The day before my hospital promotion interview, my boyfriend secretly submitted an application for me to join the Tibet medical aid team. I was furious and demanded to know why. He just nonchalantly said, “Chloe was using my computer to look up some info the other day and accidentally clicked the wrong thing. It was just a joke.” “There’s a secondary confirmation, right? Just reject it.” Chloe was the new resident in Liam’s department this year. She was bright and beautiful, always buzzing around Liam. He knew perfectly well that if I didn’t reply within 12 hours, the application would automatically be confirmed. I would have to stay in the Tibetan region for three years. It turned out my career development and life plans were nothing more than a joke to him. I didn’t say a word; I simply confirmed the transfer order to Tibet. Later, when Liam saw my transfer document, he suddenly panicked. “Wasn’t there a secondary confirmation? You didn’t reject it?!” 1 When I received the transfer order for the Tibet medical aid team, my blood ran cold. Yesterday, I asked Liam to submit my application for the Deputy Chief Physician promotion. Now, I only received a notice stating: “Dispatched to Tibet for medical aid, duration: three years.” HR sent me a message: “Evelyn, did you submit the wrong form? You have 12 hours to reject it.” Liam and I had been dating for seven years and were planning to get married at the end of this year. Everyone in the hospital knew there was no way I would voluntarily go to Tibet at this point in my life. My hands were shaking. When I dialed Liam’s number, my nails dug into my palms. “What happened? I received a notice for the Tibet medical aid team.” A careless laugh came from Liam on the other end of the line. “Oh, forgot to tell you. Chloe came to my office the other day and saw me working on your application. She said the sky in Tibet is so blue and the snow-capped mountains are beautiful, so she submitted an application for you as a joke.” “She’s new and doesn’t know any better. It was just a joke.” “There’s a secondary confirmation, right? Just reject it.” His tone was incredibly casual, like he had just ordered the wrong takeout. “You think this is no big deal?” He sounded impatient, “You’re overthinking things again.” “Do we need to be so serious? Just change it back.” “If HR hadn’t reminded me, this transfer would have gone into effect.” “Chloe illegally accessed computer data and invaded my privacy. I can report her.” Liam’s voice instantly turned cold. “Evelyn, you’re becoming increasingly unreasonable.” “It was a joke, and you want to report Chloe? When are you going to drop this hostility towards her?” He paused, his tone hardening, “How many times do I have to tell you? She just graduated and doesn’t know anyone in the hospital. What’s wrong with me taking care of her a bit more as her mentor?” “What’s the big deal about her making a joke? If you’re going to report her, report me too!” He hung up on me. I sat in the on-call room, feeling a bit dazed. Seven years. Everyone said we were a match made in heaven. But now, he’s in cardiology, and I’m heading to Tibet. Between us lay over two thousand miles, and a Chloe. Canceling the application only required a single click. But I stared at the screen and didn’t move. A nurse knocked on the door: “Dr. Thorne, someone’s here for you.” Chloe was holding two cups of coffee. She saw me and strode over. “Evelyn.” She handed me a cup. “I just got off the phone with Dr. Hayes. He’s in a bad mood and wants to take a few colleagues camping. Do you think it’s appropriate for me to go?” Her voice carried a hint of provocation, her eyes full of smugness. It had been three months. Ever since she was assigned to our department as a resident, it had been like this. Pretending to be innocent while constantly provoking me. I took the coffee, didn’t drink it, and asked her back, “What do you think?” Chloe scratched her head: “I don’t know, I’m afraid you might misunderstand. Dr. Hayes said you’ve had an issue with him lately. I was thinking, maybe I should keep my distance…” “Then don’t go.” She froze for a moment. “Weren’t you asking for my opinion?” I placed the coffee on the desk. “My opinion is, don’t go.” Chloe’s expression shifted. Before she could speak, the elevator doors opened. Liam walked out, saw us, and frowned. “Chloe, I told you to wait downstairs. Why did you come up?” “I came to ask Evelyn’s opinion on whether I could go camping with you guys…” Chloe lowered her head, her voice sounding wronged, “I was afraid she’d be upset.” Liam patted Chloe on the shoulder. “Don’t be silly, why ask her? I told you to go, so you’re going.” Chloe looked up at him, her eyes lighting up, then looked at me hesitantly. Liam turned to me, his tone very impatient. “Look at how much Chloe cares about your feelings, and look at you. You can’t even take a joke.” I pointed at Chloe: “She cares about my feelings? Do you have any idea how much drama she’s caused these past three months?” “Bringing you breakfast and leaving sticky notes right in front of me, posting ambiguous things on social media—who is she putting on a show for?” “I’m your girlfriend! She’s trying to steal you right in front of my face!” “Always ‘Dr. Hayes’ this, ‘Dr. Hayes’ that. It’s disgusting.” “Calling me ‘sister’ to my face, but secretly wishing I’d disappear so she can cling to you!” Chloe’s face turned pale. Liam stared at me, his face dark. “Are you done? When did you become so bitter?” “Why is your mind so filthy? Are you really making a huge deal out of a normal mentor-student relationship?” “Chloe is the bigger person and won’t hold this against you. Apologize to her, and we’ll drop this.” I laughed out of sheer anger, “Are you crazy? You want me to apologize to this little girl? Impossible!” Liam’s face fell instantly. “Evelyn, I advise you not to push my limits!” I smiled. Limits? I’ve basically been cheated on, and he’s talking about limits? Oh, I used to be his limit. Now it’s changed. “Then let’s break up.” Liam scoffed coldly, “Fine, let’s break up. Don’t come crawling back begging to get back together later.” With that, Liam grabbed Chloe and left. I heard him say to her, “Ignore her. Let’s go camping.” Back in the on-call room, the system page was still open. The countdown to cancel the application had one hour left. I started searching for information on the Tibet medical aid team, precautions for working at high altitudes, and reports on the current medical situation in the region. Time ticked by. Twelve o’clock sharp. The countdown hit zero. The deadline to withdraw had passed. “Transfer order confirmed: Tibet Medical Aid Team, 3-year term. Please report to the medical team within one month.” Although working there would be hard, experience in Tibet added points for professional title evaluations, and I’d be given priority for promotion upon my return. It didn’t seem like a bad thing. I regretted ever holding back my career just to align with Liam’s more conservative plans. Closing the computer, a message from my best friend, Mia, popped up. “Evelyn! I saw Liam and Chloe at the Blue Note Bar! Holy crap, they’re practically making out.” She also sent a video. The footage was blurry, but I could clearly see Liam being surrounded and egged on, with Chloe sitting next to him, looking at him with absolute adoration. “Liam, truth or dare? A dare could be hugging the nearest girl for one minute!” Amidst the laughter, Liam directly hugged Chloe. Cheers and whistles erupted. My heart ached for a second, then quickly calmed down. I replied to Mia: “It’s fine.” Then I started packing my personal belongings in the on-call room. Two weeks later, Liam’s assistant delivered an invitation. “Dr. Hayes is hosting a celebration banquet for his research project at the Cloud Top tonight. Please be sure to attend.” “I’m not going.” The assistant looked surprised: “Why? You’re a core member of this project…” “I have plans.” The assistant smiled, “You can bring a friend. Dr. Hayes specifically requested your presence.” A few colleagues looked over. I accepted the invitation. That evening at the Cloud Top, Chloe stood at the entrance of the banquet hall, wearing a well-fitted gown, greeting the guests. Seeing me, she immediately patted my shoulder. “Evelyn, you’re here. Today is the day I passed my first-stage assessment. I was afraid it wouldn’t be lively enough, so I begged Dr. Hayes to move his celebration banquet to today so we could celebrate together.” I nodded: “Congratulations.” “Thanks.” Her smile grew even brighter, “Hurry and sit down, we saved a spot for you at the main table.” I found a seat near the edge and sat down. Liam found me. “Evelyn, go to the main table. What does it look like hiding here?” “It’s fine here.” Liam took a deep breath: “I let you block me for two weeks. Are you still mad?” “When have we not sat together at a celebration banquet? Is it really worth making a fuss over that little transfer application thing?” People at nearby tables looked over. A familiar colleague tried to smooth things over: “Evelyn, come sit. We saved your spot.” I was ushered to the main table. There was an empty seat next to Liam. Chloe naturally walked over and sat down right next to him. “Evelyn is here too.” She smiled casually, “Dr. Hayes and I were just discussing going to the International Medical Symposium. I passed my first-stage assessment, and Dr. Hayes said he wants to take me to see the world.” She raised an eyebrow: “Shall the three of us go together?” I picked up my water glass and took a sip. At the end of last year, Liam said he would take me to the biggest International Medical Symposium this year. He said he would introduce me to several important figures. “Make sure you take lots of photos and post them,” he had said while fixing my collar. “Let those who say you rely on me see that this is your own ability.” I brushed it off verbally, but felt warm inside. For seven years, my heart would always skip a beat whenever I was with Liam. But now, there was nothing. I just found it absurd. “You two go.” “I have a lot of handover work lately, I don’t have time.” After the banquet, I went out to the terrace for some fresh air. Liam followed me and grabbed my wrist. “Evelyn, what is the meaning of this?” “Exactly what it sounds like.” I pulled my hand back. Liam laughed bitterly: “How long are you going to keep acting awkward? Just cancel the transfer application!” “I asked Chloe, she was planning to tell you anyway, but you found out first. Even if you hadn’t, she would have reminded you by the next day at the latest!” I nodded: “Then I really should thank her.” “Don’t talk to me in that tone.” He let go, his tone forceful, “You must come with me to the International Medical Symposium next Monday. It’s something I promised you a long time ago!” He turned and left. Monday morning at nine, I stood by my office window and looked down. Liam and Chloe were standing by a car near the hospital entrance, occasionally looking up at my floor. I closed the blinds. My phone vibrated. Liam sent a message: “Come down. Or do you want me to come up and beg you?” I replied: “Busy, not going.” “What could you possibly be busy with? Isn’t the promotion interview over?” “If you don’t come this time, you better not regret it!” He drove off with Chloe. That day, he posted three times on social media. Chloe was in every single one. 【Taking the newbie to experience a top-tier academic event. The light in a young person’s eyes reminds me of when I first graduated.】 【The kid got praised by several seniors and was so shy.】 【Group photo at the symposium. Newbies need more exposure.】 … A bunch of comments followed. “Is Dr. Hayes bringing a student or a little girlfriend? So dedicated.” “Did Dr. Thorne not go? Did the golden duo break up?” “Chloe really knows how to handle things. Dr. Hayes has a good eye.” Mia sent me screenshots, furious. “Is Chloe doing this on purpose? Purely disgusting. Even though you guys haven’t publicly announced your relationship at the hospital, anyone with eyes knows you’re a couple! This is insulting you right to your face.” “She’s literally begging to be the other woman.” “Aren’t you going to do something?” Disgusted? No. I just felt it was pathetic, but also felt a sense of relief. A single resident made me see his true colors. The deadline to withdraw the transfer application had passed. I started packing for Tibet. Adapting to the high altitude wouldn’t be easy. I had to prepare altitude sickness medication, various vaccines, and undergo professional training. But once my mindset shifted, I felt it was a new beginning. Before leaving, I asked Mia out for Tibetan food to get used to the flavors. Mia was surprised: “After how Liam acted last night, you still have the mood to take me to a new restaurant? This isn’t like you.” “Why wouldn’t I?” I smiled. Work is work, life is life. Tibetan food focuses on the original flavor of the meat. After trying it, I found it surprisingly suited my taste. On the way back to the apartment, I was even humming a song. Mia looked at me: “Have you really moved on? Looking at Liam and Chloe’s posts, they seem even closer after last night…” I didn’t answer. Passing by a rooftop near the hospital, I told Mia to head back first while I went up for some fresh air. I loved coming here my first year on the job. When the pressure was high, this was my breathing space. Liam was my superior back then. Once, an academic paper I had spent three months preparing was rejected. I was crying in the stairwell. He found me and brought me up here. “Look down.” He pointed at the city lights. “It’s just a paper. It doesn’t even take up a single pixel in all these lights.” The terrified newbie became his most capable partner. Later, we would come up here to discuss cases, vent about difficult families, share gossip… When we became equals, we still often came here late at night after working overtime. Liam liked leaning against the railing, looking at the lights of distant buildings. “Evelyn, the speed at which you’re improving is giving me a sense of crisis.” I’d look at him smugly and smile: “Then Dr. Hayes better work hard, so you don’t get overtaken by me.” I didn’t realize that those conversations were already mixed with admiration and reliance that went beyond professional boundaries. During my third year, I led a team research project, and there was an issue with the key data. The academic committee pointed their fingers at my nose in front of a whole conference room, calling me unprofessional and threatening to pull the funding. Liam stood up to defend me: “Director Wang, I’m the head of this project, I’ll take responsibility for all the issues. I gave the final approval for Evelyn’s data. If you want to yell at someone, yell at me.” He took all the blame and voluntarily offered to reduce the project funding as compensation after the meeting. After the committee members left, I stood in the empty conference room, watching Liam’s back as he organized the documents, my throat tightening. I wanted to fight alongside this man forever. That was when we officially got together. I stood on the rooftop, letting the wind blow, quietly watching the city. My phone vibrated. My mother was calling. “Evelyn, your dad is in the hospital. The doctor says it might be cancer, he needs surgery immediately. The deposit is a hundred thousand…” She sobbed, “Can you lend Mom some money first? Your brother is still in school, I really have no other way…” My throat tightened. I’ve always had a bad relationship with my father. He drank and gambled, and they divorced when I was in middle school. But blood ties are hard to sever. “How much do you need?” “Prepare a hundred and fifty thousand for now. We might need more later…” I hung up, leaning against the railing, all my strength drained. I had savings from working all these years, but I bought a house the year before last and had a monthly mortgage. If I scraped my liquid assets together, I had about a hundred thousand. I was still fifty thousand short. I scrolled through my contacts and called Liam three times, but he didn’t answer. I had to call a few friends and managed to scrape together thirty thousand. Still twenty thousand short. I returned to the apartment late at night and received a message from Chloe. It wasn’t a direct message, but a social media post visible only to me. The photo showed Liam’s desk, and on the desk was an exquisite velvet box containing a necklace. Caption: 【Oh my god! I really met an angel mentor! Liam said my performance these past three months was super good, this is my reward and the best birthday present! So happy, I need to work even harder!】 The location tag was Liam’s apartment. The time was an hour ago. I stared at the post, my stomach churning. That necklace cost over ten thousand, almost my entire month’s salary. Finally, I asked Mia. She transferred me twenty thousand without a second thought: “No rush, pay me back when you’re comfortable. We’re sisters, don’t mention it.” The next afternoon, Liam finally called back: “What happened last night? I was helping Chloe with her first-stage assessment summary, my phone was on silent.” I stared at the scanned copy of my father’s medical records on the computer screen, pushing down the lump in my throat. “Was the necklace you gave Chloe expensive?” Liam was silent for a few seconds, “Are you being paranoid again? I know you’re under a lot of pressure lately, but honestly, you’re this obsessed over an encouragement award for a resident?” “Chloe and I have a normal mentor-student relationship. She completed her first independent case, and as her mentor, I gave her some encouragement. What’s the problem?” Encouragement is fine. Giving a gift is also fine. But giving a necklace late at night in an apartment is not fine. I hung up on him. A message from Liam popped up on WeChat. “Did you cancel the transfer application?” “None of your business.” I didn’t want to tell him I had already confirmed the trip to Tibet. Liam sent a speechless emoji: “I know you’ll definitely cancel it. You’ve partnered with me for seven years, can you really leave me?” “Before your promotion notice is officially issued, you must apologize to Chloe. Otherwise, you can go navigate the rest of the process yourself. I will not put in a good word for you with any of the review experts!” We had agreed on this a long time ago. He was going to introduce me to several senior experts he knew well during the review stage as a gesture of goodwill. Although I could do it on my own, it would be much smoother with him paving the way. Unfortunately, I’m heading to Tibet soon. I blocked both his work and personal WeChat accounts. I officially handed over my work to the department and started preparing for Tibet. Liam didn’t contact me again, but from the whispers of my colleagues, I knew his relationship with Chloe was practically public. Someone saw Chloe getting out of Liam’s car. Chloe scored an S+ on her phase assessment. Almost no resident had ever received an S+ before. Historically, almost no resident had ever achieved it. I moved out of the apartment I shared with Liam and temporarily stayed at my friend’s house. “Have you really thought this through?” Mia asked as she helped me pack. “Tibet isn’t like here. The conditions are harsh, altitude sickness is severe, and you’ll be there for three years.” “I’ve thought it through.” “If I stay here, I’ll have to face Liam and Chloe every day. I don’t want to waste the next three years of my life on him.” “Do you know what saddens me the most?” I zipped up my suitcase and looked at her. “It’s not Liam’s betrayal, or Chloe’s scheming. It’s that when this happened, my first reaction was actually a fear of losing him, a fear of changing the status quo, a fear of facing the unknown alone.” “You know me, I wasn’t timid before. I’ve given up too much for him over these years.” I smiled. “If I can even accept being transferred to Tibet, then there shouldn’t be anything in this world that can scare me.” A week before departure, I went to the hospital for a full physical and vaccinations. High-altitude adaptation training, cardiopulmonary function tests… The long list of preparations made my scalp tingle. The hospital’s foreign aid department held a simple farewell party for me. Liam didn’t attend; I heard he took the day off. Chloe, however, showed up. “Evelyn, I hope your work in Tibet goes smoothly.” I raised my glass, “Thank you, and I wish you all the best too. Learn well under Dr. Hayes.” Chloe’s expression stiffened for a second. After the farewell party, I ran into Liam at the elevator. He seemed to be waiting specifically for me. There were visible dark circles under his eyes. “We need to talk.” “Everything that needed to be said has been said.” I pressed the elevator button. “Evelyn, don’t go.” Liam suddenly grabbed my wrist. “I was wrong. I admit I was wrong. I shouldn’t have indulged Chloe, I shouldn’t have disrespected your career plans. Let’s start over, okay?” I looked at him, this man I had loved for seven years. Right now, his eyes were bloodshot and filled with pleading. For a moment, I almost softened. But I remembered the panic I felt when the transfer notification email popped up. I remembered his nonchalance when he said it was just a joke. “It’s too late, Liam.” I gently pulled my hand away, “The elevator is here.” “If you really go to Tibet, we’re completely over!” Liam shouted behind me. I stepped into the elevator, turned to face him, and said, “We were over the moment you let someone else make jokes about us like that.” The flight to Tibet took off in the early hours of the morning. I leaned against the window, watching the city’s brilliant lights gradually shrink into a blurry patch, eventually completely covered by the clouds. My phone was full of unread messages. My parents’ worries, my friends’ concern, my colleagues’ farewells. I replied to them one by one. Finally, I opened a text from Liam. “You’d rather go to Tibet than stay by my side. Did you ever even love me?” I stared at the sentence for a long time, then replied word by word: “I used to love you more than I loved myself. But now, I’m going to start loving myself.” Send. Power off. The plane broke through the clouds. Outside the window, the heavy darkness and the city below gradually thinned out, eventually vanishing beneath the sea of clouds. The days of medical aid in Tibet passed quickly. Three years. I got used to the rhythm of the plateau. Case after case, the team grew from strangers to a cohesive unit. The starry sky on the plateau was indeed beautiful, vast enough to hold all my worries. When my term ended, I booked my ticket back early. The first night after landing, I couldn’t sleep due to the change in environment. Looking at the city lights at 3 AM, there was a strange sense of unreality. But it was fine. I went to eat at the noodle shop near the hospital that I used to frequent. The taste was the same. At dawn, Mia called. “Evelyn, Liam asked me if you were really back. I told him you arrived yesterday, but he didn’t believe me. He insisted you were avoiding him on purpose.” I heard Liam’s voice on the other end; Mia had put it on speaker. “Mia, let me talk to Evelyn. I know she’s mad at me, but it’s been so many years. Let’s meet up and talk. We can collaborate on work.” His tone was forceful, carrying the pressure of someone used to being in charge. Mia was exasperated: “Evelyn really is back. I had dinner with her yesterday, she brought a bunch of souvenirs from Tibet.” “She came back yesterday?” Liam sounded doubtful and displeased. “Whatever, I’ll just go to her apartment.” “Don’t. Evelyn has things to deal with these next couple of days, she might not be home…” “Where is she?” Mia paused. “Evelyn got an offer from Renhe Hospital. She’s not coming back to our hospital.” Silence on the