I was diagnosed with terminal cancer. The day I received my biopsy results, I gave Sebastian his freedom and completely vanished from his world. But I undeniably had a talent for being a creep. My house was completely wired with my “eyes.” 4K hidden cameras displayed Sebastian’s every move to me with absolute, crystal-clear precision. I originally thought he would feel a massive weight lifted off his shoulders. Who would have known that the man who seemingly wished me dead would be kneeling in a church, praying to God, over and over again. Begging for me to live. 1 Sebastian Reed was dead broke. The first time I saw him, he was mixed in with a bunch of VIP bottle boys, wearing a washed-out, faded denim jacket. His hair had probably been messed with by the club’s madam—sticking up like a hedgehog’s quills, perfectly matching that stubborn face of his. He looked like he refused to bow to anyone. I liked him instantly. Lust is human nature, and Sebastian was blessed with a face that could make the angels jealous. But when God opened a window for him, He slammed the door shut. Back then, Sebastian was so poor he ate stale bread and watered-down soup for three meals a day. He was so thin a gust of wind could knock him over. His shoulder blades jutted out in a sharp, lonely arc. From behind, he looked entirely desolate. I told the club owner that I wanted him. She flattered me while her eyes kept darting toward Sebastian, who was shuttling between the private booths as a busboy. “That kid is as stubborn as a mule, you know.” “Then don’t let him work here anymore starting recently,” I said. Sebastian was a waiter at The Obsidian Room. Because of his striking looks, there were always people buying liquor from him, hoping to get something more intimate. Sebastian always accepted the sales but coldly rejected the ulterior motives of those older women. The Obsidian Room was the biggest private club in Manhattan. Every time I came here to discuss business, I saw him. He always had the same expression: lips pressed in a tight, grim line, eyes heavily drooping with exhaustion. He’d carry fruit platters or drinks, so busy his heels barely touched the ground. He never initiated a conversation with me. Once, after drinking way too much during a negotiation, I threw up violently outside the restrooms. I grabbed onto him blindly. “Give me a tissue,” I demanded. Sebastian used his own handkerchief to wipe my mouth. His eyes flickered with a hint of emotion. “Drink less, miss.” I narrowed my eyes. I felt truly wicked. After that day, I investigated Sebastian’s entire background. An orphan. A younger sister with a congenital heart defect. He was saving up for that astronomically expensive surgery, and I was the one who cut off his income stream. The club owner, following my instructions, no longer allowed him to sell alcohol, and simultaneously let the other bottle boys bully him mercilessly. I waited in silence for almost a week. When I stepped into The Obsidian Room again, Sebastian was being beaten by a group of guys. He lay on the floor, curled up like a shrimp, protecting his head while letting them kick and hurl insults at him. I pushed through the crowd, walked right up to Sebastian, and extended my hand to him. He swayed as he used the wall to stand up. He pushed my hand away and limped off. The owner smiled apologetically, “See? He’s got too much pride.” Later, I tracked Sebastian down again. I opened a briefcase full of cash and spread it out in front of him. “Your sister’s surgery can’t be delayed any longer. I can hire the best cardiovascular surgeons in the country.” Sebastian stared at me, guarded. “Your terms.” I felt a rush of absolute pleasure opening up every pore in my body. My long-dormant chest finally felt a heartbeat again in that moment. “I want you. As my kept man.” Time flew, and eight years passed. Sebastian was now the man sharing my pillow, even if he was reluctant. He still kept a cold face most of the time. He turned a blind eye to my displays of affection. He used work as an excuse to stay at the office until dawn, by which time I was already fast asleep. I stirred my oatmeal, a dense wave of nausea rising in my chest. I was clearly starving, my lips trembling from hunger, yet the sight of food made me gag. My nose tickled. A warm liquid slid down, completely ruining the warm, sweet oatmeal. I wiped my nose. There was no panic. Sebastian used to say, “Victoria, sometimes I think you aren’t even human.” Neither of us had warm, passionate dispositions. Most of the time we spent together, we were handling our respective businesses. Only in the dead of night, when loneliness surged, would we embrace and collapse onto that massive bed, tangling together desperately, as if this was the only way to prove we weren’t alone in the world. But I knew clearly that when we rolled in the sheets, when I was completely swept up in the heat of passion, Sebastian wasn’t that focused. It made sense. He was in his prime; how could he resign himself to being a sugar baby? He was a capable man. He had started his own trading company, which had been booming over the past two years. He would probably leave me soon. Before we got together, I sent Chloe Reed abroad. This younger sister—who shared no blood relation with him—was his only weakness. She was also the existence that made me wake up drenched in sweat in the middle of the night. It’s so cold. Even though it’s the middle of summer. I wrapped myself in a blanket and texted Sebastian. “Come home for dinner tonight. I made your favorite cherry cobbler.” There was no reply for a long time. It wasn’t until noon that he stingily sent a few words. “Busy. No time.” I looked out the window. The sun was glaring, wilting the roses in the garden. “You have to come back even if you’re busy. Or I’ll freeze your shipment.” Sebastian finally compromised, stepping into the mansion exactly at six o’clock. I wanted to be softer, but after drowning in the corporate world for so long, my blood ran cold. I had long forgotten how to sweet-talk anyone. “CEO Reed is truly a busy man. Getting a dinner with you requires a waitlist.” I curled my lips. My lipstick was too heavy. Sebastian frowned, pulled out a tissue, and wiped some of it off. “Aren’t I here?” I chuckled dryly, poking him in the chest. “Don’t think I don’t know it’s because Chloe is back. Eight years apart, you two siblings must have a lot of catching up to do.” Sebastian looked like he was getting angry, but his moods never dictated my actions. His anger toward me was like punching cotton; it vanished without even bouncing back. He walked into the kitchen and brought the dishes out one by one. “Let’s eat.” I chewed my salmon slowly, afraid to blink, terrified the tears would fall. I said, “Sebastian, let’s break up.” 2 Sebastian’s hand holding the chopsticks paused. He cast a confused glance at me. He knew it. I loved him to the bone. How could I let go so easily? How many nights had I stroked his broad back, calling his name over and over again? Yet all he left me was a stubborn, cold silhouette. I would dig my fingers into his dark hair, pulling his head back almost sadistically, reminding him how to please his benefactor. I wasn’t always so good-tempered, but I would watch with a smiling face as he rejected me time and time again. Sebastian kept his back to me. My boiling blood went ice-cold again. Then, I let go and weakly wrapped the blanket around myself. In our eight years together, I had mentioned breaking up many times. But without exception, within a week, a black Maybach would park squarely in front of Sebastian’s company at exactly 8:00 AM. Rolling down the window, I would stare at his expressionless face and curl my lips. He only knew that I crushed his dignity, but he didn’t know how many times I had thrown my own into the dirt, stripping myself of all pride. “What crazy fit are you having now?” I let out a low laugh, staring blankly at the plump grains of white rice in front of me. I probably wouldn’t be able to eat this much longer. “I’m serious this time.” I looked at Sebastian. He still wore a stern expression, as if looking at a clown using despicable tricks to garner a sliver of attention, stingily offering a drop of pity. “My luggage is already packed. I’ll be moving out tonight.” Sebastian finally reacted. His brows twitched slightly, and even those usually calm eyes widened a bit. “Congratulations, Sebastian. You’re free.” I walked up to him, bent down, and whispered softly, “When you and Chloe get married, I’ll send a fat check.” Sebastian stayed frozen in place. “Take care.” I heard the suppressed voice squeezed from his throat. Chloe moved in. I had seen her once a long time ago. Back then, Chloe had a sallow complexion, so emaciated she looked like a skeleton draped in skin. Her eyes, which should have been bright for a teenager, were dead and dull. Only when she saw Sebastian would they spark with life. She would hug him, affectionately calling him her brother. She was only eighteen, yet even on the brink of death, she was breathtakingly beautiful. It was a delicate, pure kind of beauty that made people instinctively want to protect her. I would never have that aura in my life. While Chloe was half-dead on an IV drip, I was ruthlessly slaughtering my competition in the business world. For the sake of a resort project, I forcibly demolished a whole neighborhood. The compensation was ruthlessly low, and many cursed me to die a horrible death behind my back. But Sebastian never called me cold-blooded; he was exactly the same as me. We were the same kind of people. How could he fall for a little white flower like Chloe? Now, I truly was dying a horrible death. The footage from the pinhole camera was exceptionally clear. Chloe was curled up on my favorite velvet sofa. Sebastian had washed a bowl of strawberries for her, carefully removing the stems, picking the reddest ones, and feeding them to her one by one. I was a little upset. Chloe didn’t even take her shoes off. The soles of her pointed boots stepped on the blue sofa, leaving deep indentations. That was one of the few places where Sebastian and I shared a beautiful memory. I had a terrible flu back then, my head spinning. Sebastian held me, patiently coaxing me to take my medicine, even humming some nameless lullaby while watching me fall asleep. I suppose men like Sebastian were naturally drawn to gentle, delicate women. They were strong enough and needed someone to lean on their shoulders, not a woman who dominated him at every turn, a woman who wore lipstick the color of fresh blood. Chloe said she didn’t like this sofa. Sebastian probably thought I might swoop back in a week, so he hesitated for a moment. “I’ll take you furniture shopping in a few days.” Chloe smiled sweetly. “You’re the best, Sebastian.” Arthur Sterling pushed the door open to find me still staring intently at the computer screen. On the screen, Sebastian had just stepped out of the shower, water dripping from his hair, his perfect physique enough to make anyone scream. He instinctively reached for the water glass on the nightstand, but it was empty. I wasn’t there anymore, which meant no one was placing a fresh glass of water by his bed for him to drink at any given moment. Not knowing what he was thinking, Sebastian angrily smashed the glass against the wall. Arthur called me a creep. “Are you sick? Spying on someone’s life twenty-four hours a day?” I smiled. “It’s more than that. I also have private investigators. I know his every move outside the house with absolute clarity.” Arthur shivered. “Victoria, you really are a total psycho.” I stopped talking. I had woven a web of love; he couldn’t escape it. Sebastian would eventually realize that I had seeped into every detail of his life, while the Chloe in his heart had only left behind a seemingly beautiful shell. A steaming hot towel was pressed against my arm. After days of IVs, my arms were completely bruised. If they had to draw blood tomorrow, they might not even find a place to stick the needle in my battered veins. “Sis, why do this to yourself?” I looked closely at my younger brother. We shared the same father but different mothers. After his mother died of illness, our father had no choice but to bring him back to the Sterling estate. I had been very afraid for a time, fearing that half of the massive Sterling empire would be handed over to Arthur. I reached out and lifted his chin. He had clean, clear eyes, just like his mother. In his youth, I subtly tested the waters. When I found out he cared more about art than business, I resolutely sent him to Italy to study. Arthur was very grateful to me, and I breathed a sigh of relief. It was just that now I had summoned him back, because my illness was terminal. That drop of blood relation, once the thing I feared the most, had now become my most reliable shield. “Will you cry for me when I die?” Arthur froze, throwing the towel on the floor. “Can’t you say something positive?” Seeing him so agitated actually made me somewhat happy. “But having only you isn’t enough. If I really die, my widow must be the one crying the most agonizingly.” Arthur was speechless. He could only comfort me. “You’ll get better.” In the middle of the night, Sebastian finally got up to get a glass of water from the kitchen. There was no soup simmering in the slow cooker. Without the faint aroma to grace it, the kitchen lacked the warmth of human life. It was so cold and desolate it was frightening. Sebastian pursed his lips and started washing rice to make porridge. He hadn’t done this kind of thing in a long time, naturally out of practice. He added too much water, and when he woke up the next day, it had boiled over onto the floor. He woke up earlier than Chloe, so he scooped a bowl and placed it on the table. But by the time he got off work that evening, the bowl of porridge was still sitting there, completely untouched. The house was pitch black. No one would ever lazily glance at the kitchen and tell him to wash his hands and eat again. Sebastian took a deep breath and dialed Chloe’s number. The sound of deafening club music filled his ear, Chloe’s words slurred and indistinct. He tried hard to maintain a gentle tone. “Where are you, Chloe? I’ll come pick you up.” I closed my laptop and called Sebastian’s business partners. “There’s no need to provide cargo ships for Apex Trading anymore. I need to handle the spare parts on my end urgently.” With Sebastian’s capabilities, these things wouldn’t crush him, but they would definitely keep him extremely busy. Only then would he discover how many obstacles I had secretly smoothed over for him, how many roads I had paved. A round-faced young nurse gently reminded me not to wear makeup. I touched my face. There was barely any flesh left on it. This was my armor. My battle standard that maintained my dignity. How could I take it off so easily? Victoria Sterling. How could I ever allow myself to show vulnerability? I had always been strong. “Have you found a matching donor in the bone marrow registry?” “Not yet, but don’t lose heart. You will definitely get better.” I wanted to get better. I wanted to hear Sebastian say he loved me. And if I died, I wanted him to remember me for the rest of his life. 3 Sebastian had been very busy lately, not just with his company, but with Chloe. He had no idea when this formerly pure, innocent younger sister had become so extravagant and corrupted. She would stand arrogantly in luxury boutiques, pointing at a row of new arrivals with half-closed eyes, demanding them all. Then she’d hop into a cab and head to the loud, chaotic bars. The neon lights flashed relentlessly, casting bizarre shadows in the steel fortress of the city. She swayed to the music, shaking an expensive cocktail in her hand, her eyes narrowed like a lazy cat’s. Sebastian would watch her coldly, dragging her out of the hyperactive crowd. He shoved Chloe into the bathtub, the cold water making her cough violently. “Sebastian!” She let out a short, piercing scream. Sebastian finally snapped out of his daze and said in an unquestionable tone, “I’m cutting off your cards starting tomorrow.” Chloe licked her lips, seemingly unbothered. “Whatever. The money you transfer me every month isn’t that much anyway. It’s all the money that old woman gave me.” She draped her arms over the edge of the tub, as if remembering something amusing, her eyes curving into crescents. “People say she’s an iron lady, but she’s really just a pathetic wretch. You definitely don’t know how she talked to me—as if she was my sister-in-law. Nagging me to take care of myself, wiring money to my account right on time every month. She even begged me to put in a good word for her with you. It’s so hilarious.” She waved her hand in disgust and cursed, “Disgusting.” Slap. Sebastian struck her across the face. This man was always very quiet when he was angry. He was never a man of many words anyway, always surrounded by a low-pressure aura. Even more so when he was furious—his eyes would just dead-lock onto a specific spot. After slapping her, Sebastian’s hand trembled. He sobered up instantly when he saw Chloe’s swollen cheek. He patiently tried to comfort her, his broad palm patting Chloe’s thin back gently. But anyone could see his mind was elsewhere. Except for me. Sebastian’s gaze landed on a corner of the bathroom, where a lonely little rubber duck sat. I went through a childish phase for a while, buying lots of rubber ducks to put in the tub while bathing. Inside the rubber ducks were bath bombs. Orange scented. It was a scent Sebastian rarely admitted he liked. He always said my perfume smelled like a morgue. We had a huge fight about it later. I threw all the rubber ducks away, leaving only one over the drain, which made that bare spot look a little more pleasing to the eye. Sebastian returned to a lonely, empty room. The bed was ice-cold. There was no human-shaped heater. Lost in thought, he opened his laptop and aimlessly browsed the web until he finally fell asleep in the early hours of the morning. I guessed he had forgotten the URL. On my birthday one year, I enthusiastically coded a webpage myself. I wrote a lot of cheesy things and added his favorite songs as background music, giving it to him as a gift. Back then, Sebastian merely cast a cold glance at it and ignored it. Relying on fragments of memory, of course he couldn’t remember it. I pursed my lips. The liquid medicine was bitter. Sebastian definitely didn’t know that I had deleted that webpage long ago, but I left a screenshot of it on his computer. I wanted him to slowly discover it. I wanted him to be engulfed by my love like a tidal wave. The cross-border corporate deal couldn’t be delayed, but the original shipping partner suddenly pulled their cargo vessels. Sebastian was stunned. The manager explained that they had originally been partners with the Sterling Group. Now that Sterling was pressing them tight, they had to prioritize their old patron. Sebastian was caught off guard. When Apex Trading was just starting, this logistics company had shown up at his door. Reliable service, fair prices. He wasn’t entirely unaware that I might have pulled the strings behind the scenes, but the other party’s attitude didn’t seem like it. “We like helping young people with dreams.” After all this time, it was my favor after all. This definitely frustrated Sebastian, because I had dominated him once again. Sebastian was displeased, knowing he couldn’t truly stand shoulder to shoulder with me yet. But he kept smiling. People in the business world always flashed that standard, eight-tooth smile. “Please give my regards to CEO Sterling.” The manager clicked his tongue. “The young CEO Sterling? He’s too arrogant. Nowhere near as good as the old CEO.” “The young CEO?” In Sebastian’s impression, I was an absolute dictator. I would never allow others to covet the top seat at Sterling. Why was there suddenly a “young CEO”? The manager shook his head. “Not sure. Sounds like some kind of incident occurred, and she stepped back behind the scenes.” Sebastian finally remembered that I hadn’t contacted him in half a month. The man hesitated for a long time before dialing my number, but all he got was the robotic, formatted voice of the automated operator. “We’re sorry, the number you have dialed is powered off.” He didn’t go to my company to find me. He just stood there for a very, very long time. 4 Sebastian found a job for his sister. Despite her reluctance, Chloe went to work, pouting all the way. With the company’s crisis handled, his schedule suddenly opened up. Sebastian frequently sat on the couch, staring blankly. This lasted for about a week before he started rummaging through the house. When I left, I took a lot of things with me: matching mugs, photo albums. What remained were mostly old, small trinkets stuffed in unnoticeable corners. Sebastian turned the place upside down, wiping every corner with a rag. Then he piled all the things he dug up in the living room and looked at them closely, piece by piece. Many of them were things I bought for him. A ring he had only worn a few times. Sunglasses I bought him on vacation. A scarf I knitted for him in the winter—because it was my first time, it was uneven, wide at the top and narrow at the bottom. The stitches were crooked, looking a bit ridiculous. Sebastian had never worn it once. Now, holding that scarf, he wrapped it around his own neck, looked at his absurd reflection in the mirror, and laughed out loud. He found many memories of us. He, who was always awkward, who never wanted to honestly accept my love. Now, tearing himself open piece by piece, he finally realized that after eight long years together, he had long grown accustomed to my existence. Someone once said that when an old friend leaves, the first emotion you feel isn’t sadness. You might not feel anything at all. But on a certain day, at a certain moment, when you see everything they left behind, you suddenly realize that you can never get them back. I didn’t know what Sebastian was thinking. He put all those things into a cardboard box and dragged it into his bedroom. I guessed his heart must be very soft, despite his cold, hard exterior. He always wrapped himself in armor, a suit of steel that seemed indestructible. But what was hidden inside was more fragile than anything else. No one loved him like I did. Sebastian always threw himself onto the front lines to fight everything fate handed him. A poor family, parents dying early, a sickly sister, and the humiliating, twisted romance with me. He was like a turtle shrinking into its shell, simultaneously arrogant and inferior. Accepting fate while rejecting its gifts. Some people just refused to honestly face their own hearts. I traced my computer screen and laughed, unaware even when drops of nosebleed stained my snow-white sheets. Sebastian drove his car to my company. He waited quietly, waiting for me to get off work. Just like the countless times I waited for him to walk out of those glass doors and resign himself to getting in my car. Unfortunately, he wouldn’t catch me. Arthur Sterling walked out, surrounded by a crowd, dressed in a sharp suit. The shot-caller at Sterling had changed. It was no longer the woman with cold eyes and a dismissive smirk. Sebastian was frozen. He stood perfectly still, watching Arthur get into my Maybach and drive away. That night, Sebastian blew up my phone. From 9:00 PM to midnight, without stopping. But all that came from the screen was a calm automated voice. He scrolled through our texts. Every message he sent sank like a stone in the ocean. Finally, Sebastian put the phone to his ear, clicked on the voice memos I had sent him, and listened to them all night. Chloe said he was crazy to like an old woman like me. She dragged that box of items to the door, intending to throw it in the trash. Sebastian wrestled with her. The box tore open, and the messy pile of trinkets scattered all over the floor. I watched on the screen as Sebastian gathered them into his arms, his shoulders shaking. He was crying. Chloe was crying too. She asked Sebastian: “Sebastian, didn’t you love me the most?” The man lifted his head and touched Chloe’s face. “We are siblings.” Even without blood, you are still my sister. That is all. I breathed a sigh of relief. Sebastian actually didn’t love Chloe. He had just been emotionally blackmailed for too long. The responsibility of having to take care of his sister made him lose himself, unable to distinguish between love and familial concern. That’s why I sent Chloe away. Eight years was enough time to change a person, and enough time to forget someone. I said to Arthur: “Actually, I really like Chloe. Because people like her are extremely easy to deal with. She’s weak, selfish, and has seen nothing of the world. She hates me on one hand, but is forced to rely on me on the other. She feels I defiled her brother, yet she cashes every check I send without hesitation, believing it’s what I owe them.” I smiled and swallowed a pill. “Don’t be fooled by her harsh words; she’s actually terrified of me. She knows that over these eight years, Sebastian’s heart has only had room for me. There’s no space left beside him for anyone else, even his once-closest sister.” I looked at Arthur. His brows were tightly knit, looking somewhat severe. Finding a comfortable position, I laid back, feeling the pain in my chest ease slightly as I breathed. “Our dad had quite a few affairs out there. I’m not surprised I have a few younger siblings. But I didn’t expect them to pop up the second I stepped down. What position does Donovan want?” “Chief Financial Officer.” Arthur bit his lip, cursing him as a useless sack of wine and flesh with sheer disgust. I found it a bit funny. He was young after all; he couldn’t keep his composure. “Give him whatever position he wants. If he wants to play, take him out to play. Money, power, alcohol, and women are knives that kill without spilling blood. You don’t even need to strike; the things he can’t control will turn around and kill him.” I touched Arthur’s face. He looked the most like our father, born with those captivating eyes. Unlike Arthur, however, our dad never showed such a lost expression; he was always confident. “After I die, Sterling Group will be handed over to you. Don’t rush things. Indulgence and strictness are both management tactics. Pressing too hard will only make you lose your own assets.” Arthur opened his mouth but said nothing. “You need to know, out of all these brothers and sisters, you’re the only one I treat as my own.” “But what if… what if the Sterling Group gets destroyed in my hands?” I closed my eyes, feeling exhausted, but still spoke sweet words. “You are my brother. I believe in you.” The other party grabbed my hand and said okay. I knew he was grateful to me. In his most difficult years, I was the one who brought this boy to my side, telling everyone he was my younger brother, the young master of the Sterling family. He stepped from the mud into the clouds, from being spat upon to being in the spotlight. He loved art, so I sent him to the best art institute. He wanted love, so I brought him home-cooked meals through wind and rain. It was only because Arthur casually mentioned in a chat that other classmates had loving bento boxes. This was where I was smarter than his mother. She would only pinch the soft flesh under Arthur’s clothes in dark corners with her sharp nails. I knew, but I never interfered. That was her resentment, Arthur’s original sin, and he was meant to endure it. Arthur never spoke to me about these things. I was his older sister, his only sanctuary in the Sterling family. Under the club, wolves only rebel. Under the sun and rain, the brilliantly blooming flowers are much easier to control. This was my selfishness: grinding away Arthur’s hatred, removing a rival for the inheritance. But now, everything had changed. This illness caught me off guard. The company I poured my heart and soul into for over a decade. The deals I secured by drinking until my stomach bled. Was I really willing to just hand it over to someone who had never managed a business? The illegitimate children popping up wasn’t an accident. Arthur would also slowly realize that he couldn’t control the entire Sterling empire alone. Only a strong alliance would work, and I was his best choice. “When Sebastian comes looking for you, remember to tell him I’m dead.” “Huh?” Arthur was confused. “Didn’t you have people tell him you just stepped behind the scenes?” “If there are no contradictions, how would he sense something is wrong and come looking for me?” I pulled the blanket up. “I’m so tired. I’m going to sleep. You should go back.” Arthur didn’t know how much patience I had, or how capable I was of setting traps. Nothing I wanted could escape—including this life.

