There were five people in our family. Dad bought 10 crabs. But when they were steamed and served on the table, only 4 were left. Grandma naturally dropped one into her own bowl, leaving mine completely empty like a sick joke. Before I could even pout or feel wronged, Mom, who had just gotten off work late, marched up and snatched the crab right out of Grandma’s bowl with her fork and handed it to me. She glared at her and said, “At your age, do you really deserve the best meat? Here’s a leg, suck on it yourself.” 01 I look exactly like my mom, but my personality is as soft as my maternal grandpa’s. Whenever I came home crying after being bullied, Mom would sigh, wondering how I managed to skip a generation and inherit Grandpa’s temperament. “Chloe, don’t be scared. Mom will teach you. If a boy bullies you, kick him where it hurts. If a girl bullies you, punch her in the chest. Works every time.” She would crouch in front of me, patiently teaching me how to retaliate swiftly and ruthlessly. Sitting nearby, my dad, Mark, would shift uncomfortably, crossing his legs tight, and soon make an excuse about needing a smoke to escape to the porch. I would stare at my mom in innocent confusion, not quite understanding how she could use such a beautiful face to drop eight F-bombs in a single sentence. It wasn’t until I saw her and my maternal grandmother getting drunk and trading dirty jokes that I learned what the phrase “runs in the family” truly meant. Mom was at her wits’ end with my absolute inability to toughen up. She would sigh and tell Dad that one day she’d have to find me a six-foot-four lumberjack to protect me. Fortunately, my younger brother, Leo, stepped up to fill that role early. At barely eight years old, he was already unusually tall, clearly destined to be a big, tough guy. But Leo was energetic and mischievous. Mom and Dad worked and traveled a lot, so they didn’t always have time to watch him, and with my soft personality, Leo wasn’t exactly intimidated by me. That’s when Dad’s mother—my paternal grandmother—chimed in. She said she had plenty of free time to help raise the kids and actively volunteered to move in. My parents thought it would be a great opportunity for us to bond with her, so they didn’t refuse. So, the year Leo was seven and a half and I was twelve, Grandma officially moved in with us. Leo and I didn’t have many memories of her. Aside from visiting her for a few days during the holidays, we hardly ever saw her. But Dad had told us many stories about her life, explaining how hard things were for her when she was young, and reminding us to always love our grandmother. So, I was genuinely looking forward to her arrival. But I was sorely disappointed… “What is this? Why is there such a huge difference between Chloe’s room and Leo’s?” She hadn’t even put her suitcases down before she toured the whole house, hands behind her back. She pointed at my bedroom and asked Dad: “Why does a girl need a room this big? Look at poor Leo, stuck in that little space…” Saying that, she crouched down and asked my brother, who was bouncing a soccer ball, if he wanted to trade rooms with his sister. Leo didn’t say a word. He just rolled his eyes at her, grabbed my hand, and pulled me toward the front door. “I’m meeting my friends for soccer. Dad, you entertain Grandma yourself!” His attitude made Grandma furious. Even from down the street, we could hear her screaming inside the house about how my mother had raised a disrespectful brat. “Listen to me, you need to toughen up. Just ignore Grandma, you hear?” At the convenience store, Leo bought a Popsicle, broke it in half, and handed me a piece. “At her age, she’s still playing that sexist ‘boys are better than girls’ garbage. Totally delusional.” I held the Popsicle, taking a bite, not really knowing how to respond. After a long pause, I just squeezed out, “She’s our grandma. Surely she won’t be that bad.” “Whatever. I’m just going to have to keep a closer eye on you, otherwise she’ll sell you out and you’ll be happily asking if she got a good price.” Leo sighed helplessly. Standing almost as tall as me, he reached out and pinched my nose. “You’re such a pushover.” “Ugh, stop! Show some respect, I’m your older brother, don’t pinch my nose!” I chased him playfully in the sunlight, angry but laughing, while he dodged me with a grin. I thought the room-swapping comment was just a minor hiccup. I never expected it to be just the beginning. 02 Mom reacted to the room-swapping complaint by cold-laughing and pretending she didn’t hear it. No matter how many outdated, old-school traditions Grandma cited, it was useless. If Mom ignored it, Dad—the ultimate devoted husband—would never agree to it either. As for Leo, the fact that he didn’t actively argue with her face-to-face was already the peak of his respect for his elders. And then there was me. For days, Grandma couldn’t stand the sight of me. But she didn’t dare say anything in front of my parents. Instead, she would corner me in secret, talking about how back in her day, girls were put to work in the fields by age seven. She told me that once I finished middle school, I’d be going back to the country with her to do manual labor. It gave me nightmares for days. I dreamed of angry cows and sheep chasing me, asking why I hadn’t cut the grass for them yet. Leo noticed I looked exhausted and asked what was wrong. I hesitated, genuinely scared, but eventually told him. He didn’t say anything. But that night, he snuck into Grandma’s room wearing a creepy mask and played ghost noises on his phone. It scared the old woman so badly she slipped, fell hard on her tailbone, and had to be rushed to the ER for X-rays and a cast. Before my parents could double-team him with a spanking, Leo sneaked into my room, crouched by my bed, and said: “You know, you’d rather have nightmares for days than just tell me. You might as well stop being my older sister and just be my little sister.” “Come on, call me ‘Big Brother’ and let me enjoy it.” Before I could snap back at him, Mom threw the door open, her face dark like a storm cloud, and hauled him out by his collar. Then came the soprano roaring: “You little punk! You’re getting too bold! First you make your grandmother fall, and now you’re making your sister call you ‘Big Brother’?” “If I don’t keep you in check, you’re gonna start acting like you own this house!!!” Then came the smack smack sounds of a spanking. Leo was tough—he didn’t let out a single cry. A few minutes later, he even provoked Dad, saying, “Didn’t even hurt.” So Dad rolled up his sleeves and tagged in. I hid behind my door, trying to step out and stop them several times, but Leo kept waving me back. He mouthed silently: [I’m fine. It doesn’t hurt. Don’t get involved, or that old witch will hold a grudge and make your life hell when she gets back.] I nodded, crying. But after a few minutes, I couldn’t hold it in. I ran out and told my parents the whole story, cause and effect. They were stunned, but after hearing me out, they didn’t say much. While Dad was putting an ice pack on Leo’s backside, he turned to me: “Chloe, all those things I told you before… I didn’t mean you have to just take whatever Grandma dishes out. Girls from her generation had it rough, working the fields at eight or nine was normal, but that doesn’t mean it applies today.” Mom took over: “When your dad and I were kids, the hardest thing we ever did was maybe feed the neighbor’s chickens a few times. Ignore your grandmother. Quitting school to do manual labor? That’s total bullshit!” When Mom gets fired up, her language belongs in a dive bar, but beneath the crude words was nothing but fierce love for me. I wiped my tears, nodded, and promised them I wouldn’t listen to Grandma anymore. To me, the incident was over. But it left a massive knot in my mom’s heart. When Grandma got discharged from the hospital, Mom bought her a smartphone and taught her how to use Facebook and TikTok. Whenever Mom had free time, she would send Grandma videos. They were all highly targeted clips with titles like “Gossiping Old Woman Bitten by Dog,” “Mean Grandma Hit by Grocery Cart,” or “Karma: Falling Flowerpot Hits Toxic Elder.” Grandma didn’t know how to block people, so she spent every day with a dark scowl, watching videos of people her exact age suffering horrific accidents because of bad karma. “Don’t be scared of her, Chloe,” Mom said gently while helping me wash my hair in the tub. “Old folks like your grandmother are paper tigers. One match and they go up in smoke.” “Next time she dares to talk trash to you, I’ll have your dad boot her right back to her hometown so she can relive her glorious childhood of farm labor.” 03 Maybe my family’s protectiveness was a bit too obvious, because Grandma never made those kinds of comments to me again. But her dislike for me was very real. Walking home from school, I often saw her chatting with the other elderly ladies in the neighborhood. Whenever my name came up, she would complain that my parents spoiled me, saying I was too pampered and didn’t know my place, and that I’d suffer terribly when I got married. I didn’t understand why, as a woman herself, she felt the need to project such a malicious future onto me. But I had promised my parents and Leo that I wouldn’t take her words to heart. So I walked up to her naturally and said, “Grandma, I’m hungry.” She jumped, sending peanut shells flying from her lap as she stood up. “Oh, Chloe… why… why are you home so early?” “It’s Friday, we get out a period early.” I smiled at her. “Grandma, I’m hungry.” “Listening to you talk, I thought Chloe had turned into a complete delinquent, but she’s just the same sweet girl as always!” Mrs. Henderson, one of the neighbors chatting with her, rolled her eyes at Grandma. “If I hadn’t watched this kid grow up, I’d have thought you were talking about someone else’s daughter.” “Exactly. If you said that about the Smith kid or the Johnson kid, I’d believe it, but Chloe? Give me a break.” The other ladies chimed in, shutting Grandma down. Her face looked awful. She couldn’t take it for more than a minute before making an excuse and hurrying inside. “Chloe, tell your mom to keep a closer eye on her mother-in-law,” Mrs. Henderson called out to me. “We all know your family, we know you’re a good kid. But strangers don’t! She’s out here running her mouth every day, spilling the family’s business like a leaky bucket!” “Okay, I’ll tell Mom!” I said goodbye to the ladies and hurried upstairs. I dropped my backpack and started my homework, planning to tell Mom when she got home later. Dad also came home early that day. He was carrying a large styrofoam cooler and mysteriously called Leo and me over to look. “Wow! These crabs are huge!” Leo picked up two massive Blue crabs, holding one in each hand to play with. “Dad, let’s not eat them yet. Let me play with them for a couple of days.” “You little punk, if you play with them for two days they’ll be dead and rotting. You can play with them for a bit right now.” “Awesome! Then we can eat rotten crab!” “You little brat!” I gently poked a bubbling crab with a chopstick, smiling as I listened to them bicker. Grandma poked her head out of the kitchen, saw the cooler of crabs, and looked incredibly moved. “Mark, how did you know I was craving crab lately?” “Huh? You like crab, Mom?” Dad scratched his head. “I never heard you mention it. I would have bought more. There’s only 10 here.” “That’s plenty, plenty!” Grandma came out and carried the cooler into the kitchen. “That’s more than enough!” Without the crabs to play with, Leo huffed and went back to his room. I didn’t have much to say to Grandma, so I went back to mine too. It wasn’t until the rich, savory smell of steamed seafood filled the entire house that we finally came out and sat at the dining table. “So big!” Leo drooled looking at the plate. Grandma smiled and served him the two biggest ones. Then she gave Dad two. But when it came to me, the plate was empty. “Mom?” Dad paused with his fork and looked at her. “Where’s Chloe’s?” “What’s the rush? Don’t you see I don’t have one either? The rest aren’t done steaming yet.” Grandma took a bite of her green bean casserole. “Big crabs take longer to steam. We have to wait for the others, or we’ll get food poisoning.” That made sense, so Dad didn’t say anything else. But as we ate, hearing the crack crack of Leo breaking crab shells made me feel a little left out. “I’ll let you have one to satisfy your craving, look at you pouting.” Suddenly, a bright red crab appeared in my bowl. Leo bumped my arm. “But I get to pick your biggest one later!” “Okay.” I smiled and picked up the crab, but just as I was about to crack the shell, Grandma snatched it away with her tongs. “Why are you taking his? There’s barely enough to go around as it is. What kind of older sister acts like this?” I was stunned. I watched helplessly as Grandma dropped the crab back into Leo’s bowl and pressed it down into his rice. Instantly, the crab was covered in sticky white rice. My heart gave a sharp twinge, and my eyes welled up. “What are you doing?! I wanted to give it to her! Mind your own business!” Leo slammed his fork down and stood up, furious. “Leo Evans!!!” Seeing Leo about to start swearing, Dad got angry. “She is your grandmother! Do not speak to her like that!” “Just because she’s old doesn’t mean she’s great! Why does she get to bully my sister?!” “…Grandma might not know how to express it, but she doesn’t hate your sister. Didn’t you notice her bowl is empty too?!” That argument shut Leo down. It was true. Grandma hadn’t eaten a crab either. Snatching Leo’s away didn’t necessarily mean she was targeting me. So I swallowed the lump in my throat, rubbed my eyes, and kept eating my rice. Leo didn’t say a word. He picked up his dropped fork, walked over to Grandma, muttered a stiff “Sorry,” then went to the kitchen to grab a clean fork. Dinner resumed, but the atmosphere was incredibly oppressive. Dad tried to give me the crab from his bowl, but I refused. I looked at Grandma and said quietly, “Grandma hasn’t had one yet. Give it to her first.” Dad patted my head and praised me for being so mature. And just like that, the crab went into Grandma’s mouth. Even after dinner ended, the steamer pot in the kitchen was still humming. I figured saving the remaining four crabs for a late-night snack with Mom wasn’t a bad idea, so I didn’t bring it up. But late into the night, after Mom had showered and was sitting on the couch with a face mask watching Netflix, the crabs still hadn’t appeared. I couldn’t describe how I felt. My eyes just burned, and I wanted to cry. “What’s wrong, Chloe? Did your brother prank you again?” Mom waved me over. “Don’t cry. As soon as I take this mask off, I’ll go beat him up for you.” “Sniff… Mom…” I buried my face in her shoulder. “Why doesn’t Grandma like me?” “Huh? Her?…” Mom pulled me onto her lap and stroked my hair. “Because she’s brain-damaged. She suffered when she was young, so now she wants to tear up everyone else’s umbrella. She’s crazy, just ignore her.” “Today she…” Hugging Mom’s arm, I told her exactly what happened. Hearing this, Mom ripped her face mask off and marched me right into the kitchen. “Crabs, huh? Well, Mom’s on her period so I shouldn’t eat much seafood anyway. You can eat all four of them, kiddo.” She smiled and opened the fridge. “We won’t give any to that little brat. They’re all yours.” I smiled through my tears and nodded vigorously. But we turned the entire kitchen upside down and couldn’t find the remaining crabs. Logically, there should have been six left. Yet aside from a lingering seafood smell in the air, there were zero crabs. Mom took a deep breath, grabbed my hand, and marched to Grandma’s bedroom door, knocking loudly. The heavy, rhythmic pounding reflected exactly how impatient Mom was. Leo poked his head out of his room, signing to me to ask what was wrong. I shook my head and told him, “The crabs are missing.” “What? You STILL haven’t eaten?!” Leo sprinted out of his room, completely baffled. “It’s been like six hours! How have you not eaten yet?” “…” I didn’t answer. I just hung my head in silence. 04 “What are you doing this late?! I’m trying to sleep!” Grandma opened the door, her face dark. “I don’t keep the same crazy hours as you people.” “Oh! I thought you were hiding in your room eating in secret and were too scared to open the door!” Mom rolled her eyes, pushed past her, walked into the room, and sat down, crossing her legs. “Where are my crabs? Mark bought crabs and I haven’t seen a single leg. Where did you hide them?!” “Who said they were for you? Mark bought those to respect his mother!” “Please. You’ve probably never even seen a crab in your village, why would he buy them for you?” Mom tossed her hair, her expression full of absolute disdain. “Stop changing the subject. Where are my crabs!” “You!” Grandma choked on her rage, rolled her eyes, and aimed her guns at me. “Well aren’t you something, Chloe. I stop you from stealing your brother’s crab at dinner, so you go crying to your mother behind my back? You don’t even—” “I said stop changing the subject! WHERE ARE THE CRABS!!!” Mom slammed her fist on the table, stood up, and towered over Grandma. “I’m asking you a question! Dare to say one more word about Chloe and see what happens!” The room was packed with gunpowder. Grandma glared at me venomously and shut her mouth. I took a step back, feeling a chill run down my spine. I didn’t understand why Grandma was looking at me with such pure hatred. Was it just because I asked about the food that was supposed to be mine? Leo stepped in front of me, glaring back at her. “Let me guess, you only served four crabs on purpose just to mess with my sister and make sure she couldn’t eat, right?!” “What kind of grandmother are you? Even Mrs. Henderson next door treats us better!” “YOU!!!” Grandma clutched her chest and collapsed onto the floor, wailing, “I’m so old and I have to suffer like this! I don’t want to live anymore!!!” She was making so much noise that Dad, who was up in his second-floor office, got startled and hurried down to see what was going on. Seeing Dad, Grandma found her savior. She immediately grabbed him and demanded he mediate. “Crabs? Why are we fighting about crabs again?” Dad was confused and looked at Mom. “Did Leo complain to you? He was the one out of line this afternoon, you can’t just listen to his nonsense.” “Does your son look like the kind of kid who complains when he loses?! It was your daughter!” Mom impatiently kicked the bedroom door. “Your wonderful mother lied to Chloe’s face, telling her to wait for her food, and now it’s almost the next day and she hasn’t had a single bite!” “No way. Mom!” Dad looked at Grandma in disbelief. “Didn’t you say you’d bring them to her room later? Where are the crabs?!” “Yeah! Where are they!” Mom crossed her arms and sneered. “Where did you hide them? If you love them so much, why don’t you take them back to your farm and plant them in the dirt? Maybe you’ll grow a whole crab tree next spring.” 05 The pressure was entirely on Grandma. The glaring eyes were practically burning holes through her. Seeing that Dad wasn’t defending her, Grandma sat on the floor and started wailing again: “Why am I even alive?! Interrogating me over a few stupid crabs! Oh, Mark’s father, why did you have to die so early?!” When old people decide to be utterly unreasonable, it’s incredibly draining. But Mom’s temper was notoriously stubborn and fierce. She raised an eyebrow and glanced at Leo. The smart kid instantly got the memo. He dragged a huge basket of snacks from the living room cabinet, set it on the desk, and pulled me down to sit beside him, eating chips while watching Grandma cry. At first, Dad wanted to say something, but after catching the suppressed, violent rage in Mom’s eyes, he wisely kept his mouth shut. So, in Grandma’s bedroom, the four of us sat in a row on the bed, each holding a bag of snacks, munching away while watching Grandma weep on the floor. “Here, crab-flavored sunflower seeds. Eat these first so you don’t starve.” Leo handed me a bag, clicking his tongue in awe at the wailing woman on the floor. “This is my first time seeing an adult throw a literal tantrum on the floor up close. Really expanding my horizons here.” Hearing this, Mom laughed. “Well, you got a free show. Hurry up and thank your grandmother.” Dad and I stayed silent, chewing our snacks and waiting patiently. We waited for about four or five minutes. Grandma finally ran out of energy to cry. She sat on the floor, glaring at us. “Done crying? If you’re done, let’s talk about the crabs.” Mom spoke lazily. “If you can’t explain it clearly, you can go back to crying. I’m in no rush.” Lying on the floor, Grandma gritted her teeth in pure hatred. She suddenly scrambled up, pointed at Mom, and screamed: “So what if I just didn’t want you two eating them?! I gave the rest of those crabs away to the neighbors, and I made sure not to save a single bite for you!” Then she turned and pointed a wrinkled finger at me. “Such a manipulative little schemer at this age! Running your mouth and complaining! Let me tell you something—where I grew up, a useless little thing like you would have been thrown in the river and drowned the second you were born!!” The sheer malice in her words was terrifying. I shrank back, shivering in absolute fear, almost dropping my bag of snacks. “You motherf—!!!” Mom lunged off the bed straight at her. “How DARE you say that to Chloe!” Mom wasn’t a big woman, but according to her, she used to be the toughest girl in her high school. She was never afraid of a fight, routinely taking on six people at once. So, from the moment she lunged to the moment she tackled Grandma onto the bed, pinning her down, the rest of us were in total shock. Dad reacted the fastest. He rushed over, grabbed Mom, and physically peeled her off Grandma: “Sarah, calm down, calm down! Two more punches and you’ll actually kill the old lady!” “Yeah, Mom! Going to jail for manslaughter isn’t worth it!” Snapping out of his shock, Leo chimed in: “I’m weak, I’ll take the assault charge! Let me get revenge for my sister!” Saying that, he tried to dive onto the bed to claw at Grandma. Luckily, Dad had quick reflexes and snagged Leo by the collar, hauling him back. Otherwise, there was no telling how badly Grandma would have been beaten. Honestly, I never expected things to escalate like this. I watched in a daze as Dad played human shield, blocking Mom and Leo, who had both transformed into ferocious dragons. “I don’t want to live!!!” Grandma, who had been pushed down, wailed even louder, rolling around on the floor. “Beating me over a few crabs! Just let me die!”

