My younger brother, Daniel, was in a horrific car accident and needed emergency surgery. Since I was stuck abroad on a business trip, I had to beg my wife to go to the hospital and sign the consent forms. She promised she would. But the moment she hung up, she booked a flight out of the country with her newly purchased humanoid robot to go on a vacation. When the hospital desperately tried to find someone to sign for the surgery, they couldn’t reach her. By the time I rushed back, all that was waiting for me was Daniel’s cold corpse. A few days later, my wife—who barely ever posted anything—updated her Snapchat Story. “A brand-new life experience. Honestly, nothing beats a robot.” Attached was a picture of her and the robot in a hotel room, both of them disheveled and barely dressed. With a numb face, I tapped the screen and left a like on her story. Then, I decided to press the activation button for the robot’s self-destruct system. “Let’s get a divorce, Chloe.” The moment I learned of Daniel’s death, I wiped the tears from my face and sent this text directly to my wife. Five years. I never expected our marriage to end like this. After all, I used to love her to the point of losing all my dignity. I chased her for three long years before she finally agreed to be with me. When we finally walked down the aisle, I couldn’t even bring myself to say a harsh word to her. Even though I knew deep down she didn’t love me that much, I accepted it. As long as I could keep looking at her, it was enough. Everyone around us could see I was the pathetic doormat in this relationship, but I was happy to be one. But Daniel’s death was something I could never forgive. Our parents died when we were young. Daniel and I raised each other. Just when I finally started making good money and things were looking up, he got into that car crash. It happened so fast, catching me completely off guard. I didn’t give up on him. I kept hoping he would wake up and call me his big bro again. And Chloe Vance completely shattered that dream. A week later, I had already finished Daniel’s funeral services. During this entire time, that divorce text was like a stone dropped into the ocean—no reply at all. But the second I liked her Snapchat Story, her call instantly came through. “What is your problem, Ethan? Did you like my story just to disgust me, or are you trying to mark your territory? Leo is just a robot! Are you seriously jealous of an AI?!” “Besides, I’m not a doctor. How was I supposed to save Daniel anyway? It’s your own fault for being useless. You ruined my vacation experience. You are so incredibly annoying.” Her dismissive, casual tone made my heart, which had already gone numb with pain, ache violently all over again. The moment I landed from my business trip, I had rushed to the hospital, only to be met with my brother’s death certificate. Only later did I find out that Chloe had actually flown first-class to Europe with that robot. The hospital had called her dozens of times to get her signature for the emergency surgery, but her phone was turned off the entire time. The blood in my veins felt like it was boiling. I bit my lip so hard that the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth. “Do you even have a conscience, Chloe? You promised me you would take care of Daniel! Instead, you turned around and went on a trip with that machine! Is he even human? Does he understand human feelings?!” Before I could finish, Chloe cut me off sharply. “Leo is different! He understands my heart! He’s not like those other cold blocks of metal! So what if I want to make him more perfect?” “When I said I wanted to order him, you agreed to it! You said it would be nice to have someone keep me company so I wouldn’t be lonely. Why are you standing on a moral high ground accusing me now? Don’t you think you’re being ridiculous?” “Whatever. Leo is waiting for me. Don’t call me unless it’s important. Maybe you should think about what you did wrong to force me to rely on a robot in the first place. Got it?” Her self-righteous tone made my blood run hot, followed by a deep, hollow chill. It was the middle of summer. Sweat was dripping down my forehead, but my body wouldn’t stop shivering. I actually thought Chloe loved me. I thought she cared when she promised to visit Daniel. But even now, as I brought Daniel’s ashes back to our empty apartment, she hadn’t asked about him even once. Right. She was probably drowning in the manufactured tenderness of her robot. Watching the guests leave the funeral, I finally understood. My heart was completely dead. You can’t force love. If it’s rotten, you might as well throw it in the trash.

I returned to our quiet house. It was empty and covered in a thick layer of dust. Taking a deep breath, I cleared a spot on the couch, sat down, and started drafting the divorce papers and the division of assets. She was a spoiled rich girl; she probably wouldn’t care about my modest savings anyway. But I wasn’t going to leave her a single penny. After consulting with a lawyer, I suddenly remembered something. I dug out the manual for the robot we had ordered and began studying its specifications. With the rapid advancement of AI, humanoid robots had become the latest trend. When Chloe eagerly ordered one, I hadn’t objected. I thought it would keep her company when I was busy with work. Who knew things would turn out like this? Right then, Chloe’s call came in again. “Have you reflected on your behavior yet? It’s been days. You should have figured out what you did wrong by now.” I stared at the text on the manual for a long time, and a cold, self-deprecating laugh escaped my lips. Oh, I figured it out, alright. If you love the wrong person, you have to take your heart back. “What did I do wrong? Why don’t you tell me?” My cold, indifferent tone caught her off guard. There was a long pause on the other end. “How dare you speak to me like that?! Ethan Miller, don’t think you can throw a tantrum at me just because your brother died!” No wonder she was shocked. For the past five years, I had always spoken to her in a gentle, pleading voice. I had never shown an ounce of attitude. I didn’t have the right to. Whenever we had a disagreement, I would swallow my pride. If she was even slightly unhappy, she would yell at me. And even when I did nothing wrong, I would beg for her forgiveness like a dog. I really was a pathetic, text-book simp. But starting today, I was done being a doormat. Seeing that I was silent, Chloe got bolder over the phone. “I seriously don’t get why you’re giving me attitude. If you hadn’t been so busy with work, would I have turned to Leo? Honestly, this is all your fault!” “Ever since he arrived, have you shown him any kindness? He’s so fragile and innocent. He needs our love and care. He and I just… did a few things. Why is that such a big deal?!” Even through the phone, I could picture her throwing her head back in that arrogant, snobbish way of hers. A dull, crushing pain squeezed my chest, making it hard to breathe. Thinking of Daniel’s lonely death, I clutched my chest, unable to speak. Five years of marriage, and she had never once stood by my side. She used my love as a weapon to walk all over me. I used to be blinded by love, even enjoying the pain. But Daniel’s death tore away the last veil of my self-delusion. How ironic. I cleared my throat and said flatly, “Are you done?” Chloe choked on her words, her voice softening slightly. “Fine, whatever. I’m coming home in a few days. My mom wants us over for dinner. You’re coming, right?” She was offering an olive branch. She wanted things to go back to how they were—with me being obedient and never complaining. But I would never let that happen again. There were too many things to settle. We might as well lay it all out. With that in mind, I didn’t say much and simply replied, “Sure.” Chloe let out a tense, slightly guilty laugh. “Should I pick you up?” “Sure,” I said. Her usual arrogance was gone, replaced by a sudden, anxious need to please. How amusing. Don’t worry, Chloe. This is only the beginning.

