went to the hospital, I was incredibly cautious, ensuring the doctors treated him based on his true age. Later on, I was kicked out of the house by my mother when I was only sixteen. Her beautiful excuse was that she had already raised me to adulthood, and from then on, it was my turn to give back to the family. I was only a sophomore in high school at the time. She forcibly cut off all my living expenses, and my teachers even had to help cover some of my school fees. To survive, I had no energy to focus on my studies. After school, I relied on picking up aluminum cans on the side of the road to sell for scrap just to keep myself alive. I never foolishly hoped that my brother, who had plenty of spending money, would give me any help. But he was even more heartless than I could have imagined. He stole the meager amount of money I had, claiming he was giving it to our mom, but secretly spent it all himself. When my mom found out, not only did she not punish him, but she also said, “The Miller family’s money will all belong to my son eventually! What’s the big deal if he takes your little bit of cash? It’s not even enough to buy him a pair of shoes!” Later on, I graduated from high school with grades only good enough for a second-rate state college. That was the same time my brother missed out on his aviation dream, exactly when his hatred for me was peaking. He and my mother conspired to marry me off to the intellectually disabled son of a local business owner in exchange for a $30,000 dowry. I adamantly refused and fled the house in the middle of the night. But in the end, I was deceived by his fake apology and ended up a corpse in the wilderness. I naively thought I was treating them well, but in their eyes, I was completely worthless. Or rather, in their eyes, I wasn’t even fit to be their family member. My only use was to be an ATM. I wanted absolutely nothing to do with a family like this! “Maya, help me!” He hadn’t been paying attention to anything my mom said earlier. It was only after getting hit that he frantically blurted out his own age. But he didn’t guess the answer that would satisfy my mother, which only fueled her rage, and she hit him even harder. Watching his pleading eyes, I waited until he had taken a sufficient beating before pretending to just figure it out, gesturing to him. “Eleven! Mom, I’m eleven!” Jackson screamed at the top of his lungs. My mom finally stopped, panting heavily. “That’s more like it! You just don’t remember unless you get hit! If I ask you next time and you forget again, I’ll hit you even harder!” Jackson’s face showed obvious defiance, but he didn’t dare say a word. Only after my mom walked away did he pout and rub his backside as he walked out. At this point, we didn’t have much conflict between us, and he didn’t forget to thank me: “Good thing you guessed it, Maya, otherwise Mom would have beaten me to death!” I smiled silently, thinking to myself: Some people in this world are just born cheap. They can’t tell who is actually good to them! Since he loved hearing lies so much, I would just play along. 03 In my previous life, because I was isolated by my peers, I developed an aversion to school from a young age. Later, because my mom cut off my financial support, even eating became a challenge. At the age when I should have been focusing on school, I was scavenging for trash and finding odd jobs to survive. That’s why I couldn’t run very far when I tried to escape later. Now, facing the mocking voices of the students around me, I turned a deaf ear. Nothing that happened was going to stop me from studying. Because this was my only hope of escaping this house. In the blink of an eye, the timeline reached the point where the muscles in my left arm had necrotized in my past life. I had been running a high fever for two days and still hadn’t recovered. My mom exploded in a rage: “You useless, money-losing burden! All you know is how to eat my food and spend my money! Why don’t you just die already!” Her curses and spit rained down on my head. But I was already delirious from the fever, huddled in the corner, completely drained of energy. My lips were pale, but my head was burning like a furnace. She cursed at me, but she wouldn’t actually let me die like this. After all, I had cost her so much money, and she hadn’t managed to squeeze a single cent of profit out of me yet. When she had cursed to her heart’s content, she finally counted out a few twenty-dollar bills and told me to follow her to the nearby urgent care clinic. Once we got there, she just dumped me there alone. In my previous life, I couldn’t hold on and passed out. When I woke up, my left arm was already paralyzed. The first thing I saw was my mom arguing with the doctor. That was when I realized she had reported my inflated age. The small clinic used strong dosages to begin with. Faced with a shameless grifter like my mom, and knowing they were at fault for not following proper procedures, they ended