My adopted brother, Peter, was allegedly allergic to lies. He claimed that whenever he heard one, he would break out in hives, sneeze uncontrollably, and his eyes would stream with tears. On the very first day I returned to my biological family, Peter immediately suffered a massive allergic reaction. His skin turned bright red and swelled up, his eyes and nose running non-stop. From that moment on, my entire family branded me a pathological liar with zero morals. Later on, my grandmother, who was paralyzed from a severe stroke, was pushed down a flight of stairs. When they asked me, I simply shook my head and said, “It wasn’t me.” The very next second, Peter went into anaphylactic shock and collapsed right in front of everyone. My father was furious. My mother screamed and cried at me. My older sister, Jacqueline, slapped me across the face so hard my vision went black. “How could our family produce such a toxic, venomous snake like you?!” I was humiliated, tortured, and relentlessly punished. It wasn’t until the moment I died that I finally discovered Peter’s true secret. 1 On my very first day back at the Starzyk estate, I didn’t hesitate. I poured myself a glass of boiling hot water and drank it straight down. Only when I felt that agonizing, burning pain searing my throat did I finally relax against the leather seats of the family’s Porsche. In my past life, the second I was reunited with my biological parents and my sister, I had hugged them, my eyes red and brimming with tears of joy. My mother’s voice had choked with emotion as she told me they had finally found me. Peter, standing off to the side, had looked down at the floor and muttered, “I’m so sorry, brother. I’ve been occupying your rightful place all these years. Now that you’re back, I should give everything back to you.” Jacqueline had immediately frowned, reaching out to gently stroke his hair. “Don’t say such silly things. Ethan won’t mind.” I had quickly nodded in agreement. “Of course not. I consider you my real brother. We’ll always be a family.” It was supposed to be a warm, welcoming reunion. But the moment the words left my mouth, Peter started furiously rubbing his nose. He sneezed violently, over and over, his hands frantically scratching at his arms, which were rapidly breaking out in angry red hives. Jacqueline’s face immediately darkened. She barked at the maids to fetch his antihistamines. My parents subtly pulled their hands away from mine. The warm, loving looks they had just given me were instantly replaced by cold, calculated scrutiny. I was terrified. I couldn’t understand how a genuine, heartfelt sentence could trigger such a catastrophic reaction. I had heard rumors before. The adopted son of the Starzyk family had a bizarre medical condition. He was supposedly allergic to lies. The story went that shortly after he was adopted, Peter had a severe allergic reaction to a loyal, longtime nanny. After a thorough investigation, the family discovered that the nanny was actually a corporate spy hired by a rival firm to steal the Starzyk Corporation’s trade secrets. Another time, during a massive charity gala, Peter couldn’t stop sneezing while my father was negotiating with a prominent investor. Later, they found out the investor was secretly bankrupt and the entire partnership was a massive Ponzi scheme designed to steal their money. The most famous incident happened at Jacqueline’s engagement party. The moment Peter shook hands with her fiancé, he broke out in full-body hives and ran a dangerously high fever. Furious, Jacqueline hired a private investigator. She discovered her seemingly perfect fiancé was actually sleeping around and had contracted multiple STDs. Incident after incident elevated Peter to the status of a holy oracle within the Starzyk family. He was their precious, untouchable little prince. They trusted him implicitly. And they absolutely refused to let anyone or anything harm him. Because of him, they instantly threw up their walls against me, their own biological son who had just returned home. My mother looked incredibly awkward. She forced a stiff smile and asked me how I had been living all these years. Thinking back to the brutal beatings at the orphanage, the relentless bullying at school, and having to scrape a living off the filthy streets, I offered a bitter, honest smile. “It was hard, but I survived.” Hearing that, a flicker of genuine heartache finally crossed my mother’s face. But to everyone’s shock, Peter’s condition didn’t improve even after taking his medication. In fact, his arms flared up with massive, swollen welts. My mother panicked and immediately called for the family doctor. The look she shot me was entirely hostile and guarded. In her mind, I was obviously lying, playing the victim just to garner sympathy. Right on cue, Peter played the role of the incredibly reasonable martyr, insisting that he had to pack up his things and give his master bedroom back to me because it “belonged to the rightful heir.” 2 I felt like I was sitting on a bed of nails. I immediately shook my head and said, “I could never take your room. I didn’t come back here to steal anything from you.” That single sentence acted like a lit match to gasoline. It triggered the most violent reaction yet. Peter started gasping for air, clutching his chest, making horrific wheezing sounds like he was suffocating. Jacqueline lost her mind. She shoved me hard against the wall, screaming at me to stay away from him. My father’s face was completely black with fury. “That’s enough for today,” he snapped. “Maria, go prepare a guest room for him. Get him out of my sight.” I stood there, completely paralyzed, watching them swarm around Peter in a panic. I had no idea what I did wrong. Just like that, the family I had spent my entire life dreaming of finding completely rejected and despised me. From that day forward, the Starzyk family never gave me a single kind look. I would hide in the hallways, listening to the maids gossip about how the “newly found young master” was a vicious, pathological liar. They whispered that a piece of trash dragged out of the slums could never compare to their elegant, pampered Peter. I could only keep my head down, forcing myself to become completely invisible in my own home. The incident that sealed my absolute destruction happened late one night. The family had gone out for a walk. I was in my room, studying. Suddenly, a deafening crash echoed from the hallway. I rushed out of my room, only to see my grandmother—who had been paralyzed by a stroke—tumbling violently down the grand marble staircase, wheelchair and all. I screamed in horror and rushed toward the stairs to help her. But right at that exact moment, the front doors opened. My family walked in, witnessing the entire scene. A maid collapsed onto the floor in absolute terror, pointing a trembling finger directly at me. “Master Ethan said he was going to take the Madam to the gardens for some fresh air! I don’t know what happened, he just suddenly pushed her down the stairs!” Jacqueline broke down instantly. Our grandmother was the person she loved most in the world. My father’s hands shook uncontrollably as he dialed 911. Outside the emergency room, the surgeon told us the prognosis was incredibly grim. Tears streamed down my face. I shook my head frantically. “Please, you have to save her! I don’t know why this is happening. I didn’t do it!” But the moment the words left my lips, Peter, standing nearby, went into a severe asthma attack. His face drained of all color, and he collapsed into anaphylactic shock right there in the waiting room. The chaos exploded. Peter was rushed into the ER on a stretcher. My father grabbed me by the collar, his teeth bared in pure, unfiltered rage, roaring at me to shut my mouth. My mother sobbed hysterically into her hands, praying for her mother-in-law and her precious son. Jacqueline’s hair was a mess. Her eyes were bloodshot. She marched up to me and delivered a brutal, ringing slap across my face. “How many people do you have to kill before you’re satisfied?! How did our bloodline produce such a toxic, venomous bastard?! Is there a single ounce of truth in your filthy mouth?!” I was knocked straight onto the linoleum floor. My mind went completely blank. I didn’t know why this was happening. I wanted to know how any of this was possible too! I literally did nothing, yet I was instantly condemned as the family’s ultimate villain! My grandmother died that night. Peter was transferred to the ICU. The Starzyk family completely gave up on me. My mother wanted to throw me back onto the streets and severe all legal ties. But Jacqueline refused. Her voice was pure ice. “A life for a life. He murdered Grandma. I will make sure he suffers for the rest of his pathetic existence.” From that day on, my life became a living hell. I was locked in the dog kennels or strung up by my wrists from the second-floor balcony. Jacqueline tortured and humiliated me on a daily basis. My parents turned a completely blind eye. I spiraled into total despair. My will to live slowly drained away. One day, the groundskeeper “forgot” to feed the family’s massive Tibetan Mastiff. Starving and rabid, it sank its teeth deep into my calf. I just lay there on the grass, watching it tear into me, bite after bite. Eventually, I closed my eyes, letting the agonizing pain drag me down into the abyss. Remembering every brutal detail of my past life, I clenched my fists tightly. This time around, I absolutely refused to be their punching bag. I was done living like a coward! 3 Just like in my previous life, the moment I walked through the door, my family pulled me into a tearful embrace. And right on cue, Peter delivered his exact same rehearsed line: “I’m so sorry, brother. I’ve been occupying your rightful place all these years. Now that you’re back, I should give everything back to you.” This time, however, I didn’t say a single word. I just stood there, staring at him in dead silence. His eyes quickly turned red, acting as if my silence was somehow bullying him, and he just kept frantically apologizing. Seeing this, my family naturally started throwing annoyed, judgmental glances my way. I looked at them with wide, pitiful eyes. I pointed to my throat and opened my mouth. My throat was severely blistered, red, and covered in raw ulcers from the boiling water. Their faces instantly changed. They immediately called for the family doctor. After a quick examination, the doctor confirmed it was a severe burn, stating that with medication, I wouldn’t be able to speak for at least a week or two. My mother finally let out a sigh of relief. But then, the doctor frowned heavily. “The young master is covered in scars, both old and new. It looks like he has lived a very brutal life out there.” Hearing that, my mother pulled out a silk handkerchief and dabbed at her tears. A massive wave of guilt and heartbreak washed over her, making her voice tremble. “Oh, Ethan… you’ve suffered so much. I promise, Mommy will never let anyone hurt you ever again.” My father stood nearby. His eyes lingered on the jagged scars cutting across my arms, and he let out a heavy sigh. “From this day forward, no one will ever dare lay a finger on the heir to the Starzyk family!” The muscles in Jacqueline’s jaw tightened. A flicker of genuine sympathy crossed her normally icy eyes. Peter was completely blindsided by this sudden shift in the atmosphere. No one was paying attention to him anymore. He stood frozen in the corner like the main character who just had his spotlight stolen. At that moment, I looked over and saw my grandmother sitting silently in her wheelchair. My nose stung. I walked over and dropped to one knee beside her. In my past life, my soul had lingered after I died, desperately trying to figure out what had actually happened. I followed Peter around like a ghost. That was how I discovered the truth. He wasn’t allergic to lies at all. His “medical condition” was a complete fabrication. His real secret? He could hear people’s inner thoughts. Whenever he heard someone thinking something different from what they were saying, he would fake an allergic reaction. He used this “power” to build an untouchable persona of pure, infallible honesty. But the most terrifying secret I learned was straight from his own thoughts. Years ago, my grandmother had actually tracked down my location. She was overjoyed and immediately started making arrangements to bring me home. But Peter read her mind. Terrified of losing his status and inheritance, he deliberately unchained the rabid guard dogs and set them loose on her. The sheer terror triggered a massive stroke, paralyzing her and rendering her speechless. And the only reason she never recovered? Peter had spent years bribing the household staff. The daily “medication” she drank every night wasn’t curing her. It was a slow-acting poison designed to keep her trapped in her own body. For years, my grandmother had been fully aware of every evil thing Peter had done, but she couldn’t move a muscle or speak a word. She was trapped, forced to watch him destroy her family while she slowly waited for death. I pressed my face gently against my grandmother’s frail hand. Hot tears poured down my cheeks. She was the only one who genuinely loved me, but in my last life, I failed to save her. I even took the fall when Peter’s bribed maid pushed her down those stairs to silence her forever. This time, I swore on my life, I was going to pull her back from the edge of the grave! Even though she couldn’t move, I saw a faint glisten of moisture gathering in the corners of her eyes. Jacqueline watched us, clearly moved, and quickly turned her head away. My parents exchanged a look filled with profound relief. Only Peter was left standing in the distance, entirely shut out of the family’s warmth. Round one. Victory was mine. That night, Peter slipped into my room, his face twisted in a dark, venomous sneer. “Don’t get too comfortable. My eighteenth birthday is exactly one month from now. Dad already promised to transfer his shares to me as a coming-of-age gift. The Starzyk empire belongs to me.” One month? I let out a low, silent chuckle. I was going to make sure his eighteenth birthday was an event he would remember for the rest of his short, miserable life.

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At my father-in-law’s funeral, the grieving family could hardly conceal their delight. My mother-in-law, adorned in jewels, held her chin so high it was as if her husband had not just passed away. This was all because the old tycoon had left them an inheritance of nearly a billion dollars. In my previous life, I discovered the truth as he lay on his deathbed. His investments had collapsed long ago, leaving him with nothing. His extravagant lifestyle was sustained only by a web of high interest loans from online lenders, all to feed his vanity. Yet, seeing him so frail, I kept the secret, hoping he could pass in peace. After his death, my mother-in-law worked me relentlessly. The funeral was my first chance to rest. I had intended for us to face the debt together as a family. Instead, she publicly tried to force me into a divorce, demanding I relinquish any claim to the inheritance. I refused, for I still loved my wife. But my refusal only convinced her I was after a share of the money. That night, as I slept, she crept into my room and murdered me with a knife. She then greeted my wife, who had just returned, with a chilling smile. “Don’t worry, dear. I took care of that useless trash for you. He won’t lay a hand on your money, or my grandson’s inheritance. You must sort out the marriage papers quickly. I won’t have my grandson born a bastard.” As a spirit, I watched my wife and her mother dispose of my body. They wove a tale for the police, painting me as an abusive monster and claiming she had killed me in self defense. Amid a firestorm of online hatred directed at me, my wife signed a letter of forgiveness for her mother. When I opened my eyes again, I was back. Back at my father-in-law’s funeral. This time, I will not hesitate. I will agree to the divorce and sign whatever they put before me. Let them enjoy the tens of millions in debt he left behind. 1 “Alex, get this dress to my sister, now. She needs to change soon.” A dress was shoved into my hands, and I looked up into the sharp, critical face of a woman. I was dazed. “Don’t just stand there spacing out. Can you try to be useful for once? No wonder my sister can’t stand you.” The familiar words sent a jolt through me. I whipped my head around, taking in the scene. She was still rambling. “I have no idea what kind of dumb luck you stumbled into to marry Isabelle. I’m telling you, she could do so much better. A small-timer like you doesn’t deserve…” Before she could finish, I threw open the door and ran. It was real. I was back. Thank God. I found my mother-in-law, Meredith, holding the dress. She had been chatting cheerfully with a guest, but the moment she saw me, her face soured. She snatched the dress from my hands and shot me a venomous glare. “Have you no sense at all? Can’t you see I’m with a guest?” “Just wait for me by the door of the changing room.” I offered her my arm to help her, a cold sneer hidden deep inside. It was her husband’s funeral, yet she’d already changed her outfit three times. Was she really oblivious to the strange looks the other guests were giving her? After she changed, I was gathering her discarded clothes when I caught her staring at me with a calculating glint in her eye. My heart steeled itself. Here it comes. “Alex,” she began, her voice dripping with condescension, “now that your father-in-law is gone, Isabelle is the pillar of this family. I’m sure you understand what I mean.” “I’ve been more than generous, letting a good-for-nothing like you stick around for this long. But this family will not be dragged down by a man like you.” “So, know your place. Get the divorce done with Isabelle, and do it now.” I feigned shock, lowering my head and mumbling, “Meredith… I know I’ve let Isabelle down. But… what does she think about this?” Meredith let out a scornful laugh. “You think she’s going to plead your case? Let me tell you, this is my decision, and it’s final!” “I’ll get her in here right now. I’ll make you give up, you pathetic worm!” A few moments later, Isabelle pushed the door open. Her expression was calm. She first offered me a soft, gentle smile before turning to her mother with a look of confusion. “Mom, what’s wrong? Why did you call me over in such a rush?” “How could I not rush? This man is going nowhere, and today is the day. We’re settling this divorce!” “Mom!” Isabelle’s voice was sharp, as if trying to cut her off. Meredith pulled her aside, and they began whispering furiously. I watched as a cascade of emotions washed over Isabelle’s face—shock, anger, conflict—before finally settling into a mask of profound sorrow. “Mom, could you leave us for a minute?” she said, her voice heavy. “I’d like to speak with… Alex… alone.” 2 Meredith shot me a cold, triumphant smirk before closing the door behind her. Isabelle walked toward me, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. She reached out, her hand gently caressing my cheek. “Alex… I… I have no choice,” she whispered, her voice breaking. “I’ve already lost my father. I can’t lose my mother, too.” “She has a heart condition, you know. She can’t handle any stress. I can’t be selfish… I can’t put my love for you before her health.” “Let’s just… let’s just get a divorce for show. Once I’ve calmed her down, we’ll get married again, I promise. You’re the only one I’ve ever loved!” She delivered the lines with such heartfelt passion, you’d think she was a tragic heroine from some old play, forced to abandon her love by a cruel matriarch. But I wasn’t her fool anymore. I knew exactly who she was. In my last life, I had truly believed she loved me, that all the trouble we had was just Meredith’s doing. It was only after I was dead, after I’d heard her conversation with her mother, after I’d seen the cold, detached look in her eyes as she stared at my corpse, that I finally understood. She knew everything. She had let it all happen. In fact, she had been the one to push her mother to kill me. She was the one who wanted the divorce. She was the one who wanted me dead. I dropped my gaze, hiding the mockery in my eyes. “I know… I understand, Isabelle. I’ll… I’ll divorce you.” The moment the words left my mouth, Meredith burst back into the room. “Let’s go, now! We can make it to the courthouse before it closes. Let’s get this done.” “Wait!” she added, her eyes narrowing. “First, you have to sign a waiver to the inheritance. Isabelle, this boy is sneaky. We can’t let him get a penny of your father’s money!” Her hand clamped down on my arm, her nails digging into my flesh as if she was afraid I’d make a run for it. Isabelle looked away, her eyes darting around the room, unable to meet mine. “…Fine. I’ll sign it. I won’t touch a single cent of your family’s money.” I clenched my fists so hard my knuckles turned white, fighting the urge to laugh out loud. I had waited so long to say those words. Once I sign this paper, all that debt has nothing to do with me. Isabelle must have mistaken my trembling for grief. A flicker of pity crossed her face. “Mom, maybe we should just let it go. It’s not like we can’t afford to support one more person.” My expression tightened, but Meredith’s reaction was far more extreme. “What are you talking about? Isabelle, you have no idea how much trouble a man can cause! Besides, you have a child to think about now!” At the mention of a child, Isabelle’s eyes flickered, and she fell silent. I obediently signed the waiver, then followed Isabelle to the courthouse to file for divorce. We would have to come back in a month to finalize it. As we left the building, she seemed to want to say something more, but I couldn’t stand another second of her hypocritical performance. I turned, hailed a cab, and left her standing there. In the cab, I saw messages from my parents asking if I was coming home for dinner. With a sigh, I told the driver a new address. When I got home, the table was filled with all my favorite dishes, a rare sight. I picked at my food, my appetite gone, and then quietly announced the news. “We’re getting a divorce.” I braced myself for the storm, the screaming and shouting. After all, they had always been so proud that I’d married into a wealthy family, constantly reminding me to suck up to them, caring more about Isabelle than they ever had about me. But this time, there was no anger. They exchanged a look, a flash of unconcealed joy passing between them. My mother even put a chicken wing on my plate. “Oh, Alex, don’t be sad. It’s trendy to be single these days. Mom thinks it’s perfectly fine to be on your own.” I nodded, a small part of me touched. Maybe they finally understood. I was about to tell them about the family’s financial situation after dinner, but just then, my brother, Kevin, walked in. As he passed me, a familiar scent hit me, and I froze, the realization striking me like a bolt of lightning. I finally understood why my parents weren’t upset about the divorce. 