A severe blizzard warning, and suddenly, the apartment complex went into lockdown. Got home to the surprise of seeing my soon-to-be ex-wife and her ex-boyfriend, also trapped inside my place. And just like that, the “cohabitation” of two guys and one girl officially began. 1 “Emergency Alert: Severe Blizzard Warning. All residents are advised to minimize travel.” This year’s snowstorm caught me completely off guard. The shops near the complex were closing one after another. Looking at the two huge bags of groceries I’d just dropped a ton of cash on, I hurried my steps home. At my doorstep, I stamped the snow off my boots. Just as I was reaching into my pocket for my keys, I noticed the door was actually unlocked. Sarah’s voice came from inside, “You don’t have to, I can unpack myself.” I pushed the door open and instantly found myself face-to-face with Sarah and the man standing beside her. The guy seemed a bit awkward. After glancing at Sarah, he turned his back and went back to unpacking the luggage he’d brought. It suddenly clicked – this must be Sarah’s ex-boyfriend, the one who just got back from overseas, the one she was supposedly head-over-heels for, right? Sarah pulled the man over to me, saying calmly, “This is Leo…” “Oh… oh, hi, Leo. I’m Alex.” For a moment, we all seemed a bit awkward. After a few seconds of silence, Leo stepped forward, offering to shake my hand. But my hands were full of the groceries I’d just bought. Sarah frowned at me, then walked over and took the bags from my hands. “Why’d you buy so much stuff? Celebrating our divorce?” Her tone was laced with annoyance. Remembering why I bought the groceries, I quickly said, “There’s a massive blizzard coming. They’re about to close the roads in and out of the complex.” “Locked down?” Sarah’s frown deepened. She glanced sideways at Leo, who was still dealing with his suitcase, a hint of worry in her clear, bright eyes. At this point, Leo looked concerned too. He looked worriedly at Sarah and asked quietly. “Sarah, what am I going to do then? I still have to…” “Alright, what can we do? You’ll just have to stay here for now. We’ll figure it out after this blizzard passes,” Sarah interrupted him. It finally dawned on me. With the complex suddenly locked down, didn’t that mean Sarah and her ex-boyfriend would have to stay here… with me? The three of us living together. I wondered if her ex would feel awkward. 2 The reason Sarah and I got married didn’t involve much love. It was more a marriage of convenience. My family owns one of the biggest companies in the city. My father was dead set on me taking over the family business, but I desperately wanted to break free from my family’s control and make my own way. When I told my father my plans, he called me useless and lazy, kicked me out in a fit of anger, and cut off all my credit cards. The sudden, drastic change caught me completely off guard. So, I went to a buddy’s bar, hoping he could help me figure something out. But he just shot that idea down, telling me to hurry home and apologize to my father. Guess we were just on different paths. Just as I was about to leave the bar, I suddenly saw Sarah in a corner. Sarah was a regular at this bar. Since I came here often too, we’d become friends over time. Seeing her drinking alone and looking down today, I walked over to say hi. From her, I learned that her family was pressuring her into an arranged marriage, and she’d run off to hide from it. Misery loves company, huh? After I told her my story, Sarah’s eyes lit up. “Why don’t you move in with me? I’ll support you!” I almost choked on my drink. She winked and said, “We can have a fake marriage. You help me deal with my parents.” “I won’t let you help for free. I’ll give you eight hundred bucks a month.” Me, Alex Miller, heir to the Miller Corp fortune, living off a woman like some kind of kept man? After a moment’s hesitation, I said, “Deal.” 3 About a month ago, I found out Sarah’s ex-boyfriend was coming back. I didn’t want things to get messy, so I suggested we get divorced. We were just waiting for her to get back from her business trip to finalize things. But I never expected we’d get snowed in by a blizzard before we could sort out the divorce. Knowing Sarah’s ex was staying, I knew when to make myself scarce. I moved all my stuff out of the master bedroom, graciously letting her and her… future husband?… have it. I moved into the guest room next door. What a shame! After living with Sarah for so long, I’d never even held her hand, and now this guy just waltzes in. From then on, the three of us officially began our long “cohabitation.” After a few days, I realized why Sarah liked Leo and had waited so long for him. Leo not only did chores but was also an amazing cook. Whatever Sarah needed doing, Leo would jump in and do it. “Leo, you’re incredible! Sarah must be the luckiest woman in the world to be with you!” I couldn’t help but praise Leo. After all, I was just contributing grocery money; Leo was doing all the cooking and cleaning. Gotta lay on the compliments thick. Leo got a little embarrassed by the praise. He scratched his head and smiled, saying, “I was living abroad alone, and the food there didn’t really agree with me. So I started trying to cook for myself, and gradually got the hang of it.” He then turned and looked affectionately at Sarah, but she just ate slowly, without giving him much of a reaction. Why was Sarah acting like this? Or… was my presence as the ex-husband making her uncomfortable? Thinking this, I decided to stop being the third wheel and head downstairs to play video games at my buddy Henderson’s place. But then I saw Leo walk into the kitchen looking dejected, probably hurt by Sarah’s reaction just now. I tapped Sarah’s hand and whispered, “Leo’s such a great guy, why are you treating him like that? You need to change your attitude.” Sarah paused mid-bite, glanced at me coolly, “None of your business. Can’t all that food shut you up?” “…” Harsh. She’s got a sharp tongue. I was used to it. I decided to ignore this annoying woman. After Leo came back from the kitchen, I teased, “Leo, your future wife here has had a long face these past few days. Is it because she thinks I’m extra baggage, interrupting your quality time?” Leo looked uncomfortable. Sarah scowled. See? I knew it! “Alex.” Suddenly, Sarah yelled my name… 4 I jumped instinctively. She hadn’t yelled at me like that since our fake marriage began. I quickly walked to the door, grabbed a jacket off the hook, and while putting it on, said to Sarah, “I’m going over to Henderson’s to play games!” With that, I made a quick exit. Just because they wanted some alone time, they didn’t have to treat me like the enemy! When I got to Henderson’s, I took off my jacket and pulled out my phone. There was a notification – a message from Sarah. I opened it, but the message had already been deleted. I hate it when people do that! My current situation with Sarah was too awkward, and with her boyfriend right there, I couldn’t exactly ask her about it. So, I had to take my curiosity with me to Henderson’s. Henderson was my only friend in this complex, sharing my love for video games. He handed me a glass of water and teased, “Mr. Miller, eating well lately, huh? Looks like Sarah’s been feeding you up.” I chuckled, about to say it was because we had another guy in the house who could cook. But Henderson asked first, “By the way, where’s your wife and her cousin?” Cousin? What cousin? It hit me instantly – the “cousin” Henderson mentioned must be Sarah’s ex-boyfriend, Leo. I’d agreed to the fake marriage partly out of necessity, and partly because Sarah was definitely my type, really attractive. Even though our marriage was fake, people on the outside couldn’t tell. So, I figured Sarah must have invented the “cousin” identity for Leo to avoid gossip about him. I gave Henderson some vague answers and went back to gaming with him. It was already dark. I said goodbye to Henderson. I wanted to give Sarah and Leo more time alone, but it was getting late, so I had to bite the bullet and head home. On the way back, I just hoped I wouldn’t walk in on the scene playing out in my head. Partly because I still had some lingering feelings for Sarah, and partly because walking in on something like that would be awkward for everyone… I stared thoughtfully at the closed door. Should I ring the bell to be polite? Or just walk in like normal, since I was technically still the man of the house? I decided on the latter and used my key to open the door.

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I had plans to meet my girlfriend for a movie, but when I got to the theater, I found her laughing and flirting with two foreign guys. “Hey beautiful, we’re influencers doing street interviews. Would you be up for participating in our kissing challenge?” Hearing that made my blood boil. I was about to rush over and put a stop to this bizarre game. But then I saw my girlfriend, Tina, blush and nod, leaning in toward them. “Sure, I’m game!” 1. “Get your filthy hands off her!” Seeing Tina willingly offer a kiss to this stranger, my mind was reeling, but I still charged forward. I landed a solid punch right on the guy’s head, knocking the smirking blonde dude to the ground. The other guy, a redhead standing nearby holding a phone, didn’t look panicked when his buddy went down. Instead, he pointed the phone camera right at me, his voice dripping with amusement: “Hey man, chill out. We’re just doing a simple street challenge.” “Besides, this lovely lady already agreed to do it.” “You should respect her choice.” Respect my ass! Seeing the smug looks on their faces, I fought down my rage and pulled Tina behind me. “She’s my girlfriend. You need to leave, now!” Hearing me, the blonde guy I’d knocked down slowly got back up. He wiped a trickle of blood from his lip, putting on an innocent act. “Dude, what’s the problem? Don’t trust yourself? I was just going to kiss your girlfriend, not like I was doing anything extreme.” “You can’t even handle that? Doesn’t sound like a very secure guy. Have you even considered how she feels about you acting like this?” His redheaded friend burst out laughing, still filming. He kept shoving the phone closer to my furious face, like he wanted to capture every bit of my anger. “You got a real mouth on you, huh?” I was shaking with fury. I raised my fist to hit him again, but Tina grabbed my arm, stopping me. “Ethan, have you made enough of a scene?” “These handsome guys just wanted to film a quick video with me. It’s a really popular street challenge right now, don’t you get it?” “You’re so unbelievably old-fashioned…” Tina looked at me with disgust, then quickly turned back to apologize to the two guys. Like I was the one causing the problem. Seeing that, my heart sank into my stomach. She’s my fiancée! We were supposed to get married in a month, and she was saying kissing a total stranger was no big deal? “Tina, do you even realize what you’re doing?” I took a deep breath, looking at her with a complicated mix of emotions. “Let’s just go. I don’t want anything bad to happen to you.” At my words, the two foreigners laughed even louder. The blonde guy stepped forward, draping his hairy arm over Tina’s shoulder. “Miss, seems like your boyfriend here has some anger issues, huh?” 2. “Let’s go.” I decided to ignore these two jerks and took Tina’s hand, trying to head towards the theater auditorium. But she pulled away, looking annoyed. “Ethan, you’re hurting me!” My eyelid twitched. I tried to take her hand again, but she instinctively dodged away. My head was already spinning, and to make things worse, those two guys started following us like a bad smell we couldn’t shake. The blonde one called out, “Miss, if you need any help, I’d be happy to oblige.” I spun around abruptly, grabbing the blonde guy’s shirt collar, my eyes blazing. “Why don’t you crawl back to wherever you came from? Don’t bring your foreign pickup artist crap here. We don’t appreciate that kind of approach!” “If you two keep following us, I swear I’ll call some friends to beat the hell out of you, you hear me?” This time, I was furious, and I yelled it loud. Heads turned all over the movie theater lobby. Everyone was staring. Feeling the weight of all those eyes, Tina stopped whispering. Her face flushed red, then pale, and finally, she just stepped away from me, creating distance. “Ethan, I can’t believe you’re not just possessive.” “You’re also completely unreasonable! These two gentlemen were just politely asking to collaborate on a video. Not only did you attack them, but now you’re threatening them…” “Making a huge scene in front of everyone. Are you happy now?” Hearing Tina’s words, I think I actually laughed out of sheer disbelief. I stared into her eyes. “So, you’re not coming with me?” “I didn’t say that. I just don’t like you ‘protecting’ me like this. Yes, I’m your girlfriend, but I need my freedom too.” I tilted my head back and chuckled humorlessly. “And the freedom you need includes making out with strangers, no problem?” The moment I said it, I knew. Tina and I were done. I could face assault charges for defending her, and this was the response I got. Looking at the two smug foreigners standing behind her, I felt like my pride, my manhood, had been completely stomped into the dirt. The worst part? The humiliation came directly from my own fiancée. “Tina, are