A few days later, in the evening, I stood by the driveway waiting for Chloe. It was pitch black by the time her car finally pulled up. “Sorry I’m late. Leo wasn’t feeling well, so I had to run some diagnostics on him first.” Chloe looked apologetic. Following her gaze, I saw Leo sitting in the passenger seat. “Hello, Ethan. Long time no see.” I had to admit, the technology behind these humanoid robots was terrifyingly advanced. If you didn’t know, you’d never guess he was a machine. His looks, movements, and even his facial expressions were identical to a human’s. “Chloe said the passenger seat has a better view, which helps me learn about the human world. So she let me sit here. You don’t mind, do you?” His deep, smooth voice made my hands freeze. Was this robot seriously trying to gaslight me like a cheap green tea b*tch? Chloe didn’t hesitate to chime in. “Why would he mind? It’s just a seat. It’s no big deal.” I silently got into the back seat without saying a word, my mind drifting back in time. It seemed that ever since we got married, anything concerning me was always “no big deal” to her. Two weeks ago was our fifth anniversary. I had left work early and prepared a candlelit dinner to celebrate. But I waited until midnight, only to see her walking in, arm-in-arm with Leo. “I took Leo out to the amusement park. I totally forgot today was our anniversary. Oh come on, it’s a small thing. We can just celebrate it next time.” Even now, I could clearly remember Chloe’s careless shrug, and the smug, subtle smirk on Leo’s face. Seeing that I was quiet, Chloe kept glancing at me through the rearview mirror. I stared back, expressionless. “Something on my face?” She seemed hurt by my coldness and smiled awkwardly. “No, you just don’t look very happy.” That was a first. Chloe had never cared about my feelings before. She usually wished I didn’t exist. “My brother just died. It’d be weird if I were happy.” My words instantly made her stiffen, and her face turned pale. Leo turned around from the passenger seat, his lips curling into a perfectly simulated, innocent smile. “Daniel’s injuries were too severe, Ethan. Even with the surgery, his survival rate was less than five percent. According to my database, his death was inevitable. I believe you should have prepared yourself for this grief earlier.” A surge of hot anger rushed to my brain. Before I knew it, I threw a heavy punch straight at his face. “Ethan!” Chloe screamed as she slammed on the brakes. Leo’s smile didn’t even flinch. Instead, my hand felt like it had struck a block of solid steel. My knuckles immediately swelled up and began to bleed. “I apologize, Ethan. It is my fault.” The sincerity in Leo’s eyes looked incredibly real, and the anger I had bottled up for days finally erupted. I let out a harsh laugh. “You’re a piece of scrap metal. Don’t talk to me about human feelings.” Leo’s artificial smile slowly froze, his eyes darkening. Wow. This robot’s programming was truly impressive. “Ethan, can’t you be nice to Leo?!” Chloe snapped, immediately jumping to his defense and glaring at me. “He is a member of our family! Don’t go too far!” I looked at their shoulders touching. They looked like a beautiful, loving couple. And I was just the unwanted third wheel. Even though I had resolved to let go, seeing this still made my heart sting. Pulling myself together, I cast a cold glance at her. “Not for long.”

“What does that mean?!” Chloe wanted to press further, but the cars behind us started honking loudly, forcing her to hit the gas. Soon, we arrived at the Vance estate. Her parents were already waiting at the front door. “Chloe, sweetheart! And Leo, you’re here!” Chloe’s mother, Eleanor, took Chloe’s bag and greeted Leo with a massive grin. The three of them chatted happily as they walked into the house, leaving me standing alone by the car. They weren’t welcoming me. I had known this for a long time, but being there forced me to face the harsh reality all over again. Chloe’s parents had never liked me. Since the day we married, they had never given me a warm look. No matter how much I tried to please them in the past, it was never enough. Once, when I couldn’t take it anymore, I complained to Chloe. But she just brushed it off. “You’re lucky to have married a girl like me. It’s normal for them to be a little cold. Just deal with it. You’re living with me, not them.” So, I dealt with it. I even felt grateful for her words back then. How pathetic. I thought I was the luckiest man alive. But Leo’s arrival changed everything. “Leo, dear, just sit down. You don’t need to help!” In the kitchen, Eleanor stopped Leo from picking up the dishes, her face practically glowing with affection. “You sweet boy, you’re so thoughtful. You always try to help every time you come over. Unlike some people.” She shot a nasty glare in my direction. “Some people just sit there like statues, doing absolutely nothing.” If this were the past, I would have panicked, rushed into the kitchen to apologize, and started scrubbing dishes with a flushed face. But today, I sat back, crossed my legs, and smiled. “You’re right, Eleanor. I wasn’t born to be a servant. I don’t do manual labor.” Eleanor froze, clearly shocked. She didn’t expect the usually obedient Ethan to suddenly bite back. She opened her mouth to snap at me, but Chloe shot her a warning look, so she stayed quiet. At the dinner table, Eleanor kept putting food on Leo’s plate. Even though Leo couldn’t eat, he politely declined with a charming smile. “Thank you, Eleanor. Your cooking looks lovely. However, my digestive system cannot process organic food yet, so I must politely decline.” Eleanor waved her hand dismissively. “Oh, it’s fine, dear! Just hearing you say that makes me happy. Some people just stuff their faces without saying a single nice word.” She was targeting me again. I put down my silver fork and laughed coldly. “I’d love to compliment the food, Eleanor, but considering you know I have a life-threatening seafood allergy, and literally every single dish on this table is seafood, I’m not sure what I’m supposed to say.” Eleanor gasped. She looked at my empty plate and felt a brief flash of embarrassment, which she quickly masked with annoyance. “You know Chloe loves seafood. Can’t you just tolerate it for once? Or take an EpiPen?” Tolerate. Always asking me to tolerate. I used to do it because I was a simp. But Daniel’s death taught me that staying silent gets you killed. “Forget it. If any of you actually cared, you wouldn’t serve me a plate of dry, stale bread every single time I come here. Do you think I like eating cardboard? No, I just don’t have a choice.” Eleanor’s face flushed red with anger. She pointed a trembling finger at me, speechless. “Ethan, you are being completely out of line!” Chloe slammed her fork down and screamed. “How dare you speak to my mother like that!” I looked at her calmly. “She’s your mother, Chloe. Not mine.” Chloe stared at me in disbelief. “What is that supposed to mean?” My eyes grew cold and distant. “It means I’m done being the idiot husband of a woman who uses an AI robot to satisfy her sexual needs.” “And besides,” I turned to look at Leo, whose face had gone completely dark, “this robot was custom-made to look exactly like your dead high school sweetheart, wasn’t it?”

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Every time I argued with my boyfriend, Ethan, he would call off our wedding. We had been together for three years, and he had postponed our big day ninety-nine times. On the hundredth time, during a severe storm, his ex-girlfriend’s power went out. He literally kicked me out of the car in the pouring rain just so he could rush over and spend the entire night with her. When he came home the next morning, he handed me a box of cake. I didn’t take it. He sighed, his voice laced with impatience. “Stop acting crazy, Chloe. Nothing happened between us. I just stayed with her because she was scared.” “If you’re going to make a scene over this, consider next month’s wedding canceled again!” Right then, his phone rang. He turned around to answer another call from his ex. This time, I didn’t chase after him to apologize. I just calmly called the venue and canceled the wedding myself. Just like every other time, Ethan slammed the front door on his way out. I knew he did it on purpose. He was waiting for me to swallow my pride, run after him, and beg for his forgiveness. But I just sat on the couch, not moving an inch. There were no tears, no panic, and no desperate urge to fix things. Suddenly, I was just incredibly exhausted. I had done nothing wrong, yet I was always the one on my knees, begging for his love. The AC was blasting, but the cake on the coffee table was already starting to melt. Just like my relationship with Ethan. No matter how hard I tried to patch things up, the cracks between us only grew wider. I dipped my finger in the cream and tasted it. It was sickeningly sweet, but it couldn’t mask the bitterness in my heart. Ethan and I had been dating for three years. In our first year, on the night of our engagement party, he ran off to Hailey’s house to fix her fuses and didn’t come back all night. In our second year, when we were supposed to finalize the wedding date, he took Hailey on a road trip to a neighboring city because she “needed a friend.” And today, because of one phone call from her, he left me stranded in the middle of a storm. As I sat there in a daze, the bedroom door suddenly opened. My heart skipped a beat as Ethan walked toward me. Seeing a bit of cream on the corner of my mouth, he let out a soft, helpless sigh. He pulled out a tissue and gently wiped it away. “Chloe, I’m sorry. I lost my temper earlier.” “I know you don’t like her. I’ll try to avoid seeing Hailey in private from now on.” My defenses crumbled. Hearing those words, tears finally rushed to my eyes. This was the first time in three years he had ever initiated an apology. But before I could even speak, he continued: “When I was at Hailey’s last night, someone took a picture of us and posted it on Instagram. Now everyone is calling her a homewrecker.” “She lives alone, she was terrified of the blackout, and now she’s being dragged into our drama. I need you to post a statement on your Snapchat and Instagram to clear her name.” In an instant, all my warmth turned into a sick joke. He had abandoned me time and time again for his ex. And now, the only reason he was lowering himself to apologize to me was to protect that very same woman. I looked at the face of the man I had loved for five long years, and a laugh escaped my lips. Ethan took it as a yes. “I knew you’d understand, Chloe.” “I’ll send you the screenshots. Once you clear the air, maybe write a quick apology to Hailey so everyone can move on…” Before he could finish, I cut him off. “In your dreams.” Ethan froze. The tenderness on his face vanished, replaced by instant irritation. “Chloe, there is nothing going on between Hailey and me! Why do you have to be so malicious?” “Do you know what these rumors are doing to her reputation? She was crying hysterically on the phone just now!” I stood up from the couch, staring directly into his eyes. “I don’t care about her feelings, and I don’t want to hear her name.” “You want me to defend her? Not a chance.” I clenched my fists, forcing my voice to remain steady. Ethan let out a bitter laugh. “Fine. Fine. Fine.” “If you’re going to be like this, next month’s wedding is officially off.” “And Chloe, don’t you dare come crawling back to me this time!” ***

