Damien Lancaster kept me for twelve years. Everyone in his circle called me his pet. Beautiful, obedient, never making a fuss. The women by his side changed constantly, but I was always there. He didn’t love me, but he was used to having me around. He even let me carry his triplet sons. The moment they were born, they were sent overseas. Then came that rainy night. I held a simple silver ring in my palm. “Damien, I’m getting married. He knows I’ve had children. I just want a normal life.” He glanced at the ring and let out a quiet laugh. “That delivery guy?” The next second, he tossed the ring into a pot of boiling coffee and pulled me into a fierce kiss. “Who said you could leave me? You’ll always be mine.” Vivian’s POV Damien kept me for twelve years. Everyone in his circle called me his pet. Beautiful, obedient, never making a fuss. The women by his side changed constantly, but I was always there. Damien didn’t like me. But he was used to having me around. He even let me bear his children. I was pregnant with triplets and gave birth to three boys. The moment they were born, they were sent abroad, raised by a top-tier childcare team. I was the kind of mother who had to beg for permission to see her own children. Everyone said that as long as I held on, I would become Mrs. Lancaster one day. That evening, the Lancaster family hosted their first party of early winter. Damien held his new flame in his arms, the famous actress Serena Sterling. Serena was delicate. She’d barely made it through one round of socializing in her four-inch heels before she was already frowning, whining about her feet. “Damien, my feet are killing me…” Her voice was soft, sugary, and perfectly pitched to turn every head in the room. Damien chuckled softly, but his gaze passed through the crowd and landed on me in the corner. I stood there holding his backup suit. “Vivian.” He called my name, his tone indifferent, as if summoning a servant. I walked over with my eyes lowered. “Mr. Lancaster.” Damien pointed at Serena’s feet, then glanced at mine. “Take off your shoes. Give them to her.” The surrounding noise seemed to quiet in that instant. Countless spectators turned their gazes on me. Serena and I were about the same height, with the same shoe size. Serena looked surprised, then covered her mouth and laughed. She looked very pleased with herself. If I refused, I would publicly embarrass Damien. If I complied, I would tear off my own dignity and lay it on the ground for people to trample. But I didn’t hesitate. I bent down and quickly unfastened my shoes. “Serena, these heels are only two inches, with sheepskin soles. They shouldn’t hurt your feet.” I stood barefoot on the cold floor, crouched down, and considerately helped her put them on. Serena stood up and turned in a circle, then linked her arm through Damien’s with satisfaction. “Damien spoils me the most.” From start to finish, Damien never looked at me once. He just pinched Serena’s waist and praised me for being so sensible. Then he led Serena to the dance floor. I stood there alone, barefoot. The cold crept up from the soles of my feet, drilling straight into my bones, making me shiver all over. Others laughed without bothering to hide it. “I heard Damien and Serena Sterling are getting married. This adopted girl’s good days are probably over.” “What a good dog. The master says take off your shoes, and she takes them off without any complaint.” I lowered my head, looking at my reddened toes, and silently shrank back into the corner. Actually, they got it wrong. It wasn’t that my good days were over. It wasn’t that I was about to be kicked out. It was that I didn’t want Damien anymore. My hand slipped into my pocket, tightly gripping an ordinary ring. It was from another man. Even if the ending was bleak, I had to leave this lunatic Damien.

Vivian’s POV Damien seemed to be in a good mood. After the party ended, he took a shower and sat lazily on the sofa, teasing his cat with a toy. The ragdoll cat pounced around playfully, going crazy. I was like that cat. He’d been toying with me using money and power for twelve years. I brought him a glass of water and set it by his hand. My fingers were stiff from prolonged exposure to the cold. Damien frowned. “Damien.” I stood to the side with my hands at my sides, my voice soft but clear. “I want to move out.” Damien’s hand didn’t stop teasing the cat. He didn’t even lift an eyelid. “Because of those shoes? “Serena is a guest, and a big star. You wouldn’t want to see her embarrassed, would you? “Tomorrow I’ll have my assistant take you to pick out some new ones.” His tone was casual. He didn’t even lift an eyelid. “It’s not about the shoes.” I took out a ring and laid it open in my palm. It was from Adrian Grant, bought with three months of his savings. It was everything he could give me. “I’m getting married.” I looked at Damien’s profile and said calmly. “He doesn’t mind that I’ve had children… I want to marry him and live a normal life.” The air froze for an instant. The cat toy stopped at the cat’s nose. The ragdoll let out a sharp cry. Damien finally turned his head, his gaze falling on the ring. Two seconds later, he laughed softly. “Marriage? With that delivery guy?” He knew, of course. My whereabouts had never been a secret to him. He stood up, walked over to me, and picked up the ring with two fingers in disgust. “Vivian, have you lost your mind? Throwing away everything the Lancasters gave you to play house with some delivery guy?” “Could his whole paycheck even buy you one sock?” “No, but he treats me like a human being.” I stared into his eyes without backing down. The smile faded from Damien’s face. His eyes instantly turned sinister. He released his hand. The ring dropped into the boiling coffee pot beside him. The scalding water churned. That tiny silver circle was instantly swallowed by the murky coffee. “If you want to debase yourself, suit yourself.” Damien pulled out a tissue and methodically wiped the fingers that had just touched the ring, as if they’d been contaminated by something filthy. “You can leave if you want. Get out right now.” “But Vivian, have you forgotten something?” He casually picked up a tablet, opened a video call, and tossed it on the coffee table. On the screen were three identical little boys wrestling around a castle of building blocks. Those were my sons. Damien bent down, waved at the children on the screen, and a cruel smile curved his lips. “Say goodbye to Mommy.” “She thinks you’re a burden and is running off with another man. From now on, you won’t have a mother anymore.”

Vivian’s POV The three children on the screen froze. They were only four years old. They didn’t understand what “another man” meant, but they understood “won’t have a mother anymore.” The oldest pursed his lips. The building blocks in his hands fell to the floor. He burst into loud tears. Then the second, then the third. Their heartrending cries came through the speaker like a saw cutting through my nerves. I instinctively lunged forward to grab the tablet. But Damien was faster. His slender fingers tapped lightly and ended the video call. The crying stopped abruptly. Damien crossed his legs and looked leisurely at my hand frozen in midair. “Does it hurt now?” He lit a cigarette. The blue-white smoke blurred his cold eyes. “Vivian, you can’t be too greedy. You want so-called true love and you want the Lancaster children too? Where does that exist?” I bit my lip hard until I tasted the metallic tang of blood. I knew he was forcing me. He was waiting for me to kneel and beg him like before, or cry and say I wouldn’t leave. But this time, Adrian Grant’s eyes-bloodshot yet still determined-floated into my mind. He said, “Vivian, don’t look back.” I took a deep breath, withdrew my hand, and even managed an ugly smile. “You’re right, Damien. If I don’t want them, then I’ll cut ties completely.” With that, I turned and headed upstairs. Behind me came the sound of a glass being violently smashed. But I didn’t stop. News traveled fast. Early the next morning, Damien’s mother arrived. The elegant lady who usually only appeared at charity galas was now sitting on my bed, earnestly holding my hand. “Vivian, you’re being foolish.” She sighed, her well-maintained face full of disapproval. “The Lancaster family raised you. Without the Lancaster family’s money, you would have starved to death in the orphanage long ago. “Damien is playful, yes, but which of those women around him can surpass you? The three grandsons are the heirs of the Lancaster family. You’re their biological mother. As long as you’re obedient, who else could be Mrs. Lancaster besides you?” I’d heard these words at the Lancaster house for twelve years. Like invisible threads, they’d sewn me into a puppet of the Lancaster family. “I’m done waiting.” I pulled out a red piece of cardstock from under my pillow. It was a hand-drawn wedding invitation from Adrian Grant. The paper was ordinary, but the letters were cut neatly and carefully. “Next month on the fifth, I hope you can attend my wedding.” Mrs. Lancaster’s expression darkened instantly. The hand holding mine withdrew sharply. “You’re humiliating the Lancaster family!” “Who gave you the right to think the Lancaster family would attend such a shabby wedding?” A mocking voice came from the doorway. Damien leaned against the doorframe, still reeking of last night’s alcohol. He strode in and snatched the invitation from my hand. With just one glance, the disgust in his eyes deepened. “This handwriting is really ugly.” “Adrian wrote every word himself.” I tried to grab it back, but he pressed down on my shoulder with one hand, rendering me immobile. Damien sneered. The red cardstock tore in half in his hands. “If you’re going to leave, don’t bring this trash into the Lancaster house.” Damien pointed at the door, his eyes cold. “Except for the bones in your body, you’re not allowed to take anything that belongs to the Lancaster family.”

Vivian’s POV Mrs. Lancaster beside him picked up her coffee cup and took a delicate sip. “You want to leave?” Damien suddenly laughed. “Vivian, have you forgotten that the Lancaster family paid to raise you? Without the Lancaster family’s money, you wouldn’t exist.” “Since you want to settle accounts, let’s do it by contract.” A faint smile curved Damien’s lips, but his eyes were ice cold. “After supporting you all this time, you should at least leave some breach-of-contract penalty before you go.” I didn’t understand what he meant. But I soon found out. The next evening, the butler brought me a revealing outfit and told me to put it on. Then I was sent to a club. He said Mr. Warren was waiting for me. My heart instantly sank. Mr. Warren was notorious in their circle-vile and crude. Many girls had ended up in the hospital because of him. Before, with Damien protecting me, no one dared touch me. Now, he was personally delivering me. He was doing this on purpose. When I pushed open the door, Damien had his arm around Serena. He saw me enter but didn’t even lift an eyelid. Mr. Warren’s eyes lit up when he saw me. His greasy gaze stuck to my exposed back. “Is this the canary Damien kept? Truly a beauty.” Mr. Warren walked over with two full glasses of hard liquor, practically shoving them in my face. “Since Damien is willing to part with you, we’d better drink properly tonight.” I instinctively looked at Damien. He was lowering his head to light Serena’s cigarette. The flame illuminated his cold profile as if everything happening here had nothing to do with him. As if I was about to be devoured alive by this pig in the next second. I gave up hope. I took the harsh liquor and tilted my head back to down it. My stomach burned painfully, but compared to the chill in my heart, it was nothing. “Good! Bold!” Mr. Warren’s hand slid to my waist, his damp palm moving under the fabric, the implication clear. “Vivian, you drank that fast. In a hurry, are we?” Laughter erupted around us. Someone egged him on. “Mr. Warren, you’re getting handsy already? Aren’t you afraid Damien will mind?” Damien finally looked up. He played with a metal lighter in his hand and glanced at me with a half-smile. “Mind what? If she doesn’t want to be part of the Lancaster family, she’s just a call girl. “As long as Mr. Warren’s happy, do whatever you want with her.” That sentence was the final blow to my dignity. Mr. Warren completely lost his reservations. His fat hand began forcefully pulling at my straps. Riiip. The sound of tearing fabric was especially harsh in the private room. I struggled desperately, but Mr. Warren pinned me down on the sofa. His alcohol-soaked breath sprayed on my face, making me want to vomit. “Playing innocent? Damien already gave the word. You really think you’re still that high-and-mighty Miss Vivian?” Despair swallowed me like a flood. Just as that filthy hand was about to touch my chest, I grabbed the ashtray from the table and smashed it down hard. Crash! Blood splattered. Mr. Warren screamed and rolled to the floor clutching his head. The private room fell deathly silent. Everyone was stunned. Only Damien sat there and laughed softly. His laughter was chilling, making one’s hair stand on end. He stood up, kicked aside the still-wailing Mr. Warren, and walked over to me, stepping on the broken glass. He gripped my chin and forced me to look up at him. “Is this the freedom you wanted?” “Without me, you don’t even have the right to be someone’s accessory.”

Vivian’s POV I looked at Mr. Warren clutching his bleeding head. He was completely dazed. But he was shrewd enough to survive in this circle. Even though he was in excruciating pain, he didn’t dare curse at Damien. He just stared fearfully at the man still holding half a bottle, his voice trembling. “D-Damien, didn’t you say… I could do whatever I wanted…” “Yes, I did say that.” Damien dropped the glass fragments and accepted a handkerchief from a bodyguard, methodically wiping his fingertips that hadn’t even gotten dirty. He even smiled slightly, his tone as gentle as chatting with an old friend. “But I didn’t say you could break my property.” He walked up to Mr. Warren and looked down at that greasy face. “The Lancaster family spent a fortune packaging her. You made her cry. How should we settle this account?” Mr. Warren’s face turned ashen. I could see he understood. “I’ll pay! I’ll compensate! Damien, please spare me…” Damien didn’t look at him again. He simply waved his hand lightly. Two bodyguards immediately stepped forward and silently dragged the still-pleading Mr. Warren out. Mr. Warren struggled and screamed. The private room fell silent. Damien turned around, his gaze falling on me. I huddled miserably in the corner, disheveled and trembling all over. He walked over and reached for the ashtray in my hand. I instinctively flinched. “What? Going to hit me too?” He raised an eyebrow. “That was a decent fight just now. Shows some Lancaster ruthlessness.” “But have you gotten one thing wrong?” He forcibly pried open my fingers and threw the ashtray into the trash. He reached out to smooth my disheveled hair. His movements were gentle yet carried a careless cruelty. His fingertips were ice cold, sliding across my collarbone, causing a shiver. “My possessions-only I can discipline them. “When others touch them even once, they pay a price. “But that doesn’t mean you can resist me.” He chuckled softly, his fingertip brushing the corner of my mouth that was still bleeding. “Besides me, who else would treasure you like this?” Seeing me bite my lip without speaking, the smile in his eyes faded a bit. He glanced at the hard liquor on the table, his tone eerie. “Drink all of these, and I’ll forgive your ignorance today.” “Remember, every sip you drink, every penny you spend, belongs to the Lancaster family.” “If you want to leave, settle this account first.” I looked at him. He sat on the sofa, watching me leisurely. Serena nestled in his arms, also watching me quietly with amusement in her eyes. He was serious. Unless I was dead, I couldn’t walk out that door. “Fine.” Without hesitation, I grabbed a bottle and tilted my head back to pour it down my throat. The first bottle. The second bottle. The harsh liquid burned my esophagus. My stomach churned violently. I rushed to the bathroom and vomited until I was dizzy. Bile mixed with blood streaks poured out. But I wiped my mouth, supported myself against the wall, walked back out, and picked up the third bottle. Damien sat there the whole time. Through the smoke, his expression was dark and unreadable. Until I picked up the fifth bottle. My hands shook so badly I couldn’t hold it. Liquor spilled all over me. Crash. I couldn’t hold the bottle. It fell to the floor and shattered. I knelt on the ground, trying to pick up the glass shards still dripping with liquor, wanting to clean them up. A shoe stepped on my hand. Damien looked down at me, not a trace of anger on his face. His voice maintained that suffocating calm. “Vivian, you’ll be a Lancaster family asset for the rest of your life.” He crouched down to look at me, his eyes a barren wasteland of indifference. “If you drink yourself to death, what will you use to pay your debt?” “Someone, take her back.” He stood up, his tone light. “If she dies here, the children won’t have a mother anymore.” At the mention of the children, I stiffened. He looked with satisfaction at the fear in my eyes and stood up. “Take her back.” He turned and walked out, his back straight and cold. “If she’s not dead, keep her locked up.” “When she’s healed, we’ll settle accounts slowly.”