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Liam Parker was a stray dog. When he finally got bored of me, he threw me to his new flame, Tiffany Sterling, and her pack of wolves. That day, my hearing aid was ripped from my ear. It tumbled down the concrete stairs, shattering into pieces. I felt the warm, metallic taste of blood filling my mouth. Everything went blurry as a crowd gathered. “Call 911!” “Is Clara Miller dying?” “Are they going to jail for this?” Liam shoved through the crowd, his hands trembling as he wrapped his jacket around me. He screamed, his voice raw with a desperation I hadn’t heard in years, as he carried me toward the emergency room. He finally looked like he regretted it. He regretted leaving me to rot in Tiffany’s shadow. 1. When I was five, my parents’ marriage was a battlefield. My father was a heavy drinker. I remember walking up to him, my voice tiny. “Daddy, please. No more beer.” Crack. “You’re the reason we’re stuck in this hole! I work my tail off just to keep a roof over your head, you little brat!” His palm collided with my face. The force sent me sprawling across the hardwood floor. The pain was a white-hot flash. Then came the ringing—a high, sharp whine that seemed to come from inside my skull. Something wet and warm leaked from my ear. I touched it, staring at my crimson-stained fingers in a daze. “You monster! How could you lay a hand on her?” My mother screamed, rushing into the room to scoop me up. She checked my face, her eyes wide with terror. “Clara? Why is there blood?” “Mommy, my ear hurts… I can’t hear you. Why are you so quiet?” “You can’t hear? Clara… baby, don’t scare me.” She rushed me to the ER. After the tests, she held my hand so tight it hurt. “Doctor, please. Tell me she’s okay.” “Her left eardrum is ruptured,” the doctor said, his voice grim. “She’s going to need a hearing aid. Likely for the rest of her life.” My mother’s face went pale. “A hearing aid… you mean she’s… deaf?” “She’s just a child. What kind of person hits a kid that hard?” 2. I started first grade with a device tucked behind my ear. To make me feel less like an outcast, my mom found a hearing aid decorated with little strawberry stickers. But no matter how she tried to hide it, the thin wire was always visible. The kids noticed. They always noticed. We moved to a new apartment complex shortly after. That’s where my mom met Mrs. Parker, who lived on the same floor. Her son, Liam, was in my grade. Same school, same class. Our moms became fast friends, taking turns with the school run. That’s how I met Liam Parker. From the very beginning, I was afraid to look him in the eye. He wasn’t the friendly type. Even as a young boy, his gaze was icy and sharp. When our moms walked us home, chatting behind us, Liam would always march five paces ahead. He didn’t want to be seen with me. To him, I was a freak. The only kid in the whole school with a wire coming out of her ear. I was an anomaly, a glitch in his perfect world. At school, I had no friends. Liam was the opposite. He was the golden boy, the natural leader. Even when he was being a brat, the teachers and the girls loved him. 3. My mom worked long hours at a local farmers’ market, struggling to make ends meet. My father had long since vanished to “find work” out of state, leaving us with nothing. Mrs. Parker, knowing our situation, insisted I come over after school to do homework with Liam. She was a stay-at-home mom who doted on him. Their house was bright, modern, and smelled like vanilla candles. Liam and I would sit at the coffee table in the living room. Mrs. Parker would bring out snacks. “Clara, Liam, take a break. Have some fruit.” “Thank you, Mrs. Parker.” Liam would drop his pen, grab a banana, and follow his mother into the kitchen. “Mom, stop bringing her here. She’s weird. I’m sick of looking at her.” My hand froze halfway to a bowl of grapes. I pulled back, my heart sinking. The kitchen door swung shut. Their voices muffled, but the sting remained. When Liam came back out, his face was set in a scowl. I kept my head down, pretending to be absorbed in my math problems. He kicked my chair, his voice a low hiss. “Don’t come back tomorrow. Hear me?” Mrs. Parker stepped out, her voice stern. “Liam Parker! Keep your mouth shut.” I just kept writing, my face burning with shame. Every night at 11 PM, my mom would pick me up after the market closed. Liam’s father worked overseas, only coming home once or twice a year. “I’m sorry for the trouble,” my mom would say, handing Mrs. Parker a bag of fresh produce. “These tomatoes just came in today.” “You don’t have to do that,” Mrs. Parker would protest. She was the kindest person I had ever met, second only to my mother. “Clara had dinner with us already,” Mrs. Parker would smile, patting my head. “See you tomorrow, sweetie. I’m making beef stew.” 4. Back in our quiet apartment, I watched my mom set her keys on the table. “Mom, I don’t want to go to the Parkers’ anymore. I can walk home by myself. I’m old enough.” My mom paused, looking at me with a knowing sadness. “Why? Did something happen?” I looked at the floor. “I just want to be home. Please. Just give me a spare key.” She eventually agreed. My fragile pride had finally been broken by Liam’s coldness. Without friends, I buried myself in books. One year turned into three, then five. We grew up, and the gap between us only widened. In high school, we were still in the same building, but in different social circles. Liam had become the quintessential rebel. He was always in trouble—fighting guys from rival schools, cutting class, staying out late. But with that face and that “don’t care” attitude, he was the king of the campus. One day, I realized I’d forgotten my keys. I was sitting on the stairs outside our apartment, studying. Liam and his mom walked up, carrying grocery bags. Liam glanced at me, his eyes devoid of emotion, and moved to unlock their door. Mrs. Parker was as warm as ever. “Clara? Locked out? Come on in, honey.” “No, thank you, Mrs. Parker. I’ll just head to the market to find my mom.” “Nonsense. It’s Liam’s birthday. I’ve cooked a feast. Stay for dinner.” I froze. Liam’s birthday? I hadn’t prepared a gift, and I definitely didn’t want to be there. “Oh, come on. You’ve grown so distant. I’ll call your mom. It’s settled.” I couldn’t find a way to say no. I followed them in, feeling like an intruder. “Here, let me help you with those bags.” 5. “Mrs. Parker, let me help with the vegetables.” “No, honey. Go sit in the living room. I’ve got it.” “It’s okay. I don’t have much homework anyway.” Liam was in the living room watching a game. I wanted to avoid him at all costs. In the kitchen, Mrs. Parker sighed. “I wish Liam was as well-behaved as you.” I didn’t know what to say. Liam was wild. He was out of control, and even his mother couldn’t tether him. I remembered seeing him a few weeks ago at school. He was behind the gym, beating the life out of some junior. He looked terrifying—vicious and raw. He had two cronies with him. They held the other boy down while Liam worked him over. I had hurried past, trembling with fear. “Okay, the roast is almost done. Let’s go sit down.” I followed her into the living room. She poured me a glass of water and pushed a bowl of apples toward me. Liam didn’t even look up from the TV. Mrs. Parker handed me a bright red apple. “Here, have one.” I started peeling it. It was too big for one person, so I sliced it in half. “Mrs. Parker, would you like half?” She shook her head. “My teeth aren’t what they used to be. Give it to Liam.” I hesitated, then held the half out to him. “Do you want some?” Mrs. Parker slipped away to her bedroom to grab something. The awkwardness I expected didn’t come. Liam actually took the apple. He looked at me, a strange expression on his face. “I haven’t even touched you,” he muttered. “Why do you look like you’re about to jump out of your skin every time you see me?” I blinked, swallowing a piece of apple. “I’m not nervous.” “Really? Little Miss Perfect Student?” He leaned back on the sofa, propping his head on his hand, and took a bite. There was a hint of a smirk on his face. That dinner was excruciating. I noticed that whenever Mrs. Parker wasn’t looking, Liam’s eyes would drift to me. It wasn’t the look of disgust he had when we were kids. It was something else. Something that made me even more uncomfortable. 6. Sophomore year was when the nightmare truly began. The pressure was high, and the social hierarchy was brutal. After the first big midterm, I ranked 5th in the entire grade. I was proud of myself. But that rank put me one spot ahead of Tiffany Sterling, the school’s “it girl.” One night after study hall, Tiffany and two of her friends cornered me in an empty classroom. Slap. The sound echoed in the quiet room. They shoved me to the floor, their words dripping with venom. “You think you’re so smart, don’t you? A little freak like you taking my spot?” Apparently, her dad had promised her a new car if she made the top five. Because of me, she was 6th. “I don’t get it,” Tiffany sneered, stepping on my hand. “What’s a deaf girl doing trying so hard? You’re never going to be anything.” “If you tell anyone, you’re dead.” “Stay out of my way, or I’ll ruin you.” After they left, I wiped the blood from my nose and gathered my things. I found my courage and went to the counselor the next day. The counselor didn’t want to believe it. Tiffany was the perfect student on paper—pretty, popular, and a “leader.” When Tiffany was called in, she didn’t deny hitting me. Instead, she claimed she caught me stealing her lunch money and acted out of “righteous anger.” Her two friends were her witnesses. I was stunned. I had never touched her money. But it was three against one. “Clara stole it,” they said in unison. “Tiffany just lost her temper for a second. We saw the whole thing.” Tiffany even put her hand on her heart. “I swear, I’m telling the truth.” The counselor couldn’t prove who was lying about the money, but the marks on my face were real. She made Tiffany apologize. “Fine. I’m sorry.” “I shouldn’t have hit you, Clara. I hope you can forgive me.” But as she bowed her head in a mock apology, I saw the smirk on her lips. I looked at the counselor. “That’s it? Just an apology?” The counselor frowned. “She admitted her mistake, Clara. Let’s move on.” The world felt darker that day. And it got worse. Soon, rumors spread. People started calling me a thief behind my back. 7. Reporting Tiffany was the spark that set my life on fire. She made sure the entire school isolated me. The worst day was during the Spring Pep Rally. I had no friends to sit with, so I snuck back to the quiet classroom. Tiffany and her crew followed me. They dragged me into the girls’ bathroom. “You like telling on people? Let’s see how you like this.” They held my head under the faucet, the cold water drenching me. “No! Stop!” My struggle only earned me kicks to the ribs and blows to the head. “Stop? In your dreams.” “You know what the best part is?” Tiffany laughed, tossing my soaked hair aside. “Everyone thinks you’re a thief now. No one is going to believe you. Go ahead, tell them again. See what other labels I can stick on you.” “My uncle is the Vice Principal, Clara. You really think a teacher is going to take your side over mine?” “A deaf thief. God, you’re pathetic.” Every word felt like a stone being piled onto my chest. I couldn’t breathe. I had worked so hard to get into this school. Why was this happening to me? When they finally got bored, they left me shivering on the floor. I crawled to the sink, rinsing the blood from my mouth. I threw up my breakfast. The nausea wouldn’t stop. When I finally managed to stumble out, I ran right into Liam Parker. He was leaning against the wall by the boys’ room, smoking. I tried to hurry past. “What happened to you?” It was the first time we’d spoken all year. He stepped in front of me, grabbing my arm. He looked at my bruised face, his eyes narrowing. “Who did this?” 8. I bit my lip, forcing back the tears. Just then, Tiffany walked out of a nearby classroom. She saw us and frowned. Liam lit another cigarette, the smoke curling around him. “So, it was them? Those three?” I looked at him, my vision blurred. I wanted to fight back. I wanted them to pay. “Can you… can you help me?” I knew Liam hated me. I knew he thought I was a freak. But he was the only person who had the power to stop them. Liam tilted his head, a dark smile playing on his lips. “If I help you, what are you going to give me in return?” That evening, right before the final bell, Liam walked into my classroom. He walked straight to Tiffany’s desk. In front of everyone, he grabbed her textbooks and dumped them over her head. Tiffany went pale. “What… what are you doing?” No one moved. Everyone knew Liam Parker’s reputation. He picked up one of her notebooks, flipping through the pages. “Just checking something. I heard you told people Clara Miller is a thief. Is that right?” Tiffany’s voice wavered. “What’s it to you?” Liam tapped her desk with his knuckles. “I want to hear you say it. Did she steal your money? Tell the truth. Did she?” Tiffany glared at me. “What are you to her, anyway?” “Don’t change the subject,” Liam hissed. “I’m going to count to three. If you don’t tell the truth, I’ll assume you’ve been lying to the whole school.” “One… two… three.” Tiffany sat there, her face white, her fists clenched. She didn’t say a word. “So, she didn’t take a dime. Interesting. Who gave you the idea that you could mess with Clara?” “If you touch her again, you deal with me.” Liam turned and looked at me. “I’m walking you home.” 9. Near the apartment entrance, I looked at him. “Why did you help me? I thought you hated me.” He furrowed his brow. “When did I ever say I hated you?” “When we were kids. You wouldn’t let me come over.” He actually chuckled at the memory. “Is that why you’ve been avoiding me all these years?” I bit my lip. What was he playing at? He sighed, looking up at the evening sky. “Man, I shouldn’t have helped you if you were just going to hold a grudge.” “I don’t hate you,” I whispered. “I just thought I was an embarrassment to you.” He reached out and ruffled my hair. He was nearly six feet tall now. “I was a dumb kid back then. I didn’t know better. Let’s call it even, okay?” “So… you don’t think I’m a freak anymore?” “Clara…” He looked at me, his gaze softening. “To be honest, I’ve watched you for a long time. You’re always alone in your little corner, trying to be invisible. It gave me this… intense urge to protect you.” I froze. “But every time you saw me, you’d turn and run like I was a wolf.” “I…” “Don’t be scared anymore,” he said softly. “As long as I’m around, no one is going to touch you.” “Are you serious?” He nodded. I took a deep breath, unable to look him in the eye. “There’s something you should know. The Vice Principal… he’s Tiffany’s uncle.” Liam didn’t flinch. “So? You think I care about that?” “I’m just worried you’ll get in trouble.” He laughed. “I haven’t done anything to her. You worry too much. You’re the victim here. Why are you so stressed for me?” “Is it really going to be okay?” “Of course it is.” In that moment, everything that had been a mountain to me became a molehill to him. “Today was just a warning,” Liam added. “I’ll settle the rest of the score later.” “Liam, don’t get into a fight.” “I’m not that stupid.” 10. Everything changed after that. Liam introduced me to his friends. He never ate breakfast, so I started waking up early to buy him a bagel and leave it on his desk. He actually started eating it. When he went to the amusement park or the movies with his crew, he’d drag me along. Over winter break, when his parents were away, his friends would hang out at his place. I’d be the one cleaning up after them, making sure the house didn’t look like a war zone. If Liam was home for dinner, I’d cook for him. I’d do his laundry and hang it up to dry. “Clara,” he said one day, watching me fold his shirts. “How are you so good at taking care of people?” “Because you helped me at school. I want to pay you back.” Tiffany Sterling never touched me again. I could finally focus on my studies. “Liam, let’s go to the same college, okay?” He nodded. “Okay.” Those were the happiest days of my life. 11. But happiness is a fragile thing. He had said he wanted to protect me. But after a while, protection turned into boredom. Junior year, rumors started. Liam was seeing a girl named Chloe Vance. She was a quiet girl from the honors program with a minor heart condition. Apparently, Liam had accidentally hit her with a soccer ball during practice and knocked her out. He had carried her to the nurse’s office. And just like that, Chloe became his new priority. I saw him one Friday afternoon. He was hailing a taxi for Chloe at the school gates. That night, I went to the Parkers’ and knocked on the door. “Mrs. Parker, is Liam home?” “Not yet, honey. He’s out somewhere. He used to come home with you every week, but things have changed.” “Is something wrong?” “No, I just forgot my pen and wanted to borrow one. I’ll just go buy one.” Back at school, I couldn’t stop myself from glancing toward the hallway where Chloe’s classes were. I saw them together. Leaning against the lockers, laughing. Liam would ruffle her hair, and she would playfully punch his arm. Chloe was beautiful—long hair, pale skin, and a bright, charming personality. Meanwhile, Tiffany Sterling started acting up again. She’d stop by my desk, her arms crossed. “Where’s your ‘big brother,’ Clara? Does he not care about you anymore?” “Did he ditch the sister for the girlfriend?” Liam had told everyone I was his sister. Our moms were always together. Even Mrs. Parker would bring me clothes sometimes. The whole school believed we were family. “Mind your own business,” I told Tiffany once when I was fed up. “Heh. You can act tough all you want. But I have a feeling your ‘good days’ are over.” 12. I tried to tell myself it was fine as long as Tiffany stayed away. Wasn’t a quiet environment all I really wanted? Anything else was a luxury I couldn’t afford. But then, I saw them. I was at the mall on Saturday, picking out a jacket. I saw Tiffany and Chloe walking arm-in-arm, laughing like best friends. The shock hit me like a physical blow. Tiffany and Chloe knew each other? Dark thoughts began to take root in my mind. That Monday, I asked Liam to talk after study hall. “Liam, does Chloe know Tiffany?” Liam shook his head. “I don’t think so. Why?” “Are you still afraid of Tiffany? I told you, as long as I’m here, she won’t touch you.” “Liam!” Chloe walked up to us. It was the first time I’d seen her up close. Her skin was as white as porcelain. She stood next to Liam, staring at me. “You guys talk. I’m heading back to class.” I hurried away. Behind me, I heard Chloe’s voice. “You shouldn’t spend so much time alone with other girls, Liam.” That night, Chloe and a group of girls cornered me in the dorms. I was brushing my hair. Chloe slammed her hand onto my desk. “Clara Miller, do you have any shame? Liam is my boyfriend. Stay away from him.” Tiffany was standing right behind her. I was right. They were together. “I’m not bothering him. I just had a question tonight. It won’t happen again.” Chloe was still fuming. “It better not. Or I’ll make you regret it.” Tiffany whispered something in Chloe’s ear. “Why don’t you prove how much Liam actually cares about you?” Chloe hesitated. “What if Liam finds out and gets mad at me?” “You’re his girlfriend now,” Tiffany insisted. “Liam said Clara is just some girl who lives next door. She’s not his sister. You need to know where his loyalty lies.” “Fine. I’ll do it.” “What are you doing?” I asked, backing away. Chloe raised her hand and slapped me across the face. “Clara, hear me? Stay away from Liam, or I’ll do this every time I see you.” I didn’t hold back. I slapped her right back. “You freak! You actually hit me?” My reaction infuriated her. She lunged at me, tearing at my hair. We tumbled onto the floor. Luckily, a roommate ran in and yelled that the RA was coming. Chloe scrambled up and fled. The next morning, I was in a daze. I couldn’t even memorize my vocab words. A classmate came over. “Liam wants to see you outside.” I walked out to the hallway. Liam’s eyes were cold. “What happened in the dorms last night? Chloe said you attacked her.” “She came into my room and told me to stay away from you. She slapped me first. And Tiffany was with her.” I looked at him, hoping he’d see the truth. “Tiffany is her cousin,” Liam said, his voice flat. “They’re family. Of course they were together.” He looked at me with a mix of disappointment and anger. It was a look I’d never seen from him before. “She has a heart condition, Clara. You shouldn’t have hit her. She’s in the hospital.” My eyes went wide. “But she hit me first! Am I not allowed to defend myself?” I fought back the tears. “She said she never touched you.” I felt my heart shatter. “And you believe her? Over me?” “Clara… she’s willing to let this go for my sake. Her parents don’t even know yet. If they find out, you’ll be paying her medical bills. You know that, right?” He turned and walked away. I watched his back, my whole body shaking. “Liam! I don’t need your protection anymore! Not ever again!”

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The heavy stench of alcohol on him was a constant reminder: he had still gone to see Emma last night. I lost control of my emotions. I pushed him away, pulled off my engagement ring, and threw it into the dark. He searched desperately for it all day. When soft tactics didn’t work, he resorted to force. But I already didn’t want to love him anymore. 1 Emma Davis was back. She deliberately sent me a text: “Chloe, thank you for staying by Liam’s side through those hard times.” It happened just as Liam Carter walked in. It happened just as we were in the middle of a cold war. I unconsciously bit my lower lip, a bitter taste spreading in my mouth. Today was his birthday. I had baked a cake from scratch, wanting to be the first to soften and make peace. But the moment I opened the door, I saw Liam and Emma tangled together on the sofa. Smash! The cake dropped and splattered all over the floor. I slammed the door and walked away. Liam panicked and chased after me. “Chloe, it’s not what it looks like.” He reeked of alcohol, mixed with the pungent scent of her perfume. It made me want to gag. “I get it,” I said. “It’s just a mistake any man might make. Go back and finish what you started.” “Chloe, stop making a scene. I can’t lose you.” My Uber arrived quickly. Thoroughly disappointed and drained of all anger, I said, “I’m really tired today. Just let me go, okay?” Liam lowered his head. I hadn’t seen him in a few days, and his hair seemed to have grown longer, covering his eyes. He looked exhausted, conflicted, and torn. Ever since his business took off, he had become calm and decisive. I hadn’t seen him look this lost and helpless in a very long time. He finally let go of my hand, hesitating. “Let me take you back to the hotel.” The dim night wind blew, sending a chill straight to my heart. “No need.” I got into the car. The driver reminded me to buckle up and started the engine. I leaned against the window, the bumps in the road making my head sway gently. My heart still ached terribly. Maybe because I had been so fiercely loyal to him, he took it as a given that I would never leave. So, he offered no explanation and made no real effort to make me stay. But what he didn’t know was that I was tired. I didn’t want to love him anymore. I watched the neon lights outside blur into streaks of color as the past played back in my mind like a movie. Liam and I didn’t have many romantic memories. The moment that moved me the most was the night he saved me. He didn’t know me back then, but I had a huge crush on him. That night, after a late study session at the campus library, a creep followed me on my way back to the dorms. Hearing the gross laughter and quickening footsteps behind me, I was terrified. Then, just like the male lead in a movie, Liam appeared right on time. He threw an arm around my shoulder and smiled. “Girlfriend, wandering around this late? I’m gonna get mad.” He escorted me all the way back to my building. I didn’t sleep at all that night. My mind was full of his handsome side profile, our overlapping shadows under the streetlights, and that ambiguous word: “Girlfriend.” Having a crush is a chaotic, one-person war. Even making eye contact with him made my heart race. But his eyes were only ever on Emma. Emma liked the attention, but she looked down on his poor background, always stringing him along. It wasn’t until Emma started dating a trust-fund kid and moved abroad that Liam finally gave up. During that time, he let his studies slip, drank himself into a stupor, and hit rock bottom. Losing Emma shattered him. I couldn’t bear to see him destroy himself, so I secretly kept tabs on him and wrote him letters of encouragement. After graduation, I thought our paths would never cross again. Unexpectedly, we ended up working at the same corporate firm. Later, because of our projects, we spent more and more time together. We ate lunch together, went on business trips, pulled all-nighters, and grabbed late-night diner food. We drifted closer, our interactions growing increasingly ambiguous. We finally made it official after a client dinner. That night, an aggressive client got handsy and ended up ripping a button off my white blouse. Liam got into a fistfight for me, draped his suit jacket over my shoulders, and boldly escorted me out in front of everyone. To appease the client, the manager fired him on the spot. That night, his emotions were incredibly unstable. He drank too much, his voice trembling as he shouted at the city skyline across the river. “Why?! Just because we don’t have power, money, or connections, we have to be bullied and swallow our pride?! I swear I’m going to make a name for myself and smash their ugly faces!” I wept silently, holding him tightly. Two down-and-out people huddled together for warmth in the freezing wind. He confessed to me. There were no sweet words, just his dark, shining eyes. “Chloe, be with me. I won’t ever let you down.” Crying, I cupped his face, kissed his lips, and said yes. The wind tangled our hair together. That night, we awkwardly and passionately explored each other. At the height of it, he kissed my ear and hoarsely repeated, “Chloe, I won’t let you down.” A soft, miraculous feeling seeped into my heart. I felt so safe. I held him and cried as I kissed him back. Later, I stayed by his side as he launched his startup. Slowly, our little company grew. Then it became a massive corporation, and Liam became an industry titan. I thought I was lucky. I thought I was the one who got to walk to the finish line with the regretful crush of my youth. It wasn’t until Emma came back that I realized how pathetic I was. Years of my loyal companionship couldn’t rival a single pout from her. He grew colder toward me, came home later and later, and we spoke less and less. Thinking back, Liam and I never even had a honeymoon phase. We were always just… steady. Plain. Even the romantic things he said to me were incredibly bland: “Chloe, being with you makes me feel at peace.” I used to be so moved by that. Until I accidentally unlocked his old phone and looked through the photo gallery. He had played the guitar for her under the moonlight. He had hand-carved a wooden comb for her. He had lit a heart made of candles for her. He had stayed up all night writing poetry for her. It turned out he wasn’t incapable of romance or surprises. He just didn’t want to waste his time and energy preparing them for me. Maybe he had never felt his heart flutter for me. He chose me simply because I didn’t throw tantrums, didn’t make demands, and devoted myself entirely to him. 2 The next day, I drove to the office. In truth, I hadn’t been to the company in a while. Even though I owned shares, I didn’t like corporate management or the business operations, so I held an empty title and spent most of my time running my own floral boutique. When Liam saw me, surprise flashed in his eyes. He had dark circles under them; he clearly hadn’t slept well last night. “Chloe, what are you doing here?” “I think there are some things we need to make clear.” A knock on the door interrupted us. Someone brought in tea, accompanied by a very familiar perfume scent. I looked at the person holding the tray. Sure enough, it was Emma. I knew that scent all too well. On countless nights when Liam came home late, I had smelled it on his suit. At first, I only suspected. I never expected that they had rekindled their messy, tangled affair long before I even noticed, and that he had actually given her a job at our company. How incredibly ironic. A rare look of panic flashed across Liam’s face. He only ever showed that kind of flustered, helpless expression in front of his old flame. “You can step out,” Liam told her. Emma pouted, a playful look crossing her flawlessly manicured face. I couldn’t stand watching them flirt right under my nose. “Wait. Fire her. Right now.” “Chloe, calm down,” Liam pleaded. “I’m already helping her find another job. Her family went bankrupt, her boyfriend dumped her, and she’s drowning in debt. We were college classmates. I purely just want to help her.” Helping her all the way into his bed? Purely? I saw Emma holding back a smirk, only to instantly put on a pitiful, fragile look the moment Liam glanced her way. Any man would feel a surge of protective instinct seeing that—especially since she was his untouchable first love. Emma spoke up in a weak voice. “Chloe, we used to be roommates. Don’t be so ruthless. What you saw yesterday was truly a misunderstanding. I can explain.” “Liam, I’m giving you two choices. She leaves, or I leave.” “Chloe, stop acting out. You never used to be this aggressive.” There it was again. That torn, conflicted expression. Suddenly, it was like a bucket of ice water had been poured over my head. Disappointment made me unusually calm. After all these years by his side, I only managed to occupy a small corner of his heart. I could never become his undeniable preference. He would never choose me without hesitation. Perhaps my gaze was too icy, because he finally compromised and fired Emma. But I knew she hadn’t lost, and I hadn’t won. 3 “Liam, we…” Before I could finish, my words were silenced by a soft warmth pressing against my lips. Whenever we fought in the past, he used this method. Dominant yet gentle, he would show weakness, holding me and coaxing me in a soft voice: “Promise me, never say those two words (break up).” But this time, his eyes were red. “Chloe, I’m sorry. I’ll handle this properly. Just give me some time, please? That day was truly an accident. She was drunk and out of her mind. I was going to push her away, but you came back right then. Chloe, I can’t live without you. Don’t look at me like that, it kills me.” Looking at him now, my heart felt absolutely nothing. I even found it laughable. I used to always watch him. When he was happy, I was happy. When he was sad, I was even sadder. I always tried so hard to step into his world, but he never actively shared his joys or sorrows with me. Back when we first started the business, he worked himself to the bone to build connections, secure orders, and expand the company. He skipped meals, ignored his illnesses, drank heavily every day, traveled constantly, and messed up his sleep schedule. I knew he was under immense pressure. It’s not easy fighting for success alone. I wanted to share the burden, but he never talked to me. He only ever told me not to worry. But how could I not worry? Every time I saw him throwing up in the bathroom for half an hour, or smoking irritably on the balcony, I could only stand behind him, constantly guessing his situation, feeling deeply anxious, and suffering from insomnia night after night. Maybe even if Emma hadn’t reappeared, my heart would have grown exhausted by him eventually anyway. I pushed him away, my mind made up. “Let’s break up. The wedding is off.” My best friend Maya heard what happened and rushed over to see me in a panic. We found a coffee shop downstairs from the company. The moment we sat down, Maya started cursing him out. “I was so blind. I never expected Liam to be such a scumbag. You guys are almost married, and he’s still tangled up with another woman! We can’t let this slide. That shameless bitch, Emma Davis, right? Watch how I handle her. Don’t worry Chloe, I’ll definitely get revenge for you.” “I broke up with him.” “Break up… good! Wait, what? You just said you broke up?! Chloe, if you initiate a breakup now, aren’t you playing right into their hands? This is too much. When you got together with him, he had absolutely nothing. If it weren’t for you, how could he be this successful today? Even if you break up, you can’t let him off that easily.” Right on cue, Emma showed up at the absolute worst time. She didn’t see me. She and a few friends happened to sit at the table right behind us. “Emma, you’re amazing! I heard you bagged another rich boyfriend.” Emma smugly showed off, “Oh, him? He’s an old college classmate. He had a massive crush on me back then, but I wasn’t interested. Who would have thought that after all these years, he’s still obsessed with me?” “Emma, your charm is insane. I’m so jealous.” “If it weren’t for the fact that he’s doing pretty well for himself now, there’s no way I would have ever gone back to an ex.” “Emma, don’t tell me you’re only with him because he has money now?” They all giggled together in a knowing, unspoken agreement. The laughter pierced my ears, incredibly grating. I grabbed my iced coffee and poured it directly over her head. The dark liquid dripped down from her hair, crawling down her face like disgusting little worms. Emma shrieked, “Chloe Bennett, are you crazy?!” “I think you’re the crazy one. Ruining someone else’s relationship—is that really something worth bragging about?” “What are you doing?!” Liam’s voice rang out. “Liam!” Emma cried. “She’s bullying me!” What perfect timing. Liam appeared exactly when she needed rescuing. 