On my wedding day, I was in a car accident and lost my baby. My boyfriend Ethan didn’t show up. Later, he looked at me with complete indifference: “Yasmine is sick. Once she recovers, I’ll marry you.” Everyone thought I would forgive him like I always had. But the night the wedding was canceled, I agreed to the arranged marriage my family had set up. The man I was marrying was Ethan’s uncle. Five years later, my husband came back with me to pay respects to my mother. He had to leave on urgent business and asked Ethan to host a welcome banquet for me. At the manor entrance, the moment Ethan saw me, his eyes burned with intensity, though his tone was ice-cold: “You’ve made a scene long enough. Finally come to your senses? I’ll give you a chance—come back to me. Yasmine doesn’t want children, so you can do IVF for her.” The person my husband sent to pick me up was my ex-boyfriend from five years ago—Ethan, who had gotten his marriage certificate with my father’s illegitimate daughter. “Lena! Is that you?” Ethan was the first to recognize me. The others looked over too, exclaiming in surprise when they realized it was me. “Ethan, you were right after all. Just crook your finger and Lena comes running back like a dog.” “Well, well, what a move.” Ethan smirked, though his expression remained casual. “She probably heard that Yasmine wants a child now, so she rushed back to volunteer herself. Can’t have me, but she’ll settle for the chance to raise my kids.” Everyone froze for a moment, then burst into laughter. “That’s our Lena—world champion bootlicker.” “She disappeared without a word back then. We thought she’d finally grown a spine, but turns out she was just on standby.” “Though, I have to say, Lena, if you’re planning to be a surrogate, you could at least dress up a bit, you know?” “That dress you’re wearing? Hideous. Nothing like Yasmine.” “People who don’t know better might think you’re the cleaning lady.” They laughed and joked, their exaggerated smiles unable to hide the contempt in their eyes. But it made sense, really. Five years ago, every time they saw me, I had to dress exactly like Yasmine according to Ethan’s demands. Long dress, long hair, and those ridiculously high heels—not missing a single detail. All I ever got in return was Ethan’s mockery. But now? I didn’t need to do that anymore. Because I was married and had just given birth. My husband was Ethan’s uncle, who lived abroad. The plain-colored robe covering me from head to toe was custom-made by a royal craftsman because my husband was worried about me catching a chill. Apparently, they not only couldn’t recognize quality when they saw it, they also didn’t know that the person they were supposed to welcome today was me. Seeing my silence, someone stepped forward to smooth things over: “Since Lena’s back, let’s just let bygones be bygones. Lena, you don’t know this, but after you left, Ethan was really torn up about it. He got drunk at the bar for days…” Embarrassment flashed across Ethan’s face, but he quickly put on an act of nonchalance. “Yasmine and I want a child. Since you’re back, come with me tomorrow to do IVF.” Ethan lifted his chin confidently, though his eyes couldn’t help stealing glances at me. He was as self-centered as ever. But I wasn’t the naive little girl from three years ago who would fall apart without love. Seeing him again, all I felt besides surprise was hatred for this bastard. I rubbed my temples, about to reveal my identity. Then Yasmine suddenly spoke: “Are you still angry with me? I really didn’t know the miscarriage would hurt you so much. But now that you’re back, Ethan and I will definitely make it up to you. Once you’re pregnant with mine and Ethan’s child, I’ll keep a maid’s room ready for you at home. After you give birth, it’ll be convenient for you to take care of us. Though before the IVF, you should probably get a full medical checkup. After all, things are so chaotic abroad—we have no idea what you might have gotten up to these past five years…” Five years later, she was still as disgusting as ever. Seeing me frown, Ethan thought I was jealous. His eyebrows arched smugly: “Yasmine has a point. Having a baby is a big deal. How about this, Lena—I’ll take you for a full physical tomorrow, genetic screening too. If everything checks out, I’ll get you an appointment with the doctor right away. Oh, and you probably don’t have money, right? Here’s two hundred bucks, consider it a down payment.” He pulled out his wallet and counted out two crisp bills. The people around couldn’t hold back their laughter. “Lena, five years gone and you’ve gotten even cheaper than before.” “Ethan, don’t give her two hundred—just toss her a couple coins and she’ll be satisfied.” “What are you standing there for? Hurry up and thank Ethan.” The familiar words reminded me of the past. At 3 AM, when I ran from the north end to the south end of the city to bring them hot chocolate. They were exactly like this then too. Giggling as they pulled out two movie tickets from their pockets and threw them on the ground. Then with fake sincerity: “Thanks for going to all that trouble, Lena. You’re the best.” Yasmine tucked her hair behind her ear, sighing dramatically: “Looks like my sister really has had a rough time these years. In that case, I won’t be stingy either. After you give birth to mine and Ethan’s child, I’ll definitely give you a really generous gift. I won’t let you down.” Ethan’s eyes softened, as if he was moved. “Yasmine, you’re so kind. Not like her—losing one baby, it’s not like she can’t have more. And she had the nerve to throw a tantrum and run off abroad for five years. Just like her mom, so petty.” Hearing this, my heartbeat skipped. My father had an affair while my mother was pregnant and had Yasmine with his mistress. After my mother died, Yasmine’s mother moved in right after the funeral. Later, my wedding was canceled and I lost my baby. During those days in the hospital, Ethan never showed up once. From that moment, I realized Ethan was rotten. That boy who got into fights for me, wincing in pain but still quietly comforting me not to cry. That boy who defied his family for me and walked with me through every street and alley. That boy who knelt at my mother’s grave and swore he’d treat me well forever. Without me noticing, he had disappeared long ago. Pulling myself back to the present, I shook my head. The past felt incredibly foreign. After all, I had already gotten married. And soon, my second child would be a month old.

My eyes regained their calm as I looked at Ethan and got straight to the point: “I’m the person you’re waiting for. You can all leave now.” The scene fell silent for a moment. Everyone exchanged glances, then burst into laughter. Yasmine laughed so hard tears came out. She shoved the flowers she’d prepared to welcome me into my face. “Sister, it’s been five years—why are you still so delusional? We’re here to welcome Ethan’s uncle’s wife, the future mistress of the family. Not you… trash who couldn’t even keep her baby.” The last sentence was whispered so quietly that only I could hear it. The others followed Yasmine’s lead, mocking me one after another: “Yasmine’s right. Everyone in our circle knows Marcus has been waiting for his true love—at thirty-five, he still refused to get married.” “After finally winning the beauty’s heart, he threw a seven-day, seven-night wedding celebration in France. Even royalty attended, they say.” “Too bad Ethan was busy and couldn’t make it abroad.” “Lena, have you lost your mind living abroad? You dare to impersonate Marcus’s wife?” They chattered away, rolling their eyes practically into the sky. I said nothing, only thinking about that grand wedding, my mood unable to help but soar. If not for that wedding, I wouldn’t have believed that Marcus had waited for me for seven years. Yasmine thought I was guilty, her tone growing more arrogant: “See this watch on my wrist? Last Valentine’s Day, to make his wife happy, Ethan’s uncle specially commissioned the world’s only all-diamond watch in Switzerland. Just the diamonds embedded in it are worth 40 million pounds. And the one I’m wearing is a replica. Not expensive—only about 3 million.” Her proud smile had barely formed when someone beside her pushed her and pointed at my hand, crying out: “Yasmine, Lena’s watch… it looks like the same model as yours!” The scene suddenly fell silent. Ethan was the first to rush forward and grab my hand, examining it carefully. In less than three seconds, he relaxed and sneered. “The diamonds are so flashy—clearly artificial. Worthless.” His expression was half-mocking. “Lena, which security guard gave you that? How tacky—how dare he give you trash like this?” I shook him off and carefully wiped the watch face. Marcus had given me this the day I found out I was pregnant with our son. I couldn’t let them dirty it. Seeing how much I cared about it, Ethan’s mind went blank with anger. He suddenly grabbed my hand and smashed it against the wall. The watch face shattered. Yasmine patted her chest, looking at the broken watch face with a bright smile: “Knew it was a fake—one touch and it breaks. Otherwise I really would have been fooled into thinking you were the legendary Marina. That scared me.” Watching her exaggerated performance, everyone couldn’t hold back their laughter anymore. Though none of them had met Marcus, everyone knew one thing. Marcus was the most capable head of the family in nearly thirty years, at the very pinnacle of the elite. He’d have to be insane to get involved with his own nephew’s ex-fiancée. Much less pamper her like a precious treasure. The thought alone was impossible. Ethan wasn’t laughing. He watched me treasure the watch, his eyes cold: “Lena, be good. Get rid of it. I’ll buy you something better. This garbage—throw it away.” I found it laughable. What right did he have to order me around? “Impossible. My husband gave this to me. His name is Marcus…” SLAP! Ethan hit me. My face burned with pain, and blood trickled from the corner of my mouth. I stood there in shock, hearing Ethan speak through gritted teeth: “Lena, you lunatic!”

Ethan stared at me, anger and fear intertwined. “Do you know who Marcus is? He’s nominally my uncle, but in reality I’m less than nothing in his eyes. If rumors that you’re connected to him reach his wife’s ears, not only you but I’ll be punished too. Lena, are you trying to kill me?” The others snapped to attention too, glaring at me with rage. “I knew she was up to no good. Left in a huff back then, and now she’s back for revenge. Pfft! And Ethan searched everywhere for you. Ungrateful wretch!” “Exactly. Good thing Ethan didn’t actually marry her, or she’d get him killed eventually.” Yasmine’s face was full of venom: “Sister, why can’t you just be sensible? Ethan and I already decided to compensate you and even gave you the opportunity to have children for us. Why aren’t you satisfied? Do you need to see Ethan completely ruined to be happy?” Her disappointed tone reminded me of five years ago. Five years ago, Yasmine had used this exact tone to frame me bit by bit. At first, Ethan would blame Yasmine. Gradually, he lost even the patience to hear my explanations. Just like now—I hadn’t said anything, yet Ethan’s anger had completely exploded. He gripped Yasmine’s hand and pulled out a ring, throwing it viciously at my face. “For old times’ sake, I’ll give you one more chance. Put on the ring. From now on, Yasmine will stay in the picture, and you can be the one on the side” The diamond cut my eye, drawing thin lines of blood. I raised my head and stared at Ethan, hatred surging. Ethan froze, panic flashing across his face. But Yasmine quickly grabbed him. I said nothing. Right in front of them, I bent down and picked up the ring. This was my and Ethan’s wedding ring. Before going abroad, I had thrown it away at the hospital. Seeing my movement, the panic in Ethan’s eyes gradually faded, replaced by smugness. “That’s more like it. Don’t worry, when my uncle returns to the country, I’ll definitely shine in front of him. Once I inherit the company, I absolutely won’t shortchange you…” His words stopped. In everyone’s shocked gaze, I threw the ring Ethan had kept for five years into the trash. “Sorry, I don’t want secondhand goods.”

After throwing away the ring, I turned to leave. I’d only taken two steps when Ethan grabbed me, his eyes red: “Lena, what do you mean? You really want to cut ties with me completely?” I smiled: “What else?” Did you still expect me to wag my tail at you like a dog? Thinking this, I couldn’t help pressing my lips together. But Ethan looked back at the pitiful Yasmine and understood: “Oh, I see what this is about. You just want to be the main wife, right? How about this—tomorrow you come with me to the hospital for an examination. If you can give me a healthy child, I’m not opposed to considering marriage.” “No need.” I really couldn’t listen anymore and cut him off directly. “I’m not interested in IVF.” Ethan froze, a flash of joy in his eyes. His lips curved up, his tone softening slightly. “Alright, then no IVF. We’ll conceive naturally. But you still need a checkup first. Yasmine has a point—things are chaotic abroad, we can’t be careless.” Yasmine’s smile froze on her face. I rolled my eyes and quickly walked away. Five years ago, at my and Ethan’s wedding. On the way to pick up the bride, he and Yasmine both disappeared. All they left was a marriage certificate photo posted in the family group chat. I didn’t believe it. Crying, I ran to find him, and got into a car accident on the way. The doctor told me I had miscarried. And Ethan never showed up once. He only sent me a few messages to update me. “Yasmine is sick and needs a placenta for medicine. This time I’m the one who’s wronged you. But don’t worry, once she’s better, I’ll divorce her immediately. You’ll still be my bride.” Looking at the nine-photo grid Yasmine posted to announce their relationship, I stared blankly all night. Later I secretly went abroad and stayed with my uncle’s family who had settled there. A month later, I met Marcus. Two months later, I married him. Now I was already on my second child and almost through postpartum recovery. Coming back to the country now, I really didn’t want any more entanglements with them. I frowned, hoping Ethan wouldn’t cause more trouble, or else my jealous husband definitely wouldn’t let it go.

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Our village has a tradition of bride snatching—the groom must sneak into the bride’s home at night, carry her on his back, and break through all obstacles. I’d waited three years for Ethan Quinn. Finally, the night came when he and his brothers crept into my family’s courtyard. I waited joyfully for him to carry me away, but instead I heard him say to his crew: “When chaos breaks out, grab Chloe. We can’t let her marry that playboy from the next village over.” “As for Aria, she’s got a fiery temper—she’ll protect herself just fine.” His friends exchanged uncertain glances. “Ethan, this isn’t right. You and Aria already got your marriage certificate. If she finds out the truth, all hell will break loose.” “Let it break loose then.” His tone was dismissive. ” It’s pitch black out here—mistaking someone is perfectly normal. I’ll smooth things over with her afterward. Besides, that marriage certificate is fake.” I stood behind the door in silence, then calmly retreated to my room. Then I simply climbed onto another stranger’s back and became his bride.

“Aria, my friend who works at the Marriage Bureau checked for me. You’re definitely not Ethan Quinn’s spouse.” I set down my phone. Something in my chest—so quietly, so gently—shattered. Five years married to Ethan. Throughout those five years, no matter what I did, the Quinn family elders never accepted me. My mother-in-law never mentioned my name in front of others, only referring to me as “that girl from the mountains.” At family banquets, I was always seated in the most remote corner. In group photos, I was always arranged at the edge where I could easily be cropped out. He said he didn’t want me to feel hurt, so he had me return to the village first. He said he’d wait until he completed our village’s bride snatching ritual, followed all the proper procedures, then bring me back legitimately. I obediently returned. Though we spent little time together, to outsiders we seemed loving and harmonious enough. But I’d waited three years for him, saved up three years’ worth of things to say, longed for this night for three years. Yet he came for another woman. He’d fooled me with a fake certificate for three years. All just so I wouldn’t discover—the person he truly wanted to capture was my stepsister, Chloe. I looked at the woman in the mirror. Expressionless, neither joyful nor sorrowful. Soon, commotion erupted in the courtyard. The bride snatching had begun. People were shouting “They’re here, they’re here!” Someone laughed. Footsteps pounded past in chaos. Someone deliberately blocked the path. The firelight painted half the sky red. The excitement belonged to them. The excitement was for Chloe. The other group consisted of people from the neighboring village who’d come for the capture. They’d originally come to capture Chloe. According to tradition, if a girl was unwilling, she could hide away early and let them make a wasted trip. But Chloe didn’t hide. She’d been waiting in her room all along, waiting to be carried away. And the person she was waiting for— Was my husband.

The room I was in wasn’t my usual one. It was Chloe’s. That afternoon, my stepmother had called me over, held my hand, and spoke with rare gentleness: “Aria, tonight during the capture, you stay in Chloe’s room. Your room is too quiet—the capture group won’t find it easily.” “Those thugs coming for Chloe are troublemakers.” “You’ve always been tough since childhood, can take a beating. Not like Chloe with her delicate constitution—if she got hurt by accident, it would be terrible.” I said nothing. I knew what she meant. According to village tradition, during bride snatchings, the groom’s brothers would charge in first to “seize the bride.” The woman had to resist, struggle, fight desperately to prevent being carried away—this was called “blocking the door.” The harder you blocked, the fiercer you fought, the more precious the girl was considered. The harder the groom’s side had to fight to carry her away. Those punches and shoves would land on you for real. My stepmother sighed, acting as though sharing her deepest thoughts. She studied my expression, testing the waters: “Besides, Ethan’s from the city—he’s not familiar with our customs. If you stay in this room by the entrance, he won’t have to search the whole courtyard.” Back then, wanting to make things easier for Ethan, I’d agreed. I’d even sent him a message with my room’s location. But who knew—they’d been planning this switch all along. Outside, a louder commotion suddenly erupted. Someone shouted: “Got her! Got the bride!” People laughed, people cheered, firecrackers crackled and popped. I listened but didn’t move. I knew who they’d captured. I could even picture the scene— Ethan carrying Chloe on his back, stumbling through the crowd. His brothers flanking them protectively. Someone deliberately blocking their path, people throwing things at them. Chloe burying her face against his back, pretending to struggle a few times. How wonderful. I lowered my eyes, refusing to look. Before long, my room door burst open. A group of people surged into the darkness, their footsteps heavy and chaotic. Someone grabbed my arm. Multiple hands came at me roughly. I felt fists landing on my shoulders and back—not too light, not too heavy—the ritual of blocking the door. The harder you hit the bride, the more the bride’s family treasured her, the harder the groom’s side had to fight. I didn’t dodge or resist. I let them push and shove, let them drag me from the chair, let those fists fall. At first it seemed like going through the motions, but quickly, the shoving changed its nature. Someone pinned my arm and slammed me against the wall. Someone pounded my waist with punch after punch. The force was vicious and deliberate, nothing like the ritual of blocking the door. This was intentional. It hurt, but I made no sound. I understood now what my stepmother meant by “tough since childhood.” Just as I expected more to come, someone shielded me: “Enough.” An unfamiliar voice, laced with anger. He blocked me, using his arm to push back those still surging forward: “You done yet? Hitting her this hard—she’s a person, not a punching bag.” Someone laughed sheepishly in explanation: “It’s tradition. The harder you block, the more precious the girl—” “What tradition?” His voice rose sharply. “Easy for you to say when it’s not your wife. If someone beat your wife like this, would you just stand there watching?” Silence fell around us. He glanced back at me. In the dim light I couldn’t make out his face, only a vague outline. Then he bent down and lifted me onto his back. Behind us, someone muttered: “Where’d this hothead come from? It’s a bride snatching—why’s he taking it so seriously…” Carrying me on his back, he strode outside with long steps. People chased behind us. People deliberately blocked the path. People threw things at us. His steps were steady, his pace quick. One hand gripped my legs firmly, afraid I’d fall. When we crossed the first ridge, he stopped to catch his breath. In the distance, firelight moved faintly—the other capture group. Through the bushes, their laughter drifted over indistinctly. Soon, that group drew near. The firelight flickered, illuminating several faces. The man in front carried a girl on his back, running until he was covered in sweat, but smiling nonetheless. It was Ethan. Chloe buried her face in his shoulder, arms circling his neck. They were laughing, teasing each other. The brothers following behind chanted: “Kiss! Kiss!” I lay on the stranger’s back, watching quietly as they approached. The firelight swept across my face. Ethan’s gaze passed over, pausing on my face for an instant. Just an instant. His eyes swept past, continuing his banter with his brothers. Chloe clung to Ethan’s back, saying something sweetly. Ethan turned his head to listen, his smile devastatingly tender. I suddenly remembered three years ago when I’d returned to the village to visit my father. The first time he came to the village to find me, he’d worn that same smile. That day he’d crossed two mountains. His shoes worn through, his heels bleeding. I’d asked, “Don’t your feet hurt?” He scratched his head, grinning: “Hurt? For my wife, I’m happy to do it.” A privileged young master accustomed to being waited on, yet willing to trek through these deep mountain forests for me. He always said the distance wasn’t far. But I knew—from town to the village, the bus only went to the mountain’s foot. The rest of the way had to be walked. Once when it rained, he stood at the courtyard gate soaked through, but the sweets tucked inside his jacket were still dry. I’d called him foolish, coming in the rain. He pressed the sweets into my hands, smiling: “I was afraid you’d get impatient waiting.” Afraid I’d get impatient. Holding those sweets, looking at his rain-soaked hair, I’d thought: This man, for the rest of my life. But now, carrying Chloe on his back, he smiled exactly the same way. My vision blurred for a moment, then cleared again. When did things start to change?

