Chapter 1 In a gaming group chat, my finger slipped, and I accidentally sent a picture of my freshly pedicured feet. Within half an hour of unsending it, a guy randomly DMed me. “Hey gorgeous, wanna duo queue?” For the next two months, he flirted with me relentlessly, calling me “baby” this and “babe” that every single day. Until one day, he asked about my weight. I was completely honest. “Around 130 lbs.” The other side went dead silent. He didn’t log online for two whole days. But on the third day, he suddenly became overly enthusiastic again, even clingier than before. He even started randomly sending me money and buying me gifts in the game. Fast forward to move-in day at my younger brother’s college. As I was helping him get settled into his dorm, I overheard his new roommate bragging to some guys down the hall. “So I was online dating this chick over the summer. Huge mistake. Her feet were absolutely gorgeous, right? So I asked, and she told me she weighed over 130 pounds.” “Bro, I was terrified. She’s built like a tank. Who could even stomach that?” The whole dorm room erupted in laughter. “So what happened then?” He laughed, sounding incredibly smug. “I didn’t even want to bother dealing with the drama of breaking up with her. I figured she’d just obsess over me. So, I literally just posted her account online and sold her to someone else.” “And get this—some poor bastard actually bought it! Now he’s in her DMs calling her ‘baby’ and ‘wifey’ every day. It’s hilarious.” I looked down at my own body—curvy, fit, and perfectly proportioned. I didn’t say a word. Just then, my brother walked in carrying a case of water bottles. “Hey, sis. Drink some water.” I took one from him. “I left your stuff right here. I’m gonna head out.” The new roommate turned around and saw me. His eyes instantly lit up. At that exact moment, my phone vibrated in my pocket. [Baby, where are you? I miss you so much.] 1 When Chase finally got a good look at my face, he scrambled to his feet so fast he nearly knocked his chair over. “Hey, let me help you with that.” I was literally just holding an empty paper bag. My brother, Leo, handed me the water and shot Chase a thoroughly confused look. “Why are you so eager all of a sudden?” Chase immediately forced out a couple of awkward laughs. “Hey, we’re roommates now, gotta look out for each other, right?” He casually threw his arm around my brother’s shoulder. “We’re bros now. If you ever need anything, just let me know. I actually have an older cousin who’s a TA here at the university.” Leo shrugged his arm off in disgust. “I’m good.” Chase just smiled, totally unfazed. He turned his attention back to me, the sheer awe in his eyes completely undisguised. “You’re Leo’s older sister, right? I’m Chase.” I nodded. “Chloe.” He said: “That’s a really pretty name.” “And you’re really gorgeous, too.” “Not like this chick I met online over the summer. I only ever saw her feet…” “Get this. I asked her weight, and guess what?” “Over 130 pounds.” He finished his little story and offered a fake, casual chuckle. “I’m not trying to be mean, but some people just have zero self-awareness.” “Not like you, Chloe. You clearly take care of yourself. You have great vibes.” The other two guys in the dorm room exchanged extremely awkward glances. Leo frowned deeply. “You can talk to whoever you want, but why are you trash-talking someone else like that?” Chase froze, quickly waving his hands. “No, no, I was just making conversation!” Then he looked at me again, as if terrified he had offended me, and quickly added: “Please don’t misunderstand, Chloe. I don’t have a prejudice against weight or anything.” I looked at him and smiled. “Is that right?” Chase thought he had smoothed things over and nodded enthusiastically. “Of course! I just think… some people are so fake online, you know?” “I prefer girls who are confident and put-together in real life. Like you. It’s just a better vibe.” Leo was visibly annoyed now. He shoved his suitcase toward his bed. “Sis, I can unpack the rest myself. You have that freelance project due, right? You should head back.” I murmured an agreement. I really did have a deadline. I had to fight tooth and nail just to get half a day off to help Leo move in today. But Chase clearly didn’t want me to leave. He took two steps toward me. “Hey, before you go… can I get your Snapchat or something?” Leo looked up, glaring. “Why do you need her Snapchat?” “Just in case you ever need anything! Your sister can reach out to me.” Leo looked at him like he was insane. “If I need something, why would my sister reach out to you?” “What gives you the right?” I gently pulled Leo back, looked at the QR code Chase was holding out to me, and smiled. “Sure.” I switched my phone to an alt account I barely ever used. The profile picture was a black cat, the display name was “Seven,” and the feed was completely empty. When Chase saw that I had scanned his code, the smug smile on his face was practically bursting. The second I accepted the friend request, he fired off a message: [Let’s definitely keep in touch.] Leo scratched his head in frustration. “Whatever. Come on, I’ll walk you out.” Chase immediately tried to tag along. “I… I can walk her out too.” I smiled and politely declined. “I can find my own way out. It’s your first day, you guys should focus on unpacking.” I turned and walked away. As I reached the stairwell, my phone vibrated again. J: [Baby baby baby, why are you ignoring me?] J: [You haven’t talked to me in two hours.] J: [I miss you.] I stared at the screen for two full seconds. The “poor bastard” Chase was just mocking in there… was him. So those two days of radio silence over the summer wasn’t the same guy giving me the cold shoulder and then changing his mind. The account had literally changed hands. I had been wondering why he suddenly became so insanely clingy, and why he kept randomly sending me money and buying me expensive skins in the game. I thought our relationship was just escalating. I had no idea I was talking to an entirely different human being. Standing on the landing of the stairwell, I replied to the guy on the other end: [I’m at Easton University. I was helping my little brother move into his dorm today.] He instantly replied with a wildly excited sticker. J: [Your brother goes to Easton?! I’m at Easton too!] J: [Does that mean I can finally see you today?!] Oh, I was definitely going to see him. Just not right now. I replied: [I’m really busy today. Maybe next time.] J: [Aww, okay. Don’t work too hard.] J: [Don’t forget to eat dinner!] Immediately after, a notification popped up for a $100 Venmo transfer. I stared at it for a long time, debating whether I should accept it or not, before deciding to just pretend I didn’t see it. As soon as I walked out of the dorm building, my alt account pinged. Chase: [Are you downstairs yet?] Chase: [I didn’t get a chance to ask earlier, but do you play any games?] Chase: [I’m actually pretty highly ranked. I could carry you.] I let out a short laugh. Carry me? Using whose account? I didn’t reply. Chapter 2 2 By 7:20 the next morning, the second I unlocked my alt account, he had already spammed me with six messages. Chase: [Morning!] Chase: [Did you eat breakfast yet?] Chase: [Leo and I are heading to the dining hall, want me to grab you something?] Chase: [Oh wait, forgot you don’t live on campus lol.] Chase: [Do you prefer sweet or savory?] Chase: [I’ll buy you something next time.] On my main account, J was also messaging me. J: [Good morning.] J: [It’s getting cold today, make sure you wear a jacket.] J: [I had a dream about you last night.] J: [But I couldn’t see your face clearly, and I woke up anxious.] J: [Baby, when can I finally look at you legally?] Me: “…” He was seriously clingy. Like a golden retriever pawing at my leg through the screen. That afternoon, Leo sent me a screenshot of a text conversation. Chase: [What kind of guys is your sister into?] Leo: [I don’t know.] Chase: [You’re her brother, how do you not know?] Leo: [My sister likes guys who respect women.] Chase: [I respect women.] Leo: [Usually, guys who have to say that out loud are garbage.] I laughed so hard my shoulders shook, and I Venmoed him 50 bucks. Leo accepted it instantly. Leo: [Sis, is he hitting on you?] Me: [What do you think?] Leo: [I think he is.] A minute later. Leo: [But he’s so greasy. Please tell me you don’t like him.] Me: [My brain functions perfectly fine, thank you.] Leo: [Good.] That night, J invited me to play a few matches. I originally wanted to ignore him. But I needed to figure out exactly what was going on with this account transfer. Once we loaded into the lobby, he turned his mic on and deliberately deepened his voice to sound smooth. “Baby, baby.” “Good evening!” I asked: “Were you at Easton University today?” “Yeah.” “What do you do on campus?” “I’m a grad student. And a TA for the undergrads.” I suddenly felt the urge to ask him his name. “What’s your name?” The line went quiet for a second. “Liam.” I committed the name to memory. Liam. The poor bastard Chase had been laughing at. I said: “I’m Chloe.” He said: “You asking me that out of nowhere… does this mean we’re going to meet up soon?” Before I could answer, he kept going: “Or maybe not.” “But I’m still really happy.” I heard a very soft, muffled laugh through the mic. Like he was genuinely smiling to himself on the other end. Suddenly, he let out a dramatic sigh. “Chloe, I really, really like you~” My finger slipped on the keyboard, and my character died instantly. I asked him: “Are you always this forward?” “No.” His tone turned completely serious. “Only with you.” He quickly added: “If you don’t want to hear it, I’ll shut up.” “But before I shut up, can I say one more thing?” “I really missed you today.” Chapter 3 3 The next day, Leo texted me. Leo: [Sis, there’s something wrong with this guy.] Me: [What do you mean?] Leo: [He was bragging in the dorm today about how pretty you are. Saying that older women are “his flavor.”] My fingers froze over the keyboard. Leo: [I told him to shut the fuck up.] Leo: [Don’t worry, sis.] I replied: [Do not throw the first punch.] Leo: [Depends on how he acts.] Me: [Leo.] Leo: [Alright, alright. I won’t cause trouble for you.] But the very next afternoon, he called me. The first thing he said was: “Sis, I got into a fight with Chase.” Hearing that, I shot up from my chair. “You did what?” Leo’s voice sounded muffled. “We fought.” “Are you hurt?” “No.” “Leo. Tell me the truth.” He paused for two seconds. “Ugh, just a scratch. It’s not a big deal.” “Where is Chase?” “I beat the shit out of him. His face and his shirt are covered in…” I actually let out a shameful sigh of relief. At least it sounded like my brother didn’t lose. I cut him off. “Why did you fight?” Leo didn’t answer. I put my pen down. “Tell me.” “He wouldn’t shut his mouth.” “What did he say?” Leo’s voice dropped, turning dark. “He said you were hot, and told me to hook him up with you.” “He said he was really into the ‘older sister’ vibe.” I didn’t say anything. He continued: “I told him to watch his mouth.” “He said if he became my brother-in-law, he’d make sure I was taken care of.” “I told him to shut the fuck up.” “And then?” “And then he said…” Leo ground his teeth. “He said your body was so insane that you probably have guys lining up around the block for you. He said if I put in a good word for him, he’d make it worth my while.” Good. Great. Chase genuinely didn’t know when to stop digging his own grave. I was just about to speak when Leo mumbled hesitantly. “Sis… I got called into the disciplinary office.” “They said I have to call my parents.” I checked the map on my phone. I was on the west side of the city; Easton University was on the east side. It was rush hour. It would take me at least an hour to get there. I couldn’t just leave Leo sitting alone in the disciplinary office to deal with whatever lies Chase was spinning. A name suddenly flashed into my mind. Liam. He said he was at Easton. A grad student, and a TA. And he handled freshman affairs. I stared at my phone, hesitating for exactly five seconds. My pride was important. My brother was more important. I hit call. Liam answered almost instantly. “Baby—” “Did you miss me—” I wasn’t in the mood for his usual clingy routine. “I need a favor.” He instantly dropped the sweet-talk. “What’s wrong?” I spoke rapidly: “Are you on campus right now?” “Yes.” “My little brother got into a fight and got dragged into the disciplinary office. I’m stuck in traffic and can’t get there right now.” “Could you possibly go check on him for me?” “You don’t need to take any responsibility for him, just make sure he’s not seriously hurt.” Liam replied immediately: “I’m on it.” No hesitation. No unnecessary questions. “Which building, which office?” I gave him the location. The line went completely silent. My heart sank. “Is this a bad time?” Liam didn’t answer. I heard voices in the background on his end. It sounded like a professor giving instructions in an office. A few seconds later, Liam’s voice came back, slightly quieter. “Chloe.” “Yeah?” “Is your brother’s name Leo?” Chapter 4 4 My fingers tightened around the phone. “Yes.” Liam’s end went silent for another two seconds. “He’s sitting right in front of me.” Me: “…” The world is entirely too small. I asked: “Is Chase there too?” “Yes.” Liam paused. “He’s my distant cousin.” I closed my eyes. This was getting better and better. The guy I was fake-dating online for a favor was the older cousin of the scumbag roommate. The guy my brother beat up was the cousin of my online boyfriend. And I, personally, was the central victim of this entire absurd circus. Liam quickly reassured me: “Don’t panic.” “Leo just has a scraped lip and some swelling on his knuckles.” “I already had the staff grab him an ice pack.” I immediately asked: “What about Chase?” “He’s fine too.” I let out a small sigh of relief. “I’m heading over right now.” “Drive safe,” he said, then added, “I’ll keep an eye on Leo until you get here.” I understood what he meant. He was telling me he had my brother’s back. When I rushed into the disciplinary office, Leo was slumped in a chair against the wall, looking absolutely furious. Chase was standing on the opposite side of the room. He had a nasty purple bruise forming on his cheekbone, and the collar of his shirt was ripped wide open. The disciplinary counselor sat behind his desk, looking like he wanted to be literally anywhere else. And standing by the window was a man. White button-down shirt. Black slacks. Gold-rimmed glasses. He looked incredibly academic and completely unapproachable. I scanned the room but didn’t see anyone who looked like a “Liam.” Wasn’t he supposed to be here? Just then, the man by the window looked up at me. “Chloe.” I stopped in my tracks. The voice matched. But this face… and the clingy, needy guy who texted me “Baby baby” every day online… I could not reconcile the two. Liam’s phone was resting on the edge of the desk. The screen was still lit up. He hadn’t fully closed the call screen. The profile picture was a terrible doodle of a pear I had drawn myself. And the contact name, in bold letters, read: [Wifey <3] Leo squinted at the phone, then at me. "Sis, you know Liam?" Before I could even figure out how to answer that. All the color drained from Chase's face. He looked at me, then at Liam. Liam quickly flipped his phone face down on the desk. The tips of his ears turned a suspicious shade of red. But he immediately recovered his cold, professional TA persona. "Let's address the altercation first." I walked over to Leo and looked down at his injuries. I had left the house in a rush today and was wearing low-heeled sandals that exposed the tops of my feet. As the hem of my dress shifted, a thin silver anklet caught the light. Right below it, on the inside of my ankle, was a small, pale birthmark. Chase's gaze dropped to the floor, and his entire body went rigid. A second later, my phone lit up. A notification from the gaming app popped up on my lock screen, bright and impossible to miss. The username was clearly visible: [Clover123] The last drop of blood vanished from Chase's face. His lips trembled, and his voice came out dry and cracked: "Clover... 123?" Leo's head snapped up. "What the hell are you talking about?" Chase didn't answer him. He just stared at me in sheer horror. He recognized it. I was the girl he had publicly humiliated for being "built like a tank." I was the girl whose account he had sold to some "poor bastard" as a joke. And I was also the gorgeous older sister he had spent the last few days relentlessly pursuing and trying to impress. How incredibly ironic. I looked at him and spoke calmly: "Recognize me now?" Chase stumbled backward a half-step. "Impossible." He muttered to himself. "How could it be you?" I smiled. "Why couldn't it be me?" His face cycled through shades of green and white. "You... didn't you say you weighed over 130..." "I did." I nodded. "I weigh exactly 132 pounds, actually." "Is there a problem?" He choked on his words for a long time before finally stammering out: "But you don't look like..." I cut him off: "I don't look like what?" Chase went completely silent. Leo finally connected the dots. He stood up, his expression terrifyingly dark: "Sis... that girl he was talking trash about on move-in day... that was you?!"