4 Emma threw herself pitifully into Liam’s arms, rubbing against his chest. Her makeup stained his crisp, clean shirt with brown smudges. It looked so dirty. So incredibly dirty. His hand rested on her shoulder. He couldn’t bear to push her away, yet he looked at me with an expression of sheer disbelief. It was as if I could hear his words echoing again: “Chloe, stop acting out. You never used to be this aggressive.” Every single word was like a needle, densely packed and stabbing directly into my heart. Liam. It’s been seven years. Have you ever truly understood me? Walking out of the coffee shop, a sudden wave of nausea hit me. I leaned against the brick wall in an alleyway, dry heaving violently, but nothing came up. Maya patted my back gently. “Chloe, what’s wrong?” I felt terrible. I couldn’t utter a single word, only shaking my head continuously. Maya grew worried. “You’re not… pregnant, are you? We need to go to the hospital right now.” Liam had chased after us. Seeing the dark stain on his shirt, the nausea I had just managed to suppress surged back up, and I started dry heaving again. He scooped me up into his arms. I pounded on his chest like a madwoman, but he didn’t loosen his grip in the slightest. Maya panicked and blocked his path. “What the hell are you doing? Put Chloe down!” Liam’s voice was devoid of warmth. “If you don’t want anything bad to happen to her, get out of my way.” He placed me in the passenger seat and buckled my seatbelt. I felt a bone-deep chill. Staring at him numbly, I said only one word: “Dirty.” The doctor confirmed it. I was a little over two months pregnant. I bit my lower lip so hard a sweet, metallic taste filled my mouth. The coldness spread from my chest through my entire body. My little baby, you really came at the wrong time. It started pouring rain outside. The drops fell like broken strings of pearls, violently tapping against the windowpanes. When I woke up, the dim, yellow lights of the hospital room made me feel momentarily disoriented. I remembered the first time I ever brought up breaking up. It was also in a hospital, only the person lying in the bed was Liam. He had finally collapsed from the intense workload. First a high fever, then a bleeding stomach ulcer. He was unconscious for a very long time. Seeing him lying there so pale, refusing to wake up, I was terrified. All my grievances, sorrow, and insecurity mixed together and exploded in an instant, crushing my fragile nerves. I had clearly told him: smoke less, drink less, don’t stay up all night, eat your meals on time, and don’t delay going to the doctor when you’re sick. But he never listened. He acted like his body was made of iron. He kept everything from me, always trying to be the tough guy, until he dragged himself into a severe illness. When his condition finally stabilized, I asked for a breakup. I thought I could say those two words calmly, but once they actually left my mouth, I covered my face and broke down crying. Liam hugged me, rubbing my back, coaxing me in my ear: “Chloe, it’s okay. Don’t cry. It’s all my fault for making you worry. I promise there won’t be a next time.” Back then, I was still so deeply, hopelessly in love with this man. But bit by bit, he had completely drained away every expectation I ever had for him. Sometimes I felt that maybe Liam had never loved me at all. It was just that no one else had ever loved him as purely as I did. “Liam, we are already broken up. I don’t want to see you ever again.” Hearing my voice, Liam suddenly snapped his head up. His hair was a mess. His hands were trembling. His eyes were red and entirely bloodshot. Was he crying? He carefully took my hand and pressed it against his forehead. The moment our skin touched, he buried his head again, his shoulders shaking uncontrollably. I felt a wet patch spread across my palm. He was crying! He was always so calm and restrained, but right now, he was sobbing like a helpless child. I didn’t understand. Why was he acting so devastated? What was the point? Right now, I felt nothing but disappointment toward him. Liam’s voice was raspy. “I don’t accept it. I told you, I can’t live without you. I will absolutely never let you go. I’m sorry, I was wrong…” I sneered. “Liam, do you know what? Seeing you cry right now… I just find it incredibly pathetic.” 5 Honestly, I felt fine physically and wanted to be discharged immediately, but Liam forbade it. He insisted I stay in the hospital for a few more days for observation. I didn’t have the energy to fight him, so I just lay down and turned my back to him. Liam fussed over me endlessly. Tucking me in, pouring me warm water, peeling fruit for me. Like a puppy that knew it did something wrong, dropping its head to curry favor. But I had no desire to acknowledge him. I texted Maya to come pick me up. Taking advantage of a moment when Liam stepped out to take a phone call, I made my escape. When Liam realized it, he chased after me, but was intercepted by a tall, muscular man. I got into Maya’s car. She wiggled her eyebrows at me. “How about that? I brought my older brother. Reliable, right?” As the car slowly pulled away, Liam grew further and further in the distance. He sprinted after us desperately, but couldn’t catch up. The sky was a dull gray. It started raining again, the drops smashing against the windshield, blurring the figure in the rearview mirror until he was gone. “Chloe, are you okay?” I shook my head. Maya was worried about me, so she took me back to her place. She even cooked a whole table of delicious food for me. Though I didn’t have much of an appetite, I was deeply touched. “Maya, you’re so domestic. Whoever marries you is going to be the luckiest guy in the world.” “Shut up, I don’t ever want to get married. Don’t jinx me.” I picked up a piece of pot roast, but just as I was about to take a bite, a sudden wave of nausea hit me. I sprinted to the bathroom and threw up violently. Maya started crying out of worry. “Chloe, what is wrong with you?!” I remained unusually calm. “It’s fine. I’m just pregnant.” The pale yellow nightlight cast a faint glow in the room. I lay flat on the bed next to Maya, staring at the ceiling, making aimless small talk. It felt as if we had returned to our carefree college days. Then, my phone buzzed with a notification. I thought it was Liam and didn’t want to look, but when I opened it, it was a message from Emma. “I really have to thank you for giving Liam back to me.” She attached a photo. In it, Liam was blackout drunk, slumped over a table. Emma was kissing his cheek, looking straight into the camera with a triumphant, victorious smile. She was provoking me. She clearly didn’t realize that I was no longer the same Chloe Bennett who was so easy to bully years ago. Pregnancy fueled my rebellion. A suffocating rage ignited in the pit of my stomach. I hated Liam. I despised Emma. I wanted revenge. Liam and I had once drafted a “breakup agreement” for our shared assets. He had probably forgotten. Back then, to prevent Emma from returning and snatching him away, I intentionally added a clause: If Liam ever gets back together with Emma, he will voluntarily transfer all his assets to my name. At the time, he laughed at me for being jealous over nothing and signed it without hesitation. Regretting it now would be useless. But to stop Liam from trying to back out, I needed to gather more evidence of him being with Emma. “Chloe, what’s wrong?” “I’ve decided. I’m going to play matchmaker for Liam and Emma.” “Chloe, don’t scare me.” Maya looked totally confused. She pressed her palm to my forehead, thinking I had a fever that had literally burned my brain. I explained the breakup agreement to her. She immediately gave me a thumbs-up and praised me. “I underestimated you! You had a backup plan this whole time. I’m definitely helping you with this. When you become a rich, single billionaire, don’t forget about me!” We racked our brains coming up with wicked schemes, cursing both of them out, and eventually felt incredibly vindicated and relaxed. The next morning, I woke up early to start executing my plan. But when I opened the door, I saw Liam. He was sitting on the floor, his knees pulled up, leaning against the wall. His head was buried in his crossed arms. His tall frame was curled up into a tight ball, looking like an abandoned child. He looked so incredibly sad and lonely. Hearing the door open, he looked up at me. His eyes were heavy and drooping. A man in his early thirties, looking utterly pathetic. “What are you doing here?” He suddenly stood up and hugged me tightly, his voice hoarse and trembling. “Chloe, it took me so long to find you. Please don’t leave me, okay? I know I was wrong. I really know I was wrong.” The heavy stench of alcohol on him was a constant reminder: he had still gone to see Emma last night. I lost control of my emotions. I used all my strength to push him away. I pulled the engagement ring off my ring finger and, right in front of his face, hurled it as far as I could into the distance. The ring traced a swift arc through the air and vanished from sight. “Liam, whatever we had is just like that ring. You can never get it back.” “I can find it.” Liam walked off in the direction I had thrown it, searching the ground. 6 I thought he would give up quickly. The apartment complex was huge, and the ring was so small. The chances of finding it were practically zero. He was a man who never wasted his time or energy on meaningless tasks. But to my shock, he searched for the entire day and never gave up. Watching him stumble around, looking like he was going to pass out at any second, I finally felt a pang of pity. “Stop looking. You won’t find it. Just go. If you die of exhaustion out here, I’m not taking responsibility.” Liam acted as if he didn’t hear me. He forced himself to keep going, muttering to himself, “I will definitely find it.” The sky was getting darker. If he actually found it, it would be a literal miracle. I couldn’t be bothered to care anymore. I turned around to leave. “I found it!” Liam gasped loudly. He excitedly grabbed my hand. His grip was incredibly strong; no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t pull my hand back. I could only watch as he slid the ring back onto my ring finger. “So what if you found it? I can just throw it away again.” “Don’t you dare.” I tried to throw it again, but he pinned my arms down. Then, he scooped me up into his arms. I fought back. I just wanted to push him away, but in my panic, my nails dug into his face and scratched him. The deep gouge extended from beneath his eye down to his jawline, beads of blood welling up. It looked exactly like a trail of bloody tears. Seeing that long, bleeding scratch, I felt terrible and stopped struggling. He didn’t get angry. His tone actually softened. “Chloe, stop fighting. You’re going to hurt yourself.” Maya rushed out, wanting to save me, but one look from Liam terrified her into freezing in place. His eyes were filled with a dark, paranoid possessiveness. The night wind was chilly, and I shivered. Liam took off his jacket, draped it over me, and put me in his car. I turned my head away, refusing to look at him, but from the corner of my eye, I could still see that brutal scar. When we got out of the car, he was afraid I’d run, so he held me tight the entire way up. I demanded to be put down so I could walk myself, but he refused. His grip was an iron vice; I couldn’t break free at all. When we entered the elevator, people stared at us. I felt so humiliated I buried my face in his jacket, only to hear him let out a faint, barely audible chuckle. Once inside our home, he set me down on the sofa and crouched beside me. That bloody scratch made his gaze look even more tragic. “It’s okay if you don’t forgive me. You can hit me, you can scream at me, but you cannot leave me.” “You’re insane.” Soft tactics had failed, so now he was using force to keep me by his side. “Your custom wedding dress is ready. We’re going to try it on tomorrow. Our wedding is proceeding as scheduled.” “Why?! You clearly love Emma! Why won’t you just let me go?!” “No, Chloe. I love you.” It was the first time I had ever heard such a serious, desperate confession leave his lips. My brain short-circuited. “I don’t care. I’m not marrying you. Marry whoever you want.” That night, I had a nightmare. In the dream, Liam and I were walking arm-in-arm down the aisle. It was supposed to be a joyous occasion, but the way Liam looked at me was deeply sorrowful. I felt a warm rush of fluid from my abdomen. My pristine white wedding gown was stained with fresh blood. My hands were covered in blood. Everything I looked at was washed in crimson. I panicked. It hurt so much. I wanted to scream, but I couldn’t make a sound. My body went weightless as I fell backward. I jolted awake, drenched in a cold sweat. The other side of the bed was empty. Liam was leaning against the balcony railing, staring into the pitch-black night. The ember of his cigarette glowed and faded. He smoked one after another, the pale moonlight tracing the silhouette of an incredibly tragic, burdened man. Suddenly, a profound sense of dread washed over me.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “414044”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

I handed in a blank answer sheet for the SATs, and my dad was so furious he kicked me out of the house. Just like that, a billionaire heiress was reduced to hauling bricks at a construction site, barely able to afford a meal. I latched onto the hottest guy on the site, clinging to his leg just to score free food. I even fed him wild promises, swearing that the moment I returned home, I’d reward him with a literal mountain of gold. He just rested his chin on his hand and smiled at me. “I don’t want any of that. I just want you.” I patted his handsome face. “Hahaha, are you dreaming? A scrub like you trying to land a supermodel?” But the moment an acceptance letter from MIT was delivered to the construction site, it finally hit me. I was the scrub who was completely out of his league. 1 To a lot of people, the SATs are the ultimate stepping stone to changing your destiny. To me, they were just a joke. My family is loaded. Even if I bombed the SATs, my dad could just write a massive check to get me into an Ivy League school or send me to Europe. Feeling rebellious, I bubbled in a smiley face on my scantron and handed in a blank test. I didn’t expect my dad to actually explode and kick me out. “Avery Preston! There is no child of mine who brings shame to this family like you do!” “It’s just a test, Dad. A little money fixes everything… don’t have a heart attack over it.” “You’ve been too comfortable your whole life! If you don’t go out and taste real human suffering, you’ll never learn how to appreciate anything!” And just like that, I was swept out the front door. Is life on the outside really that hard? I went to Whole Foods and tossed a bunch of expensive snacks into my basket, ready for a feast. But when I went to check out, every single credit card declined. They were all frozen. The cashier crossed her arms and glared at me with absolute disdain. “Hurry up. There’s a huge line waiting behind you.” I looked back. Everyone was tapping their feet impatiently. I forced a dry smile and apologized. “I’m so sorry, I don’t need any of this anymore.” It was the first time I had ever felt so humiliated. The second I walked out of the store, I called my dad to confront him. “Arthur! Are you seriously heartless enough to cancel all my cards? What am I supposed to eat?” My dad’s emotionless voice came through the speaker. “You have hands and feet. Figure it out yourself.” He hung up instantly, denying me any chance to argue. Wow. The old man was playing for keeps. Did he really think I couldn’t survive without him? I refused to believe it. A high school grad with no degree and no experience—finding a job was a nightmare. A trendy boba shop on the corner was hiring. I walked into the interview brimming with confidence. Guess what? I was completely out-talked by the other applicants, and I didn’t have the customer service hustle they had. For a moment, I actually regretted not paying attention in my communication classes. It was a total defeat. Then I interviewed at a 24-hour convenience store. I couldn’t compete there either. The other applicants were willing to work 12-hour graveyard shifts. I couldn’t do that. So, I was rejected again. I finally managed to land a job as a waitress at a diner, but they immediately threw me into the dish pit. After one day of washing dishes, I was physically drained. To top it off, a customer complained about a smudge on a plate, and I was fired on the spot. In that moment, I deeply felt the “human suffering” my dad talked about. Making money is actually this hard… But as stubborn as I am, there was no way I was going to admit defeat to the old man now. Even if I had to beg on the streets, I would never go back and beg him! 2 I wandered around for a whole day, exhausted and starving. I drifted toward a commercial construction site and saw an incredibly hot guy sitting by the road, wolfing down a cheap takeout box. His skin was tanned a dark bronze by the sun, and the smooth, powerful lines of his muscles stretched all the way down his arms. But his brow was noble, and his facial features were sharp and striking. He honestly didn’t look like an ordinary laborer. “…Is it really that good?” I crouched by the roadside watching him eat, swallowing hard as my stomach growled. He paused his aggressive eating, looked up at me, and a faint blush actually crept across his tanned cheeks. “Um… do you want some?” I nodded, gulping. I was looking at him like he was my savior. He smiled and stood up. He was wearing baggy cargo pants, and right on the back pocket, there was a tear, giving a peek of his SpongeBob SquarePants boxers. I couldn’t help but burst out laughing. Wow, that was actually pretty cute. He went to the food truck nearby and bought another lunch box. He turned around to find me laughing so hard I was bending over. “What’s so funny?” “SpongeBob. Your back pocket has a hole in it.” He whipped around, the blush instantly spreading all the way to the tips of his ears. “…It probably got snagged on some rebar when I was hauling bricks earlier.” He hurriedly handed me the food box, then pulled his T-shirt off in one swift motion and tied it around his waist. Is this free show meant for me? I held the lunch box, completely stunned, staring at the hard, sculpted abs on his stomach that V-ed down low. I swallowed hard again. I sat down next to him, throwing away any pretense of being a lady, and started shoveling food into my mouth in huge bites just like him. Even this greasy street food smelled heavenly. “Thanks for the food. I’m Avery Preston. What about you?” “Leo.” I mumbled through my mouthful of rice, stealing a piece of meat from his box while promising him the moon. “Leo? Got it. My dad is loaded. You giving me food today means I will repay you with a literal fountain of wealth later.” He looked me up and down, taking in my filthy, dust-covered clothes, and just smiled. “It’s fine. It’s just a lunch box. You don’t need to repay me.” I looked down at my grease-stained outfit and sighed. Looking the way I did right now, it was normal for him not to believe me. If I were him, I probably would have thought I was a scammer, too. I wiped the box completely clean. Seeing that he was about to leave, I quickly reached out and grabbed the hem of his shirt. “Um… can I stick with you? I don’t have anywhere else to go…” He was clearly taken aback. “The place I live is… in really bad condition. You…” “It doesn’t matter! Please! You wouldn’t let a girl sleep on the streets, right?” I think my teary-eyed, pathetic look must have touched him. After thinking for a moment, he actually agreed to let me follow him. Someone this kind and seemingly innocent had to be a good guy. I had to latch onto him tightly. If I relied on myself, I was going to starve. 3 Even though I thought I was mentally prepared, I didn’t expect his living conditions to be this bad. We navigated through sketchy alleyways into a rundown part of town, up a damp, narrow stairwell, and into a tiny studio apartment that barely got any sunlight. The craziest part was, the bathroom didn’t even have a door! But luckily, this tiny space was kept spotlessly clean. The blanket was folded perfectly, and his few belongings were neatly organized. In this tiny place, he had managed to clear a whole wall to make a makeshift bookshelf, packed tightly with books. “You like to read?” He stood awkwardly by the door. “Yeah, I just read whatever when I have free time.” “That’s good. A young man with ambition.” I scanned the room and stood at the bathroom doorway. “So, I’m absolutely filthy. Can I take a shower first?” He reacted instantly, rummaging through a drawer to find an old bedsheet, and rigged it up as a makeshift curtain over the bathroom doorway. The old blue plaid sheet swayed slightly in the draft. Wow. A bathroom where a cold breeze blows right over your butt. This was definitely a new life experience. “Little Leo, do you have any clean clothes I can borrow?” Leo handed me a T-shirt. “This one is new.” “Any new underwear?” As soon as I asked, I wanted to slap myself. Even if they were new, could I just wear his? Sure enough, his face turned red again. “I’ll go to the convenience store downstairs and buy you some.” Then he bought me a pack of massive, high-waisted granny panties. Seriously. What could I do? I just had to make do. “No hot water heater?” I lifted the curtain and poked my head out, nagging so much I wanted to smack myself. Leo put down his book and gave an apologetic smile. “I usually take cold showers. If you need hot water, I’ll boil some for you.” “How long is an electric kettle going to take to boil enough water?” I started missing the massive jacuzzi bathtub at my house. Using a kettle to boil bathwater—this was a first. He brought over a red plastic bucket, pouring one kettle of boiling water after another into it. I stayed in the bathroom, washing my hair and body. That night, he probably boiled thirty or forty kettles of water. He literally blew the circuit breaker. 4 I got dressed in the dark and walked out. Leo had just flipped the breaker back on. The sudden bright light made us both flinch. He froze, his eyes frantically shifting away, and handed me a dry towel. “Dry your hair. Don’t catch a cold.” The tiny studio only had one twin-sized bed. He put clean sheets on it for me, and laid out a cooling mat on the floor for himself. A guy who is gentle and meticulous really hits my weak spot. He was totally different from all the rich playboys I had met before. Even though our social statuses were worlds apart, I felt he carried a light they could never match. In the middle of the night, I was woken up by a rustling sound. An unidentified object was crawling up my arm. I screamed in terror, jumping off the bed and scrambling wildly to dive at Leo. “HELP!!!” Leo was startled badly. He pulled me into his arms to protect me, turned on the light, and discovered a massive, juicy cockroach. It was staring at me imperiously, almost as if it was mocking me. I hid behind Leo in terror, wrapping myself around his back like a koala. “Why is there a cockroach that big! Ahhhh!” Leo calmly used the sole of his shoe to send the roach to the afterlife, grabbed tissues to clean up the crime scene, and then disinfected the spot with alcohol. How practiced he looked was heartbreaking. “The weather is damp, so it’s easy to get bugs. I’ll buy a mosquito net for you tomorrow, so they won’t crawl on you.” I was trembling, too scared to go back to bed. But this guy smirked wickedly. “There are way more cockroaches on the floor.” I teleported back to the bed in one second. I didn’t dare turn off the light the rest of the night. Because the floor was damp and buggy, when I woke up the next morning and Leo was washing his face, I saw a huge patch of heat rash on his originally smooth back. But no matter what I said, he refused to go to a clinic. “It’s just a minor rash. I’m a guy, I’m thick-skinned. It’ll heal soon.” I knew he was just worried about spending money, so he was enduring it. I didn’t expose him. Guys need their pride. But in my heart, I silently vowed to treat him better. Much better. 5 If I’m eating his food and living in his place, I have to contribute something. I wanted to go to the construction site with him. Leo rubbed the top of my head and smiled. “The work is too hard. You can’t do it.” “I totally can! If everyone else can do it, why can’t I?” Leo couldn’t talk me out of it, so he took me to the site. I didn’t expect that after only an hour, I would get a severe sunburn. “Go home. It’s too sunny.” Leo adjusted the hard hat on my head, bent down to my eye level, flashed his white teeth, and smiled. “Look, your face is already sunburned.” “What are you doing! Instead of working, you’re over here flirting!” The arrogant project manager, Wayne Biggs, was hiding in the shade, constantly yelling at the workers to move faster. Everyone was hot and exhausted. “Coming!” Leo responded, then turned back to me, pulling out a few crumpled bills. “Go buy some drinks you like. Girls shouldn’t be out here.” Without waiting for my answer, he pushed a wheelbarrow piled high with bricks straight into the blazing sun. His clothes were soaked through with sweat, clinging tightly to the curves of his body. Holding the money he gave me, I felt a lump in my throat. The bills in my hand felt scorching hot. Making money is really, really hard. On such a hot day, forcing workers to toil under the sun at noon—this was pure bullying. “Hey! It’s noon! You should let everyone take a break!” Wayne raised an eyebrow, the cigarette in his mouth wobbling as he spoke indistinctly. “Where did this little brat come from? You think you can teach me how to do my job?” “It’s literally 104 degrees out here. You’re still making them work outside? If someone drops dead, can you take responsibility?” Wayne snubbed out his cigarette, revealing a mouthful of nasty yellow teeth, wearing a face that begged to be punched. “If they don’t want to work, they can screw off. There are plenty of people who need money right now. Who cares what the job is?” I was absolutely furious. I walked up to Wayne and lowered my voice in a warning. “My dad is Arthur Preston! This development belongs to his company! You better act right!” Wayne froze, then the smile on his face slowly widened. In the end, he actually laughed so hard he bent over. “And my dad is Elon Musk! Hahaha…” “…” For the first time in my life, I felt a sense of complete powerlessness. It was like swinging a punch into a pile of cotton. It turns out that once I stepped out of my dad’s shadow, I was absolutely nothing. I called my Uncle Joe—my dad’s brother—who spoiled me the most, begging for backup. “Uncle Joe, can you help me out? The project manager at this site is forcing workers to toil at noon, and I…” “Avery, your dad forbade us from interfering. How about this, you just apologize to him?” The old man was really playing for keeps this time. I didn’t want to go back to that house anyway. Even if he came begging me, I wouldn’t go back! 6 Sure enough, not long after, someone on the site got heatstroke. When he fainted, he almost fell right into the cement mixer. It was Leo who carried him back to the shade. The older worker, Ben, rested for a long while before he recovered. Ben was fanning himself with his hat brim, sighing. “Thank God for Leo. Otherwise, my old life would have been over.” I handed him some water. “Uncle Ben, drink some water to cool down.” Uncle Ben looked at me in surprise. “You’re a pretty, clean little girl. Why did you come to suffer on this construction site?” “I came with Leo.” Uncle Ben took a huge gulp of water, shaking his head helplessly. “You’re both good kids. Leo just has a hard life. As soon as the SATs were over, he came to the site to haul bricks to earn tuition money. Did you come to earn tuition too?” The question left me completely embarrassed. I hurriedly shook my head. “No, no, I’m just here to make ends meet.” I couldn’t exactly tell him I got a zero on the SATs and was kicked out by my dad, right? 7 Leo could tell I was in a bad mood, and he tried his best to make me laugh. He said he’d take me to have some good food. A small roadside diner was packed with workers who had just gotten off shift. They seemed very familiar with Leo, smiling and greeting him. “Leo, is this your girlfriend? She’s a knockout.” Leo froze. I threw an arm around his shoulders to save him. “We’re just bros, okay? Guys, please don’t tease our Leo anymore. He’s got thin skin.” Another round of roaring laughter. Leo, with a smile, pulled me down to sit. “You’re really not shy at all, are you?” I smiled and made a funny face at him. “Sister has seen it all.” He picked all the meat out of his dish and gave it to me. I protested; the meat was a bit too fatty. “I don’t eat fat.” He glanced at me helplessly, and picked the fatty pieces out of my bowl. “Then you eat the lean parts, and leave the fat for me.” “But my saliva is on this.” “It’s fine.” Watching him eat so seriously, my eyes got hot. I felt an intense ache in my chest for him. The old me always liked to order a ton of dishes, just taking one bite of each. Such waste. Only now did I realize how many people there are who can’t even bear to waste a single grain of rice dropped on the table. “Are you used to the food yet?” I smiled and nodded, but then I spotted a bright green caterpillar in the leafy greens. My scalp immediately went numb. If this had been the old me, I would have jumped up and flipped the table. But right now, the diner’s owner was sweating, furiously stir-frying dishes, with a crying baby strapped to her back. Everyone here was fighting tooth and nail just to survive. How could I bear to shatter this peace? I silently picked out the bug, and lowered my voice. “I’ll cook for you from now on. Eating out all the time is too expensive.” Leo looked up, the corners of his mouth turning up. “Are you serious?” “As serious as a heart attack.” 8 I have no idea where I got the courage to say I would cook for Leo. Before this, I had barely ever stepped foot into the massive kitchen at my house. For the first time, I learned how to keep a budget. I also learned how to haggle over prices at the grocery store. Since our funds were limited, and seeing how exhausting Leo’s work was, every dollar spent felt painful. The food I cooked was mediocre, but fortunately, Leo wasn’t a picky eater. He managed to eat whatever I made. He couldn’t bring himself to spend money on new pants, so I patched the hole in his cargo pants. He held back laughter, teasing my disastrous needlework, but was eager to wear them every single day. Over time, a feeling of being completely reliant on each other grew. I was raised pampered and spoiled; minor acts of kindness shouldn’t impress me. But when I saw Leo changing the sheets and curtains to pink, carefully arranging everything to make the tiny room feel warm, my heart would flutter and melt. Especially when I saw him counting his dollars just to get by, but still willing to buy a used AC unit for me. “Don’t waste money like this. I really don’t need it.” “You won’t sleep well in the summer heat without AC. I often see you kicking the covers off at night. You’ll catch a cold.” What could I do? I didn’t want to fall for him, but he just keeps smiling at me! What I could do was clean the house spotless while he was hauling bricks. I pulled open a drawer to organize his scattered items, and accidentally found his old high school ID. In the slightly yellowed photo, Leo was smiling at the camera, looking like a guy who could score a perfect 1600. I was smiling as I looked further down— Lincoln High School. This was the absolute best magnet high school in our state. The students there were all gifted prodigies. Every year, the school sends numerous students to Harvard and MIT. In the end, I had totally underestimated this idiot. 9 My dad called. I had been gone for so long, and he finally deigned to call me. “Avery, your Uncle Joe told me everything. You’ve tasted the hardship now. If you know you were wrong, just come home.” I was flipping stir-fry in the pan with a spatula while putting the phone on speaker. “What? I’m doing great. Gotta go, I’m cooking.” I hit ‘end call’ with my elbow, humming a little tune, feeling incredibly satisfied. Trying to make me yield? Never going to happen. I’m going to let Arthur Preston know that without him, I can live a great life. When dinner was ready, Leo still hadn’t returned. I tried calling him several times, but no one answered. The phone rang just as I was about to walk out the door to look for him at the site. “Hello? Why aren’t you back yet?” “Avery, Leo is currently being rushed to City General for emergency surgery…” My head went boom. I could barely hear what the other person was saying after that. 10 I’ve always hated the smell of hospitals. In my memory, my mom spent the final moments of her life in a hospital. She was originally stunningly beautiful, but became skeletal from chemotherapy. When she passed, I barely recognized her. When she left, she only left me a custom necklace that has been with me ever since. Still that familiar smell of disinfectant. Still terrifying me to the point of a panic attack. I was so afraid someone I cared about was going to leave me again. When I arrived, Leo was being wheeled toward the OR. The gauze on his head was stained red with blood. His white T-shirt was covered in crimson. His originally ruddy lips were now deathly pale. He was slipping into a semi-coma. “Leo!” He opened his eyes, opened his mouth, but couldn’t make a sound. I grabbed his hand, holding back the tears. “I know. Don’t worry about the money.” The doctor was anxiously pushing the gurney, looking back at me. “Are you family? Hurry up and do the admission and billing paperwork!” “Doctor, you must protect his brain! He still needs to go to college!” The operating room doors closed. Several fellow workers were anxiously waiting outside in the hall. Uncle Ben walked up and pulled my arm. “Avery, don’t panic. Leo will be fine.” “What happened? He was completely fine when he left this morning!” Uncle Ben viciously slapped his own face twice, tears streaming down his weathered cheeks. “It’s all my fault! If I hadn’t insisted on climbing that scaffolding to unjam the pulley, Leo wouldn’t have gotten hit by the falling rebar trying to push me out of the way.” “Uncle Ben, don’t…” I bit my lower lip, holding Uncle Ben’s hand. Even though my heart was bleeding for Leo, I also felt deep compassion for this old man. Uncle Ben pulled out neatly folded, crumpled bills from his pocket, and handed them to me with trembling hands. “Take this money. If it’s not enough, I’ll try to pool some more…” The other workers also crowded around, pulling out whatever cash they had in their wallets to give to me. I was stunned. These people, for a few bucks, work themselves to the bone. Yet when someone is in a life-or-death crisis, they offer everything they have without hesitation. Simple and genuine. While my dad’s associates in the corporate world flatter each other with fake smiles, plotting to stab each other in the back. Polite and hypocritical. “Thank you, everyone. I can’t take your money. I’ll figure something out.” This money was their lifeblood. How could I take it? 11 I pulled out the Cartier necklace my mom left me, planning to sell it at a pawn shop. “Mom, will you forgive me? He is really, really important to me.” The diamonds refracted a mesmerizing light under the sun. This was the only physical connection I had left to my mother. The pawn shop owner was a middle-aged woman wearing bright red lipstick. She glanced at me with disdain, and took the necklace. She took a jeweler’s loupe and examined it closely, then her hand trembled. She pushed her reading glasses up her nose to continue inspecting. “How much are you offering?” She put down the loupe, looked up at me, her eyes revealing a greedy glint. “This necklace isn’t worth much. The market price is maybe five or six grand. And this is used. I’ll give you three thousand.” “This is a custom-designed Cartier diamond necklace. It is the only one in the world, worth over a million dollars, and you’re telling me three thousand?” The owner coughed twice to cover her embarrassment, picking the loupe back up. “Is this really yours?” “Yes. Hurry up, I need the cash for a medical emergency.” She nodded, and stood up. “Wait right here.” Five minutes later, two police officers walked through the door. “We received a report of suspected stolen property. Come back to the precinct with us.” I looked at the owner. She rolled her eyes at me. “I called the cops. There’s no telling how a girl dressed like you got a piece like this. I don’t want to handle stolen goods.” I swear to God…