Probably three years ago when my father died. I’d felt completely hollowed out. Ethan postponed all his commitments and stayed with me in the village for half a month. The day he had to leave, he held my hand, his tone gentle with instructions: “Aria, you just finished the funeral. You look so pale. If my mother sees you like this, she’ll just complain again. I don’t want you suffering through that.” “Stay in the village for now, rest and recover. Didn’t you always want to take over the family business?” “Once I get things settled back there, I’ll come get you.” I looked at him and nodded. I was truly exhausted from the mother-in-law relationship that could never be repaired. Back then, I believed he was thinking of me. Couldn’t bear for me to go back and face scorn. Only later did I learn— Distance doesn’t make the heart grow fonder. It just makes it easier for him to love someone else. Last year when his mother turned sixty, Ethan came to bring me back. The moment I entered, I saw my stepsister Chloe, who was supposedly working in the city. She was in the living room helping arrange fruit, her movements practiced. Ethan paused while changing his shoes, explaining: “Chloe’s workplace is near our house. She’s staying here temporarily.” He showed no guilt, so I said nothing more. When my stepmother married into our family bringing Chloe, we were both already grown. We’d never had much of a sisterly bond. Over the years we only saw each other during holidays. I couldn’t quite identify my feelings about her staying there. Seeing me enter, Chloe called out affectionately, “Aria.” “Don’t overthink it. I’m just temporarily staying here. Once I find a place, I’ll move out.” I nodded without responding. Back then, I never imagined that while I, his wife, spent three years guarding an empty house in the village— My sister had also been “working” away, living at the Quinn house for three years. … Now, watching Chloe cling to Ethan’s back, I suddenly understood. From start to finish, I wasn’t waiting for him to bring me home, wasn’t waiting for him to capture me in marriage. I was waiting for my own heart to die. Voices drifted over on the night wind, growing clearer. Chloe’s voice. “…What about Aria? If she finds out, she’ll raise hell.” Ethan’s tone was certain: “She’s all bark, soft-hearted underneath. Once she’s done being mad, it’ll blow over. Besides—” He paused, his voice dropping: “Bride snatchings happen in pitch darkness—I just made a mistake. She’ll feel sorry for me before she gets angry. She won’t blame me.” “Once she knows, I’ll smooth things over.” Chloe laughed softly. My knuckles turned white from gripping so hard. One of the brothers suddenly said: “Ethan, what if Aria gets captured by someone else?” Silence fell on their side for a moment. Then Ethan laughed: “You think she’d let herself get captured without a fight? With her temper, she’d tear the roof off tonight.” “True, with Aria’s personality, there’s no way she wouldn’t fight back.” “Feel sorry for that poor groom—wonder what kind of beating he took.” The laughter grew louder. I lowered my eyes. “Let’s go.”

The man carrying me was very quiet. Since earlier, he hadn’t asked a single question. Lying on his back, I could feel his steps—steady, unhurried, like someone who’d walked night roads a thousand times before. He must have figured it out. Figured out who they were laughing about, figured out that the person who could “tear the roof off” was me. But he said nothing. Just kept walking. Until at a bend in the path, we came face to face with that other group. Torchlight swept toward us. Someone from the other side spoke first: “Lucas?” His steps paused briefly. He responded flatly, “Yeah.” Ethan, carrying Chloe, walked closer a few steps. Smiling, he looked him over: “It really is you? You’re doing a bride snatching too tonight?” “Yeah.” “Which family’s girl?” Ethan’s gaze swept over, landing on me. I buried my face in Lucas’s shoulder, showing them only the back of my head. “From the neighboring village.” Lucas said, his tone neutral. Ethan stared at me for another moment, then suddenly laughed: “Well, well. I always thought you were the stay-away-from-people type, figured you weren’t planning to settle down. Congratulations.” Lucas responded with another “yeah.” Ethan took two more steps forward. The torchlight drew closer. I could feel his gaze land on my back, lingering for a moment. I thought he was about to recognize me. “Let’s go.” Lucas suddenly spoke, taking a step forward. “Wait.” Ethan blocked our path. Ethan frowned, about to say something else. Chloe’s voice suddenly rang out, soft and sweet: “Ethan, the cut on my foot hurts a little.” Ethan immediately turned to her: “What’s wrong? Did you bump it just now?” “I don’t know, it just hurts…” Chloe’s voice grew fainter. “Let’s hurry. We need to reach your place before dawn.” Ethan couldn’t worry about anything else. He nodded at Lucas: “Gotta go. When we’re back in the city, drinks are on me.” Their footsteps gradually faded. Only then did Lucas say quietly: “He really didn’t recognize you.” Lying on his back, I said nothing. My eyes felt hot. But I didn’t cry. He seemed to sense something. His steps slowed slightly, walking steadily onward. The moon was bright. The mountain path was long. I didn’t know where he was taking me. But in that moment, I suddenly felt that anywhere was better than turning back.

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On the first snowfall, I heard a voice from inside my wife’s belly, dripping with malice. “Mommy, can you kill him? I want Ethan to be my daddy.” On the operating table, she raised the scalpel and cut open my chest. Just as the blade was about to slice through my skin, that childish voice rang out again. “Daddy’s faking it! The one who’s really dying is Ethan!” She believed it. She left me mid-surgery, rushed out to tend to Ethan, who’d barely scraped his skin. In my previous life, I died from that delay. Now, the excruciating pain suddenly receded, and I gasped for air. I had been reborn. Back to the moment when the surgery was forcibly terminated. This time, I called the police in advance. Jason POV On the first snowfall, I heard a voice from inside my wife’s belly, dripping with malice. “It would be so good if he died.” “Mommy, can you kill him? I want Ethan to be my daddy.” The surgical lights in the operating room were blindingly white, like the snow that day at the funeral. My riddled heart was violently convulsing, and the monitor let out a sharp beeping sound. I struggled to open my eyes and saw Sarah holding a scalpel. Above her mask, those eyes that had once been full of love were now as cold as ice. Just as the blade was about to slice through my skin, a young yet vicious child’s voice suddenly exploded in the operating room. “Don’t cut! Daddy’s heart is perfectly fine. He’s faking illness to get sympathy!” “The one who’s really dying is Ethan! Mommy, go save Ethan quick. His hand is bleeding so much!” Sarah’s hand holding the knife trembled violently. The scalpel clattered onto the tray, splashing up a harsh metallic sound. She stared at me intently. The professional composure in her eyes collapsed instantly, replaced by a fury born of being fooled. “Jason, is this amusing to you?” She yanked down the surgical light, plunging the room into dimness. She looked down at me from above. I lay on the operating table, tubes sticking out all over my body. Her tone was colder than room temperature. “To make me care about you, you bribed the anesthesiologist, forged the EKG, even went so far as to lie on this table to deceive me?” I opened my mouth. The white mist from my oxygen mask blurred my vision. I wanted to tell her I wasn’t acting. My heart really couldn’t hold on much longer. In my previous life, it was at this exact moment. She had believed that “genius baby” in her belly and decided I was faking illness to frame her student Ethan. She abandoned me in the middle of my heart bypass surgery and rushed out to bandage Ethan, who had merely scraped his skin. Because the optimal rescue window was missed, I died on that cold operating table. Until my last breath, I heard that unborn child shouting from Sarah’s belly. “Daddy’s still playing dead! Mommy, don’t believe him. Ethan is the best. I want Ethan to be my daddy!” I died with my eyes wide open. The pain receded like a tide, then came crashing back. I gasped sharply. I had been reborn. Back to the moment when the surgery was forcibly terminated. “Jason, speak!” When I didn’t respond, the disgust in Sarah’s eyes deepened. “A grown man acting like this? I’m ashamed of you!” That eerie voice rang out again, gleeful and malicious. “Mommy, ignore this liar! Ethan’s finger is still bleeding. It hurts so much!” Sarah’s expression changed drastically. She couldn’t spare me another glance and rushed toward the airlock door. “Wait.” I pulled out the IV needle in my hand. Blood immediately gushed out, staining the white sheets red. Supporting my already depleted body, I slowly sat up. Sarah paused mid-step and turned back, yelling impatiently. “What do you want now?” I looked at this woman I had loved for seven years and been married to for three. Suddenly, that face seemed terrifyingly unfamiliar. Using all my strength, I pointed at the door and smiled. “Go ahead. If you’re late, your precious student’s wound might actually heal.”

Jason POV Sarah probably didn’t expect that reaction from me. She froze for a moment, then snorted coldly. “Ridiculous.” The door slammed shut. I clutched my agonizing chest and stumbled after her. Since heaven had given me a second chance, I would witness firsthand just how far this absurd farce could go. At the rest area at the end of the corridor, Sarah was kneeling on one knee. The top cardiac surgeon in the country was holding a young man’s hand, her expression as focused as if she were restoring a priceless treasure. And that man was Ethan. My supposed best friend. Sarah’s most valued intern. Right now, his eyes were red as he let Sarah disinfect his index finger. If you didn’t look carefully, you wouldn’t even notice the cut thinner than a hair strand. “Sarah, I’m really fine…” Ethan sniffled. The moment his eyes met mine, his body flinched and his voice instantly took on a crying tone. “You should go back and operate on Jason. Heart disease is no joke. What if…” Sarah was carefully applying a bandage to his finger. At his words, she paused and turned to look at me, her gaze sharp as a knife. “Exactly! Ethan only got hurt because he was peeling an apple for me. He’s the best person in the world!” “Bad daddy only fakes illness to scare mommy. Let him die!” The voices from her belly came one after another. Sarah’s rationality was completely derailed by this mysterious “mother-child connection.” She stood up, shielding Ethan behind her, pointing at my nose and cursing. “Jason, look at how considerate Ethan is! Even now he’s still worried about you! Look at yourself-to deceive me, you’re wasting precious medical resources and even forging medical records! You’re a cancer to the doctor-patient relationship!” My heart felt like it was being squeezed by a giant hand, aching and swelling. In my previous life, I desperately tried to explain, even knelt down begging her to look at my ultrasound images. In return, I got a slap and the word “disgusting.” This life, I was tired. I leaned against the cold wall tiles and laughed. “Sarah, you’re a doctor. Whether I’m faking or not-is it really that hard to use a stethoscope or check the monitoring data from earlier?” Sarah frowned, seeming to waver for a moment. Just then, Ethan suddenly stepped forward, seemingly innocent as he tugged on Sarah’s sleeve. “Sarah, actually… Jason probably just cares about you too much. A few days ago I saw him searching online for ‘how to fake illness to win back wife’s heart’… Don’t blame him. He just loves you too much.” As he spoke, he deliberately showed a “I understand everything, I’m very magnanimous” smile toward me. “Jason, it’s okay. As long as you’re healthy, Sarah and I don’t mind suffering a little. Let’s not do this surgery. Don’t torture yourself like this.” Advancing by retreating. Killing with words. The trace of doubt in Sarah’s eyes vanished instantly, replaced by fury at being deceived. “Jason! What do you have to say for yourself?” That voice came again. “Ethan is so kind! I want Ethan to be my daddy! Bad daddy, get lost!” Sarah took a deep breath, as if making some decision. “Apologize to Ethan.” She commanded coldly. “Now. Immediately. Otherwise, you’re moving out of the house tonight.” The corridor fell deathly silent. Passing nurses and patients all cast strange looks our way. I looked at this pair of lovers before me and suddenly laughed. “Apologize?” I straightened my body. Though my legs were still trembling, I stood firm. “Sarah, they say mother and child are connected at heart. That little bastard in your belly wants to change fathers. Is that what you want too?”

Jason POV The crisp sound of a slap echoed through the corridor. I turned my head to the side. My cheek burned with pain, and the taste of blood in my mouth grew stronger. Sarah’s hand was still shaking. Her eyes were wide, as if she couldn’t believe I would say something so vicious. “Jason, have you lost your mind? That’s your own flesh and blood! How can you call him a bastard?” Ethan quickly wrapped his arms around Sarah’s shoulders, patting her back while looking at me with a pained expression. “Jason, you’ve gone too far! You can insult me, but how can you curse an unborn child? Don’t you know how much Sarah has sacrificed for this baby?” I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth, looking at Ethan’s hand resting on Sarah’s shoulder. Sarah didn’t pull away. She even leaned into his embrace, as if seeking support. In my previous life, I foolishly thought they were just teacher and devoted student. When Ethan walked her home every night, I would gratefully hand him a bottle of water. When Ethan was sick and Sarah stayed up all night caring for him, I would even bring over nutritional supplements. Turns out, in their eyes, I was the superfluous, oblivious third wheel. “Fine.” I spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva. “That slap, consider us even. From now on, we’re done.” With that, I turned to leave. Behind me came Sarah’s furious shout. “Go! Leave and don’t come back! I don’t believe you can keep up this act forever!” “Bad daddy’s leaving! Yay! Finally no one to bother our family of three!” “Mommy, don’t be angry. Ethan’s hugs will make it better!” That voice was like a curse drilling into my ears, each sentence striking my nerves. I forced myself through the heart-bursting pain, shuffling step by step out of the hospital entrance. If not to investigate the source of that eerie voice, if not to make this pair of adulterers pay, I would want to die right here and be done with it all. But I couldn’t. Even if I died, I’d drag them to hell with me. By the time I got home, it was completely dark. I collapsed on the sofa and fumbled for my pill bottle, hands shaking so badly I couldn’t even twist off the cap. Several white pills rolled onto the floor. I scrambled to pick them up and swallowed them dry. It wasn’t until after midnight that I heard the door lock. Sarah was home. Ethan had brought her back again. The two stood in the entryway. Ethan held her bag, his eyes ambiguous and suggestive. “Sarah, get some rest. Don’t waste energy being angry over someone like that. You have a major surgery tomorrow. I… I’ll always be here for you.” Sarah’s voice was unbearably soft. “You’ve had a long day too. Be careful on your way home. Message me when you get there.” This wasn’t a student and teacher. This was clearly lovers in the throes of romance. After Ethan left, Sarah changed her shoes and walked into the living room. Seeing me sitting in the darkness, she was clearly startled. Then she turned on the light. The harsh brightness made me instinctively close my eyes. “Didn’t die out there, huh?” She crossed her arms, looking down at me, her tone full of mockery. “I thought you had such a backbone, but in the end you still crawled back home?” I slowly opened my eyes and looked at her. “I’ll have my lawyer draft the divorce papers. Sign them tomorrow.” The air froze instantly. Sarah looked like she’d heard the biggest joke in the world. “Divorce? Jason, you’re threatening me with divorce? You think I’d be scared?” “I’m not threatening you.” I stated calmly. “I’m fulfilling your wishes. Since that unborn child wants Ethan as a father so badly, I’m making room for you.” “Shut your mouth!” Sarah’s nerve was hit. She grabbed the glass from the table and hurled it violently at the floor. Shards flew everywhere, cutting my ankle, but I felt no pain. “Stinky daddy! Bad daddy! How dare you bully mommy!” “Mommy, hit him! Beat him up! Ethan said men like that need to be taught a lesson!” Hearing the voice, the viciousness in Sarah’s eyes surged. She strode over and grabbed my collar. “You want a divorce? Not so easy! You slandered Ethan, cursed the baby-we haven’t settled that score yet! You think you can just walk away? Dream on!” At that moment, my heart convulsed violently. My vision went black instantly. I clutched my chest, gasping for air. The feeling of dying washed over me again. “Medicine… medicine…” I pointed at the pill bottle on the coffee table. Sarah watched coldly, not moving an inch. “Keep acting. Jason, it’s such a waste you’re not winning an Oscar. Just now you had the strength to bring up divorce, and now you’re dying? Is your heart disease intermittent or something?” Despair washed over me, cold as ice. I looked at her, feeling my heart grow colder than my body. Just as I thought I would die in front of her again, the doorbell suddenly rang. Ethan had returned. “Sarah, I left my phone… oh! What happened to Jason?” Ethan rushed in. Seeing my condition, his face immediately showed panic. He fumbled to pour a glass of water, grabbed some pills and shoved them in my mouth. “Jason, take your medicine quick! Sarah, really, even if Jason’s faking, you should play along. What if he’s so committed to the act that he actually hurts himself?” Water flowed down my throat. The pills dissolved. However, after just half a minute, not only did I feel no relief, my heart began racing wildly, as if it would burst through my chest. My blood boiled. My nerves went haywire. An extremely abnormal feverishness swept through my entire body. This wasn’t emergency medication! This was… some kind of stimulant! I stared with wide eyes at Ethan’s seemingly innocent face. He was carrying this kind of drug on him? Was he trying… to make me die directly from heart failure?