Vivian’s POV I was carried back to the villa by bodyguards. My stomach still burned. My throat was full of that metallic taste. Damien was using disinfectant wipes to clean each finger. As if the person who’d just forced me to drink until I vomited in that private room wasn’t him. “Sobered up?” His gaze swept over my disheveled appearance and finally stopped at my long hair. He used to love my long hair the most. Every month he took me for treatments. Even the shampoo was imported. He often said this hair felt like silk and had a nice texture. “Since you’re not dead, let’s continue settling accounts.” “You can take those shabby clothes, but anything that belongs to the Lancaster family must stay.” I stood there. The alcohol made my head fuzzy, but I understood what he meant. I lowered my head and began removing my earrings, necklace, and bracelets. Finally, I wore only a thin camisole. “What else?” Damien didn’t tell me to stop. He walked up to me, his slender fingers winding around a lock of hair. “This hair, this skin-which part wasn’t bought with my money?” He leaned close to me, his tone so gentle it was terrifying. “Vivian, if you want to make a clean break, do it properly.” “Taking things I paid to maintain to that man-it makes me sick.” He turned around and took a paper cutter from the drawer under the coffee table. He threw the blade at my feet. “Cut it all off cleanly, and I’ll let you get lost.” I looked at the blade, then at Damien’s emotionless eyes. He was betting I would kneel and beg him. But I bent down and picked up the blade. Without any hesitation. The blade pressed against the roots of my hair, ice cold and bone-chilling. Black strands fell to the floor in large clumps. I hacked away carelessly. The blade cut my scalp. Blood beads seeped out, but I couldn’t feel the pain. I saw the expression on Damien’s face finally crack. He stared at the severed hair on the floor, the hair he’d carefully maintained for twelve years. “Enough!” Just as I was about to cut the last strand, he seized my wrist fiercely. He looked at my hacked-off hair, a towering rage surging in his eyes. It was the rage of a man whose favorite possession had been ruined. “You told me to cut it.” I looked at him, my voice hoarse and calm. “Damien, is it clean enough now?” “Can I leave?” Damien was silent for a moment. Then he sneered and flung my hand away. His voice was sinister. “Get out now!” I didn’t linger at all. I casually threw on an old coat and pushed open the door. Barefoot, I walked into that cold winter night without looking back. Damien, loving you was my biggest mistake.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “372033”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #重生Reborn #浪漫Romance

I was participating in a live escape room show with my movie star husband when he suddenly disappeared. As I searched anxiously with my pregnant belly, I heard a voice from the baby inside: [Mommy, don’t worry! That bastard dad is hiding in the prop coffin kissing Sophia Reed!] I froze. The baby in my belly could actually talk? [They want to trick you into the haunted house to scare you into a miscarriage, so Sophia can take your place!] [But Sophia has claustrophobia—she won’t last long in there!] I let out a cold laugh and immediately called everyone over: “Everyone, come to this room! There’s a clue here!” My husband didn’t know yet that he was born under an unlucky star, and all these years his bad luck had only been suppressed by my good fortune. Since he wanted to harm me, I’d let him go back to being the unlucky bastard he was meant to be. “Vivian, what clue did you find?” The show’s guests immediately crowded into the room when they heard there was a clue. I pointed at the coffin in front of me and analyzed: “There are nine rooms total, and they’re all basically the same. Only this room has an extra coffin.” “Maybe the key to the plot is in this coffin.” Just then, the little one’s voice rang out again: [Ahhhhh Mommy! What’s in the coffin is so disgusting!] [Bastard dad and that homewrecker Sophia aren’t wearing any clothes!] [Really, nothing at all! And they’re kissing again!] [Sophia’s even saying how exciting it is—Mommy, does that sound right to you?!] I raised my hand and rubbed my belly. How did this three-month-old thing know so much? This escape room variety show was the platform’s major project of the year. They’d even installed large screens in every room to display live comments in real-time. There were six guests this episode. My husband Adrian and I, young actress Sophia Reed, boy band members Marcus Flame and Lucas North, plus veteran actor Samuel Waters. The storyline was about a bride who mysteriously disappeared during the Civil War era. Samuel came over for a look: “Does this mean the bride is already dead?” I nodded. “That’s what I think too. Plus this room has a vanity table.” “Look over there—flowers, a veil. This might be her bridal chamber.” Comments scrolled across the big screen: [Vivian is so smart, analyzing everything even with that baby bump] [No wonder she’s a top student, her brain really works] [Yeah, but where did Adrian go? The movie star disappeared a while ago] [Sophia’s gone too] [Did they get separated? This escape room is pretty scary] I glanced at the coffin from the corner of my eye. The lid was sealed tight—nothing looked unusual from the outside. Marcus asked: “Vivian, what should we do now?” I looked around. “Let’s search this room first. There should be clues.” Samuel nodded. “Right, everyone split up and look. See if the bride left anything behind.” The two guys immediately spread out—one checking the vanity, one looking in the wardrobe. I stood still. My eyes kept drifting to that coffin. The lid remained sealed tight. Nothing visible from the outside. [Mommy, aren’t you going to expose them?] The baby’s voice carried a hint of confusion. [They’re so bad! You should embarrass them in front of everyone!] [Let everyone see what bastard dad and Sophia are doing in that coffin!] I rubbed my belly and thought quietly: “No rush.” [Huh?] “We’ll open it when there are more people around. Better effect that way.” [Wow! Mommy, you’re so evil! I love it!] “We’ve checked everywhere else. Just this coffin left.” Marcus swallowed hard. “Vivian, this coffin… should we open it?” Samuel was also looking at me, his eyes questioning. The baby’s voice rang out again. [Mommy! Bastard dad and Sophia are freaking out!] [Sophia’s claustrophobia kicked in. She’s shaking all over, keeps saying “I can’t take it anymore, I need to get out”] [Bastard dad keeps telling her to hold on just a little longer, they’ll leave soon] [He heard you talking about opening the coffin and now his face is green, he can barely breathe!] I rubbed my belly, both amused and exasperated. This little thing, really…

I cleared my throat. “Don’t open it yet.” I wasn’t ready to end this farce so quickly. Marcus and Lucas both breathed a sigh of relief. Neither of them really wanted to open that coffin anyway. After all, this escape room was creepy enough. Who knew what might jump out of a coffin? I slowly walked over to the coffin. The lid fit perfectly—nothing visible from outside. But I could imagine what those two inside looked like right now. Adrian barely daring to breathe, his legs so weak he could barely stand. Sophia curled up next to him, trembling all over. They must be praying for us to leave quickly. I raised my hand and knocked on the coffin lid. Knock, knock, knock. A muffled thud suddenly came from inside, like someone had bumped into the coffin wall. Marcus jumped. “What was that sound?” I pulled my hand back, looking thoughtful. “I have a feeling there’s something not quite right in this coffin. Let’s listen to what’s going on inside.” The baby laughed hysterically: [Ha ha ha ha ha Mommy you’re so evil!] [Bastard dad just jerked backward and hit his head on the coffin wall—now he’s got a bump!] [Sophia got knocked sideways and her face smashed right where you knocked!] “Knock again?” Lucas was eager to try. I nodded. Lucas stepped forward and knocked on the coffin lid a few times, mimicking me. Knock knock knock. Rustling sounds came from inside the coffin, like someone desperately trying to shrink away. “There’s movement!” Lucas got excited. “There really is something inside!” Marcus also leaned in, pressing his ear against the coffin lid. He lowered his voice. “I think I hear breathing!” Samuel frowned. “Could it be a prop the production crew set up? One of those moving mannequins?” I said: “Possibly, but it could be something else.” “What we can confirm is that this room was the last place the bride appeared.” Marcus scratched his head. “But what if there are clues in the other rooms too?” I nodded. “So I suggest we split into two groups.” “One group searches the remaining eight rooms for clues, one group stays here on guard.” Lucas was eager. “Marcus and I will search! Young people have quick legs!” Samuel looked at me. “Then we’ll stay and watch their progress on the big screen.” Only Samuel and I remained in the room, along with that coffin. Comments kept scrolling on the big screen: [They split up, they split up] [Go Marcus and Lucas] [Wait, only Vivian and Samuel are left in this room?] [So where did Adrian and Sophia actually go?] [Right! Our Sophia baby hasn’t had a single shot!] [Maybe they triggered some hidden storyline!] [Didn’t you see the movie star isn’t around either? Must be a side quest] Samuel walked to the big screen and pulled up Marcus and Lucas’s viewpoints. The screen split into eight small boxes, corresponding to the remaining eight rooms. Marcus and Lucas were searching through boxes and cabinets looking for clues. I walked over beside him to watch the screen together. The baby’s voice popped up again, as excited as if watching a soap opera. [Mommy, mommy! Bastard dad and Sophia are fighting!] [Sophia’s cursing at bastard dad, saying it’s all his fault for insisting they hide in the coffin, and now look—people are guarding outside and they can’t get out!] [Bastard dad asked what can we do then, should we go out now? How would we explain it?] [Sophia said I really feel terrible! This coffin is too small, I really can’t breathe!] [Bastard dad asked what do you want then? Go out now?] [Sophia said… hold me, if you hold me I won’t feel so bad.] [Then bastard dad hugged her.] [Mommy, they’re kissing again.] [This time the kissing sounds are really loud, like little pigs eating.]

When Adrian and I got together, I was already a popular rising actress. He was still struggling in the lowest ranks. Worrying about making a living every day. When he went to auditions, I ironed his shirts for him. When he failed screen tests, I pulled strings everywhere trying to get him opportunities. His career stagnated, so I consulted fortune tellers to read his fortune. That’s when I found out Adrian was born under an unlucky star, destined for bad luck his whole life. If I wanted to help him, I could only use my own good fortune to suppress his bad luck. Over the years, for Adrian’s career development, I gradually withdrew from show business to be the woman behind him. But I never expected he would betray me. Even during a live broadcast, in front of viewers across the country, hiding in a coffin having an affair. I looked down at my belly. Five months along. This little thing inside knew everything. [Mommy, don’t be sad.] [That bastard dad doesn’t deserve your sadness.] [You still have me!] I smiled slightly. That’s right. I still have you. Footsteps came from the doorway. Marcus and Lucas returned, both looking dejected. Marcus scratched his head. “We turned all eight rooms upside down and found nothing.” Lucas looked frustrated too. “Yeah, not a single clue.” Comments started scrolling: [So where are the clues?] [Can’t all be in this room] [Only the coffin left unopened in here] [Open it! Open the coffin!] Samuel frowned, staring at the coffin for a long time: “We haven’t been able to find any clues. Should we open the coffin?” As soon as he said this, Marcus and Lucas both looked at me. I shook my head. “On the contrary. We absolutely cannot open the coffin.” Samuel was stunned. “Why not?” I pointed around us. “Don’t you think it’s strange? There are no clues in this room.” “Even the other eight rooms were empty—nothing found there either.” Lucas didn’t understand. “So?” I looked at the coffin and spoke slowly: “This production crew is crafty. They deliberately didn’t give us clues.” “It’s to manipulate us into opening the coffin.” Samuel’s eyes lit up. “You mean opening the coffin is a trap?” I nodded. “Think about the escape room’s plot. What is it?” “The bride disappeared, her spirit restless. If we open the coffin under these circumstances, what will happen?” Marcus’s expression changed. “It will… trigger something bad?” I said: “Definitely. Maybe as soon as the coffin opens, the plot enters a dead end.” “Or it triggers some horror mechanism that traps us all here.” [Makes sense!] [Vivian’s right!] [The production crew definitely dug a trap] [Can’t fall for it!] [Absolutely don’t open it!] [Let them play by themselves!] Samuel nodded thoughtfully. “Now that you put it that way, it’s very possible.” “These escape rooms often have such traps—looks like a clue but it’s actually a pit.” Marcus slapped his thigh. “Right! They want us to open the coffin, but we’re going to seal it instead!” Lucas got excited too. “Right! Seal it! Let them play by themselves!” As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly remembered something, his eyes lighting up: “I saw nails and a hammer earlier!” Marcus got excited too. “Really? Where?” “In the storage room, there was a pile of tools. I wondered about it at the time—turns out they were prepared for us!” Lucas said this and ran out. Marcus shouted after him: “Bring more! Bring more nails too!” The baby said in a sweet little voice: [Sophia panicked as soon as she heard about sealing the coffin!] [Bastard dad’s face went white too. He’s shaking his head frantically, trying to reassure himself it won’t happen.] [Sophia keeps saying, I regret this, I really regret this] Before long, Lucas came running back, panting, arms full of things. “Got them, got them!” He dumped everything on the floor: an iron hammer, a box of nails, and even a wooden board. Marcus’s eyes lit up. “Even a board?” Samuel hesitated. “Are we really going to nail it? Won’t we damage the coffin?” “If it breaks, it breaks.” Marcus rolled up his sleeves. “The production crew didn’t give us any clues anyway. We’ll just do the opposite of what they want!” Lucas was eager too. “Let them set their traps! We just won’t fall for them!” Marcus picked up the hammer, Lucas held the board steady on the side. “Bang!” The first nail went in.

A muffled sound came from inside the coffin. Marcus froze. “What was that?” Lucas heard it too. “Probably the props vibrating.” The nails went in one by one. The noises from inside the coffin grew louder and louder. Thud thud thud, bang bang bang, like someone beating a drum inside. Marcus muttered as he hammered: “These props are really high quality, they even respond with sounds.” Lucas nodded. “Yeah, seems so realistic.” The last nail went in. Marcus nodded with satisfaction. “There. Now let’s see how they can trick us into opening it.” Lucas laughed too. “We’re just not playing by their rules!” Samuel clapped. “Well done!” I smiled too. The baby’s voice rang out, with a hint of confusion: [Mommy, why isn’t Sophia making any sound?] [Looks like she passed out.] [Bastard dad was just calling her name, shaking her, trying to revive her, but she’s not responding.] [And guess what?] [Bastard dad actually breathed a sigh of relief!] [He thinks Sophia finally won’t be a burden anymore!] [Now he’s alone, curled up in a corner of the coffin, trying to minimize his presence, thinking he’ll sneak out after you all leave.] [Mommy, he’s so scary.] I rubbed my belly. He could abandon even me, his wife who’d shared his hardships. How could he care about a mistress? In his eyes, everyone was just a tool. Sophia had just been with him having an affair, giving him thrills. Now she’d fainted, become a burden, so he just tossed her aside. Just then, the loudspeaker suddenly crackled to life. It was the director’s voice. “You idiots! I just went to the bathroom and you caused this much trouble!” Marcus froze, looking at the speaker. Lucas was confused too. Samuel opened his mouth. “Director?” The director’s voice continued, urgent and angry: “That coffin is borrowed! It’s a prop from the crew next door! They need it tomorrow!” [Borrowed???] [Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha] [So this coffin isn’t part of the escape room?] [It’s a prop borrowed from another crew??] The director’s voice continued: “Staff! Get over there and take it apart!” “Open the coffin lid! Don’t damage it! We can’t afford to pay for it!” A flurry of footsteps. Several staff members rushed in, circling around the coffin. “The nails! How did the nails get in so deep?” “Hammer! Quick, get the hammer!” “These nails are too deep, they won’t come out!” “Crowbar! Go find a crowbar!” The room descended into chaos. Marcus and Lucas stood to the side, looking innocent. Samuel coughed quietly and said: “Director, we didn’t know it was borrowed…” The staff were still trying to pry the coffin open. Several people working together, the coffin lid was finally pried open a crack. “It’s open, it’s open! Push harder!” The coffin lid was lifted little by little.

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My husband has lost his memory again. This time, he’s forgotten me and remembered his first love, Violet. “Miss Reed, change the room diffuser to rose and cedarwood. Violet loves that scent.” “All clothes must be hand-washed, no detergent with any fragrance. Violet has a sensitive nose.” “Oh, and once you finish making dinner, you can leave. Violet doesn’t like having strangers in the house.” All afternoon, Harrison kept going on about Violet. He treated me like I was just some newly hired caregiver. Naturally, he didn’t remember that five years ago, Violet abandoned him without hesitation when he went bankrupt. It was me who stayed by this man’s side when he hit rock bottom, when he lost his sense of smell in a car accident. I accompanied him through the long rehabilitation. I raised his nephew—the orphan left behind when his brother died in that crash—as my own. I even gave up touching a single drop of perfume for five whole years, all to avoid stimulating his fragile olfactory nerves—me, an award-winning perfumer who’d won gold at international competitions. My world shrank down to nothing but the bland scent of medical soap. Half a month ago, Violet suddenly returned from abroad. Harrison only had to glimpse her through a window, and miraculously, he remembered everything from before. While completely erasing our five years together. I looked at this man whose heart and eyes were full of someone else. Slowly, I removed my sterile gloves. “Fine. I’ll leave after one last therapy session.” Since both times he lost his memory were because of Violet, why shouldn’t I let go and let him have his great love?