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Seven days before the wedding, the printing company delivered a heavy box of 520 physical invitations to our house. I pulled out the very first one, and my fingers froze instantly. Printed on the line that clearly said Bride, was the name: Chloe Thorne. Refusing to believe it, I ripped open the second envelope. Then the third. Then the fourth. Exactly 519 invitations, all bearing her name. Only the very last one had a sticky note slapped in the corner. “Exclusively for the Bride-to-be! Don’t be mad! :)” On that single invitation, my name was squeezed into the absolute bottom margin, the font size so incredibly small it looked like a footnote. Chloe was leaning against the doorframe, twirling a red pen, watching me with a sickeningly sweet smile. “See? I told you this printer was fast. Ethan dragged me along to help him proofread the order, and oops! I guess I accidentally typed my own name in the template.” Ethan stepped out of the elevator, hearing her excuse, and offered nothing more than a mild frown. “Stop messing around.” Chloe immediately threw her hands up in mock surrender. “Okay, okay, my bad! I’ll pay for them. I’ll cover the cost for all 520 of them.” She reached over, snatched the very top invitation from the stack, and casually tucked it into the breast pocket of Ethan’s suit jacket. “But I’m keeping this one. You know, just in case it ever actually comes in handy?” Ethan didn’t take it out of his pocket. He looked at me, his tone as casual as if he were discussing a typo on a grocery list. “We don’t have time. Just fix the digital evite and send that out. We don’t need to reprint the physical ones.” We don’t need to reprint them? He knew I spent three grueling months agonizing over the exact paper stock for these 520 invitations. He knew I specifically chose a heavy, textured cotton parchment to honor my late father, who was a master calligrapher. He knew the quote inside, “Giving away my daughter,” was painstakingly traced, letter by letter, from one of my father’s old letters. But Chloe ‘accidentally’ prints her name on 519 of them, and his only response is that we don’t need to reprint them. I picked up the single, solitary invitation that actually bore my name, and slowly, deliberately, ripped it completely in half. Ethan’s face instantly darkened. “Maya, what kind of tantrum is this?” I looked up at him. “Nothing.” “I just realized that out of 520 invitations, it doesn’t matter if I’m missing from one of them.” 1. Chloe bent down, picked up the torn halves of the invitation, and clicked her tongue. “Wow, Maya. That temper is actually kind of scary.” “The paper didn’t do anything to you. Why take it out on the invitation?” Ethan reached out to take the remaining half from my hand. “Stop it.” “We have older relatives coming tomorrow expecting a physical invitation. How do you expect me to explain this mess you just made?” I dodged his hand. “Reprint them.” His brow furrowed into a deep V. “The printer said the absolute fastest turnaround is ten days. The wedding is in seven. What exactly do you expect me to hand out?” Chloe immediately threw her hand in the air. “Just use my version!” “I mean, everyone already knows I’m basically your ultimate bro. No one is actually going to take it seriously, right?” She fanned out a massive stack of the invitations, spreading the heavy cardstock across the coffee table like a deck of cards. On every single one of them, her name sat directly next to Ethan’s. It burned my eyes just looking at it. Ethan’s mother walked out of the kitchen, took one look at the table, and her expression sank. But the person she directed her frustration toward… was me. “Maya, the wedding is literally days away. Don’t ruin the mood over a few pieces of paper.” Ethan’s father set his coffee mug down. “The family and friends have already been notified, and the venue is fully paid for.” “It’s too late to reprint. Just fixing the digital evite is fine.” They said it so effortlessly. So lightly. As if the person whose name was erased wasn’t the bride, but just some mislabeled centerpiece. Suddenly, Chloe pulled out her phone and snapped a photo of the massive pile of misprinted invitations. “I’m posting this on Instagram! The caption is gonna be: 519 mistakes, 1 true love.” My voice was like ice. “Delete it.” She blinked her innocent eyes. “Maya, seriously? I can’t even post a joke?” “You call hijacking my wedding invitations a ‘mistake,’ and you expect me to sit here and laugh with you?” Ethan finally lost his patience. “Chloe just has no filter. Do you have to take every single thing she says so literally and turn it into a massive fight?” Chapter 2 I stared at him. “So she prints her name right next to yours on our wedding invitations, and you honestly believe she just ‘has no filter’?” Chloe dragged out a long, mocking laugh. “Her?” “Maya, Ethan and I have known each other for twenty years. You’ve only been with him for seven.” “If we’re getting technical, aren’t you the ‘her’ in this situation?” The living room went dead silent for a fraction of a second. Ethan frowned. “Chloe.” She immediately covered her mouth. “Okay, okay, shutting up now.” But the arrogant, triumphant gleam in her eyes didn’t dim for a single second. I turned around and started shoving every single invitation back into the cardboard box. Ethan slammed his hand down on the lid. “What are you doing?” “Returning them to the printer. To reprint them.” “I told you, there isn’t enough time!” “Then cancel the wedding.” Ethan’s mother’s voice instantly spiked an octave. “Maya! Do you have any idea what you’re saying?!” I nodded. “I do.” Ethan glared at me, the temperature in his eyes dropping below freezing. “Over a typo on an invitation, you’re going to cancel our wedding?” I lowered my voice, correcting him. “It’s not a typo.” “It is 519 physical reminders.” Reminders that in this relationship, there will always, eternally, be someone who gets to cut the line and stand in front of me. Chloe finally stopped smiling. Ethan grabbed my wrist with a crushing grip and dragged me into his home office. The second the door clicked shut, he lowered his voice into a furious whisper. “Maya, do not make a massive, humiliating scene out of this.” “We already signed the marriage license. The ceremony is literally just the final formality.” I looked down at my wrist, already turning red under his fingers. “Then we get a divorce.” Ethan’s fingers violently tightened. A sudden knock echoed from the hallway. Chloe’s voice drifted through the wood. “Ethan? Your parents want to know if we’re still mailing these out.” “Also, do my parents still get one?” Ethan didn’t answer. Chloe just pushed the door open herself, leaning halfway into the room. She was still holding the invitation with her name on it, tapping her manicured nail directly over the Bride section. “Maya, don’t be so stubborn.” “Everyone has been breaking their backs for six months to put this together. You just saying ‘cancel’ is incredibly hurtful to everyone involved.” I looked at her. “When you intentionally erased my name, were you worried about being hurtful?” Chloe shrugged nonchalantly. “Didn’t I already say I’d pay for them?” “It’s just 520 pieces of paper. Name your price.” After she said it, she let out a bright, casual laugh, as if she had just remembered a funny detail. “But honestly, that paper can’t be that expensive, right? It’s just textured cardstock. It’s not like it’s some ancient artifact.” I stared at her, my voice dead and hollow. “That was the exact paper stock my father used in his studio.” Chloe’s expression faltered for a second, but she quickly recovered her smile. “Well, no wonder it looks so dated.” Ethan’s voice was dark. “Chloe, get out.” Chloe stuck her tongue out playfully. “Alright, alright. I’ll leave the married couple to negotiate.” As she reached the door, she stopped and threw one last sentence over her shoulder. “But Maya, a little advice? I wouldn’t use the ‘D-word’ to threaten him.” “Ethan absolutely hates being backed into a corner.” “Back in college, his ex-girlfriend tried to give him an ultimatum about talking to me. He packed his bags that night and crashed on my couch for a month.” Ethan’s face was livid. “Are you done talking?” She smiled and slipped out of the room. We were the only two left in the office. Ethan let go of my wrist, his tone softening slightly compared to his earlier fury. “She doesn’t know when to shut up. I’ll make her apologize.” “But the wedding cannot be canceled.” I asked him: “Why not?” “My parents’ reputation, our corporate partners, our extended families—are you just going to completely disregard all of them?” I see. Everyone else’s dignity and reputation mattered. Only mine didn’t. He picked up one of the invitations off the desk and opened it. Inside, printed in elegant script, was the phrase my father had written: “Giving away my daughter, praying she finds a strong branch to rest upon.” Ethan lowered his voice, weaponizing the memory against me. “If your dad was still here, he wouldn’t want you to back out right before you walk down the aisle.” Chapter 3 It felt like a jagged fist had violently crushed my heart. Before my father passed away, his absolute biggest fear was leaving me alone. That year in the hospital room, he held Ethan’s hand, telling him that I was quiet, that I never fought back when I was wronged, and he begged Ethan to protect me. Ethan promised him, tears in his eyes. And now, he was using my dead father’s memory to force me to swallow my humiliation. A burst of laughter echoed from the hallway outside. I opened the office door. Chloe was sitting cross-legged on the rug, FaceTiming a group of Ethan’s groomsmen. She was holding the invitation with her name on it directly over her heart. “You see this?! I am exactly 519 invitations away from legally marrying Ethan Sterling!” The guys on the screen immediately started hyping her up. “If the bride bails, you just sub in!” “Chloe’s been waiting twenty years in the friendzone, she finally got her shot!” Chloe laughed so hard she fell backward onto the rug. I walked over, picked up her phone, and ended the call. Her face instantly dropped. “What the hell are you doing?” I picked up the massive stack of misprinted invitations and began ripping them in half, one by one. Heavy cardstock fluttered to the floor like dead leaves. Chloe shrieked. “Are you insane?!” Ethan sprinted out of the office. “Maya!” I ripped the absolute final invitation. My fingertips were completely numb. “I am not sending these out.” Ethan’s mother was shaking with rage. “You are acting completely irrational!” Chloe looked at Ethan, her eyes brimming with fake tears. “I’m so sorry. I genuinely had no idea she would be this obsessive over it.” Ethan looked at her, and then looked down at the floor covered in shredded red paper. Finally, he looked at me, his voice freezing cold. “Go back to your old apartment today and cool off.” “The wedding is proceeding as scheduled.” I looked up at him. “If the bride isn’t there, how exactly is the wedding proceeding?” He stared me down, enunciating every syllable. “You’ll be there.” “You couldn’t bear to humiliate me in front of that many people.” 3 That night, I didn’t go back to my old apartment. I sat in the guest bedroom of our pristine, massive new house until the sun came up. I methodically went through my phone, silently exiting every single wedding planning group chat. At 8:00 AM, I drove to my father’s old calligraphy and printing studio. It had been closed for a long time. The edges of the sign above the door were rusting. I unlocked the heavy metal security gate, dust billowing out as I pushed it up. Before he died, my father had hand-carved a wooden printing block for my future wedding. The characters “Giving away my daughter” were etched deeply into the wood. I had originally planned to bring the very first, perfectly printed invitation here before the wedding, and place it in front of his memorial portrait. But I didn’t have a first invitation anymore. So I pulled the heavy wooden block out of storage and began meticulously cleaning it with a soft cloth. Footsteps echoed from the front entrance. Ethan and Chloe walked into the studio, one right after the other. He saw me, and his brow furrowed immediately. “What are you doing hiding here?” “There’s a million things to do for the wedding and you aren’t answering your phone.” Chloe walked in holding a massive iced coffee, craning her neck to look around. “So this is the studio your dad used to run?” She strolled over to the main workbench and casually picked up a heavy, vintage stone seal. “This is so aesthetic. Super vintage. A photo of this would look amazing on my grid.” I slammed my hand down over hers. “Don’t touch that.” Chloe froze, startled. “I’m literally just looking at it.” “I said, don’t touch it.” She rolled her eyes and dropped the stone seal back onto the desk. But a second later, her eyes landed on the wooden wedding block. “Oh, this looks fun.” She grabbed a heavy ink roller, jammed it into a tray of crimson ink, and aggressively rolled it across the carved wood. “Maya, let me print a brand new version for you.” I lunged forward to grab it out of her hand. “Chloe, put it down!” She jerked her arm back, violently flinging the heavy, saturated roller. Thick, wet crimson ink splattered directly onto a stack of my father’s old, handwritten letters resting on the desk. The ink instantly bled through the fragile, decades-old paper, completely obliterating his elegant, careful handwriting into a muddy, red smear. My brain literally flatlined. A deafening, high-pitched ringing filled my ears. Chloe panicked for a fraction of a second, but immediately stiffened her neck, refusing to back down. “It’s just some old scrap paper! I’ll pay you for it!” I slapped the roller out of her hand, sending it crashing to the floor. “You couldn’t afford it if you sold your soul.” Chloe’s eyes instantly welled with tears. “Ethan! Look at her!” Ethan took three rapid steps forward. But the person he reached out to steady… was her. He looked down at her hand, checking for a mark. “Did she hurt you?” I stood in front of the desk, staring at the ruined, unsalvageable letters my father had left me. The absolute, staggering absurdity of the situation finally hit me. “She literally just destroyed the last things I have of my father.” Chapter 4 Ethan looked at me, his tone glacial. “Chloe didn’t do it on purpose.” “Was it absolutely necessary to get physical with her?” I pointed a shaking finger at the letters. “Those were the last things my dad left me.” Chloe muttered defensively, shrinking behind Ethan. “I honestly didn’t know they were important.” “Plus, you screamed at me. You startled me, that’s why my hand jerked.” Ethan frowned. “Just wipe the ink off. Stop causing a scene.” Wipe it off? Industrial crimson ink had saturated completely through fragile, vintage paper. How the hell do you just ‘wipe it off’? I reached for a box of tissues, my fingers trembling so violently I could barely grasp them. Suddenly, Chloe grabbed the edge of the wooden block. “Fine, I’ll wash the stupid block for you, is that enough?!” She aggressively yanked the heavy wood block. It slipped from her grip and tumbled off the desk. I lunged forward to catch it. My foot caught a puddle of spilled ink on the floor, and I crashed violently onto the concrete. The heavy, solid wood block smashed directly onto the back of my hand. The sharp, carved corners sliced deep into my skin. Blood instantly welled up and began pouring down my hand. Ethan’s face changed instantly. He took a step toward me. But Chloe started crying first. “I didn’t do it on purpose!” “She lunged at me! I thought she was going to attack me!” Ethan’s footstep halted. He looked down at my profusely bleeding hand, his voice dropping to a low, authoritative demand. “Apologize to Chloe first.” I braced my good hand against the workbench and slowly dragged myself up off the floor. “What did you just say?” “She is absolutely terrified right now.” “Maya, stop pushing everyone who cares about you away just because you want to play the victim.” I stared at him. And suddenly, I didn’t want to say another word. Not a single word.

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After being brutally and unexpectedly dumped by Noah, I was scrolling through my local feed when a girl’s relationship announcement video popped up. The cover was a red-backed marriage certificate photo. She was smiling brightly, her eyes crinkling, leaning her head on Noah’s shoulder. The caption read: “From my professor to my husband. Our exclusive eight-year limited edition!” My mind went completely blank. The comments section was flooded with congratulations, and familiar profile pictures popped up one after another. Noah commented: “It was you all along. Any amount of waiting was worth it!” I scrolled down. And saw a comment my best friend had just left. “The wait is finally over! The couple I’ve been shipping is finally public!” My fingertips wouldn’t stop trembling. Noah and I had been together for eleven years. And he had been dating his student for eight. My best friend knew. Our mutual friends knew. But they all helped him hide it from me. I read that line over and over again. My chest tightened so much I couldn’t breathe. I clicked back into the post and left a comment. “So in my eleven-year relationship, there was an eight-year limited edition hidden inside.” …… Almost instantly, my phone rang. The first to call was my best friend, Maya. “Chloe… you found out?” I didn’t answer. She paused for two seconds, her voice softening: “Could you delete that comment? Lily is… pretty sensitive. She’ll be upset if she sees it.” The girl’s name was Lily. I stood by the elevator banks, the cold air rushing in and chilling the back of my neck. Just last night, Maya had sat on the curb with me, drinking beers and cursing Noah for being a piece of trash. Today, she was self-righteously defending his mistress. “When did you find out about them?” I gripped my phone, my knuckles turning white. The other end was silent for a moment. “Chloe, there’s no point in digging into this now.” “You and Noah are already broken up. Just let it go and move on. I’m telling you this for your own good.” For my own good? Playing me for an absolute fool, spinning me in circles—and she calls that “for my own good.” I opened my mouth to say something else. Suddenly, a young girl’s voice came through the phone. “Maya, hurry up! We’re just waiting on you…” The call ended. All my words lodged in my throat. A few seconds later, Noah sent a message. “Chloe, don’t cause trouble for Lily. She doesn’t know anything.” My eyes suddenly stung with pressure. This was the very first time Noah had initiated contact since he unilaterally dumped me. Three days ago was our eleven-year anniversary. I cooked a table full of his favorite food and waited for him all night. He never showed up. The next day, he sent a sudden breakup text. After that, he blocked me on everything, vanishing as if he had evaporated from the earth. I searched for him everywhere like a lunatic. Just minutes ago, I was still sending him messages, begging him to talk to me. My stiff fingers wouldn’t stop shaking. Tears dripped onto the screen. I wiped them away forcefully, but accidentally clicked back into the video. Lily’s voice drifted from the screen, sweet as melting sugar. “Where love began.” She threw a peace sign at the camera. In the background was Noah, wearing his graduation gown. Countless memories flooded my mind. The year Noah graduated college, I flew across the country alone to find him in Boston. Excitedly, I pulled out the proposal ring I had spent months preparing. But he lowered his head and hugged me apologetically: “Chloe, I want to go to grad school. Give me three more years. After three years, we’ll get married.” Then three years turned into five. He went from a master’s to a Ph.D. From Boston to New York. I followed him everywhere, changing jobs constantly. Every time I brought up marriage. He would say, “Just wait a little longer.” Wait for graduation, wait until we’re settled. And after all that waiting, the only thing I finally got was a breakup text. A stream of heart emojis floated across the screen. The pinned comment was from Noah’s best friend, Liam: “I knew from back then that you were a goner for her, man.” Just last week, Liam had been texting me: “Don’t worry, Chloe. Noah is a saint on campus. I’m keeping an eye on him for you.” The video cut to the next clip, the background changing to a beach. “Fifth time in Miami, and it’s still so beautiful.” They were holding hands, splashing in the waves. The camera was shaking badly, capturing nothing but laughter. Noah and I had never gone on a trip together. He was always too busy. He had to do research, write papers, attend conferences. Every time he broke a promise, he would hug me guiltily: “Next time. We’ll definitely go next time.” He always said next time. Promises that were never fulfilled. They were having a candlelit dinner by the ocean. Noah was peeling shrimp for her, placing them one by one on her plate. “He’s so good at peeling shrimp,” Lily bragged to the camera. “We’ve been together for eight years, and I’ve never had to peel a shrimp myself.” I looked down at my own hands, my nails clipped short. Noah loved shrimp, but hated the hassle. Every time, I was the one who peeled them and placed them in his bowl, the shells piling up like a small mountain. By the time it was my turn to eat, there were usually only scraps left, and the food had gone completely cold. In the video, Noah reached out and wiped a smudge of sauce from the corner of Lily’s mouth. “Eat up, it won’t taste good if it gets cold.” So he did know food didn’t taste good cold. So he could be this considerate. It was just that the person receiving it wasn’t me. Chapter 2 Right then, my phone buzzed again. Lily had posted a new update. In the video, the lighting in the private room was dim and romantic. Maya was the first to stand up and cheer: “Cross your arms! Drink!” Liam joined in, tapping the table, and the whole room started chanting together. Blushing, Lily looped her arm through Noah’s, locking their wrists together. He looked down at her, the corners of his eyes flushed a faint pink. They slowly raised their glasses, arms intertwined. Everyone had their phones out recording. People were screaming and clapping. Maya’s voice was the shrillest: “Kiss her! Come on, kiss her!” Lily’s face turned beet red. She stood on her tiptoes and quickly pecked the corner of Noah’s mouth. The screaming grew louder. Noah reached out, cupping the back of Lily’s head, smiling as he leaned down to deepen the kiss. His face had a slight flush; the alcohol had softened his features. I had never seen him like this. Because he never touched a drop of alcohol. Not only did he not drink, but he would get furious if anyone around him did. He said his father was abusive when he drank; he said alcohol was the filthiest thing in the world. Once, at a work dinner, I couldn’t avoid a toast and took a tiny sip of wine. On my way home from work that day, I bought mouthwash at the convenience store downstairs and rinsed my mouth five times. I stood in the freezing wind outside our building for over half an hour to air out the smell before taking my keys to open the door. But Noah still smelled it. His face darkened as he demanded: “Did you drink?” My voice was weak as I said I just took a sip. He stood up, took a step back, and pulled open the front door. “How many times have I told you? The smell of alcohol makes me sick. You reek of it right now, and I want to throw up.” I opened my mouth, trying to explain. But he grabbed me by the arm and shoved me out the door. I sat in the hallway for the entire night. It was eighteen degrees outside, and my tears froze on my face as they fell. Since that day, I never dared to touch alcohol again. I thought it was his absolute boundary. But now, he was drinking a cross-armed toast. Looking completely blissed out. Following the location tagged under the video, I found the lounge where they were celebrating. Sitting in the back of the taxi. The whole way there, I kept thinking, what am I going to do when I get there? Interrogate them? Fight? Throw a hysterical fit? Or, like they do in the movies, grab a drink and throw it in someone’s face? But I suddenly realized, I didn’t even know whose face to throw it in. Noah’s? Lily’s? Maya’s? Or the faces of all those close friends who were spamming “happily ever after” in the comments? The car stopped by a busy avenue. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, I spotted them instantly, gathered around a cake, raising their glasses. Lily was laughing, leaning against Noah’s shoulder, while Maya clapped and cheered beside them. I walked up to the door, my hand resting on the handle, but I couldn’t push it down. I was the one who had been betrayed for eleven years. I was the one who had every right to storm in and flip the entire table. But I still hesitated. Suddenly, the door was pulled open from the inside. Noah’s face appeared in front of me. Before I could even speak, he had grabbed my wrist. He yanked me urgently down the hall, only stopping when we were hidden behind a corner. “What are you doing here?” He smelled heavily of alcohol. He glanced back toward the private room, making sure no one had seen us. “Go home first. I’ll explain everything about me and Lily to you later.” “Explain how you managed to cheat?” My voice was incredibly hoarse. He frowned, looking like he was dealing with an unreasonable child: “Chloe, I know this is hard for you to accept, but we are broken up. Leave the past in the past, we both need to move forward.” I couldn’t help but laugh. “Broken up for three days, and you’re already getting your marriage certificate?” He went silent for a moment, his Adam’s apple bobbing: “Lily… she doesn’t know anything. If you’re angry, take it out on me, but I’m begging you, don’t tell her.” As he spoke, his eyes slowly grew red. “Lily is pregnant. She can’t handle the stress.” Chapter 3 “What… did you just say?” I opened my mouth, but it felt like my throat was stuffed with cotton. Noah looked away, unable to meet my eyes. “We just found out three days ago. She has a weak constitution, she really can’t handle any stress.” “I’m begging you, don’t tell her about our past.” So that was it. No wonder he was in such a rush to dump me—he needed to give her a family. I leaned against the wall, my back pressed against the cold tiles, all the strength draining from my body. I instinctively touched my lower stomach. There used to be a child here, too. Three years ago, I stood in front of him holding a pregnancy test with two pink lines, my hands shaking so badly I could barely grip it. He stared at the research papers on his desk, not even lifting his head: “Chloe, I haven’t even graduated yet. How are we supposed to afford a kid? You wouldn’t want to bring a child into this world just to suffer with us, would you?” I said I could get another part-time job, I could manage it. He frowned and shook his head: “Chloe, listen to me. Now really isn’t the right time. Wait until I graduate, wait until everything is stable, okay?” Wait. Always waiting. I had brought it up to him countless times. I said, Noah, let’s get married, let’s have a baby. I want a family. Every time, he said, just wait a little longer. Wait for graduation, wait for tenure, wait for a good job, wait until we buy a house. I waited for eleven years. Now I was thirty-three, all my friends were mothers, and I was still waiting. And what I finally got was him marrying and having a child with someone else. My stomach churned, and I bent over, dry-heaving. Nothing came up. Eleven years of grievances were lodged in my throat, trapped, suffocating me. Noah reached out to help me, but his hand stopped mid-air. The door to the private room at the end of the hall opened, and Lily’s voice drifted out: “Noah, who are you talking to? The cake is melting…” Lily stood in the doorway, tilting her head as she studied me. Maya squeezed past her, her smile instantly freezing when she saw me. Lily’s gaze shifted between the three of us. Sensing the tension, the smile slowly faded from her face. Her eyes settled back on me, guarded. “Do you guys know each other? Who is she?” Before I could answer, Maya jumped in: “She’s my cousin.” She even flashed a forced smile at me, as if signaling: Right, Chloe? I looked at Maya, then turned to Noah. He kept his eyes down, his throat working. He didn’t deny it. He was waiting for me to say yes. Lily let out an “oh,” the suspicion dropping from her face: “Maya’s cousin? Well, come on in and sit with us!” She walked over, looping her arm through mine, pulling me toward the room. She enthusiastically offered me a seat. As she bent down, her collar parted slightly. I immediately noticed the red string hanging just below her collarbone. I recognized it. An amulet from the local Buddhist temple, meant to protect unborn children. Three years ago, after I had the abortion, I was in a terrible mental state. I kept waking up in the middle of the night, hearing a baby crying. I heard that the amulets from that temple were very effective. Even though the child was gone, getting one felt like a way to hold on to a memory. I mentioned it to Noah, asking him to go with me. He had said: “That’s all superstitious nonsense. I don’t believe in ghosts or gods, don’t drag yourself into that irrational garbage.” Lily came back with a glass of juice and noticed my gaze. She reached into her collar and pulled the amulet out. “Noah got this for me from the temple a couple of days ago.” Her voice carried a hint of pride: “He climbed the three thousand steps on his knees, bowing every three steps. His knees were completely scraped up, and they still haven’t healed. I felt so bad for him.” Noah put his arm around her shoulder, comforting her: “For you and the baby, anything is worth it.” My heart plummeted into an absolute abyss. Three days ago, after breaking up with me without warning, he completely vanished. He blocked my number and ignored my messages. I searched the streets for him like a madwoman. I even cried to Maya about it. At the time, she comforted me: “Don’t overthink it. You know how Noah is, he’s probably just busy. The more you push, the more annoyed he’ll get.” I genuinely believed I had annoyed him. For those three days, I didn’t eat or drink, locking myself in my room. I agonized over every word I had ever said to him, every message, every photo. I desperately tried to figure out which day, which sentence, which incident had suddenly made him tired of me. But now I knew. While I was agonizing, desperately trying to salvage our relationship… He was crawling up three thousand steps, bowing, praying for the safety of his new wife and child. Chapter 4 I couldn’t hold it in any longer. I bolted for the restroom, leaning over the sink and dry-heaving violently. My stomach was empty; only bile came up, stinging my throat and bringing tears to my eyes. Footsteps echoed behind me. “So, you’re Noah’s ex-girlfriend.” Lily leaned against the restroom doorway, arms crossed. The warm, welcoming demeanor from earlier was completely gone. I was stunned: “You knew?” She took two steps forward, standing next to me, looking at my reflection in the mirror: “I’m not an idiot. You guys were together for eleven years, how could I not notice?” Her eyes swept over my disheveled appearance, and the corners of her mouth curled up slightly. “Actually, Noah said you were a nice person. Good-tempered, good at taking care of people… just a bit… unrefined. I mean, those are all things a maid could do.” She touched her stomach: “What he needs is someone who can stand beside him as an equal. Like me.” She looked up, meeting my eyes in the mirror. “Tell me, sis. How does it feel to serve him for eleven years, only to get kicked to the curb?” I couldn’t suppress my fury any longer and screamed at her: “You knew he was taken and still slept with him, do you have no shame?!” She smirked dismissively, her eyes full of mockery. “Who’s the ‘other woman’? You don’t get to decide that.” With that, she suddenly threw herself against the edge of the sink, then screamed and fell backward. Before I could even process what was happening, a massive force violently shoved me away. My back slammed brutally against the wall, the impact jarring my internal organs. Noah had already firmly caught Lily in his arms. He turned to glare at me, his face full of disappointment. “Chloe, what is wrong with you?” “Attacking a pregnant woman? When did you become this cold-blooded?” “I didn’t…” My back was numb with pain, my voice shaking as I spoke. But Noah didn’t even look at me. He was entirely focused on comforting Lily. Nestled in Noah’s arms, Lily shot me a provocative, triumphant smile out of the corner of her eye. The tightly wound string in my mind completely snapped. My rage boiled over. I lunged at her. But a second before my hands could even brush her clothes, a heavy blow struck the back of my head. I stumbled, turning around to see Maya’s familiar face. As my consciousness faded, my last sight was Noah carrying Lily away, not once looking back. When I woke up, I was in a hospital bed. Maya stood by my bed, looking incredibly guilty: “I’m so sorry… Chloe, I didn’t mean to hit you that hard.” “You were just so out of control. If I didn’t stop you, Lily could have been seriously hurt.” Lily. Again with Lily. I let out a bitter, cynical laugh. “Maya, do you even remember that I’m your best friend?” She sighed, trying to explain: “Chloe, Lily really is an amazing person. She’s so gentle and understanding, like a little ray of sunshine. Everyone loves being around her.” “Plus, she has a Master’s degree from a top university. Standing next to Noah, they’re truly equals. But you…” “What about me?” My eyes burned with pressure as I glared at Maya. “Are you trying to say that because I don’t have a fancy degree, I don’t deserve to be friends with you people?” “Maya, don’t forget that it was me, the uneducated one, who worked day and night to support both you and Noah. And now you’re looking down on me? Where is your conscience?” Maya was left speechless. She lowered her head, muttered a weak excuse, and hurriedly left the room. The door to the hospital room was slightly ajar. I could hear a few nurses whispering in the hallway. “Is she the mistress?” “I heard she put a pregnant wife in the hospital. How shameless.” “Disgusting. I can’t believe our hospital has to treat someone like her.” Confused, I picked up my phone from the bedside table. The scene of my argument with Lily at the lounge had been posted online and was already trending. In the comments, Maya, claiming to be my best friend, was apologizing on my behalf, saying my mental state had been unstable lately. She even tagged my personal account. My DMs were instantly flooded with hate. “Mistresses should all drop dead. Can’t you live without a man? Stay away from married couples!” “She’s so arrogant, actually hunting down the wife to harass her. Let’s doxx her.” My phone vibrated. Maya was calling to explain. “I didn’t have a choice… Lily is about to land a massive federal grant, and Noah is up for tenure. They can’t have a scandal right now. I had to let you take the fall for a bit.” Noah sent a message too. “Chloe, I saw the video. People are just talking trash online to vent.” “Just endure it for a while and don’t say anything else. Blowing this out of proportion won’t do anyone any good.” It was laughable. Letting the actual mistress play the victim. And forcing me, the actual victim, to shoulder all the blame. My last shred of hope completely evaporated. Smiling bitterly, I screenshotted all of Noah’s chat logs. I also exported the recording of my recent phone call with Maya. Then, I compiled every detail of our relationship over the years: the photos, the timelines. After I finished, I turned on my camera and began recording: “Hello everyone, I’m Chloe, the woman the internet is currently branding a homewrecker. There are some truths I need to share with you.”

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It was our seventh anniversary, and my friends were playing the latest viral TikTok game: assigning everyone a “spirit animal” based on their personality. Mia leaned on her hand and playfully asked Ethan, “So, what kind of animal am I?” Ethan didn’t even have to think about it. “A cat.” “You’ve got a terrible temper, you scratch people when you’re mad, and you are an absolute expert at making people suffer.” Mia was just about to glare at him, but he laughed and gently tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “But purebred cats are naturally high-maintenance. No matter how much money or patience it takes to raise one, it’s always worth it.” The entire table erupted in teasing “oohs” and “ahhs,” saying he wasn’t insulting her at all, but rather flexing about keeping a spoiled, precious kitten. Someone suddenly chimed in, “What about Chloe?” Ethan glanced at me. He was silent for a very long time. “Her? A dog, probably.” A friend immediately jumped in to smooth things over: “Totally! Chloe is just like a golden retriever—warm, sunny, and she always revolves around the people she loves.” Ethan let out a low, cynical laugh, staring down at his glass. “No.” “It’s because no matter how many times you kick her away, she never leaves.” “I’ve blocked her number twenty-seven times. I’ve canceled our wedding three times. The longest she’s ever cried is one night. The very next morning, she always comes right back to me.” The entire table roared with laughter. Right before the party ended, two luxury gift boxes were delivered from a high-end jeweler. Mia’s box contained a $65,000 cat-eye diamond bracelet. Mine contained a custom-engraved silver dog tag. On the back, it read: If lost, please return to Ethan Sterling. Mia laughed so hard she practically collapsed onto his shoulder. “Aren’t you afraid she might actually run away one day?” Ethan fastened the diamond bracelet around her wrist, replying with absolute, arrogant certainty: “A dog never forgets its master.” I smiled too. That night, I took that silver dog tag and used it as a paperweight for the receipt confirming the cancellation of our fourth wedding attempt. This time, I didn’t go back to him. … I stared at the silver dog tag resting in my palm. The name Ethan Sterling was deeply engraved into the metal. The suffocating, absolute humiliation made it physically difficult to breathe. “Here girl! C’mere! Tsk, tsk, tsk!” Someone in the VIP booth suddenly made a loud, kissing noise, the exact sound you make to call a dog. Operating on pure reflex, my head snapped up. The room instantly exploded into deafening laughter. “Holy shit, she actually looked!” “Ethan wasn’t lying! She really is a dog. You call her and she responds immediately!” One of Ethan’s frat brothers even held out his hand toward me. “Come here, Chloe. Shake.” The smile on Ethan’s face finally faded. He slammed his whiskey glass down on the table, his eyes turning to ice as he swept his gaze across the room. “Enough.” “Just because I make a joke about her doesn’t mean you have the right to treat her like a circus animal.” The room instantly went dead silent. Ethan reached out, grabbed my hand, and lowered his voice into a gentle, coaxing tone. “They’ve had too much to drink. Don’t let it get to you.” But Mia let out a loud, obnoxious snort of laughter. “Everyone’s just messing around! Why is Chloe being so overly sensitive?” “Calling someone a dog isn’t an insult.” “Dogs are incredibly loyal! Even if the owner kicks them across the room, as long as he turns around and whistles, they’ll always come running back, wagging their tails.” Ethan frowned. “Alright, alright, my lips are sealed.” Mia stuck her tongue out playfully, showing absolutely zero remorse. I coldly ripped my hand out of Ethan’s grip. My brain only had one singular thought: Get out of here. Someone called my name as I walked toward the door, but I didn’t stop. When I met Ethan, I was twenty years old. My mother had just passed away. He was the one who stayed by my side, helping me navigate the endless legal paperwork and funeral arrangements. For three months, when I woke up screaming from night terrors every single night, he never left my side. Mia, on the other hand, was the childhood best friend he grew up with. Her father died saving Ethan’s father’s life in a car accident. Because of that blood debt, no matter how toxic or manipulative Mia acted, in Ethan’s eyes, she would always just be a helpless little sister who needed to be spoiled. Our first three attempts at a wedding? The first time, Mia hid the wedding rings. The second time, she physically stole my custom-made wedding dress and wore it out to a club. The third time, she called him crying hysterically an hour before the ceremony, claiming the date triggered her PTSD about her father’s death, and that she couldn’t bear to see people celebrating. Every single time, Ethan would put on a stern face, scold her for being childish, and then… I was the one whose wedding was delayed. Every single time. I had barely walked two blocks from the hotel when my phone rang. Mia’s voice was frantic, bordering on hysterical. “Chloe, come back right now!” “Ethan is having severe stomach cramps! He just coughed up blood! Where did you put his emergency medication?!” My brain didn’t even have a fraction of a second to process if it was real or fake. My body moved entirely on its own, spinning around and sprinting back toward the hotel. After so many years, worrying about him was deeply embedded in my muscle memory. I sprinted all the way back to the VIP room. My fingers were visibly shaking as I violently threw the heavy wooden doors open. “ETHAN!” Every single person in the room was sitting exactly where I had left them, holding their drinks, smiling at me. Ethan was leaning back into the plush leather sofa. He looked at me, and offered a slow, satisfied nod. After a brief, agonizing second of silence, the entire room erupted into roaring laughter. “Mia wins!” “Eleven minutes! She got here faster than a literal ambulance!” “Ethan was completely right. It doesn’t matter how far the dog runs, the second you whistle, she comes right back.” I stood frozen in the doorway. It wasn’t until I saw the massive pile of hundred-dollar bills stacked in the center of the table that the reality finally crushed me. That phone call wasn’t an emergency. It was a sadistic bet they set up just to prove Ethan’s point. Mia laughed radiantly, grabbing a thick stack of cash from the pile and stuffing it directly into the collar of a passing waiter’s shirt. “Keep the change.” “Bring out a few more appetizers for the most obedient little puppy in the room, and open two more bottles of her master’s favorite liquor.” The room howled with laughter again. Seeing my face drain of all color, Ethan’s smug expression finally vanished. He stood up, walked over to me, and used his thumb to wipe the cold sweat off my forehead. He gently pulled me toward an empty seat. “Since you’re already back, just stay.” “Sit with me for a bit. When this is over, we’ll go home together.” In the past, whenever he used that gentle, coaxing tone on me, my heart would instantly melt, and I would forgive him. But this time… I suddenly realized that it genuinely didn’t matter if I stayed or left. When someone has already decided to walk away forever, sitting down for another ten minutes won’t change the ending. Chapter 2 I sat quietly in the middle of the deafening, drunken noise, and unlocked my phone. Exactly seven days from today was the date of our fourth attempted wedding. I opened a travel app and booked a one-way flight departing at the exact time the ceremony was supposed to start. By the time the party ended, it was 2:00 AM. Ethan didn’t arrange a separate ride for Mia. He drove her straight back to our house. The second Mia walked through the door, she dropped her designer bag in the entryway, kicked her stilettos off in two different directions, and drunkenly collapsed onto our living room sofa. She squinted her eyes, giggling, and waved her hand at me. “Here, girl! Good puppy.” “Hurry up and fetch your master’s slippers.” Ethan let out a quiet “tsk” of annoyance. But the very next second, he turned to me and issued an order: “Chloe, put her shoes away. Grab a pair of guest slippers for her.” I stood perfectly still. “Are her arms broken?” Ethan froze. For the past seven years, whenever it came to anything involving Mia, he never had to ask me twice. I always handled it flawlessly. He clearly didn’t expect me to refuse. Mia suddenly slapped her own forehead dramatically. “Oh my god! I forgot to feed my kitten!” She fumbled for her phone and opened her apartment’s security camera app. “You guys might think I’m a spoiled cat, but compared to him, he’s the real tyrant of the house!” “How could I just leave him home all alone?!” Ethan glanced at his watch. “You’re completely wasted. You can’t go back there by yourself.” He turned and looked directly at me. “Chloe, make a quick run to her place.” “You know the passcode. Feed the cat, and just bring him back here.” I rejected him immediately. “I’m not going. She threw a tantrum demanding to adopt that cat. It’s her responsibility.” Six months ago, we found a severely injured stray kitten bleeding out in the alley behind our old apartment. I was the one who rushed him to the emergency vet, stayed up all night while he was in surgery, and bought all his food, toys, and beds. When Mia heard about it, she barged in and threw a massive fit, demanding she get to keep him. Ethan pulled me aside and reasoned with me: “Mia didn’t have a lot of things growing up. She really loves him. Just let her have it, Chloe.” But her “love” lasted exactly two weeks. After the novelty wore off, she couldn’t even remember what cabinet she kept his food in. “Fine, whatever. If she doesn’t want to go, she doesn’t have to.” Mia pouted, dramatically withdrawing her hand. On her phone screen, the security camera feed showed the tiny kitten sitting in front of a completely empty food bowl, meowing relentlessly. He was so hungry he was desperately pawing at the kitchen cabinets. His meows were already turning hoarse. My fingers curled into tight fists. My heart ached so badly I couldn’t stand it. I grabbed my coat and walked out the door. When I finally arrived at Mia’s apartment, the kitten saw me and instantly stumbled forward, practically throwing himself into my arms. I fed him, gave him fresh water, and sat with him. But he refused to let go, biting onto the sleeve of my coat, purring desperately. I couldn’t bring myself to leave him there. I zipped him into my coat and brought him back to the house. The second Mia saw the kitten, she instantly bolted upright from the sofa. “My precious little baby! Mommy missed you so much!” Completely ignoring the fact that the kitten was still shivering from the car ride, she aggressively poked him in the stomach, grabbed him by the front paws, and dangled him in the air. The kitten thrashed in sheer terror. “Stop touching him.” I reached out to block her hands. “He’s already overstimulated.” Mia smirked, hugging the terrified cat and spinning away from me. “He’s MY cat. I can play with him however I want.” She saw my heavy, three-ring wedding planning binder sitting on the coffee table. She intentionally grabbed a feathered cat toy and started dragging it aggressively across the pages. The panicked kitten lunged at the feathers with its claws fully extended. Its razor-sharp claws shredded the paper. The seating charts, the floral arrangements, the custom invitation proofs—instantly ripped to shreds. Mia covered her mouth, her eyes gleaming with malicious joy. “Oops! I guess cats and dogs really are natural enemies.” “He just naturally hates everything that belongs to you.” Ethan didn’t yell at her. He calmly crouched down and began picking up the shredded pieces of our wedding planner. “I’ll have my assistant print and bind a fresh copy tomorrow morning.” In the past, if even a single page of that binder got creased, I would be heartbroken for days. But now, staring at the floor covered in shredded paper, my heart didn’t feel a single ripple of emotion. “There’s no need. We won’t be using it anyway.” Ethan paused, holding a torn page, clearly caught off guard. He was just about to ask me what I meant, when Mia started stumbling drunkenly toward the master bedroom. She giggled, her words slurring together. “The masters sleep in the master bedroom. The kitty sleeps on the sofa.” “And the little doggie goes to sleep in her doghouse.” Ethan let out a helpless, indulgent sigh. I stood in the hallway, waiting for Ethan to drag her out of our bed. Instead, he just offered me a tired smile. “She’s completely wasted. Let’s just let her sleep in there for tonight.” I didn’t argue. I didn’t say a word. I just bent down, scooped up the terrified kitten hiding in the corner, and started walking toward the front door. Ethan took two quick steps after me. “Are you really throwing another tantrum?” From inside the master bedroom, Mia’s slurred, whining voice drifted out. “Ethan… I feel sick…” His footsteps halted instantly. Instinctively, he turned around and walked back toward the bedroom. I didn’t wait for him. Right before the heavy front door clicked shut, I heard Mia leaning against the headboard, laughing softly through her drunken haze. “Don’t worry… the little dog always comes back.” I held the trembling kitten tight against my chest and stepped into the elevator. This time, she was dead wrong. I booked a hotel room a few blocks away for six nights. On the seventh day, I will take my luggage and go straight to the airport. The house, the master bedroom, and the man who calls himself my “master”—I don’t want a single one of them ever again. Chapter 3 When I woke up the next morning, the kitten was curled up in a tight ball right next to my pillow. I reached out and gently scratched behind his ears. He immediately leaned into my palm, purring loudly. A sudden, sharp knock echoed from the hotel room door. I opened it. Ethan was standing in the hallway. Mia was standing directly behind him, looking incredibly annoyed. Ethan stepped aside slightly, his voice hard and commanding: “Apologize.” Mia rolled her eyes, her tone dripping with sarcastic boredom: “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have made the dog joke.” “I shouldn’t have stolen your master bedroom, and I shouldn’t have used my cat to shred your wedding planner.” “Are we good now?” Ethan didn’t respond to her. He just looked at me. I started to push the door shut. Ethan immediately slammed his hand against the wood, blocking the door. The heavy hotel door crushed his fingers against the frame, but he didn’t even flinch. “I have serious family business today. Stop