other end. Rapid breathing, like someone being strangled. I hung up. A new job began. I needed to re-adapt to the rhythm. But soon, the decisiveness and resilience I honed on the plateau proved their worth. Alone in a new, top-tier medical institution, I built my professional domain step by step. Liam still found me. He stopped me at the cafe downstairs at the hospital, dark circles under his eyes. “Why did you go to another hospital?” His voice was hoarse. I looked at my watch: “Sorry, I have a meeting in ten minutes.” He blocked my path. “Just because of Chloe’s prank, you’re completely cutting off all possibilities between us?” I stopped and looked at him, just like I did when we discussed cases over the past seven years. Only this time, there was no warmth in my eyes. “Yes, I’m petty. I can’t handle jokes like that.” Liam’s jaw tightened: “Evelyn, you can’t do this. You know perfectly well that all these years, my heart…” “I only saw Chloe as a student. The bar incident was a mistake fueled by alcohol and the atmosphere.” “Taking her to the symposium and posting those pictures was just to provoke you, to make you care.” His voice dropped even lower, tinged with a sob. “You’re ruthless, giving up on me without a word. Why didn’t you cancel the transfer application?” “Was that joke really worth you holding a grudge for so many years?” I looked at him quietly and shook my head: “Fine, the transfer wasn’t really worth holding a grudge over.” Liam froze, staring at me intently. “My father was hospitalized and needed surgery. The night I called you, do you know where I was?” “On the rooftop. You were definitely there. You were waiting for me, right?” Liam was sharp. “I was wrong. I shouldn’t have turned my phone off that night. I should have answered your call!” I remained silent for a moment, then slowly pushed his blocking arm away. “Liam, that night, my father was diagnosed with cancer.” Liam’s entire body went rigid, his pupils shrinking. “I needed a hundred and fifty thousand. I scraped together a hundred and thirty thousand. I was short twenty thousand.” My tone was flat. “I called you three times. Your phone was on silent. Chloe posted a picture. The photo showed the watch you gave her, and the location was your apartment.” Liam breathed heavily, clenching and unclenching his fists, as if drained of all strength. “That night, I was truly desperate. I couldn’t accept that when I was at my lowest, you didn’t care about me at all.” “I endured everything you and Chloe did before without complaint, but that day, I truly regretted it. Because you loved me far less than I loved you.” I looked at him. “You were in our apartment giving an encouragement award to a resident, sleeping soundly, and missed the call when I desperately needed help.” Liam painfully closed his eyes. He slammed his hand against the wall, his palm turning red. I took a soft breath: “But, it’s all in the past. I’m doing great now. Better than ever.” “Let’s just stay former colleagues. Please thank Chloe for me. I received her joke, and I cherish my experience in Tibet.” I don’t know when Liam left. Anyway, he didn’t stop me again. A week later, Mia told me Chloe had been blacklisted by the medical industry. She was caught stealing patient data from her previous hospital, violating medical ethics, with solid evidence against her. I knew this was Liam’s doing. I didn’t ask further. At the end of the quarter, the first clinical research project I led concluded successfully, with astounding results. The hospital threw a small celebration party. As I was leaving, I ran into Chloe by the elevators. She came specifically to find me. Our eyes met. The sunny smugness in her eyes was gone, replaced by venom and resentment. “Evelyn, you won.” Her voice was sharp. “Liam used his connections to block every path for me in this industry.” “I just don’t get it. What makes you so special?” “Are you prettier than me? Younger than me? Better at pleasing people than me?” She took a step closer: “You just had the advantage of knowing him a few years earlier than I did.” I was tired of listening. “Are you done? Excuse me, I’m in a hurry.” Chloe sneered: “Don’t be so smug. You’re back, but I heard Liam rejected Renhe Hospital’s poaching offer last month and stayed at his old job.” “So what if he’s nostalgic? Your two hospitals are competing for the same national key clinical specialty designation next year. You’re the discipline leader, and he’s their main player. You’ll be rivals.” She was trying to provoke me. I found it boring. I pressed the elevator button: “I’ve left him for you. Go ahead, reconcile with him. I wish you success.” Chloe’s expression shifted. From the shadows of the emergency exit, a familiar figure emerged. Liam, in a sharp suit, but with unconcealable exhaustion between his brows. I paused, gave a calm nod. Chloe was terrified, hastily fixing her collar and forcing a smile: “Liam, what are you doing here? I was just meeting a friend…” “Get lost.” Liam’s voice was cold and hard. Chloe tried to grab his arm: “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have come to see Evelyn, but I have no choice. I can’t stay in this industry anymore, please help me…” “I said, get lost.” Chloe left, looking utterly defeated. Liam looked at me, taking a long time to speak: “Evelyn, I’m preparing to resign from my old job and start a high-end medical device company.” I remained silent. Liam forced a smile: “I know the mistakes I made can’t be easily fixed, so I want to start over with a brand new identity. You’re doing great at Renhe Hospital, and I hope we can collaborate in the future.” His tone was sincere. But I didn’t need it. I remained silent. Liam grew anxious: “Evelyn, give me a chance to make amends. I really miss when we were partners. Can we start from zero?” No. I had absolutely no interest. I sighed softly: “Liam, do you really think this has any meaning?”

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After giving birth, my sister-in-law was diagnosed with breast cancer. Ignoring my objections, she insisted on breastfeeding. This went on for ten years. For ten years, my nephew was constantly plagued by major and minor illnesses. From coughing and fevers to severe festering and oozing sores all over his body. Miraculously, her breast cancer gradually healed. Until my nephew was ten, multiple organs failed, and he died despite emergency medical efforts. In the morgue. My sister-in-law said nonchalantly, “Raising him for ten years, I’ve fulfilled my duty as a mother. It’s just that the child had no fortune, dying early is a release.” The next day, my sister-in-law suddenly barged into my home and threw a paternity test in front of me. Holding my son, she cried bitterly, “Back at the hospital, the nurse mixed up the names. Kiki is my biological child!” She kowtowed to me, thanking me for the kindness of raising her child for ten years, and then tried to take him away. Later, I investigated and found out she did it intentionally. She found a folk remedy that required someone to suck out the pus long-term for her breast cancer to heal. And the one she chose was my son. I went to her for an explanation but was pushed to my death by her design. “Blame yourself for being stupid, not even recognizing your own son.” When I opened my eyes again, I was back ten years ago. The first thing I did was entrust my child to my own parents. But the next day, my sister-in-law still appeared holding a baby, insisting on breastfeeding. … “Blame yourself for being stupid, not even recognizing your own son.” Before plunging into darkness, my sister-in-law Mary’s shrill voice still echoed in my ears. I wished I could tear her apart bone by bone, skin her alive, but I could only watch helplessly as I fell into a pool of blood. The next second, countless images flashed by, pulling me out of the darkness. “Honey, Mary said her postpartum care center has a two-person group discount, it’s a great deal. How about we just book it with her?” “I’ve been there, the environment, food, and landscaping are all exceptionally well done. When you guys have your babies, you can look out for each other.” My husband’s words sent a cold sweat down my spine. I instinctively glanced at the calendar on the wall. Thank God, I was actually sent back ten years. In my previous life, right before my due date, Mary suddenly visited. Dropping her usual arrogance, she warmly took my hand and chatted about the two-person group discount at the postpartum care center. At the time, I didn’t think much of it. I just thought since we were both about to become mothers, it brought us closer, so I agreed. Looking back now, she probably had already been diagnosed with cancer and planned to use my son’s life to cure her disease! I forced myself to calm down and discussed it with my husband: “Last time at the prenatal checkup, the doctor said my baby was in a breech position, and it’s best to be hospitalized early for observation. Having a baby is a huge deal for a woman, and I’m a bit anxious. I want my mom to come and accompany me during the birth. No matter how good the postpartum care center is, it’s not as reassuring as having my own mother by my side.” I knew my husband also cared about me. He was afraid that as a man, he wouldn’t be able to take good care of me, so he wanted to book the postpartum center to make me more comfortable after giving birth. Thinking of how, in my previous life, his hair turned half white from running around gathering evidence to sue Mary’s family after learning the truth, my eyes welled up with tears. Seeing me like this, his heart ached for me, and he quickly agreed. “Okay, okay, don’t be sad. Let’s just have your mom come. I was originally worried about your mom traveling at her age, but since you’ve decided, we’ll give her a big red envelope.” After calming my emotions, he immediately called my mom. After getting her confirmation, he called Mary back. “Mary, something came up at home, let’s forget about the postpartum care center.” I didn’t know what was said on the other end, but my husband’s brow furrowed, tinged with a bit of anger. “At the time, I only said I’d go home and discuss it with Chloe. What do you mean by going back on my word? Chloe giving birth is a big deal, it’s not your place to dictate.” With that, he hung up the phone. He looked at me and let out a long sigh. “Good thing you didn’t agree. Look at how she reacted like a dog getting its tail stepped on, probably plotting something bad again.” She was definitely plotting for my child’s life. And I knew Mary wouldn’t give up so easily. For now, all we could do was be on guard everywhere. Early the next morning, while still asleep, I heard urgent ringing of the doorbell. Woken up like this, I couldn’t go back to sleep, so I followed my husband to the door. As soon as he opened it, Mary and my brother-in-law stood there, holding two bags of slightly wrinkled, cheap apples. Before we could react, they squeezed themselves into the living room and sat down. My husband was about to ask questions with a cold face, but I stopped him. “Let’s hear what they’re here for first, otherwise we won’t be able to guard against whatever underhanded tricks they try later.” My husband nodded and went to the kitchen to pour water. Mary still wore that hypocritical smile, trying to take my hand as she spoke, which I subtly avoided. “Chloe, yesterday Mary spoke a bit harshly, pregnancy hormones got the better of my emotions, don’t take it to heart.” “I heard from your brother-in-law that you need to be hospitalized early due to a breech baby. As your sister-in-law, I couldn’t help but worry, so I had your brother-in-law book a double room for us. We can still have our babies together!” Chapter 2 Hearing this, my heart plummeted. My voice tightened as I quickly said, “Mary, my mom is coming to be with me during the delivery. Mark and I have already agreed to book a double room so my mom can sleep in the other bed.” Mary waved her hand dismissively, disagreeing, “How can we let your mom sleep in the hospital at her age? That’s suffering! I’ll have your brother-in-law book a hotel room near the hospital for her. She can stay as long as she wants.” My brother-in-law quickly nodded in agreement. “Sister-in-law, don’t worry, I’ll definitely arrange everything for your mom.” Hearing her say this, the unease in my heart grew stronger. “No need…” I wanted to say more, but she cut me off. A glint flashed in Mary’s eyes as she said with a dark expression, “Chloe, what do you mean by this? Declining again and again, do you not want to have our babies together?” “Other families want everyone to be harmonious. Two people having babies together is such a great thing, a blessing others beg for. If you don’t agree today, you must look down on me. You don’t need to call me Mary anymore!” Mary’s words practically forced my hand. If I didn’t agree, I’d be accused of destroying family harmony. At this moment, my husband walked out carrying water. He immediately sensed the tense atmosphere in the living room and quickly sat beside me to ask what was going on. With Mary’s barrage of arguments, it was indeed hard to find a reason to refuse. My husband carefully asked me, “Why don’t we just agree? Otherwise, if this goes to my mom, it’ll be another huge mess.” I sighed helplessly. My mother-in-law played favorites. If it really went to her, we’d definitely be the ones to compromise, and we’d still have to spend effort placating them before sending them off. For now, we could only agree and think of another way to break the deadlock later. “Then let’s listen to Mary. We’ll arrange things for my mom ourselves.” Mary’s face instantly bloomed into a smile, unable to hide her excitement. No matter how I looked at it, I felt she must be thinking she had caught a lifeline. “Then it’s settled.” “I see you haven’t gained much weight during this pregnancy, you definitely won’t have much milk. I can help feed the baby then. A child who grows up drinking my milk will definitely be closer to me later on.” I gave a perfunctory smile, feeling utterly disgusted inside. Thinking of the unrecognizable child I saw in the morgue in my past life, a sharp pain shot through my heart. I couldn’t help but touch my belly and silently vow. “Mommy will definitely protect you and won’t let you go through that kind of pain again.” After sending off my brother-in-law and Mary, I threw the apples on the table into the trash can, quickly pulled my husband to sit down, and said seriously: “After I give birth, don’t worry about me. You must keep a close eye on the baby. If you have to step away, my mom must watch him. Do not leave the baby’s side for a single step.” My husband was confused but still readily agreed. “Okay, I’ll listen to you.” Time flew by, and it was the day of admission, two weeks later. I was three days away from giving birth. My husband went to the station to pick up my mom, leaving only Mary and me in the hospital room. Her eyes flickered as she sat on my bed, chatting casually as if it were nothing. “Chloe, you’re almost due. Have you thought of a name for the baby yet?” I was immediately on high alert. She had asked me this in my past life too, and I had told her without thinking much of it. Remembering the day I gave birth in my past life, there were eight babies born in the hospital, yet Mary was able to accurately swap my child. It was hard not to overthink it. “Haven’t thought of one yet. I want to wait until the baby is born and find a master to calculate a good name.” “What era is this to still believe in superstition? It’s just a name, just a way to address someone.” I couldn’t hold back and retorted, “How is this the same? Didn’t you also go to the police station to change your name from Mary Farmer to Mary Gentle?” Chapter 3 Being told off by me like this, the smile hanging on her face instantly froze, and she didn’t continue the topic. A while later, my mom was brought to the hospital. The moment we met, all my feelings of grievance and bitterness flooded back. I hugged her and wailed loudly. Seeing me like this, my mom’s heart ached terribly: “My sweet girl, what’s wrong? Is the pregnancy making you uncomfortable? Don’t be afraid, Mom is here.” In my past life, I was busy with work, taking care of the family, and later seeking justice for my child after the incident. I didn’t even know my mom was bedridden with a severe illness. I don’t even know how heartbroken she must have been after I died. After crying, I used the excuse of wanting to catch up with my mom to book a private room at a restaurant near the hospital. After taking our seats, my tense nerves finally relaxed. “Mom, I suspect Mary wants to swap my baby.” Upon hearing this, my mom turned pale with shock. She finally understood why her usually independent daughter insisted on having her come this time. “Your sister-in-law has targeted you everywhere these past few years and never gave you a good look. I was wondering when I arrived today why she’d be so kind as to want to share a room with you. So this was her plan.” Saying this, she paused, then asked, “Why does she want to swap babies?” My face was calm, but my tone was laced with hatred: “She has breast cancer, already in the mid-to-late stages. I don’t know where she found some folk remedy, but she wants to swap my baby to help her suck out the unclean things. She wants to swap my baby simply because we’re giving birth at the same time, so after swapping, she can still have her biological child living right under her nose.” My mom trembled with anger and spat several times: “This black-hearted, rotten-gutted thing, completely devoid of morality.” “Does your husband know about this?” I shook my head. If my husband knew, he would definitely be guarded everywhere. Mary is shrewd; if she noticed, she might pull some underhanded tricks behind our backs that we wouldn’t see coming, making it even harder to defend against. “Don’t worry, Mom won’t go anywhere when the time comes. I will definitely keep a close eye on the baby.” During these three days, my mom didn’t leave my side, which put my mind at ease considerably. At night, I suddenly felt labor pains, and my mom quickly called the nurse. Seeing this, a look of pleasant surprise erupted in Mary’s eyes, as if she had seen the dawn of hope. She hurriedly called my brother-in-law over too. “Quick, tell the nurse to give me labor-inducing shots. I want to give birth together with my sister-in-law, a double blessing!” Hearing her say this, I started feeling anxious again. My mom held my hand tightly. She patted me gently to comfort me: “It’s okay, Mom is here.” Soon, I was pushed into the delivery room. My mom applied to accompany me in the delivery room. As the pain grew stronger, it felt like it was going to tear me in half. By the time I heard the baby’s cry, I was exhausted and passed out. When I woke up again, I saw the familiar white ceiling. Mary, having forced induction like in the past life, hadn’t come out of the delivery room yet. I quickly grabbed my husband, who was wiping my sweat, and asked, “Where’s the baby?” “Mom took the baby to get registered.” Unable to see the baby, I couldn’t rest for a moment, and quickly pushed him. “Go help Mom finish the paperwork and bring the baby over for me to see.” Ten minutes later, my mom finally returned holding the baby. Seeing the birthmark behind his ear, I let out a sigh of relief. It was my baby, no mistake. Looking at the fragrant, soft little bundle in my arms, I almost cried. The gloom of lying in the cold morgue in my past life was finally dispelled at this moment. Two hours later, Mary was also wheeled back into the room. As soon as she saw the baby in my arms, she quickly sat up and said: “Chloe, quickly bring your baby over for me to see.” My mom quickly took the baby in her arms, slapped her forehead, and said, “I almost forgot, the nurse just notified me to take the baby to get jaundice phototherapy.” With that, she hurried away. Mary’s face instantly looked a bit unpleasant, but she didn’t say much and turned around to sleep. In the middle of the night, I woke up groggily. It was already midnight. I turned my head and saw Mary’s bed was empty, and she wasn’t in the bathroom. My mom stayed at a hotel near the hospital at night; she didn’t stay in the hospital overnight. My husband was also not in the hospital because he went home to pack baby supplies. A sense of unease immediately washed over me. I quickly got out of bed. After opening the door, I saw my brother-in-law supporting Mary as they walked back from the direction of the neonatal incubator room. I caught every word of their conversation. Mary’s tone carried the excitement of getting what she wanted: “Long nights bring many dreams. Tomorrow we must quickly complete the discharge procedures and take the child home first. My illness can’t be delayed any longer.” “Don’t worry, honey. First thing tomorrow morning, I’ll pack our things and take you to my mom’s place. With her watching the baby, everything will be fine.” My heart instantly went half cold, my legs so weak I could barely stand. Why did I guard against everything, yet still fail to prevent this? Is heaven’s will truly unavoidable? The anger pent up in my heart could no longer be contained. Just as I was about to rush out, I heard her say again: “That damn old woman, perfectly good hotel room but won’t stay in it, guarding the baby in the middle of the night instead. She made it impossible for us to make a move. I don’t know whose baby we randomly swapped for. What are their family conditions like? I can’t let my child go suffer in their home.” Chapter 4 When I got up in the morning, I saw my brother-in-law packing their bags. Mary sat on the bed feeding the baby in her arms, and the milk was clearly not a normal color. Seeing this scene, I couldn’t help but frown. Even though I knew the baby in her arms wasn’t mine, it was still an innocent life. I really couldn’t just ignore it. “Mary, does your chest still hurt? Maybe you should ask the doctor before breastfeeding?” Mary dropped her recent enthusiasm, her tone carrying a hint of displeasure. “Is it your place to tell me how to feed my own child?” I was speechless and didn’t say more. Not long after, they packed their things and left. My husband happened to return from buying breakfast. Seeing the empty bed, he asked, “Mary and her husband have already been discharged? Didn’t they say it’s best to stay for seven days?” I pulled him to sit on the edge of the bed and told him everything that happened last night, as well as Mary’s illness and her plan to use my son’s life. “She’s rushing to be discharged now, probably afraid that the longer she waits, the more problems might arise.” My husband trembled with anger, his voice shaking involuntarily: “How could they do something so insane? No wonder you’ve been avoiding her lately. So you knew they had this plan.” “We can’t just watch someone else’s child be ruined either.” My thoughts were exactly the same as my husband’s. I leaned close to his ear and explained the plan in my head. Following my plan, my husband went to the nurse’s station. “That gold chain was still on my baby’s ankle in the incubator room yesterday. It was a gift from an elder and holds special meaning for the child. Could you please check the surveillance footage and help us look for it?” My husband’s tone was sincere. The nurses didn’t make things difficult and quickly pulled up the footage. The video fast-forwarded to midnight. Two figures abruptly appeared on the screen. I feigned confusion and asked, “Why do these two people look so much like my brother-in-law and Mary?” The nurse frowned, her expression turning unpleasant. “So those are your brother-in-law and Mary. Those two threw a fit last night insisting on going in to see the baby, threatening to complain about me if