3 I have an extremely sensitive nose; the scent of most commercial perfumes is overwhelming to me. That’s why I had personally blended a unique fragrance for Isabelle, with Blue Tansy as the main note. It was a scent unlike any other. And right now, that was the exact scent I smelled on Kevin. So, Isabelle’s affair was with my brother. No wonder my parents weren’t upset. In their minds, only their precious younger son deserved to marry into money, even if it meant he had to steal his own brother’s wife. I’d always known they favored him. My birth name, the one they gave me, was a cruel joke, a pun on the word for “failure.” I changed it myself when I got older. Growing up, I did all the chores while Kevin lounged on the sofa, ordering me around. New clothes and toys were always for him; I only got his hand-me-downs when he grew tired of them. Even after I got a good job at a prestigious firm and sent them money and gifts every month, they still doted on Kevin, who did nothing but leech off them. And now, they had helped him steal my wife, too. My mother glanced at my brother with a look of pure adoration before placing another chicken wing on my plate. “Alex, honey, your brother has found someone special. But you know our family’s situation… I’m worried her family will look down on him. Do you think… maybe you could help him with half of the down payment for a house?” I kept my head down, shoveling food into my mouth in silence. Suddenly, my father slammed his hand on the table. “All you do is eat! Your elders are talking to you. Have you no manners?” “Your brother is getting married! As his older brother, it’s your duty to contribute!” I set down my chopsticks and looked up, meeting their eyes directly. I hadn’t even realized tears were streaming down my face. “Married? To who? Isabelle?” I watched the color drain from their faces and let out a bitter, hollow laugh. “He’s the homewrecker who stole his brother’s wife, and I’m supposed to buy them a house? Am I just a complete joke to you?” “Who are you calling a homewrecker? You useless bastard, it’s your own fault you couldn’t keep her!” Kevin roared, lunging at me, his fist aimed at my face. We tumbled to the ground, trading blows. When it was clear Kevin was losing, my father bellowed, “That’s enough!” He and my mother rushed over to pull me off. He pinned my arms while she held me down, allowing Kevin to land several solid punches, splitting my lip and drawing blood. “You’re the older brother! Why can’t you just let him have his way for once? How dare you raise a hand to him, you animal!” my father yelled, his hand swinging back before connecting with my cheek in a series of sharp, stinging slaps. I collapsed onto the floor, watching my mother coo over Kevin, fussing over a scratch on his hand, while my father stood over me, his face contorted with rage. A wild, broken laugh escaped my lips. “I have to let him have whatever he wants? If he wanted to murder someone, should I hand him the knife?” “Why are you so biased? Why do you hate me so much? Sometimes I really wonder if I’m even your biological son!” I screamed the words, a desperate attempt to vent the years of resentment. I never expected to see a flash of pure terror in my mother’s eyes. Before I could process it, my father lunged, his hands closing around my neck, squeezing tight. “You ungrateful whelp! After everything we’ve done for you, you dare to scream at us!” “You’re not setting foot in this house again until you’ve learned to reflect on what you’ve done!” He dragged me out of the house and slammed the door shut. I covered my face with my hands, silent sobs shaking my body as tears slipped through my fingers. So it was true. I wasn’t their son. And in my past life… they must have been a part of my death, too. In the chaos of the fight, I had managed to grab a strand of hair from the floor. I sent it to a lab for DNA testing. While I waited for the results, I went to a real estate agency. Thank God I had resisted Meredith’s pressure to hand over all my savings back then. Now that I had nowhere else to go, I at least had enough to buy myself a home. After looking at a few places, I made up my mind. I was just about to confirm the purchase with the agent when I heard a familiar, sycophantic voice behind me. “Sweetheart, I want a villa with a garden. We can plant those roses you love.” I turned and saw him: Kevin, with his arm wrapped possessively around Isabelle. They saw me at the same time. Isabelle’s face went rigid, but Kevin strode over, a smug, triumphant grin plastered on his face. “Bro, I’d start thinking about your future if I were you. It’s tough for a divorced guy to find someone new. If you blow what little money you have on a house, how are you going to live?” “Not like me, of course. I’ve got a rich family to back me up. You should probably just go apologize to Mom and Dad.” 4 The real estate agent’s eyes lit up. She’d overheard Kevin mention buying a villa and immediately hurried over to them. “Sir, perhaps you’d be interested in one of these properties? They have large, beautiful gardens. This one, in fact, comes pre-planted with a full rose garden, perfectly suited to your lovely partner’s tastes.” Kevin’s eyes gleamed, but Isabelle hesitated. The inheritance hadn’t been settled yet; she didn’t have the cash on hand. “Kevin, we said we were just going to look today. We can buy it once the money comes through…” Hearing her whisper, I decided to pour some fuel on the fire. “What’s the matter, Kevin? You went to all that trouble to seduce your brother’s wife, and now she won’t even buy you a house?” The agent’s expression shifted as she took in this juicy piece of gossip, her eyes darting between the three of us. Kevin’s face turned beet red. He looked at Isabelle, his eyes pleading. She hardened her resolve. “We’ll take it,” she said, her voice sharp. “We’ll pay right now. For the one Kevin likes.” She pulled out her phone and, with a few taps, secured a multi-million dollar online loan. Then she shot me a look of pure venom. “Alex, when my father’s inheritance comes through, you’d better not regret this. You have disappointed me so much today!” “Why? Were you planning on having both of us, Isabelle? A little brotherly sharing?” My sarcastic retort made her face go pale. I guessed it pricked whatever was left of her conscience. She always did this—put on a show of being soft-hearted while doing the most monstrous things. Kevin, who obviously knew her well, tightened his grip on her hand and placed his other hand on her stomach. “Honey, the baby just kicked. I think he’s angry, too.” “I’m not a useless man like my brother. You and I are going to have lots of children together, Isabelle.” Isabelle’s face lit up with a look of genuine surprise and delight. She placed her own hand on her belly, not sparing me another glance as she walked away, clinging to Kevin’s arm. Watching her dig herself into an even deeper hole, I smiled and called the agent over. I bought the small apartment I’d had my eye on, paying in full. Back at my temporary place, I was planning my move when my parents called. I answered, and was immediately met with a torrent of abuse. “Alex, you’ve really grown a backbone, haven’t you? How dare you publicly call your brother a homewrecker! Do you have any idea that his wife is pregnant? What if the stress caused a miscarriage? How can you be so vicious?” Listening to them, I thought with a detached sense of irony, Wow, Kevin really tattles fast. “Did I say anything that wasn’t true? He is a homewrecker. What, do you expect me to babysit the child they conceived behind my back?” “You… Alex! You get over here and apologize to Kevin right now! If you don’t, we’ll go to your office and make a scene until you get fired!” The absurdity of it made me laugh, but a chill ran down my spine. “Fine. Go ahead. After you’re done and I’ve lost my job, I’ll make a scene of my own. I’ll make sure the whole world knows that Kevin is a snake who seduced his own sister-in-law.” “I have nothing left to lose. I’ll just drag my feet on finalizing the divorce, and Kevin’s precious child will be born a bastard.” The other end of the line went silent. I pressed my advantage, my voice low and menacing. “Don’t push me. I don’t mind taking you all down with me. If I’m going to be miserable, so is everyone else.” I hung up and blocked all of their numbers. The call served its purpose. For the next few weeks, they left me alone, and I moved into my new apartment without any trouble. When the one-month waiting period was over, I arrived at the courthouse on time. My threat had clearly worked; Kevin was already there, anxiously waiting with Isabelle by his side. The moment the divorce certificates were in our hands, he couldn’t resist a final jab. “Hey, bro, if you get on your knees and apologize, maybe I’ll let a little cash slip through my fingers for you. We’re talking about a billion dollars here. You couldn’t earn that in ten lifetimes!” I was about to fire back a cold retort when Isabelle’s phone rang. It was Meredith, her voice frantic and laced with panic. “Isabelle, it’s… it’s bad! There are… there are people here demanding money! They’re saying… they’re saying your father took out loans from loan sharks!”

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1 The day I turned twenty-four, my sister, Veronica, jumped from the fourth-floor balcony. She said it was her birthday gift to me. By the time I scrambled down the stairs, her head was a bloody mess from the impact. But she was still conscious, lying cradled in my brother’s arms, a defiant smile on her face as she looked at me. “Jessie,” she breathed, “I know I’m the extra one… I just want you to be happy…” My mother collapsed to her knees, her sobs raw and guttural, begging me to move out for a while. I didn’t argue. I just nodded, numb, and packed my bags as if I were escaping a fire. Everyone in this house was insane. If I stayed any longer, I was afraid I’d become one of them. … “Veronica! Don’t you dare scare me like this, just hold on a little longer, please!” “The paramedics are on their way!” My brother, Vincent, looked like he was on the verge of a complete breakdown. His hands trembled as he tried to staunch the flow of blood from her head. My mother was a heap on the ground beside them, beating her chest and crying out, “What have I done to deserve this?” The entire household was thrown into chaos by Veronica’s sudden leap, all composure lost. Only I stood to the side. A detached observer, so calm I didn’t seem to belong, my mind already drifting. The paramedics arrived. Vincent and my mother climbed into the ambulance one after the other. As the doors were closing, my mother shot one last pleading look in my direction. Her eyes, clouded with tears and utter exhaustion, were a mirror of every other time she had begged me to give in to Veronica, to just let her have her way. In the past, that look would have sent me into a fit of rage and tears. But this time, a deep, weary sigh escaped from the very core of me. I couldn’t even be bothered to say a word. She didn’t have to worry about me refusing to leave. Even if she hadn’t asked, I had already decided to get as far away from this family as possible. In the seven years I had lived in this house, Veronica had slit her wrists twelve times and overdosed more times than I could count, using self-harm as her weapon of choice to get what she wanted. Every time she hurt herself, I had to take a step back. Now, I had nowhere left to retreat. I was scared. Truly, deeply terrified. If she had the guts to throw herself off a fourth-story balcony this time, what was to stop her from dragging me down with her next time? I wasn’t done with living. I was afraid to die. I had just dragged my suitcase downstairs when my boyfriend, Eric, showed up. Or, I should say, my ex-boyfriend. The reason Veronica jumped was because, just moments before, Eric had asked me to marry him. As she teetered on the railing, Eric had begged her not to jump, his face a mask of agony. By the end, both of their faces were streaked with tears. And I just stood there, an outsider, watching the man who had been kissing me moments before scream promises to Veronica that he would break up with me. Now, standing in front of me, Eric’s face was etched with fatigue. He saw me, and his gaze flickered away. “Jessie…” There was nothing left for us to say. I just pushed my suitcase past him. But he grabbed my wrist, his grip tight. “Jessie, Veronica is at the hospital. She’s crying, asking to see you. Will you please go see her?” In that instant, a wave of nausea so powerful it felt like my stomach was turning inside out washed over me. Veronica. She was like a viper. From the moment I was brought back to this family seven years ago, she had sunk her fangs into me and refused to let go. Just like in the soap operas, the wealthy family was greedy. They wanted to keep both the daughter they had raised and the biological one who had been lost. So, the adopted Veronica and I became “sisters.” For the first three months, she showered me with kindness. She acted as a buffer between me and my estranged parents and brother, the one person in the family who was genuinely warm to me. She introduced me to her friends, taught me the etiquette of high society, and would even defend me from those who sneered at my background, telling me to ignore them. For a while, I thought I had fallen into a fairy tale. I thought having a sister like Veronica was a wonderful thing. But then, she started treating me like a disease, a predator, an invader. She became obsessed with destroying me, even if it meant sacrificing her own life. At my “welcome home” party three months after my arrival, Veronica fell down the grand staircase. Just before she fell, her fingers, cold and clammy, dug into my arm. “Guess what they’ll think if I… ‘accidentally’ fall down these stairs?” she’d whispered. “Who do you think they’ll blame?” Her methods were crude. But her previous, very public displays of affection for me made her act all the more believable. And besides, everyone already loved her. So, all my frantic denials were dismissed as pathetic lies. And for seven years, I had choked on that lie, until it had nearly driven me insane. 2 I let out a cold laugh and wrenched my arm from his grasp. “Eric, are you sick? Are you and Veronica not done torturing me yet?” He looked at me, a flicker of confusion in his eyes, before his face flushed a deep red. He stammered, gesturing wildly. “Jessie, I’m not breaking up with you, don’t be angry.” “I was just— I just had to—” I kept walking, dragging the heavy suitcase behind me without a backward glance. “Fine. Then let me inform you. We’re done!” “Now get out of my way.” Eric blocked my path, refusing to move. “Jessie! I don’t agree to this! Veronica was about to jump! I only said that to calm her down!” “She’s your sister, for God’s sake! Do you want her to die? Jessie, can’t you be reasonable for once?!” I’d had enough. I shoved him hard. “That’s right! I’m being unreasonable! So what?” “And what kind of sister is she to me?” “Eric, if you’re really in love with Veronica, then go ahead, be with her.” “I’m out. Can’t I just be out of this?” “My mother, my brother, you—I don’t want any of you anymore! I’ll give you all to Veronica.” “I’m begging you, all of you, just leave me alone!” “I said I don’t want any of it!” My voice, which had started as a rush of frantic words, rose to a desperate scream. The immense psychological pressure was suffocating me. I wiped away a single tear that had escaped and forced myself to stand steady. Eric stumbled back, staring at me in shock, his lips trembling. “Jessie, how can you say that… We… we grew up together… I only love you…” I scoffed, my gaze cold as ice. My adoptive parents and Eric’s family lived on the same block. Neither of our families had much money, so Eric and I spent our childhoods collecting cans and bottles to save up for school fees. When the Meng family came and told me I was their long-lost daughter, my first and only request was that they fund Eric’s education. Eric didn’t disappoint. He got into one of the best universities in the country. I knew Veronica wanted to take everything that was mine, so I kept Eric a secret, hiding him away like a precious treasure. I naively believed that as long as she never met him, the one thing that was truly mine would remain mine. I guarded my secret for so long. But I never imagined that Veronica and Eric had already met. Just before she jumped, Veronica had shown me their text messages, filled with flirtatious, ambiguous exchanges. She had smiled so radiantly, but her eyes held a raw, undisguised malice. She stared at my face, as if eagerly anticipating the same hysterical breakdown I’d had so many times before. But to her surprise, all I could manage was a dry, “Oh.” I couldn’t pinpoint the emotion I felt then. It was as if a heavy weight I’d been carrying had finally crashed to the ground. Seeing my flat reaction, Veronica’s face fell. A moment later, a chilling smile spread across her lips. She climbed onto the railing, tears streaming down her beautiful face. “I’m sorry, Jessie. I shouldn’t be bothering you two anymore… It’s better if I just disappear…” A sickening thud echoed from below. It was the sound of Veronica hitting the ground. It was also the sigh of my soul, utterly and completely exhausted. In that moment, all I wanted was to run far, far away. I ignored Eric’s explanations, just staring at him, my eyes empty. He eventually fled, utterly defeated. But he didn’t give up, sending me a relentless stream of texts, trying to explain his relationship with Veronica. He swore that as soon as she was out of the hospital, he would set things straight with her and never see her again. For a second, his words caused a flicker of emotion in me. But the next moment, my mother called, sobbing into the phone. “Jessie, please, I’m begging you. Can you just stop contacting Eric for a while? Veronica… she slit her wrists again last night.” 3 I heard my own voice, as cold and distant as a stranger’s. “Oh. So she didn’t die this time either. Veronica really is a tough one.” My mother was crying too hard to speak. Then, my brother’s hoarse, accusatory voice came through the line. “Jessie, how can you be so cold-hearted? Do you have any idea how many times Veronica has been saying she’s sorry to you these past few days?” “Just… get to the hospital. Veronica has something she wants to say to you—” Before he could finish, I could faintly hear Veronica’s muffled sobs in the background. “It’s all my fault… I shouldn’t be alive… I’m just an extra…” My mother and brother immediately rushed to comfort her, their voices urgent and panicked. “Veronica, sweetheart, don’t think like that, please don’t scare us…” “Veronica, it’s my fault. I’m so sorry. If only we had never brought Jessie home…” … Like a form of self-torture, I listened to the sounds on the other end of the line. I was calm. So calm that I even let out a small, contemptuous laugh. There it was. They finally said what they really thought. All this time, they’d been putting on a show of treating us equally, when their hearts had been with her all along. It was like having a fish bone stuck in my throat—a constant, irritating pain. The texts from Eric kept coming. He reminisced about our childhood, collecting bottles together. He remembered how I had cried and clung to his hand when I first went to live with my biological family. He even brought up the day he confessed his love for me, holding a jar filled with a thousand paper cranes. I scrolled through the messages, my heart a barren wasteland. But I still agreed to meet him one last time. After all, during these seven years of torment by Veronica, Eric had been the one pillar that kept me going. A proper goodbye was the last bit of warmth I could offer to a relationship that was now just a part of my past. We met at our favorite little diner. Eric looked nervous and fidgety. When he saw me, he pushed a container of food toward me. “Jessie, you’ve lost so much weight. You always loved my braised pork knuckles. See? I woke up at the crack of dawn to make them for you.” I glanced at the container. A sour taste rose in my throat. If I remembered correctly, in the text messages Veronica had shown me, Eric had promised to make her this exact same dish dozens of times. And now, he was pushing it in front of me with a hopeful smile. “Jessie, just try a little.” I fought the urge to throw the container in his face and looked away. “Eric—” As if he knew what was coming, he kept interrupting me, his eyes darting around the room. “Jessie, you said you wanted to go to that concert—I got us tickets.” “Jessie, please don’t be like this. Don’t look at me that way…” “We… we were supposed to get married. You said yes, remember?” “We grew up together, we know everything about each other. Jessie, are you really just going to throw all of that away?” “I swear, there’s nothing between me and Veronica. I just… I couldn’t stand by and watch her die. Jessie, you understand, right? You have to understand.” His voice cracked, and he ducked his head, miserably wiping away tears. For a moment, I was lost in a daze, my own eyes turning red. I had guarded him so carefully from Veronica, like a dragon protecting its only jewel. But on that day, when I found out they had been in contact all along, I hadn’t felt anger. Instead, it was a strange sense of relief, as if a long-dreaded fate had finally arrived. I was just sad. Sad that the jewel I had cupped so gently in my hands had turned out to be nothing more than a worthless pebble. “Eric, there’s nothing left for us to say.” “You knew that talking to Veronica would hurt me, but you did it anyway. So, you were the one who chose her over me, weren’t you? Veronica is insane. Seven years… it’s been long enough. I…” Before I could finish, Eric’s expression changed drastically. I followed his gaze and looked behind me. For a second, the world went silent, a ringing in my ears.