Jason POV “What did you… give me?” My entire body convulsed uncontrollably. Ethan looked aggrieved and backed up two steps, hiding behind Sarah. “Just the pills on the table! Jason, don’t scare me. Are you unhappy with how I fed them to you?” Sarah frowned, finally sensing something was wrong. She instinctively reached out her hand, wanting to check my carotid pulse. If her fingertips could just touch my skin and feel that explosive pulse, she would know the truth. Just a little bit closer. “Daddy’s acting again! He’s trying to scare Ethan!” “He’s framing Ethan, saying the medicine he gave has problems! So evil!” That damned voice rang out again! Sarah’s hand, extended halfway, stopped abruptly in midair, then jerked back. The trace of inquiry in her eyes instantly turned to extreme disgust. “Enough!” She shouted sternly. “Jason, to frame Ethan, you’re even lying about the medication? Those are your own pills. Ethan kindly helped you take them, and you’re turning it around on him?” My whole body trembled. My heart pounded like it would explode. My vision was filled with double images. The poison surged through my veins, but more poisonous than that was the human heart. Ethan hid behind her, a sinister smile curling at his lips, though his voice carried a sob. “Sarah, did I do something wrong? I shouldn’t have come back… If Jason gets angry enough to hurt himself because of me…” “It’s not your fault.” Sarah comforted him gently, then turned to me with that icy expression again. “Since you love acting so much, love faking heart disease, I’ll fulfill your wish.” She pulled out her phone and called emergency services. “Hello, send an ambulance. There’s a patient here with a heart attack. Since he says it’s so serious, take him back to the hospital. Operate immediately.” After hanging up, she looked down at me writhing in pain on the floor, her eyes flashing with a crazed light. “Jason, you say you have heart disease? Tonight, I’ll cut open your chest and let everyone see whether your heart is black or red, whether it’s rotten or just an act!” Twenty minutes later, I was wheeled into that familiar operating room again. The difference was, this time it was filled with a murderous atmosphere. There were no routine preoperative checks. Sarah directly dismissed the other medical staff. Only she, Ethan, and me lying on the table remained in the operating room. “Sarah, this… this isn’t proper protocol, right? Don’t we need an anesthesiologist? No monitoring?” Though Ethan said this, the excitement in his eyes couldn’t be hidden. Sarah put on her surgical gown while saying coldly. “He’s faking. What anesthesia? Give him a muscle relaxant so he can’t move. I want him to watch his lies get exposed while fully conscious.” My eyes widened in terror. Muscle relaxant! That meant my whole body would be paralyzed, unable to speak, yet I’d clearly feel every bit of pain from the knife! She wanted to kill me while I was alive! “Sarah… I’m really… you’ll regret this…” I roared with the last of my strength, but Ethan jabbed a syringe viciously into my neck. Cold liquid pushed into my body. A few seconds later, my tongue went numb. My limbs lost all sensation. I could only lie there like a fish waiting to be butchered, staring in despair at the pale ceiling. “Ethan, you do it.” Sarah handed him the scalpel. “Haven’t you always wanted surgical practice? Today’s a good opportunity. He won’t die anyway. This suffering is what he asked for.” Ethan took the knife, his hand even trembling with excitement. He walked up to me. Above his mask, his eyes curved into crescents. In a voice only I could hear, he whispered. “Jason, hang in there. This is the privilege Sarah gave me. After we cut you open, if there really is a disease, it’s accidental death. If there isn’t… well, you’ll be a cripple for the rest of your life.” “Yay! Ethan’s becoming a doctor! Mommy’s teaching Ethan surgery!” “Cut open bad daddy! See if his belly’s full of nasty stuff!” Sarah stood to the side, instructing. “Don’t be afraid. Keep the blade steady. Cut from the center of the sternum…” The cold blade touched my skin. Intense pain instantly swept through my nerves, but I couldn’t even scream. I could only watch helplessly as that knife slowly cut open my chest. Sarah, you’re so cruel. In another life, I’d rather never have met you. Tears slid from the corners of my eyes, mixing with blood. Just as my consciousness was slipping away from the pain, just as I thought history was about to repeat itself- BANG! A loud crash. The solid airlock door was kicked open violently from outside. A group of people suddenly rushed in.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “372747”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #重生Reborn #浪漫Romance

For seven years, I’ve been his wife hidden in the shadows. Our son is publicly denied as his “nephew.” To please his first love, he filled the house with deadly lily flowers. My six-year-old son was locked in that pollen-filled room and suffocated to death. When I rushed him to the hospital barely alive, my husband was accompanying that woman for an IV drip. In that moment, I personally sentenced this marriage to death. I disappeared with my child, and he knelt begging me to come back, trying to atone with everything he had. But he didn’t know. The day he knelt down, I had already decided to make him spend the rest of his life paying for my son’s final breath. Jade’s POV “Mr. Carter, and this is…?” “She’s my assistant. That kid is my relative, staying at my place temporarily.” When Damien Carter introduced me to the client, his tone was casual. I lowered my head, organizing documents without a word. In reality, we’d been married for seven years. That child was his biological son. Damien and I had a child after an accident. We’d kept the marriage a secret ever since. To the outside world, our son was just my relative. After the client left, the smile vanished from Damien’s face instantly. He slammed a contract onto the desk. “Jade Wilson, why is the amount in this contract missing a zero? Are you trying to cost the company tens of millions?” I picked up the contract and glanced at it. “This was the first draft prepared by Clara. I hadn’t gotten to review it yet before you rushed to show it to the client.” Damien frowned and looked over at Clara Hayes. Clara’s eyes were already red, standing there helplessly. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Carter… I’m so useless. I saw Jade was too busy and wanted to help share some of the workload. I didn’t expect to make such a mistake…” Her voice carried a sob, and her body trembled slightly. Damien’s stern expression immediately softened. He sighed, his tone helpless yet indulgent. “Alright, if you’re not sure about something, leave it alone. Next time, let Jade handle this kind of work. You just focus on making my coffee.” Clara smiled, responding sweetly. “Thank you, Mr. Carter. You’re so good to me.” I stood to the side and noticed the tie clip on Damien’s tie. It was shaped like a cartoon bear, crudely made, with paint even chipping off at the edges. This was something Clara had bought from a street vendor last week and given him-supposedly only five dollars. Meanwhile, the cufflinks I’d given him last month, worth six figures, were currently gathering dust in a pen holder in the corner of his desk. That was the difference. Anything from Clara was treasure, even if it was trash. Anything from me was trash, even if it was treasure. My phone vibrated in my pocket. I glanced at it-the nanny from home was calling. I walked to a corner to answer. The nanny’s anxious voice came through. “Mrs. Carter, Mason has a fever and keeps gasping for air. His chest is heaving badly. The doctor said before that he’s at risk for asthma-what should we do?” My heart seized. Mason was premature and frail. High fever triggering asthma could be life-threatening. After hanging up, I took a deep breath and turned toward Damien. “Mr. Carter, I need to take leave.” Damien was teaching Clara how to identify coffee beans, his head still lowered. “The company’s busy. Request denied.” “Mason has a high fever of 103 degrees and may be showing signs of asthma. I have to take him to the hospital immediately.” I tried to keep my voice calm. Hearing Mason’s name, Damien finally looked up. But there was no concern in his eyes. Only impatience. “Sick again? Last week it was coughing, this week it’s a fever. Jade, are you using that kid as an excuse to skip work?” I clenched my fists. “This time it’s serious. The nanny says he can’t breathe properly…” “Ah!” A scream cut off my words. Damien whipped around to see Clara covering the back of her hand, the freshly brewed coffee spilled all over the desk. “What happened?” Damien rushed over and grabbed her hand. Clara’s eyes filled with tears. “The water was too hot, I couldn’t hold it… Mr. Carter, am I useless?” A small red spot appeared on the back of her hand-not even a blister. Yet Damien looked as panicked as if the sky were falling. He immediately shouted outside. “Get the burn ointment! Hurry!” After shouting, he seemed to think it wasn’t enough and grabbed his car keys directly. “No, we need to go to the hospital. Can’t let it scar.” With that, he pulled Clara toward the exit, completely forgetting I was still standing there waiting for him to approve my leave. I blocked his path. “Damien, Mason is at home waiting to be saved! Are you going to abandon your own son over this tiny injury of hers?” Damien stopped and looked at me coldly. “Jade, Clara got injured making coffee for me. That’s a work-related injury. As for your nephew…” He paused, his tone mocking. “If he has a fever, call a doctor. I’m not fever medication. Go home yourself and stop making a scene here.” He shoved me aside and strode away with Clara protectively. “Damien, you care about me the most…” Clara’s coquettish voice drifted from the hallway. I stumbled back two steps from the push, my lower back hitting the desk corner painfully. But I couldn’t feel the pain. Because my phone rang again. The nanny sent a video. In the video, my six-year-old son’s face was flushed red with fever, his mouth open as he struggled to breathe, his hand clutching a drawing tightly. The drawing showed a faceless man holding his hand. The nanny sent a text message. “Mason keeps calling for daddy, asking when daddy will come home.” Watching the video, tears finally streamed down my face. I wiped my tears and replied to the nanny. “Call an ambulance. Tell Mason that daddy is dead. From now on, only mommy will be with him.” I threw the unfinished documents on the desk into the trash and turned to leave the company. Watching Damien’s Maybach speed away into the distance, the last trace of hesitation in my heart disappeared.

Jade’s POV After leaving the company, I went straight to the hospital. Outside the emergency room, the nanny was pacing anxiously. Seeing me, she finally breathed a sigh of relief. “Jade, you’re finally here! Mason just had a nebulizer treatment. The doctor said we got him here just in time-if we’d been half an hour later and he’d suffocated, it would’ve been serious.” Through the glass window, I saw Mason’s small body curled up on the hospital bed, an oxygen tube in his nose, sleeping restlessly. My heart felt like it was being pierced by needles. I sent the nanny home to rest and stayed by the bedside myself. My phone pinged with a message from Damien. “Clara has a blister on her hand. I’m staying with her for the IV drip. Won’t be home tonight.” Looking at that cold line of text, I finally remembered what day it was. Today was our seventh wedding anniversary. For this day, I’d made a reservation at a famous Michelin-starred restaurant half a month ago and even sent Damien a reminder message. At the time, he’d replied with one word. “Okay.” Now it seemed he’d completely forgotten. I smiled and didn’t reply, just turned off my phone. Mason woke up once in the middle of the night. His fever had gone down a bit. The first thing he said when he opened his eyes was. “Mommy, did daddy come?” My hand pausing while peeling an apple stopped. Looking at the hopeful look in the child’s eyes, I couldn’t bring myself to say the word “dead.” I could only lie. “Daddy’s working. He’s far away making money for Mason’s medical treatment.” The light in Mason’s eyes dimmed instantly. He lowered his head, fidgeting with his fingers. “Other kids have their daddies with them. I want daddy too.” I put down the knife and gently hugged him. “I’m sorry. It’s my fault.” Mason considerately patted my back. “It’s okay, mommy. Having you is enough.” In that moment, I made a decision. I would take Mason away from here, to a place without Damien Carter. Zurich, Switzerland. There was the best asthma rehabilitation center there, and the peace I’d longed for. The next morning, Mason’s condition stabilized. I completed the discharge procedures and took him home. As soon as we entered the house, I smelled a strong fragrance. It was the scent of lilies. I frowned. Mason had a sensitive respiratory system and couldn’t tolerate this kind of irritating floral scent. On the coffee table in the living room sat a large bouquet of blooming stargazer lilies. Damien was sitting on the sofa, holding a pink scarf and looking at it. It was Clara’s. Seeing us return, he didn’t even look up, just asked casually. “Fever gone?” His tone was as flat as if he were asking about the weather. I ignored him and immediately took the vase of lilies out to the balcony, closing the door to block the scent. Only then did Damien put down the scarf and look at me with displeasure. “What are you doing? Those are flowers Clara gave me, saying it was to thank me for staying with her yesterday.” “Mason can’t tolerate that scent. It makes him cough.” I said. Damien scoffed. “How can he be that delicate? I think you’ve just spoiled this kid. He has no masculine spirit at all.” I didn’t want to argue with him. I took Mason’s hand and headed to our room. But Damien suddenly stood up and tossed an exquisite gift box at me. “Take this.” I caught it reflexively. “Since the fever’s gone, stop looking so gloomy. This is compensation for you.” Compensation? I opened the box. Inside was a necklace. I’d actually seen this exact same style on Clara’s Instagram yesterday. The caption read. “Mr. Carter has such good taste. Though this style doesn’t suit me, he insisted on buying it. Wonder who he’s planning to give it to?” Seeing my silence, Damien said impatiently. “Get ready. The day after tomorrow, the company’s having a team-building trip to the water park. Bring the kid along.” I looked up sharply. “Water park?” “Yes. Clara said she wants some excitement. Everyone’s bringing family members. I told them you’re a relative staying with your kid at my place. You need to come too. Don’t embarrass me in front of the employees.” I looked at his matter-of-fact expression and felt cold all over. “I’m not going.” My refusal was firm. “Why not?” Damien frowned. “Mason is afraid of water.” I stared into his eyes, enunciating each word. “When he was three, you were playing on your phone by the pool and he nearly drowned. He’s had a phobia of deep water ever since. Have you forgotten?” Damien froze for a moment. Then he waved his hand dismissively. “That was so long ago and you’re still bringing it up? How can a boy be so timid? This is a perfect chance for him to practice courage. It’s settled then. We leave at eight the day after tomorrow.” With that, he grabbed his car keys and left without looking back. “Clara’s still waiting for me downstairs. I’m going to drive her to work.” The moment the door closed, I threw the necklace into the trash.

Jade’s POV The water park was a new project invested in by Carter Corporation this year. It hadn’t officially opened to the public yet-this team-building event was essentially an internal trial run. On departure day, the sky was somewhat overcast. Mason gripped my hand tightly. Before we even entered the gates, his little face had already turned pale. “Mommy, I don’t want to go in… Water is scary.” I crouched down, adjusting his collar, my voice gentle and soothing. “Don’t be afraid. Mommy will stay with you the whole time. We’ll just sit on the shore and won’t go in the water.” Only then did Mason reluctantly nod, shrinking behind me like a frightened little quail. As soon as we entered the park, I saw Damien surrounded by a group of executives and employees. He wore a white casual T-shirt today, looking young and handsome. Standing beside him, Clara wore a bright yellow bikini with a transparent sun protection jacket over it. Her figure was on full display as she clung intimately to Damien’s arm, laughing happily. Anyone who didn’t know better would think they were the married couple. “Mr. Carter, your assistant is here.” Someone with sharp eyes spotted me. Everyone’s gaze immediately converged. Damien turned around. Seeing Mason hiding behind me, his brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. “Since you’re here, find somewhere to stay. Don’t wander around.” His tone was cold and distant, as if he really were speaking to an unfamiliar relative. A new administrative supervisor nearby asked curiously. “Mr. Carter, who’s this child? He actually looks a bit like you, especially around the eyes and brows.” My heart jumped. Mason did resemble Damien. This used to be what I was most proud of. The air went quiet for a moment. Damien seemed to hear a joke and scoffed, then spoke carelessly. “How could he look like me? He’s her nephew.” He pointed at me, then at Mason, his eyes carrying a trace of disdain. “No one at home to watch him, so he’s staying at my place temporarily. After all, we’re relatives-I help where I can.” Sounds of sudden understanding immediately rose around us. “Oh, so he’s a relative staying temporarily. Mr. Carter is so kindhearted.” “Exactly. Jade is really lucky to have Mr. Carter as both boss and relative.” The administrative supervisor quickly backtracked too. “Looking more carefully, he really doesn’t look like you. This child seems a bit timid-nothing like Mr. Carter’s presence.” I felt Mason’s body behind me stiffen sharply. Though he was only six, he wasn’t stupid. He slowly peeked out from behind me, looking at that tall man surrounded by the crowd, his eyes gradually reddening. He asked me in a small voice. “Mommy, why did daddy say I’m his nephew? What’s a nephew?” My heart felt like someone had wrung it violently. I covered his ears, forcing back tears as I whispered. “Daddy’s just joking with other people. Mason, be good. Don’t listen.” Mason sniffled and buried his head against my leg, refusing to look at Damien again. “All right everyone, go have fun! Everything’s on me today!” Damien waved his hand grandly, and the crowd cheered and dispersed. Clara pulled Damien toward the largest wave pool. “Mr. Carter, I want to play that one! Will you protect me?” Damien nodded indulgently. “Sure, whatever you want.” They walked away with laughter and chatter. Not a single person noticed me and Mason in the corner. I took Mason to find a lounge chair away from the crowds. It was quiet here. We could only hear distant screams from the wave pool. Mason hugged his knees, staring blankly at the distant water. “Mommy, I don’t like this place.” “Okay, we’ll sit for a bit then leave.” I was just about to take Mason away from this place of trouble when Damien suddenly appeared before us. He was soaking wet, clearly just out of the water, holding two ice cream cones. “Here.” He held out the ice cream. I froze, about to refuse, when he added. “Clara bought too many and can’t finish them. Waste to throw them away. Give them to the kid.” Leftovers again. Mason looked at the melting ice cream and shook his head. “I don’t want it.” Damien’s expression darkened. “Why are you so rude? I’m giving you something and you’re picky?” “Mason’s cough hasn’t fully recovered. He can’t have cold things.” I coldly blocked it for the child. “And these are someone else’s leftovers. We don’t want them.” Having his face rejected, Damien grew somewhat angry. “Jade Wilson, is this how you teach a child? No manners at all.” Just then, Clara’s voice called out from the distance. “Mr. Carter! Come quick! The slide over here is so thrilling!” She stood at the edge of the deep water area, waving excitedly. Damien’s expression changed completely. He responded and turned to leave. Before leaving, as if remembering something, he pointed to the nearby shallow children’s pool. “Since you’re here, take him in to play. Stop letting him hide on shore like a girl.” With that, he strode toward Clara.

Jade’s POV Of course I didn’t listen to Damien and take Mason into the water. I was packing up our things to leave with Mason when Clara somehow appeared. She held a huge inflatable unicorn, her smile so sweet it was almost blinding. “Jade, leaving so soon? Mr. Carter specifically asked me to come keep Mason company.” She bent down, trying to take Mason’s hand. Mason warily shrank back, dodging her touch. Clara’s smile stiffened for a moment, then she looked toward Damien in the distance talking with executives, her expression aggrieved. “Doesn’t this child like me? I even brought this unicorn especially for him to play with.” As she spoke, she shoved the giant unicorn toward Mason. The unicorn was too large and blocked Mason’s view directly. Mason instinctively stepped back, not realizing he was right at the edge of the children’s pool. Though the children’s pool wasn’t deep, for a child with extreme fear of water, any water was hell. Mason’s foot slipped, and his entire body fell backward into the water. Splash. Though the water only came up to Mason’s waist, he was already terrified. The memory of nearly drowning at age three instantly attacked his brain. He didn’t stand up. Instead, he thrashed desperately in the shallow water, arms and legs flailing wildly, as if trying to cough all the air from his lungs. “Help! Mommy! Help!” His shrill cries instantly pierced through the noisy crowd. My head buzzed. I threw down my bag and rushed over like a madwoman, jumping into the water without even removing my shoes. “Mason! I’m here! Don’t be afraid!” I scooped up Mason, soaking wet and trembling violently, from the water and held him tightly. He was shaking. Shaking violently. His face was deathly pale, lips purple, eyes unfocused, only able to repeat. “Don’t let me drown… Don’t let me drown…” It was a stress response. My heart was breaking. I patted his back, tears streaming uncontrollably. “It’s okay now, it’s okay. Mommy’s taking you home.” The shore filled with people, everyone pointing and whispering. “What’s wrong with this kid? Water this shallow and he’s this scared?” “Too pampered, right? How will a boy like this manage in the future?” Clara stood on shore, still holding that unicorn, covering her mouth with an innocent expression. “Oh my god, I didn’t mean to… I just wanted to give him the toy. I didn’t expect him to be so timid he couldn’t even stand steady.” At this moment, Damien finally pushed through the crowd. He glanced at Mason, soaking wet and still trembling, his brow furrowing into a line. But he didn’t come comfort the child first, nor did he blame Clara. Instead, he turned to look at me, his tone full of impatience and disgust. “Jade Wilson, can you not embarrass yourself in public?” I looked up sharply, staring at him deadly. “Embarrassing? Mason is this terrified and all you care about is embarrassment?” Damien snorted coldly. “The water’s only half a meter deep. He could’ve just stood up and been fine. All that wailing and carrying on-what does it look like! This is exactly the problem you’ve spoiled him into having. No resilience at all.” As he spoke, he reached out to pull Clara protectively behind him, still comforting the actual culprit. “Clara, don’t blame yourself. He lost his footing on his own-it has nothing to do with you. You were just being nice trying to play with him.” Clara fell into his embrace right on cue, tears coming instantly. “Mr. Carter, I was so scared… I didn’t expect this child to react so strongly. Should I not have approached him?” “Of course not.” Damien patted her back. “He’s just too withdrawn. It’s not your fault.” Holding Mason who was still convulsing, listening to this conversation that twisted black into white, the last trace of hope I had for this man completely turned to ash. “Damien Carter.” I called his name. “You’re going to regret this.” Damien looked at me with disdain. “Regret? Regret what? Regret not throwing this kid in the deep end to practice his courage?” I didn’t engage with him further. I took off my jacket, wrapped it around Mason, picked him up and turned to leave. Behind me came Clara’s sweet voice. “Mr. Carter, my legs are weak, I can’t walk…” “Then I’ll carry you.” Sounds of teasing rose around us. Holding Mason, I walked out of the water park step by step. Mason gradually calmed in my arms, though he kept hiccupping. He buried his head in the crook of my neck and said quietly. “Mommy, I don’t want daddy anymore.” I answered him softly. “Okay. We don’t want him anymore.” After returning home, Mason developed a high fever that night. This time was even more severe than the last. He cried out in his dreams, not wanting to go in the water. I stayed up with him all night until dawn when the fever finally subsided slightly. At six in the morning, I took out the divorce agreement I’d printed long ago and signed my name. Without a moment’s hesitation. At seven, sounds came from the front door. Damien had returned. Reeking of alcohol, he’d obviously gone drinking after the team-building ended. Seeing me sitting on the living room sofa, he paused, then frowned. “Sitting here first thing in the morning trying to scare people?” I stood up and placed the signed divorce agreement on the coffee table, pushing it toward him. “Sign it.” Damien glanced at the document title and scoffed. He casually tossed his jacket aside, as if he’d heard the biggest joke. “Jade Wilson, what game are you playing now? Still throwing a tantrum over yesterday?” I looked at him. “I’m serious. Mason and I have had enough of this house.”