“Harrison, I want some of that.” “Alright, open up.” Violet’s long lashes lowered as her cheeks puffed out. She giggled as she swallowed the fruit Harrison fed her. “You haven’t changed at all. Still picky like before.” Harrison’s slender fingers gently brushed her nose, his eyes filled with sickeningly sweet indulgence. When he saw me approaching with the therapy tray, Violet’s cheeks flushed red as she burrowed shyly into Harrison’s embrace. “Oh, stop it! There’s someone else here!” Harrison looked up at me, his gaze instantly freezing to ice. The current him had forgotten that I wasn’t some outsider. I was his legal wife of five years. I gave a bitter smile. I set down the tray and retreated back to the pharmacy. My phone vibrated. A message popped up. “Harrison’s memory has developed selective gaps. He only remembers his past with Violet. His olfactory nerves are extremely fragile. To prevent further stimulation, you need to cooperate.” Frustrated, I slapped the phone facedown on the desk. The moment I turned around, a triumphant face suddenly loomed close. “What a joke. So what if you spent five years with him? One look at me and he forgot all about you!” Violet wore a victor’s smile. She pulled down her scarf with a flourish, revealing a large expanse of glaring red marks. “Your husband is really passionate in bed. Tell me, when the therapy session ends, if he can’t help himself and wants me, won’t that be awkward for you, the caregiver?” My eyes fell on those garish red marks. But my memory dragged me back involuntarily to that rainy night five years ago. That night, Harrison was in a terrible car accident. Bright red blood mixed with rainwater, flowing everywhere. His face was deathly pale. I only saw him for one moment, and my heart nearly stopped from the pain. I threw away the offer letter I’d just received from a top perfume house. I pulled him out of the mangled car wreckage all by myself. I stayed outside the operating room for three days and three nights before he was finally snatched back from death’s door. When he woke up, he’d forgotten the whole world and lost his prized sense of smell. But he remembered only me. Depended on me. I dug my nails hard into my palm, forcing myself to look away. Before I could speak, a tall figure rushed into the pharmacy and pulled Violet into his arms. “Violet, what are you doing in here? There are too many smells here—they’ll bother you. Do you know that for the five years you were gone, my heart was empty? Now that you’re finally back, I don’t want you out of my sight for even a second.” Burning kisses fell without restraint. I stepped back and accidentally knocked over a glass beaker on the table. Shards scattered everywhere. Harrison paused and turned to look at me. His expression was nothing short of disgusted. “Why are you still here?” I looked down in a daze. At the glass shards all over the floor, like looking at my own heart shattered into pieces. Yes. Five stolen years. I should have left long ago. “I’m sorry. I’ll leave right away.” I fled from the pharmacy. But at the corner of the hallway, I ran into a small figure. It was Logan. “You’re really leaving?” He stood with his arms crossed, frowning at me. I sighed and crouched down, trying to make my voice sound gentle. “Logan, if you want, you can come with me.” Unexpectedly, Logan suddenly shoved me hard, pushing me to the ground. “Violet just got back, and you already want to separate us? Violet’s right—if you hadn’t been clinging to Harrison all these years, he would have gone to find her! I hate you! I froze in place. The blood in my body felt like it had been drained in an instant. This was the child I’d raised with my own hands for five years. To take care of him, I’d given up all my social life and career. Now, after knowing Violet for just a few days, he already hated me this much? Fine then. Since he didn’t want to come, I wouldn’t force him. I stood up and dusted off my clothes. I returned to my cramped guest room. I opened the closet and started packing. Nothing but white shirts and black pants. Not a single pattern, not a splash of color. After Harrison lost his sense of smell, overly bright colors also triggered physiological dizziness for him. For five whole years, I hadn’t worn a single colorful dress. As I walked out with my suitcase, Harrison was sitting on the sofa reading a business magazine. From the second-floor bathroom came Violet’s syrupy voice. “Harrison, I can’t find the towels. Can you come in and help me?” In the past, Harrison was extremely fastidious about cleanliness. Except for me, if anyone came within three feet of him, he’d feel nauseous. I thought he would frown and refuse. But he only paused for a second before closing his magazine and calling back, “Sure, coming.” My feet felt like they were filled with lead. Rooted to the spot. Until a gust of wind from outside blew a velvet gift box off the entryway table. My gaze shifted down. The box had opened, and a dazzling diamond bracelet lay there quietly. That was the style I’d lingered on in a brand catalog half a month ago. At the time, Harrison had wrapped his arms around my waist from behind. He’d kissed my earlobe, his voice low and husky. “Like it? I’ll give it to you for our fifth anniversary.” Now, he stopped in his tracks and walked over to pick up the box. He looked at the bracelet inside with complete bewilderment. As if he had no idea how such a thing ended up in his house. “This is…” The clock struck twelve. I summoned every ounce of strength to pull out a proper smile. “Probably a surprise you prepared for Violet.” Harrison nodded without a hint of doubt and pocketed the box. “Probably.” I gripped the handle of my suitcase and walked out the door. It’s not that I hadn’t hoped he was just momentarily confused. But I had to face reality. He didn’t remember. These five years meant nothing to him—just a piece of waste paper he could tear up anytime. The clock had finished chiming. The magic was broken. Cinderella had to return to her swamp. Every future anniversary, he would spend with another woman.

By the time I reached my old house in the suburbs, I was soaked through from the rainstorm. With trembling hands, I unlocked my phone. The first post in my feed was from Violet. It was a close-up photo. Her slender wrist wore that latest-model diamond bracelet. The background was Harrison’s master bedroom and that enormous double bed. Caption: “Round and round, it’s still you.” Below it, Harrison had commented within seconds. “So grateful heaven didn’t let me lose you completely.” Each word was a knife. Stabbing straight into my heart. That bed—Harrison never let me on it. He said he couldn’t stand anyone else’s breathing in his bed, not even mine. But now, with Violet, every prohibition had become foreplay. Every boundary had become a privilege. My heart felt like it was being sawed back and forth with a rusty blade, the pain suffocating me. I took a hot shower. I wrapped myself in my comforter like a cocoon. Eyes open, I lasted until dawn. Early the next morning, I brought two documents and knocked on the door of the Harrison residence again. Beneath my resignation letter was a divorce agreement I’d drafted long ago. I only hoped he’d sign it quickly without even looking. But Harrison merely glanced at the title before coldly throwing the documents back onto the table. “You’ve been my therapist for five years. You know my condition better than anyone. Now that Violet’s back, I need you to stay and help me take care of her health. I heard you used to be a perfumer? Violet wants a one-of-a-kind perfume as a gift for the engagement party. Stay and create the fragrance. I’ll pay you double.” I stood frozen. My blood slowly turned ice-cold. He wanted me, his wife, to create an engagement gift perfume for his new love? Harrison, do you even have a heart? Before I could refuse, the study door opened. Dr. Morgan walked in wearing a perfectly tailored suit, a gentle smile at the corners of his mouth. “Aria, reconnecting with familiar scents is also the best way to stimulate Harrison’s olfactory nerves. I know this puts you in a difficult position, but for the sake of his condition, you’ll agree, won’t you?” Dr. Morgan. Harrison’s psychiatrist, and also his childhood friend who knew everything. And for the past five years, the only person who knew about our secret marriage. I clenched my clothes tightly. No wonder Harrison suddenly wanted me to create fragrances—it was his idea. In Harrison’s love life, I was a substitute he could call on at will. In Dr. Morgan’s friendship, I was equally a pawn he could sacrifice at any moment. Just on my way here, I’d received an offer from a perfume research institute in a southern city. I had five days until I needed to report. Fine then. Why not use these five days to personally bury these ridiculous five years? “Fine.” I looked up and met Harrison’s cold gaze. “Five days. I agree.” For five days, I locked myself in my long-sealed perfumery. Hundreds, thousands of glass bottles filled with fragrance ingredients refracted cold light. I closed my eyes. My mind filled with images of Harrison and Violet. At the highest point of an amusement park, they kissed beneath fireworks. In a deep-sea submarine, they held hands tightly. At a snowy mountain peak, they watched the sunrise side by side. Those heart-stopping romances, those earth-shattering memories—none of them included me. The dropper in my hand hung in midair, unable to fall. For five years, the thing I did most with Harrison was walk in the garden. For Logan’s sake, I’d never even taken a single trip out of state. My memories were as barren as a desert. While Violet’s memories bloomed like a garden. That’s why he could forget me so completely, without any psychological burden. “This scent… why does it feel somehow familiar?” The door was suddenly pushed open. Harrison stood in the doorway, staring intently at a bottle of half-finished perfume on my desk. Pain filled his handsome face as he pressed hard against his temples.

After the car accident, whenever Harrison was exposed to scent stimulation, it triggered severe headaches. Instinctively, I set down the dropper and stood up to get his medication. But he suddenly grabbed my wrist in a death grip. The force was so strong it felt like he would crush my bones. “Don’t leave! Don’t leave me!” His eyes were bloodshot, his expression agonized. But the way he looked at me was like looking at a complete stranger. Who was he trying to hold onto through me? “Harrison! What’s wrong?!” Hearing the commotion, Violet rushed in frantically. Without a word, she shoved me hard. I lost my balance and my lower back slammed into the hard lab bench. A bottle of freshly extracted essential oil shattered on the floor, glass shards flying and cutting the back of my hand. Blood immediately seeped out. Seeing Violet appear, Harrison finally seemed like a drowning man grasping driftwood. He pulled her tightly into his arms. “Violet… medicine, I need my medicine! Second drawer… white bottle…” Violet frantically pulled open the drawer. Inside were medicine bottles of various colors and sizes. She was nearly crying. “Harrison, which one? There are so many white bottles here!” Of course she couldn’t find it. Harrison’s medicine had always been precisely measured and prepared by me each day, placed in individual containers. To prevent him from developing resistance to taking medication, I hid the pills inside various unflavored capsules he could accept. The chasm of five years lay there, bloody and raw. Violet bit her red lip and turned to glare at me with hatred. “Are you just going to stand there?! Hurry up and bring the medicine!” Expressionless, I stepped around the mess on the floor. From the most hidden compartment, I took out a pill, poured a glass of warm water, and handed it over. After taking the medicine, Harrison’s breathing gradually steadied. But Violet’s eyes reddened, tears streaming down her face. “Harrison, I’m sorry. I didn’t even know where you keep your medicine…” Harrison’s heart broke for her. He pressed her against his chest, coaxing her softly. “Baby, don’t cry. Even though you weren’t by my side these five years, no one except you could enter my heart.” He glanced at me coldly, like looking at disgusting trash. “She’s just a caregiver paid to do a job. Once these few days are over, I’ll make her disappear forever. I’ll spend the rest of my life making up for these five years of regret. From now on, I only want you.” Blood from the back of my hand dripped onto the floor, drop by drop. It hurt. But compared to the pain of having a piece of my heart violently carved out, it was nothing. I leaned against the cold wall. Watching this couple embrace so tenderly with cold eyes. So these five years that meant everything to me were just a regret to him. A regret without Violet in it. I covered my bleeding hand and silently turned to continue cleaning the shards on the lab bench. Unexpectedly, after comforting Violet, Harrison actually returned. Seeing my pale face and bleeding hand, there wasn’t a trace of emotion in his eyes. Only cold urging. “Can you still continue with the fragrance? Violet hopes to use it at tomorrow’s engagement party. No one knows how important this engagement is to me.” I knew. I picked up a cloth and wiped the bloodstains from the counter bit by bit. I didn’t even look up. “Don’t worry. Since I promised you, I’ll finish it.” Perhaps even if Harrison hadn’t lost his memory, this would still be my final outcome. The unloved—even their breathing is wrong. Five stolen years would eventually have to be returned with interest.

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My wife Moore’s brother racked up fifty million in online gambling debts, but he left my contact information. By the time the debt ballooned to a hundred million with interest, vicious debt collectors finally showed up at my door. After I convinced them to leave, my wife and mother-in-law finally crept out of the bedroom, trembling. My wife’s face had gone pale. “Let’s get divorced. I’d rather leave with nothing. Your debts are your own—don’t even think about dragging me down.” I tried to explain that her brother owed the money, but she refused to believe me. My mother-in-law Ruth slapped me across the face. “How dare you slander my son just to trick my daughter into paying your debts! Let’s divorce now!” “Might as well tell you the truth—Moore is pregnant. With your best friend’s child.” Actually, I could pay off this debt. But since you want a divorce, you can deal with this massive debt yourselves. My voice came out hoarse as I asked Moore: “You… you’re pregnant with Howard’s child? When did this happen?” Moore turned away, her voice dripping with contempt. “Alex, so what if I am? What business is it of yours?” “Don’t even think about trying to keep me! I don’t want a useless husband who only knows how to rack up debts and won’t own up to them.” I stood frozen, unable to speak. Seeing me stunned, Ruth kicked me. “Did you hear that? Tomorrow, City Hall. Divorce!” She turned with a sneaky smile to Moore. “Good thing you took birth control every time you were intimate with this loser.” “Otherwise he’d use a baby to blackmail you into paying his debts! We were planning to have him raise the child, but now that’s clearly unnecessary.” I couldn’t believe my ears. “So every time… you took pills beforehand?” Three years of marriage, and Moore’s stomach had never shown any signs. Ruth had repeatedly called me a useless waste who couldn’t produce children in front of relatives and friends, even forcing me to go to the hospital for tests. The results showed nothing wrong with me, and the matter eventually faded away. Turns out she’d been taking birth control all along. She’d even planned to make me raise another man’s child. Moore snorted coldly. “Did you forget how your family treated me? I never liked that whole wedding money situation!” Ruth spat. “That pathetic wedding money back then—I didn’t even want Moore to marry you.” My mind flashed back to the wedding three years ago. We’d agreed on a hundred thousand in wedding money. But on the wedding day, they demanded an additional hundred thousand. I thought it was excessive, but Moore cried in the wedding car, saying her mother only had one daughter and it hadn’t been easy. I gritted my teeth and paid. Then when we arrived at the house, Ruth said the door-opening gift couldn’t be less—another hundred thousand. I didn’t want to pay anymore. This was obviously just a money grab. In the end, my dad made the call, saying weddings were happy occasions and we shouldn’t let this ruin things. He paid the money. Thankfully, my dad saw through their true nature and hid the fact that we were worth hundreds of millions. Dad even arranged the wedding at our old house from before we made it big. They finally stopped after getting three hundred thousand total. Ruth didn’t give Moore a single cent in dowry, saying our family “wasn’t worthy of matching contributions.” I only found out later that Ruth had given all that three hundred thousand to her son Bob to squander.

My dad specifically reminded me at the time to keep hiding our wealth, saying “time reveals a person’s heart.” Now it seemed he was absolutely right. I took a deep breath and pulled out my phone to call Bob. “Fine, we can divorce. But I’m not taking responsibility for Bob’s debts. I’m calling him right now to make this clear.” I called several times, but Bob didn’t pick up. Moore slapped my phone out of my hand, screaming, “You know Bob is traveling abroad and can’t answer calls, so you dare slander him!” Ruth kicked my phone far away. “Your own debt—you want us to pay it? If you don’t take responsibility, who will?” Just then, the front door slammed open with a bang. Howard stormed in, his face full of rage. “Alex, you’re absolutely despicable! A hundred million in debt!” Moore threw herself into his arms. “Howard, he even dares to claim Bob borrowed it.” Howard kissed the top of Moore’s head. “Why don’t you come stay at my place? Otherwise what if the debt collectors come back and scare you and my son?” Seeing my stunned expression, Howard sneered. “What’s the big deal? Did you think you knew where Moore went every time you traveled for work?” “She came to my place! She’s slept in my bed more times than in yours!” After calling me despicable, he took Moore’s hand, and the three of them left my house without looking back. What shocked me wasn’t just Moore’s betrayal, but Howard’s too. Howard and I were college classmates. A few years ago when he lost his job and asked to borrow money, I lent him a hundred thousand without hesitation. Later when he couldn’t find work, I recommended him to a company where he slowly worked his way up to executive, earning five million a year. But I never told him that company belonged to my dad. I never imagined this friend would sleep with my wife. Lost in these memories, I received a call from a subordinate. “Alex, get back to the company quickly!” I didn’t know what was wrong, but I rushed back to the office. Moore had brought Howard and Ruth, and they were making a huge scene at my company. Moore was at the legal department processing paperwork. “Starting today, I’m no longer a shareholder of this trash company. I’m withdrawing!” Howard grabbed the withdrawal contract. “Right, hurry up and withdraw, then divorce. That hundred million debt will have nothing to do with us.” Ruth ran to my company’s clients shouting, “This company’s owner has terrible character! Everyone should choose a different company. Leave, leave!” Company clients stood up one by one, gathering their things to leave. Ruth wasn’t satisfied yet. She continued shouting at employee workstations. “Everyone protect your valuables! Your scumbag boss owes a hundred million and might steal anything valuable and run at any moment. He won’t even pay wages!” Seeing me walk in, my coworkers immediately secured their valuables, whispering among themselves. “So the boss owes a hundred million! He’s abandoning his own wife—he might really run off with the money!” “I never would’ve guessed he was such a lowlife. Now there’s a scene, let’s see what he does!” “Even his former friend is righteously denouncing him—it must be true. We should probably all start looking for new jobs.” I rushed in. “What gives you the right to spread lies? I can sue you for any damages to the company!” Howard put on a righteous act, shielding Moore. “You owe a full hundred million—that’s a fact!”