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1. This Spring Break was… different. My husband, Mark, suddenly announced he was taking annual leave. He was all mysterious about it, even booked a seven-day trip to Scandinavia. A little thrill went through me; I thought he was finally learning to be thoughtful. Then, that day, I overheard him talking to our son. “Dad, you’re married to Aunt Lily, what about Mom?” Our son, Finn, sounded so confused, his voice tiny and innocent. Mark just chuckled, playing it off. “Silly boy, that’s just pretend.” “You have to keep it a secret for Dad, don’t tell your mom. I’ll get you the newest toy car.” He even tried to bribe Finn with a gift. In that moment, my mind just exploded. I stood there, rooted to the spot, for ages, trying to process it all. I eventually stumbled downstairs, the cold air outside doing little to help me calm down. If he was so desperate to rekindle things with Lily Roberts, then I didn’t need to put myself through this anymore. All those dreams I’d put on hold for family when I was younger? It was time to pick them up again. This Scandinavian trip? I wasn’t coming back. … After I’d calmed down, I headed back upstairs and ran smack into Mark in the hallway. He was wearing a flashy red suit, and I couldn’t help but ask, “Don’t you hate red?” “That was then, this is now. Red’s in this year, and I’m helping a buddy try on his wedding suit. Gotta look festive, right?” Mark rattled off a string of excuses. But then it hit me: Lily Roberts adored red. And ever since she’d returned from abroad, Mark’s closet had gained several red jackets, not to mention red underwear and socks. It had all been there, clear as day, if I’d only looked. “Wedding suit? I can drive you.” I offered, my voice flat. “No, no, no!” Mark shook his head like a bobblehead doll. “Why would a woman get involved in us guys’ business?” “I’ll bring back gifts for you and Finn when I return.” He leaned in, kissed my forehead, and without another word, he was off, practically flying down the stairs. A sharp pang went through my heart. I almost called out to him, but in the end, I just shook my head. Everyone thought Mark and I were the perfect couple, a dream team in business. He never looked down on my humble background, choosing to marry me without hesitation. I worked practically non-stop, pulling Sterling Holdings back from the brink of bankruptcy countless times. They called me “The Workaholic.” Ten years of growing together, we not only had a wonderful son but also rebuilt Sterling Holdings into a powerhouse. But now, even I was just realizing that Mark had always harbored a secret love for Lily Roberts. I walked back into the house. “Mommy.” Finn ran over, hugging my legs tight. “No matter what, you’ll never leave Dad and me, right?” He seemed to sense something, his small face etched with worry and fear. My heart ached. I knelt down, stroking his head, and asked softly, “If one day, Dad and I go our separate ways, who would you want to live with?” 2. Finn froze, tears welling up in his eyes. “I’m sorry.” I hugged Finn tightly. “Mommy’s going to make you dinner.” Finn was only eight. Adult matters shouldn’t burden a child. We could have hired a nanny, but both Finn and Mark loved my cooking. I remembered all their likes and dislikes, and tonight, I made Finn’s favorite tomato scrambled eggs and lion’s head meatballs. I also made egg pancakes. When Finn saw the food on the table, he suddenly burst into tears. Looking up, he said, “Mommy.” “You know about Aunt Lily and Dad getting married, don’t you?” “Dad told me it was just a pretend wedding. Mommy, please don’t be mad, okay? Dad loves you.” I sighed softly, pulling Finn into my arms. I knew. His little head couldn’t comprehend all the twists and turns. He just innocently believed Mark and hoped that his mom and dad wouldn’t separate. Unfortunately, the adult world wasn’t that simple. After dinner, I saw a post from Mark’s “best friend” on social media and raised an eyebrow. The photo of someone trying on a wedding suit didn’t show a face, but that little red mole on the neck? Mark had one too. The picture of hands clasped with a woman, fingers intertwined, clearly showed the imprint of a ring on the ring finger. The watch the man was wearing? I’d seen it before. It belonged to Lily Roberts. The caption read: “The moon I missed will always return to light my way once more.” That line felt eerily familiar. I rushed into Mark’s study, moved his computer, and underneath, there was a notebook. The moment I opened it, that very sentence stared back at me. All the signs pointed to this account not belonging to some “best friend,” but to Mark himself. “A trip to Scandinavia.” “A fictitious wedding and social media account of a ‘best friend’.” “Mark, you came up with these ridiculous schemes just to deceive me, all for Lily Roberts.” I murmured to myself, picking up my phone and sending a message. [Keep a partner slot open for me.] [Also, have your lawyer draft a divorce agreement for me.] A few months ago, my childhood friend invited me to start a business in Scandinavia, offering me 30% of the shares, with no capital required from my end. The other two partners were also on board, recognizing my capabilities. But with a husband and child, I just wanted stability and had consistently declined. Now, it was time to unleash myself. It was almost midnight. Mark stumbled back, drunk. No gifts in his hand, but his shirt collar was wide open, and there was a faint lipstick stain. In short, he looked a mess. “Wife, why aren’t you asleep yet? Waiting for me, were you? You naughty woman, always messing with me.” He grinned at me, then headed straight for the bathroom. Usually, he’d give me a hug first. My heart sank at the thought. Suddenly, I heard a choked sob and hurried to Finn’s room. “What’s wrong? A nightmare?” Finn shook his head, pointing his little finger at the phone screen. I looked down. It was a social media post from Lily Roberts’ daughter, Sarah. Sarah was sitting at a pink piano, holding a tablet, smiling brightly. The caption: [Thank you, best dad in the world, for my limited edition custom piano.] “Mommy.” “I’ve seen this piano, and the tablet, on Dad’s computer.” 2. That one plaintive sentence almost shattered my emotional defenses. Finally, I understood why Finn was crying. Normally, Mark always said, “Boys should be raised tough, so they don’t become spendthrifts later.” He was strict with Finn, rarely buying him any toys he wanted. Even this phone was my old one, passed down to Finn. I would also secretly take Finn out to play. Every time Mark found out, he would get angry with me. So, that’s why he tried to bribe Finn with a toy car to keep him quiet. And today, before he left, he said he’d bring back gifts for Finn and me, but he came home empty-handed. Deceiving and cheating on me was one thing. But how could he dote so much on someone else’s daughter, giving her everything she wanted, while being so harsh and deceitful with his own son? “Sweetie.” “Mommy will buy you one later.” I comforted Finn, tucked him into bed, then went back to the living room and sat on the sofa. When Mark finally emerged, I suppressed my anger and asked, “Didn’t you say you’d bring Finn a gift?” “Forgot, forgot.” Mark chuckled awkwardly, rushing over to hug me. “I’ll buy him one next time. Boys should be raised tough anyway.” As he spoke, he stroked my face. In the past, I had a visceral attraction to him, so his flirting would have overwhelmed me. Now, my heart was utterly still. “I saw Sarah gets whatever she wants. Today she was sitting at a pink piano, beaming, with a tablet.” I said, deliberately sarcastic. Mark first stiffened, then exploded, standing up abruptly and frowning. “Why do you have to compare him to others?” “It’s just a gift! Why are you being so passive-aggressive? Are you deliberately looking for a fight?” “Is it Finn who wants the gift, or you?” I said nothing, just looked up and stared into his eyes. The atmosphere became tense for a moment. Mark seemed to feel guilty, avoiding my gaze, his tone softening considerably. “Wife, let’s not fight. The day after tomorrow, on Finn’s birthday, I’ll definitely prepare a big surprise for him!” “You just keep your spirits up these two days and get ready for the Scandinavian trip.” I nodded, using the excuse of work to go to my study. The next day, at the company meeting, Lily Roberts suddenly spoke up, “While Scarlett Stone is on vacation these few days, someone should take over her work, right?” “I’m willing to volunteer.” She smiled, her eyes fixed on me, laced with a challenge. Everyone was taken aback, turning to Mark, awaiting his response. It was only a seven-day vacation; Mark or his deputy could easily cover it. No one expected Lily Roberts to openly demand power. It was truly absurd. “Do as Lily Roberts says.” Mark took a deep breath, looking at me. “Scarlett, enjoy your vacation. Lily Roberts can handle the work; she’s quite capable.” The entire room fell silent. This time, everyone’s gaze shifted to me. “Scarlett Stone.” “You wouldn’t think I’m trying to steal your position, would you?” Lily Roberts’ smile grew even brighter, her tone more provocative. Everyone sensed the tension. In my ten years at Sterling Holdings, everyone knew I was decisive and not to be trifled with. Even Mark looked a little nervous. But I simply smiled and said, “Alright, I agree.” No one expected me to relinquish power so easily. Only Mark let out a long breath, a faint smile gracing his lips. Before she could say anything else, I stood up and walked out. Mark quickly followed, grabbing my arm from behind. “Wife!” “Listen to me…” I turned and cut him off. “Listen to what? Are you going to say this meeting was specifically targeting me?” Let alone me, anyone with eyes could see Mark was paving the way for Lily Roberts using me. And it all started with that Scandinavian trip. His motives were so deeply hidden. I hadn’t noticed it before. “Wife, let me explain properly.” Mark opened his arms and hugged me tightly, speaking earnestly. “Lily Roberts is talented. She can shine and inject new vitality into the company.” “I was forced to come up with this plan.” “When you return, I’ll make you Vice President of the company. I hope you can understand me.” 3. Vice President? Don’t make me laugh! Since Sterling Holdings was founded, there’s never been a Vice President position! It was just like the gifts he’d constantly promised Finn, nothing but empty words. “For ten years,” I mused, hesitating for a few seconds, “I’ve always understood you, always been considerate of your difficulties.” “Yes, you’re the best, wife!” Mark actually thought I wasn’t angry anymore. After praising me, he turned and went back into the conference room. As I packed up my office, Lily Roberts walked in. “I’m treating everyone to dinner tonight, want to come?” She smiled. “No, thanks.” I calmly refused, picking up my things to leave. From behind me, Lily Roberts’ voice floated, “Ten years together? It doesn’t compare to one glance from me that catches Mark’s eye.” This time, I could only remain silent. In the afternoon, Lily Roberts sent a message to the executive group: [I got a promotion today, so I’m treating everyone to dinner.] Mark didn’t object at all, instead he led the charge in responding, then sent me a message. [Wife, don’t overthink it.] I didn’t reply. That evening, Mark, Lily Roberts, and the others were happily dining out. I was home, packing my bags. “Mommy.” Finn ran over, tugging my hand. “Mommy, are you leaving? Can you wait a few days?” “Tomorrow’s my birthday. Mommy said she’d give me a big surprise, and then I’ll make a wish that you two never separate! That Dad won’t marry Aunt Lily!” “He’ll definitely agree!” His little face was anxious, his words a jumbled mess. “Okay,” I nodded softly. Mark didn’t come home that night. Finn and I spent a sleepless night. “Dad must be preparing a surprise for me!” Finn gazed out the window, speaking into the morning light. But an hour, two hours… until darkness fell, Mark still hadn’t returned. I couldn’t resist calling him. “It’s our son’s birthday today. Where’s the surprise you prepared?” “Oh, uh… it’s in the bedside drawer, there are tickets to Scandinavia. Take Finn and go travel!” Mark chuckled. “I’m too busy today, gotta hang up.” The call was abruptly ended. I turned and retrieved the tickets from the bedside drawer. It turned out Finn had also become an obstacle for Mark to achieve his desires. Almost simultaneously, Mark’s “best friend” account posted on social media again. [Engaged! Love her, give her everything she wants.] The accompanying image was a share transfer agreement. I clenched my fists. For ten years, I’d slaved away at Sterling Holdings, doing the work of ten departments single-handedly. From regulations to company development strategies, from partner negotiations to factory site selections, everything was meticulously planned and executed by me. Yet, I only earned a regular manager’s salary! Now, all my efforts were being reaped by Lily Roberts, who had contributed nothing. “Mommy.” “Dad’s not coming, is he?” My son’s crying voice reached me. I turned to see him trembling, clutching his phone, and on the screen, Lily Roberts’ daughter, Sarah, had also posted. [Thanks, Dad, for the handmade little cake!] For a child, this was undoubtedly a devastating blow. “Mommy.” “I don’t want to stay here anymore. Take me with you, okay?” Finn wiped away his tears. “Okay,” I nodded tearfully, packed all our luggage, left the divorce agreement, and led Finn out of the house. We boarded the plane to Scandinavia. … Mark and Lily Roberts had their wedding, then spent a few days on their honeymoon. They didn’t even come home, going straight back to the company for a regular meeting. He scanned the room, asking curiously, “Where’s my wife? Why isn’t she here?” Everyone shook their heads. “She must be having too much fun.” Mark muttered, stood up, walked out of the conference room, and dialed my number. “Hello, wife!” “You’re never late for work normally. Why weren’t you at the meeting today? Haven’t you returned from Scandinavia yet?”