The heavy thud of the door closing felt like a fist squeezing my heart. It hurt so bad I could barely breathe. Right then, my phone buzzed. I thought it was Ethan. But when I picked it up, it was a message from Hailey. *Chloe, my power went out last night and I was so scared of the dark. Ethan only came over to keep me company. Please don’t misunderstand.* *Honestly, only insecure women get paranoid every day.* I stared at the screen for a few seconds. I didn’t reply, nor did I delete it. So, the emergency that made Ethan kick me out of his car in a raging storm was just a simple power outage. Yet, when I had a high fever and could barely move, I asked him for a glass of water, and he called me “dramatic.” I let out a bitter laugh. When a man doesn’t love you, it’s so obvious. Even if they hadn’t slept together yet, his heart was already gone. Over the next three days, Ethan didn’t return. I didn’t waste any time. I started packing my things. The apartment belonged to him, so I was the one who had to leave. On the fourth day of our silent treatment, my best friend Sarah invited me out to clear my head. In the past, I would have declined just to stay home and wait for Ethan’s call. But this time, I agreed immediately. I also needed to go to the bridal shop to cancel my wedding dress. But I never expected to run into the last two people I wanted to see. Ethan and Hailey were standing right inside the shop. When Ethan saw me, his eyes lit up for a fraction of a second before quickly turning into a look of sheer annoyance. He frowned. “I told you the wedding was called off. Why did you follow me here? If you’re not embarrassed, I am.” Before I could speak, Hailey piped up with a smirk. “Ethan, don’t be so harsh. Chloe’s probably just terrified you’ll actually dump her. After all, the wedding date is so close.” “But Chloe, you’re really embarrassing us women. If I were you, I’d at least hold out until the day before the wedding to beg for him back.” The friends standing with them laughed and chimed in. “Man, Ethan, you really have your woman on a tight leash. One word and she comes running to the bridal shop. Teach us your ways, bro.” The flattery clearly boosted Ethan’s ego. He looked at me like he was granting me a royal pardon. “Fine, I get it. Since you want to get married so badly, I’ll agree to it. Happy?” I used to tolerate these jokes. But today, looking at Ethan’s smug face, I felt nothing but disgust. I looked him dead in the eye and said coldly, “I’m not here for you. I’m here to cancel my dress.” I walked past them straight toward the counter. Everyone froze. They didn’t expect this reaction from me. Hailey was the first to recover. She grabbed my wrist. “Chloe, stop playing hard to get. Ethan already said he’s coming home tonight.” “If you make him angry now, you’re just going to blame me for it later.” “Hailey, the only way you can get back with Ethan is if we break up. Stop acting so innocent. It’s pathetic.” With that, I snatched my wrist back. I didn’t use much force, but she let out a dramatic shriek and fell backward—right into Ethan’s arms. With teary eyes, she whimpered, “Ethan, maybe I should just leave.” “Your friends already think I’m a homewrecker because Chloe keeps misunderstanding us.” “I can take her hitting me today, but what if she comes to my house next time? How am I supposed to live like this?” Ethan’s face darkened completely. He wrapped his arm tightly around Hailey and glared at me. “Chloe, apologize. Now.” His tone left no room for argument. But I didn’t flinch. “No.” His jaw clenched. “If you don’t apologize, we are done. For real.” Even though I had already checked out of this relationship, hearing him say it still made my chest ache. But I kept my face blank and smiled coldly. “Fine. Let’s break up.” ***

My mood was ruined, so after canceling the dress, I went straight back to the apartment. I thought I would toss and turn all night, but I actually slept peacefully. In fact, I slept so well that when I walked downstairs the next morning and saw Hailey in the kitchen, I thought I was still dreaming. She was wearing Ethan’s oversized white button-down shirt, her bare legs fully on display. Ethan, who never cooked, was actually standing at the stove making breakfast. Hearing me walk down, they both turned. Ethan frowned but said nothing. Hailey, however, immediately started explaining. “Chloe, please don’t misunderstand! I drank too much last night and threw up on my clothes. I couldn’t find my keys, so Ethan had no choice but to bring me here.” I let out a dry laugh. “No choice? He looks pretty thrilled to me.” Ethan slammed his spatula onto the counter. He whipped around, glaring at me with pure irritation. “Chloe! That’s enough!” It was laughable. He had brought another woman into our home, and he was telling me *that’s enough*? He only dared to do this because he knew how much I loved him. He had used the “cancel the wedding” threat to control me for three years, and it had worked every single time. I used to think my love and patience would eventually change him. But I forgot that constantly lowering your standards only teaches a man to look down on you. Seeing my silence, Hailey bit her lip dramatically. “I’m sorry, Ethan. I’m just causing more trouble. I’ll leave right now.” She made a show of walking toward the door, but Ethan caught her wrist before she could take two steps. “You’re barely wearing anything. What if you run into some creep outside?” “Eat breakfast first. Once your clothes are dry, I’ll drive you home myself.” He then shot me another annoyed look. “Chloe, is your goal in life just to make everyone miserable first thing in the morning?” “Acting like this only makes me regret ever dating you.” The living room fell into a dead silence. Even Ethan seemed to realize he had gone too export. He opened his mouth to say something, but I didn’t give him the chance. “Ethan, you’re not the only one who regrets this.” “And you don’t have to leave. I am.” I walked upstairs. Ten minutes later, I came back down rolling my packed suitcase. Ethan’s eyes widened. A flash of joy crossed Hailey’s face, though she quickly masked it with her usual innocent act. “Chloe, please don’t do this. Ethan and I are just friends.” “I literally had nowhere else to go last night and no clothes to wear. He was just being nice.” I usually didn’t bother wasting my breath on her, but her acting was so insufferable I couldn’t resist. “Nowhere to go? No clothes to wear?” “Did every single hotel and mall in New York shut down last night, forcing you to sleep at another woman’s boyfriend’s apartment in his shirt?” Hailey’s face turned pale. Unable to find a comeback, she looked at Ethan with puppy-dog eyes. “Chloe…” “Shut up, Ethan. I don’t want to hear a single word from you.” I grabbed my handle and walked out. Behind me, Ethan’s furious voice echoed down the hall. “Fine! Have it your way! Don’t marry me then, see if I care!” Then came the deafening sound of the door slamming shut. He left with Hailey. From that day until the day before our scheduled wedding, he never contacted me once. And I didn’t sit around waiting. I handed in my resignation at my design firm and started finalizing my departure. Ethan didn’t call, and I enjoyed the peace. By the time my resignation went through, it was the day before what should have been our wedding. My phone was blowing up all day. They were all messages from our mutual friends. *Chloe, are you still throwing a tantrum? Ethan’s already cooled down. Just text him first and this will all blow over.* *Chloe, Ethan hasn’t even seen Hailey lately. You’re taking this too far!* *The wedding is tomorrow, Chloe. Stop playing hard to get. Men like Ethan don’t grow on trees. If you actually dump him, you’re just handing him over to the girls waiting in line.* Looking at the messages, I just smiled. Ethan was the one who crossed the line, yet everyone assumed I was the one who had to beg for him back. I sent a mass reply to the group chat: *Ethan and I are officially over. Anyone who texts me to take him back will be blocked. Thanks!* I cleared my chat history, blocked everyone associated with Ethan, and deleted my fingerprint from the apartment’s smart lock. I left my engagement ring on the coffee table, sent Ethan one final text, and headed to the airport without looking back. ***