up settling the matter by paying my family three thousand dollars. That night, when we got home, I dragged my paralyzed left arm, applying a wet towel to it, and watched my mom make a feast of fish and meat for my brother. Meanwhile, because I had a fever, I only had a bowl of watery oatmeal in front of me. Now, I forced myself to hold on to my last shred of sanity until we reached the clinic. After my mom reported my age and went outside to gossip, I quickly grabbed the doctor’s hand and repeatedly told him I was only twelve this year. 04 Fortunately, the tragedy of my past life didn’t happen this time. After the IV drip, my fever had mostly subsided. When it came time to pay, my mom scolded me again over a measly thirty dollars. But I tightly clenched my left fist, my heart filled with the joy of successfully resisting my fate. And even more, a sense of anticipation for the future… Because exactly one week after my arm was ruined in my past life, my brother also caught a fever. Back then, my mom indiscriminately pinned the blame on me, insisting I was the one who infected him. But only I knew that my brother had caught the fever after sneaking off to play in the river behind her back. However, out of fear that my mom would punish him, he watched helplessly as I was falsely accused. This time, I absolutely refused to be the scapegoat! When he and a few friends went to play in the water by the river, I secretly hinted to my mom that wild turkeys were ruining the saplings in the field near the riverbank. When she got there, she heard the sounds of my brother and his friends playing in the water nearby. Her eyes went wide, and she hurried over. Sure enough, she saw my brother, completely naked, having a water fight with the neighborhood kids. A few years ago, someone had drowned in that river. Every summer, my mother repeatedly ordered him never to play near it. Seeing this scene now, she no longer cared that my brother was her precious darling. She sternly ordered him out of the water, grabbed him by the ear, and dragged him back home. I waited until my mom closed the door and my brother’s screams echoed from inside before I slowly emerged. That evening, just as expected, my brother came down with a fever. Even though my mom was cursing under her breath, she quickly carried him to the clinic. I was dragged out of bed, holding his jacket and water bottle, trailing behind them. During the consultation, the doctor routinely asked for his age. Hearing “eleven years old,” the doctor was quite surprised, because my brother’s build was noticeably smaller than his peers. But my mom wasn’t happy about that. “Who are you looking down on? Don’t you know boys hit their growth spurts later?” My brother was already burning up, red as a lobster—even worse than he looked in my past life—and was constantly whining about how awful he felt. I anxiously chimed in, “His ID says that’s his age, it’s correct.” My mom snapped, “What are you standing there for? Hurry up and prescribe the medicine for my son! If the fever causes any permanent damage to my son, I’m going to sue you for everything you’ve got!” The doctor had been dragged out of bed in the middle of the night to see a patient, and dealing with someone like my mom didn’t improve his mood. He directly gave my brother an intramuscular injection, prescribed some medication, and then used the excuse of closing the clinic to rush us out. The medication cost over two hundred dollars. When my mom heard the total, she cursed about being ripped off, but there wasn’t a single moment of hesitation when she pulled out the cash. In my previous life, I was deeply hurt by this blatant double standard. I sacrificed so much just to earn her love. But now that I’ve seen their true colors, I won’t soften my heart even a fraction this time! 05 After returning home in the early hours of the morning, my mom ran into her room and fell into a deep sleep, ordering me to take care of my brother. After she left, I wrapped myself in a blanket and curled up on the sofa to sleep. When I woke up again, my brother was wailing loudly. I had a pretty good idea of what happened, so I immediately ran to wake my mom up. My brother was rushed to the emergency room and was in critical condition for two whole days before he stabilized. Interestingly enough, when the doctors asked for my brother’s age this time, my mom still unhesitatingly said eleven. But thankfully, the doctors at this major hospital were more cautious and had dealt with all sorts of stubborn, uneducated family members. Under the doctor’s stern questioning, my mom’s expression gradually became uncertain. She seemed to have guessed the reason why my brother ended up like this, but she absolutely refused to admit it, as if not admitting it meant it wasn’t her fault. But when it was a matter of life and death, the doctor didn’t have the patience to play games with her. The doctor anxiously raised his voice and interrogated her, practically