I didn’t let them. It was late, and I didn’t want to disturb the other resting mothers, so I let them in. They stayed inside for a bit and then came out.” “This morning they were in such a hurry to be discharged. Could your chain have been picked up by them?” I didn’t speak, my eyes fixed on the screen. The nurse suddenly gasped and stood up in a panic. “Wait, why did they swap the babies’ positions? Those spots are assigned with bed numbers, you can’t just swap them! The baby they discharged with this morning is the one from the next room!” The nurse had no time to care about our missing chain. She quickly ran to the nursing station to make a call. My husband’s eyes darkened. Even though I had told him about Mary wanting to swap babies, seeing it with his own eyes finally made it feel real. His older brother and Mary actually committed such a heinous act. That was a fresh, living life! Thinking of this, my husband immediately took out his phone to call his brother and confront him. But I pressed his hand down. “The bed next door is a single room. The patient is the wife of the city’s police chief. If you notify your brother now, when things blow up, they will definitely hold a grudge against us. We can’t avoid seeing family during holidays. What if they try to harm our child behind our backs? Let the family handle it according to the law.” In my past life, I searched everywhere for evidence, running to the hospital every day, memorizing every pregnant woman who gave birth that day. The day I died, I had just received confirmation from the chief’s wife that she would help. If I could save her child’s life in this life, it would be considered repaying her kindness. A hint of hesitation flashed in my husband’s eyes. This was his biological brother, after all. But if we hadn’t found out, the victim today would have been his own child. Thinking of this, he finally nodded and agreed. Chapter 5 Things progressed quickly. The day they were discharged, the two took the baby on a high-speed train, then a bus, all the way to the countryside. When they were found, the baby was crying heart-wrenchingly on the heated brick bed with a high fever, his body showing unnatural bruising. This place was my husband’s family’s long-abandoned old house. Besides a few eighty-year-old elderly people with mobility issues, even my mother-in-law had moved away long ago. I didn’t expect them to hide in such a place. My husband and I stood far away outside the village. The police soon came out with the baby. Mary chased after them, wailing loudly. “This is my baby, what right do you have to take him away? I’m going to sue you!” The police officer looked straight at her, his tone stern and cold: “A paternity test will prove whether he’s your child or not. We have the video of you intentionally swapping babies at the hospital. Do you even know whose child you swapped?” “This is the child of our police chief. The evidence is solid. Do you know you are a suspect for child trafficking?” Hearing this, Mary immediately shut up. Panic flashed in her eyes, and her body went limp as she slumped to the ground. “I just accidentally picked up the wrong baby. It’s not that serious. At worst, I’ll just swap them back.” “I haven’t even finished my postpartum confinement yet. If you scare me like this and something happens to me, can you take responsibility?” Seeing her act tough but cowardly inside, a flash of disgust crossed the police officer’s eyes. “Whether you picked up the wrong one or not, we’ll know once you come back to the station with us!” With that, Mary was dragged and pulled into the police car. At the police station. We delayed for a while before arriving. As soon as Mary saw us, she immediately pointed at me and shouted, “I didn’t intentionally take your chief’s child. I originally planned to take my sister-in-law’s. Release me, this is all a misunderstanding!” I laughed out of sheer anger. So my child deserves it, is that it? Seeing I didn’t speak, Mary quickly grabbed me and yelled, “Say something! Didn’t we agree to swap children and raise them for a while? I just accidentally took the wrong one, right?” She blinked at me, trying to get me to play along with her scam. I coldly retorted. “Mary, perjury is punishable by jail time. I can’t jump into this fire pit. You better tell the truth.” Mary’s eyes widened, not expecting me to refuse to buy her story at all. Angered, she argued unreasonably, “Everything I said is the truth. Mom can testify for me.” Just as she was speaking, my brother-in-law rushed in with my mother-in-law. Upon seeing me, my mother-in-law charged at me without a word, raising her hand and slapping me fiercely across the face. A clear handprint immediately appeared on my face, red, swollen, and numb. A metallic taste of blood filled my mouth. She cursed loudly, “Are you trying to kill your sister-in-law? You jinx! Your sister-in-law treated you so well. She knew you were pregnant and wanted to take care of you, and this is how you repay her!” My husband pulled me behind him protectively, angrily saying, “Mom, Mary is the one who did something wrong, why are you hitting Chloe?” My mother-in-law spat. “Ever since this little bitch married into our family, there hasn’t been a single day of peace.” She turned to the police, acting arrogant, “This is a family matter. We indeed agreed to swap babies for a while, but there was a misunderstanding. Can you release my daughter-in-law now?” The police officer, with a dark face, said coldly, “This is a police station, not a wet market for you to haggle. Everything requires evidence. The child your daughter-in-law took is currently lying in the hospital. You better ask her what she did to the baby first.” Guilty, Mary took a step back, her face turning red and white. She argued, “The temperature in the countryside is low, the baby just caught a cold. It’s nothing serious.” Her eyes darted around, and she immediately lay down on the floor, clutching her chest and crying in pain. “I’m a sick person. Keeping me locked up here delays my treatment. You’re committing murder!” My brother-in-law also reacted and hurriedly pulled medical records from his pocket. “That’s right, my wife has cancer. What if you delay her treatment by keeping her locked up here!”

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My husband, whom I’ve been in a long-distance marriage with for three years, video-called to report in as usual: “Good morning, honey.” Instantly, I froze. It was currently 11:30 PM. Looking closer at the background of his video, it was clearly illuminated by the morning sun, around seven or eight o’clock. Clinging to a sliver of hope, I tentatively asked, “Are you at home, or on a business trip?” He answered smoothly, “At home, of course. I have classes tomorrow. Plus, without my wife’s permission, I wouldn’t dare run around.” I didn’t say much more, just absentmindedly agreeing with him. After hanging up, I immediately called his university and asked for his itinerary. It was a list for a university-sponsored faculty trip. The destination was Country A. And under Liam’s “accompanying family member” column, the name was Chloe. His female student. Furthermore, for every faculty trip over the past three years, it was the exact same arrangement: one room, one bed. The blood rushed to my head. I immediately bought a plane ticket to Country A. … After getting off the plane, I went straight to Liam’s hotel. The girl waiting for the elevator with me had a student ID from his university hanging around her neck. It read Chloe, the exact same “idiot student” my husband often mentioned giving him endless headaches. I forced down the tremor in my voice: “Monroe University? What a coincidence, my husband is a professor there.” Chloe stepped into the elevator and smiled, striking up a conversation: “Are you here accompanying a family member on the trip too?” “My Professor Hayes brings me here every year. You know how men are, they claim it’s for academic exchange, but really…” Saying this, the girl acted shy. I dragged my stiff legs into the elevator behind her, my heart plummeting in pain. Liam and I had been long-distance ever since we got married. Even seeing each other was a luxury. Many times, feeling bad about how busy he was, I flew to his city, suggesting we finally take the honeymoon we never had. He would always hug me, his eyes full of guilt, and hastily leave me with one sentence: “There will be opportunities in the future, once I finish this busy period.” I believed him. But that “wait” turned into three years. Little did I know, he had the opportunity to take his “spouse” on international trips every year. Unable to hold back my tears, I turned my head away and continued to probe: “Do you know… that he’s married?” Chloe nodded casually. “So what if he’s married? I’m not destroying their family. It’s just a mutual exchange of needs.” “He helps me get a guaranteed spot in grad school by bending the rules. And he constantly complains to me about how vulgar his long-distance wife is. That’s why he hid the fact that he had several opportunities to transfer to her city.” “You can see how annoying that old woman is. I’m different. I’m young.” The girl’s words oozed with a sense of superiority. My reflection in the elevator doors looked incredibly haggard. For three years of marriage, I bore the burden of everything big and small at home entirely on my own. When my father-in-law passed away, my bedridden, paralyzed mother-in-law required my constant, undivided care. When she had a medical emergency in the middle of the night, I dragged my exhausted body—after a full day of work—to take her to the hospital. When I couldn’t handle it anymore, I would call Liam in tears, asking him to talk to the dean about transferring to the branch campus. But he would always massage his temples, looking troubled: “I know it’s hard for you, but job transfers are arranged by the university. There’s nothing I can do.” It turned out it wasn’t that he couldn’t do anything; it was that he didn’t want to. Chloe’s phone ringtone suddenly broke the silence. “Hubby, I brought back so much stuff, come to the elevator to get me~” From the other end came a male voice I was incredibly familiar with: “Okay, okay, just wait there for me.” The next second, the elevator reached the thirteenth floor. With a ding, the doors slowly opened. Seeing Chloe and me standing in the elevator together. The usually calm and composed Professor Hayes lost his smile instantly. But within two seconds, Liam quickly masked his panic, stepping forward to grab my arm first. “Honey, what are you doing here so suddenly?” “My company sent me on a last-minute business trip, I didn’t have time to tell you.” I smiled bitterly, “Is that so? Is she on a business trip too?” “She…” Chloe, standing to the side, turned pale. But the next second, a look of provocation appeared in her eyes: “You didn’t even know Professor Hayes was on a business trip. You should really pay more attention to him in the future. I won’t bother you with my matters.” As soon as she finished speaking, unable to bear it any longer, I raised my hand to slap her. But as Chloe instinctively raised her arm to block it, I noticed the ring on her finger. It looked completely out of place with her young, designer clothes. Once, after returning from Liam’s city, I realized my wedding ring was gone after getting off the plane. I regretted it endlessly. I called the airline over a dozen times but couldn’t find it. Liam stayed up all night video chatting with me: “It’s just a ring. Your health is the most important thing. I’ll just buy you another one.” At the time, feeling bad that he was working overtime, I refused. I never expected to see it again a year later, on Chloe’s finger. Tears welled up in my eyes, and I lost the strength to follow through with the slap. “Chloe, go back to the room!” Liam yelled angrily, and the girl, flushed with humiliation, went into the room. He roughly dragged me into a car heading for the airport. After a long silence, he suddenly became agitated: “Evelyn, are you doubting me?” “I told you Chloe is just my student. I brought her on this academic exchange to broaden her horizons. When did you start checking up on me?” Endless grievances surged in my heart. My heart felt like it was being violently torn apart: “Broadening horizons by exchanging academics all the way into bed!” Liam’s face darkened instantly: “I told you she’s just my student!” “You said you’d understand my work. Why are you being so unreasonable now?” I opened my mouth to retort, but his phone suddenly chimed. He answered it immediately. “Professor Hayes, you must apologize to Mrs. Hayes for me. I misspoke earlier.” “Because I’m your emergency contact at the university, the business trip info wasn’t synced to Mrs. Hayes. I shouldn’t have said that earlier, wuuuwuuu…” Liam quickly offered gentle comfort: “How is it your fault? You’re in the same city as me, it’s safer to leave your number. She’s just making a mountain out of a molehill.” So living apart is my fault now? I gritted my teeth in anger: “I don’t need your apology.” As soon as I spoke, a woman’s scream came from the phone, followed by it hanging up. “Chloe? What’s wrong?” Liam slammed on the brakes. My forehead smashed hard against the dashboard, blurring my vision. “Get out! I need to go see what happened to her.” Under his disgusted gaze, I was kicked out of the car. The car sped away, leaving me standing there in a daze. In the suburbs of a foreign country, I walked for a full hour without seeing another soul. It was midnight by the time I fumbled my way to the airport. Right before boarding, I immediately called my lawyer friend: “Liam cheated on me. Draft a divorce agreement for me.” “And look into how his female student, Chloe, actually got her guaranteed grad school spot.” Quickly, my friend found all the information about Chloe. Clicking on her social media, the first time she posted about “Mr. Hayes” was in August three years ago. But that was exactly when my mother passed away. I couldn’t eat or sleep; I withered away like a ghost. Liam frequently took red-eye flights to come see me, made me late-night snacks, and cried with me: “Mom in heaven definitely wants you to be okay. You have me with you…” But it was precisely during that time that he and Chloe hooked up. My friend sent over the evidence: “Her grad school application materials are basically all forged. The system shows she failed several classes.” He paused: “But these videos might break your heart, maybe you shouldn’t watch them…” Before I had time to process it, a notification popped up on my phone: 【Shocking! Jealous wife of university professor hires hitman to assault beautiful student abroad!】 The comment section was filled with curses: 【Heartless! How can a woman be so vicious to another woman? She doesn’t deserve to be a professor’s wife!】 【Chloe is about to get her guaranteed grad school spot. She must be jealous of her academic success, that’s why she did it.】 【Come out and apologize! Or we’ll all report you to the police!】 … I was just trying to figure out what was going on when Liam burst through the door furiously, followed by a tearful Chloe. “Evelyn, do you know how vile your actions are?!” “You tried to hit her that day. When you didn’t, I thought you’d found your conscience. I didn’t expect you to have a backup plan!” Chloe, covered in scars, knelt pitifully in front of me: “Mrs. Hayes, I don’t know what I did wrong. You can hit me or scold me, but please don’t ruin my future…” I gritted my teeth and said word by word: “I didn’t do it.” After saying that, I made a move to leave. Chloe unexpectedly crashed into me. Immediately after, photos of her completely naked scattered all over the floor. “Ah! These are the photos from when I was attacked! Why does Mrs. Hayes have them?” “Mrs. Hayes, you’re so cruel!” Looking up, I met Liam’s icy, indifferent gaze. “And you still say you didn’t?” “Aren’t these photos ironclad proof? What else do you have to say for yourself!” With that, a slap thrown with full force smashed hard against my face. The taste of blood instantly filled my mouth, and my vision went black. The man who once swore he trusted me unconditionally was gone. Just then, a group of people rushed in holding phones and cameras. The girls leading them were clearly Chloe’s close friends. They shoved their phones in my face: “What grudge do you have against Chloe? Why would you harm her like this!” “Is it just because she’s prettier than you, so you got paranoid and thought she stole your husband? You’re so old, stop acting like you’re the star of a romance novel!” “If you don’t apologize to Chloe today, we won’t let this go!” I clenched my fists in anger. “I didn’t do any of this. But as for what you and your ‘sisters’ did, you should ask her.” Chloe trembled, leaning against Liam’s chest, secretly showing a victor’s smile. The next second, before I could react, they swarmed me and started tearing at my clothes. “Everyone turn on your live streams! Make her strip naked and apologize to Chloe!” “Let go of me!” I struggled desperately. In the blink of an eye, I was almost half-naked on the live stream, every hair on my body standing on end. Suddenly someone yelled in surprise: “There are already three hundred thousand viewers right after starting the stream! Mrs. Hayes, you’re going to be famous!” Piercing mockery and ridicule echoed around me. Trembling all over, I looked at Liam: “Liam, I said I didn’t do it! How can you just let them treat me like this!” The man averted his eyes, but his words were cruel enough: “You brought this on yourself!” “Chloe is about to officially secure her grad school spot. Her commendation ceremony is right after this. How is she supposed to face anyone?” I suddenly started laughing maniacally: “Secure her grad school spot? Do you dare admit exactly how she secured it?” Liam froze, immediately clearing his throat. “Chloe studies very hard, of course you wouldn’t know.” The next second, fists and slaps rained down on me, and they spat at me. “All you know is how to frame people! Chloe’s grades are excellent!” “She frequently stays up late to discuss academics with the professor. Pulling all-nighters is normal for her. What does an old woman like you know?” “Hurry up and apologize!” I gritted my teeth tightly, ultimately not making a single sound. As time ticked by, Chloe was the first to get anxious: “Professor Hayes, let’s just forget it. Mrs. Hayes isn’t going to apologize.” “We should go catch our flight, otherwise we’ll miss the commendation ceremony.” Liam nodded. The last bit of pity he gave me before leaving was draping his jacket over my shoulders. “They were a bit out of line. I’ll apologize to you later.” Watching his hurried departure, my eyes were bloodshot. Liam, I don’t want an apology. I want your reputation destroyed. I changed clothes, put on a baseball cap, and bought the earliest high-speed rail ticket. When I rushed to the commendation ceremony, Chloe was just smugly preparing to go on stage. On stage, Liam, wearing the suit I saved up to buy for him, elegantly and amiably read the announcement regarding Chloe’s guaranteed grad school spot. His gaze occasionally fell on Chloe’s youthful, vibrant face, the corners of his mouth involuntarily turning up. I found a corner and sat down. Whispers drifted into my ears: “Professor Hayes’s wife went too far. How could she spread such rumors about a hardworking student like Chloe?” “Professor Hayes has always been upright. He hates unethical deals the most. But… he does treat Chloe somewhat specially.” “Don’t talk nonsense, that’s just mentorship. After all, Chloe is a top student.” … I sat to the side, seriously listening to the speech of the “upright” Professor Hayes they spoke of: “Chloe’s journey here hasn’t been easy. She’s put in a lot of effort and endured a lot of hardship…” Chloe walked onto the stage with her head held high, preparing to receive her medal. Deafening applause erupted from the audience. “Thank you, everyone. Thank you, Professor Hayes. For all four years of college, Professor Hayes has guided me. Although I’ve faced some hardships, I’m very happy…” “I can testify to that.” I suddenly stood up from my seat in the audience, interrupting her. “Student Chloe indeed endured a lot of… hardship.” Immediately after, in full view of everyone, the large screen behind them flashed on. The venue instantly erupted in an uproar. Seeing the content playing on the screen, all color drained from the faces of the two on stage. The video was pixelated, but the audio was exceptionally clear. Inside a hotel room, Chloe whined pitifully: “I failed several classes this semester. I haven’t eaten all day because I’m so worried about the grad school spot…” Followed by Liam’s confident response: “I’ll handle the grad school spot. How can you not eat? I’ll take you down to the restaurant to eat.” The woman hugged him ambiguously from behind, asking deliberately: “Between me and that woman, who do you love more? If you don’t give me an answer, I’m not going to eat…” Liam smiled indulgently, pulling the woman into his arms. “You, of course. Otherwise, I would have transferred to her city years ago. The reason I kept it quiet is because I want to stay here with you.” The video stopped abruptly. Liam, enraged from humiliation, yanked out the plug, completely losing control: “Where is the staff?! What is all this garbage!” He practically charged off the stage, grabbing my arm, stammering: “Evelyn, listen to me, things are absolutely not what you think…” I violently shook off his hand, my eyes filled with nothing but disgust: “I have the unpixelated version here too. Do you want to share it with everyone?” Liam was completely choked up. A commotion broke out in the venue. Especially among those who firmly believed in Liam and Chloe’s innocence, their expressions were uglier than the last. “So Chloe and Professor Hayes are… in that kind of relationship?” “She used to tell us roommates she wasn’t coming back at night. Turns out she was looking for Professor Hayes…” “And the grad school spot—” Chloe couldn’t bear to listen anymore and lunged forward like a madwoman. “My grad school spot was earned through my own ability! It’s not what you think! You’re not allowed to talk nonsense!” At this moment, the dean’s face had turned as black as charcoal, trembling with anger in the audience. “We will investigate this matter thoroughly! We absolutely will not tolerate this kind of behavior!” “Dean, please listen to my explanation…” Liam chased after him, but it was futile. Just then, a plainly dressed girl stood up in the audience, crying pitifully: “Professor Hayes, I never dared to ask before, but why are all my other grades A’s, and only one is a B? I could have gotten that guaranteed spot too…” The man stood frozen in place, opening his mouth several times but saying nothing. Seeing the girl crying so pitifully—she was probably the legendary student whose spot was stolen—I went over to comfort her: “Don’t worry, the dean will investigate this thoroughly. He’ll definitely get you justice.” I turned to look at Liam, confronting our tragic marriage for the first time. “Is this the normal mentor-student relationship you spoke of? You are truly disappointing.” “Whether as a husband or a professor, I never thought you could be so despicable.” Liam instantly panicked. The usually proud and composed man lowered his stance. “Honey, it was a mistake I made in a moment of confusion. Let’s go home, and I’ll explain everything properly. Let’s go back first…” Saying this, he reached out to grab me. I quickly dodged, not wanting him to touch me ever again. “I’ve had enough of this long-distance marriage. Liam, let’s get a divorce.” After saying that, I handed him the divorce agreement my friend had delivered. “Now, sign it.”