On the other side of town, Ethan was pacing around his apartment, utterly restless. He kept checking his phone. But the screen remained black. In the past, Chloe would always come crawling back within three days. But it had been a week, and there was nothing. Was she actually furious this time? All he did was stay over at Hailey’s for one night. Was that really worth this massive reaction? Then, a sudden thought hit him. He had called off the wedding last year and the year before that. Both times were because of Hailey. No wonder… A pang of guilt hit his chest. Maybe he had crossed the line. He pulled out his phone and typed a message: *Chloe, didn’t you say you wanted to go to the beach? Once I’m done with this busy week, I’ll take you.* But when he hit send, a red exclamation mark appeared. Chloe had blocked him on Snapchat. His chest tightened. He tried calling her number, but a cold, automated voice told him the call couldn’t be completed. She had blocked his number, too. The apartment felt instantly freezing. Just as he was about to call Marcus to find out where Chloe was staying, a text notification popped up from an unknown number. It was Chloe’s final text. *Ethan, we’re done. I left the ring on the coffee table.* Ethan froze. He ran to the living room, and there it was—the diamond ring, sitting silently on the glass table. He picked it up, panic rising in his chest. He snatched his friend’s phone and dialed the number he knew by heart. It rang for a long time before a calm voice answered. “Hello?” Ethan’s breath hitched, his heart aching at the sound of her voice. He wanted to apologize. He wanted to tell her to come home. But his damn pride got in the way, and the moment he opened his mouth, his voice came out sharp and defensive. “Chloe, blocking me and sending breakup texts? Do you really think this petty drama is going to scare me?” “I was already planning on cutting Hailey off, but your behavior is ridiculous. If you don’t come home right now, the wedding is off for good!” Silence met his words. Ethan gripped the phone, his heart practically in his throat. *Just give in a little, Chloe. If you just say sorry, I promise I’ll never see Hailey again,* he thought desperately. But Chloe’s response shattered his hope. “Suit yourself.” “Ethan, we are done. Don’t call me again.” The line went dead. When he tried to call back, he was blocked on that number, too.

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At a college alumni dinner,someone brought up happy marriages and suggested we all place our phones in the center of the table. Whoever got the first call from her husband to pick her up would be the happiest woman there that night. Everyone assumed it would be me. Instead,the first phone to light up belonged to Selena,Nora’s younger sister. She reached for it with a smile,and I saw the number on the screen. It was exactly the same as my husband Ethan’s. I was sitting beside her,close enough to hear Ethan’s voice through the phone. “Why aren’t you at the apartment?” Selena smiled sweetly. “I was bored at home,so I came to Nora’s alumni dinner with her.It’s almost over.” “You’re pregnant.Don’t tire yourself out.I’m coming to get you now.” My fingers went cold. Soon,everyone else’s phones began ringing one after another. Mine stayed dark. Selena seemed to be kindly helping me out. “Nora told me Chloe’s husband is an investment banking executive.He must still be busy.” I looked up at her. “He’s already on his way.You’ll see him soon.” ……… “When Chloe’s husband gets here,you’ll see how much he adores her.” The one who said that was Mia,my college roommate. Over the years,she had watched Ethan and me go from dating to marriage. Ethan was transparent about his salary,reported his schedule,and treated both me and my parents with care. In seven years of marriage,he had never even raised his voice at me. And yet this was the man who had built another home outside our marriage. I forced down my emotions and deliberately turned the conversation back to Selena. “The first man to call must be the one who loves his wife most.” Everyone’s eyes fell on Selena. She wore a Chanel suit,a Patek Philippe on her wrist,and an Hermès Birkin by her hand. Every inch of her looked carefully maintained by money. Someone asked,”Selena,what does your husband do?” She smiled. “He works on Wall Street.The pay is decent.His family’s old house was bought out by a developer a couple of years ago,so he has a little cushion.” My chest sank. Ethan’s family did have an old townhouse. Two years ago,his parents moved in with us and said they would not be going back to the old neighborhood,so they sold the house. I kept my tone casual. “How much did it sell for?My relatives are negotiating a buyout too.I wanted a reference.” “A little over 1.3 million dollars.Not that much.” Nora immediately joined in. “You have no idea how lucky Selena is.Her husband gave her all the money from the sale.” “Her mother-in-law Margaret adores her too.The first time they met,she gave Selena the emerald pendant necklace that’s been passed down in the family.”

Nora nudged Selena. “Take it out.Let everyone see it.” Selena took an emerald pendant necklace from her bag. The center stone was clear and vivid,ringed with small diamonds. Under the table,my hands clenched. I had seen that necklace when I married Ethan. Ethan’s relatives had laughed and said it was the piece the Walker family passed down to the new Mrs.Walker.One day,it would be mine. Last Thanksgiving,his aunt had brought it up on purpose. “Chloe has been married into this family for seven years.Are you still not giving her that necklace?” Margaret’s face had stiffened. Ethan smoothed it over for her. “There’s no rush.Chloe understands.She said it can be passed down later.” I had never said that. For seven years,Margaret and I had no open conflict. When she was hospitalized,I took time off to care for her.When she moved into my home,I never complained. But she was always distant with me,and she was just as cold toward my son,Noah. So she was not slow to warm up. She had simply accepted another woman as Ethan’s wife long ago. I pretended to gossip. “How long have you been married?Margaret treats you so well.” “One year.”Selena lowered her head and smiled.”Ethan’s parents are wonderful to me.” Someone asked how she and her husband had met. Nora rushed to answer. “Selena used to be a consultant at a wellness center.She’s honest and knows how to charm older people.Margaret really liked her.” Selena added,”I met Ethan because I knew Margaret first.If she hadn’t brought us together,Ethan and I wouldn’t have gotten together so quickly.” My nails dug into my palm. The woman I had called Mom for seven years had built another family for my husband with her own hands. Nora was still gushing. “Margaret is so generous.She gives Selena her pension and investment dividends to spend.” I finally understood. After Ethan and I got married,Margaret asked us for three thousand dollars a month for living expenses,saying she and father-in-law William had no steady income. Ethan and I both earned well,so we had paid it for seven years. It turned out they were not broke. They were using my money to subsidize another woman.

Nora kept going. “That’s not all.Ethan’s parents have already prepared the down payment for a house in a good school district and an education trust for the baby.” Everyone around the table looked envious. I kept my voice low. “Ethan’s parents must have a lot saved.” Selena shook her head. “It’s mostly Ethan.Every month he gives them half his salary and says it’s for the baby’s education trust.” My throat tightened. Starting from the first month after our wedding,Ethan had also split his salary in half. Half went to me,and half went to Margaret. He said that money was for Noah’s education fund. I had never doubted him. After all,Noah was her grandson too. Only now did I realize that money had gone into the account for the child in Selena’s belly. Just then,my phone rang. Nora led the teasing. “Chloe’s husband is calling!” But the screen showed:My Sweet Boy. I answered.Noah’s hurt voice came through. “Mom,Dad lied to me again.He promised he’d take me to Disneyland tomorrow,but Grandma just said he has another business trip.” He sniffed. It felt as if my heart had been crushed. This past year,Ethan had barely spent time with our son. He said he was busy,said he was traveling,said the market was bad and we had to save money. The Orlando Disney trip became a local amusement park,and in the end,even that local amusement park was canceled. He had missed our wedding anniversary too. I had kept making excuses for him. Only tonight did I learn that he did have time,He had simply given it to someone else. I comforted my son softly. “Noah,be good.Mommy will make Dad give you an answer.” After I hung up,someone tried to smooth things over. “Chloe,Your husband’s busy because the company values him.” I smiled. “Yes.I’m used to it.”