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Since childhood, I’ve been sickly and weak, prone to coughing and dizziness. The day my wealthy parents brought me home, the imposter who stole my identity tried to frame me by faking a fall down the stairs. At that exact moment, my blood sugar crashed. I collapsed, tumbled down, and stopped breathing. My terrified parents rushed me to the hospital. Barely revived, my brother stormed in, grabbed my collar, and threatened me. His rage triggered a heart attack, and the monitor flatlined. Panicked, he fled for a doctor. That evening, the imposter pretended to jump from the hospital roof, crying that my return left her no place. Without a word, my brother dragged me to the edge. My severe acrophobia struck—my legs gave way, and I fell. My parents arrived with food just in time to see it. The air froze, then their eyes turned red with fury as they screamed. My brother and the imposter stood there, stunned and terrified. 1. A frantic team of doctors worked through the night, and finally, my heartbeat returned. Seeing Mom and Dad’s ashen faces, Scarlett’s voice was laced with a desperate cry. “Mom, Dad, I really didn’t push her. She just fell somehow…” Mom finally looked up, eyeing her suspiciously. “Then tell me, why would Luna, a patient just out of critical care who can barely walk, inexplicably find herself on a thirty-story rooftop?” Scarlett was choked into silence, unable to utter a single word for a long time. “I dragged her up there!” My brother, Conor, quickly stepped in front of Scarlett, adopting a protective stance. “Ever since she came back, you’ve all been ignoring Scarlett more and more, which is why Scarlett almost did something desperate today. So, it’s all Luna’s fault, shouldn’t Luna apologize to Scarlett?” “If you ask me, she’s incredibly manipulative! She knew there were safety barriers below the rooftop today, that’s why she deliberately put on this whole act, just to gain sympathy and frame Scarlett!” I had just opened my eyes from a dizzying haze, and hearing those words, my heart clenched violently. Not only was my body fragile, but my psychological resilience was even weaker. So, the next second, my legs gave out, and I knelt directly onto the floor from the bed, trembling uncontrollably. “Mom and Dad, Conor is right. It was all me, trying to gain sympathy and frame Scarlett, that I deliberately climbed onto the rooftop and fell.” “No one dragged me up there by force, and no one forced me to apologize without understanding the situation. All of this was voluntary. Please don’t blame Conor and Scarlett.” “Conor, don’t be angry anymore. I’ll apologize to Scarlett right now.” As I spoke, I timidly tugged at Scarlett’s sleeve, trying to force a smile at her. “Scarlett, I’m sorry…” Before I finished speaking, two streaks of blood unexpectedly trickled from the corners of my mouth. I casually wiped them away, smearing blood all over my face, and could only helplessly stretch my lips into a wider smile. Scarlett screamed, backing away several steps as if she had seen a ghost. Mom’s eyes rolled back, and she rushed forward to gently press me back onto the bed, her hands shaking as she wiped my face. Dad’s face darkened completely, and with a thump, he slammed the table, making it hum. “Look at what you’ve done! What have you pushed Luna to do?! Her health is already so fragile!” At these words, Scarlett’s eyes immediately turned red with injustice. Conor widened his eyes in disbelief. “Mom and Dad! You actually believe Luna?” “I looked into her past. She’s begged on the streets, acted as an extra in film sets. Playing the victim and acting comes naturally to her, doesn’t it?” “Otherwise, have you ever seen a normal person like her, spitting blood after a few words, or fainting after a few steps?” “She’s clearly putting on an act!” Seeing Mom and Dad’s expressions soften, Conor’s eyes lit up, as if he’d just thought of something. With decisive action, he yanked me off the hospital bed without a word, pulling out my oxygen tube. “Mom and Dad, look, I’ve pulled out her oxygen tube, but her heart monitor is still beeping perfectly fine, isn’t it?” “If you ask me, her heart condition is probably faked too. If she were truly unwell, something would have happened by now.” “So, she must have bribed the doctors to falsify her medical records…” I instinctively shook my head, wanting to tell them it wasn’t true. I had just been terribly tormented by human traffickers years ago. Even though I was lucky enough to escape and survive, my body suffered lasting sequelae. But I couldn’t speak anymore. The familiar suffocating sensation surged, my face turned purple, and large gushes of blood poured from my mouth. Conor was still rattling on, while my heart monitor, amidst its “beep-beep” alarm, once again flatlined. They turned back halfway through their words, only to see this scene. The air froze for a moment. The next second, the hospital room erupted in chaos—screams, shouts, utter pandemonium. “Luna!!” Mom and Dad pushed Conor away, frantically catching my collapsing body. “Doctor! Go call the doctor now!!!” Conor froze for a second, looking at his blood-soaked hands. He then gasped, scrambling out to call the doctor. Scarlett, ignored by everyone for the first time, stood stunned, stamping her feet in anger. But at that moment, no one could pay attention to her. Amidst all the shouts, my world slowly plunged into darkness. 2. The next day, I was startled awake by the sound of the door being kicked open. Before I could even make out the situation, my brother Conor dragged me off the bed, and my vision swam. “Don’t you dare put on an act here!” Conor loomed over me, his eyes filled with disgust. “I spent all last night thinking, and it finally hit me. Did you hear that Scarlett needed a kidney donation, so you’re deliberately feigning this sickly appearance to avoid it?” “The blood could be pre-prepared blood bags, and the doctors and machines could be fake.” He sneered, “Luna, your little tricks might fool Mom and Dad, but they won’t fool me.” Mom and Dad’s footsteps paused as they entered the room, clearly having overheard Conor’s words. That very night, they immediately invited a renowned international doctor to conduct a thorough re-examination of me. Conor not only vetted the doctor strictly but also stood guard at the hospital room door throughout, preventing any communication between me and the doctor. The imposter, Scarlett, also arrived. She spoke softly, her eyes slightly red. “Mom, Dad, Conor, it’s okay. If Luna isn’t willing to donate a kidney, then let me just die. At least I’m content to spend my last days with you all.” As she spoke, tears began to fall. Conor was heartbroken, patting her back to comfort her. “Scarlett, don’t worry. With me here, no one can bully you. Luna will donate that kidney today, whether she wants to or not!” “You said… you want patient Luna to donate a kidney?!” The doctor walked in, holding my medical report, his expression subtle as he heard this. Conor immediately raised his voice. “What’s wrong with her donating a kidney? It’s not like she’ll die!” “If Luna still wants to be a part of this family, this is what she should do!” The doctor looked at Conor as if he were an idiot. “Patient Luna has a missing right kidney, suspected to have been violently removed by external means. Preliminary assessment indicates she suffered abuse.” Conor’s expression froze. Scarlett’s look of grievance also cracked for a moment. But she quickly recovered, tugging pitifully at Conor’s sleeve. Conor immediately came to his senses, cleared his throat, but his tone was noticeably less self-assured. “Can’t donate a kidney… then blood, surely?” He found a new angle, straightening his back. “Scarlett’s condition can also be treated with blood donation.” “As long as Scarlett gets a blood transfusion, her condition will improve more thoroughly. This shouldn’t be a problem, right?” Mom and Dad exchanged glances, their expressions softening a few degrees. Donating a kidney was indeed hard to accept, but donating blood… it didn’t seem like such a big deal. “Then draw blood,” Dad said in a low voice. “Luna’s body is weak, but a little blood shouldn’t be an issue.” Mom didn’t argue, just looked at me, a hint of reluctance in her eyes, but eventually turned her head away. “Blood donation?” The doctor repeated the word. His tone was somewhat odd. “Are you sure you want to use patient Luna’s blood?” 3. “Of course, we’re sure!” Conor frowned impatiently. “She’s just a bit weak, what’s wrong with drawing some blood? Scarlett’s condition is urgent!” The doctor was silent for two seconds, then opened the report in his hand: “But Luna suffers from severe aplastic anemia, platelet dysfunction, Factor VII deficiency, hypoproteinemia, chronic myelodysplastic syndrome, chronic blood-borne infectious disease…” As his words fell, the hospital room became so quiet you could hear a pin drop. In the silence, I slowly raised my hand, cautiously speaking, “Um, I’m willing… to donate blood to Scarlett…” Scarlett’s face instantly turned ashen. She shook her head, backing away. “No, no… not necessary…” She paused, then reacting, her eyes reddened again, this time with genuine emotion. “Sister, why are you deliberately targeting me like this?” “You know you have so many illnesses, yet you say you’re willing to donate blood to me. Are you deliberately trying to harm me?” I stared at her blankly, before I could even react, she had already pulled up her sleeve. A few small red rashes appeared on her fair arm. “Look!” She pulled a bouquet of roses from her bag and violently threw them at me. “I went home yesterday and found a bouquet of roses under my bed. Those are my most severe allergen! The maid said Luna secretly placed them under my bed the first day she came home!” “I really don’t know why Luna keeps targeting me…” I stared at the bouquet, eyes wide, and timidly shuffled my bottom backward. “Mom and Dad!” Conor, seeing my reaction, was as excited as if he had finally caught me red-handed. “Look at how guilty she looks! I bet she put them there, deliberately trying to harm Scarlett!” “She’s just jealous of Scarlett, she just wants to drive her out of this home! Luna, how can your intentions be so malicious?!” “Get rid of the flowers now!!!” The doctor’s face changed drastically. He pushed Conor aside, rushed over in a few steps, and kicked the roses on the floor away. “The patient has a severe pollen allergy; contact with flowers will immediately induce anaphylactic shock! Prepare for resuscitation immediately!” As if to confirm his words, large patches of red rashes visibly bloomed on my skin, my lips turned purple, and my eyelids uncontrollably rolled upward. In my blurred consciousness, Conor was still stubbornly saying, “She’s acting again, isn’t she? Luna, you’re really something, in just half a day you’ve already bribed another doctor…” “Enough!!” Dad roared, interrupting him. “Dr. Lin is an expert we invited from abroad! You personally vouched for him! Even the examinations were done while Luna was unconscious, and we watched the whole time! Could Luna have bribed him while she was unconscious?!”

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I’ll never forget that afternoon. When the campus’s brightest guy asked my best friend out for the tenth time, she pointed at me and said, “She’s struggling just like you. You two are perfect for each other.” A light sparked in his eyes when he looked at me. Ten years later, he was on the Forbes billionaire list. At a grand celebration, he thanked me for my decade of support, and everyone envied my title as Mrs. Muniz. Then, at a star-studded gala, I saw my friend—her wealthy husband had just died by suicide. That night, he threw a divorce agreement at me. “If you hadn’t hogged the title of Mrs. Muniz, she could’ve come to me for help.” We argued fiercely—our first fight in ten years. He froze all my accounts, but I wouldn’t sign. Then came the news: my mother was critically ill. I begged him to help, but he wouldn’t spend a penny. I watched her take her last breath. My father shoved me, shouting, “Why cling to him? You could’ve saved your mother!” My brother looked at me with hate. My five-year-old son sobbed, “Mommy, why didn’t you save Grandma?” That night, he smirked. “How much longer will you cling to this position?” I silently gave him the signed papers. I won’t cling anymore. Now, I’m going to find my mother. … When the signed agreement was pushed towards him, his cigar-holding hand froze. He didn’t even notice the burning tobacco singeing his fingers. “So compliant this time?” “Yeah.” He leaned closer. “What’s your game? Just say it.” “I’m going to find my mom.” Adam chuckled. “What, transferring your aunt to another hospital?” I froze. I looked at him, surprised. “Your aunt’s illness, only the hospital I recommended can treat it. If you go to her, where would you transfer her?” He… didn’t know Mom was dead. A bitter smile flashed across my face. “That, you don’t need to worry about.” With that, I stood up and dragged my already packed suitcase. I had so few belongings that one suitcase wasn’t even full. After arguing with him for so long, I had sold almost all my valuables. But it still wasn’t enough for Mom’s surgery. Perhaps Dad was right. I was the one who killed Mom. I deserved to atone. Opening the door, my neck was suddenly grabbed. I was pressed against the wall. “Playing hard to get?” Adam looked down at me. “You never agreed to sign before, now you’re so submissive.” “What, after you leave this door, what are you planning to do to Sarah?” It was always like this. He always judged me with the most malicious intentions. In the past, I would have smashed things in the house, reminding him that I was his wife of nearly ten years. But now, I simply smiled. “Choke me to death. Perfect, widowhood will automatically dissolve our marriage.” His hand recoiled as if burned. He stared at me in disbelief for a moment. Seeing that I didn’t try to evade him, he muttered “crazy” and turned to leave. I found a rented room. I had accumulated a lot of sleeping pills. If I took them all, I could quietly slip away. I looked at the gray, bare branches outside the window. I smiled. I opened the pill bottle. A loud crash. My hand trembled. The pill bottle fell to the floor, pills scattering everywhere. Adam clutched my arm, a cold sneer on his lips. “I knew you were too compliant signing that agreement. You were planning to kill Sarah!” Before I could explain, I was forcibly dragged away. The car stopped in an open field on the outskirts, and I was pulled out. I was roughly shoved in front of Sarah Evans. She wore a sequined performance outfit, her arms and legs covered in bruises. Her eyes red, she looked at me. “Chloe, even if I’m down and out, I still have morals! I never wanted to break up your family. Why would you tie me up and have me assaulted? If Mr. Muniz hadn’t arrived in time, those animals you hired would have killed me by now!” Looking at those people I didn’t recognize at all, I said coldly, “I didn’t.” “Still denying it?” Adam gripped my chin. “These people confessed you instigated it. What, could Sarah have orchestrated this herself?” Sarah quickly exchanged a glance with the thugs. They suddenly burst into tears. “Madam! Are you going back on your word?” “Yeah, Madam! You said you’d take care of anything that happened!” “You said Ms. Evans was a prostitute and there was nothing to worry about! If we had known she was Mr. Muniz’s favorite, we wouldn’t have dared even with a hundred guts!” Sarah began to sob softly. Adam’s hand on my chin almost crushed my bones. “If you keep playing tough, forget about your mother’s medical expenses entirely!” I looked at him, my eyes red. Then I suddenly smiled. “Mother? She’s gone! What medical expenses?” Adam’s pupils constricted. The next second, a harsh slap landed on my face. “Now, just to be spiteful, you’ll say anything!” Sarah suddenly spoke up. “Chloe, even though Mr. Muniz and you have some disagreements, he never took it out on your aunt. Even I, an outsider, know that Mr. Muniz has a dedicated medical account for your aunt, depositing hundreds of thousands every month.” I froze. I looked up at Adam. His expression was cold, just as it had always been. How could such a man give Mom hundreds of thousands a month for medical expenses? If that were true, how could Mom have died! They were all lying to me. Using a phantom account to threaten me into divorce. They were all lying to me… Adam said coldly, “Even now, are you still refusing to admit it?” I took a deep breath. “What do you want from me?” “Kneel and apologize to her.” “Oh, no need, we’re after all best fr—” Sarah was about to object, but I had already knelt down and respectfully bowed my head. “I’m sorry.” Adam looked at me in disbelief. I stood up, brushing the dirt from my knees. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll be going.” The pills scattered on the floor of my rented room, I hadn’t taken them yet. “Stop.” A knife was placed on the table. Adam said coldly, “Sarah suffered so much because of you. Do you think a mere apology will suffice?” I turned back. He sneered, “However many cuts she endured, you will too.” Sarah clutched the scrapes on her arm, her eyes instantly red. “Fine,” I said. It seemed there was no other way to die. I picked up the knife and savagely plunged it towards my heart. “Chloe!” A hand gripped mine, holding the knife. Adam struggled against my strength. I stared at him. The tip of the knife moved another two inches closer to my heart. “Chloe!!” I clutched the knife handle. He clutched my hand. “If you want your child thrown into an orphanage, then stab that knife in now!” I froze. “Chloe, I won’t raise that bastard.” I opened my mouth. Blood trickled from my lips. “You…” He cut me off. “If you really want to die, take that bastard with you. That face, so much like yours, disgusts me!” That’s right… Adam hated me. So, Leo… he would hate him too… If I died, no one would truly care for Leo. Maybe Adam would even find people to bully him… The knife was violently pulled out. I coughed up a mouthful of blood, stumbled, and he caught me in his arms. Before losing consciousness, I heard his sharp cry. “Ambulance! Call an ambulance!” When I woke again, I was lying in a VIP hospital room. Adam looked at me with a cold sneer. “Your methods are getting more sophisticated. Even faking a suicide attempt looks so real.” I looked at him. He curled his lips into a sarcastic smile. “Sarah was right, you really are suited to be an actress.” He left. I lay alone on the bed, staring at the white ceiling, clutching my chest. That same afternoon, I knocked on my brother Rob’s door. On the table, Mom’s memorial photo still sat. On the sofa, was the scarf Mom hadn’t finished knitting for him. It was getting cold, and she had meant for him to wear it. Seeing it was me, he immediately moved to close the door. I stuck a hand in the gap. “Rob, I’m here to ask you for a favor.” Rob turned his head away, refusing to look at me. I entered the house. He sat on the sofa, lighting a cigarette. He didn’t smoke or drink. After Mom died, he took up both. “I’m sorry, Rob. I should have listened to you from the start.” He blew out a smoke ring, saying nothing. “I shouldn’t have been so unwilling to give up these ten years, I shouldn’t have argued with you and Dad over Adam. I should have listened to you from the beginning and given Mrs. Muniz’s position to Sarah Evans.” “I’m sorry…” Rob sneered. “What good is ‘I’m sorry’? Can ‘I’m sorry’ bring Mom back?” I choked. He looked at me. “It’s because you were always so focused on jealousy that Mom died!” The last few words were gritted through his teeth. “How could I have a sister like you!” I lowered my head, my voice trembling. “But Rob… I beg you, please take care of Leo.” He froze. “Adam won’t take care of him.” “I don’t ask you to treat him as your own child.” “At least, don’t let him be bullied.” Rob stared at me, then suddenly let out a cold laugh. “What, playing the victim?” I remained silent. “Leo has a mother like you. He’s naturally unlucky.” “Rob, I beg you.” “Get out.” “Rob…” “Get out!” An ashtray smashed near my foot. “Get out! Don’t dirty Mom’s eyes here!” I turned back. Mom’s memorial photo was on the table, smiling kindly at me. I knelt down and bowed deeply. Then, I turned and knelt before Rob, bowing my head. “Rob, I’m counting on you.” Without waiting for his astonished gaze, I turned and strode out. I walked out the door and got into my car. Rob’s voice came from the doorway. “Don’t ever come back! Go die wherever you want! Don’t say you’re my sister! The Reid family has no sister like you!” I gripped the steering wheel, tears streaming down my face. It was okay if I was cursed. I knew. Rob wouldn’t abandon Leo in the end. I started the car and drove away. The sleeping pills sat quietly on the table. I lay on the bed in my rented room. I set a timed message for my landlord, to be sent in twenty-four hours, asking her to contact a funeral home for me. My last bit of jewelry, once sold, would fetch over twenty thousand dollars. Not enough for Mom’s surgery. But enough to compensate the landlord for any losses. After doing all this, I reached for the pills. The door suddenly burst open. My throat clenched. I uncontrollably threw up. Adam grabbed my chin. His eyes red. “What have you done?! What have you and your mother done to Sarah!!” Adam had never been so distraught. Even in the past, when we fought fiercely over a divorce agreement, he would only give me a cold glance and toss out a line like: “Fine, we’ll take our time. Let’s see who outlasts whom.” I had never seen him so enraged. Just as I was wondering what was going on, Sarah Evans appeared at the doorway. Her performance outfit had long been replaced by a custom-made silk dress, but it was now tattered. There was a trace of blood at the corner of her mouth. She rushed forward like a madwoman, slapping me fiercely across the face. “How can you be so vicious! You and your mother won’t be satisfied until you destroy me!” I stared at her blankly. Her chest heaved. “I told you, I have morals, I would never break up your family with Mr. Muniz! We were best friends, for heaven’s sake. How could you be so utterly insane, having your mother send me messages, tricking me into visiting her at the hospital?” “And then having a bunch of animals take intimate photos of me!” I chuckled. Sure enough. Another setup. But I was so tired. Too tired to explain anymore. Sarah began to sob. “If Mr. Muniz hadn’t found me, my intimate photos would be all over the internet by now!” “How convenient,” I said, not even lifting an eyelid. “Every time I ‘frame’ you, Adam shows up just in time.” She froze. I smiled, looking up. “It’s as if you arranged it in advance.” Bang! I was shoved violently. The back of my head hit the wall. Adam, furious, threw a stack of photos in my face. “Are you saying Sarah used such methods to disgrace herself, just to compete with you?!” In the photos, Sarah’s clothes were tattered, her eyes filled with terror. She was forced to look at the camera by countless hands. Her eyes were full of humiliation and tears. At first glance, it was indeed heart-wrenching. But on closer inspection, the angles and compositions of these photos were too polished. As if someone had written a script in advance. My hand under the covers clutched the unfinished sleeping pills. I sneered. “Nicely shot. Could pass for art.” “You!” Sarah covered her mouth. I looked at Adam. “What do you want, Mr. Muniz? Beat me up or throw me in jail? Whatever it is, hurry up, I have things to do.” Adam’s fist trembled slightly. “That would be too easy for you.” A dozen burly men entered from the doorway. “Naturally, to treat someone as they’ve treated you, is the most effective!” I froze. Cameras were set up in no time. Adam coldly instructed from the doorway. “Shoot her exactly as you shot Sarah.” With that, the door closed. Before I could even make a sound, my mouth was covered. Sarah’s photos were carefully staged. My photos, however, were genuine humiliation. In no time, a hundred photos were taken. My shirt buttons had already popped onto the floor. I lay on the bed, my eyes vacant. Adam inspected the photos, took the negatives, and sneered. He came to my bedside, leaning over. “You know, if your mother saw these photos of you, would she just drop dead?” I stared at the ceiling, saying nothing. He sneered. He got up and called his subordinate. “Get the car ready. To the hospital. To see the old lady.” “Yes!” He walked away. My hand from under the covers came out. The sleeping pills. Finally, I could take them. Mom, I’m coming to apologize to you. I’m sorry. Don’t hate me. At this moment, Adam was walking downstairs. His subordinate called again.