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At the company dinner, the newly appointed big boss’s daughter from headquarters accidentally spilled wine on Arthur’s shirt. While Arthur went to the restroom to clean up. Everyone was guessing whether he would get angry. “I bet three shots that Mr. Vance will definitely lose his temper. Last time a young girl accidentally got his documents dirty, she was fired the next day!” “Tsk, tsk, tsk, that’s not necessarily true. Haven’t you heard that the big boss’s daughter is Mr. Vance’s first love?!” Hearing this, everyone gasped. The person continued: “After graduation, she went abroad, and the two were forced to break up. But later, Mr. Vance actually came to our company. Why do you think that is?” “Isn’t it just to wait for her to come back! I bet they’ll rekindle their old flame in no time!” A colleague next to me nudged my elbow: “Chloe, weren’t you and those two alumni from the same university? Were you also shipping their fairytale romance?” “Quick, tell us why exactly they broke up!” Secretly married to Arthur for a year, I silently took the ring off my ring finger and put it in my pocket. 1 Everyone’s excited gazes instantly fell on me. Urging me to quickly tell them the legendary love story between the aloof top student and the big boss’s daughter that once caused a sensation throughout the school. I was sitting in the farthest corner of the private room, my presence originally very low. Suddenly surrounded by so many eyes, I felt a bit uncomfortable. Just then, the door to the private room opened. Mia walked in smiling, Arthur’s coat draped over her arm. “Arthur said we don’t need to wait for him, let’s start playing.” She was still exactly as she was in college. The moment she entered, she became the center of attention. Hearing her intimate way of addressing Arthur, the colleagues’ faces all showed a “we ship it” expression. Arthur Vance, Mia Sullivan. Even their names matched perfectly, like the male and female leads in a romance novel. Someone bold, emboldened by alcohol, asked directly: “Mia, tell us, did you and Mr. Vance… have a history before?” Mia, seemingly unsurprised by the gossip, blinked mischievously. “That’s all in the past, Arthur won’t let me talk about it.” Seeing this, everyone let out a knowing “Oh~”. A hint of shyness appeared on her face: “Let me tell you, don’t bring this up in front of Arthur. He has a thin skin, I’m afraid he’ll get mad at me when we get back.” The hooting grew even louder. She didn’t say anything explicitly, yet it seemed like she had said everything. So, after Arthur returned from cleaning the wine stain, although the colleagues didn’t dare continue the previous topic in front of him. Their eyes couldn’t help but constantly dart between the two of them. Occasionally, they would deliberately bring up topics like “youth,” “first love,” and “regrets.” The ring in my pocket had sharp edges, and through the thin fabric, it dug into me somewhat uncomfortably. My gaze instinctively fell on Arthur’s bare left ring finger. On the day we registered our marriage, my mother-in-law bought us wedding rings. Arthur said he didn’t have the habit of wearing accessories. His wedding ring was still sitting in a drawer in his study. I started regretting attending this dinner. Throughout the entire gathering, Arthur remained as taciturn as usual, like an intimidating iceberg. It was only when Mia had a bit too much to drink and showed signs of intoxication that he spoke softly: “Let’s call it a night.” When the boss speaks, who dares disobey? Everyone stood up, sharing rides home in twos and threes. Someone nudged Mia toward Mr. Vance: “Mr. Vance, it’s not safe for Mia to go home alone. Could you please take her back?” Arthur looked up at me. Right at that moment, Mia’s legs gave out, and she stumbled into his arms. I almost fled, turning sharply and leaving the crowd. From behind, his voice faintly reached me: “Give me her home address.” I separated from the crowd and took a cab home alone. Upon arriving home, I soaked myself in the bathtub. Wrapped in the rising, misty steam, the tears I had held back all night finally fell. How pathetic. What was there to feel wronged about? He was always a moon high up in the sky, far out of reach. I was already very lucky to have briefly had the moon all to myself. In college, our interactions were pitifully few. The only time was when he needed to bring an umbrella to Mia and asked me to hand in his group project for him. By a twist of fate, after graduating with my master’s, I became an intern under him. And serendipitously discovered that my unlikely older friend was actually his mother. Under his mother’s matchmaking and pressure to marry. That afternoon, Arthur suddenly asked me. “Chloe, would you consider marrying me?” Yes, no dating, no proposal. We fast-forwarded straight to marriage. So fast, it was as if he had just casually discussed a business deal, and it wouldn’t matter if it fell through. We got our marriage certificate that afternoon, and the next day went to work as usual. Besides moving in together, nothing seemed different between us than before. He hadn’t told anyone about our marriage, so much so that people in the company still thought he was single. Now, his first love was back, and my time as a background character in this love story was up. I should make my exit. When I came out of the bathroom, Arthur was already back. Sitting on the sofa, reading documents. I mustered my courage, walked over to him, and hesitantly started: “I…” Before I could finish, his phone suddenly rang. I don’t know what was said on the other end, but Arthur grabbed his coat with a solemn expression. “Sorry, something urgent came up. Let’s talk about whatever it is when I get back, okay?” He had never gone out late at night before. This was the first time. Half an hour later, the person who made him make an exception updated her Moments. [Thanks to someone for bringing hangover soup late at night.] A man’s hand was accidentally revealed in the attached photo. Colleagues flooded the comments section, gossiping if good news was on the way, implicitly saying they didn’t expect the aloof Mr. Vance to have such a considerate side. I thought, my moon seems to be returning to the sky. 2 My period came very suddenly this time. It hurt all night, and I barely managed to fall asleep in a haze. When I woke up, Arthur had already left for work, as usual. He had a habit of arriving at the company early, while I wouldn’t arrive a minute earlier than necessary. So even though we worked at the same company, we went our separate ways. When I arrived at the company, Mia was standing in the middle of the aisle, in a great mood, distributing coffee to everyone. Saying it was her treat since she just arrived. Colleagues smiled and praised the big boss’s daughter for being beautiful and kind, understanding the hardships of us corporate drones, promising to work doubly hard today. When she got to me, she handed over an Americano filled to the brim with ice. “Sorry, you came a bit late, this is the only one left.” Although I had taken painkillers in the morning, a dull ache still emanated from my lower abdomen. But out of politeness, I still said thank you and took the coffee from her hand. Thinking that if I really couldn’t drink it, I’d secretly pour it away when no one was looking later. Besides that, I was actually a bit petty; I just didn’t want to drink the coffee she bought. But what I didn’t expect was that after distributing the coffee, Mia didn’t leave immediately. Instead, she looked at me with a smile: “Chloe, you’ve changed so much, I barely recognized you last night.” “You’ve lost a lot of weight since college, and gotten much prettier. I didn’t expect you to be working under Arthur.” In college, Arthur and I were in Class 3, she was in Class 1, and we didn’t even share core classes. So I was a bit surprised that she actually remembered me. Mia showed no intention of leaving. Although she wore a smile, perhaps because I was being cynical, I felt her scrutinizing gaze made me a bit uncomfortable. “Speaking of which, I still have to thank you for helping Arthur deliver his group project back then, otherwise I would have been drenched like a drowned rat.” “Why did you choose to come to our company? Was it because you knew Arthur was here?” This sentence sounded fine at first listen. Coming to a company where an old classmate works is a very normal thing. But if it fell on the ears of someone looking for trouble, it might be interpreted in another way. I pursed my lips, just about to answer, when Arthur happened to push open the office door at that exact moment: “Mia, come here for a moment.” Mia was directly appointed by headquarters as Arthur’s secretary. Hearing this, she replied cheerfully, her high heels clicking loudly as she walked in his direction. As the office door closed, the gossiping spirit of the colleagues burned once more. Hooting and hollering in low voices. I stared blankly at the solo photo on my desk. This photo was taken on my birthday last year. Coincidentally, Arthur also asked me to marry him on that day. I reached out and took down the frame. In the hidden compartment, there was a more youthful face, silly flashing a peace sign at the camera. That was taken by my roommate when I graduated with my bachelor’s degree. At the time, she muttered a bit dissatisfied, saying when other people take photos, the background is either the school emblem or the main gate. Why did I have to pick a rundown academic building? At the time, I just explained that the lighting was good. Actually, I lied to her. At the time, Arthur was standing just fifteen feet behind me. At the exact moment my roommate pressed the shutter, he happened to look up, facing the camera. This was our first, and only, not-quite-a-photo-together photo. “Chloe, come to the small conference room, we’re having a team meeting.” I looked up and acknowledged, casually slipping the photo into a folder on my desk. They called it a team meeting, but it lasted a full two hours. The intermittent pain from my lower abdomen made me break out in a cold sweat. When I walked out of the small conference room, my head spinning, I found several colleagues gathered around my desk, heads bowed, discussing something. But when I got closer, my mind suddenly went completely blank. Because Mia was holding that photo in her hand, looking at me leisurely. “Chloe, so you actually liked Arthur?” 3 My first instinct was to snatch the photo back. But she was faster, flipping the photo over. Reading the words written on the back with clear enunciation, her tone amused and exaggerated: “You are my moon.” “Chloe, so I was right. You stayed just because of Arthur, didn’t you?” I pursed my lips, looking at her exquisite face, my nails digging deep into my palms. A colleague nearby let out a disdainful scoff: “She looks so innocent, who knew she was so disgusting in private. ‘Moon’? I’m gonna throw up!” “Exactly. Even though Mia threw a tantrum and went abroad back then, Mr. Vance waited for her for three years! Secretly hiding his photo, isn’t this obviously trying to be a homewrecker?” “Tsk, tsk, I was wondering why she fought tooth and nail to pass the assessment and stay. She really doesn’t know her place.” The air conditioning vent above my head intermittently blew down piercingly cold air. My whole body trembled uncontrollably. God knows how much I wanted to retort, to tell them that Arthur and I are legally married. When Arthur and I reunited, they were already broken up! But I knew, even if I said it, no one would believe me. Because Arthur had never acknowledged me. Tears welled up in my eyes; I gritted my teeth hard to keep them from falling. As if that could maintain my last shred of dignity. I snatched the photo from Mia’s hand like a madwoman, tore it to shreds in a few quick motions, and threw it into the trash can nearby. Mia looked at me mockingly. Just as she was about to say something more, Arthur suddenly came out. “What’s all this noise? Not enough work to do?” Everyone scattered in a panic. Arthur took long strides and stood in front of me, staring at me for a moment. When his gaze fell on the photo in the trash can, he seemed a bit stunned. “Why did you…” Before he could finish, I shoved him hard, kept my head down, and ran into the restroom. I didn’t dare face him, at least not right then. I was afraid that after he found out I had harbored different feelings for him a long time ago. He, like everyone else, would secretly laugh at me for overestimating myself. I survived until the end of the workday, moving in a daze like a zombie. When I walked out of the company, Mia was already waiting at the entrance. “Chloe, let’s talk.” The coffee shop was filled with the rich aroma of caramel, but to me, it smelled sour and bitter. “I called Arthur before I returned to the country, and he actually told me he was married.” “And the person he married is actually you.” Mia got straight to the point as soon as she sat down, her tone full of disdain. “I asked him then if he loved you. Guess what he said?” Her nails tapped against the wooden table, making an irritating sound. The answer was obvious. Arthur clearly didn’t love me, otherwise Mia wouldn’t have returned to the country. But even so, it wasn’t her place to say anything. “Miss Sullivan, he was the one who proposed marriage. Even if we are to divorce, he should be the one to tell me.” Mia seemed somewhat surprised by my sudden toughness, the mockery at the corner of her mouth deepening: “Since I’m back, it’s only a matter of time before you divorce.” “It’s just that…” She drew out her words, propping her chin on one hand, raising an eyebrow at me: “Do you really think Arthur didn’t know about your dirty little crush on him in the past?” “Did you think no one knew you secretly kept the notebook he handed back?” “Do you know what he said when he found out back then?” “He said, ‘That’s disgusting’.” It was true. When the group project Arthur asked me to hand in was graded and returned, I had selfish motives. I secretly kept it. Because that piece of paper had Arthur’s elegant signature on it, the only proof that our paths had crossed. On the day my girlish secret was exposed and mocked, a sense of shame erupted like never before. When I returned home, utterly devastated, Arthur was already back. On the coffee table in front of him lay a document. Only one word was visible: [Di], for divorce. Arthur took off his gold-rimmed glasses, looked at me, and said: “Chloe, there’s something I want to discuss with you.” 4 Arthur is a decent man, after all. Even for something like a divorce, he used the word “discuss.” What’s there to discuss? Is he afraid I’ll covet his assets, or afraid I’ll cling to him and refuse to divorce? I sniffled, forcing a smile that I thought looked nonchalant: “It’s fine, whatever works for me.” “You talk to Mom.” “Also, when do you need me to move out?” Arthur’s expression showed obvious shock, a hint of confusion surfacing in his eyes. I stretched my smile wider, so wide it actually hurt a little. “Hand it over, don’t you need my signature?” “Are you misunder—” Before he could finish, the doorbell suddenly rang. As soon as Arthur opened the door, Mia threw herself crying into his arms. “Arthur, someone is following me, I’m so scared…” She was wearing a sexy lace slip dress, a completely different style from the tailored skirt suit she wore at work during the day. But equally beautiful. Enough to make any man’s heart flutter. Perhaps because I was there, Arthur frowned and pushed her away. “What are you doing here?” He instinctively turned to look at me, a rare flash of panic crossing his face. Before he could speak, I waved my hand: “You guys talk, I’m going back to the bedroom.” Arthur had already given me enough dignity and respect. I couldn’t be so tactless as to act as a third wheel when I clearly knew a divorce was imminent. Back in the bedroom, my nearly frozen smiling face finally found release. I threw myself hard onto the bed, biting down fiercely on the edge of the quilt. The tears I had held back all day finally broke like a breached dam, impossible to stop. I cried until my world went dark, and when I emerged with eyes swollen like walnuts. The house was already completely empty. I picked up my phone, wanting to ask Arthur when he’d be back so we could process the divorce tomorrow. But I saw Mia’s recently updated Moments. The caption was simple, just one word: [Secured] But the attached photo was a selfie of her; her pale neck was covered in shocking red marks. My phone clattered to the floor. I hurriedly picked it up, gritting my teeth to force myself not to think about them being intimate. Then, mechanically, I grabbed my personal belongings and a few commonly used clothes, shoving them all into my suitcase. Just before leaving, I realized the divorce agreement on the coffee table was gone. I didn’t know where Arthur had casually put it, so I had to download a template online, filled in our information. And signed my name on it. I left it in the most prominent spot on the coffee table. Arthur, we are over after all. … By the time Arthur dropped off the endlessly crying Mia at the police station, and rushed back to headquarters overnight to submit his resignation. It was nearing midnight. He opened the door wearily. The house was dark; the young woman must be asleep. Arthur felt a bit anxious, not knowing if she would agree to leave River City with him and develop in Coast City. But when he turned on the light. His gaze was dead locked on the glaring divorce agreement on the coffee table.