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The day Nina got her acceptance letter from City Werewolf Academy, Mom and Dad threw her a party — and made me work as a waitress. Mom shoved a tray loaded with drinks into my hands. “You couldn’t even get into Community Werewolf Academy. Sitting at the family table would only make people laugh. Might as well make yourself useful with the guests.” My brother Ethan frowned. “Getting in wasn’t easy for Nina. Nothing can go wrong today. If any Pack members ask about your scores, it’ll ruin the whole mood.” My boyfriend Caleb spoke flatly. “Ava. Today’s Nina’s big day. Don’t screw it up.” I clutched my backpack tighter. The strap dug into my shoulder until it hurt. When I was twelve, I placed first at the Silver Creek Pack training camp. Nina took it hard and slit her wrists that same night. The whole family decided I’d done it on purpose. To show off. After that, I learned to hide what I could do — filling in wrong answers on tests, deliberately finishing last in training. Six years. I turned myself into the well-known good-for-nothing of the Pack. Only the Final Trial gave me one chance to actually try. Right now they were gathered around Nina, their faces lit up like she was made of sunlight. And the words in my throat — I got into the Royal Elite Werewolf Academy — I swallowed them back down. If they found me an eyesore, then there was no point mentioning that I had to report in three days. … Seeing I hadn’t moved, Ethan tossed a stained, mildew-smelling uniform at me. “Your grades are trash. You can at least manage waitress work, can’t you?” I looked up. In the center of the hall, gold balloons spelled out the words that made my eyes ache: CONGRATULATIONS NINA — CITY WEREWOLF ACADEMY Ethan had put them up himself that morning. I wanted to ask him: if it had been me who got in, would any of this exist? Before I could speak, Mom’s voice hit me again. “Ava. If anyone asks later, do not tell them you couldn’t even get into Community Werewolf Academy.” She was afraid I’d embarrass her. But she seemed to have forgotten. Back when Nina first came to us, she’d seen my perfect test papers and my Trial certificates, and she’d sobbed into Mom’s arms: “Ava’s so amazing. I don’t deserve to be part of this family.” She slit her wrists that same night. Mom was the first to turn on me. “You knew Nina had just lost her parents. Why would you provoke her? Did you have to show off?” She tore up my certificates. Right in front of Nina. It hurt. But I understood, too. Nina’s parents had once saved her and Dad. For the sake of this family, I hid my claws and became what they saw — lazy, useless. I dug my fingernails into my palm and said softly, “Okay.” Dad nodded, satisfied. “Bad grades — well, we’re your parents, we’ll figure something out. Spend a little more, get you into a decent Community Werewolf Academy.” Something struck me hard in the chest. Nina’s grades had always been shaky, so before the exams they’d already lined up a private academy as her fallback. Back then they’d said: “Community Werewolf Academy is nothing to be proud of. Even at her worst, Nina has to go somewhere good.” “That’s not necessary. I’ve already —” I tried to say. I already got in. “Auntie, before people start showing up — let’s take a photo with Nina!” Caleb’s voice sailed right over mine. “Ava. Come take the picture.” He ordered it, pushing the camera into my hand. Mom and Dad flanked Nina; Ethan and Caleb stood behind her. A perfect composition. No spot for me. I swallowed and pressed the shutter, mechanical as a machine. When I handed the camera back, I asked Caleb quietly, “Could we take one, too?” Royal Elite Werewolf Academy is a closed campus. Several states away. I wanted a picture of him to take with me. Caleb paused, then let out a small, mocking laugh. “Aren’t your parents sending you to that Community Werewolf Academy nearby? We’ll see each other all the time — why bother?” But Nina was going to City Academy. He’d happily pose with her, shot after shot. For me, even one photo was too much trouble. Whatever hope I still had left in my chest went cold. My eyes fell to my backpack. Inside was the acceptance packet from Royal Elite Werewolf Academy. I’d wanted him to be the first to know. Now I was grateful I’d said nothing at all.

When the party ended, Mom threw a rag at me and told me to clean, then piled all the cash and checks the Pack members had brought straight in front of Nina. “Starter funds. If it’s not enough, tell your dad and me.” Dad, smiling, added a card of his own to the pile. Nina hugged Mom, all sugar. “Mom, Dad — you’re the best. I’m so lucky to be your daughter.” She glanced my way. “Ava’s going to school soon too. Should I split it with her, half and half?” Mom patted her indulgently. “You earned that yourself. Why would you give it to her?” Only then did she turn to me, sighing. “Ava, don’t be jealous. You’ve been a disgrace these past few years. With your Final Trial score, throwing you a party would only get us laughed at.” “Once we’ve arranged Community Werewolf Academy for you, you’ll work while you study. Feed yourself. Stop expecting the family to carry you.” Casual tone. Casual disdain. It cut anyway. The pressure in my chest went tighter. I was tired. Tired of hiding, tired of playing the fool. At sixteen, I’d wanted to test them. During the training camp evaluations, I used only half my strength — just enough to place one rank above Nina. Nina came home and cried for a whole day. “I’m so stupid. I stayed up all night training and barely scraped into the top twenty. Ava does it once and she’s better than me.” Mom and Dad spent hours soothing her. In the end, Mom looked at me with tired disappointment. “Ava. We want you to do better. But you can’t cheat just to steal attention.” In that moment, all I felt was exhaustion. Do well — they said I was hurting Nina. Do badly — they called me useless. Try to test the waters — they called it cheating. There was no right answer. Ethan hauled out an entire set of gifts for Nina: brand-new laptop, tablet, phone. Nina squealed and threw her arms around him. “Ethan! You got me all this? I love you so much!” I looked at the pile, and something in my blood went slowly cold. The night before, Ethan had given me a “gift” too — his three-month-old laptop. “Still practically new. Something too fancy would just be wasted on you. Make do for a few years.” That was always how it went. The best for Nina. Whatever’s left over for me. He seemed to have forgotten I was the one who was actually his sister. I turned to leave for my room. Nina followed. “Ava, everyone gave me presents. Where’s yours?” I hated Nina. And now, since I was about to leave, I didn’t feel like swallowing it anymore. I said flatly, “I don’t have one.” Nina blinked, then smiled again. “I know you can’t afford anything expensive. Just give me any little thing. It’s fine.” She walked in as she spoke, her eyes locking onto the rocket model on my desk. “Dad made that for me. You can’t have it.” I reached out to stop her, but she was faster. The model was already in her hand. My heart shot straight up into my throat.