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After my mom got divorced, she married a man, and I gained a younger stepbrother. At school, he told me to stay away from him. When my classmates bullied me, he stood by and watched with cold, indifferent eyes. I always thought he despised me to his very core. Until I got a boyfriend. He knocked on my door in the middle of the night, smiling as he asked: “Sister, are you dating someone?” The very next second, he pinned me against the wall fiercely, grinding his teeth. “Chloe Bennett, isn’t teasing me enough for you?” 1 After my mom got divorced, she took me with her and married an uncle named David Clark. David had a son named Liam, who was a year younger than me. My mom said he had excellent grades and was very well-behaved. The day we moved into their house, he politely called me “Sister” and smiled as he helped us carry our luggage. My mom smiled along with him. The whole scene was a picture of a loving mother and a filial son, warm and harmonious. But the moment our parents left the house, everything changed. When I curiously reached out to touch the trophies in the glass display cabinet, Liam pushed me away. “Don’t touch my things.” His face was cold, a complete 180 from his previous demeanor. From that moment on, I was acutely aware that he didn’t like me. Or rather, he hated me. 2 I transferred to Liam’s high school and ended up in the same grade, though in a different class. Liam smiled and promised our parents he would take good care of me. But the moment we stepped through the school gates, he acted like he didn’t know me, always keeping his distance. He was a popular guy at school; quite a few girls had a secret crush on him. In their eyes, he was handsome, smart, outgoing, and gentle. But only I knew what kind of person he truly was. One day after school, I forgot my keys. Liam had a club activity, so I went to the club room to find him, only to bump into a younger girl confessing her feelings to him. Amidst the teasing cheers of the crowd, he smiled and gently turned her down. He even thoughtfully reached out and gently wiped away her tears. Then, he saw me. With that lingering smile still on his face, he slowly walked towards me. I instinctively took a step back. In a corner where the crowd couldn’t see, he finally dropped the mask, his tone freezing cold. “What do you want?” “I forgot my keys.” He pulled something from his pocket, and I reached out to catch it. Before I could grasp it, he let go. With a clack, the keys hit the floor. But he completely ignored it, turned around, and walked back into the classroom. As I bent down, I heard someone ask him about me. “Was that another girl confessing to you?” “Did you say yes?” He just smiled. “She’s not my type.” That night, Liam knocked on my door in the middle of the night for the first time. The teenage boy stood outside the door. Under the moonlight, his handsome face was as cold as frost. When he spoke, his voice was even colder. “From now on, stay away from me.” That’s what he said. 3 After remarrying, my mom was very happy. So when David asked me if Liam was bullying me, I smiled and shook my head. In that moment, I saw a flash of contempt in Liam’s eyes. I held it in. As long as my mom was happy, it didn’t matter what happened to me. But ever since I was mistaken for a girl confessing her love to Liam, my situation at school became increasingly difficult. I never expected that girls could harbor such immense malice towards a perceived romantic rival. Things that didn’t belong to me would frequently appear in my desk cubby. The rumors of me being a “thief” grew louder and louder. From beginning to end, Liam just stood by and watched coldly. I even suspected he was secretly fanning the flames behind the scenes. But I still endured it. Until one day, my textbook was covered in the word “Slut.” After school, I was erasing the marks page by page. I didn’t know when, but Liam was suddenly standing next to me. The empty classroom only held the last, fading colors of the sunset. “It suits you.” His tone was indescribably mocking. “Just like your mom.” A sharp smack shattered the tranquility of the twilight. The boy’s cheek quickly turned red. I kept my hand raised, glaring fiercely at Liam. “I put up with you for my mom’s sake, Liam. Don’t push it!” The disbelief in his eyes quickly faded. As if he had encountered something highly amusing, the corners of his mouth pulled into a sinister smirk, and he slowly leaned in. I instinctively retreated but couldn’t avoid him. He stopped right next to my ear, enunciating every word slowly, like a demon whispering: “You’re dead meat.” 4 I quickly understood what Liam meant by those words. At school, he completely changed his tune and started acting very close to me. Walking into the classroom with me, standing outside the door waiting for me after school. I couldn’t shake him off. What followed was an even fiercer wave of retaliation from the other girls. My textbooks were glued shut; my chair was covered in ink. After the bell rang for class, I was the only one standing there blankly. No one helped me. Liam walked past me, a smile on his face, and asked in a gentle tone: “Are you happy now?” I glared at him fiercely. They all thought I would continue to endure it. Until I caught the girl. It was the very same freshman who had confessed her feelings to Liam that day. A student from another class had run into my classroom to mess with me, and not a single person tried to stop her. Holding a marker, she had her head down, scribbling all over my desk. I grabbed her by the collar and dragged her out. Screams pierced my eardrums. She struggled desperately, but I only pulled harder. I pinned her against the railing. On the fifth floor, half her body was dangling over the edge. The cold wind howled. Her face was covered in tears: “I’m sorry, I won’t ever do it again. I was wrong, please let me go, I’m afraid of heights…” Her screams drew the attention of the entire floor, people crowding around to watch the spectacle. I still didn’t let go. Finally, the Dean of Students arrived with a few teachers and pulled me away. As I left, I saw Liam in the crowd. He was frowning, his expression unreadable to me. As I brushed past him, I lowered my head and smiled. A smile full of disdain. 5 After that incident, I earned the nickname “Psycho.” No one dared to mess with me again. Liam’s attitude towards me also underwent a subtle change. During AP Calculus, the teacher assigned us to group discussions. Because of the “Psycho” incident, no one wanted to team up with me. Everyone grouped up in threes and fives, leaving me alone, head down, reading my book. “Can I be in your group?” A gentle voice spoke up. I looked up and saw the class president, Noah Miller. I didn’t know why he would pay attention to me, but I nodded anyway. After school, Noah very naturally asked, “Want to walk home together?” I didn’t refuse. “Sure.” But as we reached the school gates, someone called out to me. It was actually Liam. I frowned as I watched him slowly approach. He stopped in front of me, leaning down with an incredibly familiar air, and asked, “Aren’t you waiting for me?” Noah looked at us in surprise. Liam, as if just noticing his presence, smiled. “We live in the same…” “We’re neighbors,” I interrupted him. “Really?” Noah scratched his head. “Then I’ll let you guys head back together. I’ll get going.” After he left, Liam suddenly let out a cold laugh. “Neighbors?” I ignored him, turned around, and walked away. From then on, Liam became increasingly bizarre. At school, whenever Noah came to talk to me, Liam would inevitably appear within a few minutes. This feeling of being constantly shadowed was even more nauseating than the bullying I experienced before. To shake him off, I tried to get closer to Noah. In the process, I gradually became friends with him. He was kind and gentle, always considering others first. He was an existence that Liam, a demon with a dark heart, could never hope to reach. Sunday was Noah’s birthday, and he invited me to his party. Coincidentally, both my parents and Liam were out. I dressed up a bit and was just about to leave when the front door opened. Liam was back. Under the cool, white light of the living room, he looked at me, pausing for a moment. “Where are you going?” My face was cold. “None of your business.” As I brushed past him, Liam suddenly clamped down on my wrist. “Let go.” I frowned. “I asked you, where are you going?” “None of your…” He slammed me against the wall. My back hit the light switch, and with a click, the lights went out, plunging the living room into total darkness. In the dark, I raised my other hand to strike him, but he caught that wrist too, pinning me so I couldn’t move. “Still trying to hit me?” He chuckled, lowering his voice, his hot breath brushing against the side of my ear. “But Sister, you can’t beat me.” Even though I couldn’t see, I could picture the smug, delighted look on his face right now. “Is that right?” I smiled. Then I stood on my tiptoes and bit down hard on his jaw. 6 Liam hissed in pain and shoved me away hard. I tasted blood. When the lights flicked back on, the tips of his ears were bright red. A flash of humiliated anger crossed his eyes, but it was quickly concealed. He wiped the blood from his jaw with his palm, smearing it. He smirked, his lips curved into a cold, mocking smile: “Why didn’t you bite here?” He pointed to his lips. I ignored him, turned around, and walked out the door. This time, Liam didn’t stop me, but he followed closely behind. The streets in early winter were bleak and silent. Under the dim yellow streetlights, he was like my shadow, following at a moderate distance, impossible to shake off. Turning a corner, I took off running. The cold wind whistled past my ears. This time, he didn’t chase after me. The party was at a karaoke bar. Standing outside the private room, I took off my heavy coat, revealing a light-colored lace dress. Taking a deep breath, I pushed the door open and walked in. Noah probably hadn’t told anyone I was coming. The moment I appeared, everyone simultaneously stopped what they were doing. Even the classmate who was singing froze, holding the microphone dumbly. In the dim room, only the backing track played a lonely tune. Noah was the first to break the stiffness. “Chloe.” He smiled and walked towards me, his eyes bright. “I didn’t think you’d actually come.” I pursed my lips and nodded. “Don’t just stand there.” He pulled me to sit down, then looked up at the classmate singing. “Hey, keep going.” “Oh.” As the singing resumed, the room returned to its previous noisy state. There were many empty beer bottles on the table; they must have been drinking quite a bit before I arrived. The smell of alcohol in the air, mixed with the fresh scent of the boy beside me, created a strange reaction, making my cheeks feel a bit flushed. “Happy birthday,” I whispered. “Thank you.” He smiled, his eyes crinkling. I pulled a small box out of my pocket. “A gift.” He looked slightly surprised. “Can I open it?” I nodded. It was a small figurine of a Maneki-neko (Lucky Cat) with its eyes squinched in a smile. The first time I saw it, I thought it looked just like Noah. “Thank you, I really love it,” he said with a smile. Occasionally, someone would cast an inquiring glance my way, but Noah always blocked them. This was the first time since I transferred that I felt like I was blending into the crowd. Like I had never been isolated or ostracized. After two songs, a few girls walked over, giggling. “President, another classmate is here. Let’s go greet them.” Noah nodded in agreement. I suddenly had a bad feeling. When Liam’s face appeared at the door, my breathing nearly stopped. He had a band-aid on his jaw. The moment he walked in, he was surrounded by the girls. With a face full of smiles, he gently said something that made them giggle endlessly. Then, he slowly walked over and stopped in front of me. “Is this seat taken?” He pointed to the empty space next to me. “No,” someone answered for me. Liam sat down very naturally. I straightened my back, trying my best to distance myself from him in the cramped space. Noah didn’t seem to notice the tension between us. Instead, he asked innocently, “Oh right, you guys are neighbors. Why didn’t you come together?” My face was cold. “We’re not close.” My wrist, resting by my side, was suddenly gripped tight. With a vicious force. It hurt. “Oh, I see.” Noah looked relieved. “I thought you guys were childhood sweethearts or something.” “We’re not,” I said expressionlessly. That hand squeezed even harder. Just then, someone called out to Noah, and he got up to attend to them. Liam leaned in closer. “Sister.” The lights were dim, the music loud. No one seemed to be paying attention to this corner. He looked at me, his eyes revealing the maliciousness he usually hid so well. “You look really pretty today…” It was a compliment, yet delivered with absolute coldness. “Let go.” I held back my anger. He acted as if nothing happened, but squeezed my wrist even tighter. “Liam.” A girl with long, wavy hair leaned over. It was Mia Thompson, the most popular girl in our grade. He seamlessly released my hand. “Have a drink with me?” Mia smiled seductively, her curvy figure pressing against his shoulder. He narrowed his eyes. “Sure.” Amidst the cheering, the two of them downed several drinks. “What happened to your jaw?” Mia asked. “Got bitten.” “Do you need a rabies shot?” “Nah, I don’t think so.” His gaze vaguely swept over me. “She’s not that crazy yet.” The strong smell of alcohol mixed with her sickeningly sweet perfume made me intensely nauseous. I got up and left the room. It wasn’t until the cold wind hit my face that I snapped back to reality. I hadn’t put my coat on. But I didn’t want to go back in. I stood by the street downstairs for a few minutes until I heard footsteps behind me. Noah jogged over. “Chloe, it’s freezing out here. You forgot your coat.” He held up my coat, hesitated for a moment, and blushing, draped it over my shoulders. I smelled a faint, pleasant scent of fresh grass. After putting the coat on me, he didn’t leave. He stood there, pausing for a moment. “Chloe.” He took a deep breath. “Actually, since your very first day here, I noticed you, but back then…” “President.” A lazy voice interrupted him. I didn’t know when, but Liam had also come downstairs. He stood in the doorway, backlit, his expression obscured. “Someone’s looking for you.” The sudden interruption made Noah incredibly awkward. “Oh, uh, okay.” He nearly tripped over his own feet as he turned to leave. After he left, Liam still stood there. I didn’t want to deal with him. I started walking away. As I brushed past him, he reached out and blocked me. “What do you want?” My voice was icy. He looked at me with a very strange expression, then suddenly said: “He likes you.” It wasn’t a question, but a statement. My heart skipped a beat. He continued, “Do you like him too?” “What does it have to do with you?” I violently shoved his arm away. As I pushed the door open, Liam called out to me again: “Sister.” Whenever that sticky, dark, viper-like address appeared, it meant nothing good. Sure enough, he smiled. “Take a guess. Do you think I’ll tell your mom?” He always knew exactly how to provoke me. Just recently, my mom had lectured us at the dinner table about the dangers of high school dating. “You think I’m scared?” He looked down at me, a cryptic smile in his eyes. He raised his hand to touch his jaw, then suddenly changed the subject. “You broke the skin here.” His tone was weird, almost like he was whining. “You have to take responsibility.” I shoved past him hard. “You’re sick.” As I turned to leave, I heard him chuckle softly behind me. When I got home that night, our parents were already back. Liam put on his mask, performing his role in the perfect, happy family. But in a corner where they couldn’t see, he whispered to me, “What’s so great about him?” I froze for a second before realizing he was asking about Noah. I stubbornly raised my chin and retorted out of spite, “He’s ten thousand times better than you.” Under the cool, white light, he narrowed his eyes. The corners of his mouth twitched into a half-smile, his face full of emotions I couldn’t read. “Is that so?” His eyes looked as if they saw right through me. “But Sister, we are the same kind of people. “Aren’t we?” 7 I always thought I hid it so well. Even my mom didn’t know; how could anyone else tell? But with one sentence, Liam dragged me back into a past I never wanted to remember. I was no stranger to the kind of bullying I experienced here. Except back then, I was the indifferent bystander. I even helped fan the flames. Before I transferred, there was a guy named Mason who liked me. He was a notorious bully at my old school; he loved solving everything with his fists. Back then, a boy in my class kept ostracizing me, so I told Mason. From that day on, that boy never had a day of peace. At first, I felt the thrill of revenge. But it wasn’t until he came to me, his face bruised and battered, eyes red, and asked if I would only let him go when he was dead, that I suddenly snapped awake. But before I could stop Mason, that boy transferred away. After moving here, every time I was bullied, the emotion I felt more than anger was actually remorse. I thought this was my karma. If I just kept enduring it, maybe God would finally let me off the hook. As long as I didn’t say anything, no one would know about my past. But somehow, Liam had sniffed out the scent of our shared nature. That early winter night, when he looked down at me, smiling and saying we were the same kind of people, I didn’t deny it. My nightmare, I figured, was about to start all over again. 8 But Liam didn’t do anything. Just like before, we went to school and came home together, acting as if we had a great relationship. Because we were always together, rumors that we were secretly dating spread like wildfire around the school. I didn’t want to be associated with him. Every day after school, I would use the excuse of group discussions to stay back with Noah a little longer. My mom noticed something was off. “Chloe, why have you been coming home so late recently?” I told the truth. “Discussing schoolwork with a classmate.” She suddenly stopped washing the dishes. “A boy or a girl?” I hesitated for a second. “A girl.” She clearly didn’t believe me. “If you have questions, why don’t you just come home and ask Liam? Your stepdad says he’s always ranked first in the grade.” I just mumbled an “Mhm” and turned to go back to my room. As soon as I turned the corner into the hallway, I found Liam standing behind the wall. He had clearly heard the conversation between me and my mom. “Sister, Mom is right. If you have any questions, you can just ask me.” He looked down at me, eyes full of mischief. I glared at him fiercely and walked straight back to my room. But sometimes, what you fear most is what happens. When the midterm grades came out, my scores had dropped significantly. My mom held my report card. “Look at Liam, first in the grade again. You have such a great tutor right here, why don’t you study with him?” “I want to, but he probably doesn’t want to teach me.” Liam popped out of nowhere. “Why wouldn’t I want to, Sister?” “…” To reassure my mom, I had no choice but to pretend to let Liam tutor me. Once the study room door closed, my face turned cold. “I need to study. Don’t bother me.” He looked innocent. “Didn’t I come here to tutor you?” I looked at him defensively. “Don’t look at me like that.” His long fingers flipped through the pages of a textbook. “If you do poorly on the next test, Mom will be sad, won’t she?” He always knew exactly what leverage to use against me. Being alone in a room with him, I was terrified he would try something. But this time, he didn’t do anything. He just kept his head down, sketching and writing on a piece of scratch paper. From my angle, I could see his thick eyelashes, his straight nose bridge, and the tips of his ears, slightly flushed from the heater. I suddenly understood why he was so popular. God had truly gifted him a superior physical appearance. Even if his soul was rotten, his face was enough to help him disguise himself and deceive the world. “Done staring?” Liam had looked up at some point and was now staring at me with a smiling gaze. He had beautiful eyes; his irises were deep and clear. When he narrowed them slightly, he looked incredibly affectionate, even if he was just looking at a stray dog. Since he had already seen right through me, I couldn’t be bothered to pretend anymore. “You’re rotten on the inside. The more I look, the uglier you get.” He smiled nonchalantly. “So who do you think is beautiful inside and out? Noah?” I didn’t know why he suddenly brought Noah up. “Why mention him?” “No reason.” He dropped the smile and stood up. “I just think he probably can’t tutor you like this.” Although Noah was the class president, his grades had never been stellar. Liam saying that was clearly an intentional jab. “So what if you have good grades? Think you’re a big deal?” “No, but having good grades gets me the chance to be alone with you.” The heater really was running high; I suddenly felt very hot. “Also,” he suddenly leaned in, stopping when our noses were just two inches apart, his eyes crinkling into a smile, “It doesn’t matter if I’m ugly. As long as you’re pretty, that’s enough.” Even knowing exactly how wicked he was, hearing those words still made my heart skip a beat. I shoved him away hard. “Stay away from me.” As soon as the words left my mouth, I froze. Not long ago, the person saying those exact words was him. After a few tutoring sessions, even though I hated Liam, I had to admit he was an excellent teacher. Whatever I didn’t understand, he could explain it with crystal clarity. One night, I was doing homework in the study room and accidentally fell asleep. When I woke up, there was a jacket draped over my shoulders. Liam was sitting nearby, occasionally turning a page in his book. In the quiet study, I maintained my original posture and slowed my breathing. The jacket was full of the familiar scent of clean soap, mixed with the faint, unique scent of the teenage boy. In that moment, I suddenly felt like my hatred for him was a little less. But only a little. 9 After I bailed on our group discussions a few times, Noah came looking for me. “Chloe, have you been really busy lately? You haven’t had time to discuss problems with me.” For a moment, I didn’t know how to answer. “She’s busy discussing them with me.” Liam appeared out of nowhere. “Oh…” Noah scratched his head. “That makes sense. You guys live together, so it’s definitely more convenient.” He didn’t seem to notice the tense atmosphere. He paused, then asked me, “I’m organizing a class camping trip up the mountain this Saturday, to relax after midterms. Do you want to come?” I actually didn’t want to go. Liam glanced at me. “She’s not…” “I’ll go.” Liam paused. “That’s great! We’re meeting at the school gates on Saturday. See you then.” After Noah left, Liam looked at me with a half-smile. “I couldn’t tell you wanted to go.” I wasn’t about to back down. “There’s a lot you can’t tell.” “Is that so?” I turned to leave, only to hear him say behind me, “Then I’m going too.” And just like that, two people who originally had zero interest in participating signed up at the same time. I prepared thoroughly for the camping trip. I had camping experience since I was little, so I wasn’t unfamiliar with it. After meeting at the school gates, we all took a chartered bus to the foot of the mountain. Noah’s plan was to hike up to a clearing near the summit before sunset and set up camp there. Because Liam joined, the originally quiet trip suddenly became lively. All along the way, Mia Thompson surrounded Liam. I kept my head down and walked in front, listening to the sounds of the two of them chatting and laughing behind me. Noah caught up with me. “Chloe, let’s set up our tents together later.” I casually agreed. “Sure.” “Then can we pitch our tents next to each other?” I looked up at him. His face was a little red. Mia’s voice rang out from behind us. “Liam, let’s be neighbors later, okay?” An indescribable emotion surged in my heart. “Sure,” I said, speaking a beat before Liam could answer Mia. I didn’t know what Liam was thinking. I didn’t realize I had lost my bracelet until much later, and he hadn’t said a word either. “I’ll help you look for it,” Noah volunteered. The bracelet was a birthday gift from my mom; I had always worn it. I shook my head. “You still have to lead the group. I’ll go look for it myself. I’ll be back soon.” He hesitated. “Are you going to be okay alone?” “I’ll go with her.” Under Mia’s surprised gaze, Liam walked towards me. Honestly, I didn’t want his help at all. “No…” “Alright then,” Noah agreed on my behalf before I could finish. “It’s good that you two can keep each other company. We’ll wait for you at the summit.” And so, my journey backtracking down the trail gained an unwanted companion. I guessed the bracelet might have dropped where we got off the bus. When getting off, I had heard a sharp clink. I didn’t pay attention to it at the time, but thinking back, it must have been my bracelet. I walked very fast. Liam followed behind me, keeping his distance, not looking at all like he was “keeping me company.” I had camped on this mountain before, so I knew there was a smaller, alternative trail leading down. I purposely turned onto that small path, intending to ditch Liam. He kept following me. I sped up, and after a few sharp turns, I could no longer see him. Just as I was secretly rejoicing, my foot stepped on empty air, and I tumbled down. I rolled several times before coming to a stop. Covered in dirt, I stood up and realized I had fallen into a deep trench or sinkhole. The opening was too high; I couldn’t climb out on my own. When it rains, it pours. I had no choice but to yell for help. “Liam…” No answer. “Liam!” Footsteps sounded above my head, and the next second, that punchable face appeared at the edge of the hole. “Calling me?” “Go get someone to help.” He didn’t move. Instead, he crouched down by the edge. “Beg me.” “Screw you.” Liam chuckled softly, stood up, and actually just walked away, plain as day. As the air fell silent, I suddenly felt a little scared. Just as I was wondering if I might starve to death down here, there was movement above me again. Liam had come back. “Want me to save you?” I glared at him. “Call me ‘Big Brother’.” I froze. What kind of weird fetish is this? “Not going to say it?” He smiled, repeating his old trick. “Then I’m leaving.” But this time as he stood up, either he lost his balance or the ground was too slippery. Following the exact same trajectory I did, he tumbled down and landed right next to me. I couldn’t help it; I burst out laughing. Serves you right for showing off! Liam’s face went dark for two seconds. He looked up at me. “Funny?” “Hilarious.” I thought he would be angry, but surprisingly, he lowered his head, paused for two seconds, and also started laughing. “Yeah, it is funny.” We each took up a corner of the hole. After a moment of silence, I asked, “How are we going to get out?” “Wait for someone.” This area was remote; clearly, we wouldn’t be waiting out anyone anytime soon. “Then we might die down here.” Liam suddenly smiled. “Wouldn’t that be nice?” He tilted his head to look at me. “Like a lovers’ suicide.” I knew he was just flirting to be annoying, but under the gaze of those deep, affectionate eyes, I still couldn’t stop myself from flushing with anger. “Who wants a lovers’ suicide with you?!” “Don’t worry, I won’t let you die.” He looked up at the opening. “I’ll protect you.” I frowned. “How many girls have you scammed with that smooth talk?” “Not many.” He smiled. “You’re the first.” I instinctively avoided his gaze. “Come here.” He crouched down. “Step on my shoulders to get up.” I didn’t expect him to offer this solution. Weighing the pros and cons, I did as he said. The teenage boy’s shoulders weren’t particularly broad, but standing on them, I could just barely reach ground level. I probably used too much force; as I scrambled up, Liam was pushed down and fell to the dirt floor. He looked up at me from below. “You’re not going to leave me down here, are you?” I frowned. “I’m not like you.” But he suddenly smiled. “I’ll wait for you.”