Jade’s POV Damien finally looked at the agreement properly. But the emotion in his eyes was anger at being challenged. “Jade Wilson, do you think I’ve been too lenient with you lately?” He advanced step by step. “Seven years of marriage-what have I done wrong by you? I gave you the title of Mrs. Carter. What more do you want besides making it public?” “Want love? Or want me to coddle you the way I do Clara?” He laughed coldly and picked up the agreement, tearing it in half. “If you leave the Carter family, where can you go?” I watched the torn paper scatter on the floor, my heart like still water. “That’s not for Mr. Carter to worry about.” I turned to go back to the room to check on Mason. Damien grabbed my wrist. “Think you can leave before we’re done talking?” His grip was strong, painfully tight. Just then, a childish but angry shout came from the stairway. “Let go of my mommy!” Mason had woken up at some point. Standing on the stairs in his pajamas, he clutched a toy tightly in his hands. Damien looked up, his brow tightly furrowed. “Adults are talking. What are you interrupting for? Go back to your room.” Mason didn’t move. Those eyes so similar to Damien’s were filled with hostility for the first time. “You’re a bad person! You’re bullying mommy! I don’t want you as my daddy!” That sentence was like stepping on Damien’s tail. He released me and strode up the stairs, looking at Mason. “What did you say? I’m a bad person? I provide your food and clothes, let you live in a big house, and this is how you talk to your father?” Mason stepped back in fear but still stubbornly held his head high. “You let that person push me in the water! You didn’t save me! You’re a bad daddy!” The crisp sound of a slap echoed through the empty villa. Both Mason and I froze. Damien’s hand hung in midair, seemingly surprised he’d actually struck. Mason covered his face, looking at him in disbelief. Large tears rolled down but he made no sound crying. That look was one of complete disappointment and severance. I went crazy and rushed up, shoving Damien aside hard, pulling Mason tightly into my arms. “Damien Carter! Have you lost your mind?! He’s only six years old!” Damien stumbled from my push, a flash of regret crossing his face, quickly covered by forced pride. “He was disrespectful first! I’m teaching him manners!” “Manners?” I trembled with rage. “Your manners mean embarrassing your son in public? Spending time with your mistress when he’s sick? Hitting him?” “Jade Wilson!” Damien shouted to silence me. “Don’t make it sound so ugly! What mistress? Clara is…” The doorbell rang abruptly, interrupting the argument. Damien irritably tugged at his tie and turned to go downstairs to answer the door. The door opened. Clara stood at the entrance with two suitcases, her face bright with smiles. “Damien, good morning! I’m not interrupting, am I?” She peered inside and happened to see Mason and me in our disheveled state on the stairs. She covered her mouth in surprise. “What happened? Should I not have come?” Damien’s expression instantly softened. He took the suitcases from Clara’s hands and stepped aside to let her in. “Why are you here so early?” Clara changed into slippers and intimately linked her arm through his. “My air conditioning broke. It’s so hot. Your place is much more comfortable.” Then she turned to look at me, her eyes full of provocation. “Jade, sorry to intrude. Mr. Carter said I could move in temporarily for a few days to help take care of things. You don’t mind, do you?” I looked at Damien, waiting for his explanation. But he only avoided my gaze and said flatly. “Clara hasn’t been well lately. I don’t feel comfortable with her living alone. The house has plenty of rooms anyway. Clean up the guest room for her.” “No need to clean up the guest room.” Holding Mason, I descended the stairs step by step. “You can have the master bedroom. Mason and I are moving out right now.”

Jade’s POV Hearing I was moving out, Damien hadn’t responded yet when Clara let out an exclamation first. “What are you doing? If you don’t welcome me, I’ll leave right now.” She made a show of pulling her suitcase, tears welling in her eyes, looking as if she’d suffered the greatest injustice. Damien immediately pressed down on her hand, looking at me with furrowed brows, his eyes full of reproach. “Jade Wilson, have you made enough of a scene? Clara is just staying for a few days. Do you have to make everyone unhappy to be satisfied?” I ignored them and headed straight for the door with Mason’s hand in mine. The luggage had been packed long ago, stored in the entrance cabinet. Two black suitcases containing all of Mason’s and my belongings from these seven years. Pitifully few. Seeing those two cases, Damien froze for a moment. He blocked the doorway. “Where are you going? This early in the morning, where can you take the kid?” “That’s not for Mr. Carter to worry about.” I looked at him. “Move aside.” Damien didn’t budge. Instead, he laughed coldly. “Jade, you think threatening me by running away from home will work?”I understand. I’ll continue translating from where the previous section ended, maintaining exact sequential order. — “Cards?” I pulled out that supplementary card from my bag, snapped it in half right in front of him, and threw it on the ground. “Damien, I don’t want your money. All these years, I’ve kept accounts of every cent of household expenses. Here’s the ledger.” I slapped a thick account book against his chest. Damien instinctively caught it and flipped it open. The pages were densely packed with spending records from the past seven years. Detailed down to every loaf of bread, every pack of tissues. Even Mason’s medical expenses from each illness were separately marked as loans. His face instantly turned iron-grey. “What are you trying to say? Keeping such detailed accounts with me? What do you take me for?” “A creditor.” I looked directly into his eyes. “Now the debt is cleared. Between us, only divorce remains.” I pulled another divorce agreement from my bag. This was the backup copy I’d printed last night. “It doesn’t matter that you tore up the other one. I have this. Damien Carter, sign it.” Damien stared at that black-and-white document, his chest heaving violently. Clara stood to the side, watching this scene spiral out of control. Her eyes rolled, then she suddenly clutched her chest and collapsed. “Damien, my chest hurts so much… Is my low blood sugar acting up again…” Damien’s attention was instantly diverted. He caught Clara, his voice changing pitch with anxiety. “What’s wrong? Did you skip breakfast? Quick, go lie down on the sofa!” Taking advantage of his distraction helping Clara, I pulled my suitcase and led Mason around them, pushing open the front door. The morning sunlight was somewhat blinding. “Stop right there!” Damien roared from behind. “Jade, if you dare walk out that door today, even if you come crawling back begging me on your knees, I’ll never let you through it again!” My steps didn’t falter. I only turned my head slightly. “Damien Carter, those are exactly the words I want to say to you.” “From now on, even if you kneel yourself to death in front of me, I won’t spare you a single glance.” The door slammed shut with a bang. Mason gripped my hand tightly and looked up to ask me. “Mommy, are we really free now?” I looked at the child’s face, where the swelling from the slap hadn’t yet subsided, and crouched down with a pang of heartache, kissing his forehead. “Yes, Mason. We’re free.” Getting into the taxi, I gave an address. It was a five-star hotel in the city center. The visa and plane tickets to Switzerland still needed a week to process. We’d find a place to stay first. After settling in, I took Mason to the hotel restaurant for a meal. Mason was taking big bites of his sandwich when he suddenly asked me. “Mommy, when are we going to Switzerland?” I stroked his head. “Next week. Mommy already bought the plane tickets.” “Then… can we get a cat in Switzerland?” “Of course we can.” “And we won’t have to see that bad person anymore?” I smiled. “Never again.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “372746”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #重生Reborn #浪漫Romance

I’m a professional organizer, and I’d just accepted an urgent job at a high-end apartment. A woman with flushed cheeks opened the door, reeking of sweet perfume. “Oh, I’m so sorry, I haven’t had time to tidy up yet…” I smiled and nodded, following her inside. The decor and furniture layout were almost identical to my own home. I was just marveling at how this client and I shared the same taste when the heavy scent of sex from the bedroom hit me. The sheets were tangled, with obvious stains—clearly, they’d had intense sex recently. The woman leaned against the doorframe, looking bashful: “My husband has such a strong sex drive. We went at it all night yesterday. Don’t be shocked.” I nodded: “That’s normal. My husband and I have been through the same thing.” Then, while organizing the back of the closet, I pulled out a belt. My expression froze instantly. This was a belt I’d handmade a year ago, one of a kind in the world. It was the gift I’d given my husband for our anniversary.

I’d made this belt at Nathan’s specific request—he wanted something unique as a gift. The patterns on it were designs Nathan had drawn himself, which I’d then sewn on stitch by stitch. He’d said it symbolized our ten years of love. But not long after, Nathan had guiltily told me the belt had gone missing. I’d thought he was just careless and made him a new one. “Mrs. Wilson, is there something wrong with this belt? You’ve been staring at it for a while.” Leah had appeared behind me at some point, pulling me from my thoughts. I clenched my fists, suppressing my emotions, forcing out a smile: “This belt hasn’t been used in so long, the color’s gotten dull.” Leah glanced at the belt dismissively, then said as if remembering something amusing: “His wife made this belt for him by hand. I coaxed him a bit and he gave it to me…” Leah waved her hand, gesturing for me to take the belt and throw it away. I packed the belt into my bag and continued organizing her things. When I opened the nightstand drawer, I found over a dozen boxes of condoms neatly arranged inside. Because Nathan was allergic to latex, he could only use this one expensive specialty brand. And this specialty brand was something I had a factory friend produce exclusively for me. No one but me had access to purchase these. So all of these had been stolen from our home by Nathan, one by one. The thought of my husband having sex with another woman on this bed made acid rise in my stomach, churning constantly. What should have been a two-hour job, I dragged out to five hours due to my scattered attention. Leah looked at the closet I’d organized so neatly and praised me enthusiastically: “My husband loves this kind of meticulous organization. He says his wife at home is rigid, but she’s definitely good at housework.” “Looking at you, you’re no worse than her.” Leah looked up and saw my shocked expression, then smiled knowingly: “I’m his mistress. It’s pretty common these days, isn’t it?” I hadn’t expected her question. My throat felt like it had a fishbone stuck in it. Seeing I didn’t respond, Leah didn’t feel awkward and continued her monologue: “His wife is domineering. At home, he always feels like a controlled child. Only with me can he experience real masculine conquest.” Leah’s words triggered my memories. Because of my work, I kept our home meticulously organized too. What he wore to work each day, from his suit down to his socks—I managed everything. I just wanted him to leave looking perfect, but in his eyes, this had become a form of control. Suddenly, the smart lock chimed cheerfully. Leah jumped up excitedly and rushed to the entrance: “It must be him! He got away from that witch so early today!” I stood in the shadows, watching Nathan push through the door. He wore the suit I’d ironed smooth for him that morning, carrying a bouquet of bright red roses. The gentle smile I knew so well hung on his face. But that smile hadn’t stayed there more than a few seconds before his peripheral vision caught my figure. “Iris…?”

The air was silent for a full half minute. The panic in Nathan’s eyes flashed for only an instant before he forcibly suppressed it. He slowly unbuttoned his suit jacket and walked toward me. “Didn’t you promise me you’d let your employees take jobs? Why are you still taking appointments yourself? Are you tired?” His tone was so natural, as if he were just asking about a trivial matter. I watched him quietly. Nathan’s eyes flickered away, then he explained: “I’m just taking care of her like a sister, don’t overthink it.” I asked back: “Taking care of a sister requires bringing her roses?” “That’s just politeness.” He was still making excuses, so I pulled out that belt that symbolized our ridiculous love. Nathan’s pupils contracted when he saw the belt. He was silent for a while, realizing he couldn’t talk his way out: “Iris, in front of you, I’m always that poor boy who needed your support, who needed you working three jobs to support me.” “But Leah is different. Without me, she’d starve. She needs me.” “You can understand that, right?” I understood him too well. When we’d just graduated from college, inexperienced Nathan couldn’t find work. His pride wouldn’t let him do dirty, exhausting jobs. I’d nodded understandingly, then went out and found three jobs to support him for over half a year. Later, when his career took off and he needed a presentable wife, I’d nodded understandingly and transitioned from hands-on organizing to managing employees behind the scenes. I’d thought no one understood him better than I did. Never imagining I could no longer understand the boy who once loved me desperately. Leah’s eyes darted between the two of us. She immediately grasped the situation, and seeing Nathan’s somewhat guilty expression, a sharp edge flashed in her eyes. At some point, my eyes had filled with tears. Seeing my tears, a trace of guilt crossed Nathan’s eyes. But before he could speak, a sharp scream interrupted him. “Nathan! I’m bleeding!!!” Nathan rushed out almost reflexively. He didn’t even look back at me, swaying unsteadily. He gently checked Leah’s injury—just a finger scratched by the sofa, with a tiny bit of blood. Leah cried pitifully, truly worthy of sympathy. “Nathan, it hurts so much!” Watching Leah act coy and seek affection, I could understand why Nathan was so bewitched by her. After all, after being cared for by me for so long, the novelty of someone needing his care outweighed our ten years together. I raised my hand and wiped the tears from my eyes. I took a garbage bag from my toolbox. Calmly, I packed everything Nathan had stolen from home into the garbage bag. Including the specialty condoms, and that utterly ridiculous belt. Then I put on my most professional smile and looked at Leah: “Ms. Martinez, I’ve finished organizing your home. Thank you for your support.” “I’ll take care of this useless garbage for you. No need to thank me.” I shook the garbage bag in my hand, my peripheral vision catching that Nathan was now wearing the new belt I’d made for him. I grabbed the scissors and snipped his belt right off with one cut. I pulled his belt free. “This garbage—I’ll throw it away too.” Some garbage needs to be cleared out promptly, including people. I ignored Nathan’s furious shouting behind me and walked past them out of this foul-smelling house.

I felt a bit dazed when I got home. Everything in the house was arranged by my own hands. I opened the closet, looking at each neatly ironed suit. Before, I would have been satisfied with my work. Now I grabbed scissors and cut each suit to shreds. This home no longer needed to be organized. I called Dylan, the company’s finance manager. I had him send me all the company’s accounts from recent years. Because of my wealthy family background, my parents had never approved of my marriage to Nathan. They’d looked down on him as a poor boy without proper family background to match mine. But it was this poor boy I’d been willing to sever ties with my family to follow. My head felt fuzzy. I touched my forehead—burning hot. Made sense. After a busy day plus emotional upheaval, it would be strange not to have a fever. I forced myself to take fever medicine before lying down on the bed. At ten that night, Nathan came home. Seeing the house somewhat messy, he couldn’t help but click his tongue. Normally, I would clean up before going to bed. Nathan opened the bedroom door and found me with a bright red face from fever. His tone carried rare urgency: “Iris? How did you get such a high fever? Did you take medicine?” He knelt by the bed without even removing his suit jacket, checking my condition. Seeing me delirious with fever, he got up to make warm milk, then carefully wrung out a towel and folded it on my forehead to reduce the fever. I struggled to open my eyes. The concern in his eyes seemed ready to overflow. This made me feel disoriented. Watching his busy figure, it was as if he were still the Nathan who only loved me deeply. I remembered when I’d been sick before—he’d abandoned the finals of an entrepreneurship competition without hesitation, carrying me all the way to the emergency room. His startup project had been highly regarded by the judges. If he’d participated in the finals, there was a strong chance a major company would have invested directly. But because of me, he’d given it up. So I felt somewhat guilty toward him. That’s why when Nathan was at his wit’s end, I’d swallowed my pride and begged my parents to help him. That’s how we got the Nathan of today. A phone ringtone interrupted my thoughts. Nathan answered without hesitation. I heard Leah’s voice: “Nathan, I got my period. It hurts so much without you rubbing my stomach.” Nathan quickly lowered his voice to soothe Leah on the other end: “Don’t worry, I’ll be right there.” As soon as he hung up, he moved to leave, but then remembered I was still lying weakly in bed. He hesitated for a few seconds, then with trembling hands tucked the blanket around me. “I’ll be back soon.” Not a single explanation before he left. He didn’t come back all night.

I woke up the next morning, the fever still stubbornly refusing to break. The room was dead silent. I opened my phone—not a single message. I forced myself through my physical exhaustion, got up, and collected everything belonging to Nathan as garbage to throw away. Suddenly I got a call from the police. I answered with some confusion: “Mrs. Wilson, someone has reported that you stole from them. Please come to the station to cooperate with the investigation.” I had a bad feeling, but with a clear conscience, I quickly changed into casual clothes and left. At the station, I saw Leah. The police brought Leah and me to the interview room for detailed questioning. “Ms. Martinez called to report that you stole her diamond ring when you went to organize their home yesterday. Is this true?” My pupils contracted as I stared at Leah in shock. But Leah looked at me with a pitiful expression: “Mrs. Wilson, please give it back! That’s my family’s heirloom diamond ring, worth a hundred thousand dollars!” I turned to explain my professional nature to the police: “I’ve done this work for so many years. I wouldn’t lack such basic professional ethics. And yesterday when I was organizing, Leah was watching me the entire time.” The police looked at Leah. Leah immediately played innocent: “I was watching, but if you used some sleight of hand to steal it, I wouldn’t see that!” I was about to continue defending myself when Nathan pushed through the door. He saw my pale face and knew my fever hadn’t broken. He was about to walk toward me when Leah stopped him. Seeing Nathan, Leah acted like she’d seen her savior and immediately pulled Nathan into her camp. “My husband can testify too!” “Yesterday she angrily cut my husband’s belt, said it was garbage, and took it away! How can someone so emotional have any professionalism?” Nathan met the police’s questioning gaze, hesitated for a few seconds, then nodded. “Yes, my wife’s diamond ring is indeed missing.” In this moment, my heart turned completely cold. Leah raised her face toward me triumphantly: “Mrs. Wilson, I won’t make things difficult for you. Just compensate me for the original price and we can settle this privately.” So this was Leah’s plan all along—to extort money from me. I didn’t cry or make a scene refusing to comply as Leah expected. Instead, I pulled out a card and handed it over. “The money in this card should be enough for your ring.” Nathan and Leah froze in place. One hadn’t expected me to comply so readily. The other hadn’t expected me to have so much money. Nathan’s throat tightened: “Where did you get so much money?” In his view, my work was just tidying up houses for others—no different from a housekeeper in his eyes. How could a maid possibly have a hundred thousand in savings? And Leah had wanted to see me cry and make a scene when I couldn’t produce the money, but I’d compromised so easily. Leah hesitantly accepted my card. I curved my lips in a smile. After all, my money wasn’t so easy to take. Then Nathan’s phone rang. “Mr. Reed! This is bad—Wilson Group suddenly withdrew all funding. Our project has stopped due to lack of money!” “Now we’ve delayed the timeline, and our partners are all demanding to terminate contracts!” Nathan was overwhelmed by call after call. I pulled a termination letter from my pocket and threw it right in Nathan’s face. After reading what was on it, Nathan stared at me with shocked, disbelieving eyes.