throwing a fit and come with me.” He raised his other hand. He was holding a bouquet of white chrysanthemums and a small bag of offerings. “Today is my mother’s death anniversary.” I lowered my eyes. In exactly seven days, I would be gone forever. Before I left, I was planning to go pay my respects to his mother one last time anyway. I eventually changed my clothes and followed him out to the car. By the time Ethan parked at the base of the cemetery hills, Mia had completely reverted to her usual, carefree, oblivious self. She practically skipped up the stone steps, occasionally kicking piles of autumn leaves or trying to chase a stray cat wandering through the headstones. When we reached his mother’s grave, Ethan knelt down and personally wiped the dust off the granite headstone. I took the empty plastic vase and walked to a nearby water spigot to fill it. When I returned, Mia was standing directly in front of the headstone. That silver custom dog tag from the party? She had hung it directly next to his mother’s memorial portrait. The cold autumn wind blew, and the silver metal repeatedly clinked against the cold granite. Clink. Clink. Clink. The plastic vase slipped from my hands, shattering on the pavement. Water spilled everywhere. “Take it down.” Mia turned around, offering me a look of pure, manufactured innocence. “Don’t be mad! I’m just sharing the good news with Auntie!” She actually reached out and tapped the glass over his mother’s photo. “Auntie, you don’t need to worry about Chloe anymore!” “She finally has an owner now!” “She’s incredibly obedient in the Sterling house. All Ethan has to do is whistle, and she comes running right back to him.” I sprinted forward, ripped the dog tag off the stone, and slapped her across the face with every ounce of strength I had. The sharp, explosive SMACK echoed across the quiet cemetery, startling the other mourning families nearby. Mia clutched her burning cheek, staring at me with wide, horrified disbelief. “You hit me?!” “If you ever disrespect his mother’s grave again, I’ll hit you harder.” A middle-aged man who was visiting his own mother’s grave nearby had heard the entire exchange. His face was dark with disgust. He pointed directly at Mia, his voice harsh: “This is a cemetery!” “It’s bad enough you’re treating a living human being like an animal, but you have the audacity to stand in front of a dead woman and spew that garbage?” “Apologize to this woman and her mother-in-law immediately!” Mia, already humiliated by the slap, completely lost her mind when a total stranger started lecturing her. The next second, she violently lunged behind me, and shoved both her hands brutally into my back. “When danger comes, a good dog always protects its master!” I was completely caught off guard. The violent shove sent me stumbling forward, crashing directly toward the man. He instinctively stepped out of the way to avoid the collision. The cemetery was built into the side of a steep hill. The graves were separated by high, sharp stone retaining walls. I lost my footing. My body went over the edge of the stone platform, plummeting down the steep, jagged embankment. Right before I completely blacked out, I heard Ethan screaming my name in absolute, unadulterated terror. He dropped the flowers, screaming like a madman, sprinting toward the edge. And then… everything went black. Chapter 4 I woke up to the sound of Mia’s voice echoing through the room. “Twenty-first attempt. Ethan, it’s okay if you don’t reply, I’ll just wait for you downstairs in the rain.” “Twenty-seventh attempt. If you just come back to me, I’ll do absolutely anything you want.” She was dramatically pitching her voice, putting on a theatrical performance as she read aloud the desperate, pathetic text messages I had sent Ethan years ago, begging him not to break off our engagement. The door to the hospital room was wide open. The nurses, the orderlies, and the patients walking down the hallway could hear every single humiliating detail. They heard how I was blocked, how I stood in the rain waiting for him, and how I pathetically begged him not to cancel our wedding. When Mia saw my eyes flutter open, she let out a delighted gasp and blew a sharp, high-pitched blast on a metal dog whistle. Ethan was sitting on the leather sofa in the corner, rubbing his temples, looking incredibly exhausted. “Why did you give her my phone?” My throat was so dry it felt like I was swallowing razor blades. He stood up and poured me a glass of water, his tone completely clinical and detached. “The doctor said we needed to use familiar sounds and memories to stimulate your brain activity while you were unconscious.” “A lost dog is usually woken up by the scent of its owner. I figured the same logic applied to humans.” Mia laughed brightly. “Don’t be mad, Chloe! At least now everyone in this hospital knows just how insanely obsessed with Ethan you really are.” I reached over and aggressively ripped the IV needle out of the back of my hand. “Get the fuck out!” Blood instantly started dripping down my hand, staining the white sheets. Ethan’s face darkened with anger. Just as he was about to hit the call button for the nurse, a woman’s frantic crying echoed from the hallway outside. The man from the cemetery—the one who had tried to defend me—walked into the room. Behind him was a woman, heavily pregnant, her belly massive. The man’s face was bruised and battered. His clothes were dirty and wrinkled. As soon as he walked in, he lowered his head and bowed deeply to Mia. “Ms. Thorne, I am so incredibly sorry.” I froze. Ethan spoke, his voice completely flat, offering a casual explanation: “If he hadn’t dodged out of the way when Mia pushed you, you wouldn’t have fallen.” “Mia was severely traumatized by the incident, and the clasp on her cat-eye diamond bracelet broke. It’s only right that he pays for the damages.” That bracelet cost over sixty-five thousand dollars. The man was a blue-collar delivery driver. His wife was eight months pregnant. His entire family survived paycheck to paycheck. To scrape together the money to pay for the “damages,” he had already sold his delivery truck—his only source of income. I stared at Ethan, my blood turning to ice. “He didn’t do anything wrong! The person at fault is Mia!” “I want her to go back to your mother’s grave and apologize!” Mia’s eyes instantly welled with fake tears. Ethan leaned back into the sofa, looking down at us from his pedestal like a king passing judgment. “Fine.” “The second you forgive Mia, I’ll let him go.” “But until you do, he is paying every single cent for that bracelet.” The man’s pregnant wife burst into tears, desperately grabbing the edge of my hospital blanket. “Ms. Quinn, please. Our baby is due next month. If we lose everything, we won’t survive. We literally cannot afford to pay him.” My entire body was shaking with fury. “Ethan, if you want to punish someone, punish me! You have the power, use it on me!” “I am using it on you.” He leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees, staring directly into my eyes. “Chloe. When you refuse to bow your head, someone else is going to have to bleed for your stubbornness.” Mia let out a soft, mocking laugh from the corner of the room. “It’s a classic training method. You beat another animal to show the dog what happens when it disobeys.” Ethan didn’t tell her to shut up. He didn’t say a word. He just looked at the man, who was practically on his knees, and spoke with absolute, arrogant contempt: “A man with no money and no power, trying to be a hero for someone else.” “You two are actually incredibly similar.” “You both suffer from the delusion that if you just scream loud enough, the world will give you justice.” The man’s pregnant wife was sobbing so hard she could barely stand. I closed my eyes. The fight completely drained out of me. I finally spoke. “I forgive Mia.” Ethan finally raised his hand, signaling his bodyguards to let the man and his wife leave. He walked over to the bed and gently stroked my hair. The exact same motion you use to reward a dog that finally learned how to sit. “If you had just been obedient from the start, he wouldn’t have had to suffer.” For the next four days, I took my medication on schedule. I quietly attended my final wedding dress fitting. I even let Mia wander in and out of our house as she pleased, offering no resistance. On the morning of the wedding, Mia threw a tantrum, demanding that Ethan drive her around the city in the lead wedding car before the ceremony started. Ethan adjusted the veil on my head, ensuring it was perfect. “Wait right here. I’ll come back to get you.” I nodded. The absolute second his car pulled out of the driveway and the iron gates closed… I ripped the wedding dress off my body. I zipped the kitten into a ventilated pet carrier, grabbed the suitcase I had packed days ago, and took an Uber straight to the airport. As the boarding announcement echoed through the terminal, my phone rang. It was Ethan. For the very first time in seven years, his voice was actually trembling. “Chloe. Where the hell are you?” I looked through the massive glass windows at the planes taxiing on the runway, and I let out a soft, genuine laugh. “I got lost.” “And this time, I won’t be returned to you.”

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When the power went out on our wedding night, my heavily intoxicated husband wandered into my best friend’s room. The next morning, a piercing scream erupted from my best friend’s bedroom. Still groggy, my family and I rushed over, only to find my husband and my best friend, both completely naked, tangled up under the same duvet. Everyone was shocked. It was painfully obvious what had happened between them. My mother, terrified of a public scandal, pressured me to swallow the humiliation and keep quiet. “Chloe, the damage is done. The rice is already cooked. What you need to do now is accept it and deal with it.” I couldn’t just forget about it. I started avoiding both of them, hiding from the reality. Arthur tried everything to make it up to me, but I rejected every attempt. It wasn’t until he got into a car accident that my concern overrode my anger, and I rushed to the hospital. But as I stood outside his hospital room door, I heard a voice: “Artie, you’re a genius, man.” “You intentionally got Chloe drunk that night, flipped the breaker switch yourself, and used the blackout as an excuse to mess around with Mia until morning.” “Even this car accident is fake.” “If I didn’t do it this way, Chloe would never forgive me.” “Besides, her mom was the one who flipped the breaker.” “She did it to help Mia out. And honestly, I’ve been wanting a piece of Mia for a long time, so we came to an understanding.” … “Holy shit! Chloe is getting screwed over so hard.” “Being betrayed by your best friend and your husband is bad enough, but her own mother was in on it too?” “What we don’t get is… why?” Arthur’s friends looked at him with sheer confusion. Sitting on the hospital bed, Arthur’s face was flushed and glowing, looking like a wild animal that hadn’t quite had its fill. Was his usual guilt-ridden, apologetic act all fake? If he hadn’t just been intimately satisfied by a woman, he wouldn’t be glowing like that. “Didn’t I already tell you guys?” “Mia is the daughter of Chloe’s mother’s brother. Her uncle passed away recently, and his dying wish was for Mia to marry the man she loves.” “Chloe’s mother loves her brother, so that love transferred to Mia. She helped set it up.” “And you guys know I’ve always had a thing for Mia. Even if I couldn’t officially be with her, at least I got to taste her. I could die happy now.” Outside the door, I felt like my soul had been ripped out of my body. My mind went completely blank. So that night, I didn’t just get drunk; I was intentionally intoxicated by him. Because the power was out and I couldn’t see his face, I had felt safe enough to fall asleep in the master bedroom. But it turned out, the entire thing was a meticulously orchestrated setup. A sharp, agonizing pain seized my chest, making it harder and harder to breathe. I reached out and gripped the doorframe just to keep myself from collapsing. “Hearing you say all that, man, we don’t even know what to say.” “This is insane, like something out of a soap opera.” “Before we got here, did your precious Mia come pay you another ‘visit’?” Arthur just smiled smugly, a blush creeping up his neck, but he didn’t answer. His silence was an admission. No wonder he looked so radiant. I felt like I had been slapped across the face, but I didn’t know who to hit back. “Arthur!” One of his friends finally spoke up, offering a word of caution. “What?” “Your situation right now is a total mess.” “You are Chloe’s husband, but you’re fooling around with her best friend. If this gets out…” “You’re going to destroy your reputation and lose all your standing.” “Especially if Mia is actually pregnant with your kid. Chloe is never going to accept you back after that.” “So your best bet is to just let Chloe go, and officially marry Mia. At least then it’s legitimate.” His friends’ words made Arthur pause and think. Then, he looked up at them, his tone more resolute than ever. “I am not letting Chloe go, because she is the only person who truly, unconditionally loves me.” “I can just sign the divorce papers with her for now. Once Mia gives birth to the kid, I’ll go back and win Chloe over again.” Chapter 2 “No way.” “I seriously doubt Chloe is going to agree to that.” “She won’t agree to me, but she will absolutely agree to her mother.” “Because blood ties will force her to submit.” “As for me, when I start courting her again, Chloe will be so moved she’ll have no choice but to take me back.” “Chloe is so obsessed with me, she deserves to be the backup plan.” “Wrong.” “She’s only like that with me. If it were anyone else, she wouldn’t tolerate it.” Arthur spoke with absolute, unwavering confidence, completely unaware that I had just overheard his entire sickening secret. I quietly slipped my wedding ring off my finger and dropped it straight into the trash can as I walked by. Mia, carrying a bag of fresh fruit, brushed past me in the hallway and suddenly stopped. “Cousin Chloe, are you here to see Artie?” That sickly-sweet, intimate nickname. If I hadn’t just uncovered their secret, it would have made my skin crawl even more. “Something came up at work, so I can’t stay. Just let him know I stopped by.” “Oh! So does that mean you’ve forgiven us?!” “That’s wonderful! Artie is going to be so happy when he hears that.” I let out a cold, cynical smirk and kept walking without another word. As soon as I walked out of the hospital doors, I pulled out my phone and called my boss. “Mr. Sterling, you mentioned an overseas project recently, right?” “I’ve changed my mind. I’ll take it.” “Are you sure?” “It’s a three-year assignment. Didn’t you say you couldn’t be away from home for that long?” In the past, I genuinely felt that being too far away was a bad idea. I worried there would be no one to take care of my mother, and I was terrified Arthur would be angry. But now, knowing the two of them had conspired to destroy me, my mental state was on the verge of total collapse. I had to make a decision. From now on, my career would be my only focus. Everything else could be left behind. “My home is suffocating me.” My voice cracked as I said it, and Liam Sterling picked up on the emotion immediately. He was a perceptive man; he knew exactly what to ask and what to leave alone. “Just put my name on the list. I have to go.” “Alright. Take care of yourself.” After hanging up, I finally noticed a string of transaction alerts flooding my phone screen. My life savings totaled exactly three million dollars. Suddenly, two and a half million had been withdrawn. I frantically called my mother. She was the only one who could have stolen my debit card. “What exactly did you buy to drain two and a half million dollars from my account?!” Knowing the truth about her betrayal, my tone was completely stripped of any warmth. My mother sensed my anger but didn’t seem to think she had done anything wrong. “I have my uses for it.” “Do you really need to be this furious? Didn’t you promise me when you were a little girl…” “That when you grew up, you’d make lots of money for me to spend?” “I only spent two and a half million, and you’re already throwing a fit?” She said it so casually. Only two and a half million? For ordinary people like us, two and a half million was a lifetime of grueling labor and savings. “I bought a house. Mia said she wanted to buy a property to rent out for passive income.” “Isn’t this what you wanted, too?” “I bought the house, but we still needed some furniture, so I was just helping her pick some out.” Before I could say another word, she hung up the phone in a huff. I rushed to the nearest bank branch, immediately canceled the compromised card, and withdrew the remaining five hundred thousand in cash before permanently closing the account. I am a dutiful daughter, but I am not an idiot. Why should Mia get to buy a house using my credit card? My money didn’t just fall from the sky. She already stole Arthur from me, and now she wants my money to set herself up? Less than an hour later, my phone rang. It was my mother. “Chloe, you’ve really got a lot of nerve now.” “Why did you freeze my card?! Mia and I just ate at a restaurant and we have no way to pay the bill!” Chapter 3 “Transfer the money right now.” “I have zero obligation to transfer you another cent. You’re the ones who ate the food, not me.” “Besides, isn’t Mia right there with you? A thirty-year-old woman shouldn’t be too cheap to pay for a single meal!” “You ungrateful little brat…” There was no point in continuing this toxic conversation. I hung up the phone directly. A bitter, acidic ache rose in my chest. Despite my best efforts, my mood was completely derailed. The ugly memories of my past began to surface. My mother, obsessed with bailing out her younger brother, recklessly squandered all the money my father had worked so hard to save. When they fought about it, my mother packed her bags and left. Her family showed up at our door, harassing and blaming my father, leaving him frustrated and completely helpless. Later, my father overworked himself and died of a heart attack on his way home from his shift. I was young back then. I didn’t understand why my dad, who was perfectly healthy, would just drop dead. I only found out the truth after I became an adult. Later, when my uncle died, my mother brought Mia to live with us. She forced me to constantly yield to Mia. During the holidays, Mia got brand-new clothes, while I was forced to wear faded, washed-out hand-me-downs. When it was time for college, she only paid Mia’s tuition and told me to drop out and get a job. Thankfully, my grades were excellent, and I managed to secure enough scholarships and grants to finish my degree. Looking back on it now, I should have cut ties with my mother a long, long time ago. When I got back to the apartment, three people were waiting for me in the living room. Not out of concern, but to interrogate me. My mother grabbed a ceramic teacup from the coffee table and hurled it at my head. “So you finally decided to show your face?!” “Do you have any idea how humiliated I was today?!” “My friends from my Zumba class were sitting right at the next table! You froze my card and made me look like a broke beggar in front of them!” I didn’t bother using a polite tone with them anymore. I pointed straight at Mia. “Let me ask you something. Is she a legal adult or not?” Mia instantly jumped up from the sofa. “Chloe, what is that supposed to mean?” I turned and stared her down. “You are a grown adult, and you expect an elderly woman to foot the bill when you take her out to eat? And you actually feel justified in being angry about it?” “I’m not wasting my breath arguing with you. I’m only going to say this once.” “From this moment forward, I will not give you another dime, and I will not help you with a single thing.” I turned to my mother, her face dark with anger. “If you have a problem with that, we can legally sever our relationship right now.” Arthur and Mia froze in shock. They never expected me to bring up something as severe as legal emancipation. “Chloe, it was just the cost of one meal. Do you really need to go as far as threatening to disown your own mother?” “Hurry up and apologize to Mom…” “Do you think I’m angry about the cost of a meal?” I was angry about her decades of blatant favoritism, and the fact that she nearly maxed out my life savings today to buy Mia a house. Mia quickly stepped between me and my mother, her face a mask of practiced guilt. “Auntie, Cousin Chloe, please don’t fight.” “I think Chloe is right. I’ll be more careful from now on.” My mother looked at Mia with absolute admiration. It was always like this. Regardless of whether Mia was right or wrong, as long as she lowered her head and apologized, my mother would shower her with praise for being so “mature.” But my “maturity” was entirely dependent on how much money I provided. I finally understood. No matter how hard I tried or how much I achieved, it would never equal a single, sweet sentence from Mia. “You ungrateful wretch. I’ll forgive you today, but only because Mia asked me to.” “Get back to your room.” “I’ll gladly go to my room. But first, I want the two and a half million you stole from me returned.” “If you don’t return it, I am calling the police.” With that, I didn’t say another word. I gripped the heavy black trash bag filled with cash and walked silently back to my room. Chapter 4 My mother completely exploded. She charged at my bedroom door, kicking and screaming at the top of her lungs. “You ungrateful bitch! I am your flesh-and-blood mother!” “If you call the cops on me, you’ll be struck by lightning!” I felt absolutely nothing. I methodically placed all the cash from the black bag into my personal safe. Suddenly, Arthur pushed the door open and walked in. “Chloe, what is going on with you today?” “You used to be so dutiful and caring.” “Look at me, I was in a car accident and hurt my leg, and you didn’t even bother to come to the hospital to check on me.” His tone was dripping with manufactured grievance. “Were you really injured in a car accident?” I stared at him with a chilling, dead-eyed smile. When he saw the utter lack of emotion in my eyes, he visibly panicked. “Why… why would you ask me that? Of course I was injured.” “Arthur.” I raised my voice, making him flinch. “I did go to the hospital to see you that day. But I didn’t walk into your room. Do you know why?” He didn’t answer. He just started trembling slightly, realizing my gaze had already completely pierced through his lies. When he remained silent, I spoke, my voice like ice. “Because I was standing outside the door, and I heard your little secret.” “On our wedding night, you intentionally got me drunk. My mother pulled the breaker switch to kill the power, giving you and Mia the perfect excuse to sleep together in the dark.” “And now, her belly is carrying your bastard child.” “Am I right?” Arthur was stunned into absolute paralysis. The two people standing in the hallway behind him also froze in terror. He stared at me, his eyes wide, completely unable to formulate an excuse. Mia was the first to speak. “Cousin Chloe, it… it’s not what you think…” She trailed off. Even she didn’t know what kind of lie could possibly cover this up. My mother, however, suddenly went quiet. She turned and walked away. This gave me a terrible, sinking feeling. Arthur reached out to grab my arm. I violently shook him off. “Don’t touch me!” “Chloe, please, just listen to me…” Before he could finish, I heard the sound of shattering glass coming from the living room. “Auntie, stop! That’s Uncle’s memorial portrait… Oh my god, don’t burn it!” “Mia, move out of the way! This old man died taking it easy, leaving me to raise this ungrateful bitch of a daughter by myself.” “And now she refuses to obey me.” I sprinted out of the bedroom. When I saw my mother standing on the balcony, actively trying to set fire to the very last keepsake I had of my father, panic finally seized me. “What the hell are you doing?!” “Stop it right now!” She was holding the only surviving photograph of my father. If she let go, it would drop straight into the flaming brazier below. “Seeing you panic like this just proves that a dead man is always more useful than the living.” My face flushed dark red with fury, but I didn’t dare rush her to snatch it back, terrified she would actually drop the photo into the flames. “Tell me, why are you trying to burn my dad’s things?” “Because you are disobedient and disrespectful to your mother.” What exactly did I have to do to be considered “obedient” and “respectful”? Did I have to act like a mindless, emotionless robot and comply with her every demand? Suddenly, I remembered what Arthur had said in his hospital room. My eyes instantly turned glacial. “Tell me. What exactly do you want me to do?” “I want you to go to the courthouse with Arthur immediately and file for divorce. That way, the child in Mia’s belly will be legitimate.” “I don’t want people talking behind my back.” So this was it. She was holding my father’s memory hostage just to force me to step aside? I turned to look at Arthur, who was standing there in silence. “And you? Is this what you want, too?” “Chloe, just agree to these terms for now. Once she gives birth to the baby, we can…” “Save it.”