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I thought my ex-husband talked too much. So, after the divorce, I found myself a mute boyfriend. My “little mute” was young, sweet, and practically perfect in my eyes. One day, I went to his college dorm to pick him up. Instead, I overheard a conversation with his roommate. “Cam, how long are you going to keep pretending?” “Until I get bored.” 01 Just as I stepped into the men’s dorm hallway, I heard someone laughing. “Cam, what’s it like playing the mute card to hook up with your own aunt?” I subconsciously stopped and stood by the door. After a long pause, a deeper voice replied. “It’s whatever.” Through the crack in the door, I saw a tall college boy sitting on a chair, legs crossed. His eyelids drooped, giving him an incredibly aloof, “over-it” look. “So when are you going to dump her? Isn’t it annoying not being able to talk every day?” “Is it annoying for you to talk every day?” He spun his phone in his hand, looking utterly impatient. “I’ll do it when I get bored.” I didn’t make a sound. Pretending I hadn’t heard anything, I turned and walked back downstairs. I sent him a text: “I’m here, where are you?” The reply came quickly. “Got it, coming right down!” Seconds later, a figure dashed out of the dorm building. Cameron Reed was still wearing the same black hoodie. But the annoyed expression was gone, replaced by a sunny, enthusiastic face. He walked up to me with a wide grin, looked down, and tapped on his phone. [Hey, did you wait long?] “Not too long.” He looked at me for two seconds, blinked, and typed again. [You look upset. Are you annoyed from waiting?] I turned to look at the boy holding up his phone, carefully trying to please me. I let out a breath. “No, just work stuff.” [Oh.] The boy lowered his eyes, looking disappointed. This demeanor was too different from what I had just seen in his dorm. It almost made me doubt if the previous scene was just my imagination. He sat obediently in the passenger seat, then suddenly thought of something. [Can you wait a few more minutes?] I nodded, and he immediately opened the car door and ran out. While waiting for him, I hesitated for a moment before clicking on Richard Sterling’s profile. “You mentioned before that you have a nephew. What’s his name?” Soon, the man I hadn’t contacted in ages replied. Richard: “Cameron Reed.” Richard: “Why?” I was about to reply when the car door suddenly opened. I hurriedly shoved my phone into my pocket as Cameron got in. With one hand in his pocket, he buckled his seatbelt and then suddenly pulled out a lollipop. Strawberry flavored. He pushed it toward me. “For me?” The boy nodded, [Don’t be mad anymore, okay?] 02 I was a low-income student sponsored by Richard Sterling. Marrying him was purely because he needed it. He needed an obedient, compliant wife to deal with his grandfather pushing him to get married. And I was the perfect, easily manipulated candidate. While we were together, I rarely had the chance to learn about his family. But I did have a vague impression of this nephew who was always shipped off to boarding schools. A reckless, spoiled rich kid. A young master whose wild antics gave even Richard headaches. And this very terror was now sitting next to me, looking like a total angel. Putting on such a good act—I found it quite amusing. The car stopped at a red light, and I looked at him. “Kiss me.” The boy froze, then his eyes gradually deepened. I didn’t need to ask twice; he leaned over and grabbed my chin. And gave me a solid, passionate kiss. No matter how well Cameron pretended in daily life, he could never hide that primal, predatory instinct when things got physical. Suddenly, a car next to us honked twice. Before I could react, it honked again. I turned and saw the window of the adjacent car rolling down. Revealing a very familiar face. Richard Sterling? I tensed up instinctively, but then realized he couldn’t control me anymore. The man’s expression was far from pleasant, his tone sarcastic. “So desperate you can’t even wait?” I flashed a smile. “Young people have a lot of energy. Forgive the show, Mr. Sterling.” Richard’s face darkened, his gaze bypassing me to look at the passenger seat. I subconsciously tensed and blocked his view. “The light’s green, I shouldn’t hold up traffic.” With that, I rolled up my window first. Looking at Cameron again, he was staring out the window, lost in thought. I suddenly wondered what Richard’s expression would have been if he had discovered that the person passionately kissing me today was his own nephew. But this situation was too interesting. I really didn’t want it to end just yet. 03 As soon as we got inside my apartment, Cameron couldn’t wait and threw himself at me. He held me urgently, kissing my lips. [I don’t like him.] “Don’t like who?” [Your ex-husband.] “Oh.” I leaned in, brushing against his earlobe. “What a coincidence, I don’t like him either.” He scooped me up with one arm and tossed me onto the bed. I let out a gasp and wrapped my arms tightly around his neck. He silently smirked, a flash of triumph in his eyes. I suddenly remembered what his roommate asked him today. “What’s it like hooking up with your aunt?” He said, “It’s whatever.” But I felt differently. Hooking up with my ex-husband’s nephew. That feeling… was fucking fantastic. Richard used to be wild too. But it was the wildness of someone in power. It was all taking; I didn’t enjoy it at all. But Cameron was different. I knew he was trying to please me. This pleasure reached its peak after discovering his true identity. Just as he was impatiently trying to get started. My doorbell suddenly rang. [Ignore it.] Soon, the doorbell turned into my phone ringing. “Must be something important.” I patted Cameron’s head soothingly. And grabbed the phone with one hand. “Open the door.” It was Richard. “I’m not home.” “I saw your car, open the door.” I paused. “It’s not a good time right now.” The person outside seemed to be lighting a cigarette. “Are you with that guy?” “We’re divorced, it’s none of your business.” “Then let’s get remarried.” As soon as the words left his mouth, he seemed shocked by them himself. Neither of us said anything else. A faint static hummed through the phone line. I spoke first. “You’re drunk. Have your assistant take you home.” “Open the door first.” “It’s really not a good time.” “Heh, Audrey, you’re getting bolder and bolder.” He let out a scoff, as if remembering something. “Wait, I almost forgot. Taking advantage of me being drunk to steal a kiss, playing dumb to propose to me—you’ve always been pretty bold.” The call ended. I was still caught up in Richard’s words. I really did love him back then. The first time I saw Richard was right after I started college. Full of reckless courage, I marched into his company just to see the benefactor who sponsored me. Falling for him seemed like the most natural thing in the world. I never thought I’d actually marry him one day. After getting married, I lived in my own pink bubble. Thinking my love alone could sustain a relationship for two. Until Chloe’s appearance shattered my dream. [Audrey?] A hand reached from behind me. I turned around. Cameron was standing right behind me. I was suddenly very curious. If this guy knew that the real reason Richard and I divorced was because of another woman… What would he do? Would he go play the mute to seduce Chloe? The mute act is getting old, maybe he could pretend to have a limp… Thinking this, I couldn’t help but laugh. I patted Cameron’s cheek. “I’m not really in the mood right now. Let’s take a rain check.” With that, I stood up and put on my robe. Completely missing the increasingly complex expression on Cameron’s face. 04 That night, I was sleeping groggily when a vibration woke me up. S: [Cam, we’re just waiting on you at The Enigma.] S: [Got some really hot girls here, you sure you don’t want a drink?] That’s when I realized. I was holding Cameron’s phone. Hearing the shower running in the bathroom, I placed the phone back on the nightstand. A few minutes later, Cameron came out. Afraid of waking me, he tiptoed to his side of the bed. He picked up his phone, swiped a few times, tossed it aside, and grabbed his jacket. I pretended to just wake up and opened my eyes. “Going out?” [My advisor needs to see me about something. I have to go back to campus.] “Now? It’s almost midnight.” Cameron spread his hands in a helpless gesture. I scoffed inwardly. It was a waste of talent that this rich kid hadn’t gone into acting. Suppressing the urge to roll my eyes, I patted his head comfortingly. “A senior’s life is a tough one, no human rights. I get it.” I waited a few minutes after Cameron left before slowly getting out of bed. I grabbed my car keys and followed him out. Honestly, it wasn’t for anything specific, just curiosity. I wanted to see what the real Cameron, who played the sweet, pitiful boy for me, was actually like. After all, the first time I met Cameron. Was at the hospital. I had just had surgery. I couldn’t move easily and needed to hire an aide. Cameron was the one who applied for the job. Initially, I was hesitant about him. Not because he was “deaf-mute,” but because I wanted a female aide. But the boy was incredibly persistent. [I’ve taken care of my mom since I was little, I’m very experienced.] [I promise I can do whatever they can do, and do it well.] I had to admit, in that moment, my heart softened. I didn’t have a father. My mother was paralyzed, and I had taken care of her since I was little, just like he claimed to have done. Later, if it hadn’t been for Richard’s sponsorship. I probably wouldn’t have even finished high school. So, I let him stay. It was exactly as Cameron had promised. He was sweet, hardworking, and incredibly thoughtful. Other aides would sneak out to rest whenever they had a chance. Only he stayed by my side all day long. Emptying my bedpans and urinals. When I was feeling down, he tried every possible way to cheer me up. My appetite was terrible then, so this guy cooked for me himself. He’d arrange the bento boxes into cute cartoon characters just to coax me into taking a bite. The old lady in the next bed laughed watching him. She told me, “This kid is treating you like you’re his girlfriend.” So later, it was only natural that we started dating. During all this time, I never doubted Cameron’s identity. He would often uncontrollably use sign language with me. Sometimes, when he was in the mood, I’d even have him teach me a few signs. Even in our most passionate moments, he never made a sound. He just looked at me with those wet, puppy-dog eyes, like a satisfied dog. Of course, the biggest reason I never doubted him was. What kind of spoiled rich kid could endure this much! He was so patient I almost wondered if he thought he was some historical figure enduring hardship to build character! 05 I used to be a regular at bars, too. Most of the time, I was brought there by Richard. He drank, I drove. And on the way back, we did all sorts of crazy things in his obnoxiously aggressive Hummer. Shaking off the memories, I was about to look for Cameron’s private booth. Suddenly, a hand grabbed me. “Came specifically to find me?” I looked up. Richard had actually appeared in front of me. “You refused to see me earlier, and now you can’t wait to run over here. Playing hard to get?” “I’m here to find my boyfriend.” I avoided his intense gaze, turned, and tried to leave. But he tightened his grip on my wrist and pulled me straight into a men’s bathroom stall. “Richard!” “Yell louder, let’s get everyone in here.” I glared at him. He rubbed his thumb across my lips. “Did he kiss you here today?” “None of your business, let me go!” “The little kitten is showing her claws. You’ve changed quite a bit since the divorce.” Richard scoffed. “Break up with him.” “Why should I?” “Audrey, you should know I hate it when people touch my things.” His finger traced my cheek. “There’s a limit to throwing tantrums. Don’t dance on my landmines.” I was about to argue back, but he continued. “Agreeing to the divorce was granting your wish. It doesn’t mean you can escape my control. I blame myself for giving you too much freedom this past year. It made you forget who you belong to.” Richard was domineering and arrogant. If he wanted to, he could make all my efforts in work and life vanish into thin air. But what gave him the right? What gave a man who betrayed our marriage the right to say such things so brazenly? “You already have Chloe, isn’t that enough?” At the mention of that name, Richard furrowed his brow in disgust. “I told you, there’s nothing going on between me and her.” “Nothing? Photos of you two kissing were all over the tabloids!” “Yeah, it was just a kiss. Is that worth throwing a fit over?” You couldn’t reason with him. What a piece of trash! I didn’t want to listen to him anymore and forcefully tried to break free from his grip. Suddenly, a man’s voice came from outside. “Uncle Richard, are you done in there?” My whole body froze. Cameron? Richard was about to push the door open and walk out, but I yanked him back. He raised an eyebrow at me, and I avoided his sharp gaze. Richard stopped moving and asked, “What is it?” Separated only by a thin wall, Cameron’s slightly impatient voice drifted over. “I’m heading out. Let me borrow your driver.” “So early?” “Yeah.” Richard called his driver, and only then did Cameron leave. Before he left, he whistled. “Still going strong for an old guy. Have fun.” Looking up, I met Richard’s thoughtful gaze. “You know Cam?” “No.” “Then why did you avoid him?” “A man and a woman alone in a men’s bathroom stall… Mr. Sterling might not care about his reputation, but I care about mine.” With that, I kicked the door open. This time, Richard didn’t stop me.

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My arrogant, domineering childhood nemesis suddenly went blind. He lost his job, his girlfriend ran off, and with nowhere else to go, he came to me for refuge. I took care of him for half a month, until I accidentally saw a text message on his phone. “You little faker, you’re putting on quite the show.” “How long are you planning to crash there?” That night, I silently swapped my cotton teddy bear pajamas for a hot, silk slip dress. 01 Mason Sterling had been crashing at my place for half a month when I accidentally saw his phone screen light up. “Has your little childhood sweetheart realized you’re faking it yet?” “Half a month of playing the blind guy is enough, right?” “If you don’t come back soon, the company is actually going to collapse!” The sound of running water stopped. Mason was done with his shower. A moment later, his pitiful voice echoed from inside. “Chloe, I can’t get out by myself~” I marked the messages as unread, placed the phone exactly where I found it, and slowly walked over. Inside the bathroom. Mason sat on the edge of the toilet, a white towel wrapped around his waist. His head was bowed, and he was twiddling his thumbs like a wronged child. “Hearing” me walk in, his face contorted into a pout. “What took you so long? “You know I feel insecure after going blind, yet you’re taking your sweet time. “I was so scared sitting alone in this dark, damp place.” I let out a soft scoff. “Got it. This humble servant is here to escort the young master to bed.” Only then did Mason reluctantly stand up. It wasn’t until he was safely tucked into the guest bedroom that I changed out of my conservative cotton bear pajamas. I reached into my closet and pulled out a hot, sexy, silk slip dress. I put on a full face of bold makeup and knocked on Mason’s door again. “I’m heading out for a bit.” “Where are you going this late?” “Grocery shopping.” Mason raised an eyebrow. The sarcastic remark on the tip of his tongue was forcefully swallowed back down. “Grocery shopping at this hour? I’m blind, Chloe, not stupid.” “Oh, so you aren’t stupid…” I dragged out the syllables playfully, then went up on my tiptoes. My lips grazed the man’s ear. “You’re right, I’m not going grocery shopping.” “But where I’m going isn’t suitable for a little blind boy. “Be a good boy and wait for me at home.” 02 Mason Sterling was the quintessential spoiled rich kid. My mom was the Sterling family’s live-in housekeeper. Growing up, I practically lived at the Sterling estate. Since childhood, this young master had a terrible temper—volatile, arrogant, and incredibly childish. His absolute favorite pastime was bullying me. But I was no pushover. When he ordered me to massage his arms and legs, I charged him by the minute and scammed him out of his allowance. When he tried to scare me with caterpillars, I immediately snitched to his parents and claimed he was bullying his classmates. We fought our way from kindergarten all the way to high school. Our dynamic finally shifted during the summer before our junior year. We were walking home together after late-night SAT prep. Out of nowhere, he asked, “Want to kiss?” I said, “Sure.” And just like that, we started dating. The year we graduated, he completely rejected his family’s plans to send him to Europe for college. Instead, he applied to Boston University—the exact same school as me. I thought it was because of me, until I accidentally overheard him talking to his friends. “Chloe? I’d have to be literally blind to actually fall for her! “Please, I’m only going to Boston for Lexi!” Lexi Harper. The absolute beauty of our graduating class. Whenever our school hosted events, she and Mason were the designated co-hosts. They were everyone’s golden couple. I didn’t cause a scene. I just quietly changed my college application at the last minute. I blocked Mason on everything. I moved to Seattle and didn’t speak a single word to him for seven entire years. Until a few days ago, when my mom suddenly called me. She told me Mason had been in a terrible car accident and completely lost his sight. “He wants to go to Seattle to relax and get away from everything. You two grew up together, Chloe. Please, help take care of him.” The Sterling family had always been kind to us. Morally and logically, I couldn’t say no. When I rushed to the airport, the once-arrogant heir looked like an abandoned puppy standing on the curb, gripping a white cane. “Long time no see.” He froze, then replied, “Long time no see.” He paused, letting out a bitter laugh. “Though I guess I don’t really have a chance to ‘see’ you anymore.” A wave of indescribable emotion hit my chest. I patted him on the shoulder. “Come on. I’m taking you home!” 03 Facts have proven that feeling sorry for a man only leads to misfortune. As the cold night wind hit me, I pulled my coat tighter and instantly snapped back to reality. The apartment was mine. The heating was mine. Why was I the one getting pushed out the door?! He should be the one to get out! Just as I turned around, preparing to storm back inside, someone called my name. “Chloe?” “Mr. Vance?” Ethan Vance had traded his usual crisp business suit for a beige athletic set. His hair was slightly damp, indicating he had just finished a night run. “Are you heading out?” Given my current outfit, claiming I was just taking out the trash would be an insult to his intelligence. I nodded. “I’m going to get a drink.” “By yourself?” “Yeah.” Ethan chuckled softly. “What a coincidence. I was just heading out for a drink too. Want company?” I almost laughed out loud. Going for a drink immediately after a sweaty cardio session? What a terrible excuse. But I didn’t expose his lie. I just ran my fingers through my long hair. “Sure.” Ethan was the newly appointed director of my department. A Stanford grad, returning from overseas. He was gentle, gentlemanly, came from serious money—the textbook definition of a high-value bachelor. The day he took the job, half the girls in the office swooned. I had observed him for a while. He arrived at exactly 8:00 AM and left at exactly 7:00 PM. He bought a black coffee every morning and hit the gym every night. His life was incredibly disciplined. Naturally, he became my “target.” At the time, I perfectly timed my commutes to fake “accidental” encounters. I “coincidentally” ordered the same coffee at his favorite cafe. I even went out of my way to buy a ridiculously expensive membership at his gym. But I had only gone twice before Mason suddenly crashed into my life and ruined my plans. I had been so busy serving the blind young master lately that I had completely forgotten about Ethan. But clearly, sometimes when pursuing a man, the “cold shoulder” treatment works best. Ethan had actually taken the bait. We didn’t take Ethan’s car to go drinking. While we were waiting for an Uber, he glanced at me and asked, “Cold?” I gave a very calculated, delicate shiver and rubbed my arms. “A little.” He smiled faintly, took off his jacket, and handed it to me. “Do you mind?” “Of course not.” Our eyes met. Between adults, some signals don’t require words. I draped Ethan’s jacket over my shoulders and was about to speak when my phone started buzzing relentlessly. Mason: “When are you coming back?” Mason: “You aren’t here and I just fell over.” Mason: “I’m craving a late-night chili dog, can you grab me one on your way back?” Seeing that last text, I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. He couldn’t even fake being blind properly. What kind of blind person furiously speed-texts on an iPhone?! “What are you looking at? You’re smiling so happily.” “Just looking at a dog.” Ethan stepped back into a polite, respectful stance. “A pet?” “You could say that. I just adopted him recently.” A dog who fakes being blind. Worse than an actual dog. I shoved my phone into my pocket and dropped the subject. That night, Ethan escorted me all the way back to my apartment building. “I haven’t seen you at the gym lately.” “I’ve had some family stuff to deal with.” “Night run tomorrow?” I hadn’t expected Ethan to be this proactive, but I was thrilled. “Sure. I’m a beginner though, so I’ll be relying on you to guide me.” Ethan’s lips curled into a smile. “I’ll come pick you up tomorrow.” When I walked into my apartment, Mason was sitting alone on the living room sofa. I jumped in surprise. “Why are you sitting here in the pitch black?” Mason’s tone was airy and tragic. “Day or night, what difference does it make to me? “It’s all just endless darkness anyway.” He was getting way too into this role. Suddenly, he leaned closer to me and wrinkled his nose. “You drank?” “Mhm.” “And you smell like a man.” I looked down, realizing I was still wearing Ethan’s jacket. I didn’t expose Mason’s terrible acting. I just patted his head. “So smart.” “Who is it?” “Is that any of your business?” Mason froze. He looked at me, his eyes perfectly “vacant.” “Do you… not want me anymore?” The question caught me completely off guard. Before I could respond, Mason kept going. “Seven years ago, you left without saying goodbye. “But I don’t recall ever agreeing to break up. “Chloe, are you still my girlfriend?” 