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Chapter 1 In the ER, the doctor urgently asked us: “What kind of venomous snake bit him? We need to know exactly so we can call in the right antivenom!” I was just about to speak when my roommate, looking panicked, blurted out first: “It was a banded krait! A-a banded krait!” Everyone’s faces turned deathly pale. When we came back to the dorms after winter break, he had secretly started keeping exotic pets. One of his venomous snakes slipped out and bit my buddy who slept in the bottom bunk. We ran like crazy to get him to the hospital. A minute later and he might not have made it. The doctor was desperate to confirm the species so they could use the antivenom to save his life. But my roommate always loved playing pranks. We were dying of anxiety, yet he kept changing his story, refusing to tell the truth. Watching him dramatically rub his temples, pretending he couldn’t remember, I was shaking with anger. Jason was notorious for his practical jokes. No matter what the situation was, he had to mess with people, never stopping until he had someone on the verge of tears. When people got angry, he’d just brush it off with a breezy: “I was just messing with you, do you have to be so sensitive?” But right now, a life was on the line. This was no time for jokes. Tyler had fallen into a coma after being bitten by his venomous snake. They had to confirm the species to administer the antivenom. Every passing second could cost him his life. Sure enough, hearing Jason’s words, the doctor’s expression instantly grew grim. “I need you to confirm again. What exact species of venomous snake bit him?” Jason furrowed his brow tightly, then shook his head and crouched on the floor. I was frantic. I grabbed him by the collar. “Stop messing around! Tell the doctor what kind of snake it is right now! Are you trying to kill Tyler?!” Tears welled up in his eyes, and he said through gritted teeth: “It’s a cobra! Definitely a cobra!” My other roommate and I exchanged a look and let out a long sigh of relief. The doctor also looked relieved and immediately told the nurse to prepare the corresponding antivenom. Just as the nurse was about to leave, Jason suddenly spoke up. “Wait!” “I think I remembered wrong… is it really a cobra…” Holding the unconscious Tyler, our faces drained of color from the sheer panic. “Jason! Stop with the pranks! We’re trying to save his life!” “The doctor has to know the exact species to give him the meds. If you delay this any longer, it really will be too late!” Hearing this, Jason actually smiled nonchalantly. “What prank? I’m just worried that if I remember wrong, it’ll hurt him instead!” “Let me think… nope, it’s definitely a cobra!” People around us started looking over, whispering among themselves. “Secretly keeping a venomous snake and then talking nonsense, isn’t he trying to get someone killed?” “Still messing around at a time like this, that’s too far.” My fingertips were trembling. Not from fear, but from absolute rage. Jason kept flip-flopping, changing his story back and forth, entirely playing games with Tyler’s life. If we delayed any further, once the venom spread, it would be too late for everything. Seeing the doctor about to prepare the medication based on his word, I caught the glint of excitement in his eyes and felt a chill run down my spine. I rushed forward to stop the doctor who was about to write the order. “Doctor, he’s pulling a prank on purpose! Everything he’s saying is a lie!” “I’m begging you, ask him one more time. You have to make him tell the truth!” My eyes were red with desperation. Tyler, in my arms, was ice cold. His breathing was so weak it was barely perceptible. The doctor frowned deeply, his gaze shifting back and forth between me and Jason. The nurse also immediately sensed something was wrong and glared sharply at Jason. “I’m asking you one last time! What kind of venomous snake is it? If you play games with someone’s life again, we’re calling the cops right now!” Over the years, because Jason loved playing pranks, we always accommodated him. A few times it escalated to the RA, but he always smoothed things over: “He just likes to joke around, he doesn’t mean any harm.” For the sake of dorm harmony, I endured it time and time again. Until we came back from winter break, and he secretly started keeping a highly venomous reptile in the dorm. The venomous snake got out and bit Tyler. By the time we noticed, he was already slipping into a coma. We didn’t have time to be angry. We carried him and sprinted like madmen to the hospital. We finally made it to the ER, and Jason was actually still pulling a prank at a critical moment like this. With red eyes, my voice trembled uncontrollably: “Please, Tyler can’t hold on much longer. Can you just stop messing around?” “As long as we can save him, I don’t care what kind of pranks you pull after this.” The people around us also started chiming in. “Kid, a life is on the line. Stop joking around.” “Saving the boy is the priority. If you delay any more, it really will be too late.” Listening to everyone’s accusations, Jason curled his lip, completely unbothered. “What’s the big deal? I was just playing a little prank. Do you have to make such a big fuss out of it?” Seeing the doctor’s face turn ashen, looking like he was genuinely going to notify the university and the police… Jason finally dropped the smirk and reluctantly gave in. “Alright, alright, I’ll stop messing around!” I just breathed a sigh of relief. But Jason looked around at the crowd, finally locking eyes with us, and slowly added one more sentence. “The one that bit him is a banded krait. Highly venomous. I just remembered.” The doctor’s face instantly changed. Before I could react, he immediately stopped the nurse, grabbing the antivenom she was preparing to inject. Watching Tyler’s face turn purple, Jason then drawled out. “Oh wow, why do you guys look so grim?” “I mean, the lights were out in the dorm last night, it was so dark, I didn’t get a good look… I was just worried that if I said the wrong thing, it would make things worse!” “I’m just being cautious. I have to think about it carefully…” “No, no, it doesn’t seem like a banded krait. It’s a cobra.” After saying that, he clutched his chest and let out a sigh of relief, as if he had truly confirmed it. I almost lost my breath. 2 Holding Tyler, I couldn’t hold back anymore and roared, losing all control: “Jason! Is this something you can joke about? If we delay any longer, Tyler is going to die!” But hearing this, Jason not only showed no remorse, he actually looked wronged. “How can you say that to me? Aren’t we roommates? I didn’t do it on purpose, did I?” “What, you only care about him, you don’t care about my feelings, is that it?” “I knew it, you guys are ganging up to bully me! I knew you were collectively bullying me!” “I can’t believe you treat me like this! If I had known, I wouldn’t have bothered coming!” With that, he started to storm out of the hospital. My face fell. I frantically shoved Tyler into my other roommate’s arms, rushed forward, and grabbed Jason tight. “Jason! That’s not what I meant. Tyler is dying, I was just too anxious. I didn’t mean to yell at you.” “The hospital has all the antivenom. As long as you confirm with the doctor what kind of snake it is, we can save him right now, okay?” Jason turned his head away, pointed at me, and cursed: “It’s all your fault!” “If you hadn’t made a huge fuss and turned the dorm upside down, why would I have been startled and not noticed what kind of snake bit him?” “It’s just a snake bite, what’s the big deal? The snakes I keep are usually very well-behaved…” “I think you’re targeting me on purpose. You must have secretly let the snake out to bite someone, and now you’re framing me!” My eyes widened drastically, staring at Jason in disbelief. When the semester first started, I saw him being picked on by others, so I intentionally went out of my way to talk to him and look out for him. But ever since Jason got obsessed with exotic reptiles… Every day he messed with various venomous snakes in the dorm, completely ignoring our objections and fear. He’d be messing with their enclosures in the middle of the night, never once considering anyone else’s feelings. For the sake of dorm harmony, I endured it. Until a few days ago, he secretly brought back a venomous snake, hid it in a box, and said it was his new favorite. We went to the RA more than once, but he just tried to smooth things over and never actually handled it. We had no choice but to live in fear every day, reminding him to keep the enclosure locked. But he never took it seriously. Until tonight, shortly after lights out, a scream suddenly came from the bottom bunk. Tyler was crying in terror, saying he was bitten by a snake. Jason didn’t panic at all; instead, he stood to the side, clapping his hands and laughing. “Look, isn’t my little baby beautiful?” Tyler was shaking with pain, his face instantly turning deathly pale. In the end, we had to use all our strength to carry him to the hospital. Tyler had always had a weak constitution; he couldn’t withstand the highly toxic venom at all. On the way to the hospital, he lost consciousness. After arriving at the hospital, my initial thought was to just call the cops. It was the other roommate who repeatedly urged me, saying we should contact the university first. Because we were rushing to contact Tyler’s parents, I had to swallow my anger and call the RA first. But I never expected that our silent endurance would result in him escalating his behavior. Even now, he still wanted to mess with us on purpose, refusing to state the breed of the venomous snake. Watching Tyler’s breathing grow weaker and weaker, tears streamed down my face. The nurse looked sympathetic, but resuscitation required confirming the snake species; there could be no mistakes. I held Tyler, crying and begging Jason: “Jason, please stop pulling pranks, okay? If we delay any longer, something is going to happen to Tyler. He’s your roommate!” The roommate beside me also had red eyes and urged him in a low voice: “Consider us begging you.” But Jason still had a flippant smile on his face: “Oh man, stop rushing me. The more you rush me, the more scared I get, and the more I can’t remember…” After saying that, he even turned to look at me, “David, I know you’re anxious, but just chill for a sec.” After saying that line, he seemed to find it very amusing and even giggled. I stared at him, suppressing my rage. “Jason, if you insist on falsely reporting the venomous snake species, you are delaying resuscitation, and you will be held responsible.” Hearing this, Jason shut his mouth. But his eyes were full of the resentment of having his ego bruised. He didn’t think he was wrong at all. Seeing this, the doctor immediately understood and said in a low voice: “Since we’re not sure, we’ll do emergency treatment first. Don’t block the ER entrance…” I breathed a sigh of relief, nodded gratefully at the doctor, and was about to bring Tyler inside. Just as we were about to wheel him in, Jason suddenly yelled: “Wait a minute! I remember now!” “It’s the new snake that arrived today. It accidentally got out of its box!” He held up his phone, his eyes darting nervously but trying to act calm: “I’ll open the order history right now. One look and you’ll know what kind of snake it is!” At the entrance to the ER, Jason stood there holding his phone, swiping the screen, pretending to scroll through his history. He complained the app was lagging, then that his cell service was bad. He dragged it out for nearly ten minutes before finally holding the phone up to us. “Here, found it… Told you guys not to rush me…” It was indeed an order page for an exotic reptile. The people around couldn’t help but crane their necks to look, expressions of shock appearing on their faces. “Oh my god! It really is a highly venomous snake. That’s way too dangerous!” “And we actually felt sorry for him! This is clearly a disaster of his own making!” Jason showed a look of dissatisfaction on his face. “I’m a reptile enthusiast, so what if I keep venomous snakes? Is it getting in your way?” “Doctor, look, the order is right here. Now you can confirm what kind of snake it is!” The doctor’s face darkened, and he said sharply: “Don’t move it! Let me see the order clearly, prepare the corresponding antivenom immediately!” I stared hard at the screen, sensing something was wrong. 3 Sure enough, the next second he put the phone away. I was just about to snatch the phone when Jason suddenly slapped his forehead, looking full of remorse. “Oh man, I forgot. I bought three snakes at once. Which one was it that got out?” I was shaking with anger, my suppressed temper finally erupting. “Are you done?! Your pranks have to have a limit! Would it kill you to just shut up?” “You’re clearly just messing with people on purpose. Do you have to cause trouble at a time like this?” “If Tyler gets hurt because of this delay, I swear I will never let you get away with it!” Jason seemed to finally realize that I was truly furious. A flash of panic crossed his face. “No… David, man, I was just messing with you guys a little. Why are you getting so mad?” At this point, the roommate next to me couldn’t help but roar at Jason too. “Jason! If you don’t know how to speak, just shut your mouth, okay?!” “Is this the time for jokes? Tyler got bit by a snake! If we wait any longer, he’s going to die!” “I… I didn’t mean to…” Jason lowered his head after being yelled at. But I could clearly see the resentment in his eyes. He fundamentally didn’t think he had done anything wrong. But Tyler’s body in my arms was gradually growing cold. I didn’t have time to humor him anymore. I turned around, looked at the doctor beside me, and pleaded with a hoarse voice. “I know your rigorous protocols are for the patient’s own good. I won’t make things difficult for you.” “If there’s no way to confirm it, is there any other way? Please save my roommate first. His breathing is getting weaker and weaker; he really can’t hold on much longer.” After saying that, I bowed deeply. The doctor and nurse exchanged a look, and finally nodded. As the nurse prepared to push the gurney, Jason was still muttering on the side. “What are you doing… It’s just a bite. Just get the antivenom, what’s the big deal? It’s not like nobody’s ever been bitten by a snake before…” I pretended not to hear him. I just held onto Tyler tightly, praying over and over in my heart that he would be okay. Jason muttered a few more sentences, and seeing that no one was paying attention to him, finally quieted down. But right at that moment, Tyler’s heart suddenly stopped. I watched as Tyler was lifted onto a stretcher. Several medical staff rushed over, fighting against the clock to resuscitate him. While I stayed on the side, cooperating with the doctor to verify the snake species information over and over again. While waiting for news from the resuscitation, my heart suddenly started racing wildly. A strong wave of unease washed over me. I stared intensely at the light above the ER doors, terrified that the next second would bring bad news. In a daze, I suddenly remembered. Right before going into the ER, Jason was still muttering: “I just couldn’t remember clearly, it’s not like I did it on purpose.” I couldn’t help but feel a chill run through my entire body. Did he really not know that deliberately being vague at a time like this was killing someone? No! He knew perfectly well. Just like back then, he knew perfectly well that the dorm strictly prohibited highly venomous exotic pets, yet he secretly hid them in a box, ignoring everyone’s safety. He also knew that after Tyler was bitten, every passing minute and second was a race against death, yet he still deliberately concealed the venomous snake’s species. Thinking of this, my heart violently contracted. From a distance, I could hear Jason’s shrill complaints. “Stop trying to scare people! You hospitals only know how to fearmonger!” “It’s just a snake bite. Do you have to make it sound so serious?” “We’re not doing this anymore. Bring him out here!” My heart instantly sank to the bottom. I pushed through the crowd and rushed in, only to see Jason, who had volunteered to go pay the bill, causing a scene. The young nurse at the billing counter looked incredibly distressed. I rushed forward and grabbed her hand: “Nurse! I’m his roommate. What exactly happened? Aren’t they resuscitating him?” The nurse recognized me and quickly spoke up: “Student, your roommate’s snake venom spread too quickly. We have to use the specific antivenom immediately, but your roommate here refuses to cooperate, and he’s delayed the optimal window…” Before she even finished speaking, I could barely stand. The grievances and anger that had been building up for so long completely exploded in this moment. I glared at Jason with red eyes: “Jason! If something happens to Tyler, can you bear the responsibility?!” After saying that, ignoring his objections, I immediately rushed to the billing counter to swipe my card. But I scoured my phone; my balance wasn’t nearly enough. Just then, Jason caught up to me, looking entirely justified: “I knew you were making a mountain out of a molehill. It’s obviously not this complicated.” “Listen to me, just take him back to the dorm to rest. There’s no need to waste money and suffer here.” I was shaking with anger, just about to argue with him. The doctor in charge of the resuscitation walked out with a heavy expression. “I’m sorry, we did everything we could.” My legs gave out, and I collapsed directly onto the floor. At that moment, the RA rushed over, looking anxious. Seeing Tyler covered with a white sheet, he roared, his voice trembling: “What happened?! Didn’t you have the antivenom? Why did he die!”