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I was very satisfied with my arranged marriage because my husband kept himself clean and had strong moral boundaries. So, during a dinner party, when I saw him peel a shrimp for his female assistant, I didn’t say anything. But the night we got home, I bought ten pounds of shrimp and dumped them in front of him. “Peel them. You seem to be pretty good at it.” A man who lacks boundaries—if he can learn to behave, I’ll make do. If he can’t, I’ll just replace him. After all, I’m a germaphobe. 1 When I walked through the door, an unfamiliar girl was placing a piece of sea cucumber into Carter’s bowl. She didn’t use serving chopsticks. I smiled and greeted the several managers seated at the table, then looked at the girl who remained seated without moving. The sales manager next to her shot her a look: “This is Mrs. Sterling, our CEO’s wife.” The girl stood up and smiled at me: “Hello, Ma’am. I’m the new executive secretary, Chloe. Nice to meet you, please take care of me.” I smiled politely, didn’t reply, and took the nearest open seat. I exchanged pleasantries with everyone as usual, quietly observing Carter and Chloe sitting opposite me. I watched as Carter naturally ate the sea cucumber Chloe had put in his bowl. Then, I watched Chloe pick up a shrimp, looking at it with a troubled expression, before shooting a helpless look at Carter. Carter frowned slightly, took the shrimp, put on disposable gloves, elegantly peeled it, and tossed the shrimp meat into Chloe’s bowl. I narrowed my eyes, looked down, and sent a message to Martha, our housekeeper. “Go buy ten pounds of fresh shrimp and boil them.” Just as I hit send, Chloe, who had been mostly quiet, suddenly spoke up: “Ma’am, I’m so jealous of how lucky you are. Marrying a successful man like Mr. Sterling, you just have to stay home and be a good wife. Unlike us corporate slaves, who have to toil away just to feed ourselves.” I looked up, my gaze landing with amusement on her young, pretty face: “A newbie indeed. So ill-mannered.” Chloe froze, probably not expecting me to be so blunt. Then she quickly put on an expression of perfectly calculated panic and grievance. “I’m sorry, Ma’am. I didn’t mean to offend you. I’m just used to speaking my mind. Please don’t hold it against me.” Her eyes blatantly assessed my Chanel suit and handbag: “It’s just that seeing you spend so lavishly and dress so expensively, my heart aches a bit for Mr. Sterling. After all, he sacrificed a lot to build the Sterling Group to what it is today.” I couldn’t help but laugh, resting my chin on my hand without saying a word. The others at the table, however, looked panicked. The product director scolded her: “What nonsense are you talking about! Do you think Mrs. Sterling is just a housewife? We call her Mrs. Sterling here, but outside these doors, everyone respectfully calls her ‘CEO Davis’!” Chloe looked bewildered, as if she still didn’t understand. The sales manager next to her whispered a reminder: “CEO Davis and Mr. Sterling had a marriage alliance between two powerful families. CEO Davis is also the sole heir to the Davis Group. What on earth are you blabbering about? Apologize to Ma’am right now!” Chloe’s pretty face turned pale. She bit her lip, a thin mist of tears quickly welling up in her large eyes, and looked at Carter pleadingly. Meeting my half-smiling gaze, Carter shook his head somewhat helplessly and reprimanded her lightly: “Apologize to Ma’am. From now on, pay attention to your surroundings when you speak, and more importantly, know your place. If you don’t understand something, ask. If you don’t know how to do something, learn.” Having no other choice, Chloe looked at me and said pitifully in a small voice, “Ma’am, I’m sorry.” I stood up without even looking at her and smiled at everyone: “My other engagement hasn’t finished yet. Please excuse me, we’ll catch up next time.” By the time my other event ended, it was already 10 PM. Walking to the parking lot, Carter was still waiting there. Seeing me, he opened the car door for me just like always. We chatted casually on the way back, the atmosphere mild. Once home, Carter went to shower first. When he came out, I threw the ten pounds of shrimp Martha had prepared right in front of him. The ten pounds of boiled shrimp were neatly arranged in several large bowls, filling the long dining table. Meeting Carter’s confused gaze, I smiled gently. “Hubby, peel these for me.” 2 Carter looked surprised: “Did you not eat enough at the dinner? You didn’t need to buy this much, there’s no way you can finish it all.” He was about to call Martha down to clean it up, but I interrupted him: “I want you to peel them for me, personally.” Carter froze, then frowned imperceptibly: “Sarah, you know I’m a germaphobe.” I smiled mildly: “Are you? But during the dinner today, you seemed to have no problem peeling shrimp for your new little assistant.” Carter paused, then suddenly chuckled in realization: “So you’re jealous over that?” He sat down next to me with a smile, wrapping his arm around my shoulder: “It’s rare to see you jealous. I thought CEO Davis was always calm and collected.” He leaned in and kissed my forehead: “She’s just a new intern. She just entered the real world and doesn’t know anything. She speaks without thinking. I just saw how young she was and helped her out casually. If you mind, I promise it won’t happen again.” I looked up at his handsome face so close to mine. Three years of marriage, in his thirties, and time hadn’t left any harsh marks on his face; instead, it added a settled charm. I reached up and gently stroked his face: “Carter, do you know why, out of all the potential marriage candidates back then, I chose you at first glance?” Carter tilted his head. I smiled tenderly: “Because you were clean.” “Your parents said you were a germaphobe, that you didn’t like unnecessary physical contact with people you weren’t close to, and you didn’t like people invading your boundaries.” “What a coincidence. I’m exactly the same.” Meeting Carter’s dazed gaze: “Our marriage is an alliance of interests between the Davis and Sterling families. We’ve gotten along well these past few years. I want our marriage to remain clean and smooth. Whether it’s you and me, or the Davis and Sterling families, I want everything to go well. Don’t disappoint me.” I stood up, bent down, dropped a kiss on his lips, and raised an eyebrow: “Remember to peel all these shrimp for me. This is your punishment for failing to maintain proper boundaries with another woman for the first time. Be a good boy.” I didn’t care what time Carter went to bed. I put on a sheet mask and went to sleep early. When I woke up the next day, there were several large bowls filled with peeled shrimp meat on the dining table. Carter had gone to work early due to an emergency meeting. Martha stood quietly to the side. I smiled: “Martha, you have quite a few people in your family, right? Take these home. Sir peeled them himself, so they should be very clean. Don’t let them go to waste.” After that day, life between Carter and me went on as usual, as if that unpleasant little interlude was just a spice in our marriage, harmless and adding a bit of flavor. He even treated me better than before. I didn’t have the time or energy to monitor what women he interacted with every day. As the heir to the Davis Group, I was incredibly busy. However, a month later, on his way to pick me up for a family dinner, he rolled down the window, revealing Chloe’s slightly smug face in the passenger seat. I furrowed my brow. 3 “Hello, Ma’am. You look beautiful today!” Chloe seemed completely oblivious to my displeasure, smiling brightly, her pretty face radiating a seemingly innocent naivety. Carter also looked normal, as if he didn’t sense anything wrong. My face darkened. I pulled open the passenger door and said coldly: “Get out.” Chloe’s expression froze. It took her a long time to mutter: “Ma’am, Mr. Sterling is just dropping me off on his way. I get carsick, so I sat in the front.” She turned her head, casting a pleading look at Carter. Carter looked at me somewhat helplessly. Probably knowing my temper, he didn’t speak up to defend her this time. I repeated coldly for the second time: “Get out.” Carter finally spoke: “Let Ma’am sit.” Biting her lip, Chloe reluctantly got out of the car. Just as she reached for the back door handle, I interrupted coldly: “Who said you could get in?” Chloe froze. I took a deep breath, pulled two red hundred-dollar bills from my purse, and stuffed them into her jacket pocket. “Can’t even afford cab fare? Life must be tough. I’ll cover it for you. Go home, and be safe.” Carter watched Chloe and me standing outside the car awkwardly, attempting to intervene. I smiled brightly at him: “Carter, this is your fault. Your employees are so poor they can’t even afford a cab ride home. That’s a failure on your part. Starting tomorrow, all level-three and above employees at both Sterling and Davis Groups will have their transportation allowance increased by 10%, paid out of the Sterling accounts.” Chloe’s eyes reddened, tears welling up but refusing to fall, giving her the aura of a stubborn, resilient heroine from a tragic drama. “Ma’am,” she said with a trembling voice, “I may be poor, but I have ambition. What gives you the right to use your status as the CEO’s wife to humiliate my character with money?!” I couldn’t help but laugh: “You’re so poor you can’t afford a cab and have to hitch a ride with the CEO. How is me paying for your cab humiliating your character? Does it only count as ‘not humiliating’ if the CEO personally drives you to your door? Your character must be incredibly valuable, considering the few minutes you just wasted cost your CEO and me several hundred million in potential earnings. If he spent extra time detouring to drop you off, how would you compensate us for the financial loss? With your character?” I sneered, not bothering to look at her face anymore, leaned in, got in the car, and slammed the door shut with a bang. Carter silently started the car. Through the rearview mirror, I saw Chloe still standing there, biting her lip, looking utterly humiliated. The silence in the car was suffocating, but I had no intention of being the first to speak. Carter coughed lightly, attempting to explain: “The place she rents isn’t far from the old estate. It wasn’t out of my way to give her a ride. Why did you have to…” “Carter.” Through the rearview mirror, I met his eyes. “I told you, I liked you because you were clean. Because you aren’t the only germaphobe here; I am too.” “We let the shrimp incident slide. Today, you allowed her to sit in your passenger seat and even adjusted my seat settings.” “I only ever give anyone around me three chances. Today was your second.” “My demands aren’t high. Just maintain an appropriate distance and boundaries with other women, like you used to. That shouldn’t be hard for you.” “Carter, don’t disappoint me.” 4 He didn’t say anything else, and silence returned to the car. I couldn’t be bothered to figure out if he was upset. Since childhood, I’ve never had to walk on eggshells for anyone. The car pulled smoothly into the parking area of the old estate. Getting out, I linked my arm through Carter’s as if nothing had happened, acting as if our earlier spat never occurred. “You should know that our marriage isn’t just about us. If you don’t want the stock prices of both our families to fluctuate tomorrow, put on a smile. We are adults; don’t act immature, okay?” I was smiling brightly, but my words were ice-cold. From the corner of my eye, I saw Carter force a plausible smile. Only then did we walk into the estate together. As soon as we walked in, my mother-in-law warmly greeted us, giving me an affectionate hug: “Sarah gets more beautiful every day. Come, sit next to me.” Carter sat down next to me. The Sterling family was large and prosperous. We sat around a large table, a lively atmosphere filling the room. Carter’s mother chatted warmly with me while constantly putting food on my plate. “The joint project between our two families is progressing very smoothly. Sarah, you are so capable.” “Mom, please, we are all family. There’s no need to speak as if we’re separate.” Carter’s mother suddenly frowned, looking at Carter, who hadn’t said much: “What’s wrong with you? Why aren’t you talking? You don’t even know how to take care of your wife at the dinner table.” Carter’s expression was a bit strained: “You two were having such a great conversation, how could I interrupt?” Carter’s mother tucked a stray hair behind her ear, bringing it up seemingly casually: “I heard you have a new little assistant who doesn’t quite know the rules?” Carter paused his chopsticks, frowning as he looked over. His gaze swept between me and his mother. His mother sounded casual, but every word carried a sting: “I’ve already informed the HR manager to fire her. A mere intern, lacking both ability and tact. Pay her three months’ severance and let her seek employment elsewhere.” Carter slammed his chopsticks down: “Mom, I am the head of the company now. If you want to fire someone on my team, you should go through me!” His mother calmly placed a shrimp in my bowl: “You handle other matters well enough, but you are a bit too soft-hearted towards these nobodies. You’re still young; there’s no need to rush.” She looked at Carter with deep meaning: “The alliance between the Sterling and Davis families is of paramount importance. When we were selecting an heir, the reason you came out on top was because of your understanding of propriety and your ability to assess the situation. Don’t lose your greatest strengths.” I acted as if I hadn’t heard a thing, maintaining a faint smile and conversing in a low voice. The family dinner had a minor hiccup but remained relatively harmonious. Upon returning home, Carter leaned against the entryway. Looking down at me as I finished changing my shoes, he said in a deep voice: “Sarah, we need to talk.” His voice carried suppressed anger. 5 I walked to the bathroom as usual, washing my hands while asking: “Talk.” The light in the entryway cast a sharp shadow across Carter’s high nose bridge. He spoke in a deep voice: “Was it really necessary to involve my mother in matters between us as husband and wife?” I paused, dried my hands, and looked up at him: “You think I complained to your mother?” Carter’s eyes were pitch black. In the years I’ve known him, he had never looked at me with such a chilling gaze. “Isn’t it? Sarah, I can tolerate your diva temper, but you’ve repeatedly made things difficult for Chloe. You have no sympathy, and your jealousy has gone too far!” I narrowed my eyes, assessing this man I’d shared a bed with for years, beginning to reflect that maybe my judgment was occasionally flawed. Carter wasn’t finished venting: “This time you’ve pushed it even further, taking the matter to my mother and having her fire my subordinate! You know I hate people interfering in my company affairs!” “Are you done?” I cut him off coldly. “So, are you angry because your mother interfered in your work, making you feel your authority was challenged? Or are you heartbroken because your little assistant was humiliated and lost her job?” Seemingly enraged by my indifferent tone, Carter’s anger flared: “It seems you still don’t think you did anything wrong!” “What did I do wrong?!” I stepped closer to him: “Was I wrong for not remaining indifferent when I saw you and your little assistant crossing boundaries? Or was I wrong for not stopping your mother when she saw through Chloe’s ulterior motives and fired her?” “Or was my mistake not divorcing you the very first time you peeled shrimp for her?” Carter’s pupils violently contracted. I took two steps back, looked him up and down, and shook my head with considerable regret. “Carter, I told you, everyone around me only gets three chances. You’ve just used them all up.” That night’s argument ended bitterly. Carter, furious, slammed the door and left in the middle of the night, unilaterally starting a cold war. Before leaving, he threw out one sentence: “No one can stand your condescension!” I had a lot of work to deal with and no time to play games with him. The Davis Group was preparing to expand its overseas enterprises, and I was up to my neck in work. Until a week later, when I saw the news in the paper about Carter attending a high-profile charity gala with a date. The photos were taken very well. A handsome man and a beautiful woman, a perfect match. Chloe was wearing an haute couture evening gown, the diamond necklace around her neck sparkling brilliantly. I looked at it for a while, nodded, and had my secretary assemble a top-tier legal team. A marriage alliance between two powerful families involved many intricate details. The terms of the divorce agreement required meticulous research and careful polishing. While we were discussing the terms, I received a call from Carter’s mother.

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On the day of the earthquake, my fiancé’s sponsored student, Mia, insisted on finishing the last bite of her Wellington steak. My fiancé, Liam, commanded coldly: “Wait for her to finish, then we all evacuate together.” With hearing far beyond normal, I heard the sound of rocks cracking and urged everyone to evacuate with Liam first. When Mia got up to follow, she was struck by the falling ceiling and died instantly. Later, during our honeymoon, Liam pushed me off a cliff, crushing me with rocks. “It’s all your fault! If you hadn’t taken me away, Mia wouldn’t have died if she stayed put! She was just greedy for food, what’s wrong with that!” Even though he knew I was pregnant with his child at the time. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day of the earthquake. This time, if he wants to wait, let him wait. 1 “What’s the rush? We’re not in an earthquake zone, it’s at most an aftershock. Everyone wait for Mia to finish before we go.” “If anyone dares to leave without permission, don’t blame me for getting ugly.” Liam was arrogant, refusing to let anyone disobey his orders. I looked at the Western feast laid out before me, the phantom pain of being crushed to death in my past life still lingering in my body, and I had already hit the record button on my phone. The sound of cracking stones was getting closer. If I remembered correctly, the ceiling would collapse in two minutes. Someone’s dog started getting restless, showing dissatisfaction. “Mr. Vance, we should evacuate. She can eat that steak anytime.” The steak was still steaming. Mia picked up a piece and put it in her mouth, her face full of satisfaction: “This meat is so tender. It’s my first time eating Wellington.” Liam looked at Mia with a doting smile. “This is prime beef I specifically had flown in from the US. It would be a shame if you didn’t taste it.” Actually, I didn’t understand why Liam was so obsessed with this mere piece of steak. In my past life, I even went out of my way to check the shipping records for this steak, thinking of leaving an identical one at the girl’s grave. But I couldn’t find any records. Only then did I realize that Liam had raised that cow himself. He had tortured it beyond recognition, and in the end, this was the only piece of steak produced. Someone shot me a pleading look. “Miss Hastings, please persuade Mr. Vance. If there really is an earthquake, it’s a matter of life and death.” I shook my head. I wouldn’t dare interrupt for such a precious steak. Liam and I used to be quite affectionate, a model couple in our circle. But ever since he sponsored Mia, everything changed. The Liam before me had eyes only for her; where was there any room for me? I looked up at the ceiling and took a slow sip of red wine. “If Mr. Vance says wait, then wait. Everyone stay in your seats, we’ll be fine.” While the crowd was arguing, a massive chunk of the ceiling fell between the two tables with a loud crash. Flying debris cut Mia’s calf, leaving a thin trail of blood. She cried pitifully: “Liam, it hurts so much. Is my bone broken?” “Bear with it, I’ll take you to the hospital right away.” Liam coaxed her softly, his movements gentler than ever. But he immediately turned his fury on me. “Chloe Hastings! Can’t you pinpoint sounds by hearing? The ceiling fell, why didn’t you urge me to evacuate just now? You caused Mia to get hurt.” I lowered my eyes, bowing my head to apologize, using my wine glass to hide my smirk. “I’m sorry, I misjudged. I’ll penalize myself with a drink.” It seems I’m the only one who was reborn. This is fantastic news. Liam knocked over my wine glass, spilling red wine all over my white dress. “Enough, stop pretending. Let’s all evacuate quickly. What if something else falls?” The scattered debris made me lose my footing and fall. But Liam carried Mia away, leaving me only a cold glare. “Get up if you don’t want to die. You just fell down, stop acting so delicate.” I sat on my knees, watching him leave, my fingers resting by my side slowly clenching. Liam probably forgot that the reason we were here today was for our engagement party, yet I didn’t look like the female lead at all. But that’s okay. This time, Liam will pay the price he deserves. I leaned against the table corner and stood up, my dress covered in red wine and dirt. Liam had called an ambulance for Mia and taken all the bodyguards with him. Before closing the car door, he coldly threw down a sentence, “Chloe, find your own way back.” And then he sped off. I don’t know how to drive, and this place wasn’t in the city center, so I couldn’t get a cab. The guests left in twos and threes. Some took photos, some posted on social media, and some whispered among themselves. “What’s wrong with Chloe? Isn’t today her engagement party? But so far, only that one piece of ceiling fell. Could she have arranged it out of jealousy towards Mia?” “I heard she’s been given the cold shoulder by Mr. Vance for a long time. Mia was hurt, and Chloe was still in the mood to drink. Tsk, tsk, what a venomous woman.” I ignored them. My phone pinged; I received a notification that Mia had tagged me in a post. “I never thought someone would be willing to stay with me in an earthquake just to let me finish the last bite of steak, all because of one thing I said. Thank you, Liam.” I just found it ridiculous. This little girl had never seen the world. If this post was used by someone with ulterior motives, the Vance Group’s stock would likely hit the daily limit down. I was just pondering how to secretly scheme against Liam when I heard the sound of an approaching car. The next second, I was dragged into the car by a few men in black suits. “Miss Hastings, please come with us.” “Where to?” I instinctively stepped back. “Mr. Vance told us to take you to the hospital.” I paused, and just as I was about to refuse, I was grabbed by the arms on both sides, giving me no chance to break free. “Let me go! I can walk by myself!” As soon as I got out of the car, I saw Liam standing at the hospital entrance, looking at me with utter disgust. Mia, limping, leaned against him, looking as if she had suffered a grave injustice. “Liam, she’s here.” Mia said softly. I gritted my teeth. “Why did you bring me to the hospital?” “Don’t you love to pretend?” He sneered, looking down at me. “This scene today wouldn’t be complete without your acting.” He raised his hand and slapped me, making my eardrums ring and even drawing blood from the corner of my mouth. “Aren’t you supposed to have better hearing than others? How come you didn’t notice a thing before that piece of ceiling fell?” My swollen ankle gave out, and I stumbled, tumbling down the few steps in front of the hospital, looking completely disheveled. Liam closed in. “You didn’t warn us, didn’t speak up, you wanted Mia dead, didn’t you?! Or was the falling ceiling entirely your design?” Liam’s attitude changed so quickly, I immediately guessed someone had been gossiping. In my past life, seeing Liam favor Mia, those people would constantly badmouth me. I looked at Liam, my face full of grievance. “If I had called to stop, you probably would have been the first to call me a buzzkill. You said you’d get ugly with anyone who dared to leave, have you forgotten?” In my past life, pulling him away was my fault; this time, letting him wait is still my fault. Tears welled up in Mia’s eyes. “Liam, look at her, always making excuses. I just wanted to finish a piece of steak, and you wanted to see me get hurt? Why do you hate me so much?” I raised my hand and slapped Mia back. “Mia, don’t forget, I am Liam’s future wife!” Mia covered her face with one hand. “Liam, she hit me…” “Chloe Hastings!” Liam’s tone was filled with hatred. “You dare hit Mia in front of me? Are you crazy?” I sneered, “She started it, I’m just getting justice for myself. You’d better go investigate it yourself. It was a real earthquake today, not something I designed. I’m not that capable.” “Very well.” He suddenly turned his head, looked at Mia in his arms, and said gently, “Hit her back.” Mia was stunned. “Hit her back,” he repeated. “Since she dared to touch you, she should pay the price. Don’t be afraid, I’m here.” Mia shot me a timid glance, but a flash of triumph crossed her eyes. She stepped forward, pretending to argue with me, but took the opportunity to rip the buttons on my chest, exposing my cleavage. Even so, Liam had no intention of calling a stop. I quickly reached up to cover my chest, glaring angrily at Mia. “Mia?!” “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it. I just wanted to talk things out with you, but you suddenly lost control and ripped your own clothes…” “What did you say?” My pupils shrank as I looked at her in disbelief. “Chloe, you’re shameless.” Liam’s disgust deepened. “Arguing with someone looking so disheveled. If you don’t care about your dignity, I still care about mine!” “Mia!” My fingers trembled with anger. “You were the one who ripped my clothes!” “Enough!” Liam roared. “I saw it clearly, don’t you dare falsely accuse Mia again!” “Liam, it hurts.” Mia gently clutched her calf. The thin trail of blood had long stopped, but she still cried as if she were incredibly frail. “I was so angry at her just now I couldn’t catch my breath, and now my calf hurts again…” “Let’s go.” Liam didn’t hesitate to take off his coat and drape it over her. “I’ll take you for a full checkup.” Before leaving, Liam actually noticed my swollen ankle and frowned. But he still gave the doctors at the hospital a strict order: no one was allowed to treat me, considering it my punishment. I bought some Yunnan Baiyao and moved back into my own house. Late at night, I was awakened by a string of footsteps, only to find it was Liam. The next second, his hands were roaming over my body. “Liam!” My voice trembled. “What are you doing?!” My eyes widened, and I tried to push him away, but he pinned my hands down, pressing me firmly into the bed. “Wasn’t your performance at the hospital today because you were sexually frustrated?” I struggled and screamed, “Liam! Let me go!!” He sneered, “Why are you playing the chaste maiden here? It’s not like we haven’t done it before.” Liam forcefully kissed my lips, the taste of alcohol filling my mouth. He had been drinking. I suddenly remembered that in my past life, he got drunk because of Mia’s death, threw himself on me, and called out her name. That was the day I got pregnant. But this time, Mia only had minor injuries. Why is he acting like this? I bit his lip, and the smell of blood instantly filled the air. “You dare bite me?!” But this bite only deepened his beastly desire. He leaned in even closer. “Good, the more you act like this, the more I like it.” I screamed, grabbed the glass water cup from the nightstand, and smashed it against his head. “Crash!” He was stunned, his movements halting. I took the opportunity to push him away with all my might. Clutching the broken glass and dragging my burning ankle, I limped off the bed and shrank into the corner. “If you dare touch me again, I’ll kill myself right now!!” Liam wiped the blood from his face, staring at me blankly, his eyes full of anger and surprise. “You dare hit me? Chloe, you’ve really grown a spine!” “From today on, our engagement is off! Don’t even think about getting anything from me ever again!” The next day, Mia sent me photos of her and Liam in bed. “Sister, last night Liam was drunk and called out your name~ But in the end, I was the one who accompanied him.” “Yesterday happened to be my ovulation day. Who knows, there might already be a baby in my belly. The title of Mrs. Vance is going to be mine~” I couldn’t be bothered and just replied “Congrats.” Just two days after Liam left, I was barely able to get out of bed, my ankle still not fully healed, when the media exploded. [Liam Vance Announces Broken Engagement with Hastings Heiress] [Mia’s New Identity Revealed, May Become Mrs. Vance] My social media feeds and the trending topics were all filled with Mia smiling happily, while I became the background of a joke. But that’s okay. I couldn’t wait for them to lock it down. At 10:00 AM, I received a call from an unknown number. “Miss Hastings, there’s an auction at the Emerald Club at 10:00 PM tonight. Important clients will be there, involving the Vance Group’s future transformation projects. Mr. Vance instructed that you must attend. I will pick you up shortly.” After my father passed away, I invested almost all my money into the Vance Group. Even though Liam and I had fallen out, I had a share in what the Vance Group is today, so I’ll go this one last time. But I had a vague feeling Liam was up to no good, so I made a call in advance to have someone handle a few things for me.