04 Girlfriend? The word felt burning hot. It rolled around on my tongue before I finally swallowed it down. I let out a soft laugh. “Are you saying you want to pursue me?” “Can I? Can we keep being together?” “Of course.” I leaned in, my warm breath brushing against Mason’s ear. “But… it depends on your performance.” Mason’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “What kind of performance?” “I happen to like good boys.” In truth, I really did love Mason back then. During the confusing rush of puberty, he was the only boy occupying my thoughts. We held hands secretly in crowds and kissed in the quiet shadows. During the year we dated, I gave him endless patience and affection. Childhood sweethearts. I truly believed we were going to make it to the end. Until that summer, when he told his friends: “I’d have to be crazy to actually fall in love with the maid’s daughter. “Besides her pretty face, what part of her even acts like a girl? “Look at Lexi—she’s so sweet and obedient. If I wasn’t worried about distracting Lexi from her SATs, do you think I would have picked Chloe?” The irony was, after Mason’s car crash, the “sweet and obedient” girl dumped him immediately. That night, I slept terribly. I had disjointed, fragmented dreams. I dreamt of our elementary school sports day. I fainted from low blood sugar, and Mason sprinted over and put me on his back. He was a scrawny kid, but he stubbornly refused to put me down. Eventually, his legs gave out, and he collapsed holding me right at the clinic doors. Under the blazing sun, we looked at each other and laughed like two complete idiots. I dreamt of being bullied by older boys. He tried to fight them off and ended up getting beaten black and blue. Wincing through the pain, he still tilted his chin up and bragged to me, “You should see the other guys!” During my senior year, I stayed at the Sterling mansion, and the young master personally tutored me in math. When I couldn’t grasp a concept, he’d mock me, saying my brain was full of concrete. I’d give him the silent treatment, and he would shower me with feather-light kisses from my forehead down to my nose. Every kiss was a soft, silent I’m sorry. I cried in my sleep. Eventually, I woke up with wet cheeks. Maybe even now, I still didn’t understand. How did two people who cared about each other so much end up like this? I woke up with a pounding headache. The inexplicable melancholy carried all the way to work. In the elevator, Ethan stood impeccably dressed in his tailored suit. With his gold-rimmed glasses, he looked like the epitome of refined restraint. But I wasn’t in the mood to chat, so I just gave a polite nod. The moment I stepped into my office, Ethan texted me. Ethan: “Didn’t sleep well last night?” I yawned and typed a careless reply. Me: “Yeah, ran into my crush last night. Was too excited to sleep.” Ethan: “Is that so? That crush is a very lucky man.” Ethan: “I accidentally bought an extra coffee. Want it?” Me: “Accidentally?” Ethan: “Alright, I bought it specifically for you. Will you do me the honor of drinking it?” Before I could text back, my office desk phone rang. Ethan’s professional, authoritative voice came through the line. “Chloe, come to my office for a moment.” I hung up, and a coworker leaned over. “The boss wants to see you first thing in the morning?” I faked a heavy sigh. She patted my shoulder sympathetically. “Good luck.” I smiled, grabbed a random file to look busy, and walked over. I gave a very professional knock on his door. Seeing me walk in, Ethan smiled and handed me a paper bag. It was from the cafe he frequented. I didn’t take it immediately. I smiled and asked, “Does this count as an abuse of power?” “The coffee doesn’t. Using work as an excuse to get you into my office does.” “Is this a classic Ethan Vance tactic?” “It’s my first time trying it, so I’m a bit rusty.” Only then did I take the cup. I looked down and took a sip. Iced Americano. The bitterness made me frown slightly. Back when I was trying to catch his attention, I had bought a few of these. But compared to black coffee, I heavily preferred lattes. Not planning to force myself to drink something bitter, I pressed my lips firmly against the rim, leaving a perfect lipstick mark. I set the cup back down on his desk. “I’ll leave a little marker and store it here. It’ll give you a few more excuses to abuse your power.” Ethan clearly hadn’t expected such a bold move. He raised an eyebrow, then let out a low chuckle. The way he looked at me held ten times more interest than before. Right before I clocked out, Ethan texted me again. Ethan: “See you tonight?” I tapped my fingers on the desk, waited a few minutes, and replied: “OK.” 05 “You’re going out again?” I had just changed into my running gear when Mason blocked the door, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “Where are you going tonight? Don’t tell me you’re buying groceries again.” “I’m going running with a friend.” “Friend? Guy or girl?” Hearing that, I couldn’t help but laugh. “As far as I’m aware, you haven’t won me back yet.” Mason froze. I reached out and tapped a single finger against his chest. “So, don’t act like a jealous, neglected husband demanding a status report.” Mason looked annoyed. “But you said you’d give me a chance.” “I did. That’s why you need to be a good, obedient boy. Understand?” As I was about to leave, Mason suddenly spoke up. “Chloe, did I mention this? “My blindness was caused by a blood clot pressing on my optic nerve. “It might fully heal, or it might be permanent. It depends on luck.” Hearing that, I nearly laughed right in his face. The young master was actually using his brain. A blood clot pressing on the nerve. Depends on luck. What a perfect excuse to give himself a way out whenever he needed one. I feigned immense joy. “It can be cured?! That’s amazing!” Before Mason could respond, I kept pushing. “So are you planning to stay here until you’re fully healed, or are you heading home in a few days?” Mason’s face went rigid. “Chloe?” “I’m really running late! We’ll talk when I get back!” I ignored him and walked straight out the door. Downstairs, Ethan was already waiting for me. “Sorry, I’m late.” “I just got here too.” Ethan smoothly handed me a bottle of water. As I took it, our fingers brushed against each other before slowly sliding apart. The air was thick with tension. Ethan cleared his throat softly. “You didn’t finish your coffee earlier today.” “I know. What did you do with it?” “I poured the coffee out.” “What a waste.” “I kept the cup.” I looked up at him. He smiled faintly. “I couldn’t bear to throw it away.” “A man like you, getting attached to a paper cup?” “I have plenty of cups. But there’s only one with a certain someone’s lipstick mark.” I tilted my head, looking straight into his eyes. He held my gaze, completely unapologetic. I knew it. Ethan was hooked. After that day, I ran with Ethan every single night. Sometimes we talked about work, but mostly we talked about our lives. On weekends, we started grabbing dinner together. Spending so much time with Ethan meant I inevitably started ignoring Mason. One day when I got home, he suddenly asked me. “Did you get a boyfriend?” I didn’t hide it. “I’m currently seeing someone, yes.” “But you promised me.” “I promised I would let you pursue me. I never said no one else could.” “That’s cheating.” “Young master, you literally live in my apartment. You have the ultimate home-court advantage.” Mason stormed back to his room. He slammed the door so hard the walls shook. That night, I went for my usual run with Ethan. My argument with Mason had clearly messed with my head. Several times when Ethan spoke to me, I was completely zoned out. “Tired?” I forced myself to focus. “Yeah, I just haven’t been sleeping well.” “Stress from work? You’re making me feel like I’m failing as your boss. “Tell me what’s wrong. Let’s see if I can fix it.” “A subordinate can’t sleep at night. How does the boss plan to fix that?” “Does the subordinate have any suggestions?” I pretended to think hard. “The boss personally coming over to tuck me in sounds like a pretty good start.” Ethan laughed and stopped jogging. “How did I not realize earlier that you were such a little fox?” “So… do you like foxes?” Ethan’s smile faded as he slowly leaned in closer. I didn’t back away. Our noses brushed. “I want to kiss you. Can I?” “Are you always this much of a gentleman?” He let out a low laugh, and finally closed the distance. As I tilted my head up, I suddenly caught a glimpse of a shadow hiding on my apartment balcony. I narrowed my eyes, but I didn’t stop the kiss. When we finally pulled away, Ethan’s eyes were hazy as he stepped back into a respectful distance. “What are you looking at?” He followed my gaze up to my apartment. There was no one there anymore. Just the curtains swaying slightly in the dark night. I shook my head. “Nothing.”

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My high-school-aged cousin has been using my selfies to catfish guys online, posting my face all over his Snapchat. I couldn’t hold back and messaged him: “Are you ever going to stop?” “Just bear with it a little longer, sis! I’m one rank away from Conqueror. Once we hit it, I’ll break up with him.” Later, my cousin and his “online boyfriend” broke up. And the physics professor from the department next door specifically requested I visit his office. 01 Lately, my high-school-aged cousin has been acting weird. He frequently posts my selfies on his Snapchat story with the weirdest captions. Like: “The weather is so nice today, perfect for some boba.” Then, not long after, he’d post another story: “Thanks! Got the boba.” My eye twitched as I read it. I messaged him privately: “?” “…Crap, forgot to block you from viewing my story.” I continued my interrogation: “Are you using my photos to catfish someone?” “Sis, he’s super good at League of Legends. I just wanted him to carry me.” I didn’t want to get too involved, so I just warned him: “Play less games, don’t scam people out of their money, or I’m telling your dad.” He laid low for over a week, but then his story updated again. It was a selfie of me, bizarrely paired with a picture of a Lego set. The caption: “My birthday is coming up. I really want this Lego set.” …Good lord, he’s actually starting to scam money now. I couldn’t hold back and messaged him: “Are you ever going to stop?” “Just bear with it a little longer, sis! I’m one rank away from Conqueror. Once we hit it, I’ll break up with him.” I wanted nothing more than to drive to his house and punch him. “I don’t care about the gaming, but stop ruining my reputation. If you want the Lego set, I’ll buy it for you.” Half an hour later, he finally replied: “No need, sis. I already got the Lego set.” “?” I sent him some money via Venmo. “Give the money back and break up with him immediately.” My cousin accepted the transfer and reluctantly replied: “Ugh, fine.” I still felt uneasy, so I called him and gave him a stern lecture. He apologized repeatedly and promised he would change his ways. I’m a third-year grad student, and with the holidays approaching, I was swamped with errands and didn’t have time to keep an eye on him. He stayed quiet and didn’t post any more updates. 02 The holidays arrived right on schedule. I was curled up on the couch, devouring clementines, when my best friend, Chloe, sent me a screenshot: “Your cousin has some moves.” I clicked it open, and there it was—my cousin’s Snapchat story, still featuring my selfies. The few photos I had posted on my own social media had been completely exhausted by him. Refusing to give up, he somehow dug up my high school graduation photo and posted it with a fake, sentimental caption: “I’ve changed so much.” He said he would change his ways; did he mean changing his privacy settings? I shot up from the couch, stormed into his bedroom, grabbed him by the ear, and hauled him up: “You dare steal my photos again? Do you have a death wish?” “Ow… ow, ow, ow.” He exaggeratedly clutched his ear while begging, “Sis, perfect timing! He wants to do a voice call. Could you take it for me? I’ll give you all my Christmas money, please?” “In your dreams. Confess and apologize to him right now.” “Sis, it’s the holidays. Breaking his heart by telling him he got catfished by a guy… that’s so messed up.” I punched him hard: “Oh, so now you realize you’re messed up.” “Just a few more days and I’ll get my Conqueror rank. Then I’ll tell him I need to focus on my studies and break up with him.” He held up three fingers. “I swear, this time for real.” Under his relentless pleading, I finally, reluctantly took the phone. “Mia, happy holidays.” The deep, magnetic voice on the other end caught me off guard. This incredibly alluring voice actually made my long-dormant heart flutter a little. “Hello…” As soon as I spoke, I realized I was subconsciously making my voice sound sweeter. I quickly coughed a few times, trying to sound as emotionless as possible, “Hello, happy holidays.” “Mia, what do you want for a holiday gift?” Hearing this, my cousin immediately sat up, swiped on his iPad, and pulled up a picture of a Nintendo Switch. He pointed at the screen, winking and gesturing frantically at me. I nodded calmly, signaling that I understood. Then I turned to the phone and said: “For the new year, I want a complete set of AP prep books and practice exams.” My cousin’s eyes widened in horror. In his disbelieving gaze, I saw his shattered heart. Heh, little punk, that’s what you get for catfishing. “Hmm? Why do you want that?” the voice asked. “Because my AP exams are coming up soon, and I want to study hard. I won’t be able to play games with you anymore either.” “Ah, then you really shouldn’t be playing games. If you have any questions you can’t figure out, you can still ask me.” The voice remained gentle. “Okay, thank you.” I exchanged pleasantries, hung up, and shoved the phone into my dumbfounded cousin’s hands. “I’ll be checking your progress on those practice exams every month. Also, refund him the money for the books and pretend you bought them yourself. If you don’t, I’m telling your dad. Happy holidays, bro.” I walked away with swagger, leaving my cousin standing there, wanting to cry but having no tears left. 03 Back in the living room, I had unread messages from Chloe. “What’s going on with your cousin?” I furiously typed on my phone, bragging about my brilliant move. “How about that? I’m awesome, right? Put him right in his place.” “I bet my cousin is done with online dating for good.” To my surprise, Chloe’s focus wasn’t on that at all. She replied with a “lol.” “Even your cousin can get a boyfriend, but you can’t.” “…” Okay, I’ll shut up now. Chloe and I are polar opposites. If we had an annual review, it would definitely be: “Beginning of the year: Chloe is dating John. I’m single.” “Mid-year: Chloe is dating Mike. I’m single.” “End of the year: Chloe gets back together with John. I’m still single.” Chloe is a magnet for romance. While I might just have an anti-male forcefield. At first, watching Chloe post her sweet relationship updates every day made my heart flutter a little. I tried going on dates with a few guys, but none worked out. So, I remained single all the way into grad school. I’ve always felt that the “butterflies” in my stomach probably died of old age. It was only earlier today, during that phone call, that they showed signs of resurrection. But someone who could be fooled by my cousin’s terrible acting is highly likely a naive, inexperienced kid. A minor with a nice voice and a bit of pocket money. For the next few days, I forced my cousin to break up with him and made him uninstall the game. After he uninstalled it, I secretly downloaded League of Legends. If my cousin can find an online boyfriend using my photos, why can’t I, the actual person in the photos? However, for the next few days, it was just Chloe playing games with me. Even though she was only average at the game, she had to drag me through ranked matches every day. Since I didn’t know how to play at all, she taught me to pick Garen and gave me two instructions. “One, click whatever lights up.” “Two, if you see someone, charge.” So, here I was, a young woman in her prime, playing as Garen, wandering all over the map, charging at anyone I saw and mashing buttons wildly. By the end of the holiday break, forget about an online boyfriend, I hadn’t even heard a boy’s voice. I even managed to drag Chloe down to Gold rank with me. Chloe sent me a screenshot of her rank: “I can’t rank up anymore. Can I use your photos to catfish a boyfriend too?” I silently sent her a sticker: “Warning: I will block you.” 04 The break ended. First day back at campus. My advisor suddenly called me: “Mia, Professor Hayes from the Physics department needs to see you urgently. Go to his office right now.” I hung up, a bit confused. Julian Hayes, the youngest and arguably the most attractive professor in the Physics department. Candid photos of him lecturing—impeccably dressed in a white shirt and gold-rimmed glasses—easily garnered hundreds of thousands of likes on TikTok. Logically speaking, even if a professor of his caliber needed an errand run, it wouldn’t fall to me. Feeling a bit nervous, I knocked on Professor Hayes’ office door. Just a light tap, and the door opened. I was greeted by the sight of him in a perfectly tailored white shirt, faintly revealing the toned physique of someone who clearly works out. My eyes drifted upward: a few buttons at his collar were casually undone, exposing delicate collarbones and a prominent Adam’s apple. I looked up and crashed right into his deep, dark eyes. “Professor Hayes, you wanted to see me.” I gave a polite nod, keeping my tone steady. No one could know that, internally, a thousand marmots were screaming at the top of their lungs. “Mhm, come in.” He stepped aside. I obediently walked into the office. As I passed him, a faint, elusive scent of sandalwood drifted by, almost pulling my soul right out of my body. Before I even came to a complete stop, Professor Hayes spoke. “Why did you break up with me?” I froze, turned around, looked everywhere—no one else was there. I looked at Professor Hayes’ ears; he wasn’t wearing AirPods. “Huh?” I was completely bewildered. He looked down, his gaze fixed intensely on me: “Didn’t you say that if I bought you a console, you wouldn’t break up with me?” …I turned to stone. “A… a console?” “Yes.” He nodded slightly. “If you wanted something else, I could have given you that too, as long as we didn’t break up.” “Professor Hayes, do you think you have the wrong person?” I asked cautiously. Even though the “console” clue was screaming in my face, I refused to believe that the erudite, sophisticated Professor Hayes was actually dating someone online. Julian stared at me for two seconds, then looked down and woke up his phone screen to show me. “No mistake.” His lock screen was clearly a photo of me. I was curled up on the couch, happily sipping a strawberry macchiato. …That was the boba my cousin brought over when he visited. I remember back then, he hadn’t started posting my photos on Snapchat yet. So when he offered to take a picture of me, I didn’t refuse. Looking back now, that boba was highly likely bought by Professor Hayes. Seeing me standing there dumbfounded, Julian took a step closer: “Are you still going to deny it?” As he got closer, that faint scent returned. I hesitated to speak: “Professor, you might not believe this, but it seems… you were scammed by my 16-year-old cousin.” “?” He frowned slightly. “The person… you were chatting and playing games with, was actually my cousin.” “You forgot we talked on the phone. I remember your voice.” “It really was my cousin.” I quickly pulled out my own phone. “Look, this is my actual Snapchat.” He glanced at my screen: “Whatever account you use, add me back first.” “Professor…” I was about to explain further when my phone rang. “Sis, I brought the papers you asked for. Where are you?” Talk about perfect timing. Excitedly, I gave him my location and told him to hurry over. Julian’s expression didn’t change. He picked up a book and started reading on his own. I couldn’t help but sneak a peek at him. He sat in a leather office chair, his long legs crossed, his clean, slender fingers brushing across the pages. Sunlight filtered through the blinds, casting a glow on his face, making him look aloof and elegant. I couldn’t wrap my head around it. How could someone so detached and ethereal be involved in online dating? To be exact, how did he end up online dating my 16-year-old cousin and getting scammed into buying so many toys and snacks? Is his scam awareness really that low? A ringing phone broke my deep thoughts. “Sis, what building was it again? I can’t find it.” Sighing, I had to run downstairs to get him. It took quite a while before I finally saw him waving a folder: “Sis, over here!” “Mhm, great.” I grabbed his sleeve and dragged him toward the building. “What’s up, sis? Are you taking me out to eat?” he asked cluelessly as we walked. I smiled faintly: “No, I’m taking you to meet your online boyfriend.” “?” He stopped dead in his tracks and refused to take another step. “Sis, stop messing with me.” I opened the door, but my cousin stayed glued to the wall, refusing to move. I kicked his butt: “Professor Hayes, my cousin is here. Do whatever you want to him, no need for mercy.” The room fell dead silent, awkwardness permeating the air. The lowly cousin, wearing a school uniform and a backpack, and Julian, wearing a white shirt and black slacks with a face full of indifference, stared at each other in silence. My cousin took one look at Julian, guiltily averted his eyes, and meekly stared at the floor, picking at his fingers. “Didn’t you love scamming people?” I whispered harshly. “Hurry up, introduce yourself.” Unable to withstand my glare, he spoke with a tremor in his voice: “Hello, sir. I’m your online girlfriend, Sweet Strawberry.” Julian sat in his office chair, his fingers gently tapping the desk. His eyes were unreadable, radiating a very “teacher-like” intimidating aura. My cousin didn’t dare look up at all. Standing behind him, I could see his body shaking slightly. He was probably crying. Even though I felt a bit bad, he totally deserved it. After a moment of silence, Julian turned his head to look at me: “Mia, your cousin toyed with my feelings. As an adult, shouldn’t you take responsibility for your cousin’s actions?” “Yes.” I kept my head down too, honestly admitting fault. “I’m sorry, Professor Hayes. I will cover all your financial losses.” “Financial compensation isn’t necessary.” He took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. “It’s just that, now I have no one to play games with.” “Huh?” I was confused. “My heart was broken by your cousin. Shouldn’t you take responsibility for that?” I glanced at my cousin, who was playing ostrich by the side with his backpack on, and my mouth twitched: “My cousin… broke your heart?” Julian said very seriously: “Yes, I bought him boba, sent him gifts, and played games with him. Even though it was online, I took it very seriously.” Me: “…” Really? I don’t believe it. But I didn’t dare say that out loud. He raised an eyebrow: “Being scammed by your cousin hurt me deeply, and I need company. Since your cousin has his SATs coming up, you’ll just have to make the sacrifice.” I was stunned. He curled his lips into a slight, meaningful smile: “I’ll be in your care from now on, Mia.”