you coming with me or not? Think about your parents. They wouldn’t want to see you like this.” I clutched the movie tickets tightly in my hand, waiting for her answer. “Ethan, how dare you threaten me? We’re over! Let’s break up!” As soon as the words left her mouth, the two foreigners moved in, flanking Tina, putting on concerned faces. “Miss, congratulations on seeing this guy’s true colors.” Perfect. Absolute snakes in decent clothing. “Tina, if you can ditch me today for two foreign guys, they can ditch you just as easily tomorrow.” “You made your bed, now lie in it.” Watching Tina start chatting with the two guys again, I turned and walked straight out of the movie theater without looking back. But once I was out of their sightline, I quietly doubled back and went to the theater’s employee office. I pulled five crisp hundred-dollar bills from my wallet and slapped them on the counter. “Hey man, do me a favor. Pull up the security footage for me.” 3. Back home, I smoked an entire pack of cigarettes and still couldn’t figure out where I’d gone wrong. Finally, I came to one conclusion: I’d been way too much of a doormat. In the year or so Tina and I had been dating, whatever she asked for, I gave her, no questions asked. If she was hungry, I’d order food for her immediately. If it rained, I’d drive across town to pick her up from work. If she felt sick, even late at night, I’d bring medicine right to her door. And what did all that get me? After over a year, we’d barely progressed past holding hands. All my effort, apparently worth less than two guys she just met! It was laughable. And I’d actually shelled out $30,000 in engagement money, dreaming of marrying this woman… I drank a lot that night, staring at the security footage I’d paid for on my phone before finally passing out. When I woke up again, it was midnight. I checked my phone. No messages from Tina, of course. Instead, there was a text from her mother: “Ethan dear, your uncle and I are planning to visit Tina tomorrow. Could you take the day off work and pick us up from the airport?” Seeing the message, a cold smirk touched my lips. Right, your daughter is so precious. Every time they visited, I had to take time off to be their chauffeur. Why not ask their darling daughter? Afraid of interrupting her work, but mine doesn’t matter? “No problem, Auntie. I’ll be at the airport on time tomorrow to get you.” After hanging up, I made another call. The next day, after picking up Tina’s parents, I didn’t head towards her apartment. Instead, I drove the car to a hotel downtown. “Ethan dear, why are you bringing us here? We can just stay at Tina’s place.” I shrugged with a small smile. “No need to bother, Auntie. Tina’s staying right here.” 4. Tina’s mother’s expression changed slightly, a hint of disapproval in her voice. “Ethan, honey, I have to say something. Our Tina is a good girl.” “You two aren’t even married yet, and you’re already… involved like this. It’s not good for her reputation, you know. You really should give us a bit more for the engagement money!” I nodded seriously, leading Tina’s parents into the elevator up to the tenth floor. I smiled at them. “Uncle, Auntie, you’re right. We definitely need to sit down and talk properly about the engagement money.” When the elevator doors opened, two well-built men met us, along with another guy holding a video camera. “Ethan, boss, Tina’s in room 1004.” I nodded, letting the three guys lead the way straight to the room. Seeing the two men in suits leading the charge, Tina’s mother beamed with satisfaction. She glanced at the cameraman, then grabbed her husband’s arm. “Honey, look! Ethan is so thoughtful. I didn’t expect him to propose in a place like this.” Her smile was radiant, as if I were the best potential son-in-law she’d ever met. But Tina’s father remained silent, his brow furrowing deeper and deeper. Thirty seconds later, we stopped. I let out a cold snort and kicked the door to 1004 wide open. As soon as the door flew open, sounds—unpleasant, intimate sounds—drifted out from inside. Tina’s mother finally realized something was very wrong. “Chad, please, slow down…” “Kyle, my mouth is getting tired.” The moment I kicked the door in, the camera guy darted into the room like a pro, capturing everything with his high-end gear. “Holy crap! Damn, Ethan! Talk about a compromising position.” I lit a cigarette, leaning against the doorframe, not going in immediately. Stepping aside, I watched Tina’s parents with morbid curiosity. “Uncle, Auntie, your precious little Tina is right in there.” “Sounds like she’s getting her morning workout in. Why don’t you go take a look for yourselves?”

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On the way to school, Mom and Dad held my sister Jessica’s hands tightly, one on each side. And I trailed behind them like some stray dog. I wanted to run up and have them hold my hand too. But all I got was Jessica snapping impatiently, “I don’t want to go to school with Chloe.” So Dad hit the gas, leaving me standing there as they drove off with Jessica. I was left alone to wait for the bus. If they knew their real daughter was about to die, would they regret it? 1. “I don’t feel like going to school with Chloe today!” One sentence from my sister, and Dad floored it, the car shooting away. Staring at the exhaust fumes fading in the distance, I resigned myself to walking, my own two feet being my transport. I hadn’t gone far when a neighbor called out to me, asking for a little favor. Remembering he’d helped me out before, I followed him back to his house without a second thought. And then, the thing I’d regret for the rest of my short life happened. At the very last moment, I managed to send out a cry for help. But Dad didn’t pick up. The phone rang once, then clicked off. Hung up. The screen went black. The phone was ripped from my hand and smashed. Like a moldy, rotten tomato, I was thrown into a dark basement, staring blankly with lifeless eyes. My spirit pulled away from my body and drifted all the way to school. I watched Dad and Jessica hug goodbye at the school gate. Dad only left reluctantly after Jessica’s figure disappeared from view. I was standing right behind him. He turned and walked straight through me. That’s when it hit me. I was really dead. My name is Chloe. My sister’s name is Jessica. We were supposed to be full sisters, same mom, same dad. But one day, a while back, Jessica told me, “Chloe, you’re not Mom and Dad’s real daughter. I am. They only took you in because they felt sorry for you. If you don’t want to get kicked out, you have to do what I say.” So that was why they didn’t love me. I was just the adopted one. “There’s only one piece of cake left. Let’s save it for your sister.” I stood there holding the plate, waiting for her to finish before I could put it down. “Your clothes are still wearable. We’ll order Jessica’s new uniform first this time.” I lowered my head and forced down a tasteless mouthful of food. Mom was right, they were still wearable. Just a little dirty. Covered in random doodles and slang words. All courtesy of Jessica. She wanted Mom and Dad to think I was a troublemaker. But her efforts were wasted. Mom and Dad definitely never saw it. Or never looked. The uniform I’d worn for two years was still a bit big on me. “Malnourished,” the nurse told me during my check-up. “You need to eat more vegetables, get a balanced diet.” Looking at the table loaded with chicken, steak, and fish, the nurse’s words felt incredibly ironic. Vegetables were pretty much all I ever ate. Because that was all that was left. Jessica’s plate was piled high with meat by Mom and Dad. She’d look at me smugly, chin tilted up. Every time, I thought she was trying too hard. Just being their real daughter was enough to beat me. Why bother with anything else? 2 Today is the first day of my death. I wonder when I’ll be found. My body is still in that dark, damp basement. Even my spirit feels cold. At night, the three of them sat down to dinner together. There was an empty chair right there. Why didn’t anyone notice? Suddenly, Jessica asked, “Where’s Chloe?” She always called me by my full name, never once called me “sis” growing up. Dad put a piece of chicken on Jessica’s plate, saying without even thinking, “Probably in her room.” “She must be upset because we didn’t take her to school this morning,” Jessica said, resting her chin on her hand, pretending to be concerned. “It’s because I had a cold, I didn’t want her to catch it, that’s why I didn’t want her to come with us.” I was still hoping they’d realize I wasn’t home, maybe go look for me. But they didn’t even know if I’d come back or not. Right up until the table was cleared, leftovers scraped into the trash. Nobody called me for dinner. They didn’t even save me any scraps. I floated into Mom and Dad’s room first. They were each scrolling on their phones, showing no intention of talking. After a look around, I found Jessica in my room. She was holding scissors, viciously stabbing at my favorite doll, cutting it to shreds piece by piece. Watching the white cotton stuffing spill out of the doll in her hands, it looked disturbingly like my body in the basement. “Heh, Chloe, see? Mom and Dad don’t even know you’re not home.” “You can’t blame me. I reminded them. They just didn’t notice.” As she spoke, Jessica suddenly collapsed onto the floor, sobbing and muttering to herself, “Chloe, if you’re really dead, don’t come looking for me. If I hadn’t done this, it would have been me.” My spirit jolted. I stared in disbelief at my sister sitting on the floor. “My death… it’s connected to her?” Did she deliberately make me walk alone today, giving the neighbor the chance to kidnap me? She knew. She knew that if I was left alone, I would definitely die. Mom, Dad, do you see this? Your precious, beloved biological daughter, how selfish and cruel she is. No, they don’t see. They don’t see anything. Jessica’s crying turned into laughter, a chilling coldness in her eyes, scarier than the wind howling outside. She got up and left, leaving the mess of shredded doll parts behind. That doll… it was the only toy Mom ever gave me. “Chloe, Jessica’s done with this doll. You can have it.” Taking the dirty, worn-out doll from Mom’s hand, I hugged it carefully. “From now on, it’s just you and me,” I’d whispered to it. Now I’m dead. And the doll is gone too. 3 Today is the second day of my death. My left arm is much thicker than my right. I guess it’s because I was lying on my left side, and it got waterlogged from the damp floor. Mom and Dad got up and started packing. Mom even baked some fresh bread. Then I remembered, it’s the weekend. They’d planned a camping trip a few days ago. Well, I thought, when they leave, they should realize someone’s missing. Jessica got all dressed up, practically shining like the golden child she was, dazzling to look at. I have to admit, Jessica is beautiful, with a great figure. Good at everything except studying. But Mom and Dad seemed to care least about grades. Even when I presented them with a paper full of A’s. It couldn’t compete with Jessica saying, “Mom, look at this pretty dress!” Which was followed by Mom’s exaggerated praise: “Our Jessie has such good taste! Mom will take you shopping this afternoon. Let’s make our Jessie the prettiest little princess.” She and her little princess, affectionately bumping foreheads, hugging each other. Completely forgetting someone else was standing right there. Even just a single word of praise, like “Good,” would have made me feel less like an outsider. I crumpled the edges of my report card, then threw it in the trash. Because Mom once said, “Get rid of these things that just get in the way. Don’t leave them around the house. Jessica needs the space for her things.” The undisguised annoyance in Mom’s eyes made me feel like I was even more of an eyesore than my perfect test papers. I finally couldn’t help but ask Mom, “Mom, is it because I’m not your real daughter that you don’t love me?” Mom’s hand struck my face hard. Her eyes were slightly red as she angrily accused me, “What nonsense are you talking about? You and Jessica are both Mom and Dad’s daughters. Jessica had a rough start in life, so Mom pays a little more attention to her. Can’t you be more understanding?” If she was Mom and Dad’s biological daughter, why would she have had a rough start? I didn’t ask the question out loud, because Jessica was already pulling Mom away. I floated to the doorway, watching them bustle around, back and forth, through every corner of the house. Except they completely ignored that one room. My room. Well, it was the most out-of-the-way room in the house. You wouldn’t even notice it unless you were specifically thinking about it. They were leaving. They loaded up all the camping gear. And Jessica. The door was about to close. I’m still here! My spirit unconsciously reached out, trying to grab something. “Where’s Chloe?” It was Mom’s voice. She finally remembered me. My eyes lit up, as if seeing a glimmer of hope. “Forget about her. If she didn’t come out, she doesn’t want to go. We planned this already, it’s not like she didn’t know.” That was Dad’s voice, like a merciless pendulum, striking my broken heart again and again. The outstretched hand retracted. Hope vanished with it. How ridiculous. Couldn’t they have just peeked into my room? Just once?