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Ever since I got pregnant, my husband forced me to wear four-inch stilettos every single day. “If I catch you secretly switching to flats, I’m cutting off your entire allowance for the month!” I stared down at the stiletto heels, utterly bewildered. “Why?” His brow furrowed, his tone immediately impatient. “Why does there have to be a ‘why’?” “Just do as you’re told, and you’ll get your money on time. Simple as that.” For the sake of the twins growing inside me, I endured the agonizing pain, wearing those four-inch heels every single day. Until my next prenatal checkup. My legs were swollen and throbbing as I stood at the billing counter in my heels, waiting for him to transfer the funds to my account to pay the copay. Suddenly, a harsh, mocking laugh echoed from behind me. “Do you guys see that? That’s exactly what happens when you decide to be a stay-at-home wife.” “For a little bit of cash, she’ll humiliate herself and do whatever he wants.” “We really have to thank Professor Sterling. It’s so generous of him to use his own wife for our ‘Housewife Endurance Test’!” Not far away, Ethan’s ex-girlfriend was standing with a group of female college students, smirking at me with undisguised contempt. My entire body froze. My phone vibrated with a new text. [Sorry, got tied up. Transferring the money now.] [We’re continuing this for another month!] Continuing? A suffocating lump formed in my throat. I accepted the transfer, and then immediately walked to the clinic’s reception desk and booked an abortion. The sheer, agonizing humiliation of having to beg for money in a marriage had completely broken me. So, his money, and him. I didn’t want either of them anymore. I had just clicked ‘Accept’ on the transfer at the billing counter when someone behind me started yelling. “Are you paying or not?!” “If you aren’t paying, get the hell out of the way!” “Are women these days so obsessed with looking hot that they’ll wear stilettos while heavily pregnant?!” “Watch out, you’re going to miscarry that kid right onto the floor!” The impatient person behind me aggressively shoved my shoulder. Acting on pure maternal instinct to protect my stomach, I lost my balance. My body slammed hard against the heavy glass partition of the billing counter. CRACK. My ankle, elevated in the four-inch heel, twisted violently and instantly began to swell. A blinding, excruciating pain shot up from the top of my foot. My entire body began to tremble. “Serves her right!” “Thought she could just rely on a man to pay her bills? Let this be a lesson to all of you!” “If any of the students in my seminar ever decide they want to be a stay-at-home housewife, you can drop out of my class right now!” A few yards away, Chloe, Ethan’s ex-girlfriend, was loudly running her mouth again. As I steadied myself against the glass and looked up, I saw a printed dossier in her hands. My name was printed clearly on the cover. [Sociological Experiment: Endurance Thresholds of the American Stay-at-Home Housewife – Subject: Maya Sterling] For over a month, I was relentlessly bullied and threatened into wearing four-inch stilettos every single day. And it was all just a prop for Chloe’s sociological experiment? My lungs felt like they had collapsed. I clutched my ankle, my brain spinning with the sheer, grotesque absurdity of it all. The line at the billing counter was growing longer. I didn’t go to my prenatal appointment. I walked directly toward the surgical wing. An hour later, the procedure was over. I sat in the recovery room, clutching the small, velvet box containing the ashes of my twins. I finally took off the stilettos I had been forced to wear for over a month. When the soles of my bare feet touched the cold, flat linoleum floor, my body convulsed with involuntary tremors. Ever since Ethan forced me to wear those heels… I was required to have them on twenty-four hours a day. I even had to wear them to sleep. Once, my legs were so incredibly swollen and painful during the night that I couldn’t sleep. I quietly slipped them off, but Ethan woke up and caught me. He glared at me, his voice like ice. “I’m going to pretend I didn’t see that this one time. If it happens again, I’m zeroing out your bank account.” That night, he coldly took a roll of duct tape and aggressively taped the stilettos directly to my feet. The next morning, when I peeled the tape off, it ripped patches of skin clean off my ankles. The agonizing memory of that pain flashed through my mind again. I held the small urn tightly against my chest and took an Uber back to the university’s faculty housing complex. When I reached our front door, I froze. Chapter 2 Piled up outside the door was a massive, reeking mound of filthy, unwashed laundry. “Ethan, I went through so much trouble collecting all this dirty laundry from the frat houses.” “We have to make Maya wash every single piece by hand tonight.” “The social experiment is entering Phase Two! You promised you’d support my research!” Chloe’s voice echoed clearly from inside the living room. My fingers curled into tight fists. Then, I heard Ethan’s gentle, accommodating reply. “Of course. It’s all for the advancement of sociological research. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure Maya agrees to do it.” It felt like someone had driven a spike directly through my heart. The putrid, sour stench of the dirty laundry hit my nose. My stomach violently revolted, a wave of intense nausea washing over me. I reached out and shoved the front door open. “Ethan, I am not doing it anymore!” Inside the apartment, both of them froze, startled by my sudden entrance. Ethan was the first to react. He frowned, completely ignoring what I had just said. His eyes locked instantly onto my feet. “Where the hell are your heels?!” “Did I give you permission to take them off?!” “Maya, put them back on right now!” He bent down, grabbed a pair of six-inch stilettos from the shoe rack, and violently hurled them at my feet. His face was a mask of furious contempt. My ankle, which had been severely sprained that morning, was currently a swollen, dark purple mess. I was standing in standard house slippers, my entire body shaking. “Ethan, I said I am never doing this again!” As I screamed the words, I felt a sudden, warm rush of fluid slip down my inner thighs. A common side effect of a surgical abortion is brief, postoperative bleeding. Fighting through the pain and the nausea, I limped heavily toward the bathroom. I locked the door and pulled down my pants. Blood was steadily trickling down my legs. I frantically rummaged through the cabinets looking for a pad. As I looked up toward the vanity mirror… I made direct eye contact with a glowing, active webcam mounted in the corner of the ceiling. In a blind panic, I yanked my pants up and scrambled out of the bathroom. That was when I noticed—there were cameras mounted in multiple corners of the apartment. “Oh, Maya, I’m so sorry…” “Phase Two of the experiment requires us to use video documentation for our methodology.” “You walked away so fast I completely forgot to tell you.” “But don’t worry! My entire research seminar is female, so it’s totally fine if they see a little something.” A condescending smirk played on Chloe’s lips as her eyes raked up and down my body. Her gaze was so arrogant and dismissive that a furious scream rose in my throat. Before I could say a word, Ethan suddenly frowned, pointing at the urn in my hands. “You’ve been clutching that thing since you walked in. What is it?” “And by the way, where is the ultrasound report for the twins? Give it to me.” His tone was sharp and authoritative, demanding I hand over the paperwork. A bitter, hollow smile pulled at the corners of my mouth. I held the urn out toward him. “Our babies?” “They’re right here in…” “ETHAN!” “I almost forgot, there’s a discrepancy in the data set for my thesis! We need to go over the numbers right now!” Chloe aggressively shouted over me, completely cutting me off. Ethan immediately turned his back to me and followed her toward the door without a second thought. Just as he reached the threshold, he pointed a finger back at the mountain of filthy laundry. “Tomorrow morning, I expect every single piece of those clothes to be spotless.” “And you are going to wash them by hand!” The door slammed shut with a deafening crash. I carefully, securely held the urn against my chest and walked into the master bedroom to pack my suitcase. When I finished and walked to the front door, reaching for the handle… It wouldn’t open. The deadbolt was locked from the outside. “Sorry, Mrs. Sterling! Professor Sterling left strict orders: you’re not allowed to leave the apartment tonight!” “Not unless you get all that laundry washed!” A group of Ethan’s students laughed from the hallway outside. That’s when I noticed. The mountain of filthy laundry that had been in the hallway was now piled high inside my bathroom. The reeking, yellow-stained frat clothes were soaked in the bathtub, mixed directly with the pristine white baby onesies I had bought for the twins. A freezing chill seeped into my bones. I pulled out my phone to call Ethan. The call wouldn’t connect. “Mrs. Sterling, we activated a signal jammer!” Chapter 3 “Don’t bother trying! Just hurry up and wash the clothes!” I stared down at my phone. Zero bars. ‘No Service.’ I stood completely paralyzed in the entryway. I stood there for a very long time. Until a horrifying realization suddenly struck me. I hadn’t reminded my mother to take her medication today. She suffers from early-onset Alzheimer’s. There was one time she missed a single dose. She wandered out of her care facility alone, wandered onto a busy highway, and was nearly struck and killed by a semi-truck. This time, I couldn’t even imagine what might happen. “Open the door!” “Call Ethan right now!” “Tell him he has to remind my mother to take her pills!” I pounded frantically on the heavy door, screaming at the top of my lungs. But the only response from the hallway was the loud, chaotic sound of a multiplayer video game. They were playing Smash Bros. No one was listening to me. I screamed until my voice was hoarse and cracking, slamming my fists against the wood for several agonizing minutes. Realizing that the window for my mother’s medication was rapidly closing, I panicked and sprinted to the bathroom. I plunged my hands into the putrid, freezing water, desperately scrubbing the filthy clothes. Suddenly, a sharp, searing pain sliced across my fingers. A razor blade had been intentionally hidden deep inside one of the pockets. Blood immediately began dripping from my hand, swirling into the murky water. I didn’t even have time to cry out in pain. I frantically grabbed the next piece of laundry and kept scrubbing. Half an hour later, the mountain of clothes was finally clean. I clutched my bleeding, sliced fingers, ran back to the front door, and screamed: “The laundry is done! It’s all clean!” “If you don’t believe me, open the door and check!” But this time, not only did no one answer… Even the sounds of the video game had completely stopped. A cold, suffocating terror gripped my heart. I ran to the living room window, threw it open, and screamed for help. We were on the twenty-first floor. A pedestrian on the sidewalk far below glanced up for a fraction of a second. And then kept walking. My entire body went rigid. I collapsed onto the floor, my legs giving out. I was locked inside this apartment for three hours. I tried absolutely everything I could think of. Until I was pushed to the absolute brink, ready to start a fire just to trigger the smoke alarms. I stood in the kitchen, my eyes locked dead onto the gas stove. Just as my hand reached for the burner knob… The front door unlocked. Ethan walked in, holding a thermal container of chicken soup. “I heard you finally finished the laundry.” “Come have some soup.” “Your mother made it.” Inside the container, the soup had gone completely cold, a thick layer of congealed fat settling on the surface. Ethan set it on the kitchen island and impatiently loosened his tie. He looked exhausted and incredibly annoyed. “Just to remind your mother to take her pills, I had to cancel my attendance at a massive departmental symposium.” “Maya, that imported medication your mother takes costs over a thousand dollars a pill, and I am the one paying for it.” “You need to learn to be grateful.” “Drink the soup and go to sleep. Do not try to pick another fight with me.” Pick a fight? Hearing those words, a momentary wave of dizzying absurdity washed over me. I have a Master’s degree. It’s not that I couldn’t get a job. I stayed home because Ethan desperately wanted a traditional family. He practically begged me to have his children. We tried for years and years, suffering through endless negative tests. To finally get pregnant, I went through brutal rounds of IVF, which meant I had to quit my job to manage the relentless doctor’s appointments and physical toll. And after all of that, he began using my “allowance” as a weapon to control and threaten me. I only ever asked him for money to cover basic groceries and utilities… and in his eyes, that made me a hysterical woman “picking fights”? My sprained ankle was currently a throbbing, swollen, dark purple mass. My fingers, which had scrubbed the filthy laundry, were sliced open and still sluggishly bleeding. Every single word I wanted to scream at him suddenly died in my throat. “Ethan. We’re getting a divorce.” “Divorce?!” “Maya, it is the middle of the night, are you seriously going to throw another irrational tantrum right now?!” “I’m sleeping in the study tonight! You need to seriously evaluate your behavior and clear your head!” He glared at me with absolute disgust, completely dismissing what I had said. The next morning, I woke up early, went straight to a law firm downtown, and formally consulted a divorce attorney. Carrying the drafted divorce settlement, I took an Uber back to the university campus. As I walked through the quad, I noticed that everyone’s eyes were fixed on me with a burning, intense hostility. “Is that her?” “God, that’s disgusting.” “Professor Sterling’s social experiment is incredibly impactful!” Chapter 4 “I would rather die than be a stay-at-home housewife!” “If a modern woman allows herself to be degraded to that level, she might as well just kill herself!” Students walking past me glared with unconcealed disgust and contempt. Whispers echoed all around me. I froze in my tracks. I reached out to grab the arm of a female student walking by to ask her what was going on. She scowled, aggressively yanking her arm away, looking at me like I was radioactive waste. “Get away from me!” “Don’t touch me!” “Do you seriously have no idea how much you’ve completely embarrassed women everywhere?!” I was stunned. I opened my mouth to speak. But then I looked past her and saw a massive row of life-sized cardboard standees erected across the campus quad. There was a high-resolution photo of me, wearing the four-inch stilettos, looking miserable and broke at the hospital billing counter. There was a photo of me with blood soaking through my pants, looking frantic and humiliated as I rushed to the bathroom. There was a photo of me with red, swollen eyes, scrubbing the filthy, putrid frat clothes in the bathtub. These intensely private, agonizing moments had been blown up to life-size proportions. Underneath every single standee, a bold, mocking “warning label” was printed. My breathing turned ragged and panicked. I broke into a heavy, agonizing limp, dragging my sprained ankle as I read the signs one by one. There was no end in sight. I don’t know how long I hobbled, gasping for air, until I finally reached the end of the display. There, a crowd of student journalists was excitedly interviewing Chloe. “We are so incredibly grateful to Professor Sterling for using such a vivid, real-world example to provide a crucial wake-up call to young women everywhere!” My lungs completely stopped working. I stood there, drenched in cold sweat, staring at Chloe holding court. She put on a mask of humble, academic modesty. But the sheer, arrogant superiority radiating from her eyes was impossible to hide. Ethan stood beside her, looking at her with a gentle, incredibly proud smile, absolutely beaming with admiration. My entire body began to shake uncontrollably. I forced myself to take a step forward. But the next second, I froze again. Chloe pulled out a small, velvet-covered urn from her bag. She offered a cynical, mocking smirk to the cameras. “We also discovered that our subject, Maya, has been carrying this little urn around with her all day.” “It appears to be designed for cremated remains.” “However, as we all know, women who choose the path of the dependent ‘housewife’ would never actually terminate a pregnancy—their entire livelihood depends on producing an heir for their provider.” “Therefore, my hypothesis is that this is simply a manipulative theatrical prop she is utilizing in a desperate attempt to win back her husband’s affection.” “Tomorrow, we will be officially unsealing this urn and revealing its contents to the public.” “We welcome everyone to attend the final reveal!” After delivering her venomous, calculated speech, Chloe turned and walked away with the journalists. I stared at the urn—the one holding the ashes of my children—being casually tossed back into her designer tote bag. I screamed and lunged forward. But Ethan immediately stepped in front of me, violently blocking my path. “Maya, what the hell is wrong with you?!” “Didn’t you see Chloe was in the middle of a press interview?!” He barked the reprimand, his brow furrowed in deep annoyance. Then, he looked down. Seeing my ghost-pale face and the sweat dripping from my chin, he paused for a few seconds. When he spoke again, his tone softened, though the impatience was still painfully obvious. “I know this feels a little unfair to you right now.” “But once the presentation is over tomorrow, you can go back to resting and focusing on the pregnancy.” Focusing on the pregnancy? I looked up at Ethan, a hollow, bitter laugh escaping my lips. Tears spilled silently down my cheeks. “Ethan… do you actually believe what she’s saying?” “Am I really that pathetic and degraded in your eyes?” “Open your fucking eyes!” “I am your wife! And you are letting her humiliate me like a circus animal in front of the entire university!” I screamed the words, my voice tearing, pointing a shaking finger at the endless row of degrading cardboard standees. Ethan frowned. The momentary softness in his tone completely evaporated. “Maya, are these photos not documenting objective facts?” I let out a cold, sharp laugh. He continued, his voice dripping with condescension. “If you possessed any actual self-respect or self-worth, you never would have quit your job.” “I know exactly what you’re going to say. You’re going to say you quit to have my children.” “Did I hold a gun to your head and force you to get pregnant?” “There are dozens of female professors at this university who continue teaching and publishing research right up until their due dates.” At this point, the utter, absolute contempt in Ethan’s eyes was impossible to miss. “Maya, you can’t have your cake and eat it too.” “The day you chose to become a stay-at-home housewife, you implicitly consented to transferring certain personal rights and autonomies over to me.”