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After graduation, the senior I had a crush on got married. However, I heard he wasn’t very happy. His wife cheated on him with a toy boy, and they are currently discussing divorce. I was hesitating whether to take the initiative to comfort him, but I never expected him to come find me first. “Sign the divorce agreement. I get custody of the child.” I was stunned. The person he married… couldn’t possibly be me, right? 01 Three years after graduation, while dining at a restaurant with a friend, I unexpectedly ran into Caleb. He hadn’t changed at all, still as handsome as ever. Caleb stood at the restroom entrance, and beside him stood a little munchkin who looked exactly like him. It seemed the two were waiting for someone. He was already married? I had liked him for seven years, and now, running into him again, he was already a father. Suppressing the sourness in my heart, I took the initiative to greet him: “Senior, what a coincidence. Is this your little one? So cute.” Saying that, I crouched down: “Sweetie, call me Auntie.” The next second, Caleb bent down and picked up the little munchkin, his voice as if dipped in ice. “Miss Smith, you really are good at switching roles. One second you’re asking for a divorce, and the next you don’t even recognize your own son.” I stared at the little munchkin lying on Caleb’s chest, blinking his big eyes at me, completely stunned. What did he mean by that? What did this little munchkin… have to do with me? At this moment, I realized the environment around me seemed a little different. I didn’t come to a Mexican restaurant, it had now become… a Thai restaurant. Also, where did the friend I was eating with go?! My eyes gradually filled with horror as I grabbed Caleb’s arm. “Senior, your name is Caleb Wright, right? Graduated from Johns Hopkins Medical School in 2019, correct?” Caleb looked at me as if looking at a psychopath, completely ignored me, and turned to walk away with the little munchkin in his arms. The little munchkin was quite cooperative, waving at me and saying in a milky voice: “Bye-bye, Mommy.” 02 It sounds absurd. I went to the restroom after a meal, and somehow accomplished the two major life events of marriage and having a child. If I wasn’t crazy, then it was highly likely Caleb was. “Senior, wait a moment.” I grabbed Caleb. His gaze swept over the hand holding him, freezing cold. I was so scared I quickly let go. “Senior, although I don’t know where the problem lies, I truly don’t know anything right now, I…” “Are you trying to say you have amnesia?” Amnesia? That wasn’t impossible. I nodded vigorously. Caleb’s smile turned cold. He handed me the manila envelope in his hand: “Inside is the divorce agreement. Go back and review the terms. If you have no objections, sign it.” I opened my mouth but was completely unable to find the words to reply. Finally, I could only squeeze out: “It’s not good to talk about this in front of the child. How about we talk later?” “When you brought a man home, why didn’t you think it was bad in front of the child?” This sentence exploded in my head like a thunderbolt. I looked at the little bean in disbelief, attempting to find the correct answer from a child. Unfortunately, the little munchkin completely ignored me, resting on Caleb’s shoulder, looking pitiful. The amount of information was too much. I crashed. 03 It took me about a whole day to figure out my current situation. I seemed to have accidentally entered a parallel universe. Here, I was still me. Caleb was still Caleb. The only difference was, we were married. And had a baby. But obviously, there was a problem with our current marriage. I seemed to have… cheated. But where the “me” of this universe went, whether we accidentally swapped places in the restroom, I had absolutely no way of knowing. “Mommy.” A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts. The door opened a sliver, and a small head peeked in: “Daddy says he needs to use the study.” I reached out and called the little munchkin in. The boy hesitated outside the door for a moment before shyly running in. I held him on my lap and observed him carefully. His eyes and brows resembled Caleb’s, but his face shape was like mine. This was my and Caleb’s son. Unable to control the satisfaction in my heart, I kissed the little munchkin’s cheek hard. As a result, this kid’s face flushed red instantly. He flailed a couple of times in my arms, then quieted down, whispering: “Mommy smells nice.” What kind of angelic baby was this? I was holding the little munchkin and was just about to say something when the door was pushed open from the outside again. A tall figure immediately filled the entire door frame. “Daddy!” The little munchkin immediately broke free from me, ran to Caleb, and hugged his thigh. Caleb had already taken a shower. His hair was still damp, water droplets trailing down his neck into his collar, then disappearing. The person I liked was right in front of me. My heart beat wildly. However, Caleb’s next words shattered my fantasy. “Miss Smith, don’t you think it’s a bit late to relive maternal affection now?” “I wasn’t, I…” Now it seemed whatever I said would be wrong. Finally, I simply gave up. “Never mind, you work first. I’m going to take a shower.” When I walked out the door, the little munchkin glanced at me, but he still clung to Caleb. I felt slightly disappointed. It seemed that besides my husband not loving me, my son didn’t love me either. I couldn’t help but wonder, why did we get married in the first place, and why did we have a child? The moon outside still hung high in the sky, the cicadas deep in the branches screamed themselves hoarse. Everything seemed unchanged. Yet everything had changed. 04 The master bedroom only had one large bed. The monotonous gray bedsheets were so smooth there wasn’t a single wrinkle. The clothes in the walk-in closet were sorted sequentially from dark to light. The entire room had the word “boring” written all over it. Except, I rummaged through all the cabinets and surprisingly didn’t find any of my clothes. Forced by circumstance, I knocked on the study door. “Seni… Husband, sorry to bother you for a second.” Caleb looked up. The gold-rimmed glasses on his face hadn’t been taken off yet, giving him an air of ascetic refinement. “Could you tell me where my pajamas are? The walk-in closet seems to only have your clothes.” Caleb stared at me for a few seconds. Just when I thought he wouldn’t tell me, he suddenly got up and walked towards me. Stopping at a distance less than a fist away from me, the corners of his mouth lifted: “Amnesia, huh?” For a moment, I honestly didn’t know which was more convincing: amnesia or a parallel universe. Fortunately, Caleb didn’t press the issue, turned, and went out the door. I stood frozen in place, at a loss for what to do. He glanced at me: “Not coming?” Was he leading the way? “Th-thanks.” However, a minute later, when I opened the closet door, I immediately slammed it shut. My face flushed bright red. “These are mine…” Caleb crossed his arms, leaning against the bedroom door looking at me, a hint of a mocking smile on his lips. An expression of “keep acting.” I swallowed my question, opened the closet door again. The sheer scale of the clothes inside made me think I had entered the dressing room for an adult film. I mean, in this universe, was I really… that OPEN?! I tried my best to ignore Caleb’s gaze. I dug around for a long time but couldn’t pick out a single decent piece of clothing. Finally, not knowing what I was thinking, I turned my head and asked the man watching the show: “Husband, which one… do you like?” Then, I distinctly felt Caleb’s eyes darken. He didn’t answer me, turned his head, and walked out. The door was slammed shut with a bang. Did that make him angry? I couldn’t help but guess, could the reason we were getting a divorce be because of an unharmonious sex life? After taking a shower, I went to the little munchkin’s room. He was already asleep, clutching a small doll in his arms. I took out the hand he had in his mouth and tucked the little guy in. For the first time, I felt the realness of being a mother. It was embarrassing to say, but up until now, I didn’t even know what this child’s name was or how old he was. I had looked at my marriage certificate with Caleb; the date was three years ago. So the little munchkin should be about two years old. After staying for a while, I gently closed the door and had just walked out when I unsuspectingly bumped into a man’s chest. I was so startled I almost screamed. Looking up, it was actually Caleb. I still couldn’t adapt well to the fact that I was married to my crush. After all, the person I had always looked up to was now standing right in front of me, within arm’s reach. My heart was beating unreasonably fast. “Done?” “Yeah.” I didn’t know what to say: “Then… sleep?” Caleb didn’t move. I wrapped the coat I had draped over myself tighter, trying to keep the excessively revealing sleepwear inside from showing: “I’ll go in first.” Saying that, I walked into the master bedroom. Not knowing which side Caleb usually slept on, I casually lay down, pulled the covers over myself, and lay there properly. A moment later, Caleb walked in. Seeing me, his footsteps paused, and he stared straight at me. I felt numb from being stared at. “Which side are you used to sleeping on?” He stopped talking again. Why did I feel that in this space, apart from the huge change in “my” personality, the senior’s personality had also changed significantly? I simply sat up: “Then you pick first, okay?” Why so petty? This time Caleb moved. He lay down on the other side. I breathed a sigh of relief and lay back down too. The night was quiet. The curtains in the room blocked the light well, plunging the entire room into pitch darkness where you couldn’t see your fingers. My mind was a mess, and I couldn’t sleep at all. I was already agitated, and the coat digging into my back made it hurt. Feeling the breathing beside me gradually even out, I quietly lifted my body and began to take off the clothes. I successfully took off the coat, dropped it on the floor, and was still rejoicing that the person next to me hadn’t been woken up when suddenly, my entire body was pinned down. The sleeping person had woken up at some point, leaning over to look at me. The tip of my nose could even feel his breath. “Senior, you’re not asleep?” I was so scared I forgot to call him “Husband.” “What exactly do you want to do?” “Huh?” “You proposed the marriage, you proposed the divorce, and now you’re seducing me in the dark. What else do you want to do? Just say it.” “Se… seducing?” My eyes widened. I suddenly felt a breeze on my chest. I had forgotten how “revealing” the clothes I was wearing were. Thank goodness the darkness hid my blushing face. “I didn’t want to, sor… sorry.” Saying that, my hands frantically reached down, trying to retrieve the clothes. The more anxious I got, the clumsier I was, and I accidentally pushed the clothes further away. I was terrified Caleb would hate me. My voice was already choked with tears. Finally, Caleb was the first to pull away from me. He sat straight up, his voice freezing cold. “Stella, I don’t care what tricks you’re playing, I’m not falling for them anymore. I hope you return to normal tomorrow. Don’t play the amnesia card again, it’s boring.” “Tonight I’m going to Miles’s room. Do as you please.” Caleb left. I realized belatedly. So my son’s name was Miles. 05 Sleepless all night. I stared blankly until dawn. Around seven o’clock, I heard washing sounds outside, and the sound of Caleb talking with someone. She must be the nanny hired to take care of Miles. After a while, the door opened and closed. Caleb left. I lay on the bed thinking about life. I had always been dull when it came to relationships between men and women, otherwise I wouldn’t have liked Caleb for so many years without daring to confess. I always fantasized about becoming Caleb’s wife, thinking I would definitely treat him very, very well. But facts proved that low EQ is low EQ. Even though I possessed this marriage, it was still a complete mess. As my thoughts ran wild, the bedroom door was suddenly opened. A chubby auntie appeared at the door, hastily apologizing: “I’m sorry, I didn’t expect anyone to be inside.” “It’s okay, I was about to get up anyway.” The auntie breathed a sigh of relief and walked in: “I thought you were resting in your own room. When Mr. Wright left just now, he didn’t mention you were resting in his room.” My own room? I suddenly remembered the guest bedroom Caleb took me to yesterday to find clothes. It seemed there was indeed a bed inside. Could it be that all along we were… sleeping in separate rooms?! No wonder he insisted I was seducing him yesterday. I covered my face and wailed twice. Miles must have heard my voice, as he ran over barefoot with a “pitter-patter,” standing timidly at the door, not daring to come in. “Miles.” I called out tentatively, then beckoned him with my hand. The little guy seemed to receive some kind of permission, charging in like a little firecracker, instantly rolling onto my bed, revealing three teeth: “Mommy!” Two dark eyes like black grapes were shining brightly. My heart melted looking at him. Regardless of my relationship with Caleb, I wanted to treat Miles as well as possible. I greeted the nanny and took him to the mall. On one hand, I planned to buy him some toys, and on the other, I wanted to buy myself a couple of pieces of clothing. The “my” fashion taste in this universe was so trendy I really couldn’t handle it. Along the way, I subtly asked Miles what his mommy was like before. The little kid thought for a long time before shaking his head and saying: “She ignored Miles.” Then he added softly: “Fierce.” Kids don’t lie. If it was really like this, then the difference between the me of the two universes was too big. Not only in fashion taste, but also in every other aspect. I couldn’t help but wonder, why did Caleb marry me? Did he just like me this way? His tastes were quite hardcore! “Mommy, I want to eat that.” Suddenly, the little guy next to me tugged at my hem. I looked over and sure enough, it was McDonald’s, which every kid can’t resist. Miles looked at me, his eyes radiating a Shin-chan-like gleam. I: “…Buy!” However, half an hour later, Miles and I were sitting with our heads bowed in front of Caleb’s office, like two egregious sinners. And the “culprit” was the unopened box of Chicken McNuggets and fries in the bag. 06 The origin was that after I bought the McDonald’s for Miles, the kid wanted to share it with his dad. The hospital Caleb worked at was nearby. I figured this could be an opportunity to repair our marital relationship, so I took the little guy to the clinic. I never expected that when this man saw the things in my hand, his brows would furrow so tightly they could wrap around the earth. He opened his mouth and asked: “Why would you buy Miles this kind of junk food?” I was dumbfounded and quickly tried to cover up: “I bought it for myself, not for Miles.” “So you think there’s no problem if you eat it yourself?” Caleb’s brows furrowed so tightly they could knit a sweater on the spot. “Fried food causes the body’s pH value to drop rapidly, creating an acidic constitution. A normal person’s body fluid pH is between 7.35 and 7.45, but if it drops to 6.8, cancer cells will spread rapidly.” I didn’t understand: “So?” “The risk of cancer will increase.” My brain did a 180-degree turn before realizing he seemed to be caring about me. That was quite subtle. Miles was unhappy, clenching his little fists: “I wanted to buy it for Mommy! Daddy, meanie!” After he said that, Caleb laughed. A barely visible dimple rippled at the corner of his mouth. This was the first time I saw Caleb smile since I accidentally entered this universe. He flicked Miles’s forehead: “A meal of McDonald’s bought you over?” Then he looked at me: “I still have some work for now. You guys go wait for me in the break room inside.” He glanced at the McDonald’s bag again: “You’re only allowed to eat two pieces. Don’t let it happen again.” He didn’t kick me out, was this… a good sign? Breathing a sigh of relief: “Thank you, Senior!” After I finished speaking, Caleb’s expression seemed to daze for a moment before he gave an “Mhm” and lowered his eyes, avoiding my gaze. Just as Miles and I entered the break room, someone knocked on Caleb’s office door. “Do you have time now? I’ve been feeling unwell lately. Could you check my pulse?” Looking out through the crack in the door, the figure was somewhat familiar. It wasn’t until I heard her voice that I confirmed it was Audrey. At the time, Audrey and Caleb could be considered “prominent figures” at our school. Excellent looks, brilliant grades. Not just the medical school, they were the face of our entire university. But in my memory, Audrey was a very strong-willed person, and her relationship with Caleb wasn’t good at all, even having a bit of a tit-for-tat rivalry. Because she couldn’t stand the existence of someone better than her, and Caleb was a bit aloof, I rarely saw them in the same frame. But here, they were friends and worked at the same hospital? Caleb’s voice was clear and cold: “Deficient Qi and blood. Make sure to rest.” “How can I rest? There are so many surgeries lately, and the hospital is short-staffed.” Audrey complained coquettishly, pausing for a moment before saying: “I heard from your mom before that you’re preparing for a divorce? What’s going on between you and that junior… she is a junior, right?” I covered my mouth. Oh my god, why did her whiny tone reek so much of a two-faced manipulator? The seniors from the two universes were too different. Obviously, Caleb also caught the scent of her fakeness: “I didn’t know when you became so gossipy.” “After all, you suddenly announced your marriage before, scaring us all. When I was in school, I didn’t even notice that girl.” Audrey laughed dryly: “But I think it’s better to divorce early. You and her were never on the same path anyway. Your mom said she’s an influencer? How many decent people are in that industry? If not for yourself, consider Miles. Leading by example…” Before she could finish, Caleb’s fountain pen was placed heavily on his notebook: “Audrey, you’ve crossed the line.” Audrey stayed silent for two seconds, then apologized charmingly: “Sorry, I was just feeling it was unfair to you, thinking you deserve better.” “I know what’s good for me. From now on, I don’t want to hear anyone talking about my family in front of me.” “Okay.” Audrey stood up. “I bought some new clothes and pants for Miles. I’ll give them to you after work.” Audrey left, and the entire office grew quiet. Miles was still burying his head, eating hard, his hands and around his mouth covered in grease. Seeing I wasn’t moving, he very generously handed the half-bitten chicken nugget to me: “Mommy, eat.” “Miles, eat it yourself.” I had completely lost my appetite. Piecing together Audrey’s words, I roughly knew I seemed to be an influencer. Associating it with the clothes in the closet, I gasped. Saying I wasn’t on the same path as Caleb, saying my behavior brought bad influence to Miles, could it be that I was an… adult webcam model? Caleb was a traditional young doctor, and his wife was an adult webcam model? No wonder his mother despised me so much, no wonder we were getting a divorce. I started to feel uncertain. If I was really in this profession, then the “cheating” Caleb mentioned didn’t seem impossible. What should I do now? Continue to pretend I don’t know, or… “Stella.” Caleb’s voice disrupted my wild thoughts. I looked up and found Caleb had already taken off his white coat and was wearing casual private clothes. He looked exceptionally handsome. I finally reacted: “You’re off work?” “To be precise, I’ve been off work for 3 minutes and 20 seconds.” Caleb looked at me. “Which means, you spaced out for exactly 3 minutes and 20 seconds.” I blinked. My first reaction was, so the former top student and current social elite also counted the time exactly to get off work. I thought only losers like me did that. For some unknown reason, the distance between Caleb and me suddenly didn’t seem so far. 07 Caleb drove on the way back. Miles had a designated car seat. I hesitated back and forth for a long time, not knowing where it was appropriate for me to sit. If it had been the day before yesterday, I would have unhesitatingly sat in the passenger seat, but now I wasn’t sure. Finally, I sighed and still opened the back door. “Are you planning to treat me like a chauffeur?” Just as I was about to climb in, Caleb’s words floated over leisurely. I silently retracted my leg: “No, I was just… testing if the back door is easy to open.” Caleb glanced at me, evidently speechless at my brainless reply. Miles was exhausted from playing all day and fell asleep. Caleb and I were speechless all the way, and awkwardness spread in the space. After a long time, I finally spoke: “Senior, if I told you that I’m actually not me, but another person, would you believe it?” “You’re not you? Yesterday you said you had amnesia, and today you’re planning to claim you’ve been possessed?” I pursed my lips: “No, I’m saying, do you believe there are… parallel universes in this world?” After I finished, Caleb was silent for two seconds, then smiled: “If you can logically convince me, I’d be willing to cooperate and believe you.” I couldn’t explain it. “Never mind.” My shoulders slumped. After a long while, I spoke again: “Senior, why did you agree to marry me in the first place?” He clearly had better options, why did he agree to marry me? After a long time, so long I thought Caleb wouldn’t answer, he finally spoke: “Does asking this now still have any meaning?” My heart sank. Right, it had no meaning anymore. We were getting a divorce. As soon as we got home, Caleb went to the study, leaving Miles and me outside. I thought he probably wanted to avoid being alone with me. It wasn’t until night, after I washed up, that Caleb finally opened the study door. “Is Miles asleep?” “Mhm.” I held a bath towel, feeling a bit awkward. “You should rest early too. I’m going to sleep first.” Saying that, I walked towards the guest room, but was pulled back by Caleb: “Where are you going?” “The gue… guest room.” Caleb frowned: “We haven’t divorced yet, and Miss Smith already intends to sleep in separate beds from me?” “No, the nanny said we always…” “The nanny said? You don’t remember what it was like before yourself, and you had to ask the nanny?” This sentence completely confused me. I just didn’t know! But from Caleb’s meaning, did I misunderstand? Could it be we used to sleep together? So I silently rolled back to the master bedroom hugging my pillow. This was the second time I shared a bed with Caleb. I was so nervous I felt like I was going to throw up. The sound of running water came from the bathroom. The image of Caleb taking a shower involuntarily surfaced in my mind, and my cheeks gradually grew hot. This was deadly! I got up and planned to slip away. Just then, the bathroom door opened. As if on purpose, this man just tied a bath towel around his waist. He wasn’t wearing anything on top, and his firm abdominal muscles were faintly exposed. I swallowed hard, quickly lay back down, and covered my head with the quilt: “Sleepwalking!” A low chuckle came from outside, the sound making my face burn again. After a while, the mattress on the other side sank slightly. It must be Caleb lying down. “Sleeping with the covers over your head is bad for your health.” The quilt was suddenly lifted by Caleb. Before I could even react, I was already pulled into his arms: “Go to sleep.” My breathing stopped, my limbs went stiff. The distance between Caleb and me was so close I could even feel his heartbeat. “Just… sleep like this?” “Otherwise, what else do you want to do?” My whole body shuddered: “I’m already asleep.” Then I squeezed my eyes shut tight, not daring to move. I hadn’t slept at all the night before. After closing my eyes, I found I actually felt sleepy. There was a calming scent on Caleb. Gradually, my consciousness also began to slowly drift away. Before completely losing consciousness, my last thought was: This sleeping posture doesn’t feel like we’re getting a divorce…

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[Breaking: Rumor has it the CEO’s daughter is doing an undercover internship in our department!!!] The message popped up in our department’s Slack channel. I watched as my true identity was supposedly “exposed.” Then, Harper Sterling replied in the chat, dripping with fake humility: “Since I’m undercover, I really just want to keep a low profile and prove my own abilities. Let’s all just focus on our work, okay? Instantly, my coworkers—including my own boyfriend—started kissing up to her. Me, the actual CEO’s daughter: … 1 Every year before the company’s Winter Holiday Gala, employee bonuses included limited-edition blind box figures. Right before the holidays, our department’s group chat was buzzing with speculation about this year’s theme. Mid-conversation, Harper dropped a photo into the chat: “This year’s theme is The Olympian Gods. Don’t leak this to anyone outside the department, guys!” I stared at the screen, stunned. That kind of internal mock-up was restricted to the executive admin team. Harper was just an accounting intern like me. How did she get it? Britney Hayes was the first to reply: “OMG! Only top-floor executives get intel like this early! Harper, confess! How long is a billionaire heiress like you planning to play undercover with us peasants?” “Holy crap, so the rumors about the CEO’s daughter interning here are true?!” “The signs were all there! Harper’s last name is Sterling, and our CEO is Mr. Sterling!” “I knew Harper was built different. That canvas tote bag she carries every day? It looks so chic, totally not something us corporate slaves could afford.” I glanced at the plain, unbranded canvas bag on Harper’s desk. We had a dozen of those at my house—they were complimentary dust bags from luxury boutiques that our maids used to carry groceries. The coworkers were blowing this way out of proportion. I figured Harper would step up and clarify the misunderstanding. After all, the Sterling family had produced nothing but boys for three generations. I was my dad’s only precious daughter. Besides me, there was absolutely no other “CEO’s daughter” in this company. My dad adored my mom. When I was born, my mom insisted I take her maiden name, Bennett. My dad agreed without a second thought. So, I was Chloe Bennett. Sure enough, Harper replied a minute later. However, her response was: “Since it’s an undercover stint, I just want to keep a low profile and prove my worth. Let’s not discuss this anymore, guys. Let’s just do our jobs! Me: … Talk about gaslighting. That non-denial was practically a megaphone. As soon as she sent that, the chat went wild. Coworker A: “Princess! I really want the Athena figure! Mercury is in retrograde and my luck is awful. Could you pull some strings and get me one? I’ll carry your bags for a month! puppy dog eyes” Coworker B: “Princess Harper! I want one too! I’ll buy your coffee every day!” Britney: “Back off, guys! Princess Harper, I want the whole Olympian set! Hahahaha!” “I’d die for the full set! Princess, I will be your loyal servant for life!” I read the messages and held back a laugh, assuming Harper wouldn’t dare respond. My dad’s corporation was massive, and the rules were incredibly strict. The whole point of the blind boxes was for employees to enjoy the thrill of the draw. Because of that, even family members like me didn’t get special privileges to bypass the system, let alone a mere intern. But Harper responded, shattering my expectations of just how bottomless her vanity was. “Alright,” she typed. “I’ll see what I can do. But just for you guys! The company rules are super strict, so keep it on the down-low.” I actually laughed out loud. She knew the rules were strict, yet she still made a promise she couldn’t keep. People calling her “Heiress” and “Princess” had clearly made her delusional. Sitting across from me, Harper looked up, a smug smile on her face. “Chloe, do you want a figure too?” I smiled back. “Can you really get company blind boxes early?” Britney’s sharp voice cut in. “Chloe, what kind of question is that? Are you doubting the CEO’s daughter? Typical try-hard charity case. You got a scholarship out of the boondocks and think you’re hot stuff, but you’ll never understand the superiority of someone born in Rome. Princess Harper, ignore her. Let’s go get lunch.” Harper didn’t address me or my question. Instead, she picked up a stack of files, looking distressed. “But the Director told me to organize these spreadsheets by noon, and I’m only half done…” Britney snatched the files and slammed them down on my desk. “Chloe, finish organizing these for Harper.” I tossed them right back at her. “Do your own work.” Britney threw them back at me, barking a command. “Harper is the Princess of this company! Don’t you try-hards love showing off? Letting you do the Princess’s work is doing you a favor. Got it?” I threw the files back one last time, muttered “Psychopath,” and stood up to leave for my lunch break. Britney shrieked behind me. “Don’t be an ungrateful bitch, Chloe! You think passing a few exams makes you special? Harper’s family owns this place! One word to her dad, and your chances of a full-time offer are dead!” I could have died laughing. The only one dreaming here was Harper. I was in a rush to meet my boyfriend for lunch and couldn’t be bothered to argue. I walked out, hearing several coworkers swarming Harper to brown-nose her, eagerly volunteering to do her spreadsheets. 2 My boyfriend, Derek Vance, and I had just sat down at a nice Italian place downstairs. Suddenly, Britney and a cluster of coworkers walked in, surrounding Harper like she was Beyoncé. Derek, who was usually indifferent to other women, suddenly stood up. He walked over to an empty table near us, pulled out a chair, and gave Harper a warm, charming smile. “Harper, there are empty seats here. You guys can sit.” Harper smiled sweetly at him. “Thank you, Derek.” Derek’s smile grew even softer. “Anytime.” I sat there, dumbfounded, staring at him. He hadn’t pulled my chair out for me when we arrived. Derek sat back down, leaned over the table, and whispered, “Harper is the CEO’s daughter.” I frowned. “So what?” Word traveled fast. Within a single morning, even Derek in the Engineering department knew. “She’s a big deal,” Derek said defensively. “If I get on her good side, it benefits both of us.” He then shot me a look of annoyance. “You shared a dorm with Harper for three years in college. How did you never tell me something this huge?” I was getting annoyed. “Even if she was the CEO’s daughter, what difference would it make?” Just then, the garlic butter shrimp Harper ordered arrived at her table. Derek stood up again. He leaned in, gritted his teeth, and whispered to me, “You are so dense it’s actually painful.” Then, abandoning his actual girlfriend, he scurried over to their table and started peeling shrimp for Harper. I swallowed my anger and called his name twice. He ignored me. Harper spoke up, her voice dripping with fake concern. “Thank you, Derek. But Chloe looks really mad. I know it’s no big deal that you’re helping me, but if she throws a tantrum, you’ll have to be the one to coax her. I don’t want you to get tired because of me. You should go back.” Derek wanted to stay, but a few male coworkers, eager to suck up to the “heiress,” aggressively nudged him out of the way. When Derek returned to our table, he glared at me like he wanted to stab me. I let out a cold laugh. “Derek, did you ever stop to think that if she isn’t the CEO’s daughter, your pathetic, gold-digging brown-nosing today is going to look incredibly embarrassing?” Derek’s face darkened. “I’m a gold-digger? You think I’m embarrassing? The only embarrassing one here is you! You’re dead broke, yet you strut around carrying a fake fifty-thousand-dollar Hermès Birkin! God knows what shady things you did to get that knockoff!” For safety reasons, I usually wore unbranded custom clothing and bags made by my family’s private designers. But one morning, I was running late for a major college lecture, panicked, and grabbed a custom, logo-less Hermès bag my mom had casually bought at a Paris runway show and left on the sofa. I didn’t expect Derek to recognize the silhouette. So his whole “I don’t care about material things” persona was a complete act. My affection and respect for him plummeted to absolute zero. I stood up with a cold face and left. I had completely lost my appetite. I had originally thought he was a talented engineer and was planning to recommend him to my dad for a promotion. Now, I realized that was entirely unnecessary. 