“Ava, I want this one. If I keep it in my dorm, I’ll think of you.” “No! Put it down!” My voice shot up before I could stop it. That model had been my tenth-birthday present, made by Dad, back before Nina came. That day I’d told him, “I’m going to get into the best werewolf academy. I’m going to learn how to build rockets.” After that, Mom and Dad’s hearts belonged entirely to Nina. Through all those years of hiding what I was capable of, that model was what kept my aviation dream alive. And I had done it. I’d gotten into Royal Elite Werewolf Academy — Aviation Defense track. The commotion pulled everyone in. The second Dad saw Nina’s red-rimmed eyes, the accusation came out on reflex. “Ava, are you picking on Nina again? A cheap little model — do you really have to be that petty?” So he’d known Nina wanted it. My fists tightened. “It’s not a model. It’s my dream.” Ethan laughed. “With your grades? You’re lucky any academy will take you. And you’re dreaming about aviation?” Caleb laughed too. “Ava, Aviation Defense isn’t something you can touch. If you like it that much, I’ll buy you a few models to play with.” I ignored them and looked only at Dad. “When I was little, I told you my dream. You said you were behind me.” Dad hesitated, then his face soured with impatience. “So what if you have a dream? Royal Elite Werewolf Academy only takes the top of the top. You think dreaming gets you in?” The air froze for two seconds. So it wasn’t just favoritism. They were mocking my dream, too. I turned to Nina, my voice unnaturally calm. “You’re right. I was being petty. If you want it, take it.” As long as it made her happy, I should give way. I should have known that a long time ago. Once they were all gone, I locked my door from the inside. Booked a flight for the day after tomorrow. Slid the acceptance packet into a folder. The next morning, after breakfast, Caleb came over. He was carrying two bags. The pretty one, he handed to Nina. “Your gift. I forgot to bring it yesterday.” Nina tore it open, thrilled. A diamond necklace. “It’s beautiful! Caleb, put it on me!” Caleb tossed the other bag at me without looking, then walked over behind Nina, smiling as he fastened the clasp at her nape. That smile stung my eyes. I opened my mouth. Closed it. Said nothing. That necklace. It was the one I’d picked out. Caleb had been in a good mood that day. He’d said, “When you get into a werewolf academy, I’ll buy it for you. You’re my girlfriend, aren’t you?” The day the Final Trial scores came out, I wanted to tell him I’d done well. But everyone was cheering for Nina. No one asked me. Even Caleb had quietly accepted that I couldn’t even make it into Community Werewolf Academy. And now — the thing he’d promised me, he’d given to her. Necklace secured, Caleb finally turned to look at me. “Ava, this is study material for you. Your foundation’s weak. Don’t waste yourself once you’re at Community Academy. Work hard — maybe you can transfer to the city.” I stared at him for a long time. My throat ached with the pressure of everything sitting in it. In the end, all I said was: “Caleb. As of today, we’re done.” Caleb froze. “What’s that supposed to mean?” I didn’t answer. I threw the bag on the table and walked out. Behind me, Ethan’s irritated voice carried through the hall. “She loses it over the tiniest thing. She’s got nothing on Nina. Let her go. Don’t chase her.” My feet paused a moment. Then I stepped through the front door. I wandered outside all day. No one called. Around dusk, one text from Mom: Get home. Now. Nothing else. Not a word more. I wiped the corner of my eye, and suddenly I laughed. What was I still hoping for, exactly? When I got home to pack, I pushed open the door — and my room looked like it had been ransacked. The folder on the desk. The one with my acceptance packet. It was gone. My brain whited out. The next second, Nina appeared in the doorway, looking pleased with herself, like she was waiting for a thank-you.

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Kellan’s wolf howls — and it’s not for me. I’m standing under the full moon, and the future Alpha’s eyes are blazing gold. But he’s not looking at me. His whole body is being pulled toward the other end of the Ceremony grounds, toward Meadow — the Omega, the quiet girl who always sits at the edge of the pack. His wolf howls again. Raw. Guttural. Like something cracked open inside his chest. The Moon Goddess has spoken. Kellan and Meadow. True mates. I watch my brother Ronan sprint after him, shoulder-checking wolves out of his path. Flynn is right behind, clearing the way. Not toward me. Toward her. Kellan and I have been together eight years. Eight years of him telling me he’d mark me soon — not yet, not now, the timing isn’t right. I never pushed. Then a few weeks ago, he had Ronan sign me up for the Mating Ceremony behind my back. By the time I found out, it was too late to pull my name. “Just a formality,” he said. “If the Goddess pairs us, I’ll mark you that same night. It’s best blessing, isn’t?” I believed him. But lately something had been off. The way Kellan’s eyes lingered on her a beat too long at pack gatherings. The way he tensed when she stood too close. I noticed. I always noticed. I just told myself it didn’t mean anything. Now the Goddess didn’t pair us. She paired him with her. My scent is still drifting through the crowd. Unmatched. Unclaimed. I feel exposed — stripped bare on a stage no one’s watching anymore. Then I feel it. A pull. Not warm. Not safe. Something raw and jagged, like a hook dragging through my ribs. A howl rises from the far edge of the grounds — low, broken, starving. Gold eyes lock onto mine. Garrick Thane. The rogue who wandered onto our territory three moons ago. No pack. No rank. Three previous mates — all dead. His wolf is responding to my scent. I feel the bond trying to latch on — my wolf stirs, restless, confused. She wants to answer. My body wants to step forward. I don’t move. The Ceremony grounds go dead silent. Then the whispers start. “A Gamma’s daughter — Moon-paired with a rogue?” “Well… at least it matches.” The crowd parts as Kellan walks away with Meadow, Ronan and Flynn flanking them. Nobody looks back. The crowd is thinning out. Kellan, Meadow, Ronan, Flynn — they’ve already disappeared around the Elder’s tent. I follow, not sure what I’m going to say. Not sure what there is to say. Then I hear their voices. Kellan’s voice. Ronan’s. Flynn’s. Low. Careful. Pleased. “I knew it.” Kellan exhales like he’s been holding his breath for months. “I’ve been sensing her for weeks — every time Meadow walked past, my wolf went insane. I just needed the Ceremony to make it official.” Ronan keeps his voice down. “So that’s why you had me sign Briar up.” “If the Goddess confirms it in front of the whole pack, nobody can say I chose this. It’s not me leaving Briar — it’s the Goddess’s will.” Kellan pauses. “Who’s going to argue with that?” “What about my sister?” Kellan’s voice doesn’t waver. “She’s a Gamma’s daughter. No wolf is lining up for her. As long as she thinks nothing’s changed between us, she’ll stay.” “Worst case — she rejects the rogue. She’ll feel some pain. After that, she’s got no Moon-given mate. Nowhere to go. She’ll have no choice but to stay by my side.” Flynn laughs softly. “Just sweet-talk her a little. She’ll get over it. She always does.” I stand in the dark, and a bitter laugh scrapes out of me. So the Ceremony wasn’t a formality. It was a trap. He needed the Moon Goddess to hand him an excuse — and she did. Fine. If this is what the Goddess gives me, I’ll take it.

The walk home is short. When I push through the door, the smell of stew hits me first. Ronan gets to me before I’ve taken two steps inside. Voice low. “So? What are you going to do?” Dad and Mom both look up from the table. I hang my coat on the hook by the door. “Nothing.” Dad slams his mug down. “Eight years with the future Alpha, and you couldn’t even hold onto him at the Ceremony? How do you let something like this happen?” I don’t answer. I learned a long time ago — all he does is point fingers. He never stands up for me. Never once took my side. Maybe because Meadow is the daughter of his old flame. Anything involving that family, he bends over backward. Every single time. This time, none of it is my fault. Mom opens her mouth. All she does is push a bowl of stew closer to me. She’s never had a spine. Whatever Dad and Ronan say goes. I smile — thin and knowing. I stopped expecting her to speak up for me a long time ago. As long as she’s safe. That’s enough. Who I end up with doesn’t matter anymore. I’ve barely sat down when there’s a knock at the door. Ronan opens it. Kellan and Flynn walk in side by side. Meadow is right behind them. She steps inside and her whole face lights up when she sees my father. “I came to join dinner — is that okay?” Dad beams. “Of course. Sit down, sit down.” He pulls out a chair for her himself. By pack law, Kellan and Meadow are Moon-blessed. As for me — I didn’t accept Garrick’s claim. I didn’t reject it either. To everyone at this table, that’s not worth discussing. Meadow sits next to Kellan. He sets a cut of venison on her plate, then seems to remember I exist and drops something onto mine. “Briar. Eat.” I look down. Root vegetables. Overcooked, the way I’ve hated since I was a pup. He found his true mate tonight and he’s so happy he can’t even remember what I don’t eat? Ronan starts cracking jokes. “Did you see that rogue at the Ceremony? Garrick Thane actually showed up. What she-wolf would ever accept him?” Flynn jumps in. “No pack, no rank. Been on our territory less than three moons. And every mate he’s ever had? Dead.” Dad takes a slow sip from his mug. “The Goddess chose Kellan and Meadow. You can’t fight the Goddess’s will.” “Meadow and her mother have had it hard enough. Nobody is going to force them to reject a Moon-given bond.” He glances at Kellan. “The Moon Blessing would be held in two days. After that, things will settle. Briar will figure it out.” Mom’s eyes go red. She stares down at her plate. I’m about to tell her not to worry when Kellan takes my hand. His voice is patient. Almost rehearsed. “Briar, nobody wanted this. I didn’t expect my wolf to respond to Meadow.” “But nothing changes between us, okay? You’re still mine.” I take a sip of stew. “Okay.” He blinks. I never give in this fast. Before, I’d push back — make him coax me, reassure me, say it again. But he blinks once, and his hand slips out of mine. Quick. Relieved. Like setting down something heavy he’d been dreading. “Meadow, you alright?” Her cheeks flush. “My mom made me join the Ceremony. I didn’t have a choice either. I’m just glad it was you — at least you’re someone I know.” “I’ll go along with whatever you all decide.” They start planning. The bonding ceremony. The feast. The pack howl. Like this was always the plan. I finish eating in silence and set down my bowl. “You all keep talking. I’m done.” The chair scrapes the floor. The table goes quiet for a beat. As I walk away, I hear Meadow whisper, “Is she upset?” Kellan, calm and sure: “Don’t overthink it. Briar’s not the sensitive type. Probably just tired.” I slow for half a step. Tired. So that’s what it means now. It explains away everything — every last thing I’ve swallowed. And everyone at that table sleeps just fine.