The employees outside grew louder with their gossip about me. Just then, my mom walked in, asking in disbelief, “How is that possible? Alex, didn’t you just give me jewelry from an auction two days ago?” I’d forgotten—we were supposed to have dinner at a restaurant together after work today. Moore laughed mockingly. “What auction? Your son bought that with loan shark money!” “Enjoy it now, you’ll be crying later!” “Thank goodness the baby in my belly isn’t from your family, or it would be cursed too!” “What?!” My mom’s face filled with shock. She grabbed Moore as she tried to leave. “What did you say?!” Moore disgustedly shook off her hand. “Are you deaf? I said the baby in my belly isn’t from your family!” My mom already had high blood pressure. Moore’s push made her stumble backward. She clutched her heart and collapsed to the floor. I rushed forward, supporting my mom. “Mom! What’s wrong?” Moore spat. “Always acting. Planning to fake illness and extort money from us? Let’s get out of here, this is so unlucky!” She finished speaking and hurried out with Ruth and Howard. My mom’s face was pale. She couldn’t say a word before slowly losing consciousness. I couldn’t worry about anything else. I picked up my mom and ran to the hospital. In the emergency room, the doctor examined my mom. “She has high blood pressure. Emotional stress caused her blood pressure to spike. She needs to be hospitalized for observation.” I walked out of the hospital room and called my dad, who was on a business trip abroad. “Hello, Alex?” My dad’s voice came through. I explained everything that had happened. The phone went silent for a few seconds. Dad said, “I’ll book a flight back immediately. They’ll regret this.” “Take good care of your mom. Leave everything else to me.” Dad paused. “I’ll also deal with Howard and Moore’s family.” After hanging up, I sat by the hospital bed and canceled the authorization on the credit card I’d given Moore. That credit card was for Moore to buy groceries. I’d told her she could spend ten thousand a month. She only knew I paid off the balance each month, but didn’t know the card’s actual credit limit was a hundred million. My phone suddenly buzzed. Howard had sent several Twitter messages. First was an intimate photo of him with Moore. Then several voice messages: “Really sorry, but you owe too much. I can’t help you. But I suggest you could work as a male escort to pay off the debt.” “Being a male escort would even let you practice your skills. Moore said you’re no good in bed, so she came to me.” I laughed without anger. “I treated you pretty well, didn’t I? This is how you repay me?” Howard laughed heartily. “At first I thought you really were some rich kid, that’s why I became your friend!” “If I’d known you were the type to borrow from loan sharks, I wouldn’t have given you the time of day.” I stopped responding and blocked him on Twitter. The next morning, I went home planning to pack some things before returning to the hospital to stay with my mom. As soon as I opened the door, Moore, Ruth, and Howard were standing in the living room again. Moore slapped me. “You have some nerve coming back. Didn’t we agree to meet at City Hall today? How dare you not show up!” Ruth also kicked me. “Just as I predicted—he doesn’t want to divorce because he wants us to help pay the hundred million!” I pushed them away, gritting my teeth. “My mom was hurt by you and is hospitalized, and you’re still worried about the divorce?”

Moore sneered. “It’s your mom who’s sick, not mine. What’s it got to do with me?” Howard threw a divorce agreement in front of me. “I’ve already written up the agreement. Just sign your name!” Moore found a pen and threw it at me. “I already asked a lawyer. As long as I leave with nothing and don’t get a cent, naturally I won’t have to bear a cent of your debts!” “Hurry up and sign. Don’t delay my wedding with Howard!” I found it laughable and signed the agreement right away. To escape debt, she was willing to leave with nothing—so naturally she’d never get a share of my family’s hundreds of millions in assets. Then Howard came up to drag me away. “Let’s go to City Hall and finalize the divorce! Nothing is more urgent than this!” I shook off Howard. “My mom has surgery today. I don’t have time.” Ruth kicked me. “Cut the crap! Even if your mom kicks the bucket today, you’re signing the divorce first!” They forcibly dragged me out the door, pulling and tugging all the way to City Hall. The whole way, Ruth kept loudly running her mouth, slandering me about owing a hundred million. People around us were watching the spectacle. “This guy apparently owes loan sharks. His wife’s divorcing him.” “I heard he even tried to frame his wife’s brother for the debt to avoid paying!” “So shameless. No wonder his wife and mother-in-law are doing this. If it were me, I’d kick him to the curb too.” The clerk adjusted their glasses. “Have you agreed on all the terms in the divorce agreement?” Moore nodded and handed over the agreement. “Yes, I’m leaving with nothing.” I had no objections and went through the process. Walking out of the office, Moore finally smiled. “I’m finally free! I love you, Howard!” “As soon as the divorce cooling-off period ends, we’re getting married!” She threw herself into Howard’s arms and kissed him in public. “Thank goodness I met you and could start over, or this loser would’ve ruined my whole life.” Ruth was even more arrogant, shoving me. “Get lost! My daughter is pregnant with Howard’s child now.” “From now on she’ll live the good life and never have to look at your poor face again!” I couldn’t be bothered with them and turned to leave. Howard squeezed Moore’s waist, then made a phone call. “Sky Grand Hotel, book me a table for seven tonight to celebrate.” “I want the highest tier menu, and reserve two bottles of 1982 Lafite for me.” He deliberately raised his voice so I could hear every word clearly. After hanging up, Howard said with a smile, “Alex, we’re going to celebrate tonight. Want to join us?” I took a deep breath, turned around and said coldly, “Screw off!” Moore giggled. “Howard, stop teasing the idiot. He owes a hundred million now. How would he dare walk around outside?” “Someone might come to collect the debt any moment, and he’ll end up dead in the street.” Ruth spat. “Serves him right! That’s karma!” Just then, a crowd suddenly surged behind us. Leading them was a bald, muscular man, followed by seven or eight tattooed tough guys. The bald man stripped off his shirt and roared, “Debts must be repaid!” Moore and Howard jumped at the sudden shout. Seeing they were debt collectors, Ruth quickly pulled out the divorce agreement: “He’s already divorced my daughter. Kill him or do whatever you want—it has nothing to do with us.”

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After my dad was poisoned to death, I called the police and had Chris, the caregiver who’d been attending to him, arrested. But my wife Lester insisted that Chris was innocent. She defended him as his lawyer for six years. Every time, Chris would grab my hand with fake sincerity: “Mr. Steve, your wife is such a good person. She believes in me. I really didn’t harm your father!” Finally, she won the case for Chris. When she came home, she said to me: “It’s all over now. Don’t let hatred blind you. Chris raised me. He’s not a bad person.” I smiled and poured her a glass of wine, clinking glasses with her. That very night, I tied Chris up and forced the same poison down his throat on camera. I looked at my watch and calmly counted down: “Lester, you have sixty minutes. Bring the antidote and my father’s real will, or else…” Chris was foaming at the mouth, convulsing painfully on the floor. The camera gave him a close-up: “You’ll be attending two funerals!” The live stream link spread through anonymous channels. In less than ten minutes, the viewer count broke through a million. On camera, Chris was tied tightly to a chair, foam hanging from the corners of his mouth, his body convulsing violently. And I stood behind him, expressionless, holding a timer. Everyone watching held their breath. The most anxious among them was undoubtedly the star lawyer Lester. “Steve! Your dad’s death really has nothing to do with Chris! I’ve been investigating for six years!” She shouted at me shrilly through the video connection, her face displayed in split-screen. I looked at her delicate face twisted with anger and terror on the big screen, my lips curling with mockery. “Is that so? Then where’s the real will you found, the one my dad wrote in his own hand?” The live stream chat exploded instantly: [Is this guy insane? Six years of litigation, the court already ruled, and he still won’t accept it?] [Paranoid personality disorder, right? He won’t be satisfied unless he can call the caregiver a murderer?] [His wife is Lester! A legal legend! She turned down all those million-dollar cases to defend this caregiver for six years pro bono. Doesn’t that loyalty prove something?] Watching public opinion overwhelmingly support her, Lester’s expression calmed slightly. She straightened her back, speaking with more confidence: “Steve! The facts are right there. The evidence is solid. I don’t know what ‘real will’ you’re talking about.” “What you’re doing now already constitutes kidnapping and intentional harm! Release Chris immediately. For the sake of our marriage, I’ll do my best to defend you!” I ignored her. I picked up a hammer from the toolbox and grabbed Chris’s desperately struggling left hand. “Crack!” The sound of shattering bones transmitted clearly across the internet through the microphone. Chris’s scream burst through the rag in his mouth, shrill and inhuman. Lester’s expression froze instantly. I held up the deformed hand to the camera for display. “Do you think I’m playing around?” Lester stared at the screen, her face deathly pale. “You… you maniac!” I casually tossed aside the hammer and picked up a white cloth, methodically wiping the blood spatters from my hands. “That was just the first one.” I held up one finger. “Lester, six years of litigation, six instances of perjury—you also have six chances. Make public the real will you’ve been hiding for six years. Each time, I’m giving you ten minutes.” [He’s seriously unhinged! How can she hand over something that doesn’t exist?] [Stop trying to manipulate public opinion! We netizens can judge for ourselves. We don’t just support whoever looks more pitiful!] [Besides, your dad was so old. Isn’t it possible he died of natural causes? Chris is the real victim who’s been wrongly accused for six years!] I watched the rapidly scrolling comments. The vast majority were cursing me for being unreasonable, for refusing to accept reality. [I bet he’s just fighting over the inheritance. Showed his true colors as soon as his dad died!] [What are the police doing? Hurry up and track him down! Any later and that poor caregiver will be tortured to death by this lunatic!] The police also sent an official warning: [We’ve locked onto your location. Stop this criminal behavior immediately and surrender!] I just sneered. I’d already hired a top hacker to hide my IP address. Sure enough, time passed minute by minute, and the police made no progress. The netizens were more anxious than anyone, crashing the police department’s official account backend. Finally, the police had to issue an announcement admitting they couldn’t pinpoint my exact location and were urgently mobilizing technical experts. I glanced at the timer. I picked up a pair of pliers, aiming at Chris’s other undamaged hand. “Time’s almost up, dear.” “Wait!” Lester finally broke down, her face pale. “I’ll hand it over! I’ll hand it over!”

A document was quickly submitted through police channels—a scanned copy of a will. But I only glanced at it once before grabbing the pen on the table and viciously stabbing it into the back of Chris’s hand. “Ahhh—!” A scream came from Chris’s gagged mouth. He threw his head back in despair. Blood gushed from the wound on his hand, and his uninjured eye was full of terror. “Steve!!” Lester rushed to the camera, her eyes bloodshot. “I already handed it over! Why did you still attack him!” I printed out that so-called “new will” and waved it at the camera. “You think I’m a three-year-old? This will leaves all our family assets to you and only gives me an apartment in the suburbs. I’m his biological son. Do you think that’s reasonable?” After speaking, I threw the paper on the floor and ground it viciously under my high heel, staring at the screen with cold eyes. “Lester, trying to placate me with something like this is useless.” Lester’s face went another shade paler. The netizens were completely enraged: [I heard his dad was often abused by him when he was alive! If he really submitted a will leaving all the inheritance to you, that would be the forgery!] [Lawyer Lester’s professionalism and character are renowned in the industry! You’re the one full of lies and a murderer!] [Let that poor caregiver go!] I just smiled contemptuously and checked my watch. “Dear, you have six minutes left this time.” Lester braced her hands on the desk, staring at me intently. “The case is already settled. What exactly do you want me to hand over!” “You know perfectly well.” I returned her stare coldly. “If you really care so much about your Uncle Chris, stop wasting time and submit the real evidence!” Lester bit her teeth hard. “If I really wanted to deceive you, I could’ve just hired some third-rate lawyer to handle it. Why would I waste six years of my time personally defending him!” I raised my chin. “That’s something you need to ask yourself.” The online abuse became even fiercer. Countless people accused me of being depraved and unworthy of such a devoted wife as Lester. The police negotiation expert also kept sending me private messages, trying to shake my resolve. I just sat leisurely beside Chris, stepping on the pool of blood, watching my watch. “Time’s up.” I stood up. Chris’s eyes widened in terror as he looked at me. “Steve, stop!” A commanding voice rang out. I whipped my head around. A dignified, authoritative figure stood before the camera. I froze. It was my father-in-law, Jacob. “Steve, I personally followed your father’s case. I went to the police station no less than a hundred times. Things really aren’t what you think.”

The knife tip hovered over Chris’s other wrist. Jacob stood before the camera looking pained. “I care about your father’s death more than anyone. I had people investigate thoroughly. This matter truly has nothing to do with Chris.” I looked at him in disbelief. “You always said before that my dad definitely didn’t commit suicide. Now you think this?” Jacob sighed heavily. “Steve, you need to respect the facts. All the evidence points to suicide.” “I think you’re the ones not respecting the facts!” I pointed at the camera, my emotions somewhat out of control. “That was my father! And your childhood friend!” “Years ago when the Jacob family nearly went bankrupt, it was my father who gave you his life savings to help you through!” “He lived his whole life honorably. In his later years, he was passionate about fitness and travel. Someone who loved life that much—how could he possibly commit suicide!” Jacob frowned. “Steve, people change. Maybe he just suddenly couldn’t think straight.” I laughed. I yanked the cloth from Chris’s mouth. “I think you’re the ones who’ve changed.” “Help—” Chris had barely gotten the word out when I grabbed his jaw and forced his mouth open. I picked up the pliers and aimed at his teeth. One, two, three. The floor was covered with teeth I’d forcibly pulled out, trailing blood. “Ahhhhh!!” Chris’s roar was heart-wrenching, nearly causing him to lose consciousness. Jacob panicked too, shouting at the camera: “Enough! Stop! Steve! Stop it!!” After pulling out the last front tooth, Chris’s mouth streamed with blood. He went completely limp, his body shaking like a sieve. “Chris…” Jacob instinctively called out, his eyes full of heartache. I stared intently at the screen. “What’s this, Jacob? You know him well?” Jacob froze for a moment. He immediately resumed that righteous expression. “Steve! You’re disgracing your father!” I sneered and glanced at my watch. “You’ve already wasted three chances.” “Round four. Ten minutes. Timer starts now.” I sat back down in the chair, leisurely toying with the blood-stained pliers. Lester paced back and forth before the camera like a cat on a hot tin roof. With thirty seconds left, I began the countdown: “29, 28, 27…” “There’s no such will as you claim! What exactly do you want me to hand over!” Lester was going mad. The netizens were also indignant: [If it really existed, anyone in this situation would hand it over! You’re forcing Lawyer Lester to forge evidence!] [Exactly! He’s trying to ruin Lawyer Lester’s career!] [This man’s heart is too vicious!] “5, 4…” “Steve!!” “3, 2…” “Steve, get a grip!” “1…” “Daddy!” A childish voice suddenly rang out. My whole body stiffened. I stood up quickly. “Weber…”

“Daddy!” My son Weber’s tender face appeared on camera, his face covered in tears. “Weber, did Mom bring you here?” Before doing this, I’d clearly entrusted the child to my most trusted friend, instructing them repeatedly never to let him get involved. Could it be that my friend… “Daddy! Grandpa really drank the poison himself!” My pupils contracted sharply. The netizens were even more dissatisfied: [Steve, look what you’ve done! You’re forcing such a young child to face all this!] [Even the child is testifying, and you still won’t wake up? This is your own biological son!] I gripped the pliers tighter in my hand. “Weber, that’s your grandfather. The grandfather who secretly bought you Legos, who was the first to stand up for you when you were bullied!” Weber cried even harder. “Grandpa said he didn’t want to live anymore! He didn’t want to be a burden! Weber didn’t lie! Weber really didn’t lie! Daddy, please let Chris go, okay?” Lester pulled Weber into her arms and shouted at the camera: “Steve! Are you going to doubt even your own son’s words!” I clenched my teeth. “What did you teach him to say?” [I’m done. Does this guy have serious mental illness or what!] [Finally understand where those CEO novel male leads who refuse to believe the female lead come from. Art really does imitate life.] “Steve! If you won’t believe Weber, who do you want to convince you!” Lester was righteously indignant. I just grabbed Chris’s ear and made his bloody, mangled face face the camera directly. I picked up a small knife, the blade lightly tracing across his cheek. I chuckled softly. “Lester, you think that over these six years, I didn’t know about you secretly transferring money to him at night, arranging work for his sister?” Lester’s eyes flew open. “Fourth chance, gone!” I aimed the knife at Chris’s eye and raised it high. “Daddy!!” Weber suddenly held up a diary. “Grandpa told me to give this to you before he left!” The knife tip stopped less than a millimeter from Chris’s eyeball.