3 Derek called me. Thinking he wanted to apologize, I answered. He didn’t apologize. Instead, he asked to borrow money. I hung up immediately. After work, he was waiting for me outside the office building. He pulled me into a quiet corner. The six-foot-tall man slumped his shoulders, looking pathetic. “It’s a family emergency. I really need $15,000 right now.” I shot back, “You’re friends with the ‘CEO’s daughter’ now. Go borrow it from her.” Derek looked even more pitiful. “Chloe, why can’t you understand me? Do you think I wanted to suck up to Harper? I did it for our future! If we make friends with the CEO’s daughter, wouldn’t our lives at the company be so much easier? Chloe, you’re the only one who can help me. If you don’t… my mom is screwed. If you don’t have the cash, that fake Hermès bag you have… give it to me. I can sell it, it should cover the cost…” I had met Derek’s mother. She was a hardworking, kind country woman. I had a good impression of her, and it was her kindness that had initially made me think highly of Derek. Hearing it was a medical emergency for his mom, I didn’t think twice. I told him he didn’t need to sell my bag, I would get the cash. I transferred him the $15,000. A day later, I got a call from one of my wealthy socialite friends. She said she saw my handsome boyfriend at an exclusive boutique buying a limited-edition designer dress. When buying it, he told the sales associate it was an anniversary gift for his girlfriend. It cost $12,000. My friend snapped a photo of the dress and sent it to me. She could tell I had no idea, so she said enviously, “Tsk, couldn’t tell your stoic little boyfriend was such a romantic! He bought your exact size. Just play dumb and get ready for the surprise!” I honestly didn’t know how to describe what I was feeling. Derek was usually incredibly stingy. Spending $12,000 was astronomical for him. I never imagined he would use his mother’s fake “medical emergency” to borrow $15,000 from me, just to buy a $12,000 dress. However, when our anniversary actually arrived, Derek didn’t even give me a greeting card. Instead, I saw the $12,000 limited-edition dress on Harper. 4 I shoved the photo my friend took directly into Derek’s face. “Is this what you meant by your mother having an emergency and needing cash?!” Derek turned beet red and stammered, “Harper… she thinks highly of me. She invited me to the movies the other night. I wanted to give her a gift in return. She’s rich, so she definitely wouldn’t care about a cheap gift… That’s why I borrowed the money from you…” I never expected that Harper, aside from being vain and manipulative, was also top-tier at stealing other people’s boyfriends behind their backs. I sneered. “So to you, the CEO’s daughter is your mother now? By that logic, Derek, don’t you have too many ‘mothers’ to keep track of?” “Chloe, that’s enough!” Derek roared, cutting me off. “We’re breaking up.” My heart stung for a second. It hurt a little. But I didn’t let it hurt for long. I was glad I discovered his true colors before revealing my real identity. I clenched my fists and looked him dead in the eye. “Fine. We’re done. I hope you never regret this. And even if you do, don’t you dare come crawling back to me begging for another chance!” “Look at your attitude! A woman should either have money or be submissive! You? You’re dead broke, and your personality is like a brick wall! Let me tell you, no man could stand your foul temper! I was blind to be with you, but now my vision is restored. Don’t even talk about this lifetime, I wouldn’t regret dumping you in eight lifetimes!” “Great. Please remember what you said today. Also, give me back the $15,000 you borrowed.” To a scumbag like him, giving him a single cent felt like an insult to my money. “You want to talk about money?!” He threw a small notebook at me. “Pay me back for all of this first!” I caught it and flipped through. Inside were line-by-line records of every single expense from our dates over the past few months. When my shoelace broke on the street and he bought me a two-dollar replacement, he logged it. Every meal, every cup of coffee—nothing was missed. The grand total was $200. The spare change on a single pen I had gifted him cost more than that, yet he logged every penny. I laughed out of sheer anger. “Fine. Deduct the $200 from the $15,000 you owe me. But the gifts I gave you—the designer belts, the fountain pens, the tailored shirts—you return all of them.” Derek scoffed disdainfully. “Those fake knockoffs? I threw them all in the trash the night Harper and I went to the movies.” “Then pay me back for their value. I have the receipts for everything. I’ll send them to you, and you will write me an IOU.” For once, Derek was eager about money. “Fine, I’ll write it! The cost of a single bag from my Harper’s closet will cover it. Don’t try to forge the receipts, I’ll have them verified.” Just a minute ago it was “Harper,” now it was “his Harper.” Pathetic. 5 I don’t know what methods she used, but Harper actually managed to get a set of the Olympian Gods figures. After that, her status in the department skyrocketed. An intern who hadn’t even been at the company for long suddenly received a private office—a perk reserved only for senior accountants. Brand new office supplies, a top-tier computer setup, you name it. Her desk was piled high with expensive lattes and snacks bought by our coworkers. Correspondingly, because I refused to worship her, I became the perfect target for contrast. I was relocated to a desk right next to the bathrooms. All the most tedious, awful tasks were dumped on me. In the breakroom, I accidentally overheard the gossip. This was all the “hard work” of VP Marcus Thorne. Britney looked at me, bossing me around arrogantly. “Chloe, go brew a cup of coffee for Harper. Make sure it’s pour-over. Harper is doing you a favor by specifically asking for you to make it.” “Where did this rat turd come from? Do you have a death wish? How dare you order our Chlo—” That arrogant voice belonged to my third brother, Luke Sterling. I acted fast, slapping a hand over his mouth and dragging him out of the breakroom. My dad named him Luke to be a beacon of light for the company. But aside from business, Luke was a master at partying and goofing off. Because of that, my dad “exiled” him to our department to do grunt work and gain some grounded experience alongside me. Everyone in our family spoiled me to death. Luke was no exception. Hearing me being ordered around, he looked ready to commit murder. But I had my own plans. I wanted to use this opportunity to smoke out all the rats in the company and genuinely do something useful for my dad’s business. Seeing my determination, Luke was moved. He agreed to team up with me to catch the rats. Luke asked about my boyfriend, mentioning that our second brother, Leo, was having a concert soon. He handed me three VIP tickets so I could take my boyfriend. I casually shoved the tickets into my pocket. Before I could tell Luke I had dumped the cheating loser, Britney followed us out, demanding I go make Harper’s coffee. Luke stepped right in front of her. At over six-foot-two, with a furious scowl, he looked terrifying. Britney glared at me but didn’t dare push it. She went to make the coffee herself. Barely a few steps away, she suddenly let out a deafening, groundhog-like shriek. “AHHHHHH! TICKETS TO LEO STERLING’S CONCERT!” Everyone turned to look. A few nearby coworkers ran over to see the tickets in her hand. Britney ignored them, sprinting straight into Harper’s office and giving her a massive bear hug. “Princess Harper! These Leo Sterling tickets must have dropped from your pocket, right?! You’re the CEO’s daughter, Leo Sterling is your actual biological brother, right?! There are two tickets—can I please have one?! I’m his biggest fan! Take me with you, and I will be your literal slave for life!” Harper only froze for a single second before her calm, arrogant facade returned. She smoothly took the two tickets Britney had “found.” “Sure, we can go together. It’s perfect since there are two tickets.” Watching this absurd play unfold, I blinked and reached into my pocket. That’s when I realized the concert tickets my brother had just given me were gone. I started walking straight toward Harper and Britney. 6 Luke followed right behind me. “I’m right here. You don’t even need to lift a finger. Just say the word, and I’ll wipe these rats off the face of the earth.” I held back my impulsive brother and gave him a specific instruction. “You got it.” Luke went off to do as I asked. Harper’s office was packed. Britney and several other coworkers were squeezed inside, all lured in by the holy grail of tickets to the global pop star’s sold-out concert. I walked into the office and asked her, “Harper, how do you know these tickets are yours?” Before Harper could answer, her loyal foot soldier, Britney, fired back. “Duh! If they aren’t Harper’s, are they yours, Chloe?!” Following her mockery, a few people chuckled. I raised an eyebrow and replied calmly, “Yes. They’re mine.” The office fell dead silent for three seconds. Then Britney burst into hysterical laughter. “Yours?! Hahaha! Chloe, has Princess Harper’s natural superiority finally driven you insane? A broke intern claims that VIP tickets to Leo Sterling—which cost over a thousand bucks each—are hers?” Harper smiled tactfully, but her words were far more vicious. “Chloe, it’s normal to want to see my brother Leo’s concert. But how can you claim things that aren’t yours? I think your obsession with Leo is making you delusional. Do you want me to recommend a good psychiatrist?” I didn’t waste any more breath on them. I called Luke to bring the evidence over. There was a security camera right outside the breakroom in the hallway. I had sent Luke to pull the security footage. Luke was ruthless. He wheeled in a projector and cast the security footage onto the large white wall in the accounting office. On the screen, it clearly showed the tickets falling out of my pocket, and Britney picking them up. The entire sequence was crystal clear. The laughter in the office died. Coworkers began whispering. “Holy crap, they really are Chloe’s.” “But Britney swore they were Harper’s?” “Yeah, and when Chloe asked Harper, Harper didn’t even deny it. She acted exactly like they were hers.” “The CEO’s daughter tried to steal an intern’s concert tickets? What the hell?” … Harper’s face was completely blank. She gripped the tickets so tightly her knuckles turned white, looking like she wanted to crush them into dust. Britney’s expression was the definition of mortification. She stood frozen for a moment, then turned to look at Harper. Harboring a bit of resentment, yet too afraid to be too aggressive, Britney asked carefully, “Harper… are these tickets… not yours?” Harper turned her head away, shifting the blame onto her. “When did I ever say the ones you picked up were mine?” Britney: “But…” Harper smoothly downplayed it: “I do have tickets, but I put them in my bag. You brought these over, and I just assumed they were the ones I dropped. It was just a misunderstanding.” Luke scoffed. “A misunderstanding? Alright, you said your tickets are in your bag. Take them out right now and show everyone, prove your innocence.” All eyes in the office locked onto Harper. 7 Harper began pretending to rummage through her bag, furrowing her perfectly manicured brows. “Looks like I left them at home. It’s just a concert. If I want to go, it’s just a matter of making one phone call.” Seeing the lingering doubt in everyone’s eyes, Harper smiled softly. “Whoever wants to go, just let me know. I’ll take you all backstage when the time comes.” Britney was the first to hug her and squeal. “AHHHH! I want to go! I knew I couldn’t be wrong! It’s Princess Harper’s own brother’s concert, she doesn’t even need tickets to get in!” Several other coworkers who desperately wanted to go instantly switched back to smiling faces, begging to be taken along. Harper agreed to all of them. No one questioned her anymore; the room erupted in cheers. People are basically like this—in the face of benefits and perks, right and wrong become irrelevant. Harper looked at me, her eyes full of provocation. “Like I said, it was a misunderstanding. For something like this, I have absolutely no reason to lie. You, on the other hand, Chloe… are you doing this on purpose because you think Derek broke up with you for me? Let me clarify, Derek and I are nothing but friends. But honestly, we’re all adults here. Your jealousy is so petty. No wonder Derek doesn’t like you anymore.” Derek’s furious voice suddenly rang out from behind me. “Chloe, are you psycho?! What does our breakup have to do with Harper? What right do you have to target her?!” I didn’t even know when Derek had arrived. He was holding a massive bouquet of fresh red roses. My eyes stung for a brief second. I said coldly, “Who is ‘our’? Remember, you are you, and I am me. Stop flattering yourself.” I didn’t forget to snatch my tickets back from Harper’s tight grip. I chuckled. “Alright, since you’re so capable, I’ll see you at the concert.” Last time, her loyal “grandson” bought her that limited-edition dress. I couldn’t wait to see which of her loyal “grandsons” was going to miraculously conjure up sold-out VIP concert tickets for her this time. Derek’s sudden appearance in our department was to celebrate Harper getting her own private office. He had come specifically to gift her the flowers. Luke looked at Derek, realizing something belatedly. He asked me, “Is this that—” Although I had broken up with Derek before getting the chance to introduce him to my family, I had shown them a photo of him when he first started pursuing me. I said briefly, “We broke up. He’s currently busy licking the boots of the ‘CEO’s daughter’ in there.” Luke’s mouth twitched. “He has zero taste.” I had already moved on and shrugged indifferently. “Everyone meets a few scumbags when they’re young.” Luke wanted to punch him. I held him back. The person this scumbag wanted to suck up to was the CEO’s daughter. Harper was a fake. It wouldn’t be long before her true colors were exposed. When that time came, the scumbag would realize that being a gold-digging bootlicker leaves you with absolutely nothing. There was no need for my brother to dirty his hands. 8 The concert started at 8 PM. Luke and I planned to head straight there after clocking out. My eldest brother, Liam, had called. He organized a fleet of cars to escort me to the concert. Liam loved cars. He managed auto-investments and was a race car driver himself. His private garage in the city alone held over a hundred luxury vehicles. The convoy he arranged to escort me consisted of eight cars and ten bodyguards. The bodyguards were handpicked by my parents from a top-tier private security firm. Because it was my first time attending Leo’s concert, they were worried about the massive crowds and didn’t trust Leo or Luke to protect me properly. That evening, waiting at the elevators, Luke and I bumped into Harper, Britney, Derek, and their entourage. Britney, acting like a human megaphone, intentionally raised her voice to show off. “Listen up, guys! Princess Harper’s dad sent a luxury convoy to pick us up! They’re all top-tier luxury cars worth millions! Unlike some people who maxed out their credit cards just to buy a ticket to show off, and will spend the next few months paying off loans. Forget a taxi, they’ll probably have to borrow money just to ride the smelly bus! Hahaha!” She stared straight at me, sneering. “Some people need to learn that getting good grades in school is useless. First of all, you need self-awareness. You need to recognize your status and fix your attitude. Otherwise, you deserve to eat dirt and be poor for the rest of your life.” I chuckled. “You definitely have self-awareness. You’ve positioned your status perfectly—especially how flawlessly you play the role of a groveling lapdog.” Luke gave me a thumbs up. We walked over to take a different elevator. Behind us, a slow-to-react Britney shrieked, “Who are you calling a lapdog?!” Derek, who previously complained to me that Britney was like a rabid dog that bit everyone, was now actually comforting her. “Britney, don’t stoop to Chloe’s level. She’s jealous of Harper. She’s so insanely jealous she’s acting like a porcupine, trying to stab anyone she sees.” Harper’s voice was sickeningly sweet. “People like porcupines are so scary. I’m so glad you broke up with her, Derek.” Heh. I was the one who was glad! 9 Luke and I reached the ground floor. Harper’s group had arrived just before us. Led by Harper, the group of coworkers was crowded around a line of eight top-tier luxury cars, screaming in excitement. The fleet was led by a Rolls-Royce Phantom, followed by Bentleys, Ferraris, Maybachs, and Lamborghinis. It was basically a high-end auto show. Harper, Britney, and Derek were worshippers of vanity; of course they recognized the cars. No wonder they were going crazy. Harper’s eyes were practically glowing, but she tried hard to maintain a reserved, elegant posture. “These are just the everyday cars my family uses. Sit wherever you want, guys. Get in.” Derek was flushed with excitement. Using a tone reserved for worshipping deities, he asked Harper carefully, “Harper, can I ride in the same car as you? I want to stay by your side every second, to watch over you and protect you.” “Mhm, okay. Thank you, Derek. You’re so sweet.” Harper and Derek walked toward the extended Rolls-Royce at the front. Derek played the gentleman, reaching out to open the door for her. Before his hand even touched the handle, the driver and the bodyguard in the passenger seat stepped out simultaneously and blocked him. “Who are you?” Derek awkwardly pulled his hand back, revealing Harper behind him. Harper swayed her hips, stepped forward, tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, and commanded arrogantly, “My brother sent you, right? I’m Harper Sterling. Open the door for me. Oh, and these are my coworkers going to the concert with me. Tell the drivers in the back to open their doors too. My coworkers need to get in.” The driver and the bodyguard exchanged glances, completely baffled. The drivers and bodyguards from the seven cars behind them also stepped out. Soon, their Captain spotted me and immediately marched over with large strides, preparing to respectfully greet me. Luke and I simultaneously raised a hand to stop him. We wanted to watch the show. Harper was already throwing a tantrum. “Hey! I told you to open the doors, are you deaf?! Where are you going?! I didn’t say those two could ride in my cars!” The drivers and bodyguards were all bewildered. I nudged Luke, signaling it was his turn to take the stage. Luke caught on, strolled over, looked down at Harper, and spoke with supreme arrogance. “These cars—” Harper cut him off immediately. “What? You want to hitch a ride too? Sorry, step aside. There are no seats for you in my cars!” Luke let out a cold laugh. “Get the fuck out of here with your fake flexing. You’re the one who needs to step aside. Every single one of these cars belongs to my family.” Harper turned to look at him, sneering. “You? Hah! An intern? You think you’re worthy?” She turned back to yell at the driver. “Hurry up and open the door, didn’t you hear me?! If my brother finds out you disrespected me like this, you’ll all be fired!” No one paid her any attention. “Harper Sterling, right? Open your blind eyes and look closely.” Luke raised a hand in a signal. Instantly, the driver pulled open the rear door of the Rolls-Royce and bowed respectfully. “Young Master Luke, please get in.” Harper: “…” Britney, Derek, and the crowd of coworkers: “???” Luke: “See clearly now? If you see clearly, then get the hell out of my way!” Harper was in disbelief. She didn’t even care about the humiliation. She grabbed her phone and ran to a secluded corner to make a call. I followed her quietly and turned on my phone’s voice recorder. I heard her call the person on the other end “Kevin” and ask about the cars. I couldn’t hear what the other person said. Harper’s voice suddenly grew loud. “You didn’t send cars?! What am I supposed to do if you don’t send cars?! I already promised my coworkers!” “You can’t get a Rolls-Royce? Then rent me a few Bentleys, Maybachs, or sports cars! Hurry up, okay?! If you don’t, I’m going to be completely humiliated, Kevin!” “No sports cars either?! Then… then a Mercedes or a BMW! …Still no?! Then what am I supposed to do?! Kevin, you HAVE to get them here. If you don’t, and I lose face, I can’t guarantee I won’t leak all your dirty secrets onto the company portal!” After Harper’s desperate threats, the voice on the other end of the phone suddenly boomed so loudly I could hear it. “You little bitch, you dare threaten me?! Do you have any idea how much money and how many favors it cost me to get you those tickets from the Second Young Master’s team?! I paid a hundred times the premium just to secure one ticket, and now you want me to get you ten luxury cars?! Luxury my ass! You want to ruin me?! Fine! Go ahead and post it! If I get ruined at the company, you’re going down with me, you stupid bitch!” The man hung up. Harper was trembling with rage. I sent the recording to my dad’s assistant for investigation…

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “414040”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

Transported back to age eighteen, I was forced to drop out of school and ended up tightening screws in a factory.In the middle of the noisy factory floor, the owner’s son stood with a cigarette dangling from his lips. He looked around with a reckless, arrogant smirk. “I’m starting my own tech company,” he announced. “Who’s crazy enough to come with me?” Dead silence. Then, one hand went up. Mine. My coworkers said my brain was fried. My cousin laughed at my delusions. My parents screamed that I just needed to shut up and keep screwing bolts for minimum wage. I just smiled. They didn’t know anything. Twenty years later, that arrogant guy would be sitting at the top of the Forbes billionaire list. 1 I was eighteen again, and I had just been handed my expulsion papers. In our cramped living room, my father’s roaring voice was deafening. “Stealing from other students! You’ve completely dragged our family name through the mud!” My mother chimed in, equally furious. “You couldn’t just go to school and be normal? Look at your cousin Emily. Thank God she put in a good word for you, or you’d be sitting in a jail cell right now!” The memories of my past life rushed back. I had been framed for theft by a classmate. The teachers didn’t care about the truth; they pinned it on me and dragged me to the principal’s office. The school was having a crackdown on stealing, and the principal wanted to make an example out of me. He threatened to call the cops. That was when my cousin, Emily Carter, stepped in with tears in her eyes, begging for mercy on my behalf. In the end, the principal let it go—on the condition that I voluntarily withdraw from the school. Back then, I treated Emily like my savior. It wasn’t until years later, when I was working a dead-end retail job and ran into an old classmate, that I found out the truth: the entire setup was orchestrated by Emily from the start. Seeing me space out, my dad raised his hand. I didn’t dodge. I took the heavy slap straight across the face. My whole body ached. This wasn’t the first time they had hit me today. “Pack your bags and get out tomorrow morning!” my dad yelled. “Whether you live or die out there is your own damn problem!” I nodded, silently turning and walking back to my “room.” It was barely a room—just a tiny, partitioned closet next to the kitchen. The light was dim. I had zero privacy. Right on the other side of the thin wall was my brother Kyle’s room. He had a massive bed and, a true luxury for a working-class family in the late 90s, a brand-new desktop computer. A birthday gift from our parents. Sitting on my cot, the reality of my rebirth finally washed over me. In my past life, I always thought that if I could just go back in time, I’d fight tooth and nail to prove my innocence and stay in high school. But the damage was already done. Right now, I had no money, no power, and no way to fight back against awful people. But that was fine. School wasn’t the only way out. Early the next morning, I left “home.” I had one duffel bag and twenty bucks I had scraped together. I hopped on a Greyhound bus heading straight for the industrial side of the city. In my previous life, after I was expelled, I was weak and defeated. My parents beat me and berated me daily until they got sick of looking at me and found me a job. Emily’s mother, my Aunt Susan, worked as an accountant at a local manufacturing plant. She dragged me in to be a factory girl, screwing bolts on the assembly line all day with room and board included. That soul-crushing, repetitive, dirt-cheap labor stole four years of my youth. This time, I didn’t wait for her introduction. I went straight to the factory myself. Following behind the floor manager, I pulled on a pair of work gloves, grabbed my tools, and walked onto the familiar, deafening assembly floor. Because in this life, I had a very specific target. “Damn it, who the hell stepped on me?!” The low, annoyed growl made me jump. I quickly pulled my foot back. I had left a dusty boot print right on top of a perfectly shined leather shoe. I followed the shoe up to the face, and my breath hitched. The young man had frosted blonde tips, a dragon tattoo winding down his forearm, and a furious scowl on his face. He looked like a thug. But I wasn’t scared. I had seen him in financial magazines, wearing tailored suits, his eyes sharp and his smile warm. The contrast with the guy standing in front of me was jarring. “Boss,” the manager said, turning to me nervously. “She’s new… apologize, now!” I looked right into his eyes. “Sorry.” He stared back. After a few seconds of dead silence, he asked, “You aren’t scared of me?” I shook my head. “Interesting.” Caleb Vance ran his tongue over his teeth. “Little factory girl, you’d do well to stay out of my way.” He turned on his heel to leave. “I’m not a factory girl,” I called out to his arrogant back. “My name is Chloe.” 2 Working the line was brutal. Two days in, I had three massive blisters on my hands. Worse, Aunt Susan spotted me. She put on a fake, overly warm smile. “Well, look who it is! Your parents didn’t even tell me you came down here. You should have said something, sweetie, I could have found you a decent position.” I sneered internally. Wasn’t this the exact “decent position” you threw me into in my last life? But I kept my face blank. “I wouldn’t want to bother you, Aunt Susan. We can catch up later.” I didn’t expect to see Emily the very next day. “Chloe! Where have you been hiding? I was so worried about you.” She grabbed my hands. Her fake sincerity was even more polished than her mother’s. I really couldn’t blame my past self for not seeing through her. “Screwing bolts,” I said flatly. “Oh, I really don’t know much about that… I just came to share some good news! I scored in the top thirty on the state mock exams. My guidance counselor says if I keep this up, I’m guaranteed a spot at a top-tier university!” She came all the way to the factory just to rub this in my face. How “sweet.” “Is that so?” I smiled faintly. “Have you figured out your major yet? If you pick the wrong one, even a fancy degree won’t get you a good job.” Emily bristled. “That’s impossible!” “Why is it impossible?” I shot back. “Look at Mr. Henderson from our neighborhood. He went to a big state school, and now he’s running a dusty corner store. Who knows, maybe you’ll end up—” “It’s still better than being a factory rat!” Wow, the mask slipped fast. Her face turned ugly. She paused, threw down a sharp “I have to go,” and spun around to storm off. “Damn it!” That familiar low growl echoed. I looked up to see Emily had crashed right into someone’s chest. She stumbled back. “S-sorry…” Caleb stood there, looking absolutely murderous. Emily squeaked in terror and practically jogged away. Caleb crossed his arms, tilting his head to look at me. “You know about college majors?” “A little.” He seemed amused. “Alright then. What major guarantees a good job?” “Computer Science.” It was the late 90s. The internet boom was just a faint rumble in the distance, but Caleb would be diving into the tech world very soon. His eyes lit up. But he quickly masked it with a lazy smirk. “The little factory girl has some vision.” I looked at him squarely. “My name is Chloe.” He chuckled. The fierce, thuggish aura melted away instantly, leaving something much softer. “Got it, little factory girl.” He stared at me, his eyes brimming with amusement. He was definitely teasing me. Suddenly, he reached out and flicked me right on the forehead. “I’m Caleb.” 