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I woke up inside the belly of the pregnant secondary character, reborn as a newborn baby. My dad was an A-list actor who had a drunken one-night stand with my mom, resulting in me. But in the original novel, I was never even born! 1. I was currently being cradled in the arms of a weak but stunning woman. She was whispering to me: “Baby, I, Chloe Sterling, will no longer beg for Carter Vance’s love. Having you is enough.” Wait! Chloe Sterling? Carter Vance? Aren’t these the names of the male lead and the wicked female antagonist from that Hollywood romance novel I read recently? The male lead was a top-tier actor, and the female antagonist was a C-list starlet. After a drunken night, she got pregnant. Meanwhile, the female lead, Serena Brooks, was the male lead’s childhood friend who secretly loved him and entered showbiz just to be near him. In the novel, after getting pregnant, the female antagonist threw endless tantrums and tried to keep the male and female leads apart, completely destroying whatever little affection the male lead had left for her. And in the novel, the antagonist’s child was never born. Could it be that my sheer will to live was strong enough to alter the plot? The original story ended with the female lead becoming a celebrated actress, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the male lead at the pinnacle of the industry. The sole purpose of the female antagonist was just to make the male lead realize his true feelings for the female lead. A classic plot device. But the gentle, beautiful woman holding me now didn’t look anything like the hysterical madwoman from the book. Was it because her character’s role in the story had ended, freeing her from the plot’s control? Or was there another reason? A tear fell onto my cheek. She was crying. It suddenly dawned on me—could her erratic behavior in the book have simply been caused by pregnancy hormones? It’s a known fact that a lack of emotional support makes new mothers highly susceptible to postpartum depression. The only person staying with her in the hospital room was her manager. An auntie who looked strict but held me with incredible tenderness. Thank goodness she had someone by her side. 2. I’m six years old now. Chloe seems to have genuinely forgotten all her past drama. Just as she said back then, she stopped begging for Carter’s love; having me was enough. She poured all her heart and soul into me. Around me, she always maintained a calm and stable demeanor. There was only one time I saw her lose control. “Riley Sterling, why have we never seen your dad come play with you?” “Do you not have a dad?” “Hahaha, my grandma says kids like you are feral brats without a dad.” Kids can be so directly cruel. Six-year-olds understand perfectly well what they’re saying. Faced with these obnoxious brats, I let my fists do the talking. Eventually, the parents of the bruised kids marched up to Chloe, demanding an explanation. The loudest and most aggressive among them was the gossiping grandmother. “You single mothers just don’t know how to discipline your children! Look at what she did to our little Timmy! A little girl hitting people so viciously—she clearly lacks a proper upbringing.” I walked up and pointed right at her: “You’re Timmy’s grandma, right? So you’re the one who told Timmy I’m a feral brat without a dad?” Hearing that, the other parents immediately shot the grandmother dirty looks. “So you taught your kid to run his mouth. No wonder he got beat up; he deserved it.” The other parents gathered their kids and left, apologizing to Chloe before they did. “We’re so sorry, Riley’s mom. We should have watched our kids better.” Timmy’s grandma still tried to make a scene. Chloe’s face hardened: “Shameless people come in all ages, but some just get thicker-skinned as they get older.” The onlookers started whispering and pointing at Timmy’s grandma. Feeling humiliated, she grabbed Timmy and hurried away. It wasn’t until we got home that Chloe finally dropped her tough exterior. “Riley, do you… ever wish you had a dad?” Hearing the exhaustion in her voice, I hugged her tight. “No way. I already have the best mom in the world.” I thought the incident was over. But someone had recorded the whole thing and posted it online. At first, the comments were all condemning the old lady for being a toxic gossip with no morals. But then someone pointed out: “Doesn’t that heavily disguised single mom look a lot like Chloe Sterling? And the little girl looks just like her too.” After that, the situation quickly spiraled out of control. Chloe’s manager called, saying they couldn’t keep it a secret anymore. After hanging up, Chloe posted a tweet. “I have a daughter, and she is my whole world.” Over the past few years, she had been steadily acting. With a change in her mindset, she had truly focused on honing her craft, gradually transforming from a C-list starlet relying on fleeting fame into a highly respected, talented actress. Because of this, the reaction to her tweet wasn’t a bloodbath. “So she had a baby girl six years ago?” “A single mom… Chloe, how did you survive these past six years?” “We see the mature, brave woman approaching thirty now, but how did you get through it when you were twenty-four? The video shows Riley was raised so well—brave, reasonable, and protective of her mom. But I still can’t help but cry for the carefree, joyful Chloe I first became a fan of.” “Is no one else curious about who the baby daddy is?” “Just whispering here, but doesn’t Riley look a bit like a certain Mr. Vance? Weren’t there rumors about them hooking up six years ago?” Even the netizens had guessed it. How could my deadbeat dad not have seen the news? I frowned, looking at the man standing in front of me, wrapped up tight in a coat and sunglasses. I thought to myself: Carter Vance, don’t you think you look exactly like a kidnapper right now? 3. Carter’s opening line was: “I… am your father.” My eyes went wide. I had never seen someone so shameless. You can’t just walk up and claim fatherhood out of nowhere! I don’t know who gave him Chloe’s address, but he ambushed me at the small park I usually played in. He timed it perfectly, appearing right when my nanny went to grab something, leaving me alone for a few minutes. “Riley, I’m your biological father. No one will ever call you a feral brat again.” Wow. Carter was really high on his own drama. Did he actually think saying that would make me accept him as my dad? He abandoned Chloe when she was pregnant to pursue his so-called “true love.” He ignored me for six years, and if it weren’t for that viral video, he probably wouldn’t even know I existed. “I’ll take good care of you and give you the best life possible.” This is hilarious. Is Carter a comedian? Why did he think a few words could outweigh Chloe’s six years of devotion? And what was that about giving me “the best life possible”??? Excuse me, my mom, Chloe Sterling, might not be the most famous A-lister in Hollywood, but she’s worked her way up, step by step. She has a stellar reputation and incredible acting skills. After all these years of hard work, she’s rich too! I looked around and saw plenty of parents watching their kids play. I geared myself up, squeezed out some tears, and started wailing at the top of my lungs. I cried and screamed: “Help! There’s a kidnapper! He’s trying to take me away!” “Stranger danger! He’s stealing kids!!!” For parents, there is nothing more despicable than a kidnapper. My performance instantly drew a crowd of parents who surrounded Carter and shielded me. “How dare you! Trying to snatch a kid in broad daylight! You heartless monster, stealing someone’s child—do you have no shame?” Someone even pulled out their phone to call 911. Carter fled in a panic, looking completely different from his usual glamorous, superstar self. Hahaha, serves him right. 4. When Chloe found out, she asked me anxiously if I was hurt. I shook my head and told her I fought off the bad guy without a single scratch. The nanny felt terribly guilty, blaming herself for leaving me alone for those few minutes. Chloe didn’t blame her at all. “The security in this community is great, and you’ve always taken such good, attentive care of Riley while I’m working.” She hesitated for a moment, looked at me, and then continued: “That man wasn’t a kidnapper. He’s your biological father.” Chloe crouched down in front of me. “Riley, did he say anything to you?” I told Chloe everything Carter had said. She suddenly pulled me into a tight hug, whispering to herself: “I won’t let him take you away from me.” I kissed Chloe’s cheek. “Mom, I’m not going anywhere. I just want to stay with you. Besides, I already knew he was my dad.” “How did you know?” I tried to look profound. “Whenever his shows come on TV, you change the channel. You don’t even let me watch his commercials.” Chloe looked at me and gently touched my cheek. “You look a little bit like him.” I nodded. Genetics are powerful; I really did look like a perfect blend of the two of them. “His only useful contribution was giving me his good looks.” “Mom, isn’t Riley Sterling the cutest, prettiest kid you’ve ever seen?” Chloe smiled and nodded. “Riley is the prettiest, cutest, smartest kid in the world, and Mom’s good baby.” “This vacation, how about you come to the set with Mom?” It made sense. Who knew when Carter might try to ambush me again? I nodded. “Okay, since you’ll miss me so much, I’ll go keep you company.” 5. The show Chloe was currently filming was her first time playing the lead in a serious, prestige drama since she entered the industry. She was the undisputed main character. You could say this drama was crucial for her career. If it succeeded, her career would reach a whole new level. If it failed, it would be very difficult for her to land the lead role in a major production like this again. I tried my best to be a good kid and not cause Chloe any trouble. In the show, the male lead was a passionate, idealistic rookie. Off-screen, the lead actor was a talented young star. He loved playing with kids, but seeing him act so childish made me feel like I was the mature one. “Leo, could you act a little more like an adult?” Hearing me call him that, Leo suddenly got very serious. “Wrong, little Riley. You should be calling me ‘Uncle Leo’.” I was a bit speechless. Fine, if he didn’t mind me making him sound old, whatever. “Okay, Uncle Leo.” He was playing with me when he suddenly froze. I followed his gaze. Uh-oh, the ghost that won’t leave us alone. Carter had arrived and was talking to Chloe, though I couldn’t hear what they were saying. Chloe’s expression was stiff. Leo looked back at me, as if he wanted to ask something. I met his eyes and nodded solemnly. “You don’t have to say it. Whatever you’re thinking, you’re right.” His eyes widened; he looked like he had just stumbled upon the juiciest gossip of the century. Maybe I was mistaken, but did I sense hostility in the way he looked at Carter? Makes sense. Who wouldn’t despise a cheater? I walked closer and eavesdropped on their conversation. “A child needs a father growing up. You don’t want Riley being called a feral brat.” “I want to take Riley to live with me for a while. You’re balancing filming and taking care of her; you must be overwhelmed, right?” I have to say, Carter was truly despicable. Every word he said was designed to stab Chloe right in the heart. Ever since that incident at the park, it had been a sore spot for Chloe. She had done her absolute best, yet the daughter she cherished more than anything was still called a feral brat. Chloe had been reading books on child psychology non-stop. I secretly peeked at one once, and she had written a note in the margins. “Even if I do my absolute best, can I really not replace the role of a father in a child’s development?” I really, really hated Carter. He was talking down to Chloe, declaring his dominance. No matter how well you do, you still need me. And I definitely didn’t sense that Carter loved me all that much. His mentality seemed to be more like: This is my daughter, and I need everyone to know I’m her father. Chloe asked me if I wanted to go. I smiled and nodded. Carter wanted me to go to his house, right? Perfect. I wasn’t going there to join his family. I was going there to wreck it. 6. At Carter’s house, I finally met Serena. The woman who was Carter’s childhood friend and had loved him for years. Honestly, Carter was such a scumbag. Six years ago, he left Chloe to pursue his “true love.” That’s where the original novel ended. And now? Serena had been living with him for six years, and Carter still hadn’t proposed. His “true love” was awfully cheap. Serena thoughtfully prepared everything I might need, bought me a ton of gifts, and showed me around their home. And Carter? He acted like he had completed a mission and won a war. He completely washed his hands of the aftermath. He left everything to Serena and played the hands-off boss. But I wasn’t here for a vacation. I was here to cause chaos. “Waaaah, I’m so scared.” In the middle of the night, I knocked on Carter’s door, crying. He looked incredibly annoyed. “Riley, what’s wrong?” “I’m scared to sleep alone. Mom always sleeps with me.” Suppressing his frustration, Carter let me in. Halfway through the night, Carter was jolted awake by something freezing cold. He felt something on his face, reached up, and realized it was a wet, icy towel. He opened his eyes and saw me looking at him timidly. “I wanted to wash my face, but my hand slipped.” Carter took a deep breath and threw the towel across the room. I heard him mutter: “She’s just a six-year-old kid. She didn’t mean it.” In just one week, I tortured Carter in every way imaginable. He went from a glamorous, polished movie star to a haggard, exhausted, rough-looking mess. To be fair, I was just letting him experience what taking care of a kid is actually like. Sure, I was an angel around Chloe. But the exhaustion Carter endured over these seven days was nothing compared to what Chloe went through. Serena truly loved Carter. Seeing him look so haggard broke her heart, and she volunteered to stay with me at night. I lowered my head and whispered, but made sure my voice was loud enough for all three of us to hear. “But my mom took care of me exactly like this all the time. Uncle Carter says he’s my dad, but he couldn’t even last a week.”