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“Your brother needs a down payment for his new house. As his older sister, you need to chip in fifty thousand dollars.” My mother said it over the phone, sounding as if it were the most natural thing in the world. I looked at the banking app on my phone. The balance was exactly fifty thousand—the money I had scraped together over five years of grueling overtime, meant for my own first home. “And what about when I get married?” I asked. “You getting married? Aren’t you capable of fending for yourself?” My mom laughed. “Your brother is different. He’s a boy.” I laughed, too. I laughed until my tears fell, landing heavily on my phone screen. 01 My name is Chloe Miller. I am thirty years old. For as long as I can remember, there have only been two types of people in my family: my brother, and the people who took care of my brother. My brother, Tyler, is five years younger than me. When my mother gave birth to me, she had a difficult labor, suffered massive blood loss, and nearly died. “It’s all your fault.” I heard that phrase for thirty years. My dad always said that if having me hadn’t ruined her health, they could have had a son right away. Instead, they had to wait five long years before Tyler finally came along. The day Tyler was born, my dad popped a bottle of champagne in the hospital parking lot. “The Miller family finally has an heir!” That day was my fifth birthday. My mom was in the hospital with my new brother. My dad was outside celebrating. I sat alone at the kitchen table and ate half a cold, day-old birthday cake by myself. As Tyler grew up, the entire universe revolved around him. He drank fresh milk; I drank tap water. He wore brand new clothes; I wore faded hand-me-downs from older cousins. He got an allowance for school; I had to earn my own money just to buy lunch. “You’re the older sister. You need to let your brother have his way.” I heard that phrase for twenty-five years. When I turned sixteen, I wanted to take prep courses so I could apply to a good college. My dad said, “Why does a girl need so much education? Just graduate high school and get a job.” My mom chimed in, “Your brother is going to need a college fund. We have to save the money for him.” So, I spent my summer washing dishes at a local diner. I saved enough to pay for my own SAT prep and college application fees. I filled out the forms myself. I applied myself. When my guidance counselor asked why my parents never came to the parent-teacher meetings, I just said they were busy. During my senior year, I slept maybe five hours a night. I woke up at 4 AM to study, and I stayed at the library until it closed at 11 PM. Finally, I got an acceptance letter from a top-tier state university. The day my acceptance letter arrived in the mail was the same day Tyler brought home a failing report card. My mom held him and cried. “Oh, my poor boy, why is life so hard on you?” My dad just chain-smoked in silence. I quietly hid my acceptance letter in my room. That night, my mom pushed open my bedroom door. “I heard you got into that university?” I nodded. “How much is tuition?” “Twelve thousand a year.” My mom went silent. “Your brother needs to go to an expensive private tutoring academy to get his grades up. It’s twenty thousand a year,” she said. “We don’t have enough money for both.” I understood. “I won’t go,” I said. Her eyes lit up. “Really?” “Yeah.” “That’s the right choice.” She patted my shoulder. “You’re the older sister. You should be thinking about the family.” The next day, I packed my bags and moved to the city. Using the money I’d saved from washing dishes, I rented a tiny basement apartment. I worked as a cashier at a grocery store during the day, and I waited tables at night. Three months later, I had saved enough for my first year’s tuition. When I walked into the university’s orientation center, my hands were shaking. The advisor asked, “Where are your parents?” I said, “They couldn’t make it.” During my four years of college, I juggled four jobs. Tutoring, retail, handing out flyers, and waiting tables. Every month, I sent two hundred dollars back home. Every time my mom called, she’d say, “Your brother needs new textbooks.” “Your brother needs to pay for a school trip.” “Your brother wants a new iPhone.” I would eat instant ramen in my dorm while wiring them my hard-earned cash. When I graduated, I landed a job at a multinational tech firm. My starting salary was six thousand a month. My mom was thrilled. “This is great. Now you can help out the family even more.” Tyler barely scraped by and ended up at a local community college. Tuition was fifteen thousand a year. My dad said, “You have a stable job now. You’re in charge of your brother’s tuition.” I paid for it for three years. I also sent him a thousand dollars a month for living expenses. He bought two new iPhones and three pairs of limited-edition Jordans. I wore ten-dollar clearance t-shirts from Target. When I was twenty-five, Tyler decided to get married. He met a girl online, and her family demanded they buy a house in the suburbs. My dad called me. “The down payment is eighty thousand. We can only scrounge up thirty.” “What about the rest?” I asked. “You’ve been working for five years now. You must have savings.” I did have savings. Exactly fifty thousand dollars. It was the money I had saved, dollar by dollar, by working overtime until 10 PM every night and never taking a weekend off. I wanted to buy a tiny studio apartment in the city. Even if it was only four hundred square feet. A home that belonged solely to me. “Dad, that’s my house fund,” I said. The line went dead silent for a long time. Then, I heard my mom snatch the phone. “Chloe Miller, do you have no conscience?! That is your flesh-and-blood brother!” “He’s getting married, he needs a house. Aren’t you supposed to help him as his older sister?” “We raised you, and this is how you repay us?!” I stood by the window of my cramped rental apartment. I looked out at the thousands of glowing windows in the city skyline. Not a single one of those lights was shining for me. “Fine,” I said. “I’ll give you the fifty thousand.” My mom’s voice instantly softened. “That’s the right choice. Such a good daughter.” “But I have one condition.” “What is it?” “From now on, I am never sending money back home again.” “What kind of nonsense are you—” “That is the condition,” I interrupted her. “Agree to it, and I’ll wire the money tomorrow.” My mom hesitated. I could hear her whispering with my dad. Finally, she said, “Fine. Once your brother is married, we won’t need you to worry about him anyway.” The moment the fifty thousand dollars left my account. My dream of buying a home shattered. But for some reason, I felt lighter. Like I had finally paid off a massive, lifelong debt. I took time off work to attend Tyler’s wedding. The reception was extravagant—over a hundred guests. The bride wore a beautiful gown and smiled sweetly. When Tyler came around to my table for toasts, he patted my shoulder. “Thanks, Sis.” Then he moved on to the next table. My mom, wearing an expensive new dress, was busy entertaining relatives. “Oh, my boy is finally settling down!” “The house? We paid for it in cash! Oh, I mean, the down payment, the down payment…” “My daughter? Oh, she works in the big city. Very busy!” No one asked how I was doing. No one asked why I was thirty and still single. I sat in the corner, finished my meal. And then I quietly slipped away. 02 Back in the city, I started saving money all over again. This time, not for a house. For myself. On my thirtieth birthday, I met Ethan Davis. He was a project manager at a partner company. We met while collaborating on an account. He was steady, didn’t talk much, but was incredibly reliable. Once, when we were working late into the night, he brought me a hot coffee. “I noticed you didn’t eat dinner.” I was surprised. “How did you know?” “You press your hand against your stomach when it hurts,” he said. “You’ve done it three times today.” My nose stung. In thirty years, it was the first time anyone had ever noticed my stomach hurting. We started dating. He learned my whole story. He offered no pity, no judgment. He just said, “Tell me when your stomach hurts from now on.” After a year of dating, he proposed. There was no grand, extravagant setup. Just outside my apartment building. His hands were shaking a little as he held the ring. “I know you’ve been through a lot of hardship.” “I can’t promise I can make you forget all that pain.” “But I promise that from now on, your days will be sweet.” I said yes. I cried like a baby. The day I brought him home to meet my parents, my mom sized him up critically. “What do your parents do?” “They’re both retired teachers.” “Do you own a house?” “I have a place. Still paying off the mortgage.” My mom gave a disinterested “Oh,” and her expression cooled. During dinner, she kept piling food onto Tyler’s plate. “Eat up. Your wife is pregnant, you need to keep your strength up to take care of her.” Tyler’s wife was indeed three months pregnant. The entire family revolved around her now. Ethan quietly placed a piece of steak on my plate. My mom saw it and offered a tight smile. “So, Ethan, when are you two planning to host the reception?” “Next year,” I answered. “And the wedding funds…” my mom paused. “You young people in the city don’t really care about tradition, do you?” I set my fork down. “Mom. When Tyler got married, I gave him fifty thousand dollars.” The table went dead silent. Tyler kept his head down, eating. Sarah looked at me, then at my mom. My dad coughed awkwardly. “You helped your brother voluntarily,” my mom said, her voice turning cold. “Are you trying to settle scores with us now?” “I’m not settling scores,” I said. “I’m just making it clear that when I get married, I don’t expect a single dime from this family.” “That’s for the best,” my mom said immediately. “You young folks don’t care about these formalities anyway.” Ethan squeezed my hand under the table. His hand was very warm. When we were leaving, my mom walked us to the door. She shoved a small plastic grocery bag into my hands. “Here. Wedding candy.” I took it. Inside the bag was a single, cheap box of drugstore chocolates. The kind that costs maybe five dollars. “Eat it on the way back,” she said, and slammed the door shut. As we walked down the stairs, Ethan took the plastic bag from me. He looked at it but didn’t say a word. When we reached the apartment complex gate, he tossed the bag straight into the trash can. Then he turned around and pulled me into a tight embrace. “For our wedding, I’m going to give you a gift.” “What?” “A home,” he said. “A home that is entirely, completely yours.” I buried my face in his chest, my tears soaking his shirt. That cheap box of chocolates was sitting in the trash. The bright red packaging was glaringly painful to look at. It looked exactly like the open, bleeding wound I’d carried in my heart all these years. 03 The wedding was set for May. Ethan and I decided to keep things simple. No wedding planner, no expensive photoshoot, just a nice dinner with a few close friends. Ethan’s parents flew in from out of state. The moment his mother saw me, she grabbed my hands. “You sweet girl, this is your home now.” Her eyes were red. She said Ethan had told them everything. “We don’t ask for anything, we just want you two to be happy.” I nodded, unable to speak. Thirty years. It was the first time anyone had ever told me they wanted to give me a home. When my mom found out the wedding date, she called me three times. The first call was to ask if I needed help. I said no. The second call was to ask where the reception was being held. “We haven’t booked it yet,” I said. On the third call, she finally got to the point. “For your wedding, your father and I have put together a thousand dollars.” A thousand dollars. When my brother got married, I gave fifty thousand. When I get married, they offer a thousand. “Keep it,” I said. “Save it for Tyler.” “What kind of attitude is that?” my mom’s voice spiked. “I offer you money and you throw it back in my face?” “I really don’t need it.” “Chloe Miller, don’t be an ungrateful brat!” I hung up the phone. Ethan looked at me. “Does it hurt?” “No,” I said. “I’m used to it.” I was used to the endless double standards. Used to being the disposable weight on the lighter end of the scale. But this time, I didn’t want to get used to it anymore. A month before the wedding, Tyler suddenly reached out to me. He rarely contacted me on his own. Unless he needed money. “Sis, heard you’re getting married?” “Yeah.” “Mom said you refused to take any wedding money from them?” “Correct.” Silence hung on the line. “Sis, are you still mad at me?” I froze. From the day he was born until now, Tyler had never once asked if I was mad. He always just assumed his older sister was supposed to give him everything. “No,” I said. “That’s good,” he breathed a sigh of relief. “Honestly, it’s hard on Mom too, there’s only so much money to go around…” “I know,” I cut him off. “Was there something else? I’m at work.” “Oh, no, nothing else. Actually, Sis, Sarah wants to get a new iPhone, and I was wondering if…” I hung up the phone. And blocked his number. That night, I had a dream. I dreamt about my fifth birthday, eating that cold cake all by myself. The cake was sweet, but as I ate it, I started crying. I woke up to find my pillow soaked in tears. Ethan held me close. “Nightmare?” “No,” I said. “Just remembered something from when I was little.” He gently patted my back. Like he was comforting a small child. “From now on, I’m buying you a cake for every single birthday.” “I want a warm one.” “Okay. A warm one, covered in fresh fruit.” I fell asleep in his arms again. This time, there were no dreams. 04 There was a slight hiccup with the wedding plans. Ethan’s mother insisted on hosting a proper reception. “A girl only gets married once. We can’t let you feel slighted.” She pulled out ten thousand dollars, calling it her contribution to my wedding fund. I tried to refuse it. She held my hands, tears in her eyes. “Child, no one took care of you before. From now on, we will take care of you.” Ultimately, we booked a banquet hall at a nice, intimate hotel. Ten tables. We only invited our closest friends and colleagues. From my side of the family, I didn’t invite a single person. The day before the wedding, Aunt Susan suddenly added me on Facebook. I hesitated, but eventually accepted the request. “Chloe, heard you’re getting married?” “Yes, Aunt Susan.” “Why didn’t you tell the family?” “We’re keeping it small, I didn’t want to bother everyone.” Aunt Susan sent a voice memo. Her voice was hushed. “Your mom was crying to me yesterday, saying you’ve disowned her.” I typed back: “I haven’t disowned her.” “Then why didn’t you invite us?” “Aunt Susan, when Tyler got married, how much did you give him as a wedding gift?” Silence on her end. After a while, she texted back. “Fifty dollars.” “And how much were you planning to give for my wedding?” The silence this time lasted even longer. “Chloe, that’s a hurtful thing to say… We’re family, bringing money into it ruins the relationship.” I laughed. Yeah, talking about money ruins the relationship. But since when did they ever have a relationship with me? They only ever remembered I was family when it was time to talk about money. “Aunt Susan, I’m really busy right now. Talk later.” I closed the app. Ethan walked over, holding the wedding itinerary. “Just got a call. Your mom says she’s coming.” I looked up. “How did she find out?” “No idea.” Ethan shook his head. “But she said she’s definitely coming tomorrow, and she’s bringing relatives.” I stood up. “I’m calling her.” She answered almost immediately. “Mom, I heard you’re coming to the wedding?” “What, am I not allowed to come?” she snapped aggressively. “You can come. But the venue is small. There are no extra seats.” “Chloe Miller!” my mom screamed. “I am your mother! It’s bad enough you didn’t invite me, but now I’m coming myself and you’re turning me away?!” “I’m not turning you away. There literally are no seats.” “Just add another table! Do you think I’m an embarrassment to you?!” I took a deep breath. “Mom, Tyler had twenty tables at his wedding. I’m having ten. It’s not that I think you’re an embarrassment. It’s that you’ve always thought I was an embarrassment.” The line went quiet. After a long pause, her voice dropped lower. “Do you really have to be like this?” “It’s not that I want to be like this,” I said. “You forced me into this.” “How did we force you?! We raised you, put you through school…” “I paid for my own college tuition,” I cut her off. “Since I started working, I sent fifteen thousand dollars back home. When Tyler got married, I gave him fifty thousand. Mom, I don’t owe this family anything anymore.” “Are you settling scores with me right now?” “Yes,” I said. “It’s better to have clear accounts. Once the accounts are clear, nobody owes anybody anything.” My mom started crying. It wasn’t a fake, manipulative cry. It was real crying. She was sobbing, struggling to catch her breath. “What sin did I commit in my past life… to give birth to such a heartless monster…” I held the phone, listening to her cry. I just felt completely hollow inside. Thirty years of resentment and injustice suddenly vanished in that moment. All that was left was exhaustion. “Mom,” I said softly. “You can come tomorrow. But there are only seats for you and Dad. No one else.” “Not even your brother?” “No.” The call ended. Ethan walked over and wrapped his arms around me. “If you want to cry, just cry.” I shook my head. “I’ve cried enough. From today on, I’m never crying over this again.”