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While I was recovering from a car accident in the hospital, my boyfriend accidentally sent me a message meant for someone else. 【Little Miss, are you satisfied with your uncle’s photography skills?】 Attached was a photo of a young girl in a princess dress, holding a dazzling bouquet of 999 red roses. Before I could look closely, the message was unsent. 【Sorry Chloe, sent that to the wrong person.】 Looking at the messages I had sent two hours ago, crying about my car accident, still hanging there unanswered… I suddenly felt incredibly exhausted. 【It’s fine.】 There wouldn’t be another chance for him to text the wrong person. … Arthur’s call came in the very next second. His voice was as gentle as always. “Chloe, you’re almost off work, right? I’ll be at your office soon.” “I brought that dessert you’ve been wanting to try. I lined up for forty minutes! And I got your favorite flowers.” “What do you want for dinner tonight? Hubby will cook for you. I’ve practiced that sweet and sour squirrel fish you mentioned several times.” I listened to him rambling on, his tone as tender as usual, but every word felt like a needle piercing my ear. Arthur noticed my silence, paused, and his tone took on a coaxing edge. “Chloe, are you mad?” He let out a helpless chuckle. “Don’t overthink it. Luna’s cat has been with her for a month now, and she insisted I come over to celebrate. Said it wouldn’t be complete without me.” “You’re always so busy with work, so I didn’t tell you. I’ll bring her over to apologize to you later.” “You know how little girls are, always obsessed with weird little ceremonies, not like us…” I finally couldn’t listen anymore and interrupted his self-absorbed monologue. “Arthur, I was in a car accident. I’m in the hospital.” The voice on the other end stopped. Then, it instantly became frantic, his breathing growing erratic. “Which hospital? How bad is it? Are your bones hurt? I’m coming right now. Why didn’t you tell me?” My voice was flat and emotionless, as if I were talking about someone else’s life. “Two hours ago, I sent you seven messages and called you twice. You didn’t answer.” Arthur froze, disbelief filling his voice. “How is that possible? I always reply to your messages instantly. There’s no way…” He stopped mid-sentence. We both realized what had happened at the same time. Sure enough, after a moment of silence, Arthur’s apologetic voice came through. “I’m sorry, Chloe. When you messaged, I was picking up the cat’s commemorative cake. My phone wasn’t on me.” “Luna… she deleted the notifications. I didn’t know you were in an accident.” “Chloe, don’t blame her. I asked Luna, she didn’t mean any harm. Don’t hold it against a kid.” It was the same tired excuse I had heard a million times. From the initial heartbreak I felt hearing it, my heart had now grown almost numb. “What if I had died?” My voice was very soft. “What if I died in that car accident today? Would you still use ‘she’s just a kid with no bad intentions’ to excuse her?” Dead silence filled the phone. My heart plummeted to the bottom of an abyss, heavy as lead. I hung up the phone. The tears that hadn’t fallen when I was hit by the car finally spilled over. My office wasn’t far from the hospital. Arthur probably ran red lights to get there, appearing in my room in just over ten minutes. He was holding a bouquet of white lisianthus, but they were even more glaring than the red roses in that photo. “Chloe, how are you? Let me see where you’re hurt.” “I’m sorry, Chloe. I’m late.” The guilt and heartache on Arthur’s face didn’t seem fake. He sat by the bed and tried to hold my hand. The moment his hand touched my fingertips, I coldly pulled away. Arthur’s hand hovered awkwardly in mid-air. He smoothly tried to smooth things over. “Chloe, I’m sorry. Luna was in the wrong this time.” “I apologize on her behalf. She just has a childish temper.” “When you’re discharged, how about I take you to Iceland to see the Northern Lights?” Going to Iceland to see the Northern Lights was the New Year’s resolution Arthur shared with me four years ago. Amidst brilliant fireworks, he told me that Aurora means dawn in Latin. And that he fell for me at the break of dawn. But the very next day, Luna broke her leg and threw a fit, demanding Arthur stay with her for physical therapy. The Iceland plan was just quietly dropped. Seeing I wasn’t speaking, Arthur leaned in closer, promising repeatedly. “Luna definitely won’t throw a tantrum this time. I promise I’ll convince her.” If it were the old me, I probably would have taken the out he offered. But I had compromised too many times. I almost forgot that I used to be someone who kept her word and refused to tolerate a single speck of dirt in her eye. “Then it’s settled. Don’t hold this against her…” “No.” “I don’t want to.” I looked up, staring intently into Arthur’s eyes, and rejected his proposal word by word. Arthur didn’t expect me to refuse. When he processed it, he became a bit annoyed. “Chloe, you’re not even seriously injured. Why are you being so petty?” “Luna didn’t mean any harm. Why can’t you just take the olive branch and let us all be happy?” My sharp gaze pierced straight through Arthur. “What her intentions are… do you really not know?” 2 Arthur’s expression didn’t change, but his eyes instinctively avoided my gaze. “We are just uncle and niece.” I don’t know if he was saying that to me, or reminding himself. I laughed out loud, looking mockingly at this man trying to sugarcoat reality. “Arthur, I’m not stupid.” Even an idiot would have seen it after six years. Arthur and I got together when we were 22. We were the “golden couple” of University A, admired by countless people. For the first two years, Arthur treated me incredibly well—too well to count. He remembered every single one of my preferences and never let me feel down. He specifically learned to cook to satisfy my picky palate. Gifts and flowers were never in short supply. When I had problems, he was always the first to step up. “Chloe, it’s okay. Just leave it to me.” Word by word, drop by drop, he built my trust and love for him. When I was 26, Arthur proposed and took me to meet his family. His parents passed away when he was young, and he grew up depending entirely on his older brother. On the day of our formal meeting, I saw Luna for the first time. I handed her the gift I had prepared, but she threw it on the ground without even looking and stomped on it. In front of everyone, she turned and threw herself into Arthur’s arms. “Uncle, I’m going to marry you when I grow up! Make this bad woman get out of our house!” For a moment, everyone laughed at her words. I was the only one standing there, feeling awkward and uneasy. But I couldn’t say anything, because it was just his little niece speaking “childish nonsense.” When I was 28, Arthur and I finally prepared to walk down the aisle. But I never expected that day to become my lifelong nightmare. Sixteen-year-old Luna brought a gang of people, crashed the wedding, and held a fruit knife to her own wrist. “Uncle, you tell me. Is my life more important, or marrying this woman?” The answer was self-evident. Arthur stayed with Luna in the hospital for half a month. And my meticulously planned wedding was destroyed. Later, Arthur spent two whole months comforting me. “Chloe, we’re just relatives. She’s just young and can’t tell the difference between familial love and romantic love. She’ll grow out of it.” And so, I kept using Luna and Arthur’s relationship to comfort myself. Until a week ago, when photos of 20-year-old Luna passionately kissing someone else were sent to Arthur’s phone. We were in the middle of enjoying some long-overdue intimacy. Right before the climax, Arthur saw the message. That was the first time I saw him so angry. His face turned ashen as he abandoned me and rushed out of the house without a second thought. No matter how much I cried and begged him to stay, it was useless. It was also that night that I finally learned Arthur and Luna had no blood relation. Luna was the adopted daughter of the Sterling family. And Arthur had known all along. Yet he never rejected Luna’s feelings. He even used that excuse to fob me off for six years. My eyes grew slightly red. The excuses I used to comfort myself for all those years turned into slaps hitting me hard in the face. But Arthur’s tone remained calm. “Even if she’s adopted, we can only ever be uncle and niece.” “The person I love is you.” “It’s Chloe.” I looked at him for a long time. It was hard to connect this person with the 22-year-old Arthur who had such a sincere heart. Finally, I turned my head away. “Arthur, we’re done.” 3 Arthur looked surprised, not taking my words seriously. I had brought up breaking up the year the wedding was crashed, but he eventually coaxed me back. He probably thought I was just acting out in anger and spoke half-jokingly, “Chloe, do you think you can just leave me that easily now? We’ve been married for six years.” “I won’t agree to a divorce.” Just as he finished speaking, a cheerful ringtone sounded. It was Luna’s custom ringtone. Arthur answered the phone, said a few words, and hurriedly stood up. He only offered an explanation when he reached the door. “Chloe, Luna’s cat doesn’t look like it’s going to make it. I’m going to go check.” “I’ll call Martha over to take care of you later. Rest well, don’t overthink things.” I heard the door close and shrank under the covers. But Arthur, we were never married. Back then, Arthur and I agreed to hold the wedding first and get the marriage certificate the next day. But because of Luna’s stunt, my wedding became a laughingstock. Everyone was focused on Luna cutting her wrists. No one brought up the marriage certificate again. Later, when Luna was finally discharged, every time I tried to bring it up with Arthur, he would be called away by Luna for various reasons. Although we didn’t have the certificate, because of the wedding, everyone around us called me Mrs. Sterling. Over time, even Arthur forgot that we never actually got the certificate. I called my best friend, Mia. In less than fifteen minutes, she appeared at the door, panting. “Chloe, how are you? Does it hurt? Where are you injured?” “Where’s Arthur? You’re in a car accident and he’s not even here to see you?” “Did he go accompany that niece of his again?!” Seeing her, the emotions I had been suppressing for days finally broke the dam. I buried my face in her chest and cried until I couldn’t breathe. Mia cursed a few times and was about to go find Arthur to settle the score. I shook my head and pulled her back. “I broke up with him.” Mia froze for a moment, then hugged me tightly. “Good riddance! We don’t need a deadbeat man with no boundaries!” For the next few days, Mia took time off work to personally take care of me. Arthur never showed up again. Although he didn’t come, I still saw his itinerary through Luna’s social media. Luna’s cat died. To cheer her up, Arthur went drag racing with her, protected her while she partied at a club, and carried her all the way home when she got drunk. I clicked on the photo, blinded by the flashy club lights. I suddenly remembered a heart-to-heart with Arthur many years ago. He had said he absolutely hated messy, chaotic places like clubs. But no matter how much he hated a place, he was willing to go with Luna. Luna’s messages popped up at the same time. 【So pathetic. The bad woman gets in a car accident and doesn’t even have anyone to keep her company.】 【I really don’t know what an old hag like you has to compete with me. If you know what’s good for you, get out early.】 I ignored her messages and cleanly blocked and deleted both her and Arthur. When Luna realized she was blocked, she came to the hospital to visit me the very next day. 4 She wore a flashy red outfit, looking down at me condescendingly, making no effort to hide the provocation in her eyes. “Chloe, how have you been these past few days?” “I’ve been having a great time.” She sat down by my bed. “Arthur hasn’t come to see you once these past few days, has he?” I stared at her coldly. “What exactly are you trying to say?” “Nothing. I just thought you looked a bit pathetic, so I brought Arthur to see you today.” Luna’s tone was dripping with the superiority of the favored one. She sighed softly. “Look at you. Why didn’t you just die early like your mother? What’s the point of living if you can’t even keep your man…” My pupils shrank. I was instantly enraged and raised my hand to slap her. Just as I was about to speak, the hospital room door was pushed open. “Chloe, don’t push it!” Arthur, carrying takeout containers, stepped forward and shielded Luna. “Luna came here specifically to apologize to you today. No matter what, you can’t just hit someone for no reason!” I laughed out of anger. “For no reason?” “Do you have any idea what she just…” “Uncle, I’m fine. It was my fault anyway.” Luna quickly interrupted me. Disappointment flickered in Arthur’s eyes. I tried to explain, “She started it…” But Arthur didn’t want to hear it. “Chloe, I thought you were magnanimous and knew your limits. Now it seems you can’t even tolerate a kid.” “Think about what you’ve done.” With that, he took Luna and walked out of the room without looking back. Leaving me standing there stunned, feeling like my chest was stuffed with cotton, making it hard to breathe. For the next week, unknown numbers constantly sent me photos of Arthur and Luna. There was even a selfie of Luna with a sleeping Arthur in the background. Every photo felt like a piece of flesh being carved from my heart. So much so that my first priority upon being discharged was packing my bags. If you can’t solve the source of the pain, just uproot it completely. While I was packing, Arthur called me after a long silence. “Chloe, why did you block me on WeChat?” “Are you still mad? Don’t be so petty.” “I’ll come back and stay with you tonight. I’ll make sweet and sour squirrel fish for you, okay?” My tone was indifferent. “No need. We’ve already broken up.” “Who took care of you these past few days? Why didn’t you tell me Martha didn’t go?” “Is it necessary? We both know exactly who stopped Martha.” Arthur went silent for a few seconds, his tone still exasperated. “Don’t throw a tantrum and casually mention breaking up. Chloe, be a good girl.” “Wait for me to come back and coax you.” I didn’t respond. I hung up and blocked his number in one smooth motion. Then I grabbed my suitcase and left the house I had lived in for six years without looking back. 5 Arthur arrived home at exactly 8 PM, but Luna was trailing behind him. Luna had insisted on eating Martha’s cooking, and he couldn’t say no. “Chloe?” “Chloe? I’m home.” The house was dead silent. There was no cheerful female voice responding to him as he expected. Arthur smiled helplessly. Still acting like when she was young—giving the silent treatment when she’s mad. “Chloe, come out.” He searched every room, even the storage closet, but still didn’t see Chloe. A sudden, inexplicable panic gripped Arthur’s heart. He hurriedly grabbed Martha, who was preparing to cook. “Where is my wife?” “The Madam left with her suitcase early this morning.” Martha sighed. “Sir, did you make the Madam angry again?” Arthur froze. He quickly pulled out his phone to call her, but was met with nothing but a busy signal. His heart pounded wildly, his tone taking on a blaming edge. “Martha, why didn’t you stop her? She’s been in a bad mood lately, throwing a little tantrum and threatening to break up with me.” “Now that she’s gone, I don’t even know where to go to coax her.” Before Martha could speak, Luna suddenly laughed, her voice full of excitement. “What? That woman finally broke up with you?!” She rushed forward in two steps and grabbed Arthur’s arm, her face unable to hide her joy. “Arthur, you can finally be with me!” Arthur wasn’t in the mood for her nonsense right now. He pulled his arm away. “Stop messing around. Chloe and I are husband and wife. I am not going to divorce her.” Luna smiled sweetly. “What divorce? Arthur, you and Chloe never even got married.” Arthur froze in place, instinctively retorting. “What nonsense are you talking about? Chloe and I had a wedding…” Halfway through his sentence, he suddenly remembered something. His face turned deathly pale. His and Chloe’s wedding had been ruined by Luna. The planned trip to get the marriage certificate was delayed again and again because of Luna, until eventually, even he forgot about it. Luna looked thrilled. “This is great! I’ve finally waited for this day!” “Arthur, I’m twenty now. Let’s go get our marriage certificate tomorrow, how about it?” Arthur’s face was ashen. He stumbled back a few steps, grabbing the sofa to steady himself. “Luna, I am your uncle!” “So what? We’re not blood-related.” “And I love you! I’m younger than Chloe, I’m prettier than Chloe. Being with me is a guaranteed win.” Saying this, Luna stood on her tiptoes, trying to kiss Arthur’s lips. For the first time, he pushed her away as if avoiding a poisonous snake. “Luna, it is impossible for me to be with you.” “My lover can only be Chloe.” “Give up on this idea.” He tried every single way to contact me, but found he was blocked everywhere. Arthur finally realized I was serious this time. With red eyes, he bolted out the door. 6 After moving out, I temporarily stayed at Mia’s place. Having her there made the withdrawal symptoms manageable. But I underestimated Arthur’s capability. When I saw him standing under a streetlight, looking haggard and holding a bouquet of flowers, I immediately turned to leave. But Arthur didn’t give me the chance. “Chloe!” He rushed over in two or three strides, only to be stopped by a furious Mia. “What do you want?” I looked at the person in front of me coldly. “Why are you here? We’ve already broken up.” Arthur shook his head repeatedly. “I don’t agree to the breakup. We didn’t break up. Chloe, you’re just angry.” “No.” I smiled ironically. “Mr. Sterling seems to have forgotten. We never got our marriage certificate. This is me unilaterally informing you of our breakup. I don’t need your agreement.” That sentence was like a heavy hammer slamming into Arthur’s chest. “Chloe, I didn’t physically cheat. I didn’t betray you.” “Luna and I are impossible. I rejected her. We will only ever be uncle and niece for the rest of our lives.” Arthur hadn’t physically cheated, but every single moment he chose her over me felt like a slap in the face. “We clearly already had the wedding… I thought…” I sneered and cut him off. “You thought what? You thought my compromises meant I didn’t care? Or were you so certain I could never leave you in this lifetime?” Arthur’s lips trembled, his eyes filled with pain and panic. Seeing I was about to leave, he dropped to one knee with a thud. The gazes of everyone around us instantly locked onto us, but he acted as if he didn’t see them. “Chloe, I’m sorry.” “I was out of line before. I broke your heart. You married me, but we never even got the certificate.” “I will propose to you again. I will give you a grander wedding.” “I swear I will love you forever, cherish you, and never let you suffer any grievances again.” “I am willing to use the rest of my life to make up for my mistakes.” His voice was choked with emotion, every word sounding as if it were squeezed out of his throat. My mind went blank for a second. Not because I was moved, but because of the sheer absurdity of it. So he knew he lacked boundaries. He understood my grievances. He knew exactly how to make up for them. He knew everything, but he just wasn’t willing to do anything. My heart, which had been soaking in warm water, finally belatedly felt the agony of being boiled alive. Two lines of tears unknowingly fell to the ground. I touched my cheek blankly, only realizing then that I was crying. Meeting Arthur’s stubborn gaze, I shook my head. My voice was very light, but exceptionally firm. “Arthur, it’s too late. Hurting once is enough.” I pulled Mia along, walking around Arthur kneeling on the ground, and headed straight for the house. Arthur abruptly stood up at the very last second before we entered the building. His voice carried absolute resolve. “Chloe, I’m going to pursue you again!” “I won’t give up! I will make you see my sincerity!” I didn’t respond. From the moment he abandoned me, this relationship was destined to have no point of return.