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I mocked him: “Wow, Mr. Harrison is getting up there in age and still no one wants him?” He mocked me right back: “Likewise. Didn’t Chloe’s little high school romance fail to bloom?” Perfect. It was finally time for me to repay his “teaching grace.” A few months later, I pointed at Carter Harrison standing in the corner of our bedroom: “Don’t even think about getting into bed until you recite Hamlet’s soliloquy flawlessly from memory.” 01 When I went home for the holidays, my Aunt Mary set me up on a blind date. According to her, the guy was 29, held a Master’s degree, and worked as a teacher. He had a nice car, his own place, and no living parents to cause in-law drama. He was well-off, handsome, and had a stable, tenured job. His family—or what was left of it—was pushing him to settle down, which was why he agreed to the date. I thought about it and decided his resume was pretty flawless. So, I went to meet him. Who could have predicted that the man sitting across from me would be my former high school English teacher? The exact same homeroom teacher who used to constantly lecture me about the dangers of dating in high school. “Chloe, you can’t even pick the right answer out of four options on an SAT question. Do you really think you can find the right guy out of 330 million Americans?” “Don’t date in high school, the quality is terrible. Wait until college to find someone to grow old with.” His earnest teachings from years ago were still echoing in my ears. When we made eye contact, we both froze. He still had that refined, scholarly aura. He wore a light gray button-down shirt, crisp slacks, and a clean-cut hairstyle. His handsome face was framed by a pair of rimless glasses. He looked exactly the same as I remembered. Meanwhile, I was wearing sky-high stilettos and sporting ash-gray, wavy hair—the exact hair color he had once marched me to a salon to dye back to black after it had only survived for half a day. I tapped my fresh cat-eye acrylic nails on the table, wearing a smug expression that basically screamed: You might hate how I look, but you can’t send me to the principal’s office anymore. “Wow~ Mr. Harrison is getting up there in age. How is it that no one wants you yet?” Since he wasn’t my teacher anymore, I took the initiative to mock him first. Carter Harrison’s eyes crinkled slightly. He folded his hands together and let out a soft chuckle. “Likewise. Didn’t Chloe’s little high school romance fail to bloom?” He wore an expression that said he had predicted my failure all along. Hmph. Whether it bloomed or not, he knew exactly why. “Well, that’s all thanks to Mr. Harrison’s earnest interventions back then. I imagine the students today are much harder to manage, especially since you’re getting so old.” I was deliberately lying through my teeth. The older man wasn’t old at all; in fact, he was incredibly attractive. His brows relaxed, and the corners of his mouth curled up into a faint smirk. “And that’s all thanks to how ‘obedient’ and ‘well-behaved’ you were. You cured me of ever wanting to be a homeroom teacher again.” Perfect. It was finally time for me to repay his teaching grace. I was going to return every scolding and detention I had ever endured right back to him. 02 “Since we’ve caught up on the past, let’s talk about some sensitive topics.” I flipped my hair, resting my chin on one hand, and shot Carter a sly smile. “Mr. Harrison, I hear your family is pushing you pretty hard. Why don’t we just make do with each other? At least we know each other’s backgrounds.” Carter’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He cleared his throat softly. “You’re a wonderful girl, Chloe, but I’m approaching thirty. I’m afraid I’d be wasting your prime years.” Look at that. Even his rejections were elegantly phrased. “Oh, I don’t mind. I like guys who will kick the bucket before I do and leave me a good pension,” I blurted out. After a moment of awkward silence, Carter spoke slowly: “We used to have a teacher-student relationship. You know the saying: Don’t fish off the company pier.” I looked into his deep, handsome eyes and let out a light laugh. “What a coincidence. I’m a very lazy fisherman~” My words actually made Carter stifle a laugh. He rubbed his temples and sighed with a hint of helplessness. “It seems your rebellious phase is unusually long.” “It’s alright. It’s nothing compared to how long you’ve been single,” I fired back. “I haven’t seen you in a few years, but your debate skills have certainly improved.” “I’m flattered. It’s all thanks to Mr. Harrison’s excellent teaching.” … Great. Even though I got the upper hand in the banter, I had completely killed the conversation. That is, until a booming voice shattered the awkwardness. “Carter! What are you doing here?” I looked up. Well, well. If it wasn’t Coach Davis, my high school PE teacher. “Who’s this?” Coach Davis asked Carter with a gossipy grin. Suddenly, he stared at my face for a few seconds, his eyes darting back and forth. “Why does this girl look so familiar?” Carter spoke calmly. “Chloe.” Coach Davis had a sudden epiphany. “Oh! The girl whose high school romance gave you so much insomnia!” Me: … “Wow, you look so different! I almost didn’t recognize you. So, did things ever work out with that boy you were dating?” Me: Thanks. Thanks a lot. Way to bring up the one thing no one wanted to talk about. How completely inappropriate. I let out an awkward laugh. “I don’t know, Coach. Have you cured that mysterious illness that made you constantly cancel our PE classes?” “Ha! I ended up marrying your Spanish teacher, so I just gave all my class periods to her,” Coach Davis said cheerfully, completely oblivious. He looked between us. “What are you two doing here anyway?” … Carter and I looked at each other. “Why don’t we call it a day?” he suggested first. “Sure. Want to exchange numbers, Mr. Harrison? Please seriously consider my proposal,” I asked. He pulled up his QR code, and I successfully added him. I drove off in my pink Volkswagen Beetle, and he drove off in his black Honda Accord, heading our separate ways. 03 As soon as I got home, my mom turned into a relentless gossip reporter, following me around the house. “Quick, tell your mother! How is he?” “He’s fine.” My mom pressed further. “Your Aunt Mary said he’s a high school teacher. What school? You wouldn’t even have to worry about your future kids’ education!” I gave a dry laugh. “He teaches at my old high school.” My mom instantly became even more thrilled. “Oh my goodness! Isn’t that fate?! You already know everything about him. You even have a foundation of feelings!” A foundation of feelings? Oh yes, the foundation was very deep. During the second semester of my senior year, our homeroom teacher went on maternity leave, and Carter became our temporary homeroom teacher. Back then, the school divided students into AP/Honors classes and standard classes. Our class was the most chaotic standard class in the school. It was composed of art kids, jocks, and chronic slackers. We were the Avengers of Disappointment. And I was what the teachers referred to as “a special case,” “a constant headache,” and “a lost cause.” Back then, Mr. Harrison had worried his heart out over our class. He talked until his voice went hoarse and almost ruined his health trying to keep us in line. “Chloe, do you have a dream?” “My dream is to become the principal of this school so I can give Mr. Harrison a raise.” … “Chloe, when are you going to finish memorizing The Great Gatsby?” “Next year…” … “Question: What literary era did Edgar Allan Poe belong to? Chloe, what did you write?” “I wrote… the Emo Era…” … I was the quintessential rebellious teenager, and Carter was the quintessential strict, father-figure teacher. And he was determined to fix me. Because I was always talking to my desk mate during class, he changed my seat no less than ten times. I had occupied every single quadrant of that classroom. Finally, I told him, “Mr. Harrison, you can stop trying. I can talk to literally anyone you sit me next to.” In the end, he created a special VIP seat for me right next to his podium. And it was right under his nose that he discovered my love letter. He had heard that teenage couples liked to sneak off and make out under the stadium bleachers after late-night study sessions. So, he started staking out the bleachers every single night to catch me. Then he rewarded me with a familiar day-trip to the faculty office. He earnestly lectured me about how high school romance was a tree that bloomed but bore no fruit. I wouldn’t listen. He lectured me again: “Don’t date in high school, the quality is terrible. Wait until college to find someone to grow old with.” I talked back. “Did you find someone to grow old with in college, Mr. Harrison?” He sighed. “Chloe, you can’t even pick the right answer out of four options on a test. Do you really think you can find the right guy out of 330 million people?” I looked at him with absolute confidence. “He is the right one.” Carter looked exasperated. “Then tell me, what exactly do you like about him?” I said, “He’s gentle, handsome, and refined.” Carter looked at me in pure disbelief. “Love really is blind. Where exactly is Hunter Crawford, that meathead jock, gentle or refined?” Hunter Crawford was a track-and-field recruit in our class. All brawn, no brains. We had been classmates since middle school. The day he found out I secretly liked him, he excitedly ran ten miles. “Chloe… I actually… I really like you too.” Seeing that he couldn’t convince me, Carter tried to talk to Hunter instead. “Dating too early leads nowhere. You’re just training someone else’s future wife.” “Someone else’s wife? Mr. Harrison, when you put it like that, it actually sounds kind of thrilling…” 04 The past was too embarrassing to look back on. After washing up, I found a comfortable spot on my bed and opened Carter’s profile. He still had the same generic landscape profile picture. When I clicked on his page, it was completely blank. In this day and age, there were still people who didn’t post anything on social media? Those people were the scariest. It was the classic: I don’t want to miss your life, but don’t even think about knowing anything about mine. I sent a text: “Mr. Harrison, what are you doing?” I waited a long time. No reply… I opened my phone and queued up a game of Valorant. And the result… You have been slain. Defeat. A five-game losing streak… I was furious. Some people drive at night to clear their heads, some look at the ocean, and some are in their twenties getting called “absolute trash” by twelve-year-olds online. I was already absolute trash at the game, why couldn’t I be his type? I remembered playing games secretly in class and getting caught by Carter. He had placed my phone on the projector desk and made the entire class watch. Watch how I died over and over, got flamed by my teammates, and eventually got reported for throwing. I had played the game for four years and was still hardstuck in Bronze. The angrier I got, the more I thought about it. Carter still hadn’t replied. I opened my messages and texted him again: “Mr. Harrison, is it a felony to reply to a text where you’re from?” “If you aren’t going to reply, you might as well trade your phone in for a toaster.” Still nothing… “Mr. Harrison, did the principal confiscate your phone?” Back in the day, Carter would use any trick in the book to confiscate our phones. He once told us our English pronunciation was terrible, so he asked us all to say “Hey Siri” to test our accents. After we said it, half the phones hidden in desks across the classroom lit up and chimed, “I’m listening.” Just think about how devious that man was. … My phone buzzed with a notification: “Apologies. I had something to take care of and wasn’t looking at my phone.” 05 Immediately after, I got a text from my high school classmate, Sarah Jenkins. “Chloe, make sure you come tomorrow!” I almost forgot. Tomorrow was her wedding, and she was marrying Kevin, our class valedictorian. “By the way, the wedding officiant is our old homeroom teacher, Mr. Harrison.” Me: … These two sneaks. Not only did they secretly date in high school, but they even invited the teacher who tried to stop them to officiate their wedding. I really wanted to give her a slow clap. Just then, my mom slammed my bedroom door open, looking uncontrollably excited. “Chloe! Your Aunt Mary just called. The guy from today had a really good impression of you!” A good impression? Who was the one who said he was afraid of wasting my prime years? My mom clearly didn’t understand an English teacher’s polite rejections. “Your aunt said his parents were academics, and the guy is already a distinguished teacher at such a young age. That’s a proper intellectual family, perfectly matched with ours, haha…” I rubbed my forehead, looking at my mother who was desperate to marry me off immediately. “A distinguished teacher from a family of academics, and a nouveau riche slacker from a bottom-tier college. Mom, where exactly do you see a perfect match?” It was true. My family was the textbook definition of newly wealthy. We didn’t have much culture, but we owned a lot of real estate. “Wh-what bottom-tier college slacker? You’re a wealthy heiress who studied abroad!” Yep, my mom knew exactly how to rebrand me. She kept rambling. “Your aunt said he was raised by his aunt since he was little. His aunt’s health isn’t great right now, so she’s really worrying about him settling down.” “I think this Mr. Harrison is a great catch. You better put in some effort and make me proud!” Heh… I wanted to make her proud, too. But I genuinely knew nothing about Carter’s family background before this. After finally shooing my mom out, I pulled up my phone and texted Carter: “Mr. Harrison, I heard you had a good impression of me?” It took a while before I got a reply: “I have always had a good impression of you, Chloe.” I rolled my eyes. English teachers really knew how to use sarcasm perfectly. “Mr. Harrison, my car is in the shop tomorrow. I heard you’re also going to Sarah’s wedding. Can I hitch a ride with you?” My car being broken was a lie; wanting him to pick me up was the truth. I dropped him my address. He replied: “Alright.” Ahhhh… I hugged my blanket and rolled around happily. 06 The next day, I slept in until the sun was high. Carter arrived downstairs right on time. He was wearing a gray trench coat, the hem fluttering slightly in the wind. He leaned against his car with his sharp eyebrows, striking eyes, and a faint smile on his lips. He was already a gentle, elegant man, but the coat made him look even more sophisticated. Seeing me walk out, he waved, the curve of his smile deepening. I had to admit, the scene was incredibly striking… I was such a sucker for a handsome face. He hit every single one of my weak spots… I slid into the passenger seat of his black Honda Accord. The interior was completely black. It felt exactly like riding in my dad’s car… “Um… Mr. Harrison, don’t you think this car doesn’t really fit your vibe?” I couldn’t help but ask. “Then what would fit? A pink Volkswagen Beetle?” he chuckled. “Uh… a GTR?” A flashy sports car paired with his restrained, handsome face. Just thinking about it was amazing. “Chloe, a public school teacher must, above all, keep a low profile.” Carter reminded me. Heh… This was way too low profile. I felt like I was sitting in an Uber. The wedding venue was lively, basically a massive high school reunion. “Chloe, over here!” “Wow, why did Mr. Harrison come with you?” A few classmates waved us over. “I bumped into him on the way and hitched a ride,” I explained with a smile. “Mr. Harrison, please, take a seat!” A few classmates ushered him over. “Come on, Chloe, sit next to your rumored boyfriend.” A classmate teased, making room for me. Sitting in that spot was Hunter Crawford. I hadn’t seen him in years, but he was still the same muscular, sunny jock. “Stop spreading rumors…” He threatened the guy next to him. I didn’t refuse and sat down in the empty seat. “Well, you and Chloe are both single. You might as well just get together.” “Dating now doesn’t count as a high school romance anymore, so Mr. Harrison can’t stop you. If you guys actually tie the knot, you should have Mr. Harrison officiate yours too.” “Isn’t that right, Mr. Harrison?” Our old classmates chimed in one after another, teasing us. 07 Carter gave a soft smile but didn’t respond. The MC invited the officiant to speak, so he stood up and walked toward the stage. I watched him on stage—tall, long-legged, with a breezy smile. He calmly took the microphone and began to speak. “Hello everyone, I am the bride and groom’s high school homeroom teacher. As you all know, dating was strictly forbidden in high school. So standing up here today, I feel a bit terrified. I feel like I completely failed at my job.” The crowd erupted in laughter and applause. “As their teacher, I witnessed their youth, I witnessed their beautiful teenage years, and I witnessed the joy of them getting into college. “To be honest, when they first got together, I rejected it. Just as they mentioned, they started their long-distance relationship right under my nose. They were one of the many couples I tried to tear apart. But they used their happiness to slap me in the face. And I hope to receive many more slaps of happiness like this in the future.” Carter’s humorous speech drew another round of applause, and I couldn’t help but laugh along. But Hunter, sitting right next to me, suddenly spoke up: “Chloe, I have a crazy theory…” I looked at him, confused. “?” Hunter leaned in close, hesitating before whispering nervously: “The guy you liked in high school… it couldn’t have been…” He gestured toward Carter on the stage with his eyes. My heart suddenly tightened. I panicked and blurted out: “That is a crazy theory…” Back then, everyone thought I had a crush on Hunter. It was a rainy afternoon during Carter’s literature class. I wrote a note on a piece of paper: “It’s raining outside. You’re not looking at me, and I’m not looking at the rain. —CH” A gust of wind blew the paper directly to the feet of Hunter, who was sitting behind me. He picked it up, read it, and his face turned bright red. “Chloe… you actually have a crush on me?” His voice was a bit too loud and caught Carter’s attention. From that day on, Carter targeted both of us… Everyone assumed “CH” meant Crawford, Hunter. But it didn’t. Actually, the first time I met him, I was sixteen. He just didn’t remember. From the very beginning, I knew my crush was a silent play. Speaking it out loud would only turn it into a tragedy. So, the fact that I liked him was a secret I never dared to confess. Dreaming about my own teacher felt like I didn’t respect myself, and it felt like an insult to him. So I had to do rebellious things just to get his attention, wondering if he would remember me better that way. Thinking back on it now, it was so childish. Until graduation day. Crying, I handed Carter a bouquet of white hyacinths and stuttered, “Mr. Harrison, actually… I… I don’t hate you at all…” After that, my family arranged for me to study abroad. Years had passed. I never expected our paths to cross again.

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On the twentieth day of the silent treatment between me and Carter Vance, he posted a picture holding hands with the high school prom queen on his Instagram. I quietly logged into my college application portal and changed my top choice to Seattle, thousands of miles away. At a party, his friend teased him: “Mia, if you don’t go apologize to him, Carter might actually end up with someone else.” I whispered, “I’m sorry.” Carter smirked. “Whatever. Go back and pack your bags. We’ll head to campus together tomorrow for move-in day.” I gave a vague response. Carter didn’t know that I had already bought a plane ticket to Seattle for tonight. 01 I am the daughter of the Vance family’s housekeeper. At the age of seven, I moved into a small room on the ground floor of their mansion. My job was to take care of his daily needs. For ten full years, serving him became a task etched into my bones. I was docile and obedient, and Carter’s mother often praised me. Carter, however, despised me. The first time we met, he was standing on the staircase wearing a white button-down shirt and dress shorts, looking as perfectly put together as a porcelain doll. I was wearing a faded, torn, oversized t-shirt, staring blankly at everything around me. His eyes could not hide his disgust. Mrs. Vance introduced me to him. She said I was Mary’s daughter, Mia. My father had run off, we had nowhere to go, so we came to rely on her. He didn’t say a word, just turned and went upstairs. Mrs. Vance told me that from then on, my job was to take care of Carter. My mom also told me that the Vance family was very powerful and that it wasn’t easy for us to be allowed to stay. She told me to keep my head down, work hard, and never do anything to anger Carter. I knew Carter didn’t like me, so to be able to keep living there, I tried to make myself as invisible as possible. Every day, I quietly helped him organize his clothes and tidy his room. For the first three months I was there, Carter didn’t speak a single word to me. That year, he got sick. Mrs. Vance was going through a difficult time and was traveling abroad. The family doctor came and prescribed medication, but by nightfall, his cough hadn’t improved. I remembered a home remedy my grandmother used to make: poached pears with peppercorns. When I made it and brought it to him, Carter looked at it with utter disgust. “Mia, are you trying to poison me with some weird country remedy?” I replied timidly, “It’s not poison. The pear is good for you; it stops the coughing.” Carter looked annoyed: “If it doesn’t work, will you get the hell out of my house?” I froze, standing to the side, not daring to breathe. Carter let out a scoffing sound and drank it. The next morning, his cough was much better. 02 Before elementary school started, my mom found a boarding school for me. It was a bit far, so I’d only be able to come home on weekends. I felt a wave of relief. Leaving the house meant my mom wouldn’t be put in awkward situations with the Vance family, and I wouldn’t have to deal with Carter’s moods anymore. While I was packing my things and waiting for the bus, my mom ran over, out of breath, to tell me the news. Mrs. Vance had arranged for me to attend the same elementary school as Carter. She wanted me to take care of him at school. I whispered, “Can I not go?” My mom grabbed my shoulders. “Mia, don’t be stupid. Carter’s school is prestigious. So many people want to get in but can’t.” I lowered my eyes and said nothing. 03 From then on, I became Carter’s sidekick. I followed him from elementary school to middle school. Getting his lunch, carrying his backpack, doing his homework. Everyone knew I was the tail he couldn’t shake. In middle school, he made a bunch of friends. I was the tail lagging far behind the group. Constantly monitoring Carter’s mood and his needs. His friends all said I was his devoted admirer. If Carter told me to go north, I absolutely wouldn’t dare go south. The only thing that never changed was Carter’s disdain for me. In eighth grade, Carter went out and got a jacket he really liked dirty. He pulled me out of bed in the middle of the night to hand-wash it. I was only wearing a thin spaghetti-strap nightgown, my face burning red with embarrassment. Carter mockingly remarked, looking away, “With a body that flat, who’d even want to look.” A seed of youthful insecurity quietly took root. In my sophomore year of high school, the academic pressure intensified, and I studied day and night. Carter suddenly decided he wanted to eat my cooking. He made me cook dinner every night and bring it to school for his lunch the next day. By the time I finished studying and cooking his food, it was past midnight, and I still had to wake up early to wait for him to go to school. At lunchtime, I heated the food and brought it to Carter. His friend put an arm around him and said, “Not bad, Carter, having your little wife cook for you.” Carter’s expression instantly turned cold. With a look of disgust, he tossed the food I had heated up to his desk mate to eat. I didn’t say a word, just waited silently for the guy to finish, washed the container, and went back to studying. That year, I finally seemed to start developing. I especially hated running during P.E. class. But I couldn’t get excused. I wasn’t Carter. During P.E., he was almost always playing basketball on the other court, and the teachers never said anything to him. When it was my turn to run, some guys would always whistle at me. I unconsciously slowed my pace. Noah Sterling from the class next door happened to walk by and handed me his school jacket. This caused a wave of whispers. I had seen him at the back-to-school assembly. I heard his family’s business was very well-known. He was polite and gentle, and both his looks and grades were top-tier. “Put this on. You still have half a mile to run.” I hesitated, but took it. Later, someone in my class spread a rumor that I was shameless, deliberately trying to seduce Noah by wearing his jacket. From the back row, Carter kicked over a desk with a loud crash. Everyone immediately shut up. That evening, Carter didn’t wait for me to go home. He said since I was so capable, I should have Noah walk me home. I sighed, took out some change, and went to take the bus. To my surprise, Noah was there too. He was quietly listening to vocabulary words and waved at me. I sat down next to him, and he took off his headphones. I knew the jacket incident had caused trouble for him too, and I softly apologized. Noah smiled indifferently. “Mia, just ignore the rumors. Focus on your studies. “We only have two and a half years until college. Have you thought about where you want to go?” Noah had a very gentle, handsome look, completely different from Carter’s sharp, aggressive features. I was momentarily stunned. Where did I want to go to college? I had never really thought about it. I only ever thought about how to get my grades higher, and then higher still. I didn’t have money for tutoring. My mom managed to borrow Carter’s notes for me. I had to admit Carter was smarter than me; he often understood concepts after reading them just once. I needed to repeatedly practice and review to consolidate my understanding. Having his notes was incredibly helpful. My mom said that when the time came, I should apply to the same schools as Carter. His family had money and resources; the school they chose would definitely be a good one. I didn’t know which university Carter would apply to. Noah smiled gently: “Think carefully about the school you truly want to go to.” When I got home, my mom said Carter wasn’t coming home for dinner. She asked me where he went. I shook my head and said I didn’t know. When Carter finally came back, it was past midnight. He looked exhausted, with some blood on his hands. He walked in, gave me a cold glance, and went upstairs. I softly asked if he needed me to bandage him up. Carter didn’t say a word and went upstairs. I continued researching different universities online. It was the first time. I clearly felt that I could leave Carter and have a place I truly wanted to go. Later, I anxiously asked my mom if she had ever thought about leaving the Vance family. After all, we couldn’t live there forever. My mom also seemed a bit lost. She said that ever since she divorced my dad, she had been working for the Vance family. Even though Carter’s temper could be erratic, Mrs. Vance was relatively easy to get along with. Over the years, I had never seen Carter’s dad at the mansion. I only knew from fragments of conversation. Carter’s family’s company was massive, and his dad was very busy. His parents had a bad relationship; their marriage was a business arrangement. After he was born, his dad got another girlfriend. Mrs. Vance took care of Carter. Besides working, she often traveled, leaving my mom to look after the house. My mom said she originally planned to work there until I graduated college, then take her savings and start a small business. I quietly asked if she had considered leaving when I graduated high school. My mom silently stroked my head and didn’t say a word. 04 Ever since the jacket incident, Carter found new ways to mess with me every night. Whether it was getting him water or organizing his desk. Or changing his bedsheets and washing his new clothes. I was just thankful that I was no longer sleeping in the same room as my mom, so she wouldn’t worry. If Carter didn’t sleep, I couldn’t sleep either. I had to constantly hover around him, doing chores. A few times, exhaustion took over, and I just fell asleep. I would always wake up on the sofa in Carter’s room. By the time I woke up, Carter would already be gone. I took the bus back and forth by myself. It took longer, but I felt much more relaxed. I thought, if I completely offended Carter, maybe he would just ignore me forever. But thinking about it, that was obviously impossible right now. I could only use doing practice tests as an excuse to stop spending time trying to please him. A week later, Carter had a basketball game. Usually, for his games, I would buy drinks and prepare a change of clothes for him. This time, I didn’t go; I stayed in the classroom memorizing vocabulary. My mom called, saying Carter had been in a bad mood lately. Mrs. Vance asked me to take good care of him. She had ordered boba to be delivered to the basketball court and asked me to go pick it up. I took the boba and sat on the sidelines. A few students were laughing and chatting. “I told you so, she couldn’t hold back. When Carter ignores her, she gets terrified.” “A simp has to know her place. She pretended for a few days, but couldn’t help herself.” I didn’t say anything. On the court, Carter went up for a jump shot, drawing a wave of cheers. He gave me a long, deep look, gesturing for me to hand out the boba. I handed them out to the others first. I brought the last cup to Carter. He stood with his hands behind his back, looking at me with a nasty glint in his eye. I stood in the sunlight, holding the boba out to him, facing everyone’s mockery. I whispered, “Carter, your boba.” Carter didn’t look at me, his voice casual: “Bring it to my mouth. I twisted my wrist; it hurts.” I put the straw in and held it up to him. Carter leaned down and took two sips. His friends whistled at him, and he smiled indifferently. I really didn’t understand why he was acting like this. Until I turned around and saw Noah Sterling sitting on the bleachers across from us. Was he trying to compete with Noah? Both had good family backgrounds. Both were exceptionally good-looking and smart. It was inevitable they’d be compared. I didn’t expect Carter, who usually never paid attention to anyone, to start noticing Noah. I didn’t think too much of it. Following Carter’s orders, I held the boba up to his lips. At least if Carter was in a good mood, he wouldn’t make things difficult for me, and I could get a good night’s sleep. 