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My daughter’s personality completely changed after she was in a car accident. Then I started hearing her inner thoughts. “That old hag. Wish she’d just die already, save me the trouble of taking care of her later.” Soon after, a girl I’d been sponsoring showed up nervously at my door, saying she wanted to take care of me in my old age. And looking at her… it was like seeing a shadow of the daughter I used to know. Which one was my real daughter? 1. “Mom, how could you just donate money to those people? That money was supposed to be…” My daughter, Jessica, had seen the news first thing in the morning and stormed in, demanding answers. “And? Do I need your permission to spend my own money?” I sat at the dining table, casually eating my breakfast. “No, it’s just…” She looked down, then came over, grabbing my arm and trying to charm me. “Mommy, I’m just worried you’ll get scammed, you know? I heard those donation things are all frauds. You could’ve just bought me a couple of designer bags with that money.” Old hag. All your money is going to be mine eventually anyway, right? How dare you give MY money to those broke losers. That was what she was really thinking. I looked up at her. I’d raised her for twenty years, and right now, she felt like a complete stranger. Whether those underprivileged girls in rural areas would scam me, I didn’t know. But I knew the biggest scam I’d ever fallen for was believing my daughter was a kind, innocent person. Until a week ago. She got into a car accident. When she woke up, it was like she was someone else entirely. I could hear her thoughts. Cursing me, wishing me dead, just because she couldn’t wait to get her hands on my inheritance. “Whether they scam me or not is my business,” I said coolly. “But you should understand, you have no right to tell me what to do with my life or my money.” Just then, Maria, our housekeeper, came in to say a young woman was at the door. She claimed I’d sponsored her education and wanted to thank me in person. Normally, I’d brush it off. But today was different. I wanted to teach Jessica a lesson, show her I wasn’t just making empty threats. I waved a hand. “Let her in.” The girl who entered was painfully thin, looking like she might collapse any second. Her face was pale, completely devoid of color. The way she looked at me, though… it wasn’t like she was seeing a stranger. And I felt like I recognized her somehow. “Hello, Ma’am. My name is Claire Miller. If it wasn’t for your support, I never would have had the chance to go to school. I came specially to thank you.” I motioned for her to come closer so I could get a better look. Her expression grew more intense, like she had something important to tell me, but just as she opened her mouth, she fainted, collapsing onto the floor. My heart gave an involuntary lurch. Then I heard that familiar voice again, but this time it wasn’t her inner thoughts, it was Jessica speaking aloud. “Mom, she’s trouble. She’s definitely faking it. Maria, get her out of here! Throw her out!” I looked at Jessica. Her face was twisted in an ugly glare directed at the unconscious girl. “Do you know her?” I asked sharply. “If not, why would you jump to such conclusions?” “No… I mean…” Jessica faltered, suddenly cautious. I called for a doctor to check on the girl. The doctor said it was severe malnutrition from long-term neglect. She just needed rest and proper food. I looked at the girl’s face. So unfamiliar. I was sure I’d never met her before. And yet… so familiar. Jessica was still cursing her out in her head. I couldn’t hear everything, just snippets, but the sheer vulgarity was shocking. The daughter I’d raised for twenty years had always been sweet and well-behaved. How could she change into this overnight? The crude language spilling from her mind was something I’d never heard from her before. Since Jessica seemed to hate Claire so much, I made a decision. I would take Claire in, treat her like a daughter. “No way! I won’t allow it! You can only have me as your daughter!” Jessica threw a massive tantrum right there in the house. 2. The more Jessica objected, the more determined I was not to give her what she wanted. I contacted Claire’s parents. After all, if I was going to take their daughter under my wing, I should at least consult them. Meeting Claire’s parents in person, I finally understood why she was in such poor health. Her mother walked right up to Claire and slapped her hard across the face. “You stupid girl! How dare you pay your tuition behind my back? You got a death wish? That money’s for your brother!” The slap sent Claire staggering to the ground, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. She couldn’t even get up. I had my security guys step in to restrain the parents while I helped Claire to her feet. Claire just shook her head weakly. “I’m okay, don’t worry.” My heart ached for her. How could she possibly be okay after a blow like that? “If you lay another hand on her, I’m calling the police,” I warned them sternly. Claire’s father started shoving at me and the security guys. “Who the hell do you think you are? I need your permission to discipline my own daughter?” I was about to retort when Claire’s mother suddenly leaned in and whispered something to her husband. His face changed instantly. “Oh! You’re the wealthy benefactor! So sorry, Ma’am, didn’t realize.” He then spat on the ground near Claire. “Ungrateful brat. Didn’t even tell us who was coming. Trying to make me look bad, huh?” I pulled Claire behind me. “I asked you here today to discuss the possibility of me adopting Claire.” Initially, I’d only thought of treating her like a daughter, but seeing this… if she didn’t get away from this family, her future looked bleak. “Adopt her? What’s the point of raising some useless girl?” Mrs. Miller scoffed. Then she pushed a little boy forward from behind her. “This is my son, Kevin. Why don’t you adopt him instead?” She sounded incredibly proud. I looked down at the boy. Maybe eight or nine, chubby, clutching a bag of chips, his eyes squeezed into slits by his cheeks. “We’re not asking for much,” Mr. Miller chimed in. “Just, say, $50,000 a month. Plus two houses and a car. Oh, and of course, he’ll still need to support us in our old age. He is our kid, after all.” I stared at them, speechless. Did they even hear themselves? “Mom, why don’t you just agree?” Jessica piped up, startling me. It was the first remotely positive thing I’d heard her say in days, but she was saying it in defense of these awful people. “We’ve got the money, right? And raising a boy is always better than a girl.” Suddenly, Claire’s little brother, Kevin, lunged forward, yelling, “Sister! Give me a piggyback ride!” But he was yelling at Jessica. Jessica jumped back, startled and panicked. Mrs. Miller quickly pulled Kevin away. “Oh, look at that! Isn’t that something? First time meeting, and our Kevin already knows to call her sister!” Phew, that was close. Almost got found out. Jessica’s inner voice again. Almost found out what? I cleared my throat. “I think you’ve misunderstood. I am only interested in adopting Claire. Nothing else concerns me.” Faster than I could react, Mr. Miller lunged forward and kicked Claire viciously. “You little tramp! Did you tell her something? Why else would she want you instead of your brother?” My security team tackled Mr. Miller. I immediately called the police and took Claire to the hospital to document her injuries. “Have they always treated you like this?” I asked gently. Claire nodded silently. She lifted her shirt slightly. Beneath it, her skin was a horrifying canvas of bruises and welts, old and new. I gasped. There was hardly an inch of undamaged skin visible. “Don’t worry,” I promised her, my voice tight with anger. “You have me now. I’ll make sure they pay for this.” I hired the best lawyers. With the hospital report and security footage as evidence, winning the case wasn’t hard. The challenge was ensuring they completely severed legal ties with Claire. Jessica, for some reason I couldn’t fathom, kept insisting on coming with me to the police station and court proceedings. I was suspicious, but then I thought, maybe she’d finally come to her senses and wanted to support Claire. So, I agreed. At the police station, Mr. Miller was still ranting. “It’s my God-given right to discipline my own daughter! You people are just bullying us ’cause you’re rich and we’re poor! Is there any justice left in this world?” A police officer tried explaining the law to him, but Mr. Miller just stared blankly, then stubbornly declared, “I don’t know anything about the law! None of you can tell me what to do!” My lawyers helped Claire file for emancipation and a restraining order, severing ties with her parents. With the evidence of abuse and Claire being legally an adult, it was relatively straightforward. I also refused to sign any agreement that might lessen Mr. Miller’s sentence. I wanted him to face consequences, even if it meant just a few months in jail. But Jessica became frantic. “Mom, just forgive them! I’m sure they didn’t mean it! If he goes to jail, what will happen to their family?” “Do you think abusing his own daughter is okay?” I asked her, my gaze sharp. “What’s wrong with disciplining his own kid? Mom, please, just forgive them. Don’t let them send him to jail!” This was beyond strange. It was almost as if Jessica was their daughter. I shook my head, dismissing the absurd thought. Of course, I didn’t listen to Jessica. Mr. Miller was sentenced to a few months in jail. A lesson learned, hopefully. 3. With Mr. Miller locked up, Mrs. Miller started showing up at the house with Kevin, causing scenes. “I don’t care! You have to support me and my son now! Or else give Claire back, and you owe us at least two million dollars!” If assault wasn’t illegal, I swear I would have punched her. “I had your finances investigated,” I stated coldly. “Over the past twenty years, you’ve spent maybe two thousand dollars on Claire, if that. Not to mention you took all the money she earned from part-time jobs and the funds I sent for her sponsorship. If anything, you owe Claire money.” “Tch! Rich people are all so stingy!” she spat. “This world is full of trash. People from the sticks like us are more generous.” Rage boiled inside me, but Jessica pulled me towards the car. “Mom, let’s just go. Don’t stoop to their level.” Out of the corner of my eye, I thought I saw Claire subtly signaling something to Mrs. Miller. In the car. I asked Jessica, “Why are you defending them? I remember you used to hate people like that.” Before, when Jessica saw stories on TV about abused children, she’d burst into tears. “That’s horrible! How could parents be like that?” Could a person really change that drastically? I refused to believe that the Jessica I knew before had been faking it all along. “I… I just feel sorry for them…” Jessica stammered. “If they had a choice, they wouldn’t treat her like that…” I didn’t reply. I suddenly felt like I didn’t understand this daughter of mine at all anymore. I decided to throw a party, specifically to announce to everyone that I had gained another daughter. Jessica was furious, grinding her teeth. That bitch better not think she can steal my inheritance. I picked out several beautiful dresses for Claire, but she was so thin, practically skeletal, that everything hung off her. We had to have a dress custom-made. I held her hand, my heart aching. “From now on, whatever you want, I can give it to you. The hard times are over.” She just stared at me blankly. Sometimes I wondered if she was mute. “Thank you… Mom… I mean, Ma’am.” I covered my mouth to hide a smile. “What? Don’t you want to be my daughter?” “Of course not… I mean, yes! I just…” She scrambled to explain. “It’s alright,” I soothed. “There will be a lot of people tonight, but don’t be scared. No one will give you a hard time.” That evening, I was busy mingling with guests when suddenly the music changed. Everyone’s attention snapped to the grand staircase. There stood Jessica, wearing the custom-made dress meant for Claire, making a dramatic entrance. My face hardened, but I couldn’t make a scene. Jessica, however, addressed the crowd. “Hello everyone. I am the only daughter of this family, and the sole heir to the family fortune.” A stunned silence fell over the room. Awkwardness hung thick in the air. Everyone understood the implication – this party was supposed to welcome my adopted daughter, and here was Jessica claiming exclusivity. But since I hadn’t spoken, no one dared react. “Apologies, everyone,” I said, forcing a smile. “My daughter just loves to joke around. Jessica, dear, quickly bring your sister out.” I shot her a warning look, hoping she wasn’t completely foolish. “I’m not joking! This family fortune is mine! No one is going to take it from me!” “Your daughter certainly has spirit!” a guest nearby quickly tried to smooth things over. “Just protective of her mommy, I suppose.” Just then, Claire appeared, gracefully linking her arm through Jessica’s. “My sister was just worried I might be nervous, that’s why she said that. She’s usually very kind to me,” Claire said smoothly. She was wearing an ill-fitting, oversized gown, but she carried herself with dignity. I nodded in satisfaction. But the next second, Jessica violently shoved Claire’s arm away. Claire lost her balance and tumbled down the stairs! Gasps echoed through the hall. I was furious. Jessica couldn’t possibly be this immature! I rushed over and helped Claire up. “My apologies, everyone. We seem to have had a small accident. Let’s conclude the party for tonight. I’ll make it up to you all another time.” After the guests left, I personally tended to Claire’s scrapes, applying antiseptic. She bit her lip tightly, not daring to utter a sound of pain. Jessica was still raging nearby. “She faked it! I didn’t push her! I told you from the start that bitch was no good!” Maria went over to try and calm her down, but before she could say a word, Jessica snatched a glass from the table and hurled it at her. “Who do you think you are, talking to me? You’re just a servant! You want me to throw you out of my house?” “Who do you think you’re throwing out? Is this your house to run?” I slapped Jessica across the face. “Claire fell, and you claim she did it on purpose. Did this glass decide to fly at Maria all by itself too?” Jessica’s eyes widened in disbelief. “You hit me? For a maid? I’m your daughter! Aren’t you supposed to love me unconditionally?” Claire helped Maria to a chair. Maria had been with me for twenty years, hired right after Jessica was born because I was too busy. She’d watched Jessica grow up, practically a second mother to her. “Ma’am, I’m fine, really,” Maria insisted, still defending Jessica. “Jess didn’t mean it, I’m sure. It was my fault for not being careful.” I rubbed my temples. This was absolutely not the Jessica I knew. She had always treated Maria like family. How could she suddenly be calling her a servant? “Yes! I did mean it!” Jessica shrieked, losing control. “So what? You just don’t like me anymore! It’s all her fault, that bitch!” She lunged forward like a maniac and shoved Claire hard, knocking her down again. Looking at her then, I suddenly saw a disturbing resemblance to Mr. Miller.