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When Arthur Vance tried to force me into a divorce for that actress one more time. I chose to compromise. The hand holding his cigarette paused. After a long moment, a half-smile played on his lips: “What, being so obedient this time.” “Did you figure out throwing a tantrum is useless, so you’re trying a new tactic?” I took off my wedding ring and said calmly: “No, I just don’t want to drag this out anymore.” 1 After a long silence, Arthur put out his cigarette. Leaning against the wall, he said leisurely: “Actually, there’s no rush.” “It’s just that Mia’s career is taking off right now.” “You constantly harassing her is really annoying.” I didn’t answer, just carefully signed my name on the divorce agreement, stroke by stroke. Then I said, “Don’t worry, it won’t happen again.” Arthur stiffened slightly, seemingly lost in thought. A moment later, he stood up straight, a barely perceptible trace of irritation in his voice: “Good, it better be.” “Otherwise… you know the consequences.” My body instinctively trembled. The last time I was forced to divorce, I had a breakdown. I directly leaked the explicit photos Mia had sent to provoke me online. But Arthur sued me for defamation. Afterwards, her fans doxxed me, forcing a public apology. That time, after hearing the court rule in his favor, Arthur was just like this, calmly watching me break down. Then, raising an eyebrow, he dropped the line: “Wife, are you satisfied with this result?” It’s strange. It was so painful and suffocating then. But thinking back on it now, My heart feels completely numb, only finding it ironic. After walking out the door with my luggage, I looked at the plane ticket in my hand. With hindsight, I realized. I had finally let go of this relationship that had left me in such a pathetic state. 2 On the large screen in the mall. Mia, endorsing a major lipstick brand, smiled with dazzling confidence. It gradually overlapped with the image of the little girl baring her fangs to provoke me in my memory. Arthur was right about one thing. Mia’s career was indeed taking off recently. Those explicit photos not only failed to affect her, But instead, because of her unapologetic attitude, fans praised her as an “independent, clear-headed leading lady.” But the first time I discovered Arthur was cheating, Was due to Mia’s own provocation. At that time, I turned the entire Vance family upside down. I made sure everyone knew about Arthur’s scandalous affair. During that time, all the wives I was on good terms with were advising me. Advising me to be magnanimous. Advising me to compromise. But I was full of hatred. I hated Arthur for betraying me. Hated him for turning me into a hysterical madwoman. While he lived it up, embracing his little lover. I refused to accept it and refused to compromise. Until that time, reporters caught them going to a hotel room together. The situation blew up, and Arthur, to protect Mia’s future and reputation, Decisively chose to go public with their relationship. Back then, the top trending searches were all about the love story between the wealthy heir and the actress. Driven mad by the provocation, I ran to Arthur’s company and caused a huge scene. Arthur suppressed his anger and told Mia to leave first, which only made me break down further. I smashed his head with an ashtray, cursing him for being trash from a dumpster. At the end of the argument, his face cold, he blurted out: “Yes! I am trash, and I did cheat. If you can’t stand it, then let’s get a divorce!” As the words fell, both he and I froze. But in the end, I spoke first. I was more hysterical than before, acting more like a madwoman. “Why should I agree to a divorce?!” “Why should I step aside for you and that bitch?!” “Arthur, you and she deserve to carry the names of adulterer and homewrecker for the rest of your lives!!!” 3 After that incident, we parted on bad terms. Arthur didn’t even come home anymore. The only way I knew his whereabouts was through Mia’s affectionate posts on social media. Under the multiple blows, I made an extreme decision, intending to drag us all down together. I posted my marriage certificate with Arthur online, pointing out the fact of their affair. But before the situation could escalate, Arthur made his move. He paid a high price to bribe my mother’s attending physician, keeping him stranded abroad. Then he forced me to clarify that the marriage certificate was fake. The moment I heard the news, all color drained from my face. I didn’t even notice Mia’s provocative, triumphant look. I almost shrieked in a breakdown: “Arthur, you know perfectly well her illness can’t be delayed!” “You know this will kill her!” “How can you be so ruthless!?” But Arthur remained unmoved, still calmly smoking his cigarette. After I collapsed on the sofa, exhausted, He finally put out his cigarette, saying unhurriedly: “Wife, don’t expect me to go easy on you.” “Go clarify it, don’t ruin her.” At that moment, my heart felt a suffocation and despair like never before. Like a dying fish, only able to helplessly flop on the shore. I couldn’t even believe the man in front of me was my former lover. It was also that day that I finally decided to end this relationship. 4 But what left me in a pathetic state was far more than just this. My mother’s illness couldn’t wait; I could only choose to compromise. I personally admitted that the marriage certificate was fake, that it was all because of my jealousy and wishful thinking. The comment section of that post is still filled with filthy insults directed at me to this day. “Lady, are you crazy desperate for a man?!” “Psycho, daring to spread rumors that my goddess is a mistress. How cheap can you get.” “Who’s gonna go slap her to wake her up?” “Crowdfunding, I’m putting in five bucks.” “I’m putting in ten.” … During that time, I was in a daze, like a walking corpse. I could only escape by staying at my mother’s bedside. Perhaps my condition was too haggard; even without accessing the internet, My mother sensed something was wrong. Sighing, she talked to me about my past with Arthur. Young love is always the purest. In high school, Arthur liked me but was too insecure to confess. He only followed me day after day, escorting me home. Until the day I was targeted by a few thugs. To protect me, Arthur had three ribs broken. Yet he gritted his teeth, shielding me tightly beneath him. Afterward, naturally, I fell in love with him. At that time, Arthur hadn’t been recognized by the Vance family yet. He was still that wild kid living with his grandmother, never having enough to eat or wear. It was my mother who kept helping him out. Even his tuition was paid by my mother. But now, my mother’s past kindness had become a sharp knife aimed at her. She didn’t know what her daughter was currently facing. I looked at my mother’s increasingly haggard face. Thinking, let it be. At the very least, I still have my mother. At the very least, I am not completely left with nothing. But fate loves to play tricks on the unfortunate. 5 When I received my mother’s critical condition notice, I rushed to the hospital like a madwoman. Only to be forcefully cornered at my doorstep by Mia’s fans. They doxxed me and found my home address. Righteously confronting me. I couldn’t break free from the crowd, my eyes red with anxiety. I could only keep explaining the truth of the matter. But no one believed me. “Hilarious, still daydreaming here, how pathetic are you?” “Weren’t you arrogant when you slandered my goddess as a mistress? Who are you crying for now?” During the argument, someone got angry and shoved me hard: “So shameless, hurry up and apologize!” I stumbled and fell awkwardly to the ground. I heard someone snicker. Enduring the stinging pain in my knees, I finally compromised. Like a marionette, I kept apologizing to the cameras. “I was being cheap, I was delusional.” “I’m sorry to Mia, it’s all my fault.” “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” That group of self-righteous fans, acting like they had won a victorious battle, laughingly let me go. “Shouldn’t you have done this earlier?” But by the time I rushed to the hospital, it was too late. For a moment, I thought I was having a very long dream. When the dream woke up, I was still the little girl sleeping in my mother’s arms. I hadn’t met Arthur yet, hadn’t sunk to the point of being trampled upon. But reality dealt me a fatal blow. I chose the wrong person, and I didn’t even get to see my mother one last time.

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I am the apex predator of the deepest trenches of the ocean, yet for seven years, I played the role of a pathetic, fragile trophy wife on dry land. I bore three sons for a ruthless billionaire. Every single one of them was a certified genius. And every single one of them was a cold-blooded ingrate. My husband found me utterly boring, treating me like a decorative canary in a gilded cage. My three sons found me useless, openly calling me a parasite who merely leached off their father’s greatness. Until the day the moisture began to evaporate from my veins, and the sharp edges of my scales finally pierced through my human skin. Right in front of their eyes, I threw myself into the raging, black waves. When my colossal, iridescent silver-blue tail breached the surface and summoned a tidal wave that eclipsed the sky, they entirely lost their minds. 1 I was a siren masquerading in high society. Seven years ago, I saved a man from drowning in the violent undertow of the Pacific. His name was Harrison Crawford. To repay the cosmic debt of altering his fate—and to maintain my human legs—I paid an agonizing price. I became perpetually sickly, anemic, and in the eyes of his elite circle, entirely “useless.” In the cutthroat world of corporate America, Harrison was known as the Grim Reaper of Wall Street. He was ruthless, volatile, and terrifyingly brilliant. Everyone whispered that I was just the most obedient pet he kept locked in his sprawling, cliffside Malibu estate. Even I had started to believe it. Until the afternoon I was scrolling idly on my phone and stumbled upon a viral Reddit thread: What do you do when you realize you genuinely despise the children you birthed? The comments were a mixed bag, mostly people telling the original poster to seek therapy or look on the bright side. I stared at the glowing screen, entirely numb. Look on the bright side? I was splintering apart from the inside out. Because my three precious sons were currently standing in the center of the vaulted living room, looking at me with the exact same expression one might use to inspect a piece of rotting garbage. My eldest, Oliver, a sixteen-year-old boy with a verified IQ of 180, pushed his designer glasses up the bridge of his nose. His voice was like cracked ice. “Mother, if you interrupt Father’s board meeting again over something as trivial as nicking your finger with a paring knife, I am going to suggest we replace all the cutlery in the house with plastic.” My middle son, Hunter, the infamous fourteen-year-old terror of his elite private school, kicked his expensive sneakers onto the marble coffee table, rolling his eyes. “Seriously. You’re so dramatic. Everyone else’s mom is a CEO or a partner at a law firm. And you? You just sit at home, cry, and faint. It’s humiliating.” Then there was Mason. My five-year-old. He was at the age where everything he did should have been endearing, but the words slipping past his cherubic lips were the most venomous of all. “Mommy is stupid. Without Daddy, Mommy would starve to death in the street.” I looked at these three miniature, carbon copies of Harrison. And in that quiet, devastating moment, the flickering flame of my maternal love didn’t explode. It didn’t burn the house down. It just gave a soft hiss and extinguished completely. Genetics were a terrifying thing. They hadn’t inherited a single drop of my majestic, oceanic grace. But they had absorbed every ounce of Harrison’s cold, transactional cruelty down to their very marrow. I looked down at the shallow cut on my index finger. I wasn’t being dramatic. I was in agony. It wasn’t the cut that hurt. It was the flesh beneath the cut—the place where my dormant scales lay hidden—that felt like it was being held to an open flame. My time was up. The ocean was calling me back. If I didn’t submerge myself in the sea soon, this delicate, pathetic human skin of mine was going to rupture. “I understand.” I pulled a tissue from the box and casually wiped the blood from my finger. My voice was eerily flat, devoid of its usual trembling apology. Normally, this was the part where my eyes would well with tears. I would stutter, shrink into myself, and try to explain that I had only brought the fruit into the study because I was worried about their father skipping lunch. But today, I was just so unbelievably tired. The suffocating dehydration in my lungs made every breath feel like inhaling crushed glass. Oliver blinked, clearly thrown off by my profound apathy. He frowned, opening his mouth to issue another biting remark, but the heavy oak front door swung open. Harrison was home. He was wearing a bespoke charcoal suit that clung perfectly to his broad shoulders. He was undeniably breathtaking—aloof, untouchable, like a solitary peak covered in alpine snow. It was this very face that had short-circuited my brain seven years ago, making me reckless enough to drag him from the deep and tether my existence to his. “Dad!” The three boys who had just been crucifying me instantly transformed. Their faces lit up with adoration as they rushed the foyer, practically tripping over themselves to greet him. Harrison gave a low hum of acknowledgment, shrugging off his jacket and handing it to the housekeeper. His dark eyes bypassed his sons entirely and landed dead on me. His gaze was heavy, saturated with a suffocating possessiveness, yet entirely devoid of warmth. He looked at me the way a man looks at a very expensive, very private piece of real estate. “What happened to your hand?” he asked. His voice was a low, magnetic baritone that usually made my heart skip a beat. If this were yesterday, I would have already crossed the room, burying my face in his chest and seeking his comfort. Right now, the sound of his voice just gave me a headache. “Nothing. Slipped while cutting an apple.” I didn’t move from the plush sofa. Harrison’s hands stalled as he loosened his silk tie. He walked slowly across the room, stopping right in front of me. He towered over me, his long, aristocratic fingers snapping out to grip my chin, forcing my face up to meet his. “Gemma, what kind of tantrum is this?” His brows knitted together. He detested my indifference. “It’s your birthday today. I canceled a massive dinner gala to come home to you, and you’re going to give me an attitude?” Oh. So it was my birthday. I had completely forgotten. The birthday printed on my human driver’s license was actually the exact date I had pulled his half-dead body from the reef. My actual age was measured in centuries. “I’m not throwing a tantrum.” I swatted his hand away. Where his skin touched mine, it felt blisteringly, uncomfortably hot. “I’m just tired. I want to sleep.” Harrison’s face darkened instantly. In this house, no one defied him. No one except the old me, who had worshipped the very ground he walked on. “Gemma.” The warning in his tone was unmistakable. “Do not test my patience today. You know very well how much I despise disobedient things.” Things. This was the man I had loved for seven agonizing years. To him, I wasn’t a wife. I wasn’t a partner. I was a “thing.” A beautiful, fragile ornament that was good for breeding and looking pretty at charity galas. My three sons stood a few feet away, watching the exchange with thinly veiled amusement. They loved a good show. Hunter even whistled under his breath. “Mom, just drop the act and apologize to Dad. He bought you that limited-edition Birkin. It cost like, a hundred grand.” I stared at the four of them. The perfect, untouchable Crawford men. Suddenly, the whole charade felt incredibly mundane. I was the sovereign of the abyss. The queen of a million tides. And for what? To play the submissive, weeping housewife to this arrogant prick for seven years? What the hell was the point? In human terms, yes, Harrison Crawford was the apex of power, wealth, and masculine perfection—a man countless women would kill for. But looking at him now, through the eyes of a dying creature of the sea, he just looked pathetic. “Harrison.” I stood up, holding his gaze without flinching. It was the first time I had ever addressed him by his given name without a prefix of endearment. Harrison narrowed his eyes. The air around him turned instantly dangerous. “I want to go to the ocean,” I said. “No,” he rejected the request immediately, his tone final. “There’s a hurricane moving up the coast. The water is volatile. It’s not safe.” “I am going.” I held my ground. The drought in my veins had reached a critical mass. I could feel a terrifying heat radiating through my legs—the biological imperative of my body trying to fuse my thighs together to form a tail. If I didn’t touch saltwater within the hour, I was going to transform right here on the Persian rug. And that would probably give this entire miserable family a collective heart attack. “Gemma!” Harrison’s temper finally snapped. He grabbed my wrist, his grip like a steel vise, squeezing so hard I felt the bones grind. “Have you completely lost your mind today? You have a perfect life. Why must you deliberately provoke me?” “I haven’t lost my mind.” I tasted copper in the back of my throat. I swallowed down a violent wave of physical agony and managed to curve my lips into a smile that felt more like a grimace. “Harrison, I regret it.” I regret saving you. I regret loving you. I regret giving birth to your three little sociopaths. Harrison’s pupils dilated in shock, and his grip tightened bruisingly. “Regret? What right do you have to regret anything? Without me, you wouldn’t even have a roof over your head! You’d better remember exactly who you are, Gemma!” “Yeah, Mom. Without Dad, you’re literally a nobody,” Hunter chimed in from the sidelines. “Enough!” I violently wrenched my arm out of Harrison’s grasp. Perhaps it was the adrenaline of impending transformation, but my strength surged. The sheer force of my pull sent Harrison—a man who was easily six-foot-two—stumbling two steps backward. The entire room went dead silent. Even I was briefly stunned. I glanced down and saw it. Along the pale skin of my wrist, a cluster of fine, iridescent, silver-blue scales had flared up. It was only for a split second, but I knew I couldn’t hide it anymore. “I am going to the water.” I stared into Harrison’s eyes, my expression hollow. “Consider it my final birthday request. I’m begging you.” Maybe the absolute desolation in my eyes frightened him. Or maybe he had simply never seen me look so utterly detached from him. He stared at me for a long, heavy silence, before finally spitting out a single word: “Fine.” “If you want to go freeze in the wind, go. But don’t expect me to pity you when you get sick.” 2 The Crawford family’s private mega-yacht was massive and obscenely luxurious. The weather outside was apocalyptic. On the eve of the hurricane, the ocean was an expanse of inky, churning blackness, roaring like a beast with its jaws unhinged. Harrison stood on the teak deck, a crystal glass of bourbon in his hand, letting the violent winds whip through his dark hair. The three boys huddled safely inside the climate-controlled cabin, pressing their faces against the reinforced glass to watch me. Their eyes were full of mocking pity, like they were watching a madwoman perform. I was wearing the diaphanous white silk dress Harrison liked so much. Barefoot, I walked methodically toward the railing. The gale-force winds hit me, carrying the sharp, metallic tang of sea salt and crushed kelp. It smelled like home. I took a greedy, shuddering breath, feeling every single pore on my dying body scream in absolute euphoria. “Are you done with this performance yet?” Harrison had materialized beside me, his voice slightly muffled over the roar of the squall. “When you’re done acting out, go inside. Gemma, my patience has expired.” He thought this was a cry for attention. He thought I was playing some pathetic human game of ‘hard to get.’ I turned around, leaning my lower back against the slick metal railing, and looked at this man I had worshipped for a near-decade. He was aging. There were faint lines creeping around his eyes, a dusting of silver at his temples. As a siren, time meant nothing to me. It left no mark on my flesh. For seven years, to make myself look like a proper human wife, I had worn heavy, mature makeup. I had feigned human frailty. “Harrison.” I called his name. The wind was deafening, but my voice cut through it, light and crystalline. “Actually, I never told you the truth about that day. The person who dragged you from the riptide… it was me.” Harrison frowned, annoyed. “What kind of nonsense is this? The person who saved me was…” He was about to say a passing local fisherman’s daughter. That was the narrative he had always believed. It was the lie I had spun to protect us both. “Forget it. It doesn’t matter anymore.” I smiled softly, reaching up to pull the pins from my intricate updo. My long, dark hair whipped wildly in the storm. Deep within my chest, a dormant, ancient power began to uncoil. “Harrison, I’m going home.” “Going where? This is your home!” He reached out impatiently, intending to drag me away from the edge. “Back to the sea.” I took half a step backward. My body was now entirely suspended over the precipice of the railing. Below me, the black, frothing waves screamed for my return. Harrison’s face went chalk-white. For the first time in seven years, genuine, unadulterated terror shattered his composed facade. “Gemma! What the hell are you doing?! Get down! Are you insane?!” Inside the cabin, the boys finally realized this wasn’t a tantrum. They threw the sliding glass doors open and poured onto the slick deck. “Mom! Stop! Don’t be stupid!” “Mommy!” Ah. So this was their belated concern. It weighed less than dust. I looked at their terrified, panicked faces, and found that the cavern in my chest where my heart used to beat for them was completely, blissfully empty. “Harrison, keep the children. I don’t owe you a single thing anymore.” With that, I spread my arms wide. Like a kite with its string violently cut, I leaned back, letting gravity take me. “GEMMA—!!!” Harrison’s raw, throat-tearing scream was instantly swallowed by the roar of the ocean. He lunged forward like a madman, his fingers closing desperately around the hem of my dress. Riiiiiip. The sound of silk tearing. I plummeted into the freezing, violent depths. The moment the dark water swallowed me whole, the agonizing suffocation of the past seven years vanished. In its place was a blinding, intoxicating rush of power. My human legs fused. The bones cracked and lengthened, morphing rapidly into a massive, breathtakingly radiant silver-blue tail. The fragile, useless human skin melted away, replaced by impenetrable, glittering scales. With a single, violent thrust of my tail, I shattered the surface of the water. The colossal wave I generated slammed into the mega-yacht, sending it violently tilting on its axis. A jagged fork of lightning illuminated the sky. And in that flash of blinding white light, Harrison and his three sons stared down at the ocean. They saw it. They saw the frail, sickly woman who couldn’t even cut an apple without bleeding. Right now, she was suspended in the heart of a raging hurricane, her ethereal, monstrous tail longer than the yacht itself, glowing with a bioluminescent fire against the black waves. I looked up at them, my golden, slitted pupils filled with nothing but cold, ancient indifference. “Goodbye, humans.” I opened my mouth, but the sound that tore from my throat was no longer human. It was the haunting, earth-shattering, ethereal wail of a siren. It was a song that could drive a man to absolute madness, or force him to forget everything he ever loved. But I didn’t cast a spell on them. I merely gave them one final, lingering look of disdain. Then, with a magnificent flick of my tail, I dove straight into the abyssal depths. I left nothing behind but a massive, swirling vortex in the water, and four paralyzed statues on a violently rocking deck.