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My relationship with Ryan Maxwell had been a secret for eight years. Today, April Fool’s Day, a popular streamer and host, Sierra Thorne, publicly tagged Ryan online, posting a photo of them holding hands. Her caption claimed he was hers, both in-game and out. The internet exploded. This “girl-chases-boy” pairing instantly topped the trending charts, with fans showering them with blessings. I immediately called Ryan, but he casually dismissed it, saying it was just Sierra’s April Fool’s joke for her fans, and she’d delete it tomorrow. Then, I heard Sierra’s voice in the background, laced with mockery, saying I was being a sore loser, taking an April Fool’s joke seriously. The surrounding chatter blurred. I stared at the new jungle pathing analysis I’d just finished writing on my desk, and suddenly, the past eight years of my dedication felt utterly meaningless. I tore up the analysis paper. Calmly, I told Ryan to go public with their relationship; there was no need to delete the post. 1 Silence hung on the other end for a moment. Then, I heard the voices of Ryan’s teammates: “Seriously? Max, your girlfriend is such a drama queen.” “You have me on speaker?” I realized. Everyone had heard what I said. “Yeah. Everyone was having a good time until your call ruined it.” Ryan’s voice held a hint of annoyance. “I’ll talk to you properly when I get home tonight. Can you please stop making such a big deal out of it? Sierra was just kidding.” I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and said faintly, “Whatever. We’re done.” Then, I hung up, rubbing my aching stomach. Ever since he won the world championship last year, Sierra had been openly pursuing him. He’d gone from actively avoiding her and even refusing her interviews to openly flirting and bantering with her on camera. Everyone called them the sweetest open secret in esports. Every boundary-crossing act, he’d dismissed as “just a joke.” On April Fool’s Day, he even went along with an “official announcement” joke. I, his real girlfriend, who had been with him for eight years, from his unknown days in the academy team to reaching the pinnacle of the world stage and winning the World Championship – a girlfriend he had never once mentioned on stage – felt like the real joke. He wouldn’t have even ranked first in the European server, let alone joined a pro academy team, if it weren’t for my work. 2 I sat on the sofa from afternoon until dark. He didn’t come back for me. In the past, he would have rushed home immediately, but this time, he didn’t. It wasn’t until nine that evening when Ryan finally returned. He reeked faintly of alcohol and pulled me into his arms without a word. “Still mad, babe? I already told Sierra to delete the post and make a statement saying it was a fake prank. Don’t be mad anymore, okay?” After he spoke, I took out my phone to check. Sierra had indeed posted: [That last post was fake, haha (someone’s shy QWQ)! Happy April Fool’s, everyone! P.S. Hope I can post the same thing next Valentine’s Day, meow~] The accompanying picture was a selfie of her with her arms around Ryan’s neck, their faces pressed close together. Looking at the almost provocative caption and selfie, I just had to laugh bitterly. I wriggled out of his embrace and sat up. “You really think her post is okay?” He sat up too, his previously gentle expression hardening. “What’s wrong? Didn’t she say it was fake? Why are you being so nitpicky?” “Am I being nitpicky?” My eyes instantly welled up. Staring at Ryan’s face, a face I had loved for eight years, a bitter ache of injustice filled my heart. “You’re not going to let this go, are you?” He said, his face cold. “The girl’s just a bit lively, likes interacting with her fans. And fans love it; it brings me more hype and endorsement deals. What can you do now besides act like a nagging old woman? Just compete with other women?” “Have I ever made you work these past few years? Haven’t I been supporting you? Sierra graduated from a top university, she’s a famous gaming host. You just have to pick on her,” he sneered. “You’re not just jealous she’s better than you, are you?” The moment he finished speaking, I slapped him across the face, my voice trembling. “Get out! Without me, would you have achieved what you have today?” He stood there, his face icy, and left me with one last remark: “Don’t get ahead of yourself just because you play a few games. Have you ever played in a real competition?” With that, he slammed the door, leaving me shaking with rage. 3 Eight years ago, he said he wanted to be a pro gamer, not work a regular job. Because I loved the same game as him, I also wanted him to achieve his dream. So, I started working during the day and spent my evenings helping him analyze patches and figure out the best jungle routes. Because of me, he successfully joined the academy team. The first year, his income was minimal. His family didn’t support him, so our living expenses depended entirely on my meager salary. Ryan told me that once he made a name for himself, he would never let me suffer again. He promised to take care of me, forbidding me from working. Then, armed with my research, he ranked day and night. Until the transfer period, his era finally arrived. When he signed his big contract, he hugged me, spinning me around our tiny rented apartment several times. He said, “My darling Nora, you’re amazing! Way better than those clueless coaches now! Quit your crummy job; you’ll be my personal coach from now on!” Back then, I thought we needed each other. So I quit my job, helped him with replays, accompanied him in ranked games. While others had an off-season, he always had his private training sessions with me. Not wanting to add to his pressure, I secretly took on some coaching and boosting jobs to earn money for our living expenses. His prize money, he saved, planning for our future wedding. Later, he grew stronger and stronger, becoming a true golden-tier jungler. Tears soaked my pillow; I could barely breathe from the sadness. How could he say I was completely dependent on him? Hadn’t we achieved this together? I believed he was sincere then, but I never expected sincerity to be so fleeting. The Ryan who used to care for me was truly gone. I tried to fall asleep quickly, but my stomach ache kept me awake. Helpless, I opened my phone. And saw Sierra had posted on her social media. A picture. Her hand, blowing someone’s hair dry. The person’s face wasn’t visible, but I knew him intimately. [Found a stray puppy. Others didn’t want him, so I’ll gladly take him in~] I liked the post and commented: [Trash really needs a trash can.] 4 I finally managed to fall asleep, only to be woken at 2 AM by a frantic call. “Nora, are you out of your mind? You can insult me, but why insult Sierra?” “You told me to get lost in the middle of the night. I had nowhere to go, and Sierra kindly took me in. Nothing happened between us. She just posted on social media, why are you insulting her?” “Our issues are between us; don’t drag innocent people into it, okay? Nora, after all this time, I never knew you were like this!” He yelled at me, and then I heard a woman’s muffled sobs from his end. He whispered soothingly, “Don’t cry. I’ll make her apologize to you, okay? Come on, wipe your tears, you’re like a little kitten.” “I… I don’t need an apology… I know his old lady is mad at me, so insulting me is… is deserved…” She stammered, sobbing, “But why would she insult you… You’ve supported her for so long… and I’ve been so good to you… yet you never even look at me… I feel bad for you… it’s not fair!” With them so deeply in love, I felt like the villain, blocking their romance. “Nora, apologize to Sierra.” My voice was hoarse. “No way. Do whatever you want, just don’t bother me anymore.” “Then get out of the house I bought!” He said it, then froze himself. I didn’t speak for a long time, feeling as if it was hard to breathe. This house, we bought it together, but I hadn’t paid as much as he did. Yet, he’d put my name on the deed. He’d promised: This is our marital home. Once bought, it’s yours. Not even I have the right to make you leave. If we argue, you can kick me out. But now, for another woman, he was taking back the security he’d given me. His voice softened, sounding tired. “Apologize to Sierra, and we’ll pretend nothing happened and stay together. Even though you’re upset, you also slapped me, so we’re even.” “I’ll sign the house over to you tomorrow.” My voice was terribly hoarse. “I don’t care for it anymore.” 5 I had no home left in this country. With tears in my eyes, I called my mom. “Mom, I want to come home.” As if knowing I was hurting, she said nothing, only asked, “Do you have money for a plane ticket?” I was sobbing uncontrollably, my vision blurred with tears as I bought a plane ticket to leave the country in three days. The next day, with swollen eyes, I arrived at the property transfer office. The line was long. I sat and waited for a while before Ryan finally showed up, fashionably late. Sierra followed him, dressed glamorously. When she saw me, a flicker of disdain crossed her eyes. Ryan frowned deeply. “You’ve been crying?” He gritted his teeth. “You just had to cause a scene. We could have made up yesterday, but now you’ve made yourself so miserable.” He took my hand. “Alright, let’s go home. Stop this.” But my gaze immediately fell on his empty wrist. I instantly retorted: “Where’s the red string? The red string we got together? Did you throw that away too?” He froze. Sierra spoke up then: “I’m sorry, I didn’t know it was important to you guys. I thought it was just a regular string, so I threw it away.” I closed my eyes, then quietly told Ryan: “We went to the Temple of Serenity together for that. It had some of my hair in it.” If the hair was lost, the owner would suffer bad luck. We were young then, believing in those old tales, believing we would be together forever. The one with his hair, I wore on my wrist, never taking it off except to shower. “If you didn’t want it, you could have given it back to me. Why throw it away?” My nose burned. “You knew I cared about that the most!” “Alright, it’s just a string. Sierra didn’t do it on purpose. I’ll get you a hundred more, okay?” He sounded impatient. “Why do you always care about these unimportant, useless things?” “Because I love you!” I roared, then collapsed onto the chair, muttering, “But now, I don’t. Not even a little bit.” I tore off the red string from my wrist and tossed it into a nearby trash can, along with my last shred of hope. Ryan stared for a long time, his eyes reddening. Then he said coldly, “Fine. Fine then. If you don’t love me, get lost. No need to bother each other anymore.” I wiped away my tears and looked at him. “I can live without you, but what about you?” He was used to me meticulously handing him all my research, used to me staying up all night helping him find the meta. What would he, the lazy one, do if I left? Finally, our turn came. In front of me, as if out of spite from my words, Ryan transferred the house deed to Sierra. She looked overjoyed, then worriedly spoke: “I truly didn’t realize my feelings would cause such a big impact on you two.” I couldn’t be bothered with her fake sincerity. Just as I was about to turn and leave, someone, appearing out of nowhere, shoved me to the ground. The pain in my abdomen nearly overwhelmed me. The person wasn’t done, kicking me and yelling, “Why are you trying to ruin Sierra and God Ryan’s love? Are you that pathetic?!” Ryan grabbed her, about to retaliate, but Sierra chose that moment to fall. Ryan immediately let go to help her up, and the attacker fled. After helping Sierra up, he finally came to help me. “Hospital… take me to the hospital…” Eight years of a relationship, he couldn’t even help me with this last small favor. He picked me up, but Sierra tugged at his sleeve: “Weren’t you going to help me pick out a kitten? The pet store will close soon…” I clutched Ryan’s collar, but after a glance at me, he slowly placed me back on the bench. “Just a push, it shouldn’t be too serious,” he said softly. “Take a taxi yourself. I’ll reimburse you.” My heart plummeted into an icy abyss. I watched helplessly as Ryan and Sierra walked further and further away, step by step. Sierra looked back at me, a mocking smile on her face.