05 Two months before graduation, for Carter’s eighteenth birthday, he invited his friends out for karaoke. It was loud and lively, everyone was having a great time. Halfway through, Carter took a phone call, completely lost his temper, and smashed a bunch of bottles, scaring everyone into silence. His friend noticed something was wrong and tried to comfort him, but Carter yelled at him, so he quickly ushered everyone else out. I sat there, anxious, silently hoping to blend in and sneak out, terrified of getting yelled at too. Just as I reached the door. Carter spoke coldly. “Mia, get your ass over here.” Startled, I walked over to him. He scoffed, “What are you afraid of? Do I bite?” I quickly shook my head. “Where’s my gift? You came to my birthday empty-handed?” “I, I bought one. When I got here and saw everyone else’s gifts were so expensive, I didn’t bring it out.” I pulled out a fountain pen I had bought on a whim on the way there. It cost $15. It couldn’t compare to the designer brands the other students gave him. Carter snorted coldly. “Wow. Two years ago, you gave me socks. “Last year, you gave me shoes. I thought this year you were going to give me underwear, but this is it?” My face turned red at his words. I had actually planned out his gifts: socks two years ago, gloves last year. Because I got mocked for the socks, I saved up to buy shoes last year. This year, I had to save for college tuition. I didn’t have any extra money, so I just bought a random fountain pen. The shop owner had even decorated it with a pink ribbon flower. I apologized softly. “I’m sorry for making you unhappy.” “This isn’t the only thing you do that makes me unhappy.” Carter mocked with surprising calmness. Then he crooked his finger. “Come here.” I slowly took a step closer. Carter reached out, forcefully wrapped his arm around my waist, and pulled his head against me. His breath was scorching hot. I tried to push him away, but he exerted a little more force. I fell onto his lap. Carter was very strong. He buried his face in my neck, his lips leaving a trail of warmth. Shocked, I stammered, “C-Carter…” He seemed to freeze for a moment in his haze, then bit down on my neck. A sharp pain shot through my whole body. Held so tightly I couldn’t struggle, I finally gave up and endured the pain. After a long while, he returned to his usual self and spoke casually. “Mia, if you dare tell anyone, you’re dead.” Angry and flustered, I touched the bite mark on my neck. Carter’s expression revealed nothing unusual. Before we went back, he told me he was going to apply to Boston University. The bite mark forced me to wear a scarf to school, almost getting caught by my mom. She had recently found out from Mrs. Vance about the school Carter was applying to and told me to follow him. She would also occasionally ask Carter about the majors at Boston University. Carter would patiently analyze them for her. The way he acted in front of adults versus in front of me was completely different. He probably just saw me as an easy target. Mrs. Vance also said it would be good for us to apply to the same school, so we could look out for each other. His family had a mansion near the campus there. She even mentioned that Carter had overseen some renovations remotely two years ago. She said I could live there too when the time came. I just nodded obediently every time. As for where I actually went, it wouldn’t matter to Carter. There was no need to reveal my true plans. Time passed quickly amidst intense studying. Fortunately, Carter’s mood was relatively stable that year. He didn’t constantly look for reasons to make trouble for me. I had more time to study. But the tension only truly dissipated after the exams were over.

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For him, I rejected an arranged marriage with my childhood best friend. But he just said: “You think I’m an animal? Why would I like you?” “I’m your uncle.” I asked him, “But we aren’t even related by blood.” He let out a cold scoff, cutting me off. “Do you really need me to say it bluntly? I don’t like you.” Later, I died in a car crash on the very day he got engaged to someone else. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day my childhood friend proposed the arranged marriage. In front of everyone, I nodded and agreed. But the man who was usually so careless and indifferent suddenly lost his mind. 01 “Marriage is a huge milestone. It just so happens that Chloe’s uncle, Logan, has returned from abroad and will be here shortly. We should hear his thoughts too.” At those words, my head snapped up and I looked at my grandmother. Logan Sterling came back early? I remembered my past life incredibly clearly. My grandmother had only called Logan to ask for his opinion. And that man had rejected it with his usual, chillingly indifferent tone. “The New York branch is too busy, I can’t make it back.” “Whoever she marries has nothing to do with me.” But this time… why was it different? The next second, the sound of the private dining room door opening pulled me out of my thoughts. I looked up, making eye contact across the room with the travel-worn man standing in the doorway. 02 “Logan, what are your thoughts on Chloe marrying into the Miller family?” Perhaps because I couldn’t bear to hear Logan’s piercing sarcasm again, I immediately cut my grandmother off. “Grandma, I’m an adult now. I can make these kinds of decisions for myself.” The man across the table let out a soft laugh, his long fingers casually tapping against the tabletop. “Then let’s hear what she has to say.” Under the watchful eyes of everyone in the room, I took a deep breath. My tone was absolute. “I am willing to marry Ethan.” Ethan Miller was the childhood best friend I grew up with. The moment the words left my mouth, the tapping of fingers against the table abruptly stopped. Logan stared at me, unblinking. My grandmother spoke up right on cue: “Well, since you also like your dear Ethan, I won’t stand in the way.” I ignored Logan’s intense gaze and nodded politely to my grandmother and the other elders. “Ethan just texted me that he’s waiting outside. I’ll take my leave first.” “Stop.” Logan, who had been dead silent, suddenly spoke. Ignoring the strange looks from everyone else, he walked straight up to me. He looked down into my eyes. “Do you even like him? And you’re just going to marry him?” My voice was flat. “Whether I like him right now isn’t important.” “Uncle Logan, even if I don’t have romantic feelings for him right now, we have a lifetime to build them. After all, we’ll be husband and wife soon.” Logan narrowed his eyes, his tone dangerously low. “What did you just call me?” Back when I was in love with Logan, I had always called him by his full name. This was the first time I had ever called him ‘Uncle Logan.’ He let out a sharp, angry laugh. Completely ignoring the elders in the room, he grabbed my arm and dragged me out. “Let go of me!” I was dragged all the way to the parking garage. Logan sneered, his grip iron-tight. “Let you go so you can run to your little fiancé?” I found his reaction completely bizarre. “Even if I did, that’s none of your business, Uncle Logan.” I deliberately put heavy emphasis on the last two words. Hearing that, Logan actually stopped in his tracks. His jaw clenched tight. He lit a cigarette, seemingly trying to calm himself down. “Either you get in the car with me right now so we can talk.” “Or I go straight to your precious Ethan and talk to him.” I didn’t know if it was just my imagination, but it felt like Logan’s temper was significantly worse in this lifetime. Eventually, I got into his car. 03 “You are not marrying Ethan.” Logan stared straight ahead at the steering wheel, his tone leaving absolutely zero room for argument. I gave a dry laugh and was just about to argue back… When someone knocked on the driver’s side window. This was a public parking garage underneath a massive shopping mall. “Logan? Are you here shopping too?” The exquisitely dressed woman standing outside was Logan’s fiancée from my past life—Victoria. But at this point in the timeline, she hadn’t officially met me yet. Her gaze shifted past Logan, looking at me with hesitation. “And who is this…?” I met her gaze openly and gave a polite smile. “He’s my uncle.” “Miss, did you want to speak with my uncle privately? I can leave.” As I spoke, I reached to unbuckle my seatbelt. Victoria’s cheeks flushed a delicate pink. “Thank you so much.” Logan’s abnormal behavior earlier had me slightly dazed, but Victoria’s appearance instantly snapped me back to reality. This was Logan’s destined leading lady. “Who said you could leave?” With a smirk that didn’t reach his eyes, Logan grabbed my wrist, stopping my movement. I reflexively looked up at him. Suddenly, my entire world flipped upside down. Logan had effortlessly pulled me across the center console and directly onto his lap. He lifted a hand to trace the side of my face, his warm palm sliding down to cup my chin. His smile was lazy and dangerous. “What is this? Are we roleplaying ‘uncle and niece’ now?” The man leaned down, his breath ghosting over my jawline. His deep voice was thick with heavy, undeniable intimacy. “Little niece, I didn’t know you had this kind of kink.” I completely froze. My mind went blank, leaving me utterly speechless as I let Logan spin this insane lie. Only then did he casually glance out the window at the petrified Victoria. “Did you need something, Miss Victoria?” “Does it have to be right now? As you can see, I’m a bit tied up.” Saying that, he kept me firmly on his lap and reached down to recline the driver’s seat. The implication couldn’t have been more blatant. Victoria’s face drained of color, and she took two steps back. “Logan… how could you be holding another woman… you know I love you…” Logan turned his head and scoffed. He seemed to find her words utterly ridiculous. “Listen to me, Victoria. You liking me has absolutely nothing to do with me.” “Stop buzzing around me like an annoying fly. Please.” He put heavy emphasis on the “please,” putting his intense disgust for her on full, public display. I finally snapped out of my daze. This was very wrong. Even if Logan absolutely loathed a woman, he would never intentionally humiliate her so brutally in public. Especially not the woman who had been his fiancée in his past life. While I was trying to process this, Victoria had already turned and run away in tears. “Uncle Logan, can you let me go now?” I just assumed he was using me as a human shield. Logan’s phone suddenly started ringing. He didn’t let go of me. In fact, his arm tightened around my waist as he used his free hand to answer the call. My grandmother’s voice came through the speaker: “Logan? What’s going on with you and Chloe? Where did you take her?” Logan didn’t rush to answer. Instead, he glanced down at me, slowly raising one eyebrow. “What did you just say? You want to get off my lap?” I instantly held my breath and frantically shook my head at him. Don’t you dare say that to her. My grandmother didn’t hear him clearly. “What did you say?” Logan stayed silent, just watching me with a highly amused, predatory look. I squeezed my eyes shut, gritted my teeth, and leaned my upper body fully against his chest, burying my face in the crook of his neck. Logan instantly wrapped both arms around me. “Nothing, Mom.” “Chloe and I just had some private matters to resolve.” My grandmother didn’t pry any further. She gave a few passing instructions and hung up the phone. The air inside the car instantly went dead silent. Logan clamped a hand down, stopping me from pulling away. He leaned close to my ear. “This is the reason you cannot marry Ethan.” I tilted my head up slightly, looking straight into his eyes. “But you told me yourself… you don’t like me.” Logan turned his head, clicking his tongue lightly. “I never said such absolute garbage.” He absolutely did. I refused to believe him. Struggling awkwardly, I climbed off his lap and back into the passenger seat, reaching for the door handle. But the next second, the engine roared to life, and he locked the doors. 04 I rested my elbow on the window frame, bored out of my mind, counting the cars zooming past us on the highway. I was deep in thought, trying to analyze Logan’s incredibly bizarre behavior. Suddenly, the car slammed on the brakes. The momentum threw me forward against my seatbelt. A sleek black Porsche Cayenne had cut us off, blocking our path. Ethan stepped out of the car. His face was completely ice-cold. “Chloe, get out. I’m taking you home.” I reflexively glanced at Logan. His thumb was casually tapping the steering wheel as he stared at the young man outside with deep amusement. “Did you call him?” “No…” Out of nowhere, an intense, suffocating aura filled the car. Logan lit a cigarette, holding it between his teeth, and let out a dark chuckle. “Well, your little fiancé tracked us down. I can’t just pretend he isn’t there.” Saying that, he kicked his door open and stepped out, making sure to lock my door from the outside. In the freezing evening wind, the two men stood facing each other. “Please let Chloe out of the car.” “I’m not letting her out. What are you going to do about it?” Ethan didn’t waste time arguing. He walked straight toward my passenger door. But the second he got close, Logan grabbed him by the arm. Ethan was slightly shorter and less built than Logan. He was instantly overpowered. Logan shoved him backward, slamming him hard against the hood of the Porsche. His hand clamped viciously around Ethan’s throat. “What do you want to do to Chloe?” Ethan choked out, struggling to breathe. Taking his time, Logan used his free hand to flick the ash off his cigarette, then casually crushed the butt out against the hood of Ethan’s expensive car. “Maybe I wasn’t clear enough before. Stay the hell away from her.” “This is your final warning. She is mine.” “She belongs to herself!” Ethan spat out, syllable by syllable. Logan let out a low laugh, his fingers tightening their crushing grip on Ethan’s throat. I finally found the spare key fob tucked in the center console. I unlocked the door and frantically scrambled out. “Uncle Logan, let him go!” I shouted, trying to pry his iron-like fingers off Ethan’s neck. But the man wouldn’t budge an inch. Ethan was starting to lose consciousness. In a panic, I did the only thing I could think of—I bit down hard on Logan’s wrist. He finally let go. I quickly helped Ethan stand up. “Does your heart really ache for him that much?” Logan’s voice came from behind me, completely stripped of any emotion. “I’m bleeding too. Can’t you see that? Hmm?” I froze. Just as I turned my head, he violently scooped me up into his arms. He threw me into the back seat of his car. He climbed into the driver’s seat immediately. Just as he was about to hit the gas, I started struggling wildly. “What are you doing, Logan?! Can’t you see Ethan is already—” The engine revved with a deep, furious roar. Logan held the steering wheel with one hand, letting out a lazy, chilling laugh. “Do you want to bet? Mention his name one more time, and I will drive this car straight over him.” Through the rearview mirror, my eyes met Logan’s. In the shadows of the back seat, my hands gripped the leather upholstery tight. “Logan, murder is a felony.” “Are you completely legally illiterate?” Logan leaned back casually against the headrest, his eyes brimming with dark amusement. “You make a fair point. So I’ll just drive over his legs instead. How does that sound?” “The Miller family has more than one son. Not to mention, Ethan’s father is currently begging my company for a massive joint venture.” “Tell me, does the Miller family want a project that will solidify their entire corporate empire… or do they want their son to keep his legs?” He laid out the ruthless reality right in front of me, forcing me to make a choice. I couldn’t abandon Ethan. In my past life, when everyone called me a shameless disgrace for falling in love with my adoptive uncle, Ethan was the only one who defended me, time and time again. “Uncle Logan. I’m sorry.” In this completely rigged game, I had no choice but to surrender. Logan didn’t move. The front of his car was still aimed dead center at Ethan. “Mhm. So how are you going to behave from now on?” I lowered my eyes, my voice barely a whisper. “I won’t contact him anymore.” Logan’s tone softened slightly. “Get in the front seat.” I obediently did as I was told. The man leaned over me, pulling the seatbelt across my chest and clicking it into place. The pad of his thumb gently rubbed my earlobe. “Such a good girl.” Only then did Logan put the car in drive and pull away. I gripped my seatbelt tightly, staring straight ahead. Acting as if I couldn’t hear Ethan screaming my name as we drove off into the night. 05 Logan took me back to his sprawling mansion in the suburbs. I stood numbly in the foyer, watching him walk over to his liquor cabinet, pour himself a glass of whiskey, and down it in one gulp. He crunched on an ice cube and looked up at me. “Why the long face?” The sound of him crushing the ice, combined with his slow, predatory steps toward me, made me shudder involuntarily. Logan stopped right in front of me, staring intensely into my eyes. “Because of Ethan?” “What exactly do you want?” My voice betrayed a slight tremor, thick with unshed tears. “Chloe, stop playing dumb with me.” I sniffled. “Logan, if you really like me, why do you have to force me into a corner like this?” Logan didn’t seem to think he was doing anything wrong at all. He gently ruffled my hair. “Because you aren’t being obedient enough.” Every argument I had prepared died in my throat. When my grandmother called Logan’s phone again, I couldn’t help but let out a massive sigh of relief. The only person who could possibly save me had finally called. “Logan, when are you going to come over? We need to finalize the details of Chloe’s wedding.” Logan looked down at me with heavy-lidded eyes, his tone completely nonchalant. “I almost forgot to tell you.” “Tell me what?” “Chloe’s wedding is canceled.” My eyes widened in absolute shock. My grandmother sounded incredibly confused. “What? Why?” I had a terrible feeling. Logan kept his eyes locked on me, but his words were spoken into the phone. He dragged out his words, but his tone was absolute and undeniable. “Because she is going to marry me.” “From now on, I suggest you stay out of my business with her.” With that, he hung up the phone. “Logan, are you completely insane?” I felt like I was at the absolute breaking point. “Why would you say that garbage to Grandma?! Are you trying to kill me?!” Logan tossed his phone onto the coffee table, reached down, and scooped me up into his arms. A second later, he dropped me onto the sofa, pressing his body over mine. He was so close I could feel the heat of his breath. “Weren’t you the one who said it? You love me. You only want to marry me.” I couldn’t break free from his grip, so I turned my head away. “That was in the past.” Logan grabbed my chin, forcing me to look at him. “Then learn to love me again.” “Chloe, as long as you stay obediently by my side, I have all the time in the world to wait.” His gaze dropped down to the side of my neck. He leaned in. The next second, I felt his lips press against my skin. My entire body went rigid. And Logan showed no signs of stopping. “Don’t…” I struggled to find my voice. The man paused. After a long moment, he used his arms to push himself up slightly, hovering just above me. “Uncle Logan, can you please just let this go…” Logan kept smiling, but his eyes were filled with ice. He placed a single fingertip against my lips, tracing them gently. The silent threat was deafening. The rest of the words died in my throat, swallowed down in terror. 06 While Logan was still hovering over me, the heavy front doors were suddenly shoved open. A sliver of bright light flooded the room, making me squint. “What the hell are you doing?!” Victoria stood in the doorway, her eyes wide and bloodshot with rage. Logan’s expression darkened instantly. He stood up. “You tracked me?” “If I didn’t track you, would I have seen this?!” The veins on her forehead bulged visibly. “She seduced you, didn’t she, Logan?” “Tell me that’s what happened. Tell me it’s true!” Victoria’s eyes burned with sheer, unhinged madness. Logan didn’t say a word. He just picked up his phone to call estate security. Taking advantage of the distraction, Victoria suddenly lunged forward. Before I could even process what was happening, she pulled a hidden razor blade from her pocket and slashed it directly at my face. I didn’t have time to dodge. I squeezed my eyes shut, but the searing pain I expected never came. “Logan…” I opened my eyes. Logan’s forearm was thrown up, blocking the blade. Bright red blood poured from the deep gash, dripping one drop at a time onto my jeans, blooming into dark stains. Logan didn’t even flinch. He grabbed Victoria’s arm and violently twisted it backward. The razor blade in her hand was forced upward, pressing directly against her own throat. “Why are you so pathetic, huh?” “A few hours ago, I rejected you to your face, and you still tracked me down like a stalker.” “Is it a crime for me to love you?!” Victoria was forced to step backward under his crushing grip. The razor blade was pressing hard enough to leave a bloody line on her neck. “You’re about to find out exactly how much of a crime it is.” Logan gave a dark, cruel laugh and threw her aside. I could hear the sound of heavy boots running toward us. Security arrived, apologizing profusely as they dragged Victoria away. She looked completely deranged, sobbing hysterically while staring at Logan. “Did she scare you?” Logan dropped his usual careless, arrogant demeanor. He looked incredibly serious. “Did she manage to cut you?” I stared blankly at the man kneeling in front of me, looking so deeply worried. I spoke slowly, my voice dull. “You’re the one who got stabbed.” It was as if he hadn’t even noticed his own wound until I pointed it out. … Half an hour later, the private doctor finished wrapping the wound and left. I opened my mouth, my emotions an absolute tangled mess. “Thank you. Uncle Logan.” The deep gash on his arm didn’t seem to bother him at all. He pulled out a cigarette, held it between his lips, and lit it. His voice carried a slow, mocking smile. “You already hate me enough as it is. If you got scarred because of me, you’d despise me for the rest of your life.” “How could I possibly give you that excuse?” I ignored his twisted, backwards logic. I just stared at the white bandages on his arm, and memories from the past came rushing back. The only reason I had fallen in love with Logan in the first place was because he was so incredibly good to me. When I was in high school, a group of local thugs kept cornering me to deliver love letters. Logan waited outside my school for a week, tracked them down in an alley, and beat them so badly they never looked at me again. In college, when a corrupt professor gave my hard-earned scholarship to a wealthy donor’s kid, Logan didn’t say, “It’s not that much money anyway, I’ll just give you ten times that.” Instead, he personally went to the university board, exposed the corruption, and made sure I got my scholarship back. The atmosphere in the room had finally softened. I was just about to use the moment to beg him to let me go… When I accidentally glanced at his phone sitting on the coffee table. The screen was lighting up with rapid notifications. “Ethan: Chloe, I just got home and fixed my phone. Are you okay?” “Ethan: Logan just announced to the press that you two are getting married. He forced you into this, didn’t he?” Logan had already announced it…? I had assumed he was just saying it to shut my grandmother up. I mechanically turned to look at the man sitting next to me. “Logan, what are you doing?” He didn’t even look up from his phone, answering casually. “Talking to the wedding planners.” “When did I ever agree to marry you?” The white light of his phone screen illuminated his face. He stopped typing. He waited until the screen automatically went black before tossing the phone aside and stepping closer to me. “From the moment you agreed to marry Ethan today, I lost all my patience.” “Stop testing me, Chloe.” “We are the only two people in this entire mansion. You really don’t want me to accelerate this process, do you?” His gentle tone masked the most lethal, terrifying warning. I think… it was exactly in that moment. Every last ounce of affection I had ever felt for him turned to ash.