I walk out into the yard. The moon is high but the light feels cold. “Briar.” Kellan comes after me. He still carries Meadow’s scent on his skin — soft, sweet, clinging. “You barely ate. Are you mad?” “Yes.” He lets out a short laugh. “Don’t be like that. The Goddess pairs it — nobody could’ve predicted what happened.” “I told you — nothing changes between us. You’re still—” “Kellan.” I cut him off. He stops. I look him in the eyes. “I told you from the start. I didn’t want to join the Mating Ceremony.” It’s ancient. Sacred. The Goddess reveals your true mate through scent. For thousands of years, the pack has honored this. I respect it. But I didn’t want to join — I already had a mate. Apparently I was the only one who thought that mattered. He stiffens. “It already happened. What’s the point of bringing this up now?” “Exactly. Nothing I say matters. Because you never listen.” That look — the one I’ve seen for eight years — slides across his face. Annoyed, but holding it in. He knows he’s in the wrong. He just doesn’t think being wrong means he has to bend. “Briar, what’s the point of dragging this out? It was the Goddess’s will, not mine. If you’re really that upset, I’ll talk to Meadow. We’ll smooth things over—” “Smooth things over?” I stare at him. “You heard my dad at dinner. Meadow can’t reject the bond. You want to put an Omega and her mother through that kind of pain? How are you going to smooth that over?” He pinches his temple. “Briar, be reasonable—” “Reasonable?” A laugh scrapes out of me. “I try to reason with my dad — he says I’m talking back. I try with my mom — she tells me not to make a fuss. I try with my brothers — they calls me petty. I thought it’d be different with you, Kellan. But you’re telling me to be reasonable too?” His mouth opens. “I’m not—” “You’re not listening. You just assume I’ll give in. Every time.” The way Dad assumes I’ll shut up. The way Mom assumes I’ll swallow it. The way Ronan assumes I’ll let it go. “Briar…” His voice goes soft. He reaches for me. I step back. Turn into the dark. His footsteps follow — two steps, then stop. Someone calls his name. Meadow’s voice, probably. Soft and worried. Or someone inside, wanting to talk about the ceremony. He doesn’t come after me. Three years ago, when he asked me to be his chosen mate, his eyes were full of light. Warm and sure and mine. I can’t even tell where that light went now. When I circle back to the yard, they’re gathered around the bonfire. Meadow pokes at the flames with a long stick, her face lit by the glow. “Kellan, do you think Briar minds us being out here…?” Ronan waves it off. “Forget about her. The more you tiptoe, the worse it gets. Just ignore her.” Flynn grins. “Kellan’s wolf answered your scent. If that’s not the Goddess’s will, what is?” Meadow’s cheeks burn. “Don’t say that — she’ll hear…” Kellan smiles but doesn’t correct a word. “I’m going to make sure it’s done right. You deserve that.” A Moon Blessing. A feast. A pack howl. Everything a she-wolf dreams of. Everything that was supposed to be mine. Meadow ducks her head. “But my mating cloak… there’s no time to have one made.” Ronan laughs. “Kellan already handled it. Briar’s cloak has been resized to fit you.” Meadow looks up. “Really? But what about Briar?” “She won’t need it.” Kellan’s voice is easy. He tucks a strand of hair behind Meadow’s ear. Firelight spills across his shoulders. I go still behind the old oak. That cloak. I had it commissioned from the old she-wolf who crafts the finest pelts. Kellan offered to take my measurements himself. It came back a little too tight. I thought it was an honest mistake. Now I know whose body he was measuring for. Meadow’s voice drops. “But nobody in this pack has been rejected by the Goddess in thirty years. She must be hurting so much…” Kellan looks at her — soft and sure, like she’s already his. “She worries about everyone when she almost got claimed by a stranger.” He tucks the hair tighter behind her ear. “Briar does what her family tells her. She’s got no Moon-given mate now, nowhere else to go. She’ll stay.” “Did she fight me earlier? She didn’t. She’s more scared of losing me than anything.” Meadow mumbles. “I just feel bad for her…” “Don’t.” He watches the fire. “She’s only giving up a title. She’ll still be by my side. That’s more than most Omegas get.” The night wind carries his voice and his laughter to where I stand. A chill crawls down my spine. Slow. One vertebra at a time. I shut everything down. And I walk straight in.

Everyone in the yard sees me at the same time. The voices cut in half. Kellan is standing by the bonfire, hands in his pockets. Meadow runs toward me and grabs my sleeve. “Briar! You’re back! I was just about to come find you—” I lift my hand to pull free. She stumbles backward with a gasp and drops to the ground. “Meadow!” Kellan crosses the yard in three strides. He shoves past me so hard I stagger back, my foot catches on the pile of burned-out logs from the bonfire, and I go down. My palm lands flat on the embers. The pain is instant — white-hot, searing through skin. My whole body curls inward. Ronan and Flynn rush over. All three of them crouch around Meadow like she’s made of glass, lifting her up, brushing dirt off her clothes. Nobody looks at me. Kellan turns. His eyes land on me, and all I see is anger. “What is wrong with you?” “Meadow was worried about you — worried you were out there alone. And the first thing you do when you come back is shove her?” The pain pulses up my arm in waves. Moonlight catches the blisters already swelling across my palm. He notices my hand. His voice drops half a degree. “…You okay?” I don’t look at him. I push myself off the ground on my own. A laugh scrapes out of me. “Worried about me? So worried she’s out here celebrating around a bonfire?” Kellan stiffens. “What are you talking about? A bonfire after the Ceremony is pack tradition.” Sure. Tradition. But what does any of it have to do with me? “Move.” My voice is quiet. His jaw tightens. “You shoved her and you’re walking away without even an apology?” I lift my head and look him straight in the eyes. My palm throbs with every heartbeat. “Apology?” I say. “Ask her. Did I touch her?” He doesn’t turn around. But behind him, Meadow sniffles — soft, barely there. That one sound swallows everything he was about to say. “Briar. For both our sakes — apologize. Now.” “If this is really for both our sakes,” I look at him, “then come with me. Right now.” “Reject the mate bond. Leave the pack. Forget the Ceremony, the Goddess blessing — all of it. Walk away with me. Do you dare?” His lips move. I wait for him to speak. Wait for him to step toward me. He hesitates. His head turns — just slightly — and I see what he sees. Meadow standing behind him, chin tilted up, watching him with those wide eyes. “Briar…” His voice sinks low. “Don’t push me like this. We don’t have to figure everything out tonight. Meadow, she’s—” “Forget it.” I cut him off and brush the ash from my clothes. “I was joking.” I already knew the answer. Why wait for him to say it out loud? I turn to leave. Behind me, Meadow’s voice wavers. “Her hand is burned — I’ll get the med kit—” Kellan catches her arm. His voice is a low rumble, thunder buried under skin. “Don’t. She shoved you first. She’s putting on a show. Don’t give her the satisfaction.” I push open the bedroom door and walk in. The footsteps outside fade. I sit on the edge of the bed and look at my hand. The burn sits right in the softest part of my palm. It hurts. It hurts so much that everything else has gone numb.