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Everyone in our social circle knew how much Ethan Hayes adored me. For five years, he was considerate, gentle, incredibly attentive. He ditched all his bad habits for me, transforming himself from a notorious playboy into the perfect boyfriend. But he didn’t know I’d already seen his chat history. “I’m just messing around with her. Are you jealous?” “You’re the only one I’ve ever really loved.”

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I was reborn. In my last life, I died horribly at the hands of my bully. But fate had other plans, letting me be reborn as that bully’s daughter. “Tiffany Miller, are you ready?” “I’ve come back for my revenge.”

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The day before the wedding, I received a video of Greg Peterson, my fiancé, screwing his old flame. In the video, my fiancé said, “You’re the one I’ve always loved, definitely not Ava Johnson.” “Being with her is just fulfilling a family obligation. Marrying her is just bringing home a housekeeper.” Without hesitation, I ditched my childhood sweetheart fiancé and turned around to marry his sworn enemy. … “Ms. Johnson, are you satisfied with this video?” Watching the two pale bodies tangled together in the video, my stomach churned with nausea. Greg Peterson, who always looked so polite and refined in public, was secretly a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Cheating on me the day before our wedding. “If Ms. Johnson isn’t satisfied, as long as the price is right, I can get you any kind of content you want.” I gagged slightly but didn’t say anything, just quickly transferred the money. Soon after, I received numerous videos of Greg Peterson and Jessica Ryan hooking up. After saving the videos, I went home. As soon as I pushed the door open. A cake rigged above the doorway fell directly onto my head. Followed by a blast of party poppers and confetti right in my face. Shocked by the sudden turn of events, I stood frozen on the spot. The group in front of me burst into laughter. They were all Greg Peterson’s worthless buddies; they always loved playing tricks on me, watching me make a fool of myself. “This is hilarious, she actually fell for it.” “Look at her, she looks like a total clown.” My face was covered in colorful streamers and frosting. The hairstyle I’d carefully prepared for tomorrow’s wedding was ruined, and my clothes were a mess. Greg Peterson had his arm around Jessica Ryan, laughing so hard he could barely breathe. “My baby is so smart, coming up with such a fun game. Feeling better now?” Jessica Ryan giggled loudly. She was even holding a water gun, spraying water onto my face. The frosting dripped down my body with the water. Soaked to the bone, I shivered in the cold draft blowing through the hall. Seeing that I hadn’t spoken for a while, Greg nonchalantly wiped some frosting off my face with a tissue. “What, you’re angry already? Can’t take a little joke? Still think you’re some high-society princess? Did you forget the Johnson family is washed up now?” “We’re getting married tomorrow! This is the last bachelor party bash, everyone’s just having fun. Don’t be such a buzzkill. There’ll be plenty more of this in the future, Ava, you need to learn to get used to it!” Greg and I grew up together, childhood sweethearts, you could say. Over the years, maybe I wasn’t head-over-heels in love, but there were deep feelings, at least. Growing up, Greg was like a big brother, always protecting me. He carried my backpack to and from school, always shared his snacks with me. So when our families proposed the marriage alliance with the Petersons, I wasn’t strongly opposed. I knew being born into a family like mine meant I came with a certain business value. Since I had to marry someone eventually, why not someone familiar, someone I had feelings for? But I never expected Greg Peterson’s true colors to be this disgusting. I wiped the frosting off my face, gathered a handful, and without hesitation, slapped it right onto Greg’s face. The frosting smeared all over his face too. Greg froze for a second. His buddies laughed even louder. “Damn, Greg, your future wife’s got spunk! Quite the temper. You’re gonna have your hands full once you actually marry her.” “Hey, it was just a game, but Greg, you look pretty ridiculous like that. Let me get a picture.” Greg hurriedly wiped the frosting off his face, pointing at me angrily. “Ava Johnson, do you know what you’re doing? How dare you throw frosting at me!” 2 I didn’t say anything. I just calmly wiped my frosting-covered hand clean on his clothes. “You said it yourself. It’s just a game, a joke. Don’t be such a buzzkill.” My words made Greg look like he’d swallowed a fly. “So, only you get to joke around, and nobody else can joke back at you?” Greg’s face turned red with anger, his eyes bulging. Finally, trying to save face, he said after a moment. “Ava Johnson, don’t try any funny business with me!” “Let me tell you, if you really want to save Johnson Industries, you better start sucking up to me and do what I say. Otherwise, even if we get married, I won’t let Peterson Corp invest a single dime in your family’s company!” He quickly put on his arrogant airs again. “If it weren’t for the fact that we grew up together, childhood sweethearts and all, do you think this position as Mrs. Peterson would ever go to you? Plenty of women want to marry me, Greg Peterson!” Greg pulled Jessica Ryan over, wrapping his arm around her right in front of me. Jessica looked at me blankly, said a couple of things, and then started sobbing. “Ava, you’re so lucky, getting to marry the Peterson heir, and saving your family’s failing company. You should be grateful to Greg.” “Unlike me, I’ll never get to marry Greg in this lifetime…” Greg immediately felt heartbroken, comforting Jessica before turning to scold me. “Ava Johnson, did you hear that? After we’re married, you have to do the laundry, cook, clean the house every day to repay my kindness. Stop walking around with that long face, it’s annoying.” “Also, I have business dinners and socializing, I’ll inevitably meet all sorts of people. Don’t act like a crazy jealous bitch all the time.” “Letting you be Mrs. Peterson is already doing you a huge favor. If I find out you’ve been bullying Jessica, don’t blame me for being ruthless!” He went on and on. I just listened quietly. So, what he said in the video about marrying me to be a housekeeper was true. Maybe my unusual silence made him soften a bit, because he reluctantly added. “Of course, as long as you do all this, your Johnson family will get its benefits.” But this sentence quickly made Jessica uncomfortable. She leaned against Greg, sobbing continuously. “Greg, after you get married, are you going to abandon me?” “Did your promise to be with me forever mean nothing?” “Maybe I should just leave tomorrow. Spare myself the pain of watching your wedding with Ava, and spare Ava the displeasure of seeing me.” Greg immediately picked Jessica up and started comforting her, completely disregarding my presence. I couldn’t hold back anymore, my face grim, I stepped in front of Greg and questioned him. “You’re holding another woman right in front of me like this, Greg Peterson! Do you even see me as the woman you’re about to marry?!” He pushed me away impatiently. I stumbled, lost my balance, and fell onto the leftover cake on the floor, looking even more pathetic. “Look at the state of you! You think you can compete with Jessica?” “Go clean yourself up first. Agreeing to this marriage alliance with your family was already a huge gift to you. Don’t be ungrateful.” The next second, he carried Jessica back into the bedroom. The others realized the drama had gone too far and quickly made excuses to leave. Finally, I slowly got up. The embarrassment and anger were gone from my face. I smiled faintly, brushing the dirt off my hands. You’re acting so high and mighty now, Greg Peterson. Let’s see if you’ll be laughing in the end. Without the Johnson family’s assets, let’s see if you, Greg Peterson, can keep your position as the Peterson heir. 3 I went into the guest bathroom, showered off all the frosting, changed my clothes, and came out. Jessica and Greg were already making out on the sofa. The floor was a mess, and no one had cleaned it up. The fire inside me finally erupted. “Could you both please get out of my house!” Hearing my voice, Greg and Jessica finally separated. I could vaguely see Greg pulling his hand out from under Jessica’s skirt. He cleared his throat twice, clearly not having heard what I just said. “Ava, you’re out. Good, just clean up all this trash in the room and throw it out. This is supposed to be our marital home tomorrow, we can’t have it looking like this.” Jessica chimed in beside him. “Yeah, and get us something to eat. We haven’t eaten all night, I’m getting hungry.” I looked at him with a half-smile. He really was treating me like a maid. Living in my house like he owned the place, ordering me around. Up until now, I’d put up with it because of the planned marriage alliance. But since we were going to burn bridges tomorrow anyway, there wasn’t much left to hold back for. Since he wanted the trash cleaned up, I grabbed a broom and started sweeping at Greg. His freshly changed pajamas immediately got covered in frosting. Jessica just stood there screaming. Her screaming annoyed me, so I grabbed another handful of cake from the floor and threw it at both of them. “My hair’s full of frosting again! It’s ruined!” “Ava Johnson, what are you doing?! Do you even know how to sweep?!” My expression didn’t change, a hint of mockery in my voice. “I am sweeping the trash. Sweeping the trash out of my house. Can’t you see these two huge pieces of trash right here, Greg?” Greg wasn’t stupid; he understood exactly what I meant. His face darkened immediately. “What do you mean? You’re calling me trash?” “Ava Johnson, I think you don’t want Johnson Industries to survive! Without Peterson Corp’s funding, your family’s company won’t make it through the winter.” He saw me pause my actions and immediately regained his confidence. He still thought, like before, that I was just jealous and throwing a tantrum because of his relationship with Jessica. He just figured things had gone a bit too far today. Greg spoke slowly. “Alright, alright, I know some things went too far today. Don’t throw a fit. Fine, I’ll inject some extra capital into Johnson Industries later.” “You know I hate it when you act like this. If you still want to marry me tomorrow, then behave…” Before he could finish his sentence. I threw his suitcase out the door. Along with all of Greg and Jessica’s scattered belongings, everything was tossed out. While he stared in disbelief, I deleted his fingerprint and changed the code on the electronic door lock right in front of him. “This is my house, not a garbage dump. Trash belongs in the trash can. See yourselves out.” As I was about to close the door, Greg grabbed my wrist, his face shocked. “You changed the code? You’re kicking me out?” “We’re not even married yet, and you’re already pulling this princess act? Your Johnson family is practically bankrupt, do you still think you’re part of the almighty Johnson Group of the past?” The more Greg spoke, the more confident he became, his face darkening as he waited for me to beg. “If you beg me right now, I can overlook this. Otherwise, don’t blame me for embarrassing the Johnson family at the wedding tomorrow.” I let out a cold laugh, yanked my hand free without a word, and slammed the door shut. I could hear him and Jessica talking outside. “Greg, Ava’s just getting back at me. She’s jealous of me. It’s all my fault.” “Ava Johnson, I didn’t realize you were so petty and small-minded, picking on a young woman. You’re nothing but a shrew!” “You just wait! I’ll make you pay tomorrow!”