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The trash I asked Arthur to take out three days ago was still hanging on the kitchen door handle. It reeked, and flies were buzzing around it. I knew right then, we needed a divorce. That evening, I slid the drafted divorce agreement across the desk to him. He looked up from his computer, his gaze steady, as if he could see right through me. “The day before yesterday, I was helping Chloe fix her data models. She’s struggling with the basics, and I’m the only one she can turn to for help.” “Yesterday, she was followed while walking home alone, and she called me crying, begging me to give her a ride just this once.” “Today, her presentation had a massive error, and she only had three hours before the deadline. She’s on my team; I couldn’t just leave her hanging.” “I know you’ve always been bothered by her. I can show you my phone and the office security footage to prove there’s nothing going on between us.” “As for that bag of trash, I genuinely just forgot. I’ve explained everything. If you still want a divorce after this, then I will cooperate.” I looked at him calmly. Over the past three days, he had done an awful lot for Chloe. He, who always kept a strict sleep schedule, had even stayed up late three nights in a row for her. Yet, he “forgot” three separate times to simply grab a bag of trash on his way out the door in the morning. I nodded. “Let’s just get the divorce.” Chapter 1 1 I waited at the county clerk’s office until the staff went home for the day. Arthur never showed up. When he finally got home, it was already 11:00 PM. Seeing me sitting on the couch, he didn’t say a word and walked straight to the kitchen to pour a glass of water. I spoke up. “I called you thirteen times. You didn’t answer.” He paused mid-sip, pulled out his phone to check, and showed absolutely no emotion. “I turned my phone off for a meeting today and forgot to turn it back on. What’s up?” His tone was incredibly flat, like he was casually remarking on the weather. I knew it. He had forgotten our appointment. Again. He always had a terrible memory when it came to me. In our seven years of marriage, this kind of thing had happened countless times. From the little things, like asking him to bring in the patio cushions before it rained, or asking him to take out the trash on his way downstairs. To the massive things. Like when I was three months pregnant. The ultrasound showed severe complications. The doctor advised terminating the pregnancy for my safety. We scheduled a time to go to the hospital together for the procedure. The surgery came and went, and he still hadn’t arrived. I only found out later. That day was Chloe’s first time taking the lead on a major project, and she was nervous. He promised her he would be there in person to support her and have her back. That was the very first time I truly realized that I carried absolutely zero weight in Arthur’s heart. The realization felt like a dull plastic knife being dragged forcefully across my chest—it hurt, but it wasn’t enough to kill me. I pulled myself out of my thoughts and kindly explained to him: “We had an appointment to file the divorce papers today.” “Tomorrow is Saturday, and they’re closed. I rescheduled us for Monday morning.” Arthur kept his eyes glued to his lit phone screen, never once looking at me. “Fine. See you at the clerk’s office on Monday.” I nodded. Monday came. Arthur and I signed the divorce papers. After the mandatory 30-day waiting period, the judge would sign the final decree. After signing, Arthur kept his head down, his thumbs flying across his phone screen, replying to someone. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw it. On his screen, a contact with a pink anime avatar had just sent him a string of crying emojis. We walked out the doors of the courthouse. Arthur said to me, “I have an emergency at the office. I can’t give you a ride—” I nodded and pointed to the Uber that had already pulled up to the curb. “My ride is here. Go ahead and get back to work.” The Uber was parked right next to his car. I opened the door and got in. I didn’t look back at Arthur standing outside the car. Chapter 2 2 I texted my best friend, Maya, to let her know I was divorcing Arthur. I asked her to keep an eye out for a decent apartment for me. My hometown was in the Midwest, over a thousand miles away from Seattle. I had sold my childhood home years ago to help pay for my dad’s medical bills. The condo I was living in now was bought by Arthur, and the deed was in his name. After the divorce, I had to move out. I was basically homeless. Maya quickly sent me three listings for suitable apartments. Just as I was about to hop on a FaceTime call with her to do virtual tours, a text from Arthur popped up. [Thai Basil Chicken and Mango Sticky Rice.] [Get here early, I have a meeting at 1:30 PM.] I stared at the two messages, and calmly swiped to delete them. Arthur worked insane hours, and he rarely ate on time or ate well. After he collapsed from severe stomach ulcers and was hospitalized a few years ago. I started researching recipes online. From that day on, I cooked and delivered a hot, stomach-friendly meal to his office every single day. He ate whatever I made, rarely complaining. I kept this up for three years, and Arthur’s stomach ulcers never flared up again. Six months ago, he suddenly started requesting specific dishes. I thought he was just getting bored of the usual bland, stomach-soothing meals, so I started putting extra effort into modifying the recipes. Until that one day. I saw the text messages between him and Chloe on his phone. [Hey Arthur, what delicious food did Clara make today?] [Ugh, steamed veggies again? I hate steamed food.] [Arthur, can you tell Clara to stop making steamed stuff next time? I want stir-fry.] [Clara is such a good homemaker. I literally can’t cook to save my life. You’re so lucky, Arthur.] Arthur had replied: [You are completely different from her. Don’t put yourself down like that.] [One person is crushing it in the corporate world, the other stays at home cooking. There is zero comparison.] [A person can’t be completely useless. Staying at home, cooking is the only thing she can actually do.] Seeing those words at the time, I was devastated. So, I confronted Arthur and asked him directly. He was surprised I had read his messages, but he wasn’t angry. He just answered me calmly and casually. “Oh, Chloe has a bad stomach and can’t eat takeout all the time. The food you make happens to be perfect for her, and it’s super nutritious. Why not kill two birds with one stone?” His light, dismissive tone felt like a sledgehammer, violently shattering my warm, devoted heart into a million pieces. I had sweated in the kitchen for hours, constantly studying recipe books in my free time. My meticulously prepared meals, my unwavering devotion. It all just became a casual joke for him to comfort another woman. The truth was, I wasn’t unemployed. I worked as a freelance technical translator in my spare time. The massive stacks of foreign language dictionaries I used for work were sitting right there on the bookshelf. It’s just that he never cared enough to notice. After finalizing a lease on a new apartment, I felt a massive weight lift off my shoulders. Maya said since I was back on the market, she was going to take me out and make me pay for a massive steak dinner. I happily agreed. When Arthur finally called me, I was dozing off on my new couch. “Clara, didn’t you see my texts?” I pinched the bridge of my nose, forcing myself to wake up. “I saw them. What’s up?” The man on the other end of the line suddenly fell silent. A moment later, I heard him say: “I haven’t eaten lunch yet.” “You can order UberEats.” “Didn’t you always hate it when I ate takeout?” His tone was so incredibly confused. I felt a wave of exhaustion, and spoke to him with genuine sincerity. “Cooking for you wasn’t a legal obligation. I did it voluntarily because it broke my heart to see you in pain from your ulcers.” “But Arthur, we signed the divorce papers a week ago.” Chapter 3 3 After Arthur hung up the phone. I went back to my bedroom and slept until it was pitch black outside. When I walked out of my room, I saw Chloe supporting Arthur as they pushed the front door open. The leg of his slacks was torn; he had clearly taken a bad fall. Chloe followed closely behind him, her eyes red, urgently nagging him. “Arthur, slow down! Your leg is still bleeding!” Seeing me, Chloe immediately puffed out her cheeks and started complaining to me. “Clara, you have to talk some sense into Arthur! We went to a client dinner today, and the client wanted me to take a shot of whiskey. Arthur absolutely refused to let me drink it. When we were leaving, the client ‘accidentally’ bumped into him, and he fell down a flight of stairs and scraped his leg.” “Taking one shot wouldn’t have killed me, I can handle my liquor. Why did he have to play the hero?” Chloe said she wanted me to “talk some sense into him,” but the smug, upward tilt of her lips was painfully obvious, and her act of being angry was terribly unconvincing. So I didn’t say a single word. I just nodded and turned back toward my room. I had lived in this condo for five years; I had a lot of things to pack up and organize. From the living room, I could periodically hear Chloe’s laughter. A little while later, there was a knock on my door. I got up and opened it. Arthur was leaning against the doorframe for support, asking me: “Where is the first-aid kit?” He pulled up his pant leg, showing me the bloody scrape on his shin. I glanced at it, then looked away, my tone laced with genuine confusion. “The first-aid kit? Didn’t you take it to Chloe’s apartment?” Three months ago, Chloe bought an electric scooter to commute to work. On her very first day riding it, she crashed and scraped herself up. The moment Arthur got the phone call, he abandoned me on my birthday and rushed out to find her. Later that same week, I accidentally burned my hand while cooking. I couldn’t find the first-aid kit, so I called Arthur. Chloe answered his phone. “The first-aid kit?” “Hey Clara, I crashed my scooter, so Arthur brought the first-aid kit over to my place. Can you just tough it out for a bit? I’ll have Arthur bring it back to you tonight.” Arthur’s usually stoic face finally showed a flicker of emotion. He had clearly just remembered. “I forgot.” I smiled, nodding in total agreement. “You do have a terrible memory.” On the day Chloe answered that phone call… I was so furious that when Arthur got home, I confronted him. I asked him why he gave our household necessities to another woman. He wouldn’t even look me in the eye. His gaze remained fixed on his laptop screen, typing away as he spoke. “It’s just a first-aid kit.” “It sits in the house all year and nobody uses it. I gave it to her, so what?” But that first-aid kit… every single month, I meticulously checked the expiration dates on all the medications and restocked it with new supplies. Every single item inside was carefully curated by me, representing my desire to protect this household. He casually handed it over to someone else. Just like every meal I poured my heart into making… with a casual wave of his hand, it became someone else’s dinner. I reminded him: “You can order medical supplies on DoorDash now. If there’s nothing else, I have to get back to packing.” With that, I shut the door, completely ignoring the two people standing outside. Arthur stared blankly at the tightly closed door. His heart suddenly felt a little empty. Chapter 4 4 The days passed one by one. I slowly shipped the boxes I packed back to my hometown. The condo I had lived in for five years was gradually becoming empty. It was like the vessel that held all my memories was being slowly drained dry. I thought the last few weeks before the divorce was finalized would pass by quietly. But Arthur suddenly changed. He became oddly domesticated. The man who used to be obsessed with working late suddenly started coming home exactly at 5:00 PM. The person who never cared about my needs started buying me breakfast and bringing home late-night snacks. I couldn’t figure out what his angle was, so I finally asked him what he was doing. Arthur was rarely caught off guard, but he hesitated for a long time before answering. “My mom called and said she wanted to have a family dinner. She wants us to come over.” I hesitated for a moment, but eventually agreed. My parents passed away when I was young. After marrying Arthur, I finally got to experience what it felt like to be cared for by elders again. Since we were getting divorced, it was only right to see them one last time to say goodbye. It was drizzling on the day we went to the restaurant. His parents had already ordered, and the table was covered with mostly my favorite dishes. Arthur’s mom used the serving spoons to place a generous piece of braised short rib into my bowl. She smiled and started chatting about how the neighbor’s daughter-in-law just had her second baby. Then, she seamlessly pivoted the conversation to me. “When are you two going to start thinking about having a baby?” “While your dad and I still have the energy to help you babysit.” In the past, I probably would have smiled and openly said we weren’t in a rush. But this time, I didn’t say anything. I kept my head down and quietly ate the piece of meat sitting on top of my rice. The table went completely silent for a good ten seconds. His parents exchanged confused looks. Arthur reached over, grabbed my left hand resting on the table, and said firmly: “Very soon.” His parents’ faces lit up with smiles. I gently pulled my hand out of his grip. Arthur was focused on checking an email on his phone and didn’t seem to notice. After dinner, Arthur’s mom pulled me aside to chat. Arthur’s phone rang several times, but he ignored it. His mom nudged her son with her foot: “It’s so loud. Clara won’t be able to hear me talk.” Arthur glanced at me. “Work emergency. I need to take this.” By the time the table was cleared, Arthur still hadn’t returned. I tried calling him, but he didn’t answer. His parents tried calling him, and still, no response. Staring out at the pouring rain, my mind suddenly flashed back to a specific day. I was walking past Arthur’s office building when a massive torrential downpour started. There were no Ubers available on the app. I waited until exactly 5:00 PM, when Arthur got off work, and called him. The moment the call connected. I saw a familiar car parked just down the street. I saw Arthur in the driver’s seat, and Chloe sitting in the passenger seat. Arthur asked me what was wrong. I told him it was pouring rain, and asked if he could come pick me up since I wasn’t far away. He replied: “Just wait for an Uber. I’m stuck at the office working overtime.” Right after he said that, the girl next to him reached over and offered him a potato chip. He covered the phone, turned his head slightly as if to decline, but eventually gave in and ate it. He lied so smoothly, so naturally, that for a second I actually thought I had identified the wrong car. I spent dozens of sleepless nights overthinking that day. Eventually, I figured it out. He didn’t love me, so he didn’t care. Just like how he didn’t like potato chips, but he wouldn’t refuse when she brought one to his lips. Just like how he didn’t like eating leftovers, and wouldn’t touch a single bite of the noodles I made for him if they got cold. The rain finally stopped. I called an Uber and took his parents home. In the middle of the night. I heard the sound of Arthur coming home. He was talking loudly on the phone. Through the thin drywall, I clearly heard him let out an exasperated sigh and say, “Chloe.” When I woke up the next morning. My phone had over a dozen missed calls from Chloe. There were also unread text messages from her. [Clara, Arthur and I haven’t crossed any lines! Please tell him not to transfer me to another department!] [He said you misunderstood and want to divorce him. I swear I didn’t mean to cause trouble. I’ll keep my distance from now on, just please don’t let him fire me!] I stared blankly at those two messages. I didn’t reply, just placed my phone face down on the desk. I started packing the last few pieces of clothing I had left in the guest room. Arthur pushed the door open, his tone frantic and urgent. “Clara, what exactly did you say to Chloe?” “She said she was going to explain everything to you, but now she’s disappeared! I can’t reach her anywhere!” “What did you say to her?!” His chest was heaving heavily, and he glared at me unblinkingly. He was usually so reserved and collected; he rarely had such intense emotional outbursts. And yet, he was losing his mind over another woman. I pulled up the chat with Chloe and held the phone up to Arthur’s face. “I have no idea what happened between you two last night to drag me into this.” “When she sent these messages, I was asleep. And frankly, I don’t feel any obligation to reply to her.” Arthur opened his mouth to speak, but his phone started ringing. Seeing the caller ID, his frantic expression instantly morphed into relief, and then back to worry. “Come back first. We can talk about everything else later.” “Do you really want your parents to force you into a miserable marriage?! Come back!” “Then come stay at my place!” “It’s a three-bedroom apartment. It’s just me and Clara here.” As he said that, he shot a look at me and put the phone on speaker, holding it out to me. Chloe’s tearful, choked-up voice blared loudly through the speaker. “Clara, I’m so sorry, I know this is a huge inconvenience.” “I ended my lease because I was planning to move back to my hometown, but Arthur insisted I come back. I can’t find an apartment on such short notice. Can I please crash with you guys for a little bit?” “I swear, the second I find a place, I’ll move out. Please.” Meeting Arthur’s heavily suggestive gaze, I felt my fingertips go cold, and then I just wanted to laugh. “Sure. Welcome to our home.” On the other end of the line, Chloe cheered with joy. Arthur meticulously gave Chloe instructions. “Wait for me at the airport. I’m on my way.” He hung up the phone and turned to me. “I’m going to pick Chloe up and come right back. Could you set up the guest room for her?” I reminded him: “Arthur, can’t Chloe just take an Uber? There’s an appointment we need to go to together.” Arthur frowned deeply. “I already promised her. I can’t just go back on my word.” “It’s only a three-hour round trip. Whatever it is, it can wait until I get back.” “Right.” “I’m leaving then.” He hurried out the door. He didn’t even notice the small duffel bag sitting right next to me. I waited for Arthur for three hours. He never came back. I scrolled through my phone and saw an Instagram post Chloe had made ten minutes ago. [I was so depressed today, but Arthur insisted on taking me to the amusement park! What girl can say no to a theme park? I know I can’t! ~] I ‘liked’ her post. I stood up. I grabbed the duffel bag containing the last set of clothes I owned. And I walked out of the condo I had lived in for five years. After leaving the county clerk’s office, I sent a photo of the finalized divorce decree to Arthur, and headed straight to the airport. Seven hours later, my flight landed in my hometown. I got into my buddy Maya’s car, who had been waiting for me at the arrivals curb. While listening to her ramble on about all the new developments in our hometown, I turned on my phone. Messages flooded my screen like an avalanche.

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I forced my husband to take our allergic daughter to the hospital. Because of that, his best friend, Chloe, a single mom, claimed she and her child got into the wrong cab and were brutally murdered. My husband, Ethan, was consumed by guilt. Over the Thanksgiving holiday, I suggested a trip to a nearby national park to clear our heads. But when a massive mudslide hit, he grabbed the urn containing the ashes of Chloe and her daughter and ran, leaving me and our daughter, Lily, trapped in the most dangerous part of the ravine. I called him 99 times. He declined every single one. Finally, he sent one text message. “A year ago, your petty jealousy got Chloe and her daughter killed. Now you can’t even let their ashes rest in peace?” Trapped for ten days, Lily and I were severely dehydrated and fading fast. Ethan, who was the captain of the local Search and Rescue volunteer team, kept leading his squad in circles around the outer perimeter. And Chloe—the woman who was supposed to have died a year ago—showed up at the command center, accompanied by my own parents. “Ethan, maybe you should just tell them the actual coordinates where Maya and Lily got trapped. I’m worried they might not make it…” She was cut off by Ethan and my parents, who all let out cold, mocking laughs. “It’s barely been a week and a half,” my mom sneered. “When you and your daughter had to fake your deaths and hide for a whole year because of her psychotic jealousy, how much did you suffer?” “You couldn’t even leave the house, and your poor little girl couldn’t even go to her favorite amusement park out in the open.” Ethan’s voice was like ice. “I just want her to taste exactly what it feels like to wait to die. Once she feels that, she’ll never dare target you again.” As the second wave of the mudslide roared toward us, I held my daughter’s already cold, lifeless body tightly and closed my eyes. Ethan. Mom. Dad. You got your wish. Lily and I will stay in this valley forever. You don’t have to be conflicted anymore. No one will ever compete with Chloe again. … “But Maya and the baby have been trapped for ten days!” “I read that the golden window for mudslide rescue is 72 hours. If we keep dragging this out, I’m genuinely terrified something terrible is going to happen to them.” Chloe’s voice was thick with manufactured anxiety, but my parents just scoffed dismissively. “Relax,” my dad said. “Maya has always been unkillable. How is she going to die that easily?” “When you guys were six, you both fell into the river. We grabbed you out immediately, but you still caught a terrible fever.” “Maya was stuck in that freezing water all night, and she still managed to crawl up the bank and walk home perfectly fine.” My mom chimed in, “When you were twelve, some guys cornered you two in an alley. You fainted on the spot. Maya got her leg broken and still managed to drag herself home to get help.” “It’s only been ten days, not ten months. She’s fine.” Even Ethan added to the chorus. “Your parents are right. She’s not that fragile.” “I’m just making her suffer a little bit. It’s not like I’m actually letting her die.” “She needs to be trapped long enough to truly understand how hard it was for you that night—standing alone on the side of the road with a baby, begging for a ride. Only then will she finally stop making life difficult for you and your daughter.” Chloe opened her mouth to argue, but a sudden gust of mountain wind hit her. She let out a single, delicate cough. Instantly, all three of them went into full panic mode. My dad rushed forward, wrapping a heavy fleece blanket around her shoulders. My mom unscrewed a thermos, frantically pouring her hot water. And Ethan, the Search and Rescue captain, immediately halted the entire operation, ordering a full retreat down the mountain. Chloe tried to stop him. “I just coughed once, it’s nothing! Please, we have to rescue Maya and the baby first.” But Ethan was adamant. “Your health is the absolute priority.” “People can survive up to 21 days in mudslide conditions. We have plenty of time to rescue her later.” Surrounded and protected by my parents and my husband, Chloe was escorted down the mountain. Ethan used his authority to order his entire rescue squad to accompany them, claiming they needed to “escort a medical liability.” Lily and I were trapped in a rock crevice less than thirty feet away from where they were standing. Hearing their entire conversation, my daughter—who hadn’t had a drop of water in ten days—looked up at me, her voice impossibly weak. “Mommy… do Daddy and Grandma and Grandpa hate Lily? Is that why they won’t let the rescue men come get us?” Chapter 2 I hugged her freezing body as tightly as I could. “No, baby. No. They just didn’t hear us calling for help.” Desperate to save my daughter, I grabbed a jagged piece of shale and began violently striking it against the rock wall of our narrow prison. Clack. Clack. Clack. The next second, the entire rescue squad halted their descent. “Captain Sterling! Wait! I think I just heard someone tapping for help!” “What tapping? You must be hearing things,” Chloe interjected immediately. Realizing how suspicious she sounded, she quickly backpedaled. “I just mean, you guys have to be absolutely sure. Rescue resources are so limited, we can’t afford wild goose chases.” But the squad member who spoke up pointed directly toward the exact coordinate where Lily and I were buried. “The sound came from right over there.” The rescue workers instinctively moved toward our position. Seeing this, Chloe let out a sudden, sharp cry and dramatically crumpled to the ground, grabbing her ankle. My parents swarmed her instantly. “Chloe, sweetie, are you okay?!” Chloe winced, claiming she was fine, but ‘failed’ to stand up after three theatrical attempts. Ethan immediately crouched down in front of her. “Get on my back. I’ll carry you down.” Chloe refused, shaking her head. “The trail is washed out, and you have that old knee injury. If you carry me all the way down, you’ll ruin your knee!” My parents chimed in, “She’s right, Ethan. It’s much safer to have the rescue team carry her down on a stretcher.” But Ethan’s specialized rescue unit only had four guys. If two guys were carrying a stretcher, the remaining two wouldn’t be enough to safely navigate complex rescue terrain. The entire squad would have to retreat. One of the guys hesitated. “Captain, maybe we should just go verify the noise first? If there’s no one there, then we retreat.” “If it actually is your wife and daughter in there, and we leave them… we’re going to regret it forever.” Chloe clutched her ankle—which wasn’t red or swollen in the slightest—and let out a pathetic whimper of pain. Looking down at her furrowed, distressed brow, Ethan shut the suggestion down without a second of hesitation. “You heard wrong. There’s no one calling for help.” The squad member argued back. “But Captain, I literally heard rhythmic tapping against the rock face!” Ethan dismissed him completely. “It was just loose rocks settling.” “The mudslide happened ten days ago. The geological structure is highly unstable. Falling rocks hitting the canyon walls is completely normal.” I had been trapped in the dark for ten days. My limbs were completely numb from severe hypothermia. But hearing him say those words… I felt a sharp, agonizing stab directly in my chest. Chloe’s parents had died years ago in a house fire, saving my parents. Because of that blood debt, my parents had always shown extreme, blatant favoritism toward Chloe. I understood that. I accepted it. But Ethan was different. He was the one who saw my parents treating me like a second-class citizen, stepped in, and told them they were wrong. He fought for me. He was the one who promised me that he would protect me, that he would never let anyone make me feel unloved or marginalized ever again. But now… just for Chloe’s sake… he was actively looking his own squad in the eye and lying, swearing he didn’t hear me begging for my life. I didn’t have the luxury of dissecting exactly when he had changed. The tiny arms wrapped around my neck were slowly losing their grip. “Mommy… I’m so sleepy…” Feeling her impossibly cold little hands, I gently slapped her cheeks, begging her not to fall asleep. At the same time, risking a secondary collapse that would bury us alive, I grabbed the rock and slammed it against the wall again. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. “Captain! Listen! That’s not our imagination, that is a deliberate sound!” “It’s a rhythmic pattern! It sounds exactly like the international standard SOS knock code!” “I remember Maya took an elective course on wilderness survival in college! That has to be her and Lily!” The squad member yelled excitedly. But Chloe muttered dismissively from the stretcher. “Maya graduated years ago. You really think she remembers some random class she took?” “And is it really that much of a coincidence? We searched for ten days and found nothing, and the exact second we’re leaving, we hear a noise?” “Honestly… that sounds more like the mountain groaning right before a secondary landslide hits…” Chapter 3 Chloe just casually dropped the suggestion, but Ethan reacted as if he had just heard a bomb threat. Without conducting even a basic safety assessment, he issued a hard command. “Chloe is right! That is a high-probability indicator of an imminent secondary mudslide! Immediate retreat, right now!” His squad members were deeply unsettled. “But Captain, we absolutely heard a distress signal. Retreating without conducting a preliminary sweep is a direct violation of search and rescue protocol.” Ethan glared at them. “If we stay, and a secondary slide hits, and we suffer casualties on my team… are you taking responsibility for that?!” “RETREAT!” As the rescue team moved away, the vibrations caused a massive, suspended boulder above our heads to shift and crash down, slamming directly onto my back. I was crushed down onto my hands and knees. The already suffocatingly small pocket of air I was maintaining for Lily was compressed even further. She was instantly starved of oxygen, her little face turning a terrifying shade of blue. I violently arched my back, taking the crushing weight of the boulder to give her an extra inch of space, forcing myself to take shallow, agonizing breaths to conserve the oxygen. With trembling fingers, I reached for the glowing star bracelet on my daughter’s wrist. I found the small, raised button on the inside of the band and pressed it hard. It was an emergency GPS beacon my parents had custom-ordered for her the day she was born, right after a nurse almost handed her to the wrong family in the maternity ward. The interface was foolproof. You push the hidden button, and the microchip instantly blasts an SOS text and live GPS coordinates to all emergency contacts. Simultaneously, the local police dispatch receives a high-priority 911 alert. My parents received the SOS text. But they didn’t even bother to read it. They just powered their phones completely off. A minute later, the local police dispatch called Ethan’s satellite phone. “Captain Sterling, we just received an automated SOS beacon from your daughter’s device. The coordinates essentially match your team’s current grid location. Have you located the victims?” Ethan frowned deeply. Chloe immediately reached into her designer bag and pulled out a nearly identical, though significantly more expensive-looking, star bracelet. “Oh no, Lily texted me right before the storm hit. She said she was worried about me being alone, so she snuck her favorite bracelet into my purse for good luck.” “It must have gotten bumped in my bag and accidentally triggered the SOS.” “Ethan, I’m so sorry… did I cause another problem for you guys?” Ethan shot her a deeply reassuring look, entirely validating her lie, and spoke into the phone. “Dispatch, we have not located Maya or Lily Sterling.” “However, my team has determined that the grid is unstable, and we are initiating an immediate retreat.” The dispatcher sounded alarmed. “Captain, your wife and daughter have been missing for ten days. Their probability of survival is already critically low.” “If you pull out now, you are essentially abandoning the search.” Ethan’s voice rang with absolute, righteous authority. “I am not just Maya’s husband and Lily’s father. I am the captain of this rescue squad!” “My family is important, but the lives of my volunteers are equally important! A secondary mudslide is imminent, and I will absolutely not risk the lives of my men on a suicide mission!” “Furthermore, Maya has formal wilderness survival training. I have absolute faith that she will hold on until the storm passes!” The dispatcher tried to argue, but Ethan hung up on him. He ordered his men to pick up Chloe’s stretcher and double-time it down the mountain. His squad was incredibly conflicted. “Captain, I really feel like we need to do a quick sweep.” “I have the thermal life-detector right here. It’ll take sixty seconds.” A few of the guys grabbed the equipment and started moving toward the rock pile where Lily and I were buried. But my parents sprinted forward, violently ripping the scanner out of the volunteer’s hands and slamming it onto the rocks. “Sweep what?! Are you blind?! Can’t you see Chloe’s ankle is swollen?!” “She is a professional ballet dancer! If you delay her medical treatment and ruin her career, are you going to pay for it?!” The squad hesitated. “But Maya and Lily haven’t been found… the Captain said a secondary slide is coming. What if…” Chapter 4 Ethan cut them off immediately. “Because a secondary slide is coming, we have to evacuate immediately.” “As for Maya and Lily… they’ve already survived ten days. I have absolute faith they can hold on a little longer.” “Initiate immediate retreat! Anyone who disobeys is permanently kicked off the squad!” With no other options, the volunteers reluctantly began their descent. Down in the dark, my daughter’s breathing completely stopped. No matter how hard I patted her cheek, no matter how desperately I called her name, she didn’t respond. I tried to lean down to give her CPR, but the massive boulder had shifted again. Silt and mud poured down, completely burying her face, packing into her nose and mouth. Within seconds, the mud buried me as well. My phone, wedged near my hip, vibrated. It was a text from Ethan. [Now you finally get to experience exactly how Chloe felt that night. You faked Lily having an allergic reaction to force me to take you to the ER, while Chloe was left standing on the street corner alone with a baby, begging for a ride in the middle of the night. Do you understand how helpless she felt now?] [Don’t worry, I’m not actually leaving you and Lily out there. As soon as I get Chloe safely to the base camp, I’ll come back up and get you both out.] It’s a shame that the mud was already filling my throat, suffocating my absolute last, desperate cry for help before it could even leave my mouth. An hour later, heavily guarded by the rescue squad, my parents, and Ethan, Chloe safely reached the disaster relief tents at the base of the mountain. The sky was a heavy, suffocating gray. The air smelled strongly of ozone and damp earth. Someone muttered nervously. “It looks like the sky is going to open up again. If it pours, it’s definitely going to trigger a secondary landslide.” “I heard there are still missing people up there. If another slide hits, they’re completely doomed.” “Bro, be realistic. The initial slide hit ten days ago. Even if there isn’t a secondary slide, anyone trapped up there is already dead.” Hearing that, a sudden, inexplicable spike of anxiety pierced Ethan’s chest. He walked into the medical tent. Chloe was sitting on a cot, barking orders at a volunteer who was spraying an excessive amount of lidocaine onto her perfectly normal, uninjured ankle. “Are you absolutely certain you received a text from Maya yesterday?” Ethan asked, his voice tight. “You’re sure she said she and Lily were fine, had food and water, and were just waiting out a sprained ankle in a cave?” Chloe assumed Ethan had come in to check on her. Hearing him aggressively interrogate her about me and my daughter, her mood instantly soured. But she maintained her flawlessly crafted, gentle smile, answering sweetly: “I already showed you the text message. How could it be fake?” Ethan was still unsettled. He pressed harder. “What about the weather reports? What did the NOAA dispatch say? Is there any actual risk of a severe storm or a secondary landslide?” Chloe’s face dropped instantly. “The weather service updates the radar every hour! The forecast for the entire week is completely clear, and the data syncs directly to your command tablet!” “If you don’t believe me, go check it yourself! Why are you interrogating me?!” “Or what? Are you regretting the fact that you intentionally left Maya and Lily on the mountain for my sake?” Ethan frowned defensively. “That’s not what I meant. I’m just worried about their safety…” Chloe’s eyes instantly welled with tears. “Oh, so my safety doesn’t matter?!” “A year ago, I was standing on the side of the highway at midnight, completely alone with my baby. Every single Uber canceled on me. Every cab refused to pick me up.” “When I finally got through to your phone, you told me you were too busy taking Maya and her kid to the ER.” “Ethan, my baby is your child too! How could you treat her like that?!” My parents immediately jumped in to reprimand Ethan. “Chloe lost her parents when she was a little girl. She’s been with you for three years with no official title, no ring, and she even gave you a child! She has suffered enough!” “How dare you accuse her of lying?!” Unable to defend himself against the onslaught, Ethan could only apologize profusely. Chloe turned her back to him, giving him the silent treatment. Until her phone suddenly rang. It was her neighbor.

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When I realized Arthur Sterling, the billionaire I was dating, was cheating on me with a young model, I didn’t throw a fit. I personally drove her to the clinic for a full STD panel. When Arthur was cornered by paparazzi outside a luxury hotel, I calmly contacted the media executives and paid them off to kill the story. Even when his shiny new mistress showed up at my front door to taunt me, I simply smiled and handed her a meticulously detailed list of his daily preferences and dietary restrictions. Everyone in our elite social circle whispered that my love for Arthur had completely eroded my dignity. They said I was so desperate to cling to him that I would swallow any humiliation. What they didn’t know was that I had deliberately orchestrated Chloe’s introduction to him. And what they definitely didn’t know was just how insanely generous Arthur became whenever he felt guilty about cheating. Medical bills: half a million. Crisis PR fees: two million. The sheer volume of high-end jewelry and designer bags he showered me with as “apology gifts” was staggering. Over the years, I had quietly amassed hundreds of millions in my private bank accounts. I owned luxury real estate in prime locations all over the world. After a solid ten-year career as a top-tier sugar baby, it was finally time for me to officially retire. When Arthur proposed to Chloe, I was curled up on the sofa of my Bel Air mansion, binge-watching Netflix. He had transferred the deed of this estate to me just a few weeks prior. It was his “compensation” after Chloe intentionally shoved me down a flight of stairs, causing me to miscarry. I ripped open a bag of sour cream and onion potato chips, watching my phone screen light up as notifications from our mutual friends’ group chat poured in. “Arthur really went all out for Chloe.” “A true wedding of the century. Even Serena never got this kind of treatment back in the day.” “I think Arthur is actually serious this time.” “Chloe bullied Serena relentlessly, and Arthur never even raised his voice at Chloe once.” “Is Serena going to get kicked to the curb? She’s so obsessed with Arthur, if he throws her out, she might actually jump off a building.” The potato chip crunched loudly in my mouth. Savoring the greasy, high-calorie satisfaction, I couldn’t help but smile. I was about to scroll down to read more when the heavy oak door suddenly swung open. Arthur walked in. He glanced at the bag of chips in my hand, his brow furrowing deeply in disgust. “Serena, I despise the smell of junk food.” As an elite-level sugar baby, providing flawless emotional support and maintaining a pristine, model-like figure were basic job requirements. I instantly slipped into my well-practiced, submissive persona, offering a sweet, compliant smile. “I know.” “I just thought you weren’t coming back tonight…” Arthur paused mid-step. The harshness in his eyes softened considerably. “I just came back to grab the keys to the ancestral estate.” “Your body hasn’t fully recovered yet. Stop eating that garbage.” “Chloe really needs our housekeeper, Maria, over at her place right now. Use this money and hire a new maid for yourself.” After the wire transfer cleared, he walked over to the wall safe and punched in the code. Along with the keys, he pulled out the Sterling family’s heirloom emerald bracelet. Before she died, Arthur’s mother had explicitly ordered that the bracelet be given only to the true, legitimate matriarch of the Sterling family. It looked like Arthur had finally made his choice. I felt a fleeting twinge of regret over losing such a valuable piece, but I quickly forced an understanding, bittersweet smile. “You don’t need to do that, Mr. Sterling.” “What you’ve given me over these past few years is more than enough.” Arthur froze. “What did you just call me?” I lowered my eyes, refusing to say another word. He let out a heavy sigh, walked over, and gently cupped my cheek. “Serena, don’t overthink this.” “You’ve been with me for so many years. I would never mistreat you.” His touch was surprisingly tender. But the moment his thumb brushed against the faint, barely visible crow’s feet forming at the corner of my eye… he quietly pulled his hand away. “I’m taking Chloe to stay at the ancestral estate for a few days, so I won’t be coming by here.” “Take care of yourself.” The ancestral estate? I raised an eyebrow, genuinely surprised. I knew Arthur was infatuated with Chloe. But I never imagined their relationship had progressed to that specific milestone. Chapter 2 The ancestral estate was Arthur’s absolute forbidden zone. The socialites in our circle always mocked me, saying I was pathetic because I couldn’t live without Arthur. And honestly, they were entirely right. They were heiresses born with silver spoons in their mouths. Even if a man dumped them, they had massive family trusts and corporate empires to fall back on. I had nothing. I was just a charity case—a girl from a dirt-poor neighborhood sponsored by the Sterling Family Foundation. When I was eighteen, I got accepted into Columbia University on a full academic scholarship, and was invited to the Sterling estate for a formal dinner. That was the exact same day Arthur’s mother—a woman envied by all of New York high society—jumped from the roof of the mansion, driven to suicide by the relentless humiliation of her husband’s blatant affairs. She plummeted from the sky. Her blood splattered directly across my face, and Arthur’s. The trauma gave Arthur severe, crippling PTSD. He became terrified of the color red, and the sound of anything heavy hitting the floor would trigger violent panic attacks. Every night, the moment he closed his eyes, he would see his mother lying in a pool of blood in front of him. He smashed every mirror in his bedroom, and absolutely refused to ever step foot in the ancestral estate again. His grandfather brought in the best psychiatrists in the world, but nothing worked. In sheer desperation, the old man finally came to me. “Serena, the only time Arthur ever manages to find any peace is when you are sitting quietly beside him.” “I am begging you. Please stay and keep him company.” Perhaps it was because we had both witnessed the exact same, horrific nightmare. Arthur trusted me implicitly. He silently allowed me to stay by his side. My heart ached for this pale, shattered, broken boy. And I was profoundly grateful for everything the Sterling family had done to pull me out of poverty. I wanted to do whatever I could to help. When Arthur couldn’t sleep, I would sit on the edge of his bed and stay awake with him all night. When Arthur couldn’t eat, I spent hours researching recipes and slowly coaxing him to take a few bites of soup. When he woke up screaming in the dead of night, I would hold his shaking hands and sit with him until the sun came up. In those early years, there was no Chloe. There were no calculated power plays or financial manipulations. It was just him and me. Like two wounded animals trapped in the dark, holding onto each other just to survive. I knew that with my background, I could never legally become Mrs. Sterling. But. When Arthur’s fingers gently brushed through my hair. When our lips touched, and he whispered that he loved me. When he casually dropped hundreds of thousands of dollars to buy out every florist in the city just to make me smile. A tiny, foolish sliver of hope couldn’t help but bloom in my heart. That naive hope survived right up until my 25th birthday. After we made love, Arthur casually reached out and pinched a tiny, imperceptible bit of softness on my waist. He leaned back against the headboard, offering a silent, mocking smirk. “Serena, you’re gaining weight.” “If you don’t start managing your figure, you might not get your allowance next month.” My brain buzzed with static. In a single second, I plummeted from a romantic fantasy straight into the brutal reality. That was the exact moment I finally woke up. No matter how well Arthur treated me. No matter how deep my feelings were for him. In his eyes, I was just a woman selling her body. A low-class mistress who could never be brought out into the light. He could never genuinely love someone like me. And he would certainly never marry me. But I also knew Arthur would never just let me walk away. The Sterling heir was born a tyrant. Even if he didn’t want a toy anymore, he would rather break it than let anyone else touch it. I refused to drown in a toxic, dead-end relationship. I needed to secure my own exit strategy before he eventually grew completely disgusted with me. That was exactly when Chloe stumbled into my line of sight. She was bright, lively, and vibrant—instantly capturing every ounce of Arthur’s attention. I strategically leaked small details, carefully molding her into the exact archetype of the woman Arthur desired most. Chapter 3 Just like that, the two of them naturally gravitated toward each other. But Chloe wasn’t satisfied with sharing a man. She wanted to crush me, take my place, and become the one and only Mrs. Sterling. So, she aggressively went out of her way to target and humiliate me. And the more she bullied me, the more guilt Arthur felt. The more guilt Arthur felt, the larger the “compensation” checks became. It got to the point where I accumulated enough wealth to comfortably retire my sugar baby career long before my youth and beauty faded. My phone screen lit up. Another massive compensation wire transfer had just cleared. I stared at the long string of zeros. Any lingering bitterness in my heart was instantly swept clean. This arrangement was perfect. She gets the love. I get the cash. We both get exactly what we want. Everyone wins. After seeing Arthur out, I started liquidating and organizing my asset portfolio. Two hundred million dollars in liquid cash. More than enough to ensure a life of absolute luxury for the rest of my days. Once everything was confirmed, I booked a first-class ticket to Switzerland. The flight was scheduled to depart in exactly three days. Once I tied up a few loose ends here, I would finally be free. I had barely confirmed my flight itinerary when Arthur called. I briefly panicked, wondering if he had discovered my plans. Instead, his voice came through the speaker, barking an absolute, non-negotiable order. “Come to the ancestral estate.” “Chloe hasn’t had much of an appetite lately, and she specifically asked for your signature seafood bisque.” I let out a quiet sigh of relief. I didn’t argue. I just changed my clothes and drove straight to the estate. The Sterling ancestral home hadn’t seen this much life in years. The massive circular driveway was packed with luxury cars. Arthur’s grandfather’s booming laughter echoed from the grand hall, completely unrestrained. “Excellent! The Sterling legacy continues!” “You’ve played the field for years, boy, but it seems you’ve finally decided to settle down!” Chloe sat in the center of the crowd, one hand resting delicately on her flat stomach. Arthur sat right beside her, smiling warmly as he peeled an orange for her. They were surrounded by fawning, sycophantic guests. I was more than used to being the ignored outcast standing in the shadows. But when I heard Arthur and his friends excitedly throwing out baby names for the child in Chloe’s belly… I couldn’t stop myself from looking down at my own flat stomach. There used to be a child there, too. My flesh and blood. And Arthur’s. On the day Chloe intentionally shoved me down that flight of stairs, I was already three months pregnant. When the dark blood began pooling between my legs on the cold marble floor, I was terrified out of my mind. Panicking and helpless, I desperately called Arthur’s phone. I called him over a dozen times. The only response I got was the sound of Chloe’s loud, passionate moaning echoing through his voicemail. It wasn’t until the next afternoon that Arthur finally learned about my miscarriage from his assistant. He didn’t offer any elaborate explanations or apologies. He only said two sentences to me. “It’s probably for the best. Saves us a lot of complicated drama.” “Make sure you remember to take your birth control from now on.” After saying that, he transferred the deed of the Bel Air mansion into my name. At the time, I forced a smile and comforted myself. Trading an unborn child for a piece of real estate worth over fifty million dollars. A highly profitable transaction. But right now, seeing the overflowing tenderness in Arthur’s eyes, seeing him look so genuinely thrilled at the prospect of being a father… An unfamiliar, sharp pang of profound sorrow unexpectedly gripped my chest. “Why are you just getting here?” Arthur’s voice shattered my memories. His gaze swept coldly over my pale face, eventually pointing toward the massive kitchen. “The seafood has already been prepped. Chloe is incredibly sensitive to fishy smells right now, so make sure you’re careful when you cook it.” I smiled. I was a sugar baby. A mistress. I didn’t have the luxury or the right to throw a tantrum. I nodded and obediently walked into the kitchen. Behind me, a wave of poorly disguised, mocking laughter erupted. “Oh my god, look at our pathetic little ‘Mrs. Sterling’, playing the dutiful housewife.” Chapter 4 “Her man is literally marrying and having a baby with someone else, and not only does she not make a scene, she actually comes over to cook for the new girl.” “What ‘man’? Mr. Sterling never married her. She’s just a glorified high-end escort he kept around.” “Now that Mr. Sterling has a legitimate fiancée, it’s only a matter of time before she gets kicked to the curb!” I had heard these exact insults a thousand times before. I washed my hands and dropped the sliced ginger into the simmering pot. In my head, I silently counted down the days until my flight. I was so lost in thought that I didn’t notice Arthur’s assistant approach until he tapped me on the shoulder. He forcefully grabbed my hands and dunked them into a bucket of medical-grade sanitizer sitting on the counter. Then, he handed me a black surgical mask, explaining with complete apathy: “The future Mrs. Sterling stated that she is a germaphobe. She believes women of your ‘profession’ are unsanitary, so she mandates that you undergo full decontamination before entering the house.” “She also mentioned that the mere sight of your face makes her lose her appetite. She requires you to wear this mask at all times in her presence.” “Furthermore, once the bisque is finished, you are to leave through the service entrance.” “Tonight is a private family celebration. You are not authorized to be at the table.” Ah, these petty, high school mean-girl tactics. I was completely numb to them by now. Not too long ago, Chloe had demanded I get on my knees and wash her feet. Wearing a face mask was absolutely nothing in comparison. Besides, as long as the direct deposits kept clearing, I didn’t care. I nodded compliantly. I slipped the mask on and went back to stirring the bisque. Chloe was incredibly demanding. One minute she complained it was too hot, the next she whined that it smelled too fishy. I had to remake the bisque four separate times. By the time I was finished, my hands were covered in painful, burning blisters from the hot stove. Only then did she finally act satisfied and permit me to leave. The ancestral estate was located in a remote, gated community. By the time I finally made it back to my Bel Air mansion, it was past midnight. My body still hadn’t fully recovered from the physical trauma of the miscarriage. I laid in bed, suffering through rolling waves of pelvic pain for hours before finally drifting into a restless, feverish sleep. I had barely fallen asleep when a sudden, blinding pain shot through my wrist. Arthur was standing over my bed, his face twisted in terrifying, demonic fury. He violently yanked me up by my arm, practically dragging me out of bed. “What the fuck did you put in that soup?!” “Chloe has been in agonizing stomach pain ever since she drank it!” I was completely disoriented, groggy and confused. “I have no idea what you’re talking about!” Arthur glared at me, letting out a chilling, cruel sneer. “Drop the innocent act. I know exactly what kind of trash you are.” “You’re exactly like the diseased whores who drove my mother to suicide. For money, for status, there is no line you won’t cross!” “You failed to trap me with a baby, so now you’re trying to murder the child in Chloe’s womb?!” His grip on my wrist was crushing my bones. The aggressive movement sent a sharp, stabbing agony straight through my still-healing abdomen. My survival instinct kicked in, and I shoved him backward, screaming: “Arthur, are you out of your fucking mind?! Chloe’s stomachache has absolutely nothing to do with me!” “She murdered my baby first! Even if something does happen to her, it’s just karma finally catching up to her!” The second the words left my mouth, a brutal, ringing slap crashed against my face. Arthur lunged forward, wrapping his hand around my throat, his eyes blazing with murderous intent. “Serena, who the fuck gave you the right to insult Chloe?!” “Do you honestly think a piece of trash like you can even be compared to her?” “Chloe is from a respectable family. She is pure and innocent.” “And you? You are literally a dog I bought and paid for. A cheap whore who will spread her legs for anyone with a checkbook.” “If I’m in a good mood, I’ll throw you a bone. If you piss me off, I can end your miserable existence in a heartbeat!” Roaring, Arthur violently ripped the front of my silk nightgown open. He raised his hand, preparing to strike me again, when his phone suddenly rang. He answered it, and whatever the person on the other end said… The homicidal rage on his face instantly melted into frantic, desperate panic. He turned and sprinted toward the door. Right before he crossed the threshold, he paused and glared back at me.