yelling, drawing the attention of everyone in the hallway. Trembling, my mom pulled him into a corner and whispered: “Doctor, why are you being so loud? That’s just how we calculate age where we’re from!” “And my daughter’s ID has that age too! She was perfectly fine when she got her injection last time!” “Look and see if there are any other reasons? Could it be because he wasn’t taken care of properly after the injection? I don’t even have to think about it to know that lazy brat of a daughter didn’t take her brother’s life seriously!” While my mom was talking, the doctor had already rolled his eyes impatiently several times. He wasn’t unfamiliar with patients’ families like this, the kind who only knew how to shirk responsibility when things went wrong. He interrupted my mom, confirmed the actual age, and went into the operating room to save him. This ordeal cost tens of thousands of dollars. Not only did my brother suffer immensely, but it also left permanent damage to his left leg. However, the doctor said that with proper recovery, it wouldn’t affect his normal walking. When he found out he ended up in the hospital due to my mom’s negligence, my brother threw a massive tantrum in his hospital bed. Knowing she was in the wrong, my mom bought him plenty of toys he’d been wanting to coax him back into a good mood. But I wasn’t so lucky. “What kind of sister are you? Did you learn absolutely nothing in school? You can’t even tell the difference between chronological age and lucky age when seeing a doctor! Are you just hoping your brother dies sooner?!” My mom stood with her hands on her hips and screamed at me. My brother in the bed also changed his tune and chimed in: “Yeah, Maya! Why didn’t you stop Mom? Why wasn’t it you who almost died from the injection!” 06 I looked at the malicious nature gradually revealing itself in my brother, clenched my fists tightly, and didn’t argue back. I knew his retribution was still to come. After the two of them finished venting their anger on me, they were a happy family again. While my brother was hospitalized, my mom, just like in my past life, went to cause a scene at the small clinic. This time, she was even greedier, demanding a hundred thousand dollars from them. Otherwise, she threatened to sue them for malpractice and shut them down. Helpless, the doctor had no choice but to pay up. After getting the money, my mom went to claim credit with my brother. “If it weren’t for this whole ordeal, when did you expect your mom to ever make this much money?” “The doctors all said there’s absolutely no problem with your leg. You can’t even tell unless you look really closely.” My brother, holding the thousand dollars my mom gave him to top up his gaming account, instantly changed his tune. He threw his arms around my mom’s neck and kissed her several times, entirely forgetting his previous resentment towards her. “You have to trust Mom. The lucky age isn’t just a way of showing gratitude to your mother; it will bring you blessings in the future!” “And don’t listen to your sister’s nonsense. It’s fine if girls lie about being younger, but you’re different. You’re the only male heir of the Miller family! Having an older age written down just makes you seem more manly!” “Mom will save all the rest of this money for you! When you grow up, the family’s money and the house will all be yours!” My brother agreed sweetly, repeating several times that he was eleven this year, counting his time in the womb as one year. 07 With money in her hands, my mom recently became obsessed with playing poker. She ordered me not to go to school for the next few days and to stay at the hospital to take care of my brother. I was responsible for the family’s three meals a day. Since my brother was recovering, my mom was more generous with the grocery money than usual. I couldn’t fight back against their everyday abuse and beatings, but I had ways to secretly make them miserable where they couldn’t see. I only spent a third of the money to buy stale vegetables and cheap meat, adding various seasonings so they couldn’t taste the difference at all. Sometimes my brother would even praise my cooking after eating, and my mom would clean her plate every time. I smiled silently. Without realizing it, by the time my mom cut off my living expenses, I had already saved up quite a bit of money. Even though it wasn’t a fortune, it was enough for me to comfortably finish high school. In this life, nobody was going to stop me from getting into a good college and escaping this place. While I was racing against the clock to study in high school, my brother developed extravagant habits and became a bully at school. Whenever I ranked in the top ten of my grade in exams, my brother would be called to the principal’s office because he failed every single subject. The teachers always said our family was a study in extremes. Why couldn’t the younger brother study as well as the older sister? In this life, because