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When I went into the bathroom to hand Silas his soap, he was right in the middle of his shower. My gaze swept over his wet skin, and I thought to myself: Damn, it’s actually pink. Silas froze. The very next second, a heavy bar of soap came flying at my head, nearly knocking me out cold. 1 Silas came home late that evening. I waited by the door, a picture-perfect smile on my face, and signed: Welcome home, darling. Silas didn’t even spare me a glance. He walked right past me like I was made of glass. I glared at his broad back and cursed him in my head: Are you blind? Can’t you see your own wife standing right here? Suddenly, Silas stumbled. He stopped in his tracks and looked back at me. I instantly dropped my glare, flashed a sweet smile, and signed: Is something wrong? His eyes darkened. He looked me up and down before muttering, “Nothing.” 2 My name is Harper Bennett, the second daughter of the Bennett family. Because I was born mute, I was the invisible child, the one completely ignored by my own parents. Two months ago, the Sinclair family proposed a marriage alliance with us. My dad originally wanted to marry off my older sister, Serena. Serena had even put on a shy, blushing act, eagerly expressing her deep affection for the Sinclair heir. But to everyone’s absolute shock, Silas pointed a finger straight at the dark corner where I was hiding and said with a straight face, “I want to marry her.” I didn’t even process what was happening. When I finally turned my head, I caught Serena staring at me with pure, venomous hatred. 3 We slept in separate bedrooms on our wedding night, but I desperately wanted to cross that line. At one in the morning, I snuck into Silas’s room. Turns out, the man wasn’t asleep at all. In the pitch black, his voice came out low and vicious, “Get out.” I jumped out of my skin and nearly collapsed onto the expensive rug. Silas flipped on the bedside lamp. Under the dim, warm light, his sharp, incredibly handsome features were half-hidden in the shadows. I pointed at my own chest, playing dumb: Me? Silas understood my sign language perfectly. He fired back, “Who else is in here?” I stood up straight, squared my shoulders, and signed boldly: I want to sleep with you. “…” Silas got out of bed, his massive hand suddenly shooting out to pinch my cheeks. I froze, completely terrified to move. His voice was ice-cold as it brushed against my ear: “I only married you because you’re quiet. There is no other reason. Know your place, and don’t ever pull a stunt like this again.” 4 My outward reaction: Oh no, I’m so scared. My inner monologue: Hehe, totally doing that again. Silas had completely misjudged me. The “quiet and docile” personality was just an act. Deep down, I was a walking menace with a rebellious streak a mile wide. The more he told me no, the more I wanted to push his buttons. We were legally married. What the hell did “knowing my place” even mean? Still, I knew I couldn’t push my luck too fast. I had to practice my moves in my head first. A week ago, I was daydreaming about him as usual, totally lost in my own spicy little fantasy. I didn’t expect Silas to walk right past me at that exact moment. Panic flared in my chest. I pretended to trip, sending my head crashing straight into his rock-hard chest. The impact practically knocked my soul out of my body. Silas grabbed my arms to steady me. “Careful.” 5 It was right around that time that I noticed Silas acting weird. He became incredibly irritable and would glare at me for absolutely no reason. And I swear I hadn’t done anything wrong. For example, when we were eating breakfast together. I took a sneaky peek at him: Those shirt buttons are fighting for their lives. A man’s chest is truly his best dowry. Silas’s eyelid twitched violently. “Stop eating breakfast with me from now on.” Or, another time, when I was helping him get dressed: Wow, what a waist. Wonder how long he can actually last? Two seconds max? Silas’s entire body went rigid. He violently shoved his arms back into his jacket. “Never come into my walk-in closet again.” …What a diva. Like I actually want to serve you anyway. I kept a gentle, innocent expression on my face and signed: I understand. I turned around to leave, but Silas grabbed my shoulder and pinned me against the wall. He tilted my chin up, forcing me to look him in the eye. My reflection stared back at me in his deep, narrow eyes. “Harper.” He said my name. “Even though we are husband and wife, you need to learn some boundaries.” I blinked slowly, giving him my best doe-eyed look. But inside, I was screaming: Oh, I definitely want to measure your boundaries. “You…” He trailed off, snapping his mouth shut. He released me and turned his back. “Forget it. Just get out.” 6 Tonight, Silas went straight to the shower right after coming home. Determined to end my dry spell, I had already laid out all his usual toiletries. Halfway through his shower, he realized his soap was missing. I was already standing guard by the door, ready for action. Inside the bathroom, hot steam rolled through the air like a sauna. And standing right there was a man with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. Droplets of water slid down his pale, muscular chest. Further down were eight perfectly sculpted abs. Silas reached out a hand, his voice raspy. “Give it to me.” Thrilled, I quickly grabbed his hand instead. His large palm was incredibly warm, the wet heat making my mouth go instantly dry. He gripped my hand back, his thumb slowly sliding up my wrist. I gulped hard: It’s happening! It’s finally happening! Wreck me! Destroy me! I am ready! I’ll be superwoman tonight! Then Silas’s voice floated down from above. “Give me the soap.” Son of a bitch. I slapped the bar of soap into his palm. Silas immediately tried to kick me out. “Leave.” But I didn’t move an inch. I literally couldn’t take my eyes off his flawless skin. I stared right at him, openly checking him out: He’s so pale. I bet it’s pink. Yep, definitely pink. Not bad. Not bad at all. I completely missed the dark, murderous aura radiating from him. I kept fantasizing: First we’ll do it like this, then like that, and then… Silas scowled. He shifted slightly to cover himself and snapped: “Are you leaving or not?” My brain short-circuited. I pointed directly at his crotch and signed: Could you swing it around for me to see? Silas completely lost his mind. Furious, he hurled the soap right at my head: “Get out!” 7 Thank God for my quick reflexes, or that bar of soap would have been the end of me. Because of that little comment, Silas avoided me like the plague for days. This awkward tension dragged on until Bella Roth’s lavish birthday gala. I walked into the ballroom with my arm linked through Silas’s. He instantly commanded the room, getting swarmed by businessmen and socialites. I was casually shoved to the sidelines. Someone accidentally bumped their glass, spilling red wine all over my designer dress. A huge, dark stain bloomed across the fabric. No one apologized. I was so used to being treated like invisible trash that I barely even blinked. I headed to the restroom alone to try and scrub the stain out. Bella Roth, the birthday girl, was already in there. Dressed in a blood-red gown, she glared at me with a vicious look that reminded me of a ghost from a cheap horror movie. My stomach dropped. Four or five girls caked in heavy makeup blocked the exit behind me. Someone shoved me hard in the back. Bella walked toward me with a sickeningly sweet smile. “Harper, how have you been?” “Does Mr. Sinclair actually like you?” None of your damn business. I turned to leave. Bella grabbed my arm, pulled me back, and slapped me hard across the face. “You mute bitch, you think you can ignore me?” She grabbed a handful of my hair and slammed me backward into a stall door. My ears rang violently, and my cheek burned like fire. Bella leaned in close, whispering venomously: “Don’t think playing the pathetic victim will win his heart. He doesn’t love you.” “He only married you to put on a show.” I parted my lips and mouthed the words slowly: Dumb. Ass. “What did you just say?” Bella turned to her minions. “Shove her in there!” The girls swarmed me, dragging me into a toilet stall and slamming the door shut. A second later, a bucket of freezing water rained down on me from over the partition. I was soaked to the bone, the water smelling faintly of sewage. Shrill laughter echoed off the tiles. “Harper, just beg for mercy and we’ll let you out.” “How is a mute supposed to beg?” “She can get on her knees!” “Hahaha!” The laughter outside grew louder. 8 I didn’t have my phone on me. I had to get myself out of this mess. Fine. Game on. I calmly wiped the filthy water from my eyes, hiked up my ruined dress, stepped onto the toilet tank, hoisted myself over the partition, and dropped down into the empty stall next door. I had always wondered what it would be like to use a mop dipped in toilet water. Thanks for giving me the perfect opportunity, ladies. I grabbed the dirty mop from the corner, soaked it straight into the toilet bowl, and swung it with everything I had. Honestly, even the Pope wasn’t this generous with holy water. I baptized every single one of them. The girls shrieked, their faces pale with horror as they scrambled away. “Help! That’s so gross!” “Somebody stop her!” “Harper, are you insane?!” I smirked: No shit, Sherlock. You have to be crazy to deal with bitches like you. 9 After the gala ended, Bella tried to play the victim. She ran crying to Silas, claiming I attacked her with a filthy mop. “Mr. Sinclair, Harper just lost her mind and started hitting us!” She held out her stained red dress. “Look at what she did to my clothes…” I stared at her terrible acting and rolled my eyes: Keep going. Keep crying. It’s a crime you don’t have an Oscar yet. Bella wiped away fake tears, playing the poor, innocent girl to perfection. Before she could even finish her sob story, Silas walked right past her. He took off his custom suit jacket and draped it gently over my shivering shoulders. He turned to Bella, his voice lethal. “What exactly did you say to provoke her?” Bella froze. “…What?” Silas wrapped an arm around my waist, his tone absolute. “Harper is quiet and incredibly level-headed. You must have said something completely out of line, otherwise she would never act like that.” “And look at her face. Are you trying to tell me she hit herself?” “Apologize to her.” Seeing Silas defend me so fiercely, Bella realized she had lost. Through gritted teeth, she muttered: “I’m. Sorry. Harper.” 10 I never expected Silas to stand up for me like that. After Bella stormed off, I looked up at him with a soft smile and signed: Thank you. Meanwhile, my mind was going wild: God, I just want to pin you to a bed and thank you properly. Silas: “…” He reached out, his hand hovering over my cheek. Clearly afraid of hurting me, his fingers simply rested near my bruised skin for a second. “Does it hurt?” I was fine a second ago, but the moment he asked, a huge wave of unfairness washed over me. I bit my lip hard, fighting back tears: Don’t cry. Don’t cry. It doesn’t hurt at all. It’s not like I haven’t been hit before. Pain go away, pain go away. I shook my head and signed: I’m fine. It doesn’t hurt. Silas gently smoothed my wet hair. “Let’s go home.” It was the first time he had ever been that gentle with me. 11 That bucket of dirty water successfully gave me a fever. But my mind was still sharp. I was lying in bed, bored out of my mind, when Silas walked into my room. He pressed the back of his hand against my forehead. “Still burning up.” I gave him a seductive smile. Get in bed with me, and I’ll be even hotter. Silas’s expression instantly morphed into something indescribable. He stood up. Just as I thought he was going to walk out, he pulled back the covers and gently lay down right next to me. Me: “???” Pure survival instinct kicked in. I scrambled to the far edge of the mattress, creating distance between us. Seeing me run away, his brows furrowed in annoyance. “What are you hiding from?” I nervously signed: What are you doing? He didn’t answer. He just reached out, yanked me right back into the middle of the bed, and tucked the blankets tightly around me, like he was afraid I’d bolt again. He ordered, “Close your eyes. Sleep.” I obediently shut my eyes, but my mind was racing: What does this mean? Is he trying to test-drive a girl with a 102-degree fever? I’m totally going to die of a heart attack. As much as I wanted to sleep with him, now that it was actually happening, I was terrified. … The room was completely silent. I cracked one eye open just a sliver and saw Silas resting with his eyes closed. The morning light hit his face, making his sharp features look clean and relaxed. Just as I was staring at him in a daze, Silas suddenly opened his eyes. “Just go to sleep. I’m not going to do anything.” I let out a huge breath of relief and nodded like a good girl: Oh, so we’re literally just sleeping. Good thing he’s not a total animal. Silas tightened his arm around my waist. Feeling safe, I finally drifted off to sleep. 12 Sometime in the middle of the night, my fever broke, leaving me drenched in cold sweat. The sticky, uncomfortable feeling made me pull off my pajama top in my sleep. I rolled over and crashed right into a warm chest. That firm, smooth feeling… Whoa. Abs. I splayed both hands out and squeezed hard. A second later, I heard Silas mutter in his sleep, “Be gentle…” Holy shit! My eyes flew open. I bolted upright in panic. Silas flinched, waking up instantly. His arm automatically reached for my back. His voice was thick with sleep. “What’s wrong?” I was sitting there in absolutely nothing but my underwear, violently shivering. Internally, I was shrieking: Ahhhhhh! Silas hastily turned on the lamp to check on me. I pushed him away, desperately wrapping the thick duvet around my body. Silas leaned in close. “What happened? Does something hurt?” I shook my head frantically, scooting further back against the headboard. I pointed frantically at the door, telling him to leave. Go! Get out! Just go! Silas stared at me. A cold smirk pulled at his lips. “You’re kicking me out?” “Where’s all that courage you had when you told me to swing it?” Tch… Looking all pink and cute, but holding onto a grudge like a psycho. My face was burning up, my head spinning. I had no choice but to play the pity card. I put on my most fragile, helpless expression and signed: I’m really sick right now. It would be terrible if you caught my bug. You should probably sleep in your own room. Silas stared at me in dead silence. Why isn’t he reacting? Did he not understand my signs? I slowly, deliberately signed it a second time. “I understood you perfectly,” he said. Silas got out of bed and walked out the door. “I’m leaving, okay?” Me: “?” Why did he sound so incredibly offended? 13 My parents heard I was sick and made a special trip to the Sinclair estate to “visit.” After three minutes of fake pleasantries, they got right down to business: my marriage. My mom grabbed my hand, putting on her most serious, motherly voice. “Harper, are things okay between you and Mr. Sinclair?” “If you two aren’t happy, it’s better to just get a divorce sooner rather than later.” My dad nodded vigorously in agreement. “Exactly, exactly.” “Your sister has always loved Mr. Sinclair. She’s far more suited for a position like this.” “Just come home. Stop embarrassing him.” These two were tag-teaming me, practically begging me to divorce my own husband. Hmph. I knew they didn’t actually care about my health. I shook my head firmly and signed my rejection: I don’t want a divorce. I hadn’t even slept with the man yet. Why the hell would I divorce him now? Seeing me refuse, their masks immediately slipped. My dad pointed a finger right in my face and started yelling: “You don’t want to?” “You don’t get a say in this marriage!” “If Mr. Sinclair didn’t have a thing for quiet girls, do you really think a mute like you would be living like this?!” I held my ground: I’m not signing anything. My dad gritted his teeth. “You little…!” Realizing they couldn’t bully me into it, they marched straight up to the study to talk to Silas. I crept down the hallway and pressed my ear to the heavy oak door. Inside, Silas stayed quiet for a very long time, making my anxiety spike. He didn’t exactly like me. What if he really wanted out? Especially considering how often I sexually harassed him. A minute later, Silas’s voice finally cut through the tension. He spoke calmly, firmly. “Harper and I are very happy together. Divorce is completely off the table.” 14 His answer left me stunned. Happy? Who was happy? Did Silas actually enjoy me constantly bothering him? My parents were still desperately trying to change his mind: “Mr. Sinclair, please. Our youngest can’t even speak. It damages your public image.” “And she’s a troublemaker. We heard she offended the Roth family just the other day.” “I’m sure she herself feels unworthy of you.” “And besides…” I didn’t stick around to listen to the rest. I went back to my bedroom to wait for the fallout. About half an hour later, Silas practically kicked my bedroom door open. His first words were: “Harper Bennett, you want a divorce?” Huh? Why is he so pissed? Seeing him so worked up was fascinating. On a whim, I decided to mess with him: Since you don’t really like me, I don’t want to hold you back. Let’s just part ways peacefully. Internally, I was totally chill about it: If we divorce, we divorce. If I can’t eat this piece of meat, I’ll just find another restaurant. Silas glared at me in silence for a solid minute before gritting out: “You were desperate to get into my bed. You tried every trick in the book to get close to me, and now you’re bored already?” Yep. I’m just a fickle girl who likes shiny new things. I forced a single, dramatic tear to roll down my cheek and signed: I’m sorry. Silas let out a dark, mocking laugh. “Perfect.” He turned on his heel and stormed out. “Just you wait!”