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After my best friend survived an abusive marriage and finally filed for divorce, I made it my absolute mission to help her rebuild her life. I gave her money, I let her move into an apartment I owned, and I even funded a high-end women’s boutique for her. Because she was introverted and insecure, I personally busted my ass running around, managing her marketing, and pushing my wealthy clients to shop there. My fiancé, Ethan Sterling, frowned in disapproval. “If she doesn’t have the skills to run a business, she shouldn’t open one. Why do you constantly have to clean up her messes? Is she a giant toddler?” We got into a massive fight over it. “Chloe is basically my little sister! If you disrespect her, you’re disrespecting me!” A year later, I had to travel to Europe for a brutal, six-month corporate expansion project. When I got back, there were 99 luxury shopping bags from Chloe’s boutique piled up in our living room. Ethan had bragged about it during one of our FaceTime calls. “Look at this! I’m practically single-handedly keeping your idiot best friend’s business afloat. Aren’t I such a good fiancé?” I was genuinely touched, assuming this was his way of compromising because he loved me. I intentionally flew back to the States a few days early, wanting to surprise him. Instead, I walked into the boutique and found Ethan and my best friend hooking up in the back breakroom. “Ethan… we always do this,” Chloe murmured. “Make sure you take one of the dresses out front to give to Maya later. But don’t you dare pay for it, or I’ll feel too guilty.” “This is the 99th time, Chloe. Are you going to give her the entire inventory? I’m the one who pursued you; you shouldn’t have to sacrifice your profits for this.” Standing outside the door, my blood literally turned to ice. So those 99 dresses weren’t him “supporting her business.” They were a physical tally of the exact number of times they had betrayed me. At 2:00 AM, the massive ashtray on my coffee table was overflowing with cigarette butts. The front door finally clicked open. Ethan walked in, giving Chloe a piggyback ride. They were laughing intimately. “Ethan, put me down! I’ve gained weight lately, I’m too heavy.” “I don’t care how heavy you are. I’d carry the woman I love anywhere.” They abruptly froze when they noticed me sitting in the dark on the sofa. Seeing the 99 shopping bags piled up in the living room, Chloe’s expression violently shifted. She immediately scrambled off Ethan’s back. She forced a deeply awkward, trembling smile and reached out to grab my hand. “Maya! You’re back early?! I… my shoes were pinching me today, and I got a blister, so Ethan was just carrying me inside so we could put a band-aid on it…” I didn’t want to hear her pathetic, insulting lies. I swatted her hand away. “If I hadn’t come back early, I probably wouldn’t have noticed that the passcode to the house I share with my fiancé has magically been changed to your birthday.” Chloe looked incredibly humiliated, desperately searching for an excuse, her eyes instinctively darting to Ethan for rescue. Ethan poured a glass of warm water and smoothly set it on the table in front of me. “This apartment is much closer to Chloe’s boutique. Sometimes she’s up late doing inventory, and I didn’t want her exhausted and walking home alone in the dark. It’s not safe. So I told her she could crash here sometimes.” Over the years, Ethan had mastered the art of corporate deception, spinning lies to outmaneuver rival executives. Now, he was using those exact same tactics on me. If I hadn’t come home to an empty house, found both their phones turned off, tracked his location out of panic thinking there was an emergency… I never would have walked into that repulsive, gut-wrenching scene in the boutique. I let out a harsh, sarcastic laugh. “That makes total sense. I always told you that sofa in the breakroom was too narrow. It must have been incredibly uncomfortable fucking on it.” I looked directly at Chloe, kicking one of the shopping bags with my foot. “So, is my man good in bed? You’re giving me all these dresses… is this your way of compensating me for prostituting out my fiancé? You’re so generous.” The remaining color violently drained from Chloe’s face. “Maya, I’m so sorry, I…” Before she could even finish the sentence, she covered her mouth and burst into tears. Ethan immediately stepped between us, shielding her behind his back, his brow furrowing as he glared at me. “Maya, calm down. I am the one who initiated this. Do not take this out on Chloe. You know she’s too fragile to handle this kind of hostility.” He handed Chloe his car keys, gently wiping the tears from her cheeks. “Be a good girl, don’t cry. Go wait for me in the car. I’ll be right down.” His tone was sickeningly tender, exactly like he was soothing a frightened child. Chapter 2 Chloe glanced nervously at me, then nodded, whispering: “Please just talk to her calmly. Don’t fight because of me.” But my eyes were locked onto the keychain dangling from the car keys. It was a custom, matching anime charm. It perfectly complemented the one hanging off Chloe’s phone case. “Didn’t you always say stuff like this was incredibly immature and you hated it?” I asked. Ethan stood by the window, waiting until he saw Chloe safely get into his car before he finally answered my question. “Maya, people change. And feelings… feelings change too. I hope you can understand that.” I let out a bitter, self-deprecating laugh. Years ago, someone had asked Ethan if being with me for nearly a decade ever got boring. Ethan had raised an eyebrow and shot back: “Have you ever gotten bored of breathing oxygen? Maya is my oxygen. If she leaves, I’ll suffocate.” But now, he was standing directly in front of me, staring me dead in the eye, asking me to “understand” his infidelity. “The first time we slept together was March 12th. The power went out in her building. She’s terrified of the dark, and she didn’t know who else to call. You were out of the country.” “When I got there, she was curled up in the corner, sobbing like a terrified little rabbit. It completely broke my heart.” My breathing violently stopped. On March 12th, I had a severe flare-up of my chronic gastritis. I was shaking uncontrollably from the pain in a foreign hotel room, desperately just wanting to hear Ethan’s voice. But his phone was turned off the entire night. The next morning, he told me he had a late networking dinner and passed out. I even told him to make sure he was resting enough. Looking back on it now, it was an absolute, humiliating joke. Ethan slowly slid our matching engagement ring off his finger and set it quietly on the coffee table. “Maya, Chloe is infinitely more fragile than you are. She needs my protection and care far more than you do. I’m going to marry her.” “I’ll sign the deed to this penthouse over to you as compensation. Moving forward, we can just maintain a professional relationship at the company, and remain friends.” “I don’t care if you hate me. But I’m asking you, at the absolute minimum, please be tolerant of Chloe. Don’t make her feel guilty about this.” The irony was physically nauseating. In the past, Ethan was constantly irritated by Chloe. He always complained that she acted like a giant, helpless toddler, and that I was the only person with the patience to deal with her. I even fought with him over it, demanding he treat her with more respect. And now, the roles were completely reversed. I stared down at the ring resting on the glass table. It was the exact ring Ethan had insisted on sliding onto my finger right before I left for the airport. “My future wife is incredible, and everyone is going to fall in love with you. I can’t let some European guy steal you away. Wear this ring so everyone knows you’re already taken!” I never, in my darkest nightmares, imagined that the marriage I had anticipated for years would be violently murdered by betrayal before it even began. Unable to contain the explosive rage boiling inside my chest, I grabbed a glass of water from the table and hurled it directly into Ethan’s face. “You absolutely disgust me!” Ethan didn’t even flinch. His expression remained completely dead, his voice dropping into a chilling, calculated warning: “Maya, I know you’re furious, and you have every right to vent. If throwing water makes you feel better, I don’t mind letting you do it again. But you need to keep this drama far away from Chloe. I will not allow you to stress her out over this.” “Otherwise… we both know exactly how much of your youth, blood, and sweat you poured into building this company. It’s essentially your child. I imagine you’d be absolutely devastated if you were forced to walk away from it. Right?” “After all, everyone says they can just ‘start over,’ but very few people actually manage to pull it off.” I stared at him in sheer, unadulterated disbelief, my fingernails digging so deeply into my palms they almost bled. He was using his position as CEO to threaten me. The entire project management division of the company was built entirely on my back. It was my life’s work. Ethan was, undoubtedly, a highly effective corporate shark. He knew exactly what my vulnerabilities were. He knew that the more you invest in something, the harder it is to walk away, which is why he felt completely emboldened to threaten my career. It wasn’t until the heavy front door clicked shut behind him that the tears I had been fighting back finally fell. The next day was Monday, the day Chloe’s boutique was closed. I took an Uber straight to her luxury apartment building. When Chloe opened the door and saw me, she immediately looked away, shifting uncomfortably. Chapter 3 “Maya, what… what are you doing here?” I pointed at the massive pile of 99 shopping bags I had dragged into the hallway behind me. “I’m here to return your merchandise. What, you aren’t going to invite me inside?” Chloe bit her lip, hesitating for a long moment, before finally stepping aside to let me in. Once I stepped inside, I instantly understood why she hesitated. And I understood exactly why Ethan had left the penthouse so quickly and easily the night before. He didn’t even bother packing a suitcase. He just texted me to throw all his stuff in the trash. Because he had already completely moved in here. There were matching couples’ slippers in the entryway. Matching electric toothbrushes in the bathroom. Ethan’s specific, ridiculously expensive brand of body wash was sitting in the shower, already half-empty. An entire row of his tailored suits hung in her closet, and a photobooth strip of them kissing was plastered directly onto the refrigerator. Looking around at the domestic bliss, I let out a soft, hollow laugh. “Wow. This is great. While I was busting my ass overseas, you two were playing house.” Chloe awkwardly tugged at the hem of her shirt, desperately trying to change the subject. “Maya, those dresses… I wanted you to keep them as compensation. You didn’t have to bring them back…” I let out a harsh, mocking laugh. “Chloe. When your abusive ex-husband was beating you and cheating on you, I was the one who drove over there in the middle of the night with a baseball bat to back you up. I paid for your divorce lawyer.” “When you said you were too traumatized to move back in with your parents, that you felt completely disconnected from society and were terrified of working a corporate job… I used my own money to buy you this apartment. I paid the lease for your boutique. I paid for all the marketing. Every single time you needed cash for inventory, I wired it to you.” “Other people called me a pathetic ATM, but I didn’t care. We grew up together. I just wanted you to be okay. But right now? You are living in the apartment I bought for you, sleeping with my fiancé, and trying to use my own money to ‘compensate’ me. Do you not realize how incredibly, psychotically pathetic that is?” Chloe’s eyes instantly welled with tears. She suddenly dropped to her knees right in front of me. “Maya, I know what I did was horrible. But I’m two months pregnant! I want to keep this baby! I want him to grow up in a complete, happy family!” “I love Ethan. I have never met anyone who makes me feel so safe and protected. You’ve always been so incredibly good to me, you’ve always let me have my way since we were little kids… can you please, please just let me have this one last thing?” Right. I had been programmed since childhood to yield to Chloe. When I was seven years old, my father and my stepmother decided I was a burden who was draining resources away from my new half-brother. In the dead of winter, they abandoned me at a Greyhound bus station and moved out of state. I managed to find my way back to our house, only to discover it had already been sold. I had nowhere to go. I nearly froze to death on the sidewalk. It was Chloe, the girl who lived next door, who found me and brought me inside. Her parents took me in and shared their home with me. Because of that, I made a silent vow that I would spend the rest of my life repaying them. I vowed I would always yield to Chloe. When I started making real money, I bought them houses. I paid her father’s massive medical bills. I gave them hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years. But precisely because I treated Chloe like my own flesh and blood, her betrayal felt like a shotgun blast to the chest. I stared coldly at her stomach. “Chloe, considering the two decades of history we share, and out of respect for your parents, I am giving you one chance.” “Get an abortion. Cut Ethan out of your life entirely. You can either choose your sister, or you can choose a man who cheats. Think very carefully.” Chloe instinctively wrapped her arms protectively around her stomach, shaking her head as she sobbed. “Maya, I know you gave me so much. But I want a family! I can’t live without Ethan! And my baby needs a father…” “I’ll close the boutique. I’ll sign the deed to the apartment back over to you. But Ethan… I cannot give him up.” I let out a bitter, self-deprecating laugh. “Chloe, what you are doing right now is the exact, identical behavior of the mistress who destroyed your own marriage. I have absolutely zero respect for you.” She froze. And then, the pathetic, weeping victim routine completely vanished. She scrambled up from the floor, frantically grabbing the heavy luxury shopping bags and violently hurling them directly at my face. “Maya, what gives you the right to look down on me?! If it wasn’t for me, you would have frozen to death in a gutter! Everything you have, everything you’ve ever given me, you owe me!” Chapter 4 “I am never leaving Ethan! And I am absolutely not going to let my child grow up as a pathetic, abandoned bastard like you!” I stood completely paralyzed, not even registering the blood dripping down my forehead where the sharp cardboard edge of a shopping bag had sliced my skin. This was the woman I treated like a blood sister. Weaponizing the deepest, most agonizing trauma of my childhood, plunging it directly into my heart like a dagger. Because Chloe was screaming and thrashing so violently, she suddenly clutched her stomach, groaning in pain. My deeply ingrained, muscle-memory instinct kicked in, and I immediately reached out to catch her. But before I could, I was violently shoved backward. Ethan, having just walked through the front door, caught Chloe in his arms. He glared at me furiously and hurled a black AMEX card directly into my face. “Maya, she is pregnant! Was verbally abusing her not enough for you?! You actually tried to assault her?!” “The balance on this card is more than enough to repay every single dime you’ve ever spent on her. Stop using your money to guilt-trip and terrorize her!” Chloe, sobbing hysterically, grabbed my jacket and violently shoved me out into the hallway. “You evil bitch! Get out! We are completely even now! I will never let anyone destroy my family or hurt my baby!” My balance shifted on my heels, and I crashed hard onto the floor of the hallway. The back of my head slammed against the metal elevator doors. A warm, thick stream of blood rushed down my neck. But neither of them even glanced at me. The door slammed shut in my face. Through the heavy wood, I could faintly hear Ethan whispering gentle, soothing apologies to her. I lay on the cold hallway floor, letting out a weak, bitter laugh as the tears finally spilled over. I remembered the night I brought Chloe back to our apartment after rescuing her from her abusive ex-husband. The mistress had shown up at her door, beaten her, and caused her to miscarry her two-month-old pregnancy. Chloe had just sat on our sofa, helpless and sobbing. The situation was incredibly traumatic. Ethan had been visibly shaken by it. He held both my hands tightly and swore to me: “Maya, I swear to God, I am going to treat you like a queen for the rest of my life. I will never, ever let you experience what Chloe just went through.” “If I ever betray you, or if I ever lay a single finger on you, I pray I lose absolutely everything.” Later, when I was running myself ragged at the hospital, completely exhausted after staying awake for three days straight to take care of her, Chloe had looked at me with deep guilt. “Maya, you’re always taking care of me. I’m going to learn how to be brave. If Ethan ever tries to bully you in the future, I’m going to be the one who protects you.” Now, she had finally found her “bravery.” And she was using it to attack me. And he… he had completely, utterly forgotten the vow he made. A few days later, my close friend and top corporate client, Sarah, called me. “Maya, that ‘best friend’ of yours just sent out a mass promo text. She claims she sold her old boutique and opened a massive new flagship store in the Diamond District.” “The commercial rent down there is astronomical. I asked around—apparently Ethan Sterling funded the entire thing. She even renamed the store ‘Eternal Grace.’ It’s so painfully obvious. Wait, isn’t he your fiancé?” “The only reason the girls in our network even shopped at her tacky little store was as a favor to you. What the hell is going on?” I replied, my voice completely devoid of emotion: “She’s pregnant with his child. Moving forward, whatever they do has absolutely nothing to do with me.” Sarah was silent for a few seconds before she muttered a quiet, vicious curse under her breath. “Understood. If you need me to burn anything down, just say the word.” A week later, my PTO officially ended. I returned to the corporate office. Ethan summoned me to his executive suite. The exact second the heavy glass door clicked shut, he lunged forward, violently pinning me against the wall. “Maya, are you the one spreading vicious rumors to Chloe’s VIP clients, calling her a homewrecker?” “Do you have any idea what you’ve done? Her clients are demanding refunds on their memberships, they’re blocking her number, and they’re sending her horrific, abusive messages. She had such a severe panic attack she almost miscarried again! How could you stoop to such disgusting, underhanded tactics?!” I let out a sharp, mocking laugh. “Whether it’s a rumor or a clinical fact, you know exactly what the truth is. All I did was answer their questions honestly about why we broke up.” Ethan took a deep, jagged breath. “You are going to call every single one of those women right now. You are going to clear Chloe’s name, and you are going to issue a public, formal apology to her.” “In your fucking dreams.” Ethan’s face turned ashen with absolute rage. “Maya, you forced my hand. Do not regret this.”

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