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To celebrate Stella Montgomery’s promotion and raise, Ethan Wright took the two of us high-altitude skydiving. I never expected our parachutes to get tangled in mid-air. Without a second of hesitation, Ethan cut my parachute strap. It caused me to descend entirely too fast, and the brutal impact of the landing shattered my heel ligaments, forcing me to say goodbye to my figure skating career forever. I asked Ethan why he didn’t save me. He held a terrified, crying Stella in his arms, comforting her flawlessly, before replying to me with chilling coldness: “It was Stella’s first time skydiving. She has no experience. Of course I had to save her first. Besides, you’re fine. Why are you throwing such a massive tantrum?” I didn’t cry. I didn’t scream. I simply went home and wrote the incident down in my blue leather journal. This was the thirtieth time I had forgiven Ethan Wright. 1 “Maya Caldwell, right? I heard you practically free-fell from fifty feet up.” “I don’t know whether to call you incredibly lucky or just insanely tough. You actually walked into the hospital by yourself. Thank God it’s just torn ligaments.” The ER doctor shook his head in disbelief, muttering as he applied the cooling ointment to my foot. I offered a bitter smile. Stella had started crying before her feet even touched the grass. Ethan had been by her side the entire time, speaking in soft, gentle whispers. From beginning to end, he hadn’t looked at me once. My right ankle was swollen to twice its normal size, but I couldn’t feel the pain. “Doctor, how long will it take to heal?” His expression turned serious. “It won’t take too long to recover, but even when it’s completely healed, there will be lingering joint weakness. You likely won’t be able to perform any high-impact, flexible movements ever again.” “It’s a real shame. You’re so young.” With a look of deep pity, the doctor sighed heavily and left the room. The World Figure Skating Championships were just around the corner. I had been preparing for this for three years. I trained relentlessly every single day, accumulating countless bruises on my body, all just to secure a top spot on the podium. But the doctor’s words were a death sentence for my career. Years of blood, sweat, and tears vanished into thin air. I sat frozen on the hospital bed, my body instantly drained of all its strength. Right then, Ethan walked into the room, with Stella following closely behind him. He looked at me with a face full of manufactured worry. “Maya, why didn’t you tell me you were coming to the hospital? You had me looking everywhere for you.” I unconsciously gripped the metal bedrail. My knuckles turned white. Ethan was the skydiving club’s ace instructor. He was fully capable of perfectly resolving any mid-air entanglement. But he chose his “white moonlight” without a second thought. Even now, his words from the drop zone echoed in my mind. “It was Stella’s first time skydiving. She has no experience. Of course I had to save her first. Besides, you’re fine. Why are you throwing such a massive tantrum?” But the truth was, he could have saved both me and Stella. And I wouldn’t have been injured at all. Seeing my lack of response, Ethan stepped closer and reached for my hand. I dodged his touch. He froze, his face instantly darkening. “I said I was sorry, okay? I’m apologizing to you. Are you satisfied now?” “Every time something minor happens, you give me the silent treatment and throw a fit. It gets exhausting for me too, you know.” Ethan’s words were like a needle, violently stabbing into my heart. He had no idea that the consequences of his “minor thing” meant I could never be an athlete again. Stella put on a pitiful, teary-eyed expression. “I’m so sorry, Maya. This is all my fault. You can ask me for any compensation you want, just please don’t blame Ethan.” Before I could even open my mouth. Ethan immediately shifted back to comforting her. “Stella, you’re too kind. It’s not your fault, you don’t need to apologize to her.” Watching their sickeningly intimate display, a heavy wave of grievance washed over me. Somehow, I was the one in the wrong. My face remained perfectly calm. “Can you two leave? I’m tired and I want to rest.” Stella looked awkward, then suddenly clutched her chest, her face twisting in pain. “Ethan… my chest hurts so much.” Ethan panicked. He quickly supported her weight and practically carried her out of the room, shouting loudly for a nurse. His frantic anxiety was a stark contrast to the cold annoyance he had just shown me. It was like looking at two completely different people. The next day, I went back to our apartment and opened the blue journal. Every time Ethan did something that profoundly disappointed me, I wrote it down. Then, I would forgive him and pretend nothing happened. The day the journal was full would be the day I finally left him. There were only three pages left. Not long after, the sound of a key turning in the lock echoed from the front door. It was Ethan. Seeing me sitting in the living room, his tone was slightly panicked. “Why didn’t you call me when you were discharged?” He unnaturally adjusted his jacket collar, as if trying to hide something. But I had already seen the faint smear of red lipstick on his shirt. “I figured you were busy,” I said flatly. At that moment, my best friend Harper texted me. Ethan’s eyes fell on my glowing phone screen. He looked confused. “Maya, when did you change your lock screen? Hasn’t it always been that photo of us?” Every time I forgave Ethan… I stripped a little piece of him out of my life. That way, when the time came to leave, it wouldn’t feel like I was losing everything all at once. “I’d used that photo for too long,” I said expressionlessly. “I just wanted a change of mood.” Ethan sensed that something was off. His face softened. He reached out and grabbed my hand, his voice dipping into an intimate, gentle tone. “Maya, I know what I said yesterday was harsh. It won’t happen again. Forgive me, please?” He was always like this. He genuinely believed that the moment he apologized, everything was magically fixed. I pulled my hand back and gave a detached nod. “Okay.” Ethan frowned slightly, clearly unsatisfied with my lukewarm reaction. If this were any other day, he would have lost his patience. But this time, he actually tried to flatter me. “Haven’t you always wanted to drive up to the historic St. Jude’s Mission in the mountains to light a candle? I’ll take a day off work and drive you up there.” Harper had once told me that whoever lights a candle at that historic mission with a sincere heart gets their wishes granted. I used to beg Ethan to take me. But he would just look at me with intense annoyance. “That stuff is a complete tourist trap. Only idiots believe in it. You’re a grown woman, why are you so childish?” But then, his white moonlight, Stella, returned from out of state. I never brought the mission up again. “My foot is injured, it’s not convenient,” I replied. “Maybe next time.” Ethan looked disappointed, but he didn’t push it. He tossed his jacket onto the sofa and walked into the bathroom to shower. A few minutes later, his phone buzzed with a text notification. Curious, I picked it up. It was from Stella. “Ethan, I’m all ready! When are you coming to pick me up?” I swiped the screen, wanting to see what they had talked about earlier. But I hit a lock screen. The passcode had been changed. It was no longer my birthday. I let out a self-deprecating laugh and placed the phone exactly where I found it. Ethan walked out wrapped in a towel, water droplets still clinging to his hair. He checked his phone, then frantically started throwing on his clothes. “Maya, there’s an emergency at the club. I’ll be back as soon as I handle it.” He tossed the excuse over his shoulder and rushed out the door without looking back. I sat there in a daze for a long time. It wasn’t until the clinic called to remind me about my bandage change that I finally snapped out of it. I had no appetite. I called an Uber and went to the clinic alone. Before changing the dressing, I had to undergo a painful physical therapy massage. Seeing that I was alone again, the doctor didn’t ask any questions. Right then, Stella sent me a photo. She was linking arms intimately with Ethan. The background was the iconic bell tower of St. Jude’s Mission. A minute later, the photo was un-sent. I pretended I never saw it, but my entire body felt like it had been plunged into an ice bath. As soon as I got home, Stella posted on her Instagram story. It was a photo of Ethan kneeling in front of the altar, hands clasped together, looking like he was praying deeply for something. The caption read: “I never believed in fate, but right now, you are my god.” I knew Stella did it on purpose. I thought I was completely numb to it by now, but my mind was still a chaotic mess. I leaned back against the sofa and fell into a groggy sleep. In my haze, I felt someone gently stroking my cheek. I opened my eyes to see Ethan. He was pulling a warm blanket over my shoulders. “Maya, why are you sleeping out here? You’ll catch a cold.” “Are you done with the club emergency?” I asked flatly. He didn’t answer. He just looked at me with deep, manufactured affection. “Guess what I did today?” I forced a tight smile, pretending I didn’t know, and shook my head. Ethan pulled a small, golden Saint Christopher medal from his pocket, looking incredibly proud of himself. “I drove all the way up to the mission to get you a blessed protection charm. The priest said that whoever wears this is guaranteed a safe, long, and healthy life.” “This way, we can grow old together.” I stared at the trinket in his hand. It looked incredibly familiar. Harper had once complained to me about a similar situation. Her ex had come back from a “business trip” and gifted her a blessed charm from a famous church. Later, she found out he had bought it for three dollars at a gas station souvenir stand on his way home. She fought with him for days over it. I had been the one to comfort her, telling her it was the thought that counted. I never expected something so utterly ridiculous to happen to me. Thinking about Stella’s Instagram post, I lowered my eyes, my fingers gripping the fabric of my dress tightly. Ethan didn’t notice my silence. He pressed a soft kiss to my forehead. “Tomorrow is our three-year anniversary. I managed to get a reservation at that French restaurant you’ve been dying to go to. Are you happy?” I thought he had forgotten. If this were the past, I would have been thrilled. I would have thrown my arms around his neck and acted like a giddy little girl. But now, my heart felt absolutely nothing. After dinner, Ethan seemed exhausted. He collapsed into bed and fell into a deep sleep within minutes. I pulled out the blue journal. I stared at the second-to-last page for a long time, but ultimately decided not to write today’s events down. The next day, I made a point to wear the sapphire blue dress Ethan had bought me. He smiled like a lovesick fool as he helped me into the passenger seat. But when we arrived at the restaurant doors, I saw Stella standing there. “Ethan! You took so long.” Stella pouted, treating me like I was invisible as she immediately grabbed Ethan’s wrist and swung it playfully. Seeing my face drop, Ethan looked incredibly guilty and scrambled to explain. “Maya, Stella has always wanted to try this place. When she heard we got a table, she begged to tag along. I didn’t have a chance to tell you.” Stella smiled, but her eyes were full of mockery. “Maya is so generous. I’m sure she doesn’t mind, right?” I knew arguing was pointless. It would only end with me getting hurt. I just nodded in agreement. We sat down at our reserved table. The waiter handed the menus to Ethan and Stella, asking, “What can I get for you two this evening?” Stella was dressed to the nines, dripping in expensive, flashy jewelry. Compared to her, I looked like a plain, simple assistant tagging along with a wealthy couple. It was no wonder the waiter mistook them for the couple celebrating. Stella looked incredibly smug. She started ordering dishes without asking me, and Ethan just watched her, his eyes full of absolute indulgence. I sat there expressionless. My soul was already dead. The dinner was suffocatingly awkward. I completely lost my appetite. I just sat there, waiting for the torture to end. Suddenly, my mom called. I reached to answer it, but Stella snatched my phone out of my hand. “The restaurant has a strict no-phone policy. You’re going to ruin the ambiance for the other guests.” I was instantly furious. My mom would never call me during dinner unless it was an absolute emergency. As I reached to snatch it back, Stella purposely loosened her grip. The phone slipped from her fingers and splashed directly into her bowl of hot bisque, splattering soup onto her face. Ethan shot up from his chair, glaring at me furiously. “Stella was just trying to give you a polite reminder! Do you have no basic manners?! If you burned her face, I swear to God I would never forgive you!” I desperately reached into the bowl to grab my phone, but the screen was already completely black. It was dead. Seeing that I was ignoring him, Ethan’s rage flared even hotter. “Apologize to Stella right now!” I slowly raised my head, looking at him in a daze. Meeting his chilling, ruthlessly cold eyes, I felt like I was looking at a complete stranger. Once upon a time, he protected me so fiercely he wouldn’t even let me wash dishes with cold water. Stella immediately played the innocent victim. “Ethan, please don’t fight with Maya over me. It makes me feel so guilty.” They looked deeply, tragically in love. It was like watching a cheap soap opera. Unable to stomach another second of it, I stood up and walked out of the restaurant. By the time I found an AT&T store and bought a new phone, several hours had passed. I hurriedly called my mom back. But the news on the other end of the line left me paralyzed on the sidewalk. “Sweetheart… Grandma is gone.” I walked home like a lifeless puppet. Staring at the framed photo of me and my grandma on the windowsill, the tears finally broke through the dam. Because Stella had ruined my phone, and Ethan had delayed me. I missed my very last chance to say goodbye to my grandmother. A while later, Ethan rushed through the front door. “Maya, I’m so sorry, I had no idea that was going to happen—” A deep, visceral disgust flared in my chest. I cut him off. “Get out. I don’t want to see your face right now.” He froze, then quietly closed the bedroom door and left. Once my emotions finally settled, I opened the blue journal and completely filled out the second-to-last page. For the next few days, I didn’t say a single word to Ethan. He was tactful enough to stay quiet, just silently keeping me company in the apartment. He didn’t even go to the skydiving club. Then, out of nowhere, Ethan spoke up. “Maya, Stella is hosting a celebration party at a lounge this weekend. She said she wants you to come so she can personally apologize for what happened.” It seemed they had coordinated their story. I didn’t want to go, but Ethan kept relentlessly nagging me about it. Annoyed by his constant buzzing, and thinking it over, I decided to go just to make things clear once and for all. That night, Ethan took me to a VIP room at an upscale lounge. When he pushed the door open, Stella was sitting there with several of her friends. “Ethan! Finally! We were all waiting for you.” Stella completely ignored my existence, grabbed Ethan’s arm, and pulled him inside. There was absolutely zero intention of apologizing. I didn’t want to cause a massive scene and embarrass Ethan in public, so I gritted my teeth and followed them in. After a few drinks and some karaoke, people started getting bored. Someone suggested playing a game of Dares with a deck of cards. Everyone agreed enthusiastically, and Ethan and I were pulled into the circle. For the first round, one of Stella’s friends acted as the “Dealer.” He looked around the room and commanded that whoever held the Ace of Spades and the 3 of Hearts had to make out for thirty seconds. The two cards just happened to be in Ethan and Stella’s hands. My heart skipped a beat. The dare wasn’t strictly mandatory. If you absolutely couldn’t do it, you could just drink the penalty shots and move on to the next round. Stella looked at me with a perfectly crafted, awkward smile. Just as she reached for the penalty shots, Ethan stopped her hand. “You’re allergic to alcohol, remember? You can’t drink that.” “But Maya will be so angry…” Ethan brushed it off casually. “It’s just a stupid party game. Maya isn’t that petty.” They locked eyes, and then they kissed. They didn’t stop at thirty seconds. They kissed for a full minute before reluctantly pulling apart. The room erupted in cheers and catcalls, acting as if I wasn’t sitting right there. Stella shot me a triumphant look, a mocking smirk playing on her lips. She was showing off her ultimate victory. My heart sank to the bottom of the ocean. All I wanted to do was escape. A few rounds later, it was my turn to be the Dealer. Coincidentally, Stella was drawn again, but this time her kissing partner was another guy in the room. Without a second of hesitation, Ethan stepped in and slammed back the penalty shots on her behalf. He had a terrible alcohol tolerance, and after a few heavy pours, he was completely drunk. I made a quick excuse, supported his weight, and left the lounge early. When we got back to the apartment, Ethan held my hand tightly on the bed, mumbling incoherently. I leaned in closer to hear him. “I miss you… I miss you so much every single day… I love you…” “Stella.” In that instant, my entire body turned to stone. I trembled uncontrollably. The tears fell silently down my cheeks before I even realized I was crying. I couldn’t wrap my head around it. Even when Ethan was black-out drunk, his subconscious was entirely consumed by Stella.