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Lately, Joey had been piecing my life together through the casual remarks of others. When his friends jokingly congratulated him on becoming a “trophy husband”, it finally dawned on him that I had already paid the down payment on a new house entirely on my own. A group photo posted on my best friend’s Instagram was the only way he found out I had chopped off all my hair into a sharp bob. Even when I flew out to his city for a business trip, he only found out because we literally collided at the corner of a shopping mall. He furrowed his brows, asking why I hadn’t told him I was in town. His voice was thick with genuine confusion. “You used to sit through a six-hour cross-country flight just to see me for a weekend without a single complaint.” I avoided his gaze and threw out a casual excuse. “Work has been crazy lately. I barely have time to breathe.” Looking at his stunned expression, a random memory flashed through my mind. Just half a month ago, I had been perfectly willing to drop my entire career without a second thought just to make it to a date with him. 1 When I bumped into Joey at the mall, I was actually on the phone with my best friend, Brooke, making plans for dinner. “Wow, did hell freeze over?” Brooke teased through the speaker. “I thought you only ever visited Seattle to play the devoted girlfriend.” Her tone made me laugh. “I swear on my life, I am here for a week-long business trip, and I am absolutely not seeing him.” Brooke let out a dramatic gasp, clearly not believing a word. And fair enough. In the past, I had nearly quit my six-figure job just to secure a weekend off to see Joey. Right after I made that blood oath to Brooke, a hand suddenly grabbed my wrist as I rounded the corner. “You’re here again? Didn’t we just see each other two weeks ago?” I stared blankly at the person holding onto me. It took me a full two seconds to process who it was. I was usually the one who picked out all of Joey’s clothes. He always wore perfectly ironed button-downs and tailored slacks, looking every bit the reliable, professional doctor. But right now, he was wearing a cream-colored oversized hoodie. The boyish, collegiate outfit completely stripped away his usual mature aura. Joey checked his watch. When he looked back up at me, his eyes did not hold the warmth of a man seeing his long-distance girlfriend. Instead, he looked at me like I was just another patient taking up his time in the waiting room. “I have a shift at the hospital this afternoon. I don’t have time to entertain you.” “Next time you decide to fly out, give me a heads up…” I cut him off immediately. “Who said I came here to see you? You’re overthinking things. I don’t have time for you either.” Joey froze. “But you’re always the one counting down the days until we see each other.” That was the old me. The old me would have rushed out of the airport on a four-hour layover just to grab a twenty-minute coffee with him. The old me would work five days of brutal overtime to finish a project early, all to match his single day off. But now, if we hadn’t accidentally crossed paths, he never would have known I was in his city. “There is no need to throw a tantrum. Dr. Wright is incredibly busy and exhausted every single day.” The girl standing next to Joey suddenly spoke up. Her name was Sophie. “It is bad enough that you are not being understanding, but showing up unannounced like this? Now Dr. Wright is going to feel obligated to waste his precious resting time on you.” I stared at Sophie’s incredibly self-righteous expression. She was also wearing an oversized hoodie. Matched with Joey’s, it looked sickeningly like a couples outfit. Not far away, a clothing store had a massive red banner proudly advertising a “Couples 50% Off” sale. A cold smirk crept onto my face. “You don’t have time to see me, but you have plenty of time to go shopping with her?” Sophie lifted her chin slightly, her face the picture of moral superiority. “Please do not misunderstand, Sienna! Dr. Wright usually dresses far too strictly, which makes the patients nervous. I simply suggested he wear something softer, so I accompanied him to pick out a few items.” “I happened to like this hoodie too, and the store had a couples discount. I only agreed to it to save some money.” “I am not like you. You come from money and never have to look at price tags. I do not have a wealthy family backing me. I have to stretch every single dollar. You really do not need to be so insecure and suspicious.” I actually laughed out loud. “What he wears is none of your business. Are you his girlfriend or his mother?” “Saving money by using someone else’s boyfriend. You really know how to play the system, don’t you?” Sophie’s face flushed bright red. “You…” Joey tightened his grip on my hand, his tone softening as he tried to pacify me. “I didn’t make time for you, so you have every right to be angry with me. But taking it out on someone else is out of line. She was just trying to be frugal.” “How about this. I will call in a favor, take the afternoon off, and spend it with you. Okay?” Suddenly, the entire situation just felt incredibly pathetic. I yanked my hand out of his grip. “I am busy! I already told you I didn’t come here for you. Are you incapable of understanding basic English?” This time, Joey was left completely speechless. 2 This was the fourth year of our long-distance relationship. And it had been brutal. I flew from New York to Seattle every single month to see him. That was only twelve visits a year. To bridge the gap, we promised to video call every single night. Even if we were dead on our feet, we had to say goodnight before hanging up. I couldn’t quite pinpoint when it started. But gradually, Sophie’s name began dominating our nightly calls. “The new nurse assigned to me is so clumsy. She missed the vein three times during a blood draw today.” “She has a really kind heart, though. She sneaks cafeteria food out to feed the stray cats in the alley.” “I overheard the chief mentioning that she comes from a really tough background. She took out massive loans for nursing school, just like I did for med school. But she wasn’t as lucky as me. My greatest luck was meeting you in college.” I never took it seriously. I just assumed she was a quirky subordinate. Then, a month ago, Joey told me he had an out-of-state medical conference and wouldn’t be able to do our goodnight calls. It wasn’t until a mutual friend from his hospital called me to say Joey had been admitted for a severe stomach ulcer that I found out the truth. His “medical conference” was in my city. New York. He wasn’t planning a romantic surprise. He genuinely just hadn’t planned on telling me he was in town. “I was just too busy, and it slipped my mind. I was only going to be there for two days anyway. There was no point in making a huge fuss and dragging you out.” To him, seeing me had become a chore. A burden. While I was standing in his hospital room processing that, the thermos of hot soup in my hands was suddenly shoved aside. A woman in scrubs aggressively popped the lid off her own insulated container and glared at me. “Dr. Wright was admitted for a severe stomach ulcer! He cannot eat heavy, greasy food!” She fluttered around his bed, adjusting his pillows and pouring his water. She looked exactly like the lady of the house. She threw the apple I had carefully peeled for him straight into the trash, claiming I hadn’t washed my hands using the proper clinical seven-step method, so it was contaminated. When I stared at his IV drip rate, she scoffed, telling me I was a clueless outsider and ordering me to stay out of the way. I stepped out to use the restroom for exactly three minutes. When I came back, the two of them were laughing together, completely immersed in their own world. Knowing I had absolutely no interest in the medical field, Joey cleared his throat and offered a weak explanation. “We were just talking about work.” But Sophie just had to add her own little jab. “Even if we explained it to you, you wouldn’t understand a word.” A ball of fire twisted in my gut. I looked straight at Joey. “Since when do you hire nurses with this kind of attitude? Fire her.” Sophie froze, then puffed out her chest. “I am a registered nurse with a degree from a proper medical program. I am not some cheap caretaker you can just dismiss!” That was when I realized this was Sophie. Clearly, she had crossed the line. And Joey had completely enabled her. Infidelity and emotional wandering are the oldest clichés in long-distance relationships. I used to arrogantly believe we were the exception. I thought we were immune to a bad ending. If I had been harboring any foolish hopes before, pretending I was just being overly sensitive, the whole “fake couples hoodie” incident completely shattered that illusion. … I bought Brooke a gift at the mall and picked up the custom-tailored suit I had ordered weeks ago. After a quick lunch with Brooke, I dove straight back into my work. Between working endless overtime and getting caught in a freezing Seattle downpour, I ended up with a raging fever and landed myself right back in the hospital. Talk about terrible luck. The nurse assigned to draw my blood was Sophie. She tied the tourniquet around my arm with entirely too much force. She jabbed the needle in three separate times, failing to find the vein every single time. Horrific, dark purple bruises bloomed across my pale skin. I lost my patience. “I want a different nurse.” Sophie didn’t look remorseful in the slightest. Her tone was completely justified. “You do not own this hospital. Medical resources are strictly limited, and there are other patients waiting. Please stop wasting my time.” I laughed out of sheer anger. “Your technique is garbage. I have every right to request a competent nurse.” Sophie lifted her chin, her face a mask of pure stubbornness. “Please do not insult my professional abilities. You kept squirming. Of course I couldn’t get the needle in.” I didn’t waste another breath on her. I simply pressed the call button for the attending doctor. The person who rushed through the door was Joey. 3 “You’re sick? Why didn’t you tell me?” The color completely drained from Joey’s face the second he saw me. He practically sprinted to my bedside. His fingers gently supported my bruised arm, his voice thick with undeniable heartache. “How did it get this bad? Why didn’t you call me?” I let out a cold, sharp laugh. “Your nurse has absolutely no idea what she’s doing, and then she blames the patient for her own incompetence. Is this the standard of care at your hospital? Tell her to expect a formal complaint.” Sophie’s eyes instantly welled with tears. She bit her lip hard. “Sienna, I know you despise me. You are a wealthy, privileged girl. You could never possibly understand my struggles.” “The hospital is voting for the ‘Nurse of the Year’ award right now, and this is incredibly important to me. I am entirely alone in this city. I have no one to rely on. I have to earn every single penny with my own blood and sweat. Every path I take, I have to carve out myself…” I cut her off, thoroughly exhausted. “What does any of your sob story have to do with me?” Joey instructed another nurse to bring an ice pack and some warm towels. He carefully began treating my bruised arm. But the words coming out of his mouth chilled me straight to the bone. “The bruising looks worse than it is. It will fade in a week, and it definitely won’t scar.” “Her technique is actually perfectly fine. She was probably just nervous today. If you file a formal complaint, all her hard work for the year will be completely ruined.” “It really isn’t easy for a young girl to survive alone in a big city. Just let this go. Be good for me.” Sophie reached up and wiped away a tear. She tilted her chin up slightly, looking exactly like a martyr who had finally received divine justice. In the past, if I got a tiny papercut, Joey would hover over me in distress for half an hour. He would meticulously apply a bandage while cursing the paper for being too sharp. But now, he was pouring all his empathy onto the person who had actually hurt me. I curled my fingers into tight fists. My chest felt like it was packed with wet cement, but my voice came out ice-cold. “Call your department head. I am filing a formal complaint against both of you.” Sophie’s face hardened with righteous fury. “I take full responsibility for my own actions. Do not drag Dr. Wright into this! Even if you are his girlfriend, you have no right to bully people like this!” She threw her hands up dramatically. Her arm caught the open bottle of iodine on the medical cart. The dark brown liquid splashed directly onto the eight-thousand-dollar custom suit resting on the edge of the bed. Silence blanketed the messy room. I looked at the ruined fabric and spoke slowly. “That was my outfit for a major client meeting. You just destroyed it.” Sophie froze for a split second before stiffening her neck defiantly. “If you hadn’t been intentionally making things difficult for me and Dr. Wright, I never would have panicked and knocked it over. When you really think about it, this is your own fault.” I calmly picked up my phone. “You can explain that logic to the police.” “Wait!” Sophie looked away, her tone dripping with a bizarre, condescending kind of forgiveness. “At the end of the day, you are the one in the wrong, and you know it. But you are using my livelihood to threaten me. I do not have your money or your power, so I have to swallow this injustice.” “It is just a piece of clothing. I will pay you back. How much is it?” I leaned back against the pillows, watching her with a perfectly calm expression. I enunciated every single syllable. “Eight thousand dollars.” Sophie’s righteous indignation shattered instantly. Total panic washed over her features, her voice pitching into a shrill shriek. “That is impossible!” “How could a piece of fabric cost that much! Who are you trying to scam!” “You rich people are all exactly the same. You just use your money to crush normal people…” I cut her off smoothly. “Are you paying, or am I calling the cops?” 4 Sophie ran out of the room sobbing hysterically. Joey didn’t chase after her. He just stood there, looking at me like he wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words. I ignored him entirely. I got out of bed, walked straight to the nursing station, and officially filed my complaint. That evening, Joey insisted on taking me out to dinner. He fell back into his usual routine, asking about my life in his gentle, soothing voice. “How have you been lately?” “Fine.” “What have you been busy with?” “Just work.” Joey paused, a forced smile touching his lips. “Why didn’t you tell me you cut your hair? If I hadn’t seen Brooke’s post, I would have had no idea.” “And you don’t even text me first anymore. We haven’t done our goodnight calls in weeks.” “I’ve been busy. I don’t have the time.” Three short sentences, and the conversation was completely dead. During our old visits, I always had an endless supply of things to tell him. From how much I despised the new director at my company, to a cute stray cat I saw on the sidewalk. I would take the most trivial, mundane details of my life and spin them into hour-long stories. I used to wish I could pour a whole month’s worth of unspoken words into his lap the second I saw him. Now, I just stared at my plate and ate in silence. Four years of a long-distance relationship. We went from messaging each other the second we opened our eyes, to barely speaking ten sentences a month. We went from telling each other everything first, to him being the absolute last to know. We went from endless late-night talks, to having absolutely nothing left to say. And it had only taken half a month to unravel. Joey sat in silence for a long time before reaching across the table to grab my hand. “I’m sorry. I’ve been so obsessed with working hard so we can finally end the distance, I completely neglected your feelings.” My parents had always been strictly against me moving across the country for a man. Because of that, Joey had sworn to buy a house and settle down in New York. His own parents were absolutely furious with the decision and completely cut off all financial support. Joey squeezed my fingers. “I’ve been looking into a few high-end private medical centers in New York. A couple of them have already invited me for final interviews. Once my job is secured, we can start house hunting. Which means…” He tried to keep his tone casual, but the excitement in his voice spiked. “We won’t have to be long-distance anymore!” I froze. This was the exact future I had dreamed about for years. But now that it was practically sitting in the palm of my hand, it felt like we were standing on completely different planets. “Didn’t you want to get a cat? When we buy a place, we can install a massive cat tree on the balcony wall, and set up a little hammock by the window so they can sunbathe.” “Speaking of cats…” He paused, as if a completely natural thought had just occurred to him. His tone shifted effortlessly. “Sophie really loves cats too. She always sneaks out back to feed the strays behind the clinic. She really is a good person. She just lacks a filter sometimes.” “Eight thousand dollars might just be a jacket to you, but to her, that’s almost a year’s worth of living expenses. She isn’t like you. She doesn’t have a safety net. She hasn’t even finished paying off her nursing school loans. By the time she pays rent, she barely has enough left to eat.” “I know you really dislike her, but she’s had a remarkably hard life. I had to claw my way up from the bottom too, so I understand exactly where she’s coming from.” Word after word. It was all about Sophie. I never imagined the day would come when the man I loved couldn’t speak three sentences without bringing up another woman. I put down my fork. “You know I despise her, yet you keep bringing her up. What exactly is your endgame here?” Joey pressed his lips together in a helpless, indulgent smile. “You’ve always had a bit of a temper. I spoiled you, and I gladly take the brunt of it. That is my job as your boyfriend. But you can’t aim that temper at innocent bystanders, right?” “Drop the formal complaint. She’ll get the suit professionally dry-cleaned and return it to you. Then, you can just offer her a quick apology.” Every single time he defended her, he chipped away another piece of my love for him. So when I heard those words, I didn’t feel heartbroken. I only felt a cold, lingering anger. I looked at him calmly. “She made a massive professional error. I have absolutely no obligation to tolerate it.” “I only asked her to pay for the suit. I didn’t demand compensation for my ruined client meeting or my emotional distress. That is already me being incredibly generous.” “Besides, what does her ‘hard life’ have to do with me? Does having a tough background suddenly act as a get-out-of-jail-free card for ruining things? If a surgeon accidentally kills a patient, can they just say ‘my life is hard’ and walk away?” Joey stared at me, completely stunned. It was as if I had morphed into a stranger right in front of his eyes. Unforgiving. Aggressive. Maybe the old me would have backed down to save his pride. I wouldn’t have wanted an outsider to create a rift between us. But the man sitting across from me right now. To me, he was just an outsider too. I locked eyes with Joey and spoke with razor-sharp clarity. “The complaint and the demand for compensation are staying exactly where they are.” “Also. We’re done. I’m breaking up with you.”