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We’d planned a camping trip with friends. We’d barely gotten the tents up when my girlfriend vanished. Suddenly, I saw her on a distant hillside, waving at me. Excited, I started towards her, but then I saw— In the firelight, her body was mangled, reeking of blood and a sickening stench. 1. After college graduation, my dorm mates and I decided to celebrate with a camping trip up in the mountains. But as we hiked up with our packs, we kept catching whiffs of this faint, disgusting smell. Sam, our resident animal expert, said it was probably just scat from animals marking territory. I wasn’t so sure. It didn’t smell quite right, and the odor seemed to follow us. Still, Sam knew more than I did, so I kept my mouth shut. For safety, we ditched the tents and rented a cabin deep in the woods instead. We reached the cabin just before sunset and checked the place out. I gave the doors and windows a good shove – solid. It would take serious force to break them open. Telling Chloe this seemed to ease her nerves a bit. Night fell fast. We built a bonfire out front. The roaring flames pushed back the pitch-black forest night, and we all started to relax. The three girls – Chloe, Sarah (Mike’s girlfriend), and Jessica (Dan’s girlfriend) – started taking pictures nearby. Us four guys – me, Mike, Sam, and Dan – checked out the cabin layout and started prepping dinner. After messing around for a while, we gathered back around the fire. I did a quick headcount, and my blood ran cold. I jumped up, yelling, “Where’s Chloe?! Where did she go?!” Sarah and Jessica looked at each other, panic flashing in their eyes. “I don’t know,” Sarah stammered. “She wandered off to take pictures somewhere else, away from us. Maybe she’s just nearby?” “Yeah, yeah, let’s go look for her,” Jessica added quickly. “Where was she taking pictures?” I demanded. They both pointed towards a dense thicket not far off. I looked where they pointed. It was completely dark over there, but I could faintly hear the sound of running water. Chloe was careful. She wouldn’t go near a dark, dense thicket deep in the mountains, especially when you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face. Unless… Unless something drew her over there. 2 We fanned out, waving our flashlights, yelling Chloe’s name. The powerful beams that cut through city darkness were practically useless out here in the woods. Beyond the bonfire’s glow was just suffocating blackness. Dan suggested, “Maybe she went inside to use the bathroom?” I bolted back into the cabin, searched everywhere, then stumbled back out, red-eyed and weak-kneed. I shook my head at the others. Chloe wasn’t inside. The mood plummeted. Everyone else drifted back towards the fire, defeated, except me. Suddenly, I spotted her. On a hillside, far off, stood Chloe, waving at me. She looked frantic, maybe stuck up there, unable to get down. The wind whipped her dress around her legs. She looked so fragile, so helpless. My head swam. I lurched forward, ready to run to her, but then the bonfire behind me suddenly flared violently. I heard panicked shouts and scrambling. Sam had accidentally knocked over the lighter fluid onto the flames. Mike cursed, “Are you stupid?! You start a forest fire, we’re all getting hauled off by the cops!” Jessica yelled, “Quick! Get a bucket of water! Knock the flames down, but don’t put it out completely!” … The chaos behind me faded into background noise. I felt hollow, cold, my body frozen stiff. Because I watched, horrified, as the “Chloe” on the distant hill, startled by the sudden burst of fire, dropped onto all fours and scrambled away into the deep woods. 3 I stumbled back to the bonfire, numb, trying to force myself to accept that Chloe was gone. Weird stories my grandpa used to tell me surfaced in my mind, suddenly feeling chillingly real. When the fire had flared up, it lit the whole area like daylight for a split second. In that instant, I’d gotten a clear look at the thing on the hill. Pitch black, long limbs, standing almost like a human. When it turned its head, its eyes met mine – there was a glint of something disturbingly intelligent, almost human, in them, and fresh blood smeared around its muzzle. Bears mimicking human behavior to lure people closer. Chloe… had she seen something like that? Been tricked, just like I almost was? Chloe… My Chloe… The others saw me finally returning and rushed over, asking what happened. Shaken to my core, I choked out the words, “Chloe… she might be dead.” Mike grabbed my shoulder. “Whoa, man, are you crazy? Don’t say stuff like that about your own girlfriend! Are you in shock? Just calm down, maybe she’s okay?” The others chimed in, trying to reassure me, murmuring that Chloe was fine. But seeing me trembling uncontrollably, hearing the choked, guttural sounds escaping my throat, their voices trailed off. I collapsed to my knees, sobbing. “She’s dead! There’s a bear in these woods! That bear… it killed her! It was wearing her clothes just now, waving from the hill, trying to get me to go over there…” Overwhelming terror washed over me, but I forced myself back to my feet and staggered towards the thicket where Chloe must have been attacked. The others were too scared to follow. They huddled near the cabin and the fire, ready to bolt if anything happened. I pushed aside the dense bushes. The ground was dark and wet with patches of blood. A long, gruesome drag mark led from the thicket deep into the forest. And right there, in the middle of the disturbed undergrowth, lay a severed hand, clutching my cellphone. My vision went black. I could picture it all too clearly. Chloe noticed a rustling in the bushes next to where she was taking pictures. She looked closer and saw my phone lying just inside the thicket. Knowing I never went anywhere without it, she must have assumed I was just behind the bushes, maybe playing a prank. So she pushed aside the branches and stepped in… She probably never imagined that what waited for her wasn’t her boyfriend, but the snarling face of a bear. 4 Reeling from the shock, we all scrambled back inside the cabin, shoving the sofa and cabinets against the door to barricade ourselves in. We huddled in the living room, trying to figure out what to do. Mike suggested calling the cops or park rangers. But everyone shot that down immediately. Cell service was practically non-existent out here. We wouldn’t be able to contact anyone until daylight tomorrow, if then. And none of us really knew anything about bear behavior. We had no idea if it hunted during the day too. “That smell,” I said, my voice shaking slightly. “The one we smelled on the hike up… it’s the same smell I caught back there in the thicket. It means this bear has been following us the whole time.” Sarah whispered, horrified, “It saw us as prey from the very beginning.” Mike slammed his fist on the table. “Damn it! Who the hell said this place was safe?!” Something else chilled me to the bone. How did the bear get my phone without me knowing? The only time I’d left it unattended was when I put it in the car earlier… unless it could open car doors… Unless it could open car doors! I sat bolt upright, my eyes fixed on the cabin’s doorknob. Slowly, deliberately, the knob began to turn, pushed down from the outside… Like something out there was methodically trying the handle, attempting to open the door. 5 Everyone’s eyes followed mine to the doorknob. The cabin fell deathly silent. The knob jiggled and turned for a while, but the door didn’t open. Sam let out a shaky breath. “I remember now… I put the deadbolt on earlier. Added an extra lock.” The tension eased slightly, but then— THUD! THUD! THUD! The sound of a massive body slamming against the wooden door echoed terrifyingly in the silent forest night, mingling with the frantic pounding of our hearts in our ears. The air in the cabin froze. No one dared to breathe. Thankfully, the door was sturdy. After a few more heavy impacts, the bear seemed to give up and move away. The sounds faded. I cautiously spoke up. “Let’s all go back to our rooms. Get some rest. We’ll figure out how to get down the mountain tomorrow.” Reluctantly, they all shuffled upstairs. Up in my room, the empty space beside me on the double bed felt like a physical ache. I couldn’t even bring Chloe home whole. A flicker of movement caught my eye outside. My body went rigid. Slowly, painstakingly slowly, I turned my head. Through the clear windowpane, illuminated only by the faint moonlight filtering through the trees, a pair of eerie green eyes stared back at me from the branches of a large tree directly opposite my window. The black bear had climbed the tree, positioning itself perfectly to watch me in my room. It was scouting the place. Then, in a gesture that felt both mocking and menacing, it lifted a paw and waved, exactly like it had on the hillside. Rage surged through me. I moved to throw open the window, grab something heavy to hurl at it. But as my hand touched the window frame, I caught the calculating glint in its eyes. It started swaying back and forth on the branch, gathering momentum, as if planning to leap across. I froze, my hand dropping from the window. I locked eyes with it, my expression cold. Realizing I wasn’t going to open the window, the bear gradually slowed its swaying and stopped. I lay down on the bed, staring at the ceiling, wondering if it ever left its perch throughout the long night. 