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On the day we broke up, I deliberately poked right at his deepest wound. “Every time I look at those hands, it makes me sick to my stomach.” Years later, he became my father’s attending physician. Before discussing the medical chart, he looked at me with chilling indifference and asked: “Ms. Davis, my hands won’t cause you any physiological discomfort, will they?” 01 Yesterday, a friend called and told me there might be hope for my dad’s condition. Their hospital had just hired a Dr. Sterling, who recently returned from studying abroad. His exact area of research was my dad’s rare disease. But I never in a million years expected Dr. Sterling to be Liam Sterling. “Dr. Sterling is so handsome! If his hands hadn’t been burned, he’d be absolutely perfect.” “I heard from Dr. Miller that his ex-girlfriend caused it. And the worst part? She dumped him because of the scars.” “Ew, seriously? That’s so disgusting.” Passing by the nurse’s station, I overheard several nurses gossiping while prepping IV bags. My footsteps faltered for a second, but I kept walking down the hall. With every step closer to that office door, my heart beat faster and faster. Thump, thump, thump. When my hand finally rested on the doorknob, I couldn’t stop trembling. But the moment I saw that familiar silhouette, everything went completely quiet. The man in the white coat heard the door open, stopped writing, and looked up. When our eyes met, my heart stopped. My entire body went rigid. Honestly, I had already mentally prepared myself for Liam’s mockery and scorn. Because— I was that disgusting, vile ex-girlfriend. 02 But as long as he could give my dad a fighting chance, I was willing to endure anything. In a fraction of a second, the man withdrew his gaze. “You must be Robert Davis’s family member. Have a seat.” His voice was freezing cold and completely detached. I remembered when I first had a crush on him, he always wore this same unapproachable, distant expression. He tipped his chin toward the chair across from him, and then… He looked back down and continued writing his notes. Was he— Pretending not to recognize me? The thought flashed through my mind, but I instantly dismissed it. How could he pretend to be so calm facing someone he despised? He was a proud, arrogant guy. Back when I was relentlessly pursuing him, if he got annoyed, he would just turn and walk away without sparing me a single word. But thinking about it logically, it made sense. I was wearing a surgical mask and had bangs now. And so many years had passed. —He probably genuinely didn’t recognize me. The heavy stone hanging in my chest finally dropped. Sitting across from him, my eyes involuntarily drifted to those shocking, disfigured hands. The raised, hypertrophic burn scars stood out violently against his otherwise pale skin. My heart squeezed. The agonizing pain I had buried deep inside me flared up again. Years ago, a girl in our chemistry lab group made a reckless operational error that triggered a flash fire. Instantly, flames shot across the bench. Liam happened to be standing right next to me. With terrifyingly fast reflexes, he shielded my face with his hands. In the fraction of a second his hands caught the fire, massive patches of skin blistered into horrifying, raw red flesh. It was gruesome. Crying, I asked him why he did it. He looked down, gently wiping my tears away, his eyes completely sincere. “Because it was you. I’d do it a thousand times.” Those scars made me absolutely certain Liam was the one. Which is exactly why, on the day I broke up with him, I used those very scars to end it. The vicious words were still ringing in my ears. “Do you know… every time I look at those hands, it makes me sick to my stomach.” “I can’t stand looking at them for another second.” He probably hated my guts. The scars he took for me were rewarded with that vile, ungrateful face. … “Ms. Davis?” I didn’t realize when Liam had looked up, but his gaze was now locked firmly onto my face. “Yes, I’m here.” He raised an eyebrow thoughtfully, noticing exactly where my eyes had been glued. “My hands won’t cause you any physiological discomfort, will they?” 03 I shook my head awkwardly. “No.” How could they? They only looked like that because he saved me. I loved them and ached for them. How could they ever make me feel sick? His lips curled up slightly, and he patiently explained: “That’s good. “Everyone’s physical tolerance is different, so I had to ask beforehand. “Have the complete blood count and bone marrow biopsies been done?” “Yes, they’re done.” “When was his last blood transfusion?” “Two months ago.” “What is your relationship with Jackson Smith?” Jackson was the mutual friend who had referred me to Liam. But what did that have to do with my dad’s medical condition? The answer died on my lips. I couldn’t help but look at him suspiciously. “Is that… medically relevant?” He gave me a calm, flat look. “Of course. It’s hospital policy.” He was the doctor. I was the patient’s family. Naturally, whatever he asked, I had to answer. “We went to college together.” Those pitch-black eyes suddenly locked onto me, scrutinizing, analyzing, as if trying to decipher something hidden. Before I could say anything else, he pulled out the medical files, instantly switching back to a strictly professional demeanor, and began explaining the treatment plan. A few minutes later, the office door suddenly opened. “Liam, what do you want for lunch?” 04 Behind that sweet, soft voice was an incredibly agreeable, soft-featured face. I barely even had to process it. I recognized her instantly. It was Emily Miller! She was the exact girl who caused the lab explosion. Luckily for her, she had been standing slightly further back and wasn’t badly hurt. What a ridiculously small world. She stared at me, too. Slowly, the smile on her face began to slip. A deep, magnetic voice instantly interrupted before Emily could blurt out my name. “Whatever you want. “Or we could just grab Thai food downstairs again. “Go ahead and book a table. I’ll be done here in a minute.” They spoke right over me. From this angle, I could clearly see the sharp line of Liam’s jaw, and… The soft, unguarded tenderness in his eyes. A tenderness that used to belong exclusively to me. In high school, Emily was in our class, but she wasn’t particularly close to me or Liam. During breaks, whenever I went to find Liam, Emily would be sitting in the row right behind him. I would always see her sitting quietly at her desk, entirely alone. Maybe she felt awkward and couldn’t figure out how to join our conversations. Sometimes, when we accidentally made eye contact, she would immediately look away. But now, the roles were completely reversed. I was the outsider. Before closing the door, Emily gave me one last look. Her expression had already returned to normal, and she gave a polite, detached nod. Once again, it was just me and Liam in the office. He naturally possessed an incredibly dominant, intimidating aura. The air in the room instantly felt suffocating. I lowered my eyes, resting my elbows nervously on the edge of the desk. Suddenly, a large shadow fell over me, blocking the overhead light. His broad chest leaned forward, closing the distance between us. Almost completely by reflex, I jerked backward in my chair, scrambling to put space between us. His outstretched hand froze in midair. His face turned to absolute ice. “What are you dodging?” 05 The contempt in his eyes was barely concealed. “Didn’t you just say you weren’t disgusted by my hands?” Saying that, he reached past me and picked up a pen that had rolled near my arm. I never expected Liam to have become this incredibly sensitive. Actually, after we broke up, I begged my dad to use his connections to find a specialist hospital for burn victims, hoping they could repair Liam’s hands. But by then, Liam already despised me. The mocking sneer he gave me that day is permanently burned into my memory. “I’m just a broken toy to you, aren’t I? Tossed in the trash the second I got damaged.” “Let me make this clear: I don’t give a damn about these hands.” “Stop trying to play the saint. It makes me sick.” I didn’t know if it was just my imagination. But for a split second, I felt absolutely certain that he had recognized me. … Once the consultation ended, Emily was already waiting by the door, having changed into her street clothes. She was wearing a tight knit dress that hugged her curves perfectly. Liam didn’t look at me again. He naturally reached out and took Emily’s purse for her. Walking down the hallway, they looked like a perfect match, standing shoulder-to-shoulder, looking incredibly intimate. Honestly, seeing him like this made me feel a profound sense of relief about the choice I made back then. If I hadn’t let him go, I might have completely ruined his life. “Hey! Spacing out over here?” “Come on, I’ll drive you home.” Jackson appeared out of nowhere, snapping his fingers right in front of my face and making me jump. His loud, booming voice echoed down the entire hospital corridor. Up ahead, that tall silhouette stopped walking and slowly turned his head to look at me. Under the harsh fluorescent lights of the hallway, his eyes were impossibly dark and unreadable. Before I could decipher whatever emotion was hiding in his gaze, a heavy hand dropped onto my shoulder, forcefully spinning me around. “Let’s go.” I was half-shoved toward the elevators at the opposite end of the hall. 06 In the car, Jackson broke the silence. “So, how did it go regarding your dad’s case?” I didn’t answer. I just stared out the window into the dark night, watching the blurry shadows of trees speeding past. Liam’s words kept echoing in my head. “Given the extremely limited number of viable case studies, there is only one surgical option, and it carries massive risks.” “If it succeeds, it’s obviously a miracle. But if it fails, the condition will accelerate exponentially. He wouldn’t last a month.” A terrifying, high-stakes gamble with my father’s life. I simply couldn’t make that choice right now. “Hey! What are you doing?!” While I was drowning in misery, a heavy pair of hands suddenly landed on my head, violently messing up my hair. It was Jackson. Seeing me glaring and swatting at him like an angry cat, he grinned widely. “Just trying to boost your fighting spirit.” “You look like a wilted vegetable lately. When we get to my place to grab the supplements for your dad, make sure you take some for yourself too.” The only reason Jackson and I were such close friends was that we had both pulled each other out of total rock bottom. Our history started back in college, right after he went through a brutal breakup. His ex-girlfriend had started an internship and started attending high-end corporate galas with her boss. She was picked up in luxury cars every day. Suddenly, Jackson—who practically lived in loud Hawaiian shirts—wasn’t good enough for her anymore. She called him “immature.” Since he had genuinely loved her, it completely destroyed him to watch the girl he loved turn into someone unrecognizable. He got blackout drunk every single day. One night, he almost fell backward off the top of the stadium bleachers. Thankfully, I was right next to him. I grabbed his shirt, hauled him back, and slapped him as hard as I could across the face. “She’s already moved on with her life! Why the hell are you still standing here playing the tragic victim?!” Honestly, I was screaming those words at him… but I was also screaming them at myself. … After picking up the supplements, Jackson dragged me to a hot pot restaurant. He loved extremely spicy food, and by the end of the meal, my lips were completely swollen and burning. My apartment complex didn’t allow non-resident cars inside. Jackson was going to pull over at the main gate, but I told him not to bother. Just as I opened the passenger door, halfway out of the car, he grabbed me by the back of my collar and yanked me back. “It’s pouring rain out there and I don’t have an umbrella. Just put this over your head so you don’t get completely soaked.” I turned and looked at the Hawaiian shirt he was holding out. Right on the collar was a bright red lipstick stain. Who knows what girl left it there—he probably didn’t even know himself. I immediately waved my hands in disgust. “No thanks, I’ll just sprint. It’s fine.” He ignored me, threw the shirt over my head, and physically shoved me out of the car. “Stop being so picky. I’m throwing it away anyway. Take it home and tailor it into a raincoat or something.” Once I got out, I was actually secretly grateful. Thank God I had the shirt to cover me. The rain was much heavier than it sounded from inside the car. By the time I sprinted to my apartment lobby, the bottom half of my jeans was completely soaked. Even so, my footsteps slowed to a dead stop when I saw the completely drenched figure standing by the door. Those eyes, looking even darker and sharper in the shadows, were staring dead at me. He just stood there, motionless, letting the massive, freezing raindrops slide down his face. “Lia… Dr. Sterling? What are you doing here?” When I left the hospital, Liam’s eyes had already confirmed it: he absolutely knew who I was. Treating me like a complete stranger, letting go of the past, and moving on with our lives. That was probably the best possible outcome for both of us. The freezing rain did nothing to extinguish the furious fire in his eyes. His gaze swept over my messy hair, my swollen lips, and finally settled on my face with pure, absolute disgust and mockery. “Your father’s surgery isn’t even scheduled yet, and you’re already out screwing around.” “You really are something else, Chloe.” “What the hell did I do?” He completely ignored my question and continued speaking in a dangerously low voice. “Did you know the city blood bank is completely tapped out?” “Did you know about the hospital’s new policy? Before they authorize a transfusion, you have to provide proof of blood donation from five different people. Otherwise, they won’t release the blood. Did you know that?” “Even though your father is admitted to the hospital, if the blood bank supervisor doesn’t sign off, there is absolutely nothing I can do. Did you know that?!” I was completely stunned. Blood transfusions had never been this complicated before. Usually, the hospital just handled it internally. When did the policy change? He let out a bitter, mocking laugh that mixed with the sound of the pouring rain. “No, you didn’t know.” “Because you never take anything seriously.” In that moment, I couldn’t tell if he was condemning the person I was now, or the person I used to be. Maybe because he had been standing in the freezing rain for so long, his lips were completely pale. He looked utterly exhausted, incredibly weak. “Are you okay?” “Do you want to come upstairs and rest for a minute?” His face darkened instantly, his expression practically screaming: I’m not as easy and cheap as you are. He raised a hand, wiped the rain off his face, and violently threw a stack of small red booklets directly into my chest. Then he turned and walked away. I opened them. It was five certificates of blood donation. One of them had his name on it. So the reason he looked so pale and weak… was because… “Liam!” The man stumbled, swaying heavily to the side, and collapsed onto the wet concrete. 07 After dragging Liam upstairs and changing him into dry clothes, I rested my chin on my hands and watched him sleep. He had pale skin and incredibly striking, sharp features. He looked like an untouchable god, the kind of person everyone naturally favored. In high school, practically the entire student body knew… I was head over heels in love with Liam Sterling. His mother had a severe, chronic illness and required constant hospital treatments. The financial and emotional burden on him was crushing. So every single weekend, I would go to the hospital and help take care of her. Until Marcus appeared. He was a local street thug. First, he aggressively and publicly declared his love for me, then started stalking and verbally harassing me. When that didn’t work, he started targeting Liam. He even went to the hospital to harass Liam’s sick mother. I tried calling the police. But the most they could do was hold him for a few days. The second he got out, he went right back to terrorizing us. Marcus was a jobless delinquent with endless free time, and he took immense pleasure in making Liam’s life a living hell. Because of Marcus’s relentless harassment, Liam was constantly exhausted and distracted. His class ranking plummeted again and again. He started skipping classes. Before his old bruises could heal, he’d show up with new ones. Eventually, the school administration slapped Liam with a severe disciplinary mark for “engaging in violent street brawls.” By the time the news of the disciplinary action reached Liam’s mother, she was already incredibly frail, her eyes deeply sunken into her skull. Yet she still forced a warm smile and gently held my hand. “Liam hasn’t been focusing on his studies lately, has he?” “I don’t have much time left. If I could just see him get accepted into a top-tier university, I could die in peace.” “Chloe… you understand what I’m asking you, don’t you?” I gripped the hem of my school uniform so tightly my knuckles turned white. Slowly, I let go. Truthfully, she wasn’t the only one who had said things like that to me. My classmates whispered that I was a slut who lured in gang members, and that my drama was destroying Liam’s chances of getting a full-ride scholarship. Even our homeroom teacher pulled me aside for a “talk.” He told me that Liam had a brilliant future ahead of him, and begged me not to be the reason he ruined his life. Every single person around me was telling me exactly one thing: Stay away from Liam Sterling. The most paralyzing, suffocating part was… I couldn’t even argue back. Because on the surface, it really did look like I was the one who dragged Marcus into our lives. And because Marcus was jealous, he ripped Liam’s previously quiet, focused life to shreds. But back then, my teenage brain couldn’t comprehend it. I was a victim too. So why, in everyone else’s eyes, was I suddenly the villain? The crushing injustice and overwhelming pressure slowly ate away at my sanity. So, I chose the most extreme, cruel method to escape the rumors. … I was still drowning in my memories when a sharp clack snapped me back to reality. Something had rolled off the nightstand and hit the hardwood floor. I turned and saw that Liam’s car keys had slipped out of his pocket. And tucked underneath the keys was something else— A pair of matching promise rings. The rings that belonged to him and Emily. 08 When I woke up the next morning, Liam was already gone. The blanket on the bed had been folded into a perfect, crisp square. If it weren’t for the blood donation certificates still sitting on the counter, I would have convinced myself last night was just a hallucination. A few days later, I scheduled the blood transfusion with the hospital. Just as Liam had warned me, the bureaucratic process was an absolute nightmare. Even the nurse setting up my dad’s IV couldn’t help but complain. “Lately, the families of patients needing transfusions have been running themselves ragged trying to get approved. You’re the smoothest approval I’ve seen all month.” The image of Liam’s ghostly pale, exhausted face flashed in my mind again. When I went to his office to find him, he was resting his head on his desk, trying to take a nap. His brows were furrowed tightly, and a thin layer of cold sweat covered his forehead. Without thinking, I reached my hand out, wanting to smooth the crease between his brows. But remembering that he already had Emily, my hand froze in midair. Just as I was about to pull away, a vice-like grip violently clamped down on my wrist. Liam opened his eyes, staring at me with a dark, heavy intensity. “Do you need something?” He was gripping my wrist so hard it felt like he was trying to crush my bones. But a second later, as if he had just touched something disgusting, he violently threw my hand away and sat up straight. “Thank you for helping me last night.” He glanced at me, a cold, mocking smirk twisting his lips. “Help you?” “You seem to be confused.” “If any other patient had collapsed in front of me, I would have done the exact same thing.” … “Liam. I’m sorry.” A flash of absolute shock crossed his eyes. His dark pupils locked onto me as he spoke slowly. “Sorry for what?” “When we broke up… I never should have said those vicious things to you.” He didn’t speak. He just kept scrutinizing me, clearly waiting for me to finish. I hesitated for a second, then continued. “Your hands were burned because of me. I have always, always been grateful to you.” “I have never, ever felt disgusted or grossed out by them.” When I finished, dead silence filled the room. The air was so thick it was hard to breathe. “Are you done?” I thought about it carefully, then gave a firm nod. His face instantly turned completely black. With profound impatience, he looked away. “Get out.” I bit my lip and walked to the door. But right as I grabbed the handle, a surge of defiant frustration made me turn back. “Then tell me, what do I have to do for you to forgive me?” I watched as he looked up. In those dark eyes, a chaotic storm of emotions I couldn’t decipher violently swirled. “I want you to disappear from my life. Completely.” “Okay.” I answered cleanly and decisively. “Once my dad finishes his treatments, I’ll disappear.” He didn’t say another word, but his face somehow looked even more furious than before. The second I closed the door, I heard the violent, crashing sound of something heavy being hurled against the wall inside the office, shattering into pieces.