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Blood, it wouldn’t stop. I lay on the delivery bed, the overhead lights blindingly white. Someone shouted “More pressure,” people were running, the sound of shoes against the floor frantic and chaotic. My consciousness was sinking. I couldn’t feel the pain anymore. Just cold. A coldness starting from the soles of my feet. The delivery room door wasn’t shut completely. Voices drifted in from the hallway. It was my mother-in-law, Martha’s voice. She was on the phone. “…Five hundred thousand dollars, that was the agreed-upon dowry. If she doesn’t make it, can we get that money back?” I heard it perfectly clearly. Every single word. Oh, wait. That was another lifetime. The first time I met my stepmother, I slashed her arm with a knife. People told me it was this wicked woman, Nora Hayes, who stole my father and drove my mother away. I swore I would drive her out. But when I poured out the chicken soup she made, she replaced it with beef stew. When I cut up the dresses she bought me, she bought me pants instead. I thought I would never be able to get rid of her, until my fourteenth birthday, when she came to pick me up from school with a cake, and died pushing me out of the way of a speeding semi-truck. At her funeral, her mother pointed at her portrait and cursed: “You useless disappointment! Your husband gets stolen, and you still take care of the mistress’s daughter, and now she’s gotten you killed!” It turned out my mother was the mistress all along. I stumbled home, stared at the smashed cake, and belatedly made my birthday wish: “Nora Hayes, please come back to life.” When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to three days before the accident. Standing amidst the crowd of students leaving school, I saw Nora looking around for me from across the street. A middle-aged woman shoved past her, causing her to stumble and nearly fall. The woman glared at her aggressively, “Stop blocking the way!” Nora stepped back, apologizing profusely. This was Nora. Born into a family that heavily favored boys over girls, she developed a chronic people-pleasing personality. Even when her husband cheated, she helped raise the mistress’s daughter, and the result was being killed by me, the jinx. Given a second chance, my biggest wish was to stop Nora from being a pushover that anyone could bully. I walked straight over and stepped hard on the woman’s foot. “Say you’re sorry.” “Are you crazy? You stepped on me and you want me to say sorry?” “If the person who gets bumped into has to apologize to the one who bumped them, then why doesn’t the person who got stepped on have to apologize to the one who stepped on them?” Seeing that I wasn’t someone to mess with, the woman resentfully muttered a “sorry” and walked away. Nora’s eyes widened in surprise, mixed with a hint of quiet joy. “Chloe, thank you.” I kept a sullen expression and said, “Anyone can bully you. You’re so dumb, you might as well just die.” Nora smiled good-naturedly and took me home. At our front door, we found an uninvited guest—Nora’s younger brother, Kevin. “Sis, lend me a hundred grand, I want to open a small convenience store. I’m just short a hundred grand to get it started. I’m your closest brother, you can’t just ignore me.” I mentally spat in disgust. In my previous life, Nora lent him the money, and he turned around and blew it all gambling. After Nora died, Kevin and their mother signed a settlement agreement with the driver, split the million-dollar compensation, and sold off all her belongings. They even sold Nora’s organs on the black market. A guy with dollar signs in his eyes playing the loving brother? Nora sighed and let him inside. While she went to pour water, I narrowed my eyes and said to Kevin: “You degenerate gambler, you deserve to be beaten to death by loan sharks!” Kevin never expected a little brat like me to speak to him like that. Furious, he slapped me to the floor. “So what if I gamble? You little bastard, you dare stick your nose in my family’s business?” He raised his foot to kick me. Hearing the commotion, Nora rushed over and dropped the water glass in shock. “What are you doing?!” I quickly scrambled to her side, lifted my red, swollen face, and cried out: “I just asked Uncle what he was borrowing the money for, and he suddenly hit me! He even said he was borrowing it to gamble! Not to open a store at all!” Kevin cursed: “Bullshit!” Nora touched my cheek, her brow furrowed tightly, showing a rare flash of anger: “Kevin! You really haven’t changed at all! Now you’re not only gambling, but you’ve learned to hit people too! Get out!” Kevin gritted his teeth and said: “Sis, don’t listen to her. I’ve changed, I won’t gamble anymore! I really want to open a store!” “I’ll get on my knees, okay?!” Kevin dropped to his knees in front of Nora and started crying and slapping himself. “It was all my fault before! Sis, forgive me, there won’t be a next time!” I watched the shifting expressions on Nora’s face. In the past, every time Kevin came to borrow money, after a routine of crying, throwing a tantrum, and begging on his knees, Nora would always give in. This time, with my little performance, would she change? I nervously grabbed her hand. She shuddered, gripped my hand tightly, and said: “Leave. I’m not lending you the money.” “What?” Kevin couldn’t believe his ears. He suddenly exploded: “Nora, I gave you an inch and you took a mile!” “Even if you’re married, you’re still a Hayes! Your money is my money! So what if I use it to gamble?” “Nora, even if you have to go sell yourself on the street, you better scrape together that hundred grand. If you’re short even one dollar, watch out, I’ll find a few guys to—” Before he could finish, I kicked him hard in the groin. “Go sell yourself!” Kevin let out an agonizing scream and collapsed. He recovered after a moment, stood up, and reached for me with a twisted, furious face. “I’m going to rape you, then kill you!” I was about to kick him again when Nora, having grabbed a paring knife from somewhere, stepped in front of me. “If you dare touch Chloe again, I’ll kill you right now!” I looked at Nora in shock. She was trembling all over, but her eyes shot out a terrifying light, like a mother wolf protecting her cub. The paring knife I used to hurt her the first time we met was now being used to protect me. Kevin looked at Nora as if seeing her for the first time and backed away two steps. “Whoa, chill, sis, let’s just talk.” “Get the hell out!” “Fine, I’m leaving right now.” He left with a resentful look on his face. Just as he reached the door, he looked back and sneered: “Playing happy family with the mistress’s daughter, how pathetic. Does she know about all the filthy things you’ve done?” Nora’s face instantly went deathly pale. I frowned. What filthy things could Nora possibly have done? After Kevin left, Nora dropped the knife and used a cold towel to compress my face. Not long after, her mother called, launching into a tirade of curses. Usually, to keep Nora acting as their ATM, her mother would pretend to care about her. This time, with just one refusal, she showed her true colors. “If you don’t give him the money, I’m going to your office tomorrow and causing a scene!” She hung up the phone. Nora stood frozen like a stone statue. I hesitated for a moment, then went to the kitchen, made a bowl of noodles, brought it to her, and looking away, said: “Hurry up and eat, the noodles will get mushy.” “Oh, right, my face looks like this, so I can’t go to school. Take me to your company tomorrow.” “If they come causing trouble, I can be your bodyguard.” Nora paused, then suddenly pulled me into a hug. “Chloe, thank goodness I still have you.” I blushed and pulled away forcefully. The next day, Nora’s mother predictably knelt at the entrance of Nora’s company, throwing a massive fit. She wailed loudly: “Nora Hayes! You heartless, ungrateful wretch! Your brother just needs a hundred grand to save his life, and you won’t even lend it to him!” “All these years, I favored you over him, terrified you’d feel slighted! You ate better, dressed better, and had better things than your brother!” “Your brother dropped out of school early to work and pay for your master’s degree! He didn’t even finish high school, so nobody wants to hire him! Now he’s asking to borrow a hundred grand to open a small store, and you chase him out with a knife!” “Now that you’re an executive at Zenith Corp, you don’t care about your own mother and brother!” The crowd of onlookers grew larger. Nora and her boss, Vice President Chen, had also come down. People in the crowd whispered among themselves: “To have such a good mother and brother and not appreciate them!” “How did someone like her get into Zenith? They should fire her!” Nora’s mother crawled forward and hugged VP Chen’s leg. “Zenith is such a big company, you can’t let your employees abandon their own flesh and blood!” I stepped forward, held up my phone, and played a video. “So what you’re saying is, Zenith employees should just let their relatives gamble their lives away?” Nora’s mother’s face changed. Kevin’s voice came from the phone: “Your money is my money! So what if I use it to gamble?” “Nora, even if you have to go sell yourself on the street, you better scrape together that hundred grand. If you’re short even one dollar, watch out, I’ll find a few guys to—” The crowd immediately changed their tune: “Oh, so the brother was using it to gamble. No wonder the sister wouldn’t lend it.” “Threatening his sister like that for money, how vicious!” But some still said: “Even so, that sister isn’t a good person either!” Nora’s mother grasped at straws and cried: “Exactly! She’s a bitch! If he hadn’t sacrificed his education and couldn’t find a job, why would my son have turned to gambling? She owes me!” Hearing those words, the last glimmer of light in Nora’s eyes died out. She gave a miserable smile. “I’ve been working part-time since high school, and I got full scholarships every year. When did Kevin ever pay for my education? He dropped out because he couldn’t get into high school! He got addicted to gambling, and I gave up my Ph.D. to work and pay off his debts! You’re just like him, full of lies!” She pulled out her phone and opened her bank transfer history. “Over the years, you and Kevin have borrowed money from me countless times. It adds up to over a million dollars! You say I owe you? Yes, I do. I owe you a severance agreement!” Her mother’s eyes widened. “What did you say? You want to cut ties with me?” “How was I ever bad to you all these years? When you took your college entrance exams, I fed you meat and shrimp every meal. Because I favored you so much, your brother was always neglected, which is why his grades were bad, and you still feel wronged?” I feigned surprise. “Meat and shrimp? The last time she took me out to eat, I accidentally had a bite of shrimp and ended up in the ER. You treat your daughter so well, how did you not know she’s severely allergic to seafood?” Her mother was stunned. “What did you say? She’s allergic to seafood?” Nora squeezed her eyes shut in pain. “The ‘good meals’ you’re talking about were all things Kevin liked. He loves seafood, so you made seafood every day. During the period leading up to my college entrance exams, I survived on instant noodles and bread.” “On the morning of the exam, my alarm woke Kevin up, and you screamed at me, making me almost late.” “This is what you call treating me well, this is what you call favoring me!” Nora took a notebook from her bag, quickly wrote out a formal severance agreement, and threw it in her mother’s face. “From today on, we have nothing to do with each other!” Her mother looked around in a panic and turned to VP Chen. “Boss, you have to do something about her!” But VP Chen said, “Nora is an outstanding employee, and Zenith needs talent like her! As for you, you reaped what you sowed. You deserve this!” Her mother slumped to the ground, looking completely defeated. “Oh no—my daughter has disowned me, and my son is useless. Who’s going to take care of me when I’m old!” As the crowd dispersed and Nora and I were about to leave, her mother’s scream rang out from behind us: “Nora Hayes! Aren’t you afraid I’ll scorch the earth and expose your true colors?” “All those filthy things you’ve done, Richard sent them all to me!” Nora’s steps faltered. I glanced back at her mother. Richard was my father’s name. It seemed he had something on Nora and had sent it to her mother and brother. But what dirt could anyone possibly have on Nora? As I was wondering, my phone buzzed. I opened it to see a message from Richard. “Your birthday is the day after tomorrow. Your dad and his new girlfriend are taking you out to dinner.” Attached was a photo of him hugging a glamorous, young woman.

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On the day of my birthday, after I stormed out in anger, my brother went looking for me—only to be kidnapped and murdered. All that was left was a bloodstained suicide note. I refused to believe he was dead. I plunged headfirst into the dark world of human trafficking. I survived brutal beatings and unimaginable torture, barely clinging to life. I scoured every red-light district and remote mountain village, rescuing countless trafficked victims, but I never found Liam’s shadow. Five years later, my body was covered in scars, and I couldn’t search anymore. But just as I was about to collapse from starvation, I saw him holding a cake, celebrating our adopted sister’s birthday with the rest of the family. My adopted sister, Chloe, cheered with delight: “Thank you, Liam! You’re the best!” “Because Maya refused to share her birthday with me five years ago, you punished her for five whole years. But today, I’ve decided to forgive her!” My brother smiled and praised her: “Chloe is so kind. Your birthdays are only a day apart; what’s the big deal about celebrating early together?” “But after this, she should have learned her lesson. She’ll even thank you for bringing me back.” “But… is Maya going to be okay out there all by herself?” “Don’t worry, I pulled some strings. She’s just going through a little hardship. When she comes back, we’ll throw her a solo birthday party. It’s her only wish; she’ll be thrilled.” My empty stomach cramped with hunger, and the scar where my kidney had been removed throbbed with a dull ache. They didn’t know I was a “System Traveler,” and I still had one wish remaining in my balance. [System: Host, are you sure you want to use this wish?] My voice was hoarse: “I’m sure. Let Liam and Chloe’s lie become reality.” ······ [Ding~ Granting wish…] Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, the family looked like the picture of happiness. But soon, my brother Liam received a phone call. “Yes, I’m Liam.” “What do you mean, ‘your husband’? I’m not married! Who is this scammer?” I knew the wish had started to take effect. He hung up the phone impatiently and smiled, reassuring Chloe: “It’s nothing, just a spam call. But it reminded me, I should check in on Maya.” He dialed his phone while handing Chloe a slice of cake. “Is Maya still looking for me?” “Find a way to let her know I’ve been rescued. A five-year punishment is enough; it’s time she came home…” He wore a relaxed smile, but the moment he turned his head and saw me, his entire body froze. Standing outside the window, I forced a mocking smile through my cracked lips. The joyous atmosphere inside shattered as my brother and the rest of the family rushed out. “Maya! What happened to your hand?!” Liam’s hands trembled as he grasped my left arm—it was nothing but a twisted stump. It was the price I paid to rescue a boy who looked just like him. The villagers had hacked it off. My mother supported me, her face pale with disbelief as she sobbed hysterically: “Call an ambulance! Maya, Maya, stay awake!” My body had reached its absolute limit. I completely lost consciousness. When I woke up, I heard a doctor asking in surprise: “Is this the young girl you rescued? She’s severely dehydrated and malnourished; her body is failing on multiple fronts.” Liam’s lips moved, but no sound came out. The doctor explained the treatment plan, using Chloe as a comparison: “Take this young lady, for example. You can tell she’s well-nourished and comes from a wealthy family.” “This poor girl’s digestive system is incredibly fragile. She’s starved for too long. We can’t just give her rich food; her body can’t handle it…” I offered a silent, bitter smile. It was true. Chloe had been raised in the lap of luxury. Five years ago, the moment Liam got home from work, Chloe had begged him to cook a lavish dinner. I had scolded her for being so demanding, mimicking how my parents used to discipline me. But Liam instantly frowned in displeasure: “Maya, who do you think you are? Chloe has a poor appetite. It’s a good thing she’s willing to eat my cooking!” He then casually informed me: “Tomorrow is Chloe’s birthday. We’re celebrating yours together to save time.” I just glared at Chloe. The next day, she cried secretly on her birthday, which resulted in my birthday privileges being revoked for ten years. I left in a fit of rage on my birthday. I never expected that my mother would arrive, smash my cake on the ground, and tell me that Liam had been kidnapped and murdered while searching for me. From that moment on, my entire family had orchestrated a massive lie against me. Just moments ago, looking through that window, I heard them refer to my five years of living hell as an “educational method.” A burning pain pierced my heart. I forced myself off the hospital bed, intending to leave. Liam rushed to hold me back: “Maya, lie down! Your body is too weak…” I looked up at him, my expression devoid of emotion: “Didn’t you always say I need to be strong even when I’m sick? I can manage.” I saw the tears in my family’s eyes. They choked back sobs and said: “You’ve been incredibly strong. Thanks to Chloe, we finally found your brother. You can rest now.” Liam grasped my hand, his eyes welling with tears: “Tomorrow is your birthday. We’ll throw a party just for you, okay?” I didn’t say a word, just gave a slight nod. After tomorrow, everything would become a reality anyway. There was no rush. Through the crowd, I caught Chloe’s venomous glare. Chapter 2 In the past, even blowing out candles was a luxury for me. This time, however, it was a lavish affair, with all our relatives invited. For the first time, I had a cake entirely to myself. But just as I closed my eyes and prepared to make a wish amidst the chorus of “Happy Birthday”— “Liam, save me!” A blood-curdling scream pierced the air. Chloe stumbled into the room, collapsing as if she had lost all her strength. My first, exclusive birthday cake was destroyed. “Maya, I already promised to give everything back to you! I don’t want anything anymore!” “Why did you still hire someone to kidnap me?!” Chloe’s face was ashen. She clutched her hand, blood spurting from the wound. Liam’s face drained of color. He lunged forward to apply pressure to her wound. Chloe sobbed, her voice filled with agony: “Maya, it’s not my fault you lost your hand! Why did you tell the kidnappers to chop mine off?! Please, let me go! Let me go!” The room erupted in a gasp of shock. Liam glared at me, his eyes full of rage: “Maya, how could you be so evil?!” The relatives joined in, hurling accusations: “She’s your sister! How could you do something so horrific?!” “She’s an ungrateful wretch! Today she kidnaps her sister and chops off her hand; tomorrow she might kill us all!” Liam gritted his teeth: “Maya, if you hadn’t thrown a tantrum and run away, I never would have been kidnapped!” “If it weren’t for Chloe, I would have died a hundred times over! How could you hurt her? You don’t deserve to be my sister!” The crowd pulled at me, labeling me a murderer. Chloe fell to her knees, slapping herself hard and kowtowing until her forehead bled: “I was wrong! I shouldn’t have competed with my sister for your love! Please, I’ll leave—no, I’ll go abroad right now! I promise you’ll never see me again!” I looked at my parents and brother, anxiously comforting her. I finally couldn’t hold back a scoff: “Chloe, you’re still as dramatic as ever.” The next second, I was kicked brutally to the ground. My internal organs felt like they had been shattered. Liam stepped heavily on my stomach, grinding his heel into me with fury: “You haven’t learned a damn thing in five years! You’re ruthless enough to do this to your own sister!” He pointed at Chloe’s bleeding hand and demanded: “Look at her injuries! Do you think she’s faking this? You refuse to admit your mistakes, and out of sheer jealousy, you took revenge on Chloe!” “You should have died out there!” A sharp pain tore through my abdomen, and I coughed up two mouthfuls of blood. I smiled. So, this was his true feeling. Seeing me smile, my mother’s face twisted in profound disappointment. She smashed a glass cup against my face: “You will kneel and apologize to Chloe right now! Sign the papers transferring all your shares to her!” “Otherwise, you can crawl back to wherever you came from and get your limbs chopped off! You are no longer part of this family!” Blood blurred my vision. Liam ordered coldly: “Sign it now! Stop pretending to be half-dead. Nobody owes you anything!” With blood pouring down my face, I took the transfer agreement and ripped it to shreds! “I will never apologize!” Liam’s face darkened: “Can’t you just bow your head for once? Do you really want to pay her back with your own hand?!” His next words choked in his throat, turning into a horrified scream. I yanked off my functional right arm and threw it into his chest: “Here’s my hand!” I hunched over, forcefully detaching one of my legs: “Here’s my leg!” Both of these prosthetics were the price I paid. I was caught and brutally dismembered after rescuing trafficked women. The old injuries from years of beatings caused me to spit up more blood. “Maya!” Liam’s hands trembled as he reached to support me. I pulled away in disgust, lost my balance, and crashed to the floor. I could only pull up my shirt, gasping for air: “What else do you want? My liver or my kidney?!” Liam’s sobbing voice echoed in my ears: “Impossible! I arranged for people to protect you…” Before I completely lost consciousness, I caught a glimpse of the supposedly weak Chloe; a flash of panic crossed her face. Chapter 3 I woke up in the hospital again. Liam was sitting by my bed, trying to convince me: “Chloe made a mistake. That kidnapper was just after ransom; you didn’t orchestrate it.” I pressed my lips tightly together. As expected, Liam looked at me with a conflicted expression: “It’s partly your fault for always competing with Chloe. You scared her with your deformed hand, and she’s had nightmares for days.” “Let’s just forget this ever happened.” Even though I anticipated this, fury still surged within me: “Why?! I’m your biological sister! Why am I punished half to death for every mistake, while she gets a free pass?!” Blood seeped through my bandages. Liam quickly tried to soothe me, his voice carrying a sense of finality: “Once you’ve recovered, we’ll throw you a proper birthday party and transfer your residency registration back to our family!” My parents, standing by the bed, nodded through their tears. I was stunned. So, they all knew. When they adopted Chloe, they had personally removed my residency registration. Just because she said she liked my name, my identity was given to her when I turned 18. For years, my stubborn insistence on celebrating my birthday was simply a desperate plea for them to accept me back into the family. But after over a decade, I was still an outsider. My parents cast a sympathetic glance at my prosthetics: “Don’t worry, Maya. Once you’re discharged, we’ll sort out the paperwork.” “We’ll make Chloe give you back your name and your identity!” Crash! Chloe stood in the doorway, her eyes red, a shattered water glass at her feet: “Mom, Dad, Liam…” Liam tightened his grip on my hand, his voice unwavering as he looked straight ahead: “It’s decided!” “Liam!” “Get out, Chloe! Maya is my biological sister!” Chloe burst into tears, just like she always did. But this time, when she turned and ran, no one stopped her. Their attitude towards me became incredibly cautious: “Maya, when you’re better, we’ll fix your registration, okay? We’re a family.” Family? I closed my eyes, a suffocating pain gripping my chest. “Okay.” It didn’t matter. They were all going to die anyway. I would be the sole heir to the family fortune. Only by getting my registration back could I inherit the estate. Liam let out a sigh of relief. He thought I was compromising. Worried that I might change my mind and go after Chloe, he immediately issued a public statement announcing a formal recognition banquet for me. The wealthy family drama of the true and fake heiress. But while the internet was buzzing with speculation, another trending topic exploded out of nowhere. The fake heiress had committed a hit-and-run, and the true heiress had taken the fall! There was a signed confession as proof. I was shocked. Almost no one knew about this. When Chloe was underage, she stole a family car and hit someone. My family immediately forced me to switch identities with her, using my grandfather’s belongings to blackmail me into taking the blame and going to prison. “Maya! Why won’t you leave Chloe alone?!” Liam stormed into my hospital room and slapped me hard across the face. He gritted his teeth: “Are you trying to destroy her? Chloe just wants a family! What did she do wrong?!” Chloe, standing behind him with red eyes, pleaded: “Sister, I’ve already given everything back to you. Are you trying to drive me to suicide?” The stinging pain on my face confirmed my suspicions. It was another one of Chloe’s manipulative ploys. Liam was frantic and furious: “You pushed Chloe into the crosshairs! She made a mistake when she was young and foolish, but she’s done her best to make up for it!” “Why are you never satisfied? Do you have to ruin her reputation completely?!” She made up for it? What about me? What about the two years I spent in prison for her? I clenched my fists and demanded: “So what? Am I supposed to take the fall for her again?!” “Yes!” My burning rage turned to ice. Chapter 4 Liam took a deep breath, staring intensely at me: “The only option now is for Chloe to attend the recognition banquet in your place! We need everyone to believe she is the true heiress!” My heart froze completely. He glanced at my twisted left hand, unable to bear the sight, and looked away: “Don’t worry, the family will still transfer your registration back, we just won’t change your name back yet!” For the same crime, he wanted me to be Chloe’s scapegoat twice. My voice trembled as I asked: “Liam, do you remember what you promised me when we were kids?” He seemed to have forgotten. After a few seconds of silence, he awkwardly avoided my gaze: “Don’t worry, I’ll get your registration sorted out as soon as possible.” “Be reasonable. Both you and Chloe are my sisters!” But Liam… I closed my eyes, feeling like my heart was being carved out with a dull knife. When we were little, you stood in front of me and swore I was your only sister. You promised you would never let anyone take what was mine. My mother rushed into the room, urging impatiently: “What is there to talk about? The public backlash is huge right now, we need to issue a clarification immediately!” Her words hung in the air, completely oblivious to my torn bandages. They hurried out, protecting Chloe, leaving me entirely alone. The eve of the recognition banquet was the anniversary of my grandfather’s death. I saw Liam kneeling guiltily at his grave for a long time. I waited until he left before I approached to pay my respects. “Grandpa, I’m sorry…” Tears slid past the scars on my face as I whispered: “I can’t be a forgiving person. Liam swore to you that he would only ever have one sister.” “But for Chloe’s sake, he sent me to prison and doomed me to a life of hell.” “I made a malicious wish, and I have absolutely no regrets.” I didn’t attend the banquet. I only received the occasional abusive text message. It wasn’t until Liam mentioned someone was spreading rumors and blackmailing him, and that he needed to deal with it. Only then did Chloe and I go downstairs. Before the final step, she shoved me violently. I stumbled and was caught by Liam. He thought I was just worried, wrapping an arm around me reassuringly: “It’s just someone trying to extort money. I have bodyguards, and Chloe is with me. Nothing will happen.” “You’re still recovering, don’t move around too much. Once I handle this, I’ll come back and we’ll go sort out your registration.” I gently pushed him away: “Okay.” He drove off with Chloe. Before leaving, he told me to rest, his eyes full of brotherly concern. I watched the car until it disappeared from sight. My heart gave a slight twinge. A silent farewell. Goodbye, Liam. No, this is farewell forever.