6 The next morning, we all gathered in the living room and cautiously moved the furniture away from the door. Armed with kitchen knives, we slowly stepped outside. It seemed the bear wasn’t around in the daylight; it wasn’t lying in wait for us. Mike did a quick sweep around the cabin, then shook his head, signaling it was clear for now. We decided to take the two cars and get the hell out of there. Mike and Sam went to get the cars while the rest of us started gathering our stuff. Less than half an hour later, we saw Mike and Sam sprinting back towards the cabin, looking utterly terrified, practically tripping over themselves. They screamed at us, voices raw with panic, “Run! Get back inside!” Before their words even fully registered, a massive black shape burst out from behind the cabin, charging straight for us. All hell broke loose. Everyone scrambled, shoving and tripping in a desperate surge towards the narrow doorway. Seeing most of us were inside and the bear was closing in fast, Dan panicked and slammed the door shut. Immediately, a woman’s bloodcurdling scream erupted from outside, followed by agonizing cries of pain. We heard the sickening crack of bones, the wet, tearing sounds of flesh being ripped and chewed, the spatter of blood. Mike, who had been bringing up the rear, closest to the bear, was locked outside. Sarah flew at Dan, shaking him violently. “He was almost inside! Just another second! Why did you shut him out?! Why?!” she shrieked, hysterical. Jessica pulled her off Dan. “And let the bear follow him right in to kill us all?! Is that what you wanted?!” she yelled back. “If Dan hadn’t shut the door, someone else would have!” “Mike was fast! He could have made it! He could have squeezed in and slammed the door himself! He could have! You murderers are just making excuses!” … Their shouting grated on my nerves. The image of the bear on the hill wearing Chloe’s dress flashed through my mind, then the severed hand clutching my phone… the drag marks leading into the woods… “Enough!” I roared, silencing them. “Fighting like this won’t help! Stop it!” Everyone fell silent. I turned to Sam. “Tell us exactly what happened. How did you two run into the bear? Where did it come from?” Sam’s face was ghost-white. He struggled to speak, clearly traumatized. After a moment, his trembling voice, barely audible over the horrific sounds still echoing from outside, reached us. “The bear… it was in the car! The whole damn thing was hiding in the driver’s seat.” From Sam’s terrified account, we pieced it together. They’d walked up to the car, guard down, opened the driver’s side door, and came face-to-face with the black bear coiled up inside. They had no idea how it got in there. Startled by the door opening, it had whipped its head around to face them. The massive bear head stared right at them. Then, all three reacted instantly. What followed was the nightmare scene we had just witnessed. 7 The sounds outside finally stopped, replaced by a heavy, deathly silence. No one in the cabin spoke. “So,” I asked, my voice low, “the car the bear was in… it’s wrecked, right?” Sam nodded numbly. “Okay,” I said, thinking aloud. “That leaves us with only one working car. Not enough to get everyone down the mountain. We need a different plan.” Everyone looked at me, waiting. “One of us needs to go out there and get the other car,” I stated clearly. “The doors on that one were locked, so we know the bear can’t be hiding inside it. That person drives down, gets help, and comes back.” The obvious questions hung in the air: How do we get out the door past the bear, assuming it’s still nearby? And who would be the one to go? I looked around at the remaining group. Everyone avoided my gaze, staring at the floor. Sam was shaken and physically smaller. Dan had Jessica to worry about. “I’ll go,” I said. “I’ll get the car, call the sheriff from down the road, get help. You guys stay inside, keep the door barricaded, and don’t do anything stupid.” The metallic tang of blood hung heavy in the air near the door. I could almost smell the bear’s unique, foul odor again. It had quieted its movements, holding its breath, lurking right outside the door. It hadn’t left. 8 Sarah spoke up, her voice tight. “Is anyone here a good throw?” I stepped forward. “Me. I go to the shooting range sometimes in my spare time. Just a hobby, but my aim’s decent.” Sarah nodded, her eyes glinting with a cold fury that made us all shiver. She could smell the bear outside too. “Okay. You,” she pointed at me, “go upstairs. Take a kitchen knife. When we give the signal, throw it at the bear to scare it off. Sam, you watch from the main living room window. Dan, take the kitchen window. Jessica, the west-facing bedroom. I’ll take the study on the east side. We cover all angles. Watch the blind spots. Keep track of where it goes. We keep watching until we’re damn sure it’s gone.” We moved to our assigned positions. I went upstairs. Hearing the shouts from downstairs, I knew it was time. The bear was crouched right in the door’s blind spot. It probably thought we could only see outside through the door itself. It looked relaxed, almost resting, but the slight twitch of its ears gave away its alertness. I took the smaller, sharper knife and aimed for its nose. I remembered seeing vets lightly tap stray cats on the nose to get their attention – I knew it was a sensitive spot. Worth a shot. Sure enough, a furious roar erupted from below. I saw the bear – it looked like a grizzly now I saw it closer, or maybe a large black bear, hard to tell in the shadows – slam itself against the cabin wall in a rage. The whole structure shuddered; I felt the vibration through the floorboards. Then I saw it bolt into the woods to the right – the same side where our remaining car was parked. I wasn’t convinced it wasn’t just faking a retreat, hiding in the trees, waiting for someone to make a run for the car. So I waited. Patiently. The others waited with me, watching their assigned sectors. And sure enough, about two hours later, we heard rustling from the woods on the right. The movement in the underbrush slowly receded deeper into the forest. I called Dan up to take my place watching from the second-floor window, while I went down to make a break for the car. Outside, the air felt suddenly colder. I scanned the surroundings. Nothing seemed out of place. Taking a deep breath, I started walking slowly, then broke into an all-out sprint towards the car. Fumbling with the keys, unlocking and yanking the door open took maybe three seconds flat. Just as I slammed the door shut and hit the locks, I saw movement in the nearby bushes. I jammed the key in the ignition, and the engine roared to life. I stared hard at the bushes, bracing myself for an attack, ready to ram it if I had to. But only a rabbit darted out. Slowly, I turned the car around and headed back down the path we’d driven up. It was already around 5 PM, and darkness was creeping in again. Even with the high beams on, the headlights barely cut through the dense forest night. About halfway down the mountain, I saw someone in the middle of the road up ahead, frantically waving, like they were trying to hitch a ride. It looked like something was chasing them from behind. But the way they were waving… it looked chillingly, sickeningly familiar.

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My daughter was trapped in the fire, but I calmly lit a cigarette. Listening to the screams from inside, my wife and her parents were wailing, kneeling in front of me, but I didn’t flinch. “Honey, please, I’m begging you, save Lily!” My wife, Sarah, tears streaming down her face, banged her head on the pavement, quickly drawing blood. Another colleague also off-duty, Jake, kept urging me: “Captain, you’re the most experienced. If you don’t go, what happens to the kid?” The crowd stared at me like I was a lunatic, shouting accusations. Remembering how it ended last time, I gave a cold smirk and replied: “Twisted my ankle. Can’t help.” Going in now would just be suicide. … “Ethan! You just don’t want to save her, do you?! You want her dead! That’s your own daughter! You… you monster!” After my repeated refusals, my mother-in-law’s face finally contorted with rage, pointing a finger right at me, spitting accusations. Her finger nearly poked my eye, spittle flying. I instinctively stepped back, frowning slightly. “You’re a seasoned firefighter, how could you just twist your ankle like that?! What are you playing at?! If you don’t want to save her, just say it!” My father-in-law looked at me, deeply disappointed. Hearing this, I scoffed inwardly, then yanked up my pant leg, revealing an ankle swollen like a grapefruit. “You think I didn’t twist it? Didn’t I fall down the stairs at the mall earlier today when you guys were loading up bags?” Hearing that, they were momentarily speechless. Beside them, Sarah knelt on the ground, teary eyes fixed on me, seemingly unable to comprehend how the husband she’d known for years could suddenly be so cold-blooded. She gritted her teeth and threw herself at me again, sobbing, “Ethan! I’m begging you! Go save our baby! Our… our Lily is still in there!” Sarah cried desperately, the gash on her forehead from earlier still bleeding. She was clearly at her breaking point, but I remained unmoved, offering a flimsy excuse. “I don’t have my gear, and my ankle’s busted. If I go in, who knows if I’ll be saving her or if she’ll end up saving me.” The bystanders, drawn by the argument, had gathered around. Seeing my attitude, they started pointing fingers and muttering. “What kind of thing is that to say! Aren’t you her father?!” “How can you talk like that? You’re scum! Even a tiger wouldn’t eat its own cub!” “Are you… are you even human?! As her father, you should be going in!” As they spoke, some looked ready to punch me but were held back by others saying hitting trash like me would dirty their hands. I ignored all their condemnations. Just then, another small explosion erupted from the building, causing the crowd to gasp and step back. I looked down at the fear and worry in Sarah’s eyes, realizing that after all these years of marriage, I’d never truly seen through her. Even reborn, it was still the same. This scene felt chillingly familiar. After that last explosion, in my previous life, I ignored everyone’s warnings and rushed into the inferno, only to die in the next, much larger blast. I don’t remember the sensation of being consumed by flames, but the bone-deep chill of that final moment is etched into my memory. Having been reborn, I was determined to change my fate. At that moment, Jake, my off-duty colleague, approached again. Seeing my resolute refusal, he sighed deeply, his own tension palpable. “Captain, you’re the most experienced. If you don’t go, what about the kid? If you need backup, I’ll go in with you!” I looked up at his anxious face, remembering he had the same expression last time. Back then, I’d pushed him away firmly, telling him not to risk it. Now, I wondered if Jake’s nervousness was purely about entering the fire or something else. But I didn’t have time to dwell on it. I just shook my head. “Sorry, twisted ankle. Can’t help.” “We rush in without gear? Is that how we were trained?” Seeing my continued refusal, the onlookers grew even angrier, yelling at me: “Are you even human?! That’s your daughter! Your daughter is in there!” “Your wife’s practically bleeding from banging her head! Are you even a man?! How can you face your duty as a firefighter?!” “You’re just going to let your own child burn to death?!” Jake froze for a second, about to say something more, but my father-in-law walked up to me and suddenly dropped to his knees, tears streaming down his face as he choked out: “Ethan! For the sake of all these years! Please help! I’m begging you… my granddaughter is still inside… Ethan! Even just trying is better than hiding back here! Are… are you even a man?!” I looked at him, my eyes filled with complex emotions. 