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I didn’t speak a single word until I was eight years old. Everyone in the Sterling family called me a retard. My mother would wipe her tears in secret, convinced she had given birth to an autistic daughter. My father’s eyes were always filled with disappointment when he looked at me. Yet, out of sheer pride and concern for his image, he never sent me to a special needs school. Then came the day a Wall Street shark marched into our headquarters to force a hostile takeover. He was so arrogant that he verbally slaughtered the entire boardroom, leaving a room full of elite executives shivering in silence. No one dared to breathe. I stood in the corner, bored to tears. I was annoyed. So, I took a step forward. And spoke the very first words of my life. Chapter 1 My name is Eleanor Sterling. The eldest granddaughter of the Sterling family, and the sole direct heir to Sterling Enterprises. By all accounts, this was a life born with a diamond-encrusted silver spoon. But I was eight years old, and I still hadn’t said a word. Everyone in the Sterling empire knew the truth: the eldest heiress was a dimwit. My mother, Grace, came from an old-money Boston academic family. She was gentle, cultured, and poured every ounce of her love into me. She would hold me, teaching me with endless patience. “Eleanor, say it with Mommy. Mom… my…” I would just look at her, silent. The light in her eyes would slowly dim. Then she would turn her back, secretly dabbing at the corners of her eyes with a tissue. She thought I couldn’t see. But I knew everything. It wasn’t that I couldn’t speak; I just didn’t want to. I had been reincarnated with my memories intact. In my previous life, I was an exhausted, fast-talking financial analyst. I had spent thirty years talking until my throat bled, and I was utterly burnt out. In this life, I just wanted to be a quiet, useless rich kid and enjoy the ride. But I underestimated the weight of the title “Sterling Heiress.” It wasn’t just a symbol of wealth; it was a shackle. My father, Arthur Sterling, the CEO of Sterling Enterprises, was a cutthroat businessman. Every time he looked at me, there was a glimmer of hope. “Eleanor, do you know what this is?” He’d point to the numbers on a quarterly financial report. I would nod. “Can you tell Daddy what our net profit is for this quarter?” I would reach out my little hand and accurately tap the exact figure. The hope in his eyes would flare brighter. And then, he would ask the question he wanted the answer to most. “Eleanor, call me Daddy. Just once. Let me hear it.” I would look at him, remaining completely mute. The light in his eyes would extinguish instantly, like a bucket of ice water over an open flame. All that was left was disappointment. A thick, suffocating disappointment. He would sit in silence for a long time, then stand up and storm out. Sigh. That heavy sigh felt like it could shatter the glass walls of the entire executive floor. I knew that if I wasn’t the only direct granddaughter, and if my mother’s family wasn’t so influential, my position as the heir would have been stripped away years ago. The looks my cousins gave me had also morphed from initial intimidation to undisguised mockery. “Eleanor, did you understand a single thing the French tutor said today?” The one speaking was my Uncle Robert’s daughter, Chloe. She was only a year younger than me, but she was sharp-tongued, articulate, and deeply favored by my father. I glanced at her, too lazy to engage. That only made her smile wider. “Oh, my bad. I forgot Eleanor is a natural-born genius. She knows everything without having to speak, unlike us ordinary mortals who actually have to study.” “Chloe, don’t be mean,” chimed in Harper, my other cousin, putting on a sickeningly sweet display of fake sympathy. “Eleanor just thinks we’re beneath her. It’s called being a late bloomer. Understand?” They played off each other flawlessly. The nannies and maids standing nearby kept their heads bowed, but their shoulders were shaking slightly. They were laughing. Laughing at the mute idiot. I walked past them, my face expressionless. It was like watching two grasshoppers jumping around in front of me. Boring. And childish. My mother saw all of this, and her heart broke for me. That night, she held me again, her tears soaking the shoulder of my pajamas. “My sweet Eleanor, why won’t you speak?” “Even if it’s just one word. Just one word, and Mommy could die happy.” I could feel her body trembling. It was the raw despair of a mother. My heart wasn’t made of stone. In that moment, my resolve wavered. Maybe… maybe it was time to open my mouth. Just as I parted my lips, trying to force out a rusty syllable. Rapid footsteps echoed outside the study. Mr. Carson, our veteran butler, practically stumbled into the room. “Mrs. Sterling! It’s bad!” “The team from New York is here!” “That Wall Street shark, Marcus Thorne—he’s already in the building!” My mother’s face went pale. Marcus Thorne. That name was a dark cloud hanging over Sterling Enterprises. He was Wall Street’s most vicious vulture, specializing in aggressively shorting and acquiring legacy family corporations. In the past few years, he had already swallowed up three companies the size of ours. “What is he doing here?” my mother asked. Mr. Carson’s voice was trembling. “He… he says he’s here to negotiate a buyout. He was incredibly disrespectful. He said he’s here to give the Sterling family a ‘dignified exit from the stage of history’!” My mother staggered back, gripping the edge of the mahogany desk for support. A “negotiated buyout” was just corporate speak for a hostile takeover. A massive storm was about to hit. I looked up at the gray sky outside the window. Well then. It looked like my dream of being a quiet, useless rich kid was officially over. Fine. There are always some blind flies that insist on forcing a sleeping lion—no, a lioness—to open her eyes. My father called an emergency meeting of all family members and core executives in the top-floor boardroom. I was dragged along and placed in the corner. It was tradition; the eldest heir was required to audit major family decisions. Normally, I would just find a corner, stand there all morning, and zone out. But today, the atmosphere was toxic. You could hear a pin drop in the boardroom. The faces of the executives were ashen with humiliation. My father sat at the head of the table, his face dark as thunder. Standing opposite him was a tall man in a bespoke suit. Behind a pair of gold-rimmed glasses were eyes as sharp as a falcon’s. This was Marcus Thorne. A ruthless predator raised in the concrete jungle of Wall Street. “Mr. Sterling, is this your company’s idea of hospitality?” Marcus spoke, his voice dripping with condescension. “I flew in from New York on a private jet for this, and this is what you show me?” He pointed a long, manicured finger at the terrified executives shrinking in their seats. “A room full of glorified bean-counters!” “I talk capital, and you talk about sentiment.” “I talk market trends, and you talk about your century-old legacy.” “Pathetic!” “Utterly pathetic!” He let out a brazen, arrogant laugh. The sound echoed painfully through the solemn boardroom. “Mr. Thorne!” The Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Henderson, stood up, shaking with rage. “This is the board of Sterling Enterprises! You will not speak to us this way!” Marcus shot him a sideways glance, sneering. “Henderson. I remember you.” “You’re the one who kept rambling yesterday about how ‘family businesses have a soul.’” “Let me tell you how Wall Street works. A soul without profit is just a corpse!” “Only the weak use sentiment to mask their incompetence!” Mr. Henderson’s face turned purple. He pointed a trembling finger at Marcus. “You… you…” He couldn’t catch his breath, and suddenly, he collapsed backward. “Mr. Henderson!” The people next to him scrambled to catch him. The boardroom erupted into chaos. My father slammed his hand on the table and roared, “Enough!” Marcus dialed it back slightly, but the contempt on his face remained. He gave my father a mock salute, totally dismissive. “Mr. Sterling, I won’t waste your time.” “The investment committee at my hedge fund has made its decision. Your stock won’t survive the next fiscal year.” “Sell it now, and we’ll give you three billion.” “If you wait for us to start shorting you, you’ll be lucky to walk away with a billion.” “Also, that prime real estate you own on the Southside? We’re taking it for luxury condo development.” “Oh, and I hear your R&D team is decent. We plan to poach the entire department…” Before he could even finish. The boardroom exploded. A lowball buyout, stealing their prime real estate, and gutting their core tech team! Was this a negotiation? This was a butchering! “This is extortion!” “Get the hell out of our building!” “Arthur, we have to fight him!” On Uncle Robert’s side of the table, several hot-tempered shareholders couldn’t hold back anymore. Marcus sneered. “Fight?” “Be my guest.” He looked directly at Uncle Robert. “I know you. You’re Robert, the second brother, right? Three years ago, how much did you lose on that commercial real estate venture you spearheaded? Two hundred million? Three hundred million?”內 Uncle Robert’s face flushed crimson, like he had just been slapped. The veins in his neck popped, but he couldn’t form a single word of defense. Marcus turned his gaze to another executive. “And you, the CMO? How much did you burn on ad spend during Cyber Monday last year? What was your conversion rate? Did that pathetic bump in sales even cover the marketing budget?” The CMO lowered his head in utter shame. Marcus’s eyes swept the room, and every single person who had been shouting just seconds ago fell dead silent. The boardroom descended into silence once more. A humiliating, powerless silence. I stood in the corner, watching it all. These were the so-called elites of Sterling Enterprises. The CFO couldn’t handle the heat, and the CMO had his worst failures weaponized against him. A room full of powerful executives was being verbally slaughtered by a Wall Street vulture, and not one of them had the backbone to fight back. I was getting sleepy. Honestly. This scene was even more pathetic than I had anticipated. It was like watching a group of grown men getting cornered in an alley by a street thug, getting slapped one by one, and none of them even daring to squeak. My father’s chest was heaving. I knew he was on the verge of exploding. But he couldn’t. Because everything Marcus had said was true. Sterling Enterprises’ profits were dropping. This was the tragedy of the weak. Marcus was highly satisfied with the effect he’d created. He cleared his throat, ready to lay out even more outrageous demands. “Since no one has any objections, I’ll assume we’re all in agreement.” “Our fund also requires…” His incessant talking sounded like a fly buzzing endlessly in my ear. I really had intended to just be a quiet spectator. But this fly was just too loud. I was annoyed. I was genuinely annoyed. In this deathly quiet room, where everyone had their heads bowed, no one noticed me in the corner. I moved. I took a step forward. Just one step. Out of the shadows of the corner, and into the harsh overhead light. Chapter 2 That step was light. But in the dead silence of the boardroom, it landed like a thunderclap. Everyone’s eyes instinctively snapped toward me. They saw me. An eight-year-old girl in a custom-tailored dress, looking like a porcelain doll. Their eyes were blank at first, then filled with shock. Eleanor Sterling? The mute? What was she doing? My mother, sitting beside my father, saw me too. Her eyes widened with panic and worry. She reached out a hand, as if trying to call me back, but didn’t dare make a sound. My father frowned deeply, his eyes flashing with confusion and a hint of displeasure. My cousins, Chloe and Harper, exchanged a look of pure anticipation. Their expressions practically screamed: Is the idiot about to humiliate herself in front of everyone? Marcus noticed me too. He looked down at me from his towering height, a cruel, mocking smile spreading across his face. “Oh? Whose kid is this?” “Is Sterling Enterprises out of capable men? You’re sending a child to the front lines?” He intentionally raised his voice. “Little girl, are you here to talk to me about sentiment, too?” “Or is your daddy offering you up as my goddaughter to sweeten the deal?” He threw his head back and laughed loudly. The shareholders let out collective, suppressed gasps, their faces burning with humiliation and rage. Insulting a child was insulting the entire bloodline. Yet, they still didn’t dare speak up. I ignored every single one of them. My eyes were locked solely on Marcus, who was yapping away like a circus clown. I looked at him, and then, I opened my mouth. And spoke the very first words of my life in this world. “Are you done?” My voice was youthful, but my enunciation was razor-sharp, the tone absolutely freezing, devoid of a single drop of emotion. The entire boardroom instantly plunged into a bizarre silence, even more profound than before. Everyone froze. Because they understood. Every single person in that room understood. The mute heiress had spoken. And her English was flawless, carrying the crisp, aggressive cadence of the East Coast elite. The smile on Marcus’s face instantly crystallized. His sharp eyes blew wide open with sheer, unadulterated shock. It was as if he had just seen a ghost in broad daylight. He stared at me, his mouth opening and closing. A strangled, choking sound came from his throat, like an invisible hand was crushing his windpipe. “You…” He barely managed to force out a single word. I stared at him, my expression blank. And I continued. “If you’re finished, get out.” Those six words slammed into Marcus’s chest like a sledgehammer. His body violently swayed. The color drained from his face entirely, leaving him a sickening shade of gray. If my first sentence caused shock. This sentence caused terror. A bone-chilling, soul-crushing terror. Because in the inner circles of Wall Street, “If you’re finished, get out,” wasn’t just a casual insult. It was legendary. It was the exact phrase George Soros had supposedly delivered to his rivals decades ago after breaking the Bank of England. It was lore. It was a myth. It was a historic quote that only the most cutthroat, top-tier financial predators knew about! He looked at me, this eight-year-old girl, and his eyes completely changed. He wasn’t looking at a mute child anymore. He was looking at a monster wearing human skin. “Who… who the hell are you?” He asked, his voice shaking uncontrollably. The other people in the boardroom were completely dumbfounded. They understood the words, but they couldn’t comprehend the scene unfolding before them. The Wall Street Wolf who, just seconds ago, had been arrogantly trampling a room full of corporate elites, was now trembling like a frightened rabbit in front of an eight-year-old girl. What… what on earth was happening? My father shot up from his leather chair. His eyes were wide, staring at me with a terrifying intensity. His face was a mix of shock, ecstasy, and endless confusion. My mother slapped both hands over her mouth, tears flooding her eyes as she desperately held back her sobs. I didn’t answer Marcus’s question. I just kept speaking, my voice eerily calm. “That hedge fund you claim to represent? It’s just a marginalized spin-off from Goldman Sachs. The real whales pulled their capital years ago. All you’re managing now is a pool of stale pension funds.” “Three years ago, when you shorted that Silicon Valley tech startup, you didn’t rely on brilliant market analysis. You bribed their CFO to get your hands on their unreleased earnings reports.” “Last year, when you acquired that software company, your so-called proprietary valuation model was ripped straight from a five-year-old McKinsey template. You got taken for a three-hundred-million-dollar ride, and you actually thought you won. Right?” “And now.” I offered a small smile. In Marcus’s eyes, that smile was more terrifying than the devil himself. “You came here to acquire Sterling Enterprises with a hard bottom line of two billion. If my father played hardball, you were authorized to go up to two point five billion.” “Because your cash flow is dangerously tight. If you don’t close a major deal right now, you won’t even be able to pay out year-end bonuses.” “You don’t even have the capital stomach to swallow Sterling Enterprises. You just want to close a flashy deal before Q4 earnings to appease your panicked investors.” “Tell me. Am I right, or am I right?” I finished speaking and looked at him quietly. Thud! Marcus couldn’t hold himself up any longer. His knees buckled, and right in front of the entire executive board, he collapsed onto the floor. He stared at me, pressing his hands against the carpet, cold sweat pouring down his forehead. His voice was laced with a whimper. “My God… My God…” The room was dead silent. Everyone was utterly paralyzed by the surreal, magical scene playing out. I didn’t look at him anymore. I turned around, facing my father, who was standing at the head of the table, equally shell-shocked. I switched from my aggressive Wall Street tone to perfectly calm English. My voice was youthful, but impossibly clear. “Dad.” “I have something to say.” My single “Dad” was like a boulder dropped into a stagnant pond. It triggered a tidal wave. The boardroom transitioned from deathly silence into an uncontrollable, erupting uproar. “Eleanor spoke!” “Thank God! She isn’t a mute!” “She can talk! She can actually talk!” One of the older shareholders was so emotional he was weeping. He stood up, pointing a trembling finger at Marcus. “Do you see this?! This is the eldest granddaughter of the Sterling family! The future heir!” The rest of the room looked at me like they were witnessing a divine miracle. Shock. Awe. Unbelievable disbelief. A child who hadn’t uttered a sound in eight years. The moment she opened her mouth, she spoke flawless, ruthless English. In a few short sentences, she had brought the arrogant Wall Street elite to his knees, shivering in fear. This couldn’t be explained away as “being a late bloomer.” This was a miracle. A living, breathing miracle! My mother couldn’t support her own weight anymore and slumped softly into her chair. The nanny next to her quickly caught her. I could hear her muffled, suppressed sobs of pure joy. The expressions on my cousins’ faces were absolutely priceless. The mockery and schadenfreude were completely wiped away. Replaced by the same terrified, ghost-seeing shock as everyone else. And a deep, poorly concealed layer of… fear. They were no longer looking at an idiot. They were looking at a terrifying, incomprehensible entity. My father. He stood at the head of the conference table, his towering frame trembling slightly. Not from anger. But from extreme, overwhelming excitement. His eyes, hardened by decades of corporate warfare, were shining brighter than they ever had before. Inside them was ecstasy, awe, and the thrill of recovering a lost treasure. But also, just like my cousins… confusion. He walked around the heavy conference table, step by step, until he stopped right in front of me. This corporate titan who controlled a multi-billion-dollar empire, the man who was my father by blood. He looked down at me with a complex, intense gaze I had never seen before. His lips moved, as if he wanted to ask a million questions, but didn’t know where to start. Finally, he slowly reached out a trembling hand and gently rested it on the top of my head. His palm was warm. And large. It carried the weight of a powerful CEO, and the rare, tender warmth of a father. “Eleanor…” His voice was incredibly hoarse. “What you… what you just said. Is it true?” He was, of course, asking about the internal secrets I had exposed about Marcus’s fund. I looked up, met his gaze, and nodded calmly. “Every single word.” My voice wasn’t loud, but it echoed clearly across the room. The shouting and murmurs died down instantly. Everyone held their breath, straining their ears. My father took a deep breath, trying to steady his racing heart. “How… how do you know all this?” That was the million-dollar question. The biggest mystery in everyone’s mind. How could an eight-year-old possibly know the highly classified internal struggles of a New York hedge fund? I looked into my father’s eyes. I knew that my answer right now would dictate the rest of my life. If I told him I had the memories of a past life? He would think I was a demon and lock me in a psychiatric ward to be studied. I had to give him an answer he could comprehend, accept, and be willing to believe. So, I spoke. “I don’t know.” “Ever since I can remember, strange numbers and images have constantly flashed through my mind.” “It’s like a dream. There’s a voice that constantly teaches me about finance, economics, and corporate case studies.” “I thought they were just dreams, so I never told anyone.” “The English… the voice taught me that in my dreams, too.” “As for Marcus’s secrets…” I paused for a second, allowing a perfectly calculated look of childlike confusion to cross my face. “Just now, while he was talking, all that information just naturally appeared in my head.” “It’s almost like… I was just born knowing it.” I finished speaking and looked at him quietly. A divine dream. Born with innate knowledge. Those concepts struck everyone like lightning bolts. It was incredibly mystical, yet… somehow entirely convincing! There was literally no other explanation for what had just happened to an eight-year-old girl! My father’s body jolted again. He looked at me, the confusion in his eyes fading, replaced by a fervent, burning light. He threw his head back and laughed loudly. It was a booming, triumphant laugh, filled with years of repressed frustration finally breaking free. “Hahahaha!” “Good! A divine dream! Born a genius!” “My daughter is no idiot!” “Arthur Sterling’s daughter is a natural-born business prodigy!” He reached down and scooped me up into his arms. I was small, and he easily hoisted me high into the air. He turned to face the room full of executives, his voice ringing like a bell, radiating unprecedented pride and authority. “Listen to me, all of you!” “As of today, Eleanor Sterling officially joins the core executive committee of Sterling Enterprises!” “Every major decision must have her approval!” The room gasped in collective shock. An eight-year-old on the core executive committee? Every major decision needing her approval? That was an astronomical level of importance and trust! He was practically handing over half of the Sterling empire to me on the spot! Uncle Robert’s face instantly drained of color. He knew his chances of ever taking over were officially dead. I looked down from my father’s arms at the faces below—some ecstatic, some reverent, some jealous, some terrified. But my heart remained perfectly calm. I knew. From today on. My dream of being a useless rich kid was permanently, irreversibly dead. And my very first executive decision involved the Wall Street wolf still shivering on the carpet. I looked down at him from my father’s arms and spoke casually. “Dad, regarding this buyout.” “I think we reject the three billion.” “We keep the Southside real estate.” “And there is absolutely no way they are touching our tech team.” “Instead.” I paused, my voice turning icy. “We should send an aggressive legal team, armed with our terms, to fly back to New York with this man.” My father looked at me, highly amused. “Oh? Our terms? What terms?” I smiled. “Simple.” “Their fund will issue a formal, public apology to Sterling Enterprises.” “They will pay fifty million dollars in damages for the brand injury caused by their malicious shorting rumors.” “And they will license the proprietary tech from that software company they acquired to us at a heavily discounted rate.” “Otherwise.” “When their cash flow officially breaks, we’ll be the ones acquiring them.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “395340”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