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I had been secretly married to my husband, a Major General, for seven years. Women were always trying to climb into his bed, but he never wanted to make our relationship public. At the celebration banquet following the military exercises, his comrades teased me about my relationship status. Even he leaned in with a smile: “Reporter Hayes, you’ve covered so many war zones, haven’t you met anyone who caught your eye? How about I introduce you to someone?” In my past life, I couldn’t hold back and pulled out our marriage certificate. His precious junior, the military’s sweetheart, instantly teared up and ran out. Arthur Sterling didn’t say anything at the time, but he grew increasingly cold toward me afterward. Until I was caught in an armed ambush while reporting near the border, my life hanging by a thread. He completely ignored my situation, instead choosing to teach Lily Summers how to shoot at the firing range. When Lily framed me for leaking classified military intel, I called him, crying. All he said was, “Handle it according to military regulations.” That was when I finally understood. To him, I was just a prop to appease his family. Reborn into this life, I smiled: “I’m seeing someone. We’re getting our marriage license at the end of the month.” …… The surrounding area instantly fell dead silent. Everyone was stunned. The smile on Arthur’s face froze. His grip on his wine glass tightened abruptly, his knuckles turning white. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, Lily, sitting right next to him, blinked her innocent eyes and beat him to it: “Reporter Hayes, you hide things so well! If no one asked today, were you planning on keeping it a secret from us forever?” I looked at her, my tone calm: “No matter how well I hide it, I am still the one and only wife.” In my past life, I always thought Lily didn’t know about my relationship with Arthur. I thought she was an unwitting, innocent party. It wasn’t until I was lying in a hospital bed in a war zone, and she came to flaunt Arthur’s blatant favoritism for her, that I realized she knew everything all along. Lily’s smile faltered for a second. The other officers quickly stepped in to smooth things over: “Reporter Hayes is getting married? No wonder you always turn down our invitations to mixer events after missions! What unit is the lucky guy from?” “To be worthy of our chief reporter who runs through the frontlines, he must be someone special, right?” I looked up and smiled: “If there’s a chance in the future, I’ll definitely introduce everyone.” As soon as the words left my mouth, a teasing voice rang out: “Reporter Hayes isn’t just making this up to save face, is she? After all, you’re nearing thirty. If you still don’t have a boyfriend, people might start gossiping. Major General Sterling, wouldn’t you agree?” Lily tilted her head toward Arthur. I gripped my camera tightly, and then I heard Arthur let out a low, affirmative “Mhm.” Lily’s smile turned provocative. But in my heart, a wave of self-deprecation washed over me. Even after being reborn, what was I still expecting? Right at that moment, a clear, crisp male voice came from the doorway: “Excuse me, is Reporter Stella Hayes here? I’m here to pick her up.” Chapter 2 Everyone turned toward the voice. Standing in the doorway was a tall, striking man. Behind his gold-rimmed glasses, his gaze was gentle and composed. He was still wearing a white lab coat, clearly having rushed over straight from the research institute. When our eyes met, I was taken aback too. He offered a slight smile: “Stella, let’s go home.” Whispers immediately broke out across the room. “Isn’t that the youngest Chief Engineer at the military research institute?” “So he is Reporter Hayes’ fiancé! What a perfect match!” I stood up and nodded politely to the crowd: “Excuse me, I need to take my leave.” From the moment I stood up, I could feel a burning gaze fixed on my back, but I didn’t turn around. Just as I was about to step out of the banquet hall, Arthur’s voice rang out sharply, “Stella!” I paused slightly and turned back to look at him: “Is there something else, Major General Sterling?” His face was dark as a thundercloud, anger churning in his eyes. Lily smiled at me, “My commendation ceremony is coming up. Major General Sterling is going to celebrate with me. Would you like to join us, Reporter Hayes?” I glanced at the silent Arthur and shook my head: “No thanks. Congratulations on the commendation. I have plans.” With that, I turned and walked away. The gaze on my back practically scorched me, only disappearing when I slid into the passenger seat of the Jeep. I buckled my seatbelt and thanked the man beside me: “Thank you, Chief Engineer Vance.” Liam Vance started the car, keeping his eyes on the road ahead: “Don’t mention it. I was just passing by after finishing some research.” I smiled and didn’t press further. He tactfully didn’t say much either, only asking: “Where to? I’ll drop you off.” I gave him an address. We arrived quickly. Before I got out, Liam suddenly pulled out his phone: “Let’s exchange contact info.” I hesitated for a second, and he chuckled softly: “Who knows, maybe one day I’ll need your help with something.” I nodded and scanned his QR code. I turned and walked into the family housing building. This was the apartment Arthur and I requested when we got married. It wasn’t big, but it was filled with seven years of my joy and anticipation. In the past, when we didn’t have missions, we used to watch the news and discuss current events here. It’s just that now, Arthur rarely comes back. As soon as I walked through the door, my phone started buzzing frantically. It was the editor-in-chief of the news department. “Stella! Hurry up and check the military forum!” Chapter 3 I clicked on the link, and the glaring headline instantly pierced my eyes. [Major General Arthur Sterling and the Military’s Sweetheart, Junior Lily Summers, Officially Announce Relationship! The Perfect Military Couple is Overflowing with Sweetness!] Below the headline were two photos. One showed Arthur in his uniform, with Lily looking down as she pinned a medal of honor on his chest. The other showed the two of them embracing by the training ground, with fighter jets roaring past in the background. Arthur’s caption was brief but agonizing: [Formal introduction: my love, @LilySummers.] Lily’s reply was even sweeter: [For the rest of my life, protecting our country alongside you, my Mr. General~] I thought that after being reborn, I could face this calmly. But seeing it with my own eyes, my heart still felt like it was taking bullet after bullet. I waited seven years for a public announcement, and he gave it so easily to someone else. The editor-in-chief was shaking with anger on the phone: “Because of what you said at the celebration banquet, everyone is saying Lily inserted herself into your relationship.” “Arthur is doing this to clear Lily’s name!” “This is outrageous! You are clearly his legal wife…” “Chief,” I interrupted him, my voice so calm it surprised even me, “has my transfer request to the International Military News Department been approved?” The line went silent for a moment: “Are you really going to give up your position domestically and go abroad?” “My mind is made up.” I looked out at the neon lights beyond the window. “Seven years ago, I gave up the International Military News Department for Arthur. Now, I don’t want to hold myself back for him anymore.” Arthur and I grew up together in the military compound. We were childhood sweethearts, from our awkward teenage years to adulthood. After both our sets of parents sacrificed their lives during peacekeeping missions, we became each other’s strongest pillars of support. Whenever we went on missions together, he always rushed in front of me, ruining countless bulletproof vests in the process. When he was severely wounded covering for his comrades, I stayed by his bed for three days and three nights without closing my eyes. On my twenty-fifth birthday, I received an invitation from the International Military News Department. It was my dream. That day, Arthur didn’t say a word. He just held my hand, his eyes red, and stood there for an entire night. The next day, I declined the invitation, turned around, and applied to become a frontline war correspondent, dodging bullets in the crossfire. The conditions in the war zones were brutal. We were constantly exposed to the threat of bullets, artillery shells, and snipers. A comrade once asked me if it was worth it. Back then, looking at the notes Arthur left me before every mission, I felt it was all worth it. But now… A special notification tone on my phone broke my train of thought. It was Arthur. I hesitated for a moment, then pressed answer. Chapter 4 His voice was laced with anger: “Is it fun for you to put on this act with Liam Vance? Do you think this will provoke me?” “Have you forgotten who saved you when you were taken hostage by terrorists? You can’t survive without me.” I held the phone, saying nothing. From the other end of the line came Lily’s sickly-sweet voice: “Arthur, come cut the cake!” Arthur responded to her, his tone softening: “Lily and I are participating in a joint exercise soon. Once the event is over, I’ll clarify the public announcement to everyone. Stop throwing a tantrum.” “Be a good girl and wait for me at home tonight. I’ll bring you that mango cake you love.” My thoughts drifted. Arthur was specially recruited into the military forces by the high command because he accompanied me to a press conference and caught their eye. At the time, I immediately opposed it. Because Arthur’s original dream was to become a scientific researcher. If he entered the military forces, he would have nothing to do with scientific research in the future. But I never expected that Arthur would privately go see the military commander. Afterward, he held me, his eyes red: “Stella, I don’t want you to live a hard life with me. I want to earn more merits so your life will get better and better.” From then on, Arthur gave up his dream for me and threw himself into training. Because of our respective missions, the communication between us grew less and less. The first time rumors spread about him and the military’s sweetheart junior, he drove seven hours through the night to reach my war zone. He hugged me, apologized, and said it was a misunderstanding. He promised he would handle it and told me not to overthink it. I suggested making our marriage public. He said he was afraid it would affect his image, afraid he would disappoint his superiors. He said it wasn’t the right time. But he promised me that his wife would only ever be me, and the person by his side could only be me. In the end, considering his position, I didn’t say anything more. Until later… Lily Summers appeared. While on a mission, she was harassed by someone. While running away, she fell into the water, and Arthur appeared and saved her. She seemed like a pure, innocent little white flower. Soaked to the bone, lying in Arthur’s arms. That very night, the two of them sparked intense discussion online. That time, Arthur didn’t say a single word. By the time I snapped back to reality, Arthur had already hung up. I didn’t dwell on it. I contacted the administration department to inquire about divorce procedures. Before I left the country, I definitely had to resolve everything with Arthur. But what I didn’t expect was that when Arthur came back that night, he actually brought Lily with him. Chapter 5 Lily peeked her head out from behind Arthur, a blush on her face. She ran into my room and said cheerfully: “Stella! We brought you mango cake, hurry up and eat it!” Arthur stood there, sounding a bit exasperated: “Slow down, you’re drunk, be careful not to fall.” He paused, then looked at me: “Lily had a bit too much to drink today. It’s not safe for her to go back alone, so she’s going to stay here for the night.” “Oh right, you make a really good hangover soup, right? Make a bowl for Lily.” Arthur cheating was one thing, but now he was bringing the other woman home, right out in the open?! And asking me to make her hangover soup?! I stood there, my entire body turning ice cold. “Is she your only comrade?” How could there only be one person at Lily’s commendation ceremony?! Even booking a hotel would have been better than this! Arthur’s face darkened: “Stella, since when did you become so unreasonable?” My voice trembled uncontrollably: “This is my house! Get out, both of you!” Seeing the corners of my eyes turning red, Arthur’s tone softened: “Alright Stella, I’ll contact someone to take her home right now.” Arthur pulled out his phone, ready to make a call. But the next second, a piercing scream rang out. With a loud thud, Lily fell from the window sill of my room! Arthur’s face went deathly pale. He dropped his phone and sprinted toward Lily! I had never seen such a panicked look in his eyes. “Lily!” Lily lay in Arthur’s arms, her eyes tightly shut. Arthur’s face was dark, his eyes brewing a violent storm as he glared at me. “If I said it wasn’t me, would you believe me?” A vicious slap landed hard on my face. I was hit so hard I crashed into a pillar, and blood immediately seeped from the corner of my mouth. “Stella, if you’re going to lie, can’t you at least make it somewhat believable?” That slap completely shattered the last shred of fantasy in the depths of my heart. As Arthur gathered Lily in his arms and prepared to rush out, I called out to him. “Wait.” I handed him the divorce application: “Sign this, otherwise you’re not leaving.” Chapter 6 Arthur glared at me furiously. In the past, whenever we fought, I would always pester him to write a guarantee letter and sign it, just to coax myself into forgiving him. Now, he didn’t even look at what the document was and simply signed his name. Then, he took large strides, carrying Lily, and ran toward the hospital. At the moment he turned around, I saw Lily resting her head on his shoulder, giving me a victorious smile. The next day, my request to transfer to the International Military News Department was approved. But at the same time, the military forum completely blew up. [BREAKING! Chief Reporter Stella Hayes inserts herself into Arthur Sterling and Lily Summers’ relationship, pushes her off a building, causing severe injuries!] Attached to the post were two photos. One was of my back as I returned to the family housing late at night. The other was of Arthur carrying Lily, following closely behind. The comments section exploded. [Is this true? Doesn’t Reporter Hayes have a fiancé? Why would she insert herself into someone else’s relationship?] [Yeah, Reporter Hayes doesn’t seem like the type to do something like that.] Just then, a top comment surged to the number one spot. [Stella Hayes doesn’t have a fiancé at all! She made it all up! She’s had a crush on Major General Sterling this whole time! When Major General Sterling and Lily went public, Stella got jealous, snuck into his house beforehand, and pushed Lily off the second floor! I have proof. Stella used to be a massive fangirl of the Major General!] When Arthur first entered the military forces, not many people knew him, and I used to go visit him. I kept all of this extremely discreet. No one knew besides me and Arthur. But now, the proof photos posted by this user hit me right in the eye! Trembling, I called Arthur. He only answered on the fifth try. “Arthur, you did this…” Besides Arthur, I couldn’t think of anyone else who would post those pictures! The other end of the line went silent. After a long time, I finally heard Arthur speak: “Stella, you’re the one who made a mistake first.” “What you said at the celebration banquet made our comrades mistakenly think Lily was destroying someone else’s family. It damaged her reputation and subjected her to criticism. Going public with her wasn’t just because of our joint exercise; it was mostly to salvage her reputation and make up for your mistake. I thought you would realize you were wrong, but instead, you pushed her off a building.” Arthur’s words made me laugh so hard tears almost fell. “If she isn’t destroying someone else’s family, then what is she? An innocent, naive little military flower?” “Stella, you are being incredibly immature!” Arthur shouted angrily, cutting me off. “Things have reached this point, and I don’t want the conflict between you two to deepen. Apologize to Lily, and I’ll have her publicly state that she forgives you. We’ll let this matter pass.” I lifted my chin, refusing to let the tears fall. “Arthur, we can’t move past this. Today, I’m leaving. You and Lily can have each other.”

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