2 Sarah and I met in college, dated for years, and finally got married. We’d been together five years, married for three. I remember when I first went to her parents’ house right after graduation, I was so nervous I didn’t know what to do. Graduation meant real life, adult responsibilities, and my own background wasn’t exactly stellar. I was terrified they wouldn’t approve of Sarah and me being together. So I braced myself for the worst. But the moment I walked in, her mother greeted me with a warm smile, took the gift I brought, and showered me with concern. “Ethan, dear, must have been cold coming over, right? Hurry inside.” Her father, standing behind her, clapped me on the shoulder, looking incredibly pleased, and immediately wanted me to join him for a drink. Feeling completely overwhelmed, I met Sarah’s smiling eyes and felt nothing but happiness. After that day, not only did her parents not look down on me, but they treated me exceptionally well. They just said Sarah was their only daughter, and as long as I treated her well, nothing else mattered. They didn’t care that I had no parents; they promised to treat me like their own son. I didn’t have much money after graduating, so the wedding had to be simple. Her parents didn’t mind. No house, no car – they didn’t mind that either. At the wedding, though, they cried, asking me to take good care of their daughter, which made me feel incredibly guilty. But I couldn’t bear for Sarah to struggle with me, so I gritted my teeth and bought a house. We definitely went through some tough times financially, but later, as my career took off, the pressure eased. Sarah was incredibly supportive and understanding. She didn’t mind the demanding nature of my job, the long hours away from home. She just told me to focus on work, be extra careful during missions, and assured me she’d handle everything at home so I could go save more lives. A year ago, she got pregnant. Two months ago, she gave birth to our daughter. Our whole family adored the baby. They say good things come in pairs. On the day Lily was born, I bought a lottery ticket and actually won a decent prize. Enough to pay off the mortgage with some left over. Back then, I truly thought both the baby and the lottery win were gifts from heaven. I believed Sarah, the baby, and I would live a quiet, happy life together. Who knew this disaster was waiting? Thinking about this, I looked into my father-in-law’s eyes, remembering all the times they’d been kind to me. Now, even those memories felt cold. I still shook my head. “Don’t say any more, Dad. I can’t go. Don’t put yourself through this, it’s pointless. We just have to wait for the fire trucks.” Hearing this, my mother-in-law and Sarah burst into uncontrollable sobs. By now, anyone who might have initially thought I was being rational had changed their tune, seeing my utter lack of action. They all started cursing me. “He’s just a coward, afraid to die!” “Whoever married him really drew the short straw!” “Not even saving his own daughter! So heartless!” The scene was chaotic. It was as if someone threw dry wood onto the fire inside; it suddenly blazed higher, accompanied by a series of small popping sounds. A tongue of flame shot towards the sky, drawing gasps from the crowd. With this sudden flare-up, the faint sound of a baby crying from within the building grew weaker, almost inaudible. 3 “My baby… my baby…” Seeing this, Sarah collapsed onto the ground, crying even harder. My father-in-law, seeing I wouldn’t move, gritted his teeth, rolled up his sleeves, and prepared to go in himself. “Ethan! I never thought you were this kind of person. Fine! I won’t count on you, old man! I’ll save my own granddaughter!” “Mr. Peterson! I’ll go too!” Jake, seeing this, rushed forward. He grabbed some basic tools, starting to put them on while pointedly trying to shame me. “Ethan, I can’t believe you’re such a coward, too scared to save your own daughter. You’re worse than an old man like Mr. Peterson! It was a misfortune for him to let his daughter marry you!” Before I could respond, Sarah looked up and slapped me hard across the face, tears streaming down her face, looking utterly helpless. “Look at the situation! The fire has died down a lot! I really don’t know what you’re so afraid of! Ethan, after today, I am absolutely done with you! You killed our child! You deliberately let our daughter die in there!” I took the slap without flinching, turning my head slightly, my tongue pressing against the inside of my cheek. She was finally losing control. That slap had real force behind it. Sarah’s eyes were red and swollen, making her look incredibly pitiful. Onlookers, especially women around her age, started wiping their own tears, feeling sorry for Sarah’s plight and even more for our daughter trapped in the flames. I frowned deeply, looking at Jake and my father-in-law, then addressed the crowd. “Didn’t someone already volunteer to go? They want to go, let them. Why are you still yelling at me? If you think I’m so cold-blooded, why don’t you all go in? One more person in there now is just another casualty. What’s the point of this moral grandstanding?” “I really misjudged you! Treating you so well all these years! It was all wasted on an ungrateful snake! I never should have let my daughter marry you!” My mother-in-law sobbed and cursed beside me, lamenting to others about the misfortune of having a son-in-law like me. I remained indifferent, stubbing out the finished cigarette and lighting another. Watching my hesitant father-in-law and Jake, I took a drag from my cigarette, tilted my chin slightly towards them, and urged them on: “Go on in, what are you waiting for? What if the fire gets worse?” “You!” Jake shot me a look, then turned back to the fire, his face tense. It was unclear if he was genuinely nervous about going in without gear for the first time, or nervous about taking an old man like my father-in-law with him. My father-in-law coughed heavily several times, making one wonder how such an elderly man, already struggling outside, could possibly manage inside a burning building. The two of them hesitated for a long time, never taking that first step inside. The bystanders couldn’t watch anymore. “Are you heartless?! Fine, don’t go yourself! But stop making sarcastic remarks!” Just then, the wail of sirens approached from the distance. Finally, fire trucks. Seeing them, Jake’s eyes lit up. As soon as the trucks stopped, he immediately moved to gear up, shooting me a seemingly casual glance. “No need to rush me. As soon as I have my gear on, I’ll go in and save her!” A cheer went up from the crowd at his words. My mother-in-law quickly pulled my father-in-law back, clutching her chest in relief. “Honey, don’t go! The firefighters are here! They’ll definitely save our granddaughter!” As the well-trained firefighters rushed out of the trucks, Jake joined their ranks. Just as they were preparing hoses to start fighting the fire and enter the building, a massive explosion, accompanied by a towering pillar of fire, ripped through the inferno. The faint crying from inside finally fell silent. The stunned faces of the crowd were illuminated by the huge blaze. They froze. Sarah let out a bloodcurdling scream and tried to rush into the fire, only to be held back by firefighters. “Lily! Mommy’s so sorry… Lily!” My father-in-law and mother-in-law collapsed onto the ground, sobbing uncontrollably, beating their chests. Seeing this, however, I felt a wave of relief wash over me, the immense pressure suddenly lifting. I fainted on the spot. 4 The smell of antiseptic filled my nostrils. Still groggy, I realized I was in the hospital. A cacophony of voices surrounded me, incredibly noisy, making sleep impossible. I slowly opened my eyes, immediately met by flashing camera shutters and a swarm of people closing in. “Mr. Hayes! I’m a reporter from the Western Gazette. Can you please tell us why you let your own daughter burn to death?” “Mr. Hayes! Please answer the question directly! The child’s remains haven’t even been found yet. Could this be considered murder?” “Were you always this emotionless towards your daughter, or is there something else going on?” … Looking at the horde of reporters, my temples throbbed with a dull ache. I cleared my throat, and under their expectant gazes, slowly spoke. “…Is the fire out?” No one expected that to be my first question. Disappointment flickered across their faces. Someone muttered from the side that yes, it was extinguished. Hearing the fire was out, I breathed a sigh of relief, then asked the reporters with a cold smile. “You’ve all been here a while, right? Waiting for me to wake up, eager for the first scoop. Right now, every single one of you is accusing me of standing by, of being inhuman. Since the fire is out, let me ask you first: have any infant remains been found at the scene?” The reporters were taken aback by my question, exchanging confused glances, murmuring amongst themselves that they hadn’t heard anything like that. The police hadn’t released many details about the fire’s specifics or casualties yet, but there was definitely no news about finding a baby’s remains. While the incident was causing a huge stir online, no actual evidence of infant remains had surfaced. “Ethan! I’ll kill you! Give me back my daughter! You deserve to die!” While the reporters were still uncertain, Sarah burst through the crowd, lunging at my hospital bed, hitting and scratching. She had cried all night; her eyes were red and swollen, and she looked utterly crazed. “My daughter was blown to pieces! There’s nothing left, not even ashes! Where would they find remains?! I won’t forgive you, Ethan! Pay for what you did! Pay for Lily’s life! I want a divorce!” The reporters didn’t miss this scene, cameras flashing, capturing everything. I watched Sarah impassively. I hadn’t expected her to be this persistent, even skipping washing up for a day just to appear pale and distraught for everyone. Seeing her raise her hand to slap me again, I frowned and grabbed her wrist tightly. “Sarah! Have you had enough?!” “Ethan! Have you had enough?! You don’t deserve to be a father!” Just then, Jake rushed in, pulling Sarah’s wrist from my grasp with a look of righteous fury. Sarah clutched her wrist where I’d squeezed it, sobbing beside him. “I… I just want my daughter back. Ethan, please give me my daughter back, okay? I’m begging you, just give her back…” “Sarah! Please, try to stay strong…” Seeing her like this, Jake’s eyes also reddened as he tried to comfort her. Their synchronized performance immediately swayed many onlookers. The reporters voiced their outrage at me. “Never seen someone act like nothing happened after their daughter died…” “This has to be murder! Watching his own daughter die!” “Wait till we expose this monster in human skin!” I saw some reporters were even live-streaming. The viewer count was probably high, which suited my plan perfectly. So, I asked Jake softly. “I don’t deserve to be a father? So you should be?” “What… what are you talking about?! Are you crazy, Ethan?!”