3 After that, whenever I had free time, I found myself looking for Caleb around the plant. I vaguely remembered from my past life that Caleb had left the factory to start a business not long after I arrived. He had tried to recruit from the floor, but because he looked like a gangster and acted like a slacker, nobody wanted to follow him. But I knew that the handful of outsiders he eventually hired ended up incredibly wealthy. Reborn, I didn’t care about becoming a billionaire. I just wanted to catch the wind of the era so I wouldn’t have to scrape by in my middle age. After watching him, I realized Caleb wasn’t the deadbeat he pretended to be. Most of the time, he was sitting in front of a heavy CRT monitor, reading thick books and typing lines of code. The factory workers didn’t know anything about computers; they all assumed he was playing video games. People loved to gossip with me. “Don’t let Caleb’s attitude fool you. He acts tough, but when his older brother comes back from studying abroad, Marcus is taking over the company. Caleb will be left with nothing.” It was true. Caleb had an older brother. In my past life, everyone—myself included—thought Caleb was going to end up a tragic washout. But I knew better now. “No,” I argued back. “He’s going to be untouchable.” One night after my shift, I intentionally dragged my feet, taking the long way around past Caleb’s office. The light was still on. He was typing away. I watched for a moment, then turned to leave. Suddenly, footsteps echoed behind me. “Hey.” I froze. In the dim hallway, Caleb was leaning lazily against the wall, head tilted. “The dorms are the other way. You don’t need to pass through here.” Caught in the act, I panicked. I dropped my gaze, scrambling for an excuse. Caleb walked toward me, stopping when he was dangerously close. I could smell a clean, masculine scent mixed with faint tobacco. I instinctively looked up. His eyes were smiling. His handsome face was relaxed, completely free of the aggression he wore during the day. In the low light, he suddenly leaned down, his lips hovering right next to my ear. “This isn’t the first time I’ve caught you sneaking around, kid,” he whispered. His voice was husky, a low vibration in his chest. “Don’t tell me you’ve got a crush on me.” 4 I stumbled back. “N-no. I don’t.” He raised an eyebrow, his eyes dancing with mischief. I awkwardly looked away. “I was just curious about what you were doing…” “Is that right?” He stood up straight. “And did you figure it out?” I shook my head. He smiled again. For some reason, he seemed to smile a lot tonight. He jutted his chin toward his office. “Well, I guess I’ll be generous. Come on in.” I obediently followed him. The monitor was glowing, surrounded by stacks of programming textbooks. “What kind of books are these?” I asked, playing dumb. Honestly, I was genuinely curious. With Caleb’s intelligence, he could have easily gone to a top university. There was no reason for him to stay stuck in a factory teaching himself, letting everyone look down on him. He leaned against the desk, picking up one of the books. “If you went to college for Computer Science, this is the stuff they’d make you read.” I stared at him. He let out a soft scoff. “You used to be a straight-A student, didn’t you?” I blinked, surprised. “Yeah.” “So why’d you quit?” I bit my lip. I hadn’t planned on hiding it. After a moment of silence, I told him everything—the framing, the expulsion, the betrayal. He didn’t get dramatically angry. He didn’t demand I go fight for my honor or seek revenge. He just listened quietly. He lit a cigarette and took a deep drag. Then he let out a low, self-deprecating laugh. “When no one believes you, everything you say is wrong.” The warm yellow bulb overhead flickered. Caleb leaned by the window, the shadows hiding his expression. I really wanted to say something. Something like, I believe you. Or, When are you starting your company? Can you take me with you? Before I could speak, he crushed his cigarette in an ashtray. The arrogant, reckless aura snapped back into place. “Little factory girl,” he said, looking at me. “I’m giving you half the day off tomorrow. You’re coming with me.” I opened my mouth to correct him about my name, but he cut me off. For the first time, he used my real name. “Chloe.” Even though his face looked impatient and awkward, I found it kind of endearing. Even without knowing where we were going, I smiled. “Okay.” 5 It was almost lights-out by the time I got back to the dorm. Jessica Miller, the girl on the bottom bunk, suddenly spoke up. “Where were you?” “Just walking around.” She was a few years older than me, an assembly line veteran. She had a massive ego and almost never spoke to me. She paused for a few seconds. “Why do I keep seeing you sneaking around the boss’s office?” I froze. I refused to give her anything. “You must have seen wrong.” “You better hope I did.” Jessica snapped her bed curtains shut. After the lights went out, her words echoed in my head. In my past life, I hadn’t interacted with her much, so I didn’t understand what her problem was until I was drifting off to sleep. Then it hit me. When Caleb’s older brother, Marcus, came back from overseas, Jessica wasted no time hooking up with him and moving out of the dorms. Everyone thought she was going to marry him, but even up until I left the factory, they were just messing around. Later, I heard Marcus married a wealthy executive’s daughter but kept Jessica on the side. Eventually, the rich wife found out. She forgave her husband, but absolutely destroyed Jessica’s life… Thinking of that, I understood why she hated me. She probably thought we were the same kind of people. She saw me as competition for the Vance family fortune. So now, she was taking every opportunity to tear me down. But I didn’t feel the need to jump out of bed and defend myself. Caleb was right. When no one believes you, everything you say is wrong. I was going to leave this place soon anyway. My history with these people would end here. I rolled over. The girls on the bottom bunk suddenly went quiet. I sneered internally and closed my eyes. 6 The next day, I only worked a half shift. Caleb must have tipped off the foreman, because the second I asked for leave, he waved me off. I hadn’t brought many clothes from home. I stripped off my greasy uniform and threw on a simple cotton dress. Walking out of the factory gates, I spotted Caleb waiting in the distance. He was dressed sharp today—a green bomber jacket, dark jeans, his frosted hair styled. He looked like a movie star. Seeing me, he paused, looking me up and down with a roguish grin. “Well, look at you. Playing the schoolgirl today?” I nervously twisted the hem of my dress. He stomped out his cigarette. “Let’s go.” We got on a city bus. It was mostly empty. He sat one row behind me, leaning across the aisle. I stared out the window, keeping quiet. About twenty minutes later, Caleb draped his arm over the back of my seat. “Kid.” I looked back. He was squinting, wearing that same dangerous look from the hallway last night. “Aren’t you going to ask where I’m taking you?” I kept a straight face. “Where are we going?” He leaned closer. I caught the faint smell of tobacco. His husky voice was right next to my ear. “A motel.” My brain short-circuited. My first reaction was No way. But then I remembered how unhinged and unpredictable he acted. Would he actually… “We’re here.” His eyes were crinkling with suppressed laughter. I shot up out of my seat and looked out the window. It was early summer. The breeze rustled through the lush green trees lining the street. We weren’t at a motel. We were standing in front of the grand iron gates of the state’s most prestigious university. 7 I never expected Caleb to bring me to a college campus. Stepping off the bus, he shoved his hands in his pockets and walked forward like he owned the place. The security guard at the gate took one look at him and clearly decided he didn’t belong. He stepped in Caleb’s way. Caleb casually pulled something out of his pocket. The guard checked it, nodded, and waved him through. Caleb looked back, signaling me to follow. The guard didn’t even look at me. “What did you just show him?” I asked. He tossed it to me. “A student ID?” I stared at the plastic card. It had his photo and his name. I was stunned. “You’re a student here?!” “Kid, don’t be so gullible.” He smirked. “I paid a guy ten bucks under an overpass to print that.” “…” Fine. Caleb clearly knew his way around. He led me through a maze of pathways and into a massive brick building. Just as he was about to push open a set of double doors, I grabbed his arm. “We’re going in there?” He nodded. Seeing my hesitation, he smiled. “Aren’t you curious what a real college lecture looks like?” Of course I was. Whether in my past life or this one, I had never set foot inside a university. I took a deep breath and followed him in. College in the 90s wasn’t exactly high-tech. The wooden desks, the chalkboards, the faded posters on the walls—it felt vintage. But to me, it was bright, expansive, and brimming with the hopeful energy of youth. No one paid attention to us. Everyone was doing their own thing. It was an atmosphere of open-minded freedom I had never experienced. Even when the professor walked in, I was still stuck in a daze. That was when I noticed Caleb pulling a book out of his bag. It was the exact same textbook the other students had on their desks. The same book he kept in his factory office. So what he was studying every day… was the actual university curriculum? For the next hour, aside from the professor’s opening joke, I didn’t understand a single word. Caleb, on the other hand, was dead focused. It was a rare look of total seriousness. The sunlight caught the edge of his desk. In that moment, he seemed to be glowing. When class ended, I followed him out. “So…” I couldn’t help but ask. “You’re just… crashing their classes?” Caleb looked back at me. “Kid, don’t make it sound so cheap,” he said, raising an eyebrow. “I had to buy a lot of beers to get these guys to let me copy their syllabuses.” Honestly, I didn’t like it when he called me ‘kid’. It made me feel like just another naive girl in his orbit. I lowered my head and walked silently ahead of him. “What’s wrong?” He caught up effortlessly, his tone casual. “You don’t look too thrilled, ki—” “My name is Chloe.” I stopped and looked up at him. He froze. Then, he smiled. He smiled a lot around me, but this was the first time it looked genuine. Not teasing. Not a smirk. Just a real smile. “My mistake.” He raised an eyebrow. “So, would you do me the honor of grabbing some dinner?” He paused, his lips curving up. “Chloe.” 8 We ate in the city and caught the last bus back to the factory. I knew absolutely nothing about computers, but I shamelessly asked to borrow his textbooks. If he was going to conquer the internet boom, I wanted to build my own value so I could ride the wave with him. Caleb looked amused, tossing me a couple of thick manuals. “These are just the basics, but they’re dense. Don’t come crying to me when your brain hurts.” I rolled my eyes. Whether he was calling me “factory girl” or “kid,” this guy still treated me like a child. But regardless, we were getting close. After that, whenever I wasn’t on the clock, I found a quiet corner to read, and whenever I had a chance, I used the computer in his office. Even though it was just basic programming, every little step of progress made me incredibly happy. But inevitably, rumors about me and Caleb started spreading through the factory. The first time I heard them was in my own dorm. I had terrible cramps that day and called out sick, lying curled up in my bunk. My roommates came back. Thinking the room was empty, they sat down and started gossiping. The topic bounced around the factory before landing on me. “Has Chloe been spending a lot of time with the boss lately?” someone asked. “A blind man could see it,” Jessica Miller scoffed. “I called her out on it and she played dumb.” “What’s her endgame?” another girl asked. “The factory owner hates him. Once his brother comes back, Caleb is nothing. With that slacker attitude, what kind of future does he have?” Jessica laughed coldly. “Who knows? She probably doesn’t know the inside scoop. Just a pathetic girl trying to marry rich.” I stared at the ceiling, listening to them tear us down. I didn’t jump down and yell at them. Caleb was right. When no one believes you, everything you say is wrong. I’d be leaving this place soon enough. I rolled over, making the mattress creak. The voices below instantly vanished. I smirked in the dark and went back to sleep.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “414039”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

The moment Caleb’s cold fingers touched me, a burning heat spread from my cheeks all the way to the tips of my ears! Caleb frowned slightly, a hint of concern in his eyes: “Chloe, is this how you take care of yourself?” 1 I was pulling an all-nighter, grinding through product documentation, when a sharp, stabbing pain hit my left breast. Thinking back, this had been happening for almost a month. Panicking, I quickly opened the hospital app and booked an appointment with a breast specialist at St. Jude’s Medical Center. When my number was called, I rushed eagerly into the consultation room. But the moment I stepped inside, I froze. Caleb Wright was sitting in front of the computer, his eyes glued to an X-ray, occasionally explaining something to the seven or eight stylishly dressed medical residents gathered around him. I tried desperately to recall the name of the doctor I had booked. It was 100% not Caleb Wright! St. Jude’s had the best breast surgery department in the city, and despite his young age, Caleb had already become its top surgeon. Getting an appointment with him was harder than winning the lottery. Of course, I would never have booked an appointment with him on purpose. Because Caleb Wright was my ex-boyfriend. The doctor I had originally booked, a man around forty with black-rimmed glasses, saw me come in and beamed. “You’re in luck today, young lady! Dr. Wright is here reviewing scans. Come on, tell us, what’s bothering you?” Caleb stretched his neck, lifted his gaze, and looked at me. His dark eyes still sparkled like stars. His clear, soothing voice came through his surgical mask: “Chloe Bennett, right? What seems to be the problem?” Seeing him again, I almost drowned in those clear, deep eyes of his. I stared blankly for three seconds before snapping myself out of his mesmerizing spell. “Um… well… I felt a lump on the left side…” This. Was. So. Awkward! He typed my symptoms into the medical record with practiced ease, asking methodically, “Does it hurt?” “No.” “How long has it been like this?” “About a month.” “Dr. Patel, could you perform a physical exam on her?” He turned to the female doctor sitting next to him, then turned back to the computer screen. I lay down on the examination bed, letting the female doctor… After examining me for a while, her brow remained tightly furrowed. My heart instantly sank. Whenever a doctor frowns, it’s never a good sign. She turned to Caleb. “Dr. Wright, you should take a look at this.” I’m doomed. She actually called Caleb over to check? Do I have a terminal illness? Hearing her, Caleb walked over, followed closely by his trailing gaggle of medical residents. A whole crowd of people, including one or two men? You’ve got to be kidding me. Was my lovely figure going to be exposed to all these people? Even if I was just a piece of meat in their professional eyes, I still had my modesty, okay?! Sob… Caleb approached with his long strides, shot a cold glare at the people behind him, and with a swift sweep of his long arm, smoothly pulled the privacy curtain shut. Thank God! “Pull your shirt up,” he said, his voice low. His eyes were downcast, not looking at me. Whatever. I shouldn’t care so much. My life was more important. I quickly pulled up my shirt. Damn it. Of course I was wearing the lingerie set I had bought for his birthday. This was too embarrassing… 2 I was with Caleb for three years, and I had lusted after him for five. But he had never laid a hand on me. For his birthday last year—well, technically just three months ago—I specially bought a black lace set. Extremely confident in my figure, I was thrilled, thinking tonight was the night I’d finally say goodbye to my innocence. So, after taking a shower, I rushed to his room. When I poked my head in and saw he didn’t object, I boldly slipped under the covers. The result? His thick brows furrowed slightly. He quickly grabbed his jacket, wrapped me up tight like a burrito, effortlessly slung me over his shoulder, tossed me back into my own room, and left me with one sentence: “Have you no shame, Chloe?” For a while, I seriously wondered if he had some unspeakable medical condition. So, the next day, I tried to trick him into visiting a men’s health clinic. Of course, it didn’t work. How could my petty tricks fool a top-tier medical professional? Refusing to give up, I bought a bunch of “supplements” online. The result was that half an hour after drinking a cup of black coffee I’d personally brewed for him, he came looking for me, cup in hand, while I was petting my cat. Holding the cup, his face was dark, his eyes terrifyingly gloomy. His voice was deep and grave: “Chloe, what did you put in this coffee?” I felt incredibly guilty. I pretended to groom Meatball, who was sprawled out comfortably, and answered with forced casualness: “Nothing! Just put a little more sugar than usual. You work so hard, I wanted you to have something sweet!” After saying that, I flashed him an innocent, sweet smile. He set the cup down, stepped forward, and with one sweeping motion, scooped me up in a princess carry and laid me on the bed. Then, he leaned over me. His firm, muscular chest pressed against mine. At that moment, his lips were less than two inches from mine. His captivating, peach-blossom eyes stared intently at me, his Adam’s apple bobbing. Oh God, I can’t take it. Yes, please! After a long pause, he said in a low voice: “Chloe, you’ve crossed the line.” I was over the moon, my heart racing, plotting to buy more of that “supplement” because clearly, it worked wonders. But, as it turned out, I was overthinking it. This position lasted for exactly three minutes before Caleb got up, straightened his clothes, and walked out. Just like that, he walked out… Plan failed. In a fit of rage, I threw all the supplements away. Which Meatball ended up eating. He spent the next few nights howling at my window. Unable to bear the noise, I ruthlessly took Meatball to the vet and had him neutered. A cold touch brought me back to the present. My cheeks and ears burned intensely. Before, I had racked my brain trying to get him to touch me, and he refused. Now, I was getting my wish under these circumstances. It seemed my charm level really wasn’t high enough to arouse the stoic, ascetic Dr. Caleb Wright. His fingers moved gently as he asked in a low voice: “Tell me if it hurts.” “Mhm.” I responded softly, pretending to be calm, but in reality, I was so nervous my nails were digging into my palms, stinging with pain. He paused for a few seconds when he pinched the lump, then withdrew his hand. He took a shallow breath, frowning at me: “Chloe, is this how you take care of yourself?” I pursed my lips and asked tentatively, “Dr. Wright, is it… is it really bad?” He stood to the side, his brow still furrowed, his voice heavy: “We need to do a core needle biopsy. I’ll go with you. Right now.” For Caleb to frown, the situation must really be bad. I had already started drafting my will in my head, wondering who I could entrust my arrogant cat to. After all, my mom really disliked my cat. Caleb strode forward, and I jogged to keep up with him. He was tall and walked like the wind. Even in a white coat, he stood out in the crowd. 3 This scene suddenly made me a little sad, reminding me of how I used to tirelessly follow Caleb around at Johns Hopkins. He was the unattainable “flower on the high peak” at Hopkins. Rumor had it he was an exceptional talent, specially selected by the university. He published a paper that shocked the medical community at 18 and was admitted to Hopkins before even taking his final exams. Caleb was also an immovable iceberg. Since he enrolled, the number of girls chasing him was as numerous as hairs on a cow, but he rejected every single one of them. Everyone rumored that Caleb didn’t like women. When did I start liking Caleb? It was probably when I saw him speaking eloquently at a podium. The cool, immensely confident demeanor of that young man instantly crashed into my heart. Or maybe it was on the way back from class, his tall, slender figure in a black trench coat and that handsome, ascetic face that instantly bewitched my teenage heart. Later, I decided it was when he stood at the classroom door and asked, “Who is Chloe Bennett?” And then casually pointed out an error in my notes: “In your pharmacology notes, the diagram for the mechanism of local anesthesia on page ten is wrong.” How could a young girl experiencing her first crush resist that? That night, I boldly declared on the university forum: “Chloe Bennett will win Caleb Wright’s heart!” The forum exploded that night. “Good luck!” “Brave!” “Grabbing my popcorn!” “If you catch Caleb, I’ll live-stream myself singing!” On a starry midsummer night, I stopped Caleb after he finished anatomy class. Mustering all my courage, I looked up at his sharply defined jawline and said, “Caleb, I’m going to pursue you!” He frowned slightly, shot me a cold glance, and parted his thin lips: “Don’t block my way.” This was an expected outcome. However, I didn’t lose heart. I was 100% confident in my looks, and I believed the old saying that a girl chasing a boy is as easy as piercing a veil. What everyone saw after that was Chloe Bennett tirelessly trailing behind Caleb Wright. From spring to summer, and then from summer to winter. During meals, I’d shamelessly sit next to Caleb. He would frown slightly, but strangely, he never told me to leave. During his presentations, I always went out of my way to get a front-row seat. He would speak clearly on stage, and I would cheer loudly for him from the audience. When his clear, spring-water-like eyes swept over the audience and landed on me, even if only for a second, I’d be excited all night. I brought him homemade iced lattes when it was hot, knitted him a scarf when it was cold, bought him medicine when he was sick… I used every highly-rated chasing tactic on the forum. Even though he always said coldly, “I don’t drink this,” or “I don’t need it.” But I remained tireless. Even I found myself annoying, but thankfully, Caleb never blocked me. He said, “Chloe, don’t waste your time on me.” “Chloe, the lattes you make don’t taste good. Stop bringing them.” “Chloe, focus on your studies.” “Chloe, I don’t like you.” I thought to myself, just persist a little longer. The current Caleb was willing to talk to me, which was a small achievement. The love of youth surges like a massive wave, accompanied by a brave, stubborn refusal to turn back until hitting a brick wall. Caleb’s clear voice pulled me back to reality: “This will hurt a little. Bear with it.” When the needle pierced my skin, he gripped my hand tightly. “Put a rush on these results for me,” he told the doctor performing the biopsy. When we left the room, he had his hands in his coat pockets and instructed me: “Go home for now. I’ll notify you when the results are out. Be careful not to massage the area forcefully.” Me: … Why would I massage it forcefully… This medical advice was truly embarrassing. Out of politeness, I thanked him. He turned his face away slightly: “No need. Professional habit.” After saying that, he strode away. 4 See? Breaking up was the right decision. Caleb simply didn’t like me, just as he had told me five years ago. It still hurt a lot, though, even if I was the one who initiated the breakup. Two months ago, he told me he was going on a business trip. But he actually went to a hotel. He forgot to delete a text message before leaving, and I saw it. The content was: “Hey handsome, I’m at the Bellagio Hotel.” The moment I saw that message, my heart clenched, and I could barely breathe. I followed him to the hotel. He stayed inside all night. The next morning, he came out with a gorgeous, glamorous young woman. My chest spasmed continuously, my throat felt blocked, and I didn’t even realize I had dug my nails into my palms until they bled. I didn’t have the courage to confront him. Wearing a mask, I hid behind the hotel wall. After they left, I took a cab to my apartment building and bought two coffees and some bagels. I called him and asked, “Are you back? I’m waiting for you to have breakfast.” He answered casually and relaxed, “You eat first. I’m on my way, I’ll be there in half an hour.” How could Caleb, who was always meticulous, forget to delete a text message? Perhaps he truly didn’t care about me at all, so he didn’t feel the need to hide it. That afternoon, when Caleb pushed open the apartment door, I was on the balcony hanging laundry. He walked up to me and took a delicate box out of his bag. His long fingers opened the velvet box, revealing a delicate dolphin necklace. The dolphin’s eyes were set with two diamonds, sparkling with fine light, just like his eyes. Caleb’s eyes were full of a gentleness I had never seen before. In the past, his eyes always carried a faint sense of detachment. He said, “This is for you, Chloe.” During our three years together, Caleb actually gave me things often. It’s just that he never gave them to me in person. He would always just have them shipped to the apartment and then coolly inform me: “Chloe, your gift arrived. Go get it.” The things I received were always the latest season’s releases, and coincidentally, they were exactly the styles I liked. Holding a limited-edition Chanel bag, I’d run up to him acting all cute, blinking my starry eyes, and saying in a sweet voice: “Oh my god, did you pick this out yourself? I love it, love it, love it! You’re so, so, so thoughtful!” Caleb’s fingers would fly across his keyboard without even looking up at me. He’d part his thin lips and throw out a sentence: “The personal shopper picked it. Glad you like it.” I’d pout, drape my arms over his shoulders, and say coquettishly: “Well, you gave it to me, so I’m happy.” His fingers would pause for a few seconds before he said softly: “Alright, I still have things to take care of. You go to sleep first.” Then he would go back to furiously typing on the keyboard. But this time, he personally picked out the gift and personally handed it to me. I should have been happy, but why did my heart feel like it was being pricked by needles? Caleb went out and spent the night with another woman, and suddenly his personality changed. Was he feeling guilty? I tossed and turned in bed late into the night, reading through many forums, and finally came to a conclusion: “Being a simp leaves you with nothing. Cut your losses early.” 5 Then I sent a message to Caleb in the next room: “Caleb, let’s break up.” I didn’t expect him to reply instantly. The content was infuriatingly indifferent: “We’ll talk about it tomorrow. Go to sleep.” Caleb really didn’t love me; he didn’t even care about breaking up. I listened to sad love songs under the covers and cried for most of the night. Looking at the time, I only had two hours before I had to get up. I rushed to the kitchen to grab an ice pack. I didn’t want to go to work the next day with eyes swollen like puffy pastries. My major was Pharmacology, and my current job was in pharmaceutical R&D at a drug company. Unlike Caleb, I got into this major entirely through years of hard studying. Lacking natural talent, I had to put in 100% effort later on. At such a young age, Caleb had already secured the position of Chief of Breast Surgery at the best hospital in the city thanks to his exceptional skills. But me? I was still a nobody in the industry. After icing my eyes, I went back to the bedroom to catch an hour of sleep. When I got up, Caleb was leaning against the doorway waiting for me. He was wearing a gray trench coat that day. He stared at me intently, his voice a little hoarse: “Let’s go. You’re going to be late.” “Okay.” If you ask me why I dated Caleb for so long, the reason was that he never failed to do the things a boyfriend should do. Once, I scraped someone’s car while driving to work. I called him, and he said in a deep voice: “Don’t get out of the car. I’ll be right there.” Ten minutes later, he arrived at the scene. After he helped me handle everything, I thought he was going to scold me. Instead, he just rubbed my hair and said softly, “It’s okay. From now on, I’ll drive you.” And then he drove me, rain or shine, for two years. Whenever I felt like he didn’t care about me, the things he did would give me the illusion that he did. He could accurately remember my menstrual cycle. My period was never very regular, but every time he reminded me, it would arrive a day or two later. Sometimes when we were out and my period arrived suddenly, he would surprisingly pull a pad out of my bag, perfectly solving my awkwardness. I frowned and asked him: “When did you put that in there?” He took a sip of his coffee, lowered his head, and said coldly: “When it needed to be put in there.” Birthday and holiday gifts and flowers were never late. But I still felt that there seemed to be a sense of detachment between us. He didn’t seem as intimately close with me as other couples were. When my best friend Lily found out that after three years with Caleb, I was still an “unopened rose,” she gave me advice. She said it must be because I hadn’t completely conquered Caleb yet. So, I launched a passionate courtship campaign against Caleb. The result was that Caleb kissed me even less… The car parked downstairs at my company. After a long while, he spoke in a low voice: “Chloe, why do you want to break up?” My fingers were already on the door handle. I froze for a moment at his question, but quickly adjusted my state. I took a deep breath and answered him casually: “Caleb, I just don’t like you anymore. Is that okay?” He fell silent. The narrow interior of the car instantly became dead quiet, with only the sound of our breathing rising and falling. After a long while, his slightly hoarse voice came through: “Take good care of yourself.” He lifted his gaze to look at me, the emotions in his eyes dark and unclear. “Mhm.” I pulled the car door open and walked straight upstairs. Three days later, Caleb cleanly moved out of my apartment. Looking at the room he used to live in, large tears rolled down my cheeks. 