I maintained good grades, I received a few hundred dollars in scholarships every semester. I handed all of this over to my mom, only asking that she not interfere with my studies. With the money in hand, she naturally didn’t bother making trouble for me. As for my brother, his resentment towards me grew day by day because the neighbors were always comparing him to me. Sometimes when I was working a part-time job after school, he would bring a group of delinquents to steal the recycling I had collected. The homework I stayed up late to finish would be thrown into the trash by him the next morning. Seeing my distressed look, he would only laugh maliciously with his friends. Later on, I completely ignored these kinds of pranks. Except, when I cooked every day, I would secretly add a little something extra to his soup base. Sometimes it was powdered cockroach corpses, sometimes it was dumpling broth that a lizard had “accidentally” fallen into… 08 Fortunately, the final results did not disappoint me. I successfully got into a top-tier university and chose a major at a campus as far away from home as possible. When my mom found out, she sternly ordered me to change it, but I brought out the excuse I had prepared long ago: “The major I chose has a great future prospect. I might make a lot of money later on, and then I can support you even better!” I had been completely obedient to my mom all these years. Even when she cut off my living expenses, I didn’t act like I felt it was unfair, unlike my past life. I ate oatmeal and toast every day, and I still handed my scholarship money over to her. I would even smile and say to her: “Mom, you’ve raised me for so many years. Now that I’m an adult, it’s only right that I repay you.” She never in a million years would have thought I had any intention of escaping. Deep down, she believed I would dedicate my entire life to serving this family. Hearing what I said, her eyes darted around shiftily. “But I’m telling you right now, don’t even think about asking me for tuition money!” “I’ve fed and housed you for over a decade! I’ve already done more than enough!” I quickly waved my hands. “How could I possibly ask you for more money? I know tuition is expensive, but I’ve applied for student loans now, so you don’t have to worry about me.” Only then did she relax, waving her hand dismissively. “Once you’re in college, don’t just focus on having fun. Learn from others and get a part-time job! Your dad died early, and it wasn’t easy for me to raise you and Jackson all by myself. You need to remember how hard I worked!” “Jackson needs money right now, so I won’t ask you for much. Once you’re in college, just send me a thousand dollars a month to my card!” To successfully escape, I agreed to whatever conditions she proposed. Anyway, the day would come when I would exact my revenge on them, one by one! 09 In the blink of an eye, my brother was a junior in high school. When he was little, he skipped two grades in preschool, so his actual chronological age was two years younger than his classmates. But because my mom had messed with his official records, his legal age was one year older than his classmates. This time, when the announcement came that an agency was coming to the school for the final round of Air Force pilot recruitment, my brother was more excited than anyone else. Because he was the only one in his class who met the age requirement! In fact, there were no more than five students in the entire grade who met the age requirement. Even before the recruitment process started, he was already fantasizing about what he would look like as a pilot. Hearing this news, my mom was genuinely happy for him. She viewed her son through rose-colored glasses, believing unequivocally that as long as my brother participated, he would definitely succeed! If he wasn’t chosen, it meant the recruiters were blind! She even gloated, “See? Doesn’t Mom deserve some credit?” “If we went by how everyone else counts from birth, wouldn’t you have missed this opportunity?” “I always said my way of counting was the right way! You need to remember to be grateful, and the blessings will come, right?” My brother, hearing this, also felt incredibly lucky. “Good thing you had foresight, Mom!” “Don’t worry! Once I’m selected and make big money in the future, I’ll definitely make sure you live a good life!” My mom was so thrilled by my brother’s words that she posted several updates on Facebook. Almost every neighbor, relative, and friend she’d ever spoken to knew that Jackson was testing to become a pilot. Everyone praised him for being so promising. When he went for his first physical exam, my mom had already gathered her acquaintances and booked nine large tables at a restaurant to celebrate his acceptance into the pilot program. However, before she could wait for the good news about my brother, she first received a call from the police station.

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