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After graduation, my pride got the better of me. I lied to my college classmates, telling them I was heading overseas for my master’s degree. In reality, I slunk back to my dead-end hometown, working a soul-crushing job that barely paid minimum wage. Two years later, my absolute ride-or-die best friend called me out of the blue. She asked if I still remembered Arthur Sinclair. Then she dropped the bomb. Arthur Sinclair was actively searching for a body double of his college crush. The compensation? One hundred thousand dollars a month. A cool million if you signed on for a year. I froze right there in my cubicle. Since when did the universe hand out free money like this? 1 Back in college, I was the ultimate fake-it-till-you-make-it queen. For four solid years, I put on an Oscar-worthy performance. On the surface, I was a delicate, sheltered trust-fund baby with an impeccable aesthetic. Behind closed doors, I was surviving on a hundred bucks a month. The only reason I pulled off the rich-girl illusion was because of my best friend, Harper. She had a walk-in closet bigger than my entire childhood home. Not only was it stuffed with every designer label imaginable, but she let me borrow whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. One act of kindness from her bought my absolute loyalty for life. It was worth it. Completely worth it. Originally, Harper and I planned to open a boutique creative agency in New York after graduation. She would be the angel investor, and I would handle the creative tech. But life loves a cruel plot twist. My mom got into a horrific car accident back in Ohio. A drunk driver left her in a persistent vegetative state. The settlement money barely covered the ICU bills, let alone a private, full-time caretaker. My biological father, who had started a new family years ago, showed up at the hospital just long enough to hear the prognosis. He shoved fifty bucks into my hands and told me to never contact him again. Harper cried on the phone, offering to wire me the money for a top-tier nurse so I could still move to New York and start the business with her. As much as I loved keeping up appearances, I knew I couldn’t drain my best friend’s bank account. After agonizing over it for days, I gave up my glittering future, packed my bags, and went back to Ohio to take care of my family. By day, I worked an entry-level clerical job for a miserable salary. By night, I relieved my grandmother at the hospital, sitting by my mom’s bedside. Meanwhile, my college group chats were constantly buzzing. People kept tagging me, asking why I missed the alumni dinners. When you step out into the real world, you get to write your own narrative. My pride was a fragile, stubborn thing. I literally set five different alarms in the middle of the night just to post aesthetic photos and reply to messages, creating the perfect illusion that I was living my best life in Paris. And incredibly, it worked. They bought it completely, begging me to bring back authentic French pastries and luxury perfumes. Some asked about my program, while others gossiped, dying to know if I was dating a gorgeous European model. The questions got so ridiculous that I finally had to mute the chat and go ghost. I couldn’t risk my carefully constructed bubble bursting. 2 Sometimes, karma comes for those who fake it. During rush hour the very next day, I was packed into the subway like a sardine. By the time I stepped off the train, my phone was gone. Pickpocketed. For someone already drowning in medical bills, this was a devastating blow. Scraping together what little cash I had, I bought the cheapest, bulkiest burner phone I could find. A literal brick. I only gave the new number to Harper. We kept in close touch, and she would occasionally fly out to Ohio just to grab drinks and check on me. She asked if I wanted her to add my new number back into the alumni group chats. I thought about it and declined. Covering up one lie requires a dozen more. It was easier to just use the stolen phone as an excuse to fade into the background. Two years went by just like that. Then, on a slow Tuesday afternoon while I was slacking off at my desk, Harper called. “Stella! Massive news!” Her voice was so loud it leaked through the speaker, catching the attention of my miserable micromanager, who immediately glared at me and started walking over to confiscate my phone. I ducked behind my monitor, covering my mouth. “What is it, Harp? I’m literally at work.” Harper sounded like she had drank five espressos. “Do you still remember Arthur Sinclair?” I searched my memory. It rang a bell, but just barely. I only remembered him as the heir to one of the wealthiest real estate empires on the East Coast. A guy with more money than God. Harper’s next words made me accidentally shriek. “He is literally searching for your body double! One hundred thousand dollars a month! A million a year!” “He’s doing what?” I bolted upright, making direct eye contact with my furious manager. “I’m dead serious,” Harper swore. “He put the word out himself. Half the girls in the city are trying to make themselves look like you right now just to get a piece of that payout!” “I swear to God, I don’t understand it. Why is he looking for your clone? And why is he dropping that kind of insane cash?” Harper kept rambling, but the audio completely faded out. The only thing echoing in my brain was: One hundred thousand a month. A million a year. I hadn’t even secured the bag yet, but I was already planning how to spend it. Step one: fire my boss. My manager was standing right in front of my desk, hands on her hips, screeching about company phone policies. I gave her a look that was seventy percent absolute ice, twenty percent pure disdain, and ten percent pity. I grabbed the massive stack of unfinished paperwork on my desk and slammed it right against her chest. “I am absolutely done with this twelve-dollar-an-hour nightmare. Find some other corporate slave to torture!” “Goodbye and good riddance!” Basking in the awe-struck stares of my miserable coworkers, I strutted out the door. I even grabbed the little potted money tree from the reception desk on my way out. A company that refuses to offer a 401k doesn’t deserve good feng shui anyway! 3 Riding the high of finally quitting, I rushed straight to the hospital to process my mom’s transfer paperwork. I was moving my mom and my grandmother to New York. First, it would be easier to take care of them. Second, the medical facilities in the city were world-class. With top-tier neurological rehab, there might actually be a miracle. It took a full week to get my mom safely settled into a private room at one of Manhattan’s premier hospitals. I paid for an upgraded suite so my grandmother had a comfortable place to rest, and rented a tiny, closet-sized studio apartment nearby for myself. By the time all the logistics were sorted, my savings and the remainder of the settlement money were completely wiped out. I stared at the three-digit balance in my checking account. My fingers acted on their own, dialing Harper’s number. “Harp, I’m in the City. Where exactly do I go to audition for this body double gig?” Harper texted me a sprawling estate address and a private phone number, telling me to call it when I arrived. I checked the time. It was still early. I dug through my duffel bag and pulled out my designated “interview blazer.” When I sat down in front of a cheap two-dollar mirror to do my makeup, reality hit me. I hadn’t bought a single new beauty product in two years. I was no longer the delicate, glowing college girl. I was an exhausted corporate drone beaten down by two years of late nights and cheap ramen. I hesitated. Eventually, I walked into a Sephora and used the tester products to do a full face of free makeup. To hide the dark circles and my exhausted complexion, I had to layer on a ridiculous amount of foundation. I barely looked seventy percent like my old self. But the commute was brutal. The bus felt like a rolling sauna, and the air conditioning was practically non-existent because an older passenger insisted on keeping the windows open. My carefully applied makeup completely melted off in the heat. My eyeliner smudged into massive raccoon circles, making me look like a sleep-deprived goth. When I stepped off the bus and checked my reflection in a storefront window, I nearly passed out from pure anger. But victory was right in front of me. I wasn’t about to give up now. Gritting my teeth, I pulled a wet wipe from my purse and scrubbed my face completely clean. I was naturally gorgeous anyway. Auditioning to play myself? Piece of cake. 4 I confidently pedaled a rented Citi Bike right up to the gates of an ultra-exclusive billionaire’s row. The moment I clicked the bike lock, a security guard marched over to chase me away. “What do you think you’re doing? If you don’t have an invitation, take this piece of junk and get lost!” Excuse me? The absolute disrespect! My inner diva flared to life. I gave the guard a withering side-eye and elegantly pulled my device out of my pocket. My Nokia brick phone. I dialed the number Harper gave me. “Hello. I’m here for the body double audition. I’m currently standing at the front gates, and your security guard is trying to throw me out. Could you please come out and get me?” A smooth male voice came through the receiver. “You’re here for the audition? Understood. Please wait a moment, I’ll be right out.” I put the phone on speaker and glared at the guard. “Did you hear that? Consider that my invitation.” “Try to chase me away one more time. I dare you. I will personally ensure the homeowner gets you fired!” The guard snapped his mouth shut, gave me a wary look, and retreated to his little booth. I waited by the gate for a few minutes. A sleek, midnight-black Bentley rolled out of the estate. Assuming it was one of the rich residents leaving for the day, I took a step back to let it pass. Instead, the luxury car stopped perfectly in front of me. The window rolled down. The driver was a devastatingly handsome man in casual designer clothes. His voice matched the one on the phone perfectly. “May I ask your name?” “Hi, my last name is Bennett.” “Alright, Miss Bennett. Please get in. I’ll take you inside.” 5 First came the shock of being chauffeured in a Bentley. Then came the sheer, overwhelming shock of walking into a penthouse mansion that had to be at least six thousand square feet. I knew Arthur Sinclair was wealthy. I just didn’t comprehend that he was this wealthy. I admit it, I’m shallow. I love money. If this meant I had to fall in love with Arthur Sinclair, I was absolutely willing to take that bullet. The moment I stepped into the grand living room, I saw over a dozen women sitting on the plush velvet sofas. Their heads snapped toward me in unison. Every single one of them had recreated my signature “effortless” college makeup look. The bizarre, uncanny valley feeling of seeing a room full of almost-me’s made the hair on my arms stand up. But I had to admit, two of them actually looked strikingly similar to me with all that contouring. All the other candidates were dressed in stunning, high-fashion outfits. In contrast, I was standing there in a cheap blazer. I looked less like a romantic body double and more like the new maid. I found a quiet corner on the sofa and sat down. The gorgeous girl next to me immediately pinched her nose and scooted away. “Ugh, what is that cheap perfume…” Was she seriously insulting the hand-stitched magnolia sachet my grandmother made for me? My patience snapped. I stared at her, desperately trying to find a flaw so I could visually destroy her. I looked her up and down. Left and right. To my absolute horror, I realized something. Aside from my actual face, I didn’t have a single thing on her. Is this what pretty privilege felt like? I clicked my tongue and casually touched my slightly dry cheek. “Honestly, girls who look absolutely nothing like Mr. Sinclair’s first love really shouldn’t even bother showing up.” “Unlike me. Even without a ten-step skincare routine, I’m still a solid seventy percent match.” Perfume Girl’s face turned a violent shade of green. She couldn’t refute a single word because I was spitting pure facts. Frustrated, she resorted to cheap emotional damage. “Hmph. Look at how pathetic and broke you are. Even if Mr. Sinclair doesn’t pick me, there is zero chance he’ll ever look twice at a beggar like you.” She made a very valid point. Any normal person would have folded right then and there. But I wasn’t normal. I was a master of faking it. I said I was going to secure Arthur Sinclair’s bank account, and I meant it. Just then, heavy oak doors opened down the hall. A stunning girl walked out, looking utterly defeated. As she walked past us, I caught her muttering to herself. “I was disqualified because I have a mole on my neck? If his standards are this psycho, why doesn’t he just fly overseas and chase the real girl down?” “Next,” a deep, magnetic voice called from inside the room. The handsome guy from the Bentley walked over and asked who wanted to go next. Before I could even open my mouth, Perfume Girl pointed directly at me. “Let her go first. She smells weird, and I’m suffocating out here!” I stood up, completely unbothered. “I smell like Mother Nature. You just smell like desperate capitalism.” With that, I marched into the room, leaving her furious sputtering behind the heavy doors. 6 I turned around with a perfect customer-service smile, locking eyes with a visibly stunned Arthur Sinclair. “Hello, Mr. Sinclair. My name is Ella.” He stared at me, completely mesmerized, not saying a word. It wasn’t until I confidently sat down in the chair across from his mahogany desk that he finally blinked. “You…” Arthur had shed the youthful vibe of his college days. He looked incredibly mature, powerful, and intimidatingly handsome in his bespoke suit. He paused, measuring his words carefully. “You look very much like her.” I nodded enthusiastically, taking the opportunity to flatter myself. “To be compared to your stunning, unforgettable first love is the greatest honor of my life.” Arthur took a slow breath before delivering the killing blow. “However, you only look similar. Your eyes aren’t quite as large as hers, and your nose isn’t as perfectly sloped.” “Furthermore, your skin seems much duller than hers.” Dude, have you never heard of the magic of highlighter and concealer? I swallowed my protests. He was technically insulting me, but also praising the “real” me. It was a bizarre paradox. I honestly didn’t know how to respond. I just maintained my fake corporate smile and looked at him with puppy-dog eyes. “Those are just minor imperfections. I can easily fix all of that with a good makeup artist.” “As long as you hire me, I am willing to learn and adapt to anything you need!” Arthur’s eyes flickered with a strange light. He asked a very direct question. “Why exactly are you applying to be a body double?” What kind of question was that? “For the money, obviously.” Arthur stared deeply into my eyes. I held his gaze without flinching. After a long moment, a faint smile curved his lips. He picked up his sleek phone from the desk. “Understood. Let’s exchange contacts. My team will notify you of the results shortly.” I chirped a bright “Okay!” and pulled my brick phone out of my bag. I mashed the physical buttons a few times before sliding it across the desk. “You’ll have to type your number in. My camera is completely busted, so I can’t scan anything.” Arthur finally got a good look at my ancient Nokia. His expression didn’t change, but he gave me a long, unreadable look. He didn’t say a word. After exchanging numbers, I floated out of the room feeling like a million bucks. Before leaving the waiting area, I blew a dramatic kiss to Perfume Girl. “Good luck in there, sweetie!” 7 The very next day, while sitting in the hospital cafeteria, I got a text from Arthur. He told me I passed the interview and sent an address, demanding I meet him there immediately. I opened the location on my map app. Well then. It was the most exclusive, ultra-luxury designer boutique on Fifth Avenue. Did Arthur think I looked too tragic and decided I needed a complete makeover? Music to my ears. For the first time in years, I splurged. I ordered a premium rideshare and cruised all the way into the city in comfort. It only took twenty minutes to arrive. Arthur was already sitting inside the boutique. I was about to walk in and greet him, but a snobby sales associate immediately blocked the entrance. “I am so sorry, miss. Our boutique does not allow casual browsing or trying on garments without an appointment. Perhaps you would be more comfortable looking at the stores down the block?” I raised an eyebrow. “What, do I look like someone who can’t afford your clothes?” She gave me a strained, patronizing smile. “That is not what I meant—” “You’re absolutely right, I can’t afford a single thing in here,” I interrupted her, pointing straight at Arthur, who was looking up from his phone. “But he can.” The associate froze. She turned around just in time to see Arthur Sinclair nodding in my direction. Her attitude shifted faster than a sports car. A second later, she was beaming radiantly, ushering me inside with royal treatment. I sat down on the velvet sofa across from Arthur. The handsome guy from the Bentley—who I learned was his assistant, Noah—pulled two items out of a leather briefcase and placed them on the glass coffee table. “This is your employment contract, Miss Bennett. Please review the terms. If everything is acceptable, you may sign at the bottom.” I flipped through the pages. My hand actually started to shake. Arthur Sinclair was the patron saint of capitalism. Forget the $100,000 monthly salary—this man was offering a full 401k match, premium dental, and platinum-tier health insurance! I suddenly felt intensely grateful that two years ago, after my father’s betrayal, I had legally changed my last name to my mother’s maiden name. If I was still walking around as Stella Wright, I wouldn’t have dared accept this kind of corporate package from him. Tears of pure joy pricked my eyes as I signed the last page: Ella Bennett. 8 Aside from the contract, Noah also handed me a sealed box containing the newest, most expensive smartphone on the market. The boutique’s AC was blasting, but the sleek phone box felt burning hot in my hands. To show my immediate gratitude to my new billionaire boss, I unboxed it right in front of him, saved his number, and set his contact name to “The Boss.” He caught a glimpse of the screen and immediately frowned. “Isn’t ‘The Boss’ a little too corporate?” Fair point. I tested the waters. “Well, what did your unforgettable first love save your name as?” Honestly, I didn’t expect him to have an answer. Because as the actual girl in question, I had never even added his number in college, let alone given him a cute nickname. Or maybe I did add him, but completely ignored his existence. Either way, no memory of it. To my absolute shock, not only did he answer me, but the tips of his ears turned slightly red. “Arthur.” “Her friends told me she had my name saved simply as ‘Arthur’, with a red heart.” Wait, seriously? If Harper was the one feeding him this information, I could perfectly picture her getting annoyed by his questions and just making up the most cliché romantic garbage to get him to leave her alone. Poor, naive CEO. Completely manipulated. I typed out “Arthur <3" and showed him the screen. Arthur looked incredibly pleased. He handed me a sleek, heavy black card and told me to swipe it on whatever I wanted. Before leaving the boutique to head back to the office, he gave Noah a set of instructions. "After she finishes shopping, drive her back to the estate." "You got it!" I chirped. Wait, hold on. "The estate?" 9 By the time we left the shopping district, Noah's arms were overflowing with luxury shopping bags. Before heading to the mansion, I asked Noah to make a quick detour to the hospital. During the ride, I awkwardly asked to borrow a little cash from him, promising to pay him back the second my first paycheck hit. It was a desperate move, but I had no choice. My grandmother was getting older, and I couldn't leave her alone to handle my mom's intensive care while I was living at Arthur's estate. I needed to hire a professional daytime nurse immediately. Medical care in New York was astronomically expensive, and my pathetic three-digit bank account was laughable. As for why I didn't just swipe Arthur's black card? I wanted to, but I'm pretty sure freelance nurses don't carry point-of-sale card readers in their scrubs. Thankfully, Noah was incredibly understanding. Without asking a single question, he wired me six thousand dollars on the spot. It was exactly enough to cover the nurse until payday. I quickly sorted out the hospital logistics. By the time we finally pulled up to the sprawling Sinclair estate, the sky was painted in brilliant shades of sunset orange. Arthur wasn't home. Noah explained that he was still tied up with meetings at the corporate headquarters. I couldn't help my curiosity. "Does he work this late every day?" Noah set the mountain of shopping bags down in the foyer and smiled faintly. "Pretty much. He usually has dinner out with clients before heading back." "But don't worry, Miss Bennett. No matter how late he works, Mr. Sinclair always comes home." That sounded a bit odd, but before I could analyze it, Noah handed me a heavy, metallic keycard. "This grants you full access to the gates and the front doors. If you don't need anything else, I'll be heading out." 10 After seeing Noah out, I gave myself a grand tour of the mansion. The interior was minimalist, breathtakingly expensive, and entirely devoid of warm colors. It matched Arthur's intimidating aura perfectly. I didn't just sit around. I got to work. Since I didn't know the specific rules of being a body double, I assumed I needed to stay in full "college crush" character until he went to sleep. I carefully applied my signature "effortless" makeup look and sat gracefully on the living room sofa, waiting for him. I figured he'd be late, but I didn't realize he'd be this late. The grandfather clock chimed midnight before I finally heard the electronic lock click open. I snapped out of my doze, looking toward the entryway with sleepy eyes. The moment Arthur saw me sitting there, pure shock flashed across his face. But he quickly masked it with calm indifference. He shrugged off his tailored suit jacket, draping it over a chair, and loosened his silk tie as he walked toward me. The sofa dipped beside me. Arthur sat down, his voice smooth. "Why are you still awake?" "I was waiting for you to come home." I brushed my messy hair out of my face, desperately fighting back a massive yawn. Arthur's fingers paused on his cufflink. "If you're tired, you don't have to wait up for me." I nodded, letting out a soft hum of agreement. Just as I was about to retreat to my assigned guest room to wash off my makeup and pass out, my stomach let out a violent, echoing growl. In the dead silence of the massive living room, it sounded like a dying whale. My traitorous stomach... Making me absolutely humiliate myself on day one of the job. My ears burned. I tried to casually stand up and sprint out of the room, pretending nothing happened. But Arthur stopped me. "I'm a little hungry myself. Care to join me?" Join him? Eating what? Five minutes later, I was sitting awkwardly at the massive marble kitchen island, staring at the back of Arthur Sinclair—billionaire CEO—as he expertly worked the stove. I tried to jump in and take over the cooking multiple times. But Arthur just waved me off. "No need. Just sit there." I obediently sat back down and waited. Who would have thought a man worth billions would have such a domestic, grounded side? He carried over two steaming bowls of artisanal noodles topped with fresh scallions. He sat down, leaving a full empty seat between us. Wasn't this distance a bit too professional? If I didn't bridge the gap, how was I going to survive my one-month probation period? Determined, I picked up my heavy ceramic bowl and boldly slid into the seat directly next to him. Arthur's chopsticks paused mid-air. He looked over at me. "What's wrong? Is the food not to your liking?" I shook my head, lowering my eyes in a display of perfect, manufactured shyness. "No, I just wanted to be a little closer to you." "Besides, hot noodles taste better when you eat them right next to someone." I blew gently on the steam, channeling my most elegant college-girl table manners as I took tiny, delicate bites. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Arthur staring at me intently. After a long moment, he looked back down at his bowl, the faintest trace of a smile pulling at his lips. "Yes. They do."

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