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It took twelve years to get Gavin to say “I do.” Twelve years of playing the devoted shadow to a man who ruled the city’s underworld with an iron fist. But on the morning of our engagement gala, a single phone call from his “childhood friend” was all it took. Gavin abandoned me and a ballroom full of elite guests to chase her into the rainy night. Twelve years of sacrifice, all rendered worthless by a girl’s whimpering voice on the line: “If you don’t care about me, I’ll just disappear.” Inside my head, the System let out a cold, metallic sigh. [Host, would you like to switch your target?] I stood in front of the vanity, my fingers trembling as I tore the silk veil from my hair. The lace snagged on my skin, drawing a thin line of red. [Switch him,] I whispered. I cashed in every point I had earned over a decade to pivot to a new target: Dominic Cross, the enigmatic heir to the largest offshore criminal syndicate. To my surprise, the progress was dizzying. When I was cornered in a dark alley by Gavin’s enemies, Dominic deployed his entire security detail to pull me out. When I was hospitalized with a high fever, he stayed by my bed for three days, refusing to eat or sleep. The day he had to fly back to London to handle family business, he pulled me into his arms, his voice thick with a promise that felt like a lifeline. “Madeline, wait for me. When I get back, I’m giving you the wedding of the century.” I leaned into his chest, closing my eyes, truly believing that my long winter was finally over. Then, the System’s notification pierced through the fantasy like a shard of ice: [Target: Dominic Cross. Favorability Rating: -60.] On this scale, a stranger starts at zero. A negative number… that means loathing. I didn’t want to believe it. Using the passcode he gave me, I let myself into his penthouse and searched every corner. Deep in the back of a mahogany cabinet in his study, I found a heavy iron box. Inside were forty-four handwritten letters. Each one was signed by Dominic. And each one was addressed to a single name: Melanie Frost. 1 It was her again. A tear hit the parchment, blurring a dried, dark-red stain. It wasn’t ink. It was blood. I traced the jagged handwriting, and all I could think about was the blood I’d seen pouring from Dominic’s side when he took a knife for me. It was the same shade. At the time, I had pressed my hands against his wound, sobbing, while he whispered, “I’d bleed a thousand times over just to keep you safe.” But that -60 rating was a serrated blade cutting through the hallucination. The life-saving heroics, the tender whispers—it was all a performance. Desperate for some other explanation, I dug to the bottom of the box. There, I found a photocopied letter in Gavin’s unmistakable, sharp script. I had spent twelve years memorizing his handwriting; it was etched into my marrow. “Dominic, Madeline is stubborn. She’ll hate Melanie because I left her at the gala. She’s only using you to get back at me. I know you love Melanie, but for her sake, please make Madeline fall for you while she’s vulnerable. Keep her occupied so she doesn’t use her family’s influence to hurt Melanie.” “Melanie is fragile. It’s hard for her to be with me, and I’m too busy to protect her from every angle. I’m counting on you to keep Madeline away from her.” Every word was earnest, stripped of Gavin’s usual coldness. The alleyway ambush, the hospital vigil, the airport promise—it was all a scripted play. A grand conspiracy between two powerful men to safeguard their precious Melanie. I put everything back, my mind a hollow shell. As I walked out of the building, I ran straight into Melanie. She was wearing a custom-made Dior dress—a gift from Gavin—and her smile was a venomous thing. “Coming to bring Dominic more ‘warmth’?” she asked, her voice sugary and sharp. “He flew back overseas last week. Didn’t he tell you?” I looked at her, my lips twitching into a ghost of a smile. “He only said goodbye to you, then? If he’s that devoted, why didn’t you go with him?” Melanie’s face paled, her eyes instantly welling with tears. “Dominic and I are just old friends. Why do you have to be so cruel? My heart belongs to Gavin.” Before she could finish, a black Bentley screeched to the curb. Gavin stepped out, his strides long and aggressive as he shielded her behind him. He looked at me, his eyes freezing over. “Madeline, that’s enough.” I watched him stand there like a knight protecting a princess, and I started to laugh until the tears came. “One word of ‘bullying’ from her, and my twelve years of devotion become the joke of the town,” I said, my voice cracking. “The night of the gala, when you left me to chase her, did it ever cross your mind that I was the victim?” Gavin’s brow furrowed, a flicker of something—guilt, maybe—passing through his eyes, but his voice remained hard. “The past is the past. Stop clinging to it.” “You have Dominic now,” he added, dismissively. “Be content with that.” Melanie peeked from behind his shoulder, her eyes shimmering. “Madeline, it’s all my fault. Please don’t blame Gavin…” My phone rang. An international number. The moment I answered, Dominic’s voice came through the speaker, warm and honeyed. “Madeline, I’ve just landed. As soon as I settle the family affairs, I’m coming back to marry you. Wait for me, okay?” 2 Dominic came back earlier than expected. When he walked toward me, his eyes flickered toward Melanie for a split second before settling on my face. He smiled beautifully. “Madeline, I’ve missed you these forty days. I’m here to take you home.” If not for that -60 favorability and those forty-four letters written in blood, I might have drowned in his gaze again. The System’s electronic voice rang out, delivering a cold verdict: [Host, the mission has failed again. In forty-five days, you will be extracted from this world. ‘Madeline’ will cease to exist.] A strange sense of relief washed over me. “How do you define failure?” [The target’s love and their ‘first choice’ have never been you.] Twelve years plus forty days. I had hollowed myself out only to be the punchline of two carefully choreographed scams. Dominic took my hand, his thumb stroking my knuckles. He looked almost pained. “Madeline? You’re quiet. I swear, I’ll never marry anyone but you.” I caught the flash of jealousy in Melanie’s eyes and smiled thinly. “Fine,” I said. “In forty-five days. Let’s get married.” I looked at Gavin, my voice deliberate. “Mr. Westbrook, I expect you to be there. Bring your assistant, Melanie, with you.” Gavin’s jaw tightened. He looked conflicted, but finally, he nodded. “We’ll be there.” Good, I thought. By then, you’ll see my body, and you can finally be at peace. Dominic’s preparations for the wedding were almost frantic. Within half a day, the ring was chosen and the date was set. He bought a penthouse in the city center with a panoramic view of the skyline. He wrapped his arms around me from behind, resting his chin on my shoulder. “Madeline, I want the whole world to know you’re my only wife.” I leaned back against him, my fingertips touching the cold glass of the window. All this splendor, all this “devotion”—it was just a mirage. I resigned from my position at the research institute and stopped going out. But Melanie began visiting under the guise of “apologizing.” I didn’t want to see her, but Dominic always let her in. Watching him subconsciously shield her made my eyes ache. One afternoon, Melanie held my arm, offering a beautiful box of pastries. Her eyes were red. “Madeline, I was so immature before. I made these myself as a peace offering. Please, try one.” A faint, bitter scent of sandalwood wafted from the box. Sandalwood Toxin. I had spent years in pharmacology; I knew this poison. At first, it showed no symptoms. Slowly, it would corrode the internal organs. When it finally took hold, the victim would cough up blood and die in agony. There was no cure. I looked into her eyes and saw the naked calculation. I swiped the box off the table. The porcelain shattered. Pastries and shards scattered across the floor. Melanie’s eyes flashed with hatred before she dropped to her knees, sobbing. “Madeline, even if you hate me, why waste food? I know you’re a high-born socialite and I’m just a commoner, but I put my heart into this…” Before she could finish, my wrist was seized in a crushing grip. Dominic’s voice roared in my ear. “Madeline! Enough! Melanie went out of her way for you. You’ve gone too far!” I looked into his bloodshot eyes and felt a bone-deep exhaustion. “Dominic, are you sure you want me to eat this?” He frowned, his grip softening into a fake tenderness. “Madeline, just eat it. Don’t be petty. She’s younger than you—just let it go. Once we move overseas, we’ll never have to see her again.” I looked at him for a long time, then slowly nodded. I bent down, picked up a piece of cake that hadn’t touched a shard, and put it in my mouth. The cloying sweetness of the cream masked the bitter sting as it melted on my tongue. I only had forty-five days left anyway. I might as well give them a grand finale. I wanted to see Dominic’s face when he realized he was the one who forced the poison down my throat. 3 Seeing me swallow, Dominic wiped a bit of cream from the corner of my mouth. He smiled. “Good girl.” After that, Melanie brought sweets every day. Under Dominic’s watchful, “encouraging” gaze, I ate every single one. Twenty days passed. The toxin began to take hold. My skin turned a translucent, sickly white, and my lips lost their color. I started wearing heavy makeup to hide the fact that I was dying. Fifteen days before the wedding, Gavin’s firm held a New Year’s Eve gala. I had no choice but to attend. When Gavin saw me, his brow twitched. “Why are you so thin? You look terrible.” He seemed to regret the question immediately, turning away to leave me with nothing but his cold silhouette. How could he know? The poison was already mapping out my veins. Every breath felt like a dull blade twisting in my chest. Feeling faint, I found a quiet spot by the hotel’s ornamental lake to rest. Melanie found me almost instantly. Seeing my pale face, a look of triumph flickered in her eyes, though she maintained her mask of concern. “Madeline, why are you all alone? Let me keep you company.” I closed my eyes, ignoring her. She grabbed my wrist, her voice dropping to a whisper as she pointed toward the black, freezing water. “Tell me… if we both fell in, who do you think Gavin and Dominic would dive for first?” I opened my eyes and looked at her. My voice was eerily calm. “They’d save you. That’s why, if I go down, I’m taking you to the bottom with me.” Melanie flinched, stepping back into the old, decorative railing. The wood groaned and snapped. She grabbed my wrist as she fell, dragging me into the icy depths of the lake with her. The winter water hit me like a thousand needles. In my weakened state, I didn’t even have the strength to struggle. I just sank. Through the distorted surface, I saw two figures plunge into the water. Gavin and Dominic. A stupid, tiny part of my heart skipped a beat. A final, pathetic spark of hope. A second later, they both swam right past me. They didn’t even look. They both reached for Melanie. Madeline, what were you waiting for? Twelve years of devotion wasn’t enough to wake me up. I guess I needed the freezing water to finally clear my head. My consciousness faded into the black. When I woke up, I was in a hotel suite. My assistant was the only one there, her eyes red as she wiped my face with a warm towel. Across the room, on the sofa, Gavin and Dominic were flanking Melanie like twin gargoyles. She was wrapped in a plush blanket, sobbing into Gavin’s chest, the picture of a traumatized survivor. A surge of bitter pain hit my chest, and I began to cough violently. My assistant handed me a tissue. I pulled it away and saw a splash of warm, dark crimson. Blood. I balled it up and shoved it into my pocket. Gavin heard the noise and looked over, his eyes sharp with ice. He walked over and grabbed my wrist so hard I thought the bone would snap. “Madeline, Melanie almost went into shock. And the first thing she did when she woke up was beg me not to be mad at you. How can you be so malicious? Why did you push her?” The pain in my wrist radiated through my chest, triggering another coughing fit. Dominic stepped over and pried Gavin’s fingers off my bruised skin. He started rubbing my wrist gently, but his next words were a killing blow. “Madeline, stop the drama. Just apologize, and we can put this behind us.” The tears finally fell, hot against his hand. They never believed me. They would always choose her. I nodded slowly, my voice as thin as a reed. “Miss Frost… I’m sorry. It was all my fault.” It was just an apology. In fifteen days, ‘Madeline’ would be gone. Right and wrong wouldn’t matter anymore. 4 The night before the wedding, Melanie brought a custom couture gown to the penthouse. It was a stunning champagne-colored silk, encrusted with micro-diamonds. As I ran my fingers over the embroidery, I smelled it—that familiar, bitter scent of sandalwood. The toxin had been infused into the very fabric. I tried it on calmly. Melanie watched me in the mirror, her eyes burning with a jealousy she could barely hide. She handed me one last box of pastries, her smile sweet. “You’re getting married tomorrow. This is the last thing I made for you. I hope you and Dominic are happy forever.” I looked at the pastries and laughed. I took the largest one and swallowed it whole. The bitterness exploded in my throat. A sharp, agonizing cramp seized my stomach. I gripped the silk of the dress, forcing the metallic taste of blood back down. Melanie watched me finish, then leaned in, her voice a poisonous hiss in my ear. “You can’t win, Madeline. Gavin is mine. Dominic is mine. You should have died a long time ago.” I closed my eyes as she walked away. Tomorrow. Tomorrow it all ends. The day of the wedding was a spectacle. Dominic had rented out the entire top floor of the Grand Hyatt. Red silk draped the crystal chandeliers, and thousands of roses lined the aisle. A hundred-carat diamond crown sat on my head. The city was buzzing. They said the disgraced socialite had finally found her happy ending. Only I knew this wasn’t a wedding. It was a funeral. I walked down the aisle in my poisoned dress. The heavy makeup covered my ghostly skin, leaving only my eyes, flat and vacant. Dominic stood at the end of the carpet, his voice projecting through the speakers. “Madeline, you look breathtaking. After this, we’re leaving for Europe. Just us.” I nodded slowly, stepping onto the carpet of crushed roses. The guests stood on either side. Gavin was there, dressed in a sharp tuxedo, his gaze fixed on me with an unreadable expression. As I passed him, his lips moved. “Madeline… don’t…” A celebratory cannon went off, the roar drowning out his voice. I didn’t hear him, and I didn’t care to. Melanie stood next to him in a soft pink dress, smiling at me like I was a clown in a circus. I reached Dominic. In my mind, I whispered to the System: [Extract me when we exchange rings.] [Understood, Host.] The officiant’s voice boomed: “Do you, Dominic Cross, take this woman—” I reached out to take the ring from Dominic’s hand. At that moment, the toxin in the dress and the toxin in my blood met. A sensation like ten thousand needles piercing my heart surged through me. The blood I had been holding back erupted. I didn’t take the ring. I just looked at Dominic. The cheers and applause felt miles away. All I could hear was my own heart, slowing… stopping. My life was a candle flickering in a gale. Dominic’s smile froze. He reached out to steady me. “Madeline? Take the ring.” Gavin stepped forward, his face pale. “Madeline, stop playing games. It’s your wedding.” Melanie’s smile widened, her eyes gleaming with anticipation. I looked at the three of them one last time. I looked at Dominic and forced a bloody, jagged smile. The next second, a torrent of crimson sprayed from my mouth, splashing across the white silk of the dress like a dying rose. Blood poured from my nose and mouth, staining the diamond crown. My strength evaporated. I collapsed onto the red carpet. The crown tumbled away, diamonds scattering like glass shards. My hair spilled out, mingling with the roses and the gore. Every bone felt crushed. Every breath was a scream. The last thing I saw was Dominic’s face turning a horrific, ghostly white. His smile didn’t just fade; it shattered. He lunged for me, his voice finally sounding real for the first time. “Madeline! What’s happening?! Get a doctor! NOW!” Gavin’s face transformed into a mask of pure terror. He shoved Melanie aside and threw himself onto the carpet next to me. His hands shook as he reached for my face. “Madeline… why are you bleeding? What did you do?” I turned my head away from his touch. With the last fragment of my soul, I whispered into the silence of the room. “Gavin… I’ll never… bother you again…” “Dominic… you don’t have to write… those letters anymore…” “Melanie… the sweets… were delicious. You won. I’m finally… gone.”

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