On the eve of Valentine’s Day, my fiancé, who works at a classified government agency, sent me a text. [Baby, I’m so sorry. The team got called out on an emergency mission, and my wedding leave has been canceled again.] The moment I received this message… I was standing less than thirty feet from the main gate of his agency. With my own eyes, I watched his female “bro,” Mia, slip inside his winter coat. He laughed and ruffled her hair. “Just to satisfy your sick sense of humor, I’ve stood Chloe up six times now.” “This is the absolute last time. Next year, no matter what, I’m marrying her.” Mia laughed and offered him a sip of the boba tea she had been drinking. “Didn’t you guys just buy a new mattress for the wedding? I’m going to help her ‘test it out.’” “No need to thank me, just consider it an early wedding gift.” Hearing this, I dug my fingernails so hard into my palms that they almost bled. I dialed Liam’s parents’ number. [Mr. and Mrs. Hayes, let’s get everyone together and decorate the new house tonight.] [Yeah, I mostly just want to give Liam a huge surprise.] Since he wanted to be shameless. He couldn’t blame me for burning everything to the ground. 1 [Let’s keep the fact that we’re all in Seattle a secret from Liam for now.] [Okay, I’ll wait for you guys downstairs at the apartment complex.] After hanging up the phone. I opened the app for the security cameras I had just installed yesterday. On the screen, they were tangled together, stumbling all the way from the entryway into the master bedroom. I saw the lucky charm I had once prayed so hard to get for him… Now lying discarded, broken in half amidst a pile of scattered clothes. My body went stiff, letting the freezing wind bite into me. It didn’t take long for both sets of parents and our relatives to arrive. Before they even got close, my parents hurried over, full of anticipation. “How is it, Chloe? Did you see Liam yet?” “Don’t worry, your grandpa just called his agency director.” “Even if the sky falls tomorrow, his team won’t be calling him out on any emergency missions.” I fought back the overwhelming urge to break down. I forced a smile for them. “Okay.” “Chloe, didn’t you say you wanted to surprise Liam?” “What are we waiting for? Let’s head up and start decorating.” Seeing the bright red balloons and streamers in my family’s hands. My nose stung, and I let the tears spill from my eyes. I’ve known Liam for ten years, we’ve been dating for eight, and we agreed to get married six years ago. Six years ago, exactly one month before our wedding… He said he wanted to run for team leader, so I agreed to postpone the wedding for a year. Three years ago, exactly one week before our wedding… He said he had to go on a classified mission. I agreed to postpone the wedding for another year. Until this year, when both sets of parents finally lost their patience. Three days ago, we brought all our relatives and friends… Arriving early in the city where his agency is located to prepare for the wedding. But I never, ever would have guessed. The home I spent six years carefully designing and furnishing. Every piece of furniture, every inch of the floorboards… Had been claimed by his female “bro,” Mia, first. The thought made my stomach churn. I rushed to a nearby trash can and threw up for a long time. I wanted to tell them. I wanted to tell everyone. Just half an hour ago. Liam personally texted me to say… The wedding scheduled for tomorrow was being postponed for another year. I wanted to tell my parents that Liam had betrayed me. For six years, every time he lied about his wedding leave being canceled… He was actually messing around with his female “bro,” Mia. But I found my throat felt like it was being squeezed by an invisible hand. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t squeeze out a single word, couldn’t make a single sound. As I walked into the apartment building, I chugged a bottle of freezing cold water. “Liam, it’s time you got a taste of what it’s like to be played for a fool.” As soon as everyone stepped off the elevator. They saw a pair of women’s shoes and a coat scattered in the hallway. Seeing me awkwardly kicking the clothes toward the wall… Liam’s mother covered her nose and chuckled knowingly. She unlocked the door with a knowing smile. At the exact same moment, heavy, indescribable panting came from the master bedroom. “Liam… this bed is pretty comfortable.” “When you’re doing it with Chloe here in the future, are you going to think of me?” “We should change the sofa to leather; the fabric one scratches my skin when we’re on it.” Hearing this, everyone’s expressions froze. It was as if someone had cast a freezing spell on them. No one stepped closer to see what was happening. And no one made a sound. I forced my legs, which felt like they weighed a thousand pounds, to move. I picked up the lucky charm, shattered in two, from the pile of scattered lingerie and shirts. Even though I had prepared myself mentally for this… Actually being in the moment, I still acted as cowardly as a child who had done something wrong. 2 “Liam Hayes, get your ass out here right now.” “Liam, did you hear me?” “How dare you betray my daughter! You must have a death wish.” My dad charged toward the master bedroom, ignoring everything else. He slammed both fists heavily against the wooden door. Just as he was furious enough to kick the door down… Liam, wrapped in a bathrobe, slipped out through a crack in the door. “Mr. Davis, Dad, Mom, Mrs. Davis…” “W-why are you all here?” “Why didn’t anyone tell…” Before he could finish, my dad kicked him hard. “You heartless animal, you have the nerve to ask us?” “Chloe waited for you for six whole years, counting the days and the stars.” “Was it just so she could wait and see how you betrayed her?” Before Liam could recover from his shock. My mom had already rushed into the kitchen and grabbed a meat cleaver. “Where is that little tramp? How dare she ruin my daughter’s marriage!” “I’m going to kill her!” Just as she raised the cleaver, ready to storm the master bedroom… Liam snatched the cleaver from her hand and threw it on the floor. “Mr. and Mrs. Davis, are you misunderstanding something?” “My original plan was to leave the base and come home at 7 AM tomorrow.” “I wanted to give Chloe a surprise, so I came home early.” “I just finished showering and was about to change when you guys showed up.” While he was talking, my cousin had already charged into the bedroom. “Liam, if you really cheated on my cousin, I’m going to end you.” The moment he pushed the door open… The wedding bed was made impeccably. He scanned the entire room, but couldn’t find a second person besides Liam. Seeing this, Liam’s mother immediately chimed in to change the subject. “See, I told you. How could my Liam do something like that?” “Looks like we all misunderstood him.” “Chloe, really, you should have just waited upstairs with Liam for us.” “What, were you afraid we wouldn’t be able to find the way with so many people?” She grumpily picked up the coat from the floor and handed it to her son. “Honestly, Liam. Showering is one thing, but why were you watching porn?” “Now look what happened. Everyone misunderstood.” Liam’s cousin chimed in from the side. “Honestly, you and Chloe totally just had a passionate moment, didn’t you?” “You didn’t even clean up the ‘battlefield’ before having everyone come decorate the house.” “Yeah, you’re really treating us like family, not holding back at all.” Having quickly thrown on some clothes, Liam immediately played along with the excuse. “See, this is just my luck.” “Who else watches a little video in their own home and gets treated like they’re being caught cheating in public?” He faked an awkward cough. “Since everyone is here, why don’t we go out to eat?” “Chloe, what do you think?” Seeing that I remained completely unmoved. He walked right up, took my arm, and leaned in close to my ear. “Let’s just take everyone out to eat first. I’ll explain the video thing to you later.” “Things aren’t what they seem, trust me.” “Say something, hurry up. Everyone is waiting.” Hah. Is he afraid everyone is waiting? Or is he afraid the person hiding in the master bedroom is waiting? After ten years together, Liam knew exactly how to manipulate me better than anyone. He knew that every time he and Mia crossed the line under the guise of being “bros”… I would patiently believe his excuses, time and time again. But what he didn’t know was… when I found out that he had been lying about his wedding leave being canceled for six years, all for this so-called “bro”… I didn’t want to marry him anymore. At all. But I didn’t want to just rip the band-aid off right now. I wanted to see with my own eyes how they would reap what they sowed and suffer the consequences of their own actions. 3 I sneered and pulled my arm free from his grasp. “What just happened really was a misunderstanding.” “It’s our fault for not being careful and making a fool of ourselves in front of everyone.” “Mom, Dad, Mr. and Mrs. Hayes, since it’s so rare for us all to be together…” “How about we just order some hot pot delivery and eat here? It can be a housewarming party for us.” “No!” As soon as I said that, the three members of the Hayes family objected almost simultaneously. Seeing my confused expression… Liam’s mother was the first to explain. “There are no ingredients in the new house. Eating hot pot here would be poor hosting.” “Besides, it’s getting late. There’s no time to go grocery shopping and cook now.” “Liam’s mom is right. Let’s just go out to eat.” “My parents are right, Chloe. Mr. and Mrs. Davis, let’s just go out to eat.” In the entire room… Only me and the three members of the Hayes family knew. There was a master bathroom behind a hidden door. Did they want to use dinner as an excuse to get me and everyone else out of the apartment? So Mia could use the opportunity to sneak out? Keep dreaming! I ignored the Hayes family’s attempts to look calm. I pulled my parents and relatives to sit down on the sofa. “Oh, everyone has had a long day. Let’s not make things more complicated.” “I just ordered delivery on DoorDash. It’ll be here in twenty minutes.” “Does everyone want cilantro and green onions? I remember Tim doesn’t eat spicy food, right?” “Okay, I’ve added a note for the restaurant.” Although they looked incredibly reluctant. The Hayes family still had to bite the bullet and sit down. While I was in the pantry making tea for everyone. Liam looked embarrassed as he whispered an explanation to me. “Chloe, did you get my text? I wanted to surprise you, but I didn’t expect to mess it up like this.” I pretended like nothing happened, asking him casually. “What text? Did you just text me?” “Sorry, I was so focused on decorating the house, I haven’t had time to look at my phone.” I was about to pull out my phone when he raised his hand to stop me. “It’s good you didn’t see it. The wedding is going ahead as planned. After tomorrow, you will officially be my wife.” I sneered and pushed him away. I went back to the living room and warmly entertained my family and friends. While waiting for the hot pot. People were putting up wedding decals. People were blowing up balloons. And the task of decorating the master bedroom… Was given to the two of us, the engaged couple. I was just about to lift the blanket to scatter dried red dates and longans on the bed. When Liam yanked the fitted sheet and the duvet off the bed in one swift motion, throwing them on the floor. Seeing my confused look. He explained with an awkward expression. “No one has slept in it for a long time. I was afraid it was dusty.” He pulled out a brand-new set of sheets from the closet. “You sit down and rest for a bit. I’ll change them.” “Chloe, I know it’s been hard on you planning the wedding all by yourself these past few years.” “Don’t worry, once I get promoted in a little while, I’ll request a transfer.” “Then, we can live the normal, 9-to-5, everyday life you’ve always wanted.” I couldn’t be bothered to listen to his lies. I was just about to reach out and push open the hidden door to the bathroom. When he grabbed me from behind, hugging me tightly around my waist. “Wait!” 4 I looked furious and demanded loudly. “What are you doing? I need to use the bathroom.” The moment I broke free from his embrace. I acted completely enraged and demanded loudly. “Liam, what the hell are you hiding?” I rushed into the bathroom behind the hidden door like a madwoman. Even though I practically tore up the floorboards… I couldn’t find a single trace of Mia. Liam visibly breathed a sigh of relief. “Alright, stop being so paranoid.” “Let’s get back to the living room. The hot pot is almost ready.” As the steam from the hot pot filled the air. I felt my eyes misting over too. This moment was exactly what I used to dream of the most. Parents, my fiancé, relatives, and friends, all by my side. Everyone eating hot pot together, having a few drinks. The elders talking business and family gossip. The younger generation talking about dreams, the collision of reality and the soul. “Chloe, what are you spacing out for?” “Eat up. After we eat, I have to take everyone back to the hotel.” It wasn’t until Liam started frantically throwing food into the pot, trying to rush the process. That I finally woke up from the illusion in front of me. “What’s the rush? Who finishes a hot pot dinner in an hour?” “Since everyone is here today, whatever else you guys want to eat, I’ll order more.” “Two orders of sliced beef, two orders of tripe, two orders of shrimp paste…” I completely ignored the anxious eyes of the three members of the Hayes family. If she wasn’t hiding inside the room. And the bathroom window happened to face the external AC unit. Then there was only one possibility left. Mia was currently hiding on the AC unit outside the window. At this point, I just wanted to see. Would Mia be frozen to the point where she had to beg us for help while stark naked? Admitting that she was the other woman destroying someone else’s relationship. Or would she, for the sake of her so-called dignity… Bite the bullet and endure the sub-zero temperatures? Social death or actual freezing death. Let’s see which one she chooses! As the second delivery order arrived. No one showed any intention of getting up to leave. Liam finally started to visibly panic. He was practically begging as he urged me. “Chloe, let’s head back to the hotel after we finish eating. If we stay any longer, something bad is going to happen.” “If you like eating hot pot, after the wedding tomorrow, we can eat it every day, okay?” I used the alcohol as an excuse to act belligerent and grabbed him by the collar. “What could possibly happen? What bad thing could happen?” “Liam, don’t tell me you actually hid someone in our new home?” “Where would you hide them? Outside the window? No, I have to go check.” As I stumbled drunkenly toward the master bedroom. Liam’s parents hurriedly followed behind me. “Chloe, are you drunk? How could someone hide outside the window?” “Exactly. Does this person have superpowers or something?” “In this freezing weather, wouldn’t someone freeze to death hiding outside?” At that moment, Liam scooped me up and carried me back to the sofa. “Chloe, your family is here. You can’t be acting like a crazy drunk.” “Mr. and Mrs. Davis, it’s getting late. I’ll take everyone back to the hotel first.” “Yeah, the in-laws should head back to the hotel quickly. We have the wedding ceremony tomorrow…” Before they could finish their sentence, the doorbell rang frantically. The moment the door opened, a group of firefighters and paramedics rushed in carrying a stretcher. 5 “Unit 1203, right? Someone called and reported that someone in your apartment is trying to jump off the building.” “Which room is the AC unit outside of? Take us there immediately.” Hearing this, everyone froze in shock. It was my dad who stepped forward and asked. “Officers, are you sure you didn’t make a mistake?” “These are the only people in our apartment, and no one is trying to jump.” A few relatives and friends also stepped forward to testify. “Yeah, you must have made a mistake.” “We came over today to celebrate the new couple’s home, and everyone is right here.” “Is it the neighbors who are trying to jump? Did you go to the wrong door?” While they were talking, a frantic voice came through the firefighter’s radio. “Team, they’re about to fall! The person is about to fall!” “Hurry up and save them, or it’ll be too late!” Seeing the incredibly embarrassed faces of the three Hayes family members. I rushed to the master bathroom, ignoring everything else. “Let’s stop arguing. Whether someone is trying to jump or not, we’ll know as soon as we look.” As I opened the window. I saw a naked female body hanging onto the AC unit below. At this moment, Mia was desperately clinging to the AC unit with both hands. Seeing everyone appear, she screamed desperately at Liam, who was behind me. “Liam, tell them to save me right now!” “I can’t hold on much longer! Hurry!” After seeing with their own eyes that Liam really had cheated and hidden a woman. My relatives behind me tackled him to the ground almost simultaneously. The firefighters also quickly climbed out the window to try and pull Mia up. Just as the entire scene descended into chaos. With a blood-curdling scream… Mia’s fingers slipped, and she fell backward. By the time everyone looked out the window again. She was sprawled spread-eagle, having crashed into a large, dead tree. “Help! Help me! Help me!” “Liam, you bastard! I don’t want to die, I don’t want to die!” “Chloe, I was wrong! I shouldn’t have messed around with your fiancé. Please, tell them to save me!” As she cried and begged for help, everyone finally noticed. Her entire face was a bloody, mangled mess. A thick tree branch had pierced right through her cheek. At this point, a firefighter had already repelled down to the tree using a harness. He shouted to ask Mia. “Are you okay? Where does it hurt?” “Don’t be afraid. Hold on to me.” “Don’t worry, saving you is our duty.” It wasn’t until the ambulance sirens wailed through the apartment complex… That everyone finally snapped out of the chaos. By this time, Liam looked like a pathetic, beaten dog. My dad, along with a few of my cousins… Had beaten him until his face was bruised and swollen, and his head was bleeding. “Liam, what do you have to say for yourself now?” I looked at everyone in the Hayes family, enunciating every word clearly. “I’m sorry for making everyone travel all this way.” “Tomorrow’s wedding is canceled.” After saying that, we turned and left without looking back. After Chloe and her family left. Liam suddenly realized in hindsight. She seemed different than before. In the past, when he and Mia wildly crossed the line… Her eyes held jealousy and disappointment. But today, her eyes held only a bottomless, icy indifference. Today, she had become so unfamiliar, so alien. So unfamiliar that it felt like she was a completely different person. Slap! Liam’s mother slapped her son, furious at his stupidity. “This is all your fault!” “I warned you a long time ago to stay away from that tramp, but you refused to listen.” Liam’s father also kicked his son in exasperation. “If she was going to hide on the AC unit, why didn’t she hide properly?” “Didn’t you see all the neighbors recording our apartment just now?” “If this gets out, your promotion is ruined.” “Hurry up and go find Chloe and coax her back!” “If she refuses to marry you, we’re disowning you.”