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The female lead came to confront me: “Using a baby to trap Carter is truly shameless!” The next second, catching a glimpse of Carter appearing in the doorway, I rolled my eyes and fainted on the spot. 01 I transmigrated into a book. The female lead of this romance novel is Serena Brooks, and the male lead is Ethan Vance. The main antagonist, the second male lead, is Carter Hayes, Serena’s childhood friend. Serena and Carter both grew up in difficult circumstances and supported each other through their tough childhoods. Carter always kept that warmth close to his heart. Later, Carter went out of state to make his fortune and achieved great success. When he returned, Serena had already been swept off her feet by a domineering billionaire CEO. Consumed by jealousy, Carter began stirring up trouble for the constantly tearful female lead. Simply put, it’s a classic “childhood friend loses to the newly arrived billionaire” trope. I was pretty annoyed when I read it. I mean, you’re the female lead, you’ve already chosen the billionaire, so why do you keep crying to the second male lead? Even if you don’t have other friends to confide in, you know he’s in love with you, right? How do you think the male lead feels seeing you resting your head on Carter’s shoulder? And Carter, that idiot, actually strokes her hair affectionately! It’s like they’re trying to give the male lead an aneurysm. Alright, somehow, inexplicably, I’ve transmigrated into this mess. And of all people, I’m the plot device wedged between Carter and Serena. Well, since I’m here and have no intention of going back, I might as well cause some chaos. I checked myself out in the mirror. I have to admit, it’s pretty impressive. My character, Chloe Sterling, is hot. Like, seriously gorgeous! “Carter, this is my boyfriend, Ethan.” The delicate and charming Serena hooked her arm through the male lead’s, smiling sweetly like a summer peach. Seeing Carter’s face turn as dark as the bottom of a scorched pan, I smoothly sidled up next to him. According to the plot, this is where he’s supposed to pull me close. And declare that I’m his girlfriend. Sure enough, a strong arm wrapped around my waist. I looked up shyly. Holy crap! He’s so handsome. “Yes, I’m his girlfriend.” Whoops, spoke too soon… 02 Thankfully, Carter was a bit tipsy and just spaced out for a second without minding my eagerness. Serena’s expression instantly fell. Look at her, this is exactly what she does! If you don’t want to be with someone else, then you should be smiling! Wearing that disappointed look right in front of Carter makes him think you still have feelings for him! I quickly blocked Carter’s view and grabbed his hand. “Honey, look at them holding hands so tightly. They’re so in love.” Carter’s gaze drifted down, and his face grew even darker. Darker than a stormy night. “You’ve had too much to drink. Let me help you back so we can get to bed early… er, get some rest.” I half-dragged, half-pulled Carter away, completely ignoring Serena’s scrutinizing stare. A big bed, a handsome guy, and a drunk handsome guy at that. Just as the mood was getting perfect, Carter’s phone rang. Knowing the plot, I knew exactly who it was: Serena calling to ruin my night. He groggily reached for his phone. Yoink. I grabbed it, turned it off, and tossed it on the floor. What a wonderful night~ 03 The moment I opened my eyes the next morning, I saw Carter looking like he had been severely wronged. “You…” “Waaaahhh.” I beat him to the punch and started fake-crying. Because I knew he couldn’t stand seeing a woman cry. He looked intimidating on the outside, but was a total softie on the inside. Otherwise, how could he keep falling for Serena’s tears over and over again? A tissue was thrust in front of my face. “I can take responsibility for what happened, but I need to be clear with you.” “I already have someone I love in my heart.” Duh, tell me something I don’t know. And just like that, I officially became Carter’s shadow. At first, he was very annoyed and always told me to go do my own thing. Nonsense. I transmigrated here for entertainment. I had zero interest in that iceberg male lead who blew hot and cold. “I’m already yours.” “I’ll miss you today, miss you tomorrow, and miss you the day after tomorrow.” “I don’t care what you do, as long as I can be with you, that’s enough.” “I’m willing to wait for you forever, even if you’re waiting for someone else.” “Also, my family is super rich, so I don’t even need to go to work.” After that barrage of sweet talk, Carter went silent. Silence = consent. Yep, I deliberately ignored the way he looked at me like I was an alien. Slowly, Carter got used to having me around. Even though he rarely spoke to me. Even though he often stared blankly at pictures of Serena on his phone. Even though he often got furious looking at pictures of Ethan. But the end result was always the same: getting drunk and getting pushed down by me. “Serena, what’s wrong?!” A ringing phone in the middle of the night woke me up. My bad, I forgot to turn his phone off this time. 04 “Stay put at Mirror Lake, I’m coming right now.” Carter swiftly rolled out of bed and vanished out the door. Even Usain Bolt would applaud that speed. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little disappointed. I dialed Ethan’s number. “Who is this?” “Ethan Vance, are you even a man?” “Why are you bullying my bestie, Serena?” “The first person Serena looks for when she’s heartbroken is Carter.” “Do you know how dangerous it is for a girl to be alone at Mirror Lake in the middle of the night?” “In her heart, the way you treat her doesn’t even compare to Carter.” “Reflect on your actions!” I let out a long breath. A while later, I heard arguing at the front door. I threw on Carter’s jacket and walked out barefoot. “Serena! Didn’t I tell you I don’t want you seeing Carter alone?” “What gives you the right to yell at Serena! You only ever hurt her!” “Do you know how hard Serena was crying?” Serena stood between them, her eyes red. “Ethan, hearts aren’t made of stone.” “You keep hurting Serena, are you sure she’ll keep loving you?” I stood up for her with a serious face of righteous indignation. Serena’s expression changed instantly. Furious, Ethan grabbed Serena and planted a passionate kiss on her. Serena went weak in the knees. She obediently let him lead her to his car by the hand. “Serena, Serena…” “Didn’t you say he treats you badly?” “Didn’t you say… I’m the only one who makes you feel safe?” Ethan’s footsteps paused for a second. He threw her hand off and got into the car. Serena threw back one last sentence: “I was just too heartbroken. I… I love Ethan.” “I’m sorry.” And hurriedly got into the car. Wow~ Crash~ Whose heart just shattered? 05 Carter locked himself in his room for two days without coming out. I get it, heartbreak doesn’t heal overnight. I lay on the couch, hugging a bag of potato chips, with a boba tea in my other hand. Gotta be full and energized to heal his wounds, right? On the third day, I made my move. If he starved himself any longer, his nice body would waste away. I rolled up my sleeves and got to work in the kitchen. A huge plate of fragrant sweet and sour ribs, glossy and aromatic. I also scooped a bowl of white rice. I knew sweet and sour ribs were the second male lead’s favorite. It was the only dish the female lead ever made for him when they were kids. I pushed open the door and saw someone who wasn’t wearing any clothes. “Blegh—” 06 The sadness that had been plastered on Carter’s face for days finally cracked. “Chloe Sterling, what is your problem! You—” His yelling stopped abruptly when he saw the food in my hands. I blinked my innocent, big eyes. “Carter, take me to the hospital, please.” Once I saw the positive pregnancy test, my heart settled. Man, I’m good. I’m very pragmatic; no time to lose, things change too fast. Having a baby makes everything much more secure. I knew Carter loved kids. In the original plot, his biggest wish was to build a warm family with Serena. To have children that belonged to both of them. After confirming my pregnancy, Carter changed. He changed in a way that scared me a little. Sometimes I’d wake up in the middle of the night to find him sitting in the living room, wide awake. Looking weighed down by heavy thoughts. Sometimes I’d catch him staring at my belly, careful but lost. I don’t know if it was the pregnancy hormones, but I suddenly started feeling a little insecure. Well, just a little bit. A few days later, Carter brought a strange older woman home. 07 The woman’s name was Mary, and she seemed very warm and friendly. Carter just briefly explained that she was his godmother, here to take care of me. He told me to call her godmother too, saying we were all family now. When Carter said we were all family, my heart suddenly fluttered. Family. When Carter went to work, Godmother managed all the cooking and cleaning around the house. Well, mostly she supervised the hired help to make sure they did a good job. She also often chatted with me about everyday things. To be honest, I was very curious about her. Because I didn’t remember this character existing in the original novel. Or maybe her appearances were too brief for me to remember. It seems my meddling since arriving here has caused a butterfly effect. Could I change the ending? “Chloe, I just love girls who are as decisive and straightforward as you.” Godmother looked at me, smiling like a sunflower. “When Carter came to see me, I guessed right away there was good news.” “He hasn’t smiled like that in ten years.” Uhh— Isn’t that a line usually reserved for the female lead? 08 Lately, because of morning sickness, my temper has been a bit volatile. My cravings got weird, and my mood swung wildly. Godmother kept treating me like a spoiled child, indulging me in everything. Whenever I nagged Carter, she always took my side. Seeing his helpless expression, too afraid to provoke me, I felt an inexplicable sense of joy. What if it’s not that he didn’t dare, but that he couldn’t bear to? Just as I was throwing another tantrum at Carter, he finally lost his patience. “Chloe, don’t push it!” I felt a wave of grievance and burst into loud sobs. Godmother rushed over in a panic. “Oh my, Carter, why are you upsetting our Chloe again?” “Our Chloe is beautiful, obedient, and devoted to you.” “You couldn’t find someone like her if you searched the whole world with a lantern.” “Look how haggard Chloe has gotten lately, all for your baby.” “Whatever she wants, just give it to her. If she scolds you, just take it—” I curled up in Godmother’s arms, making a lot of noise but shedding very few tears. Carter frustratingly punched a throw pillow. He interrupted Godmother’s scolding. “Godmother!” “She insists on eating an airplane meal in the middle of the night! Where am I supposed to find that for her?!” His voice trembled with a hint of grievance. 09 The room went silent for a moment. I also sniffled, feeling a little embarrassed. Godmother looked at me. “Chloe, do you really want to eat it? Think carefully, think very carefully.” I thought seriously for a whole minute. “Godmother, I really want it. I crave it so much.” Godmother and I locked eyes on Carter. An hour later, a still-warm airline meal was placed in front of me. Carter stood before me, his awkward expression resembling a child craving praise. So cute. “Carter, you’re amazing, love you!” I didn’t hold back on the praise. I’ve got a basket full of free sweet talk. A blush crept onto his cheeks, and he gave a feigned impatient “Mhm.” I scooped a spoonful and put it in my mouth. Carter watched my reaction with hopeful eyes. “Blegh—” “It’s gross. Take it away, I want to sleep.” The air fell silent once again. “Chloe Sterling!” I thought life would just continue peacefully like this. Until the frantic ringing of the doorbell shattered the quiet. 10 The ghost that wouldn’t leave, Serena, had arrived. With tears brimming in her eyes. “Carter, I—” Mid-sentence, Serena looked at me awkwardly. Oh, so there are secrets I’m not allowed to hear. Well, I’m not leaving. Carry me out if you can. I pretended not to see Carter signaling me to leave, stuffing my mouth with the healthy snacks Godmother made. “Cough, Serena, it’s fine, go ahead. Are you in some kind of trouble?” Duh, obviously. What other use is the second male lead for? “Carter, I’m doomed this time…” It turned out she volunteered to take charge of a very important project at Ethan’s company. Lacking professional competence, she even publicly insulted the clients for being arrogant and overly demanding. As a result, she blew it. Serena didn’t want Ethan to find out, so she hinted that Carter should hand over a major project from his own company to her to cover her mistake. Wow, so shameless. Is this the independent, strong female lead? “This—” Even Carter hesitated. Thank goodness he still had a brain; this wasn’t a small favor. Such a major project, and with a long-term, important client. If he transferred it to a rival company like it was child’s play, not only would his company suffer a massive financial blow, but he would also lose all respect in the business world and among his partners. In the original plot, Carter agreed to this favor, which later led him to walk down a dark path out of desperation to rebuild his empire. “Carter, it’s okay. It’s my fault anyway.” “But in my heart, you’re the only person in this world I can truly rely on.” “It was true when we were kids, and it’s true now.” After that, Serena’s tears began to fall. It was truly a pitiful sight. Sure enough, someone couldn’t hold back. “Serena, don’t cry, I’ll just—” “Hold on!” This idiot! They both looked at me simultaneously. Serena’s eyes were full of resentment. “Carter, even if you don’t think about yourself, shouldn’t you consider our baby?” 11 “What?” Serena looked at my belly in shock. Then frantically turned to Carter. “Carter, you, you two already have a child?” Carter’s expression softened. “Yeah, Godmother said it’s better to wait until the pregnancy is more stable before telling others, so…” “Others… Carter, have I become ‘others’ to you?” “Serena, that’s not what I meant. I was just worried—” “Exactly, he was just too worried about me. Please don’t blame him, Serena.” I smiled radiantly. “Uh, congratulations, Carter. So, when are you transferring that project to me?” She’s still not giving up! I stared at Carter, feeling a sense of defeat. If he insisted on agreeing, there wasn’t really much I could do. “You were so good to me in the past, actually, I don’t really care about this company.” A smile appeared in Serena’s eyes. “But now that I have my own child, I think I need to be responsible for them.” “I don’t want them to have an irresponsible father like mine was.” Carter’s voice grew dim. A slight pang hit my heart. “So, I might need to think about it.” “I’m sorry, Serena. Let me try to find another way to help you, okay?” 12 Serena’s face looked terrible. This was probably the first time Carter had ever refused to help her. I could even sense panic in her. Panic that she was no longer this man’s sole emotional anchor. He had a child, a blood connection, a family now. “Serena, how about I have my driver take you home first?” “Carter has to take me to my prenatal checkup soon, we’re almost late.” Perhaps my overly joyful smile stung her, but Serena ignored my enthusiasm, grabbed her bag, and walked out. Oh, she’s mad. Giving the silent treatment. “Hey, Serena—” I blocked Carter, who was about to chase after her, feeling frustrated by his weakness. “Are you stupid? What good does chasing after her do now?” “Do you want to ruin the company? Do you want our child to suffer in poverty?” “If you’re not ready to be a father, I’ll go right now and… get an abortion!” “Chloe Sterling, don’t you dare! Do you believe I’ll—” Carter raised his arm in exasperation. I stuck my belly out, looking utterly defiant. He eventually gave up and rolled his eyes at me. “If I still had my old temper, I would have—” Carter muttered as he got into the car. “What did you say, you jerk?” “Get in the car!” Hmph, thought I couldn’t handle you. Seeing Carter’s company project finally secured, my heart felt a bit more at ease. Hopefully, nothing else will… “Chloe, let’s go out for afternoon tea.” The woman’s voice on the other end of the phone sounded very gentle.

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