6 I don’t know why Caleb moved in with me after I graduated and started working. He had never mentioned his family to me. Nor had he ever invited me to meet his parents. After he graduated, I was still in college. Back then, he often leaned against the big tree at the campus gate waiting for me to finish class, or he would wait for me with a bouquet of flowers. At that time, I really felt like the envy of every girl in the university. Whenever I asked questions about his family, he would deliberately change the subject. I guessed maybe he had a particularly pitiful background, an inspirational young man who relied on his super-high IQ to counterattack and achieve a perfect life. If he didn’t want to talk about it, then I wouldn’t ask. I didn’t want to make him unhappy. It didn’t matter; we were both ordinary people. As long as we worked hard, life wouldn’t be bad. Besides, it looked like he was being treated very well. After the breakup, I was depressed for a while. Lily looked at me with a heartbroken expression and said: “Chloe, tell me, you managed to pluck that ‘flower on the high peak,’ why were you willing to let go at this point? Tsk, tsk, that’s a very high-quality stock with great potential.” “Think about all the hardships you went through to chase Caleb down! When it was time to reap the harvest, you just threw the whole pot out with the flower.” I tilted my head back and drank the remaining half bottle of beer in my hand, answering in a low voice: “A flower on a high peak is just that. Even if I picked it, it still doesn’t belong to me. Maybe only the moon hanging high in the sky is worthy of him.” I still didn’t tell Lily the real reason for the breakup. That night, I opened the university forum that had been dusty for years. That year, Caleb agreeing to date Chloe Bennett made the forum boil over again. After trailing Caleb like a puppy for two years, he remained lukewarm. I always thought there was no hope, and besides, he was about to leave soon. The Dean of St. Jude’s had personally come to the university to recruit him. That day, golden-orange sunset clouds covered the sky. I couldn’t find him in the study hall. I originally wanted to say goodbye to him. Perhaps to Caleb, whether I said goodbye or not didn’t matter. Just as I was about to leave the study hall, Caleb appeared in the last row of the classroom. The afterglow of the setting sun poured down from above him, plating him with a layer of golden light. His white shirt was so white it was dazzling, blinding my eyes for a moment. He spoke in a low, clear, and bright voice: “Chloe, come here.” I walked timidly towards him, the little deer in my heart constantly bumping around, as if it would break through my chest the next second, impatient to throw itself onto Caleb. When I walked up to him, Caleb suddenly reached out his long arms and pulled me into his embrace. What followed was his tender, lingering kiss. His lips were soft and sweet, sweet to the core of my heart. Only the coldness of his nose tip allowed me to regain a little bit of rationality. My limbs felt like they were filled with lead, unable to move, but the heat wave in my body surged tirelessly, making my ears and cheeks burn. His fingers supported the back of my head, slipping into my hair and gently running through it. I could feel the temperature of his fingertips, icy cold. He took out his phone, snapped a picture, and then let me go. “Chloe, make me a cup of your homemade iced latte tomorrow.” He leaned against the desk, his expression lazy and content. His dark eyes seemed to hold a galaxy of stars; if I wasn’t careful, I would drown in them. I was so excited I was incoherent, hurriedly agreeing: “O-okay.” I knew that the star in the sky had taken root in my heart from then on. That night, this photo appeared on Caleb’s social media page. In less than two minutes, my notifications exploded. This photo was pushed to the top trending topic at Hopkins. I still remember the top comments today: “The flower on the high peak has finally been picked.” “Alright, live streaming tonight, I’ll sing a song, welcome everyone to send me rockets.” “Blessings, the goddess finally melted the iceberg.” “Envious and jealous, my male god is now a taken man.” My finger kept swiping on the screen, finally stopping on Caleb’s page. That photo was still pinned to the top. The kiss under the sunset, beautiful and brief, just like our relationship. Perhaps at that time, Caleb was only moved by my two years of persistence. After the breakup, Caleb actually came looking for me. He leaned against the stairwell, a spark of fire at his fingertips. He lifted his eyes through the smoke, his voice a bit hoarse: “Chloe, are we really not going to continue?” I was surprised. When did he start smoking? I remembered he didn’t smoke. So much so that I ignored his question. He spoke again: “Chloe, do you really want to leave?” My fingers tightened around my bag strap. At this moment, I had to be tough. I looked firmly into his eyes: “Yes.” I thought he would say something else, even if it was just asking, “Why?” But he turned straight around and left, his back looking free and easy. 6 Two weeks ago, while I was organizing things at home, I found a document of Caleb’s that he hadn’t taken away. I opened it and found it was a real estate purchase contract. The owner was listed as “Sarah.” I looked at the invoice, and the payer clearly said “Caleb Wright.” My mind went completely blank. Caleb had bought a house for that woman, and paid in full. Yet I, his girlfriend of three years, didn’t even know anything about his family situation. It felt like there were thousands of threads in my heart, densely tangled together, impossible to untie or sort out. I decided to go to the hospital and return it to him. Actually, I still wanted to hear how he would explain it, even though I knew I was very likely just going to humiliate myself. But I wanted to give my many years of love a clear period. Without making an appointment in advance, I went straight to his office. Walking into the office, a girl was standing beside Caleb. They seemed to be chatting. The girl’s laughter was like a silver bell, his expression was gentle. I called out coldly: “Caleb, you forgot your things.” Hearing this, they both turned around. When I saw the girl’s face, my heart felt like it had taken a heavy blow, aching to the bone. Wasn’t that girl the same one who came out of the hotel with him last time? As beautiful as a doll. Caleb saw me, a flash of light passed through his eyes for a moment, then dimmed again. He spoke flatly: “What are you doing here?” “Caleb, so this is the kind of person you are.” I threw the documents in my hand onto his desk. The girl looked shocked and stood timidly to the side. Caleb frowned tightly after hearing this: “Chloe, what are you talking about? I don’t understand.” “Stop pretending. You’ve even brought a girl to the hospital.” Caleb waved his hand helplessly, explaining: “She’s my sister.” Of course she’s a sister. A sister with a different last name, a sister who spends the night in a hotel with you! Listening to his ridiculous explanation, I let out a deep breath. I didn’t want to continue arguing with him about this embarrassing matter in the hospital. I still didn’t have the courage to hear him say it himself, so I turned and walked out of the office. As the old saying goes, good fortune never comes in pairs, and misfortunes never come singly. Just after walking out the door, I ran into family members causing a scene at the hospital. Actually, as soon as I walked out the door, I heard what sounded like people arguing ahead. I thought it was normal to have arguments in a place like a hospital. Suddenly, a man holding a fruit knife rushed out of the crowd. Behind him, two security guards chased him with riot forks. The crowd began to riot, and people started screaming. When I realized the danger, the man was already swinging the knife and stabbing towards me. I quickly raised my bag to block it, my body falling backwards uncontrollably, smashing heavily against the stainless steel chairs behind me. Just when I thought I was done for, Caleb blocked in front of me with a beautiful right kick. The man fell to the ground with a thud, and the knife in his hand dropped onto the pristine white floor, making a crisp sound. After the man was taken away by security, Caleb bent down, picked me up, and ran wildly down the hallway. That girl seemed to be following behind him the whole time. My right wrist had somehow been slashed by the knife at some point, and blood kept flowing out. The bag I pushed out to block was also slashed with a huge gash. My poor Chanel… Inside the office, Caleb’s brow was tightly furrowed, his eyes filled with bottomless anger. The hand holding the tweezers trembled slightly. After some manipulation, he bandaged my wound. The girl on the side looked like she was also badly frightened and didn’t dare to speak. He lifted his eyes to look at me, residual anger still in his eyes, but he tried his best to lower his voice: “Didn’t I tell you not to come to the hospital?” “Thank God you’re okay today.” My heart felt terribly blocked. I didn’t respond to his words, coldly thanked him, then stood up and walked out. He reached out and blocked my way, his tone firm: “I’ll take you home.” For the next few days, Caleb would come and change my dressing before I went to work, until my wound was completely healed. Every day before he left, he instructed me: “Don’t come looking for me at the hospital anymore. If something happens, call me.” I wouldn’t go. I would never go again. To avoid seeing them and feeling sad. I didn’t ask him directly about the house either. I didn’t want to hear the heart-piercing result again. The facts had already proven it, hadn’t they? There was no need to go humiliate myself again. As adults, a breakup should be decent.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “414038”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

I haven’t been very happy lately. The problem is, my favorite celebrity “little brother” totally crashed and burned. Getting caught in a scandal is one thing, but lying to me when all the evidence was out there, just to get me to spend more money to bail him out? That was the last straw. In a fit of rage, I dumped all my considerable resources, connections, and hype onto his biggest rival—some indie nobody in the same agency. I didn’t expect the kid to have so much fight in him. He exploded overnight. Superstar status. Just as I was about to retire, happy with my revenge, and looking to sponsor some new young talent, he grabbed me. “Haven’t I performed well enough for you yet, Chloe? How about you stop being a fan and start being mine?” 1 I used to be obsessed with a rising star named Tyler. He was the definition of the “golden retriever boyfriend” aesthetic. Sweet, innocent face. To be honest, his actual talent—singing, acting—was mediocre at best. But he had a face that checked every single one of my boxes, and he knew exactly how to work me with that charming, vulnerable act. Apart from making a ridiculous amount of money, I didn’t have many hobbies. Sponsoring young idols was my stress relief. When he dropped a new single, I dropped serious cash to game the Billboard charts for him. When he couldn’t land a brand deal, I personally spent fifty grand on a designer wardrobe just so he could look the part at high-profile events. Late at night, he’d call me, sounding so sweet and pathetic, complaining about how hard it was being low on the Hollywood totem pole and how badly he was treated. My heart would break for the kid. I’d use my connections, call in favors with producer friends, and get him gigs. What I didn’t expect was for my “investment” to grow up and get a secret girlfriend. Fine. Whatever. They all do. But this girl was a complete clout-chaser. She posted a photo on Instagram, not just announcing the relationship, but claiming that I—his biggest sponsor—was trying to sexually harass her boyfriend. Her proof? Highly curated, out-of-context screenshots of our texts. Within an hour, it was the number one trending topic on Twitter. Fortunately, netizens aren’t entirely stupid. The top comments were savage, just not toward me: “Hold on, are these two serious? Looking at these texts, any idiot can see it’s just Tyler playing the ‘woe is me’ card to manipulate rich women into giving him free stuff.” “I’ve seen videos of him live. His talent is a total train wreck. Without this sponsor lady, he’d be waiting tables at Denny’s. If I had a sugar mommy this rich, I’d be on my knees thanking God every day.” Within ten minutes, the hashtag #JusticeForChloe was trending. Damn it. As a self-made businesswoman, the thing I hate most is being pitied. And this idiot just caused the entire internet to pity me into the spotlight. The public was still eating it up, placing bets: “I bet $100 he’s currently typing up a manic, desperate apology text to her right now.” “$200 says agreed.” They were right. My phone was currently blowing up with over a dozen missed calls, all from Tyler. Then came the texts: “Chloe, babe, I swear this is a huge misunderstanding. That girl is just a stalker. Those photos are photoshopped. They mean nothing.” “Chloe, please let me explain. You’re truly the only one I care about.” “Chloe, send me your location. I’m canceling everything to come see you right now.” Canceling everything. I was the one who curated his schedule; I knew exactly how few gigs he actually had. Eventually, I got bored of the notifications and just blocked his number. I had sponsored Tyler for two years. I knew his real character better than anyone. He hadn’t learned a single ounce of professional craft, but he had mastered the arts of lying and flirting with impressionable girls. Initially, I would have lectured him. Later, I stopped caring. He wasn’t my son, so who gives a damn? To me, he was just a disposable stress-relief toy that happened to look good. While I was thinking, my phone buzzed again. It was my producer friend. “Hey, the marketing team at Peroni finally got back to us. The celebrity endorsement deal is on the table. How do you want to handle it? Do we still give the contract to your little boy toy?” Give it to him? For what? To help him promote the ‘naive, innocent victim’ brand in front of the public after he made me look like a fool? I was annoyed. I was about to tell my friend to just apologize to the brand and cancel the pitch. Suddenly, a digital ad popped up on my laptop for a high-end streetwear brand. The male model looked vaguely familiar. I realized he was with the same talent agency as Tyler—one of those indies with zero resources and terrible management. I only knew about him because Tyler had bitched about him to me several times, calling him ‘brooding’ and ‘uncooperative.’ Out of curiosity, I had looked him up a few times. His look wasn’t my usual type—he wasn’t the sweet ‘golden retriever’ kind—so I hadn’t paid him much attention. I thought about it. Tyler hated this guy. “Don’t give it to Tyler,” I told my friend over the phone. “Peroni wants a model? I have someone else.” “Who?” I switched to tabs on my computer, quickly Googling the kid’s name again. “Ethan. Ethan Reed.” “Who the hell is that?” “Tyler’s rival at the agency.” My friend was silent for a few seconds before responding. “Classic. That is so you.” 2 Unsurprisingly, once Ethan got the Peroni endorsement deal, Tyler, having heard the news, couldn’t sit still. I wasn’t taking his calls. So, he did what any desperate Z-list celebrity does: he posted a notes-app, tear-jerking essay on Twitter. It was the same exact script he tried on me. He claimed the girl was a crazed stalker, purely delusional. He insisted there was no actual relationship, and the photos were fake. The girl, furious at being painted as a lunatic, went nuclear. She immediately leaked the explicit, intimate photos. Then she leaked audio recordings of Tyler attempting to negotiate a cash settlement to make her disappear. Listening to it, I actually felt a moment of pity for Tyler. Truly, he was a massive, drooling idiot. While Tyler was busy destroying his own life with his private dramas, he stopped bothering me. But, getting over a celebrity obsession is oddly similar to a breakup. Even though I never loved Tyler romantically, I had invested real time, emotion, and hard work into him. Without an idol to promote, I was stuck at home at night, completely bored. Life suddenly felt flat. Then, out of the blue, I got a call from an unknown number. “Hello? This is Ethan Reed.” His voice was deep, resonant—completely different from Tyler’s always-on, high-energy persona. It took me a second to figure out who he was. “Can I help you, Ethan?” “My agent told me about the endorsement deal. Peroni. I just wanted to call and say thank you.” “Oh, it’s fine. It was nothing.” Actually, that deal had taken a significant amount of my time and leverage to secure, but that didn’t matter now. Ethan was clearly not the charming, talkative type. After I spoke, silence stretched over the line. Only the faint static of the connection remained. I hate awkward silences and was about to hang up when he spoke again. “I have a showcase gig this Saturday at a small festival. I’m singing a song. Would you… be willing to come watch?” That was a lot to ask of someone who wasn’t actually a fan. I was about to reject him when he said, “If you don’t have time, it’s okay. Honestly, I’m used to playing to an empty room.” That was a low blow. He totally manipulated my nurturing instinct. “I have time,” I said, suppressing a sigh. “I’ll be there.” He let out a huge breath on the other end, sounding totally relieved. “Thank you.” After hanging up, I immediately regretted it. It was going to be so hot this Saturday… whatever. It’s not like I haven’t done this before. I’d act as his personal photographer, get some high-quality headshots, edit them, and post them online. Think of it as his payment for helping me get revenge on Tyler. 3 Saturday came, and I dragged myself, along with my professional camera gear, to Ethan’s event. When I arrived, I realized just how well Ethan had “marketed” this to me. “Showcase gig…” It was basically a performance at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new big-box grocery store in the suburbs. But I had to hand it to him; the scene was packed. Crowds of senior citizens and families were standing around, eager for free samples. I found Ethan waiting backstage. He was wearing a simple black t-shirt and jeans. To be fair, he was incredibly handsome in person. Brooding, sharp jawline. I pointed my lens at him, intending to snap a couple of test shots, but something felt off. I walked over. “You’re not wearing makeup?” Seeing me, Ethan looked confused for a second before realizing who I was. “You… you must be Chloe. It’s just two songs. I didn’t want to make a fuss.” “This isn’t about making a fuss. I’m going to be taking high-resolution professional photos. You need to at least look alive.” Ethan looked embarrassed. “I’m sorry. No one has ever come to take professional photos of me before.” My heart broke for the kid again. I figured a guy like him probably didn’t carry a makeup kit around. “Where’s your agent? Call him over. Tell him to get you a mirror and some basics.” Ethan’s expression somehow managed to get even more awkward. “I came alone.” “Our agency resources are pretty low. The gigs don’t pay much. My agent… he actually started a side business as a drop-shipper to make ends meet. He’s away at a warehouse seminar today.” My god. What kind of garbage management was this? Honestly, Ethan was even… more pathetic than I imagined. Years ago, I had spent a king’s ransom on Tyler. I had curated countless high-end opportunities for him. If I had given even a tenth of that to Ethan, it probably would have sustained him for a year. It was a shame. Tyler was such a waste of space—no matter how hard I pushed him, he never gained any real traction. And what he just did to us, his core fanbase, was unforgivable. Thinking about Tyler just made me feel even more pity for Ethan. I rolled up my sleeves. “Whatever. Sit down. I’ll do it.” Ethan didn’t say a word. He just obediently tilted his head back, waiting for me to work on his face. That was when I noticed his skin was incredible. Naturally smooth. His bone structure was perfect, too. All he needed was some foundation to even things out and it was flawless. When it came time for lip balm, I realized I only had my own. Since I had already used it, I just swiped some onto my fingertip. “Do you mind if I just use my hands?” Ethan shook his head. I squatted down so we were eye-level. My finger lightly brushed against his lips, making sure it was even. Satisfied, I stood up. “Done.” But the kid didn’t move. I looked down and realized he was staring straight up at me, his eyes wide, and the tips of his ears were a deep, undeniable red. “You’re good to go,” I repeated. “Check the mirror?” Ethan snapped out of his daze, flustered. He looked away instantly, lowered his head, and murmured, “Thank you.” Oh my god. Was this kid actually blushing? Are there actually male celebrities left in this industry who still have a pulse and blush?! I had to suppress a laugh. “Get going. Break a leg.” I had originally planned to take a few photos and leave. I wasn’t actually a fan of Ethan, after all. I didn’t expect that when Ethan started singing, his talent would be undeniable. Even the grandpas and grandmas who were jostling for free eggs stopped what they were doing and began clapping along to the rhythm. It was no wonder that even though Ethan was buried at the bottom of the B-list, Tyler was still obsessed with constantly talking trash about him. This kid was a real threat. I just didn’t understand why the agency wouldn’t promote a real asset like Ethan, preferring to pour resources into useless trust-fund kids who couldn’t sing to save their lives. I wasn’t insulting my past choices, of course. Just an objective observation. They say the best way to get over an old love is to find a new one. Ethan was a stock that was about to blow up. I was thinking that maybe I could become his manager, or at least his top sponsor. It wasn’t a bad idea. At least the probability of him having a hidden girlfriend scandal was low right now. But I usually prefer the sweet, cute types, and he… wasn’t. So, should I invest or not? While I was debating, the song ended. Ethan instinctively looked toward me, lightly biting his lip. He gave a shy, almost sheepish smile. His eyes were shining, silently begging for approval, just like a golden retriever puppy. Holy hell! That’s my exact weakness. Fine. I’m investing. He’s mine! 4 I had over ten years of experience as a high-end fansite admin and celebrity promoter. The photos I took were as good as any professional magazine spread. When I got home, I selected the best shots, edited them to perfection, and posted them as a set of nine on my main account. Purely based on aesthetics, these photos of Ethan were flawless. He was drop-dead gorgeous. Since Ethan was so obscure he didn’t even have a dedicated fansite community, I applied to create one for him, then posted all nine photos into the newly created forum. The caption: “A lone ship in a sea of stars. You are the only island where I wish to dock. @EthanReed” The moment it was posted, the comments started flooding in. “Wait, isn’t this Tyler’s former top fansite admin? She’s supporting someone new already?” “Holy shit, this guy is stunning. If these are unedited, I need a name, right now.” “Say what you want, but this lady is truly the GOAT of publicists. Her content quality is insane. Honestly, Tyler is going to regret this. He had a winning hand and threw it all away.” I have to admit, being publicly pitied by the entire internet had its perks. Five minutes after I posted, the likes broke 10,000. I hadn’t even paid for sponsored trends yet. I was getting ready to edit a highlight video of his singing to keep the momentum going when my phone rang. It was an unknown number. I picked up, but all I heard on the other end was quiet, hitching sobbing. Someone was crying. I asked “Who is this?” a few times, but no one responded. I was just about to hang up when I heard, “Chloe… do you really not want me anymore?” It was Tyler. I truly did not understand where this boy found the audicity to call me. “Chloe,” he choked out, “I know you and Ethan always hated each other. Did you post those photos just to hurt me? You can’t actually be over me.” Me: ? On the other end of the line, he intentionally dropped his voice, trying to use that deep, breathy “bad boy” tone to beg for mercy. “I really messed up this time. Just give me one more chance. Let me come over to your place tonight, okay?” Late at night. Coming over. It wasn’t hard to figure out what he was implying. How does a kid who just debuted, who used to look like a sweet idiot on camera, turn this slimy and pathetic in just two years? “Honey, I have absolutely zero interest in you,” I said, unable to keep the disbelief out of my voice. “I sponsored you for a long time, so I’ll give you one piece of advice: don’t think you’re more important than you actually are.” After hanging up, I took a few seconds to calm down. Then I finished editing the video of Ethan singing and posted that online, too. Around nightfall, Ethan contacted me. “Chloe, my agent just got an email. A director saw the photos you posted and wants me to audition for a small role.” I didn’t expect results to come this fast. I was excited. “That’s amazing news.” Ethan was stammering, and I got worried. “What’s wrong?” “It’s just… I haven’t gotten an audition invite in so long. I’m nervous. I don’t have anyone here to help me prepare. If you have time… would you be willing to run lines with me?” He truly treated me like his manager now. I didn’t have anything else to do, so I agreed. We agreed to meet in the lobby of his agency’s building. I knew the place well. Back when I supported Tyler, a group of us fans would wait here every single day. Mostly, we were there to get “paparazzi style” candid shots of him walking to his car. When I arrived, Ethan was already waiting by the entrance. Seeing me, he jogged over. “I’ll take you up.” “Up to your agency?” I was surprised. I had been here hundreds of times, and not once had I been allowed inside. There is a natural barrier between fans and their idols, even for a fansite admin like me who had spent millions on the guy. Seeing my shock, Ethan assumed I didn’t want to go. “Our… our breakdown room has really good snacks.” His words made me struggle with whether or not to tell him: “Look, honey, as a celebrity, you need to maintain a little mystery. Don’t act like a fan is your best friend.” But then I thought of Tyler and decided to let it go. If Ethan actually turned into a diva one day, that would be a different kind of problem. What I didn’t expect was that the moment we entered the main floor, we ran face-to-face with Tyler. Seeing me, Tyler’s eyes lit up. He ran over in three long strides. “Chloe! Are you here to see me?” Before I could say a word, Ethan’s face next to me darkened. “No,” Ethan said, his voice cold. “As of right now, she’s with me.” 5 Having said his piece, Ethan dragged me toward his agency’s elevator like a victorious rooster. He left Tyler standing there, looking utterly pathetic. Honestly, I wanted to tell them both: I’m just a fan, not either of your girlfriends. It really wasn’t necessary to make this into a cheesy teen drama. But looking at Ethan’s proud face, I kept my mouth shut. The kid had zero actual fans, so my sudden appearance and support probably caused a legitimate emotional reaction. It was normal. However, speaking of resources, Ethan’s situation was truly abysmal. It was like the agency had completely abandoned him. But strangely, despite being such an indie nobody, he somehow had his own dedicated breakdown office in the building. Most B-listers didn’t even get that luxury. “I don’t get many gigs, so I spend most of my time at the office. This room was originally for me and my agent, but he’s busier than me and is hardly ever here, so I just took it over.” That explanation actually made sense. I had been associated with Ethan for a little while now, and I had never actually seen his agent. The man was always either picking up shipments or delivering packages to customers. His side business was clearly more important than his main career. The man was a marketing genius. “Has the agency not considered giving you a new agent?” “No other agents are willing to take me on.” And I was sold again. Being an idol to someone this obscure was a nightmare. The agent was useless, the agency didn’t care. The only one suffering was the fan (me). So I couldn’t help myself. I started using my own connections to get him gigs. I started vetting his schedule. Fortunately, Ethan was incredibly obedient. Whatever job I told him to take, he took. Whatever gig I told him to reject, he rejected. He just did whatever I said. His compliance gave me a weird sense of mission. It felt like if he didn’t become a superstar, it was purely my fault. So, apart from my real job, my whole day started revolving around Ethan. Finally, even my business partner, Liam, couldn’t stand it. He called me into his office. “Are you taking this celebrity thing a little too far lately? Before, you just spent money, fine. But now I’m hearing you’re practically working for the guy. How much is his agency paying you to be his manager?” “Nothing. I just feel bad for the kid.” Liam clearly didn’t believe me. “Chloe, how many years have we been business partners? I know exactly who you are. Keep it professional. Don’t get emotionally involved.” “Relax. I know what I’m doing.” Celebrities were like dolls in a display case. I could spend an absurd amount of money to dress them up and make them look pretty, but I would never mix them up with my actual private life. That was exactly why I could detach from Tyler so easily, despite all the money I spent on him. But as fate would have it, things didn’t go according to plan. In the morning, I had been giving Liam my solemn oath that I knew what I was doing, that I was keeping my boundaries. That very evening, my ‘boundaries’ showed up at my front door. I was stunned when I opened the door and saw Ethan standing there. “What did you say? You need a place to stay?” “My career isn’t making money, and the agency took back my company apartment. I thought through everyone I knew, and… I don’t have anyone else. Is it okay if I stay with you for a few days? As soon as I get paid, I’ll move out.” Lately, I had gotten Ethan some gigs, but those contracts were net-30 or net-60 for payment, so the money was slow to arrive. But having him stay at my place, this was… “You’re a celebrity, sort of. If paparazzi catch you here, it won’t look good.” After I said that, Ethan tilted his head. “Paparazzi? Following me?” That was a fair point. Highly unlikely. Seeing my hesitation, Ethan didn’t push it. “It’s okay. I understand. It was unfair of me to ask.” He shouldered his backpack and started walking back to the elevator. “Where are you going?” “I’ll just sleep on the agency breakdown room floor. I’ll find a corner.” Hearing that, my heart broke. Again. Everyone goes through hard times. When I first graduated, I was completely broke. I relied heavily on Liam to support me. I bit my lip. “Whatever, whatever. Just stay here for a few days. I’ll try to expedite your payments.” Ethan immediately walked back into the apartment. “Thank you. Truly. This is a huge help.” 6 To be honest, at this point, I didn’t even know if I was still a fansite admin. The real question was: whose favorite celebrity crashes on their fansite admin’s couch? This afternoon at the office, Liam suddenly stopped me. “We haven’t hung out in ages. Dinner tonight?” “Maybe another time. I have something to do tonight.” Liam frowned. “Going to another gig?” “Family stuff.” Tonight, Ethan was insisting on cooking dinner as a thank-you for letting him stay. Liam’s expression relaxed. “Alright. Another time.” By the time I got home, Ethan had most of the meal finished. As his fansite admin and part-time manager, I automatically pulled out my camera to start taking photos of him. Ethan set the last dish on the table and looked at my camera, confused. “Do you take that thing with you everywhere you go?” “Force of habit.” I set the camera down. “You should post a status update later. Right now, the trend for male idols is ‘relatable boyfriend’ aesthetic. Candid, lifestyle photos get way more engagement.” Ethan usually followed any advice I gave him without question. This was the first time he just looked at me and said, “Are you sure?” “Is there a problem?” Ethan smiled, a tiny, almost invisible dimple appearing at the corner of his mouth. “I’d be more than happy to.” About thirty minutes later, I understood why Ethan had asked that question. The first call was from my producer friend. “Girl, your idol just posted some candid ‘at home’ photos. Why does his kitchen look exactly like yours? Holy shit, are you sleeping with him?” Then she paused, thinking about it. “He’s so indie, he probably doesn’t have the leverage to force you. Which one of you is sleeping with who?” I barely finished explaining and hung up when Liam’s call came through. He sounded serious. More serious than I had ever heard him. “I’m ten minutes away from your apartment.” “What? What are you coming to my apartment for?” Liam let out a cold laugh. “To see exactly how far you’ve lost your mind.” Liam and I had been friends for over ten years. Technically he was my business partner, but he was family. The marketing firm we currently ran was something we had co-founded after we both left our last job. It was growing, and we were making a name for ourselves in the industry. For the last few years, since things were stable, I had picked up this celebrity hobby. Liam usually didn’t interfere. The only time he had was when Tyler’s scandal hit and he called to ask if I needed help handling the fallout. It was a small issue, so I had rejected his help. He had never sounded this serious before. Ethan saw my grim expression. “Did I cause trouble? I can delete the post.” I saw the comments flooding in. I shook my head. “Don’t. Leave it up.” Liam arrived quickly. As someone who had navigated high-stakes business deals, he had adjusted his emotions by the time I opened the door. He walked in, saw Ethan, and even greeted him politely. Liam sat on the sofa and looked at Ethan. “Chloe has mentioned you. She said she admires your talent and she’s gotten you quite a few contracts.” “Chloe has been a huge help. I wouldn’t say she admires my talent; I think it’s more that I’m determined to work for her.” Liam let out a cold scoff. “I don’t care what your relationship is. A grown man staying at a single woman’s apartment is never appropriate. Especially since you’re a celebrity—your status could cause serious trouble for Chloe. You’re new to the industry, so it’s normal to be struggling. Peroni has a new project launching, and I’m a major investor. I can get you attached to the project immediately, and I can have them advance you the payment. The condition is that you move out of this apartment. Tonight.” The director for this project was one of the biggest names in the industry. Countless actors were desperate for a chance to work with him. Even B-listers didn’t always get an opportunity like this. Liam’s offer was basically handing Ethan a ladder to the A-list. I was about to speak up, but Ethan didn’t even look up. He rejected it instantly. “No thank you.” I stared at him, stunned. Ethan flashed a perfect, innocent smile. “An obscure nobody like me wouldn’t want to embarrass Mr. Vance by ruining his project.” In the end, I had to be the one to escort Liam out. He leaned against his car in the parking lot and lit a cigarette. “You like this hobby of yours. I never stepped in. I figured you were just spending money to buy happiness. But this Ethan guy… his intentions toward you aren’t professional.” “So what?” I looked at Liam and wanted to laugh. “Whose intentions toward me are professional? Yours?” Liam frowned. “Chloe, I—” “Enough. Go home. I know exactly what I’m doing.”

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