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My brother got diagnosed with breast cancer, but my Mom thought the diagnosis was mine. I pleaded with her to take him to the hospital. To pay for his treatment, I sold my condo, drained my savings, and worked three jobs a day. Eventually, my brother recovered. But I collapsed from exhaustion, suffering a brain hemorrhage. I survived, but I was paralyzed. Mom resented that I couldn’t earn money for my brother anymore. She dumped me in an old pigsty back in our rural hometown, leaving me to fend for myself. Then she took my disability settlement money to buy my brother a house and a car, and pay for his wedding. That’s when I found out Mom had savings tucked away the whole time. After I starved to death, alone in that pigsty, I woke up, reborn on the day my brother was diagnosed with breast cancer. This time, I tossed the medical report aside. Treat him? Don’t treat him? Not my problem. … Coming out of the clinic, clutching the medical report – identical to the one from my past life – the reality of my rebirth finally hit me. My brother had breast cancer. Last time, I spent every penny I had to save him, neglecting my own health until it was too late. He got better. I became disabled. The memory alone sent a fresh wave of pain through my chest. Shoving the report into my bag, I hailed a cab home. Just as I reached the entrance to my apartment complex, I saw my brother, Leo, and his girlfriend, Chloe, standing on the street corner, talking animatedly, looking thrilled about something. I slowed down, creeping closer, and heard Chloe’s excited voice, “Are you serious? Your sister’s dying?” “Totally,” Leo sounded like he’d won the lottery. “I heard the hospital call her today. The doctor definitely said ‘breast cancer.’ And Mom said we’re not gonna treat it. As soon as she kicks the bucket, her little nest egg is all mine. We’ll have the house, the car, everything.” Chloe gasped. “Your mom really said that? But she’s always doting on your sister, Sarah, always saying how great she is.” Leo crossed his arms smugly. “That’s just an act. The more Mom praises her, the harder Sarah tries. A little flattery, play the victim card, and Sarah just hands over the cash.” Even though I’d lived through this betrayal before, the words still felt like knives twisting in my gut, leaving me numb. Mom always favored Leo, but I tried to understand. Raising two kids alone wasn’t easy, and for her generation, having a son probably felt like security. So, when she showed clear favoritism, I never complained. When she asked me to help Leo out financially, I always did, as long as it wasn’t totally unreasonable. Lately, Mom’s attitude seemed to have shifted. She’d constantly apologize in front of others, saying how daughters were more reliable than sons. I thought she’d finally seen the light. Turns out, she’d just mastered the art of manipulating me out of my money. I wanted to hear more, but just then, Chloe spotted me. Her face went white. “Sarah!” she stammered. Leo jumped when he saw me, a flicker of panic in his eyes, but he quickly composed himself. “Jeez, Sarah, you walk like a ghost! Scared the crap outta me.” My gaze hardened. I immediately put on a wounded expression. “Were you serious? What you just said? Is that really what Mom told you?” Maybe because he thought my days were numbered, Leo dropped the pretense. He straightened up. “Yeah, it’s true. Don’t get bent out of shape, sis. It sounds harsh, but it’s the truth. I’m the man of the house. Your stuff? It should all come to me eventually anyway.” His smug, punchable face was too much. I snapped. “Go to hell,” I spat, slapping him hard across the face. The stinging sound felt incredibly satisfying. Without another word, I spun around and stormed home. Mom was in the kitchen cooking. Seeing me, she put on her usual concerned face. “Sarah, honey, you’re back! Everything okay with the check-up results?” I dug my nails into my thigh, forcing tears. “Mom, did you really say… if I got cancer… you wouldn’t get me treated?” 2 Mom’s eyes widened. Before she could speak, she looked up and saw Leo walking in. “Leo!” she gasped. “What happened to your face?” Leo pointed at me, whining, “Sarah hit me.” He quickly recounted what had just happened outside. Mom’s expression changed instantly. She gave Leo a sharp swat on the behind. “You don’t talk to your sister like that! No matter what!” After scolding Leo, she turned to me. “Sarah, I already told your brother off. He shouldn’t have said those things. But honey, he’s kind of right, isn’t he? If you have this… disease… you’d need surgery, lose your breast, right? No man would want you after that. You’d probably lose your job too. Instead of living like that, with no dignity, isn’t it better to leave the money for your brother’s future, for his wedding?” She’d said similar things in my past life. Back then, I was so focused on saving Leo that I hadn’t really registered the cruelty. I’d just grabbed the report and dragged him to the hospital. This time, I listened quietly until she finished, then put on an even more devastated act. “So… what if it was Leo who got breast cancer? Would you not treat him either?” Mom’s eyes bulged. “How could you say such a horrible thing about your brother? Spit three times, quick! Don’t jinx him!” She didn’t answer my question, but I already knew the answer. Just like when I got accepted into a four-year university after high school. She claimed the tuition was too high, that Leo would need money for high school in three years, and forced me into community college instead. But when I graduated, Leo only managed to get into a vocational high school that cost $20,000 a year. She paid it without blinking. I pulled the medical report out of my bag. “Mom, here are the results. Maybe you should take a look after all.” She recoiled, snatching the report and tossing it straight into the trash can. “I can’t look, honey. I love you too much. It would break my heart.” I stared at her, my expression cold. Her words dripped with love, but when it came down to money, Leo always came first. Fine. If Mom only loved Leo, she could pour all her love into him. As for his illness… since they were both convinced I was the one who was sick, then sick I would be. I had given her a chance, after all. Still, I put on a show, sobbing dramatically. Then I told Mom, “Mom, I’ve thought about it. You’re right. I should leave all my money to Leo.” Mom seemed surprised I’d agreed so readily. After a few seconds, a smile spread across her face. “Oh, that’s wonderful! Since you’ve come to your senses, you should probably write a will.” So, she didn’t even trust my word. Under her watchful eye, I wrote the will. Since I wasn’t the one dying, I could have written hundreds without a problem. Just as I was trying to figure out how to leverage this fake illness to get some money from Mom, an opportunity fell into my lap. The day after I wrote the will, Mom led a man into my room. He looked rough, maybe in his late forties or early fifties, dressed in worn-out clothes. At first, I thought he was here to collect recycling. I was about to go find some cardboard boxes when Mom grabbed my arm. “Recycling? What are you talking about? This is the man I set you up with. For a date.” My jaw dropped. “This… this is who you set me up with?” “You’re in no position to be picky now!” she snapped. “Be grateful anyone would have you. And listen, don’t you dare mention anything about being sick. I already talked to him. Thirty thousand dollars for the wedding gift. It’ll be perfect for your brother’s wedding fund.” It hit me then. Mom wasn’t trying to find me a partner. She was trying to sell me. After the brief introduction, Mom and the matchmaker left, leaving me alone in the room with the older man. Without a second thought, he lunged at me. I screamed, “Get away from me, or I’m calling the cops!” The man flashed a mouthful of yellow teeth. “We’re gettin’ married, ain’t we? Gonna happen sooner or later. Just let me have a little fun first.” “You want to marry me?” I stared straight at him. “Fine. But I’ll tell you right now, I have cancer. If you pay for my treatment, then I’ll marry you.” The man froze. Less than a minute later, he bolted out the door. Half an hour later, Mom stormed back in, furious. “Sarah, are you crazy? I told you not to tell anyone about your illness! Now everyone knows you’re sick! How are you supposed to get married and earn that money for your brother now?” I blinked innocently. “Oh, Mom, I’m sorry. It just slipped out. But really, what kind of guy was that? Only thirty thousand? So cheap! You know what? I bet I could find a guy who’d pay a million for me. Believe it?” 3 “A million?” Mom’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. “Are you serious?” I nodded, pulling out my phone and showing her a flyer. “Remember my middle school classmate, Maya? She took one of those ‘how to marry rich’ workshops. Within a month, she landed some trust fund kid. Got like seven hundred thousand in wedding gifts. I’m prettier than her, and I actually went to college. I could definitely get a million.” Mom didn’t quite buy my bluff. Instead, when Leo got home, she showed him the flyer. Hearing about the workshop, Leo slapped his thigh. “Oh yeah, I know about those! Some guys from my school did stuff like that. Maybe didn’t land a millionaire, but they made bank later doing social media stuff, like hundreds of thousands. With Sarah’s looks? Signing her up is a guaranteed win!” I knew Leo would say that. After all, I’d seen the flyer when I was messing around on his phone earlier. Mom’s eyes lit up. She handed the flyer back to me. “Well, what are you waiting for? Go sign up!” “Signing up is no problem,” I said, looking pitifully at Mom. “But I don’t have the money.” At the mention of money, Mom’s face fell. “I don’t have cash to spare. Use your own.” I immediately played the victim. “Mom, all my money is tied up in a Certificate of Deposit! It doesn’t mature for another year. If I take it out now, I’ll lose like three thousand in interest! It’s just not worth it.” Normally, Mom wouldn’t care less about losing three grand of my interest. But now, thinking all my money would soon be Leo’s, she suddenly felt the pinch. “How much do you need?” I held up three fingers. “Three thousand.” Mom transferred it to me instantly. She had no idea that three thousand was just the beginning. Three thousand for the course, sure. But to be a ‘socialite’, I needed clothes, right? Jewelry? Makeup? After the three thousand came ten thousand. Thirteen thousand was pretty much Mom’s limit. Just as she started grumbling daily about my spending, I brought a ‘rich boyfriend’ home to meet her. A fancy fruit basket, some flashy (but fake) gold jewelry – cheap tricks – and Mom gave me another ten thousand to buy a gift for my ‘future mother-in-law’. After that, I arranged for the ‘families’ to meet. At dinner, my fake future mother-in-law gifted Mom some more plated gold junk and promised a wedding gift of two million dollars. Mom was so ecstatic she couldn’t see straight. Without blinking, she gave me a hundred thousand dollars to go on an overseas trip with my rich ‘boyfriend’. I knew that hundred thousand was basically Mom’s entire life savings. She was really betting everything on me landing this ‘rich guy’. I quit my job, took the hundred thousand, and flew to Europe. Everything I’d never bought, never seen, never eaten before – I experienced it all. Of course, a hundred grand wasn’t nearly enough. So, behind Mom’s back, I sold my condo and blew through my savings too. By the time the money ran out, six months had passed. Mom called, furious. “You damn girl! Are you done playing around yet? When is that guy giving us the money? If he doesn’t pay up soon, I’m going straight to his family!” Swirling a glass of wine, I replied calmly, “It’s coming soon. What’s wrong? Why are you in such a hurry, Mom?” “Your brother’s girlfriend is pregnant! They’re planning the engagement party!” Mom’s voice was laced with venom. “Her family wants fifty thousand for the engagement gift. You get that money from your boyfriend right now! If he won’t give it, borrow it! You must bring fifty thousand to your brother’s engagement party the day after tomorrow!” She hung up. I waited a day, then photoshopped a bank transfer confirmation screenshot and sent it to her. 【Mom, the money came through. I’ll head straight to the hotel tomorrow. Don’t worry about a thing.】 My phone buzzed twice. Mom’s reply: 【Good girl! I knew you wouldn’t let Mom down! See, raising a daughter is better than raising a son after all.】 Reading that message made me sick to my stomach. But I couldn’t deny the thrill of anticipation. The engagement party was going to be quite a show. Leo’s engagement party was held at the fanciest hotel in the city. I rented a luxury car for my arrival. As soon as I walked in, all eyes were on me. I hadn’t seen Leo in a while. His chest looked… noticeably larger. When someone pointed it out, he puffed up with pride. “It’s muscle, idiot! What do you know?” When he saw me, he rushed over. “Where’s my future brother-in-law?” “He had something urgent come up. Couldn’t make it.” He lowered his voice. “Did the money arrive?” I nodded. Leo beamed and ran off to brag to someone else. After the usual engagement rituals, the two families sat down to officially discuss the money. Chloe’s mother addressed my Mom: “We originally wanted a hundred thousand. Chloe’s our only daughter, after all. But she felt bad for you, knowing you raised two kids alone, so we agreed on fifty thousand.” Mom, despite being prepared, still tried to haggle. “Fifty thousand… isn’t that a bit much?” The other side bristled. “Too much? Your daughter supposedly landed two million! We’re only asking for fifty thousand! That’s more than fair! Are you serious about this marriage or not?” Leo got anxious too, nudging Mom. “Mom!” Mom immediately backed down and told me to hand over the money. With both families watching, I took out a bank card. Just as I was about to hand it to Chloe’s mother, I pulled back. “Auntie, we can give you the money. But there’s one condition.” Chloe’s mother frowned, clearly annoyed, but the prospect of cash kept her polite. “What condition?” “The baby Chloe’s carrying must be a boy. After all,” I said, locking eyes with her, “my brother is dying. Mom can’t spend her retirement savings on a baby girl who won’t carry on the family name!”

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