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To escape late-night seminars and mandatory study halls, I forged a medical record claiming I had night blindness. Everyone believed that once the lights went down, I was effectively blind. Then, one night, a murder occurred in my dorm hallway. When the killer was dragging the body at the dark end of the corridor, I was standing right at the other end. He saw me, but he didn’t panic. Because he knew me, and he thought I couldn’t see him. Right before my eyes, he calmly dragged the body away and cleaned up the blood. I could only stand there, pretending to enjoy the evening breeze, pretending to be blind. But the truth was, I saw his face perfectly. 1 It took me a long time to stop shaking. I thought about going to the cops, but I had my doubts. First, the killer was my roommate, Toby. Second, when he was dragging the body toward the stairs, someone else was clearly there waiting for him. I had no idea who the accomplice was. I couldn’t even make a guess. School was out on break now. We were just a few stragglers left behind in the dorms. My dorm room only had Toby and me left. So, his partner in crime definitely wasn’t one of our roommates. There were barely any other students left in the entire building, which is probably why he felt brave enough to kill someone in the hallway. Killing me wouldn’t be much harder. So, rushing to the police right now felt way too dangerous. Plus, if the cops couldn’t find where they hid the body, I’d be screwed. I could leave campus immediately, but if the police never found the body… Would I even be able to come back next semester? I could watch out for Toby, but how could I watch out for an unknown accomplice? And Toby was absolutely convinced about my night blindness. He must have believed it, otherwise, he would have come over and dealt with me right then. I should be safe, at least for tonight. I had to survive the night and wait for the body to be discovered; then I could make my move. Thinking this through, I exhaled, preparing to go back inside. But just as I turned around, Toby’s face was inches from mine! 2 I jumped. He must have taken the other set of stairs and circled back around behind me. That was definitely not part of my plan. But my long-term training as a patient had perfected my acting skills, and I held it together. I quickly defocused my eyes, frowned, and forced a smile. 「Is someone there? Wh-who is it?」 Toby’s expression was still tense, but his tone was casual: 「It’s just me, T-man… Are your eyes that bad you can’t see me this close?」 I nodded, still smiling, and explained: 「It’s not total darkness. Up close, I can make out a blurry shape, that’s why I asked. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have asked, or come out here in the first place.」 Toby’s gaze was icy, a total mismatch with his casual tone: 「Heh… Good… It’s getting late, though. Ready to head in and crash?」 I nodded again, keeping up the harmless smile: 「Yeah, I am getting a bit tired. Let’s go.」 Then we walked into the room. My performance was relaxed and natural, exactly how I always was. I couldn’t let him see even a hint of suspicion. He, on the other hand, was still super tense—classic signs of someone who just did something monstrous. That meant my act had worked. He believed me. That’s why he wasn’t bothering to hide his own anxiety. Before climbing into my bunk, I turned around and casually asked him: 「By the way, where were you so late? Out partying?」 Even with my eyes unfocused and my voice relaxed, the question hit a nerve. He instantly got more tense, staring at me intently. He paused for two seconds before explaining: 「Yeah, out grabbing late-night snacks with some guys. Eating this late is normal, you know…」 I thought back; he actually did grab late-night snacks a lot. I think I’d even met those friends. The one he was tightest with was Kyle. So, as I climbed into my top bunk, I continued nonchalantly: 「With your boy Kyle? He’s still stuck here on campus too?」 Toby answered without hesitation: 「Yeah, that’s right. It was him. I was out with him.」 I felt a pang of disappointment. This meant the accomplice wasn’t Kyle. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have admitted it so directly. 3 「Tired, tired… sleep, sleep…」 I lay down on my bed. But sleep was out of the question tonight. I just didn’t realize that even if I could have slept, I wouldn’t have been allowed to. About an hour later, Toby slowly sat up. The dorm room was dark; I could only see his shadowy upper body like a ghost. He turned his head slowly, appearing to be staring directly at me. He was checking to see if I was asleep. I pretended I was. Even if I was awake, I should be seeing nothing… That thought made the night even more excruciating. Not long after, I realized Toby had climbed down from his bunk. We have lofts with desks underneath, so it was darker down there. I could slightly squint my eyes and peek. I saw Toby put on a face mask, probably to remind himself not to make any sound. I saw him open the dorm door. And then I saw another person outside dragging a body in! They hadn’t disposed of it yet. I tried to see the accomplice’s face, but he was wearing a mask too. That wasn’t a huge problem, though. Because they brought the body into the dorm room, it meant they planned to hide it here. Wherever they hid it, come morning, one phone call to the cops would end this entire nightmare. But their next move was a little confusing. They very carefully looped a rope over the ceiling fan. I was stunned. Because I slept on that end, I was relatively close to the fan. And yes— The two of them looped the rope around the body’s neck and slowly hoisted it up. I stood there, watching a head rise up, rising until it was almost level with my gaze. In that moment, my heart was hammering against my ribs. Especially when I saw the body’s face— I really lost it. 4 It was our third roommate, Chris. But he was supposed to have left campus ages ago, and he wasn’t from around here. Why was he back? Why did Toby strangle him? And it was obvious Toby and the accomplice were staging a suicide. Even though he wasn’t actually hung, the face of someone strangled to death is just as terrifying. Because it was so close, I saw everything. His face was ghostly pale, his eyes bulging out of their sockets as if they were about to fall out. His nostrils were flared to their absolute limit, the corners of his mouth pulled back painfully to the sides, revealing a few terrifyingly white teeth. You could see how desperately he wanted to gasp for air, or scream, before he died. But it was all useless, and he died with that expression of pure agony. The worst part was, I had to pretend I couldn’t see him. An actual dead guy was swinging right next to my head, and his eyes… it was like they were staring right at me. Even if I closed my eyes, I could still feel that non-existent gaze. I knew tonight would be bad, right from the start. But I never imagined it would be this bad. A short while later, they finally finished everything, including cleaning up the tracks. They were seriously talented—they didn’t make a single sound the entire time. It didn’t even give me a reason to “wake up.” Then, the accomplice opened the door and left, and Toby slowly climbed back into his bunk opposite mine. So now, the two of us and the hanging Chris formed an isosceles triangle with a top angle of over 150 degrees. As soon as I opened my eyes, Chris’s horrifying face was right there above me. I really wanted to turn toward the wall, but I knew I didn’t usually roll around much when I slept. Suddenly turning over now would just raise suspicion. If I got caught, I would definitely be killed. There was zero doubt about that. But on second thought, this situation actually brought me a tiny grain of comfort. The body would definitely be discovered tomorrow morning, and I could smoothly point the finger at Toby. Even if I didn’t, he wouldn’t escape the forensic team’s eyes. Because strangulation and hanging have very different marks. How could a crime scene investigator not see that? And right then, something creepy happened— Toby’s cell phone actually started ringing! The sudden sound sent a jolt through my entire body. It was an involuntary reflex action I couldn’t control. Immediately, Toby’s apology floated over: 「Sorry, sorry. Forgot to turn the ringer off and woke you up…」 I realized instantly— He did that on purpose. 5 Given how meticulous he was about cleaning up the body earlier, there was zero chance he “forgot to turn the ringer off.” And it was so loud—loud enough to scare me. So this was definitely intentional. He wanted something from me. Because night blindness has a specific feature— After dark, in poor light, patients can’t use their phones. Because the phone screen’s brightness will actually worsen the condition, potentially leading to total blindness. And the dorm room was incredibly dark, much darker than the hallway outside. So he was banking on the fact that I wouldn’t discover the hanging Chris. Thinking this through, I adjusted my mindset and replied in a drowsy voice: 「Scared the crap out of me… but it’s fine… go back to sleep…」 I was deliberately saying that, because that’s how someone waking up in the middle of the night should act. Sure enough, Toby used this opportunity to keep talking to me: 「Hey, by the way, do you know anything about Chris?」 I couldn’t not respond to this topic. Because Chris was swinging right there in the middle of the room, near the head of our beds. I lazily countered: 「What? I thought he went home… did something happen?」 Toby immediately followed up: 「He didn’t go home. He’s out there ghosting… and it sounds like he’s in trouble. He said he was coming back tonight, but at this rate, he’ll probably have to scale the wall.」 Hearing that, I got it instantly. Toby was setting the stage for “Chris’s return.” And he stressed “scaling the wall,” because the main dorm entrance has surveillance cameras. Scaling the wall meant there would be no record of when he returned… I got it. Total clarity. He was trying to play me, to fabricate evidence! He was misleading me into thinking Chris came back later in the deep, dark night after we were asleep. And after he came back, he silently hung himself in a suicide… That way, Toby would naturally be cleared of suspicion. I chuckled inwardly. Did he really think the cops were idiots? Strangulation versus hanging—how could a medical examiner possibly not know the difference? 6 Toby was still making casual conversation, pretending nothing was wrong: 「You probably didn’t know, but word is he got into a heap of trouble, owed a ton of money, practically ready to skipped town.」 I ignored him, but he kept talking: 「With that kind of pressure, who knows what kind of state he’s in right now…」 My eyes drifted again to the hanging Chris. Caught sight of his face, made even more horrifying by the hanging. This state, yeah, it really wasn’t great. But I also got that Toby was planting the seed of the idea that “Chris was in enough trouble to commit suicide” in my mind. That way, when the body was exposed tomorrow morning, I would “unconsciously” tell everyone, including the police, this exact idea. Thus indirectly confirming that Chris’s death was a suicide. If this was Toby’s goal, then as long as I bought it, he would let me go to sleep. So I obediently countered: 「No way? What kind of major trouble did he get into? Is it that serious?」 Toby immediately opened up like a dam, words flooding out: 「You have no idea. He hid it so well in the dorm, you probably couldn’t even tell.」 「I’m telling you, he got mixed up in gambling, owed a massive, massive amount to loan sharks!」 「That’s why he was afraid to go home. Right at the beginning of break, he said he was going to make some money to win it back…」 「My guess is he lost it all this week, didn’t even have a place to stay tonight, so that’s why he said he was coming back.」 「Anyway, when he comes back, if he’s in a bad mood, just try to ignore him. Don’t get into any arguments with him…」 「I’m afraid he might do something stupid… sigh, life is hard…」 He sounded genuinely concerned, but all I felt was a hair-raising sense of the absurd. Because Chris’s body was hanging right next to us, and he was even facing me. 「I had no idea…」 I sighed too, ready to end the conversation with Toby. As long as I agreed with him and let him know the seed was planted. I chuckled again inwardly, thinking his plan was genuinely stupid. They spent so much effort staging Chris as a “suicide,” even guiding me to back them up, but it really wouldn’t work. Suicide or not, it wasn’t about what we said; it was about what the police found. Just as I was about to say the thought “I know Chris has suicidal thoughts” out loud… I suddenly realized things weren’t right. Because they weren’t stupid. From the clean, efficient killing method to the silent body transport, even staging this suicide scene without making a single sound… They were far from stupid; they were actually a lot smarter than the average person! And they definitely did a ton of prep work! How could they possibly not know that the police would definitely tell the difference between “suicide” and “strangulation”? So since that was the case, why were they doing this? I just felt my scalp go numb. Because another possibility hit me— Could dragging Chris back to the dorm and hanging him up all just be a performance put on for me?

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My mother always told me that every child only gets to say “Mommy” a thousand times. By the time I was six, I had already used nine hundred and ninety-nine. “If you say it one more time, Mommy will die, and you’ll be all alone.” I believed her. From that day on, I never said it again. Twenty years later, in the bridal suite before my wedding, she looked at me with terrified, hopeful eyes. “Chloe, honey… could you say it just one more time? Just once?” I looked at the chest of solid gold jewelry she was offering me and gently used that very last time. “Mommy.” Then, I looked her in the eye. “That was one thousand. When are you going to die?” …… 1 Chapter 1 The harsh vanity lights made the burn scars on her face look even more terrifying. The chest dropped from her hands with a heavy clang, scattering glittering gold jewelry all over the floor. The bridal suite went dead silent for a heartbeat before exploding into chaos. “Did… did I hear that right?” “Your mother drove all this way to give you a dowry, and you wish she was dead?” A crowd of relatives and friends swarmed in, their voices overlapping. “She’s clearly embarrassed to be seen with her mother looking like that.” “Unbelievable. A daughter shouldn’t care if her mother is ugly. Look at all this gold; she probably spent her life savings on this, and this is the thanks she gets!” “I bet the mother got those scars because of her. She’s subhuman!” My mother scrambled to pick up the gold jewelry, her hands shaking. Among the gold, a single silver bangle lay quietly near my foot. I bent down and picked it up. My mother looked up, her voice trembling. “Chloe, that bracelet… I had it fixed for you. All these years, Haley never wore it…” She finished gathering the gold and packed it back into the chest, offering it to me with both hands. “Chloe, I just want you to be happy.” I took the chest without expression. “I’ll take the stuff. As for the blessing, save it for your real daughter, Haley.” The room gasped again. “This is too much!” “Someone record this. I’m putting her on TikTok. The whole world needs to see this monster.” My best friend, Sarah, rushed in from outside, spreading her arms to shield me. “None of you know the truth! How dare you say that about Chloe?” I gave Sarah’s hand a grateful pat, then sat back down in front of the vanity mirror. I let the makeup artist continue applying foundation, trying to hide the scar on my forehead. I got that scar twenty years ago, fighting Haley for this very silver bangle. It’s been twenty years. Now the bracelet is back in my hand, but it’s too small to fit my wrist. Just like the word “Mommy,” I no longer crave it. I let out a soft, detached smile. “It seems today is a good day to settle old debts.” Under their judgmental stares, I began to tell the story of the past. 2 Chapter 2 When I was little, my mother was my entire world. My father died before I was born, but I never felt like I was missing anything because my mother gave me all her love. She gave me the center of the cinnamon rolls, the tips of the strawberries, and made me the prettiest dresses. I loved clinging to her, chasing her around the house all day, yelling “Mommy, Mommy.” She would always put down whatever she was doing, scoop me up, set me on her lap, and rub her nose against my forehead. “Mommy’s here. Mommy’s right here.” I thought we would be happy like this forever. Until I was six, and my stepfather moved in with his daughter, Haley. That day, my mother put on nice clothes and beautiful makeup, checking herself in the mirror over and over. I ran over and hugged her. “Mommy, you look so pretty.” She flinched as if I were made of fire, taking a sharp step back. She looked in terror at my stepfather and Haley standing in the doorway. She bent down, looking me straight in the eye. “Chloe, Mommy has to tell you something important.” “Every child only gets to call their mom ‘Mommy’ a thousand times in their whole life. You’ve already used nine hundred and ninety-nine.” I froze. “If you say it one more time, Mommy will die, and you won’t have a mommy anymore.” “Do you understand?” I fought back the tears in my eyes and nodded vigorously. From that day on, I never called her Mommy again. When I was happy and wanted to share something with her, that word would rush to my lips, only for me to desperately swallow it back down. When I woke up screaming from a nightmare at night, my first instinct was to clamp my hands tightly over my mouth. I was terrified that if I wasn’t careful, I would accidentally kill her. I lived my life with that kind of agonizing caution, like a poor child holding their very last match, afraid to strike it for light. I was no longer the cherished child who got the cinnamon roll centers and strawberry tips. 3 Chapter 3 After my stepfather and Haley moved in, my mother lectured me every single day. She said I was the older sister, so I had to make concessions for Haley. A happy home requires harmony, she said. If things were harmonious, life would be better for us all. One afternoon, my mother baked a fresh batch of chocolate chip cookies. I smelled the delicious scent and ran out of my room. But I saw Haley already sitting at the kitchen table. She was picking every single chocolate chip out of every cookie with her fingers, putting them into her own bowl. My stepfather watched the whole time but didn’t say a word. I looked to my mother for help. My mother subconsciously opened her mouth to speak, but then glanced at my stepfather’s face. My stepfather turned a page of his newspaper, not looking up. My mother shut her mouth. She picked up the tray and held out the plain, picked-over cookies to me. “Be a good girl. You eat these for now. I’ll bake you some more later.” My stomach was full of grievance, but I didn’t want to embarrass her, so I reached out and took one. Just as I took a bite, Haley screamed and charged at me. “That’s mine!” She snatched the cookie out of my hand and, along with the rest on the tray, threw them all into the trash can. “They’re all mine! I’d rather throw them away than let you have any!” I hadn’t planned on crying. But that piece of dry cookie was stuck in my throat; I couldn’t spit it out, and I couldn’t swallow it. I finally couldn’t hold it back and burst into tears. My mother walked over and reached out her hand. I thought she was going to hug me. But she just covered my mouth. “Stop crying.” Her voice was very low, harsh. “Why are you being so difficult? How many times have I told you how to behave?” I stifled the crying. My mother let go, put on a smile, picked Haley up in her arms, and began to soothe her gently. “Haley can have as many as she wants. Mommy will bake you more tomorrow.” I turned and ran back to my room. I don’t know how long I cried under the covers, but eventually, I fell asleep. When my mother woke me up by shaking me, it was late at night. She was sitting on the edge of my bed, holding a plate of freshly baked cookies, looking at me with heartache. “Haley’s asleep. Eat quickly.” My eyes were so swollen I could barely open them, my throat was raw from crying, and I was in a daze. I didn’t want to eat anything. Seeing me shake my head, her expression changed. She slammed the plate down on the nightstand, her eyes turning red. “You’re learning to be spiteful now?” “I know you were hurt today, but Mommy doesn’t have it easy either. Can’t you show me a little compassion?” “Just so you could eat these, I stayed up all night. I waited until Haley was sound asleep to sneak up and bake these for you, and you’re throwing a tantrum?!” I wanted to tell her I felt sick. I couldn’t eat. I wanted to tell her she hadn’t hugged me in a long time. I wanted to say that this was my home. This house belonged to my father. Why was I eating in secret in my own house, sneaking around in the middle of the night? But I looked at her unfamiliar face and, in the end, said nothing. I sat up and, under her intense gaze, finished that entire plate of overly sweet cookies. She smiled with satisfaction and patted my head. “That’s my good girl.” That night, I got a severe case of gastroenteritis, vomiting and having diarrhea for days. 4 Chapter 4 After that night, my mother stopped bringing me late-night snacks. Instead, she would slip me cash behind my stepfather and Haley’s backs, telling me to go buy whatever I liked to eat. I still didn’t understand why her own money, given to her own daughter, had to be handled like stolen goods. But I asked nothing. I stopped initiating eating any food at home, and I wouldn’t touch a single thing that belonged to Haley. But the tree craves peace, and the wind will not subside. That silver bangle was something my father had custom-made for me before I was born. It was beautiful, with enamel work and filigree forming a flowering dogwood. I had worn it since I was a baby; it had never come off my wrist. One day, I came home from school. Just as I pushed open the door, Haley charged at me. She grabbed my wrist, staring at the bracelet. “I want this.” As she spoke, she clamped her hand around it and began pulling violently. I suppressed my rage and tried to be reasonable. “This was my father’s… he left it to me…” Instead of letting go, she started screaming at the top of her lungs. “It’s mine! Mine!” The fury I had bottled up finally erupted. I gave her a hard shove. “Let go!” I was a few months older than her, and I knocked her right to the floor. She sat on the ground and started bawling. My mother ran out of the kitchen, looking terrified, as if she were the one who had done wrong. My stepfather also came out of his room at the noise, standing silently behind Haley. After hearing the reason, my mother actually turned an imploring gaze toward me. “Just give it to your sister… We’ll get you a new one later.” I looked at her in absolute disbelief. She had told me herself, with her own mouth, that my father had drawn the blueprint. To get the filigree just right, he had visited every jeweler in the city. “Your father said a daughter should be like a dogwood flower—beautiful, resilient, and full of life.” “Just like your name, Chloe.” Since they moved in, my mother had used my father’s house and money to support my stepfather and stepsister; I couldn’t stop that. But this bracelet was the single, solitary thing that belonged entirely to me. It was my final link to my true identity. A stubborn streak hit me, too. I looked my mother right in the eye. “I can give up anything else in this house to her.” “But I will die before I give up this bracelet.” When Haley heard that, she cried even harder, kicking her legs on the floor. My stepfather knelt down to soothe her. After a few failed attempts, he looked up at my mother. And suddenly, my mother snapped. “Then go die!” She screamed with all her might, then grabbed the bracelet and yanked it with brutal force. The metal warped, scraping skin as it was torn off my wrist. The momentum sent me flying. I smashed my forehead against the corner of the coffee table. Blood poured down my face. I heard my mother’s terrified scream. “Chloe! Chloe!” Her pale face appeared above me, her voice growing distant. “I’m sorry, Chloe, I’m so sorry… Don’t go, please don’t leave me.” She scooped me up and ran out the door. The long-forgotten warmth of her arms made me want to cry. After getting stitches at the hospital and returning home, my stepfather and Haley were gone. They said they went back to his hometown to visit relatives. For those few days, it was as if she had turned back into the mother who loved me. She made me chicken soup and baked me cookies. She held me close while we slept at night, gently patting my back and telling me stories. It felt like I was that little girl again, often held in her mother’s arms. Except for one thing: I still didn’t dare call her Mommy. 5 Chapter 5 That ridiculous lie was exposed a few days later. I went to Sarah’s house to play. She was lying on the couch, calling out to her mother over and over. Mommy, Mommy, look at this. Mommy, Mommy, come here. I watched Sarah’s bright smile and finally couldn’t hold back. I spoke up to warn her. “You should say that less.” “Every child only gets to call their mom ‘Mommy’ a thousand times. When you hit the limit, Mommy dies.” “I’ve already used nine hundred and ninety-nine times. I don’t dare say it anymore. You should ration yours.” She froze for a few seconds, then burst into tears. She ran into the kitchen and hugged her mom, sobbing, saying Mommy don’t die, I don’t want Mommy to die. Her mother listened to the explanation, caught between laughter and tears. “Silly child, how could Mommy be killed by being called ‘Mommy’?” “Even if you said it a hundred million times, Mommy wouldn’t die.” To prove it to us, she found a hand counter and had Sarah say “Mommy” a thousand times right then and there. One, two, three. I realized then that a thousand times was actually so little. If you said it continuously, it only took ten minutes. Her mother was still alive. She was still smiling. “See? Mommy didn’t die, did she?” She affectionately pinched her daughter’s nose, but the look she then directed at me contained something I didn’t understand at the time. I learned later that it was called pity. At that moment, I just ran home as fast as I could. I was going to tell my mother that I knew. Mommy wouldn’t die from being called “Mommy.” I could call her Mommy again. Ten thousand times, a hundred million times—she wouldn’t die. Just as I got to the door, I heard my mother’s voice from inside. She was crying, asking my stepfather. “When do you think Haley will finally call me ‘Mommy’?” My hand, ready to push the door, stopped in mid-air. “I truly treat Haley like my own daughter. Just because I was afraid she would feel uncomfortable hearing it, I made Chloe stop calling me Mommy…” My stepfather soothed her in a low voice, but I couldn’t hear what he said. I only heard my mother say: “Even just once, I’d be content.” Turns out, in the whole world, only my “Mommy” would cause my mother to die. But one “Mommy” from Haley was something she longed for so desperately. I stood in the cold hallway, my hands hanging at my sides. I had nothing. My hands were empty. After that, I became very well-behaved. I yielded everything to Haley. In that house, there was nothing left for me to care about. Calling her Mommy—how was that important? I didn’t lack for food or clothing or pocket money. Even if those things were obtained in secret, handled like stolen goods. How was that important? I had a room to live in, I went to school, nobody hit me or verbally abused me. My mother’s embrace—how was that important? Fighting Haley for that miserable scrap of affection—how was that important? From then on, I had only one goal: get into a good out-of-state university and get far, far away from here. I thought that as long as I didn’t care, no one could hurt me. But I was still too naive.

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