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After my online relationship finally became real,I happened to see a post on our school’s anonymous confession wall. “If you could go back six months,what would you change?” Some people in the comments said they would retake the SAT. Some said they would break up with their ex sooner. Some said they would stop their parents from getting divorced. Only one comment was pushed all the way to the top. “I’d ask for her contact myself.” “Then my friend wouldn’t have given me the wrong account,and I wouldn’t have spent half a year talking to another girl.” “Now we’ve already met in person.I guess I can only keep going with the mistake.” I was about to scroll past. Then I realized the avatar,the ID,even the profile bio,were exactly the same as my boyfriend Ethan Hale’s. The boyfriend I had just met in person. Everything suddenly made sense. I finally understood why,after we met in person,he was still gentle with me but clearly distant,nowhere near as sweet as he had been online. And why,when he saw me in person for the first time,he had frozen so obviously for a second. Because,the affection he had given me had been meant for someone else all along. … The next afternoon,I met Ethan at the school cafe. He was sitting by the window,still wearing his deep-blue team jacket.Ethan Hale was one of the most popular boys at Westbridge Prep,the son of a board member,and the football captain. And I was just an ordinary scholarship student. If it had not been for that online relationship that began with a mistake,he and I probably never would have crossed paths at all. “You’re here?” When Ethan saw me,he pushed the hot chocolate in front of him toward me. “Less sugar,no whipped cream,extra cinnamon.You didn’t eat much dinner yesterday.Is your stomach still bothering you?” He had always been thoughtful. Even before we met in person,he had never missed a holiday gift or a birthday surprise. He knew I worked at the cafe after school and often forgot dinner,so he would order a sandwich ahead of time for me.Yesterday,when we had pasta together for the first time,he had naturally picked the mushrooms out for me. Mia had once said with envy that I must have been blessed by the goddess of love. But now I knew. None of that kindness had really been meant for me. Ethan waved a hand in front of my face and smiled. “What’s wrong?Now that we’ve met,you’re suddenly afraid to look at me?You’ll have plenty of time to stare later.Drink something first before your stomach starts hurting again.” Under the table,my hand clenched tight. In the end,I pushed my phone toward him. On the screen was that answer from the anonymous wall. The smile slowly faded from Ethan’s face. “Six months ago,did Noah give you the wrong account?” Ethan was silent for a while. People moved in and out of the cafe.Someone nearby was talking about a weekend party,and someone else was rushing through a college application essay.Only at our table was the atmosphere somber. After a long time,he finally said,”At first,I really did think you were Ava.” I had already guessed it. But hearing him say it out loud still made me feel humiliated. Ava Whitmore. Student council vice president,cheer captain,daughter of a board member,and the girl everyone at Westbridge Prep thought was the perfect match for Ethan. Six months ago,at the fall dance,she had been standing right beside me. She had been wearing a silver slip dress,beautiful in a cool,untouchable way. I had been wearing a white server’s shirt for my part-time shift,carrying a tray as I walked through them. That day,Noah said a friend of his wanted to know me. Later,Ethan followed me on Instagram. He said he remembered the way I had stood under the lights.He said I looked pretty when I smiled.He said the first time he saw me,he thought I was different from everyone else. So he had mistaken me for someone else from the very beginning. I put the note I had prepared in front of him.Ava’s Instagram was written on it. “This is her contact.You don’t have to keep settling for me just because your friend gave you the wrong account.” “If she’s the person you wanted to know,you can go know her now.” Ethan frowned. “Lily,I never said I was settling.” I looked at him. “I don’t want to be the idiot pretending she doesn’t know anything.” His expression turned a little ugly. “That answer was just something I wrote casually.I didn’t think you’d see it.” “So if I hadn’t seen it,were you planning to keep pretending nothing happened and keep dating me?” Ethan said nothing. His silence gave me my answer. For the past six months,I had really thought I had something good. During the six months we dated online,every planned video call fell apart because something always came up.That was why he didn’t realize I wasn’t the girl he wanted until we finally met in person. But he would order food for me before my late shifts,stay on the phone while I revised my college application essays,and remember which days I had exams and which nights I worked until closing. I had thought all of that was love. Now I realized maybe he had only kept going because he found out he had the wrong person and did not know how to end it. “Don’t worry.” I picked up my bag and stood. “I won’t tell anyone we talked for six months,and I won’t let Ava know you mistook me for her at first.” “When we see each other at school,we’ll just be regular classmates.” Ethan looked up at me,his expression complicated. “You really don’t have to do this.” “I do.” I cut him off. I did not want to be the mistake in anyone’s story. And I did not want this to be dug up later and twisted into me stealing Ava’s boyfriend. Ethan was silent for a long time before he said quietly,”As compensation,I can promise you one thing,as long as it’s something I can do.” He looked serious. As if he would not feel at ease unless I agreed. I did not want anything from him.But I did not want to keep arguing with him either,so I nodded. Only then did he seem to let out a breath. “Drink something first.This hot chocolate’s gone cold.I’ll buy you another one.” I glanced at the hot chocolate on the table. Then I picked up my bag and turned to leave. “No thanks.I have class this afternoon.”

When I got back to class that afternoon,Mia could tell something was wrong with one look. She dragged her chair closer and asked in a low voice,”Weren’t you meeting your online boyfriend?” “Why do you look like that?” For my meeting with Ethan yesterday,I had changed into a dress and even swapped my evening shift at the cafe with someone else. In the end,it had only been a wrong-person mess. I spread my textbook open and pretended to look for a pen. “It’s nothing.We met offline and realized it wasn’t a fit.” Mia frowned. “Was he ugly?” “No.” “Then his personality sucked?” I paused. “Something like that.” She was about to keep asking when someone in the front row suddenly shouted excitedly. “Check the anonymous wall!Ethan and Ava got photographed!” The classroom instantly came alive. I lowered my head,but I still could not stop myself from opening my phone. In the photo,Ethan stood by the parking lot with a cup of coffee in his hand,and Ava stood in front of him,smiling as she took it. The comments were full of people screaming over them. “Finally together?” “The perfect Westbridge couple.” “I knew they would end up together.No one else is good enough.” I stared at the last comment and suddenly found it funny.They were right.Someone like Ethan should have chosen Ava. Not me. Before school ended,Ava came over to my desk. She was wearing a white knit top today,her hair loosely tied back,looking pretty and harmless. “Lily,right?” I nodded. “Ethan said you helped us.”She put a gift bag on my desk.”Just a little thank-you.” I glanced at the logo on the bag.It was a brand I usually did not even dare to look at for too long when I passed by. “No,it’s okay.” “Take it.”Ava smiled.”If you hadn’t given him my account,we might never have had the chance to get to know each other.” She did not speak loudly,but everyone around us heard. Some people looked over with envy. Someone whispered that Ava was so generous,giving a gift just because I had passed along an account. I pushed the gift bag back.”Really,I don’t need it.” Ava’s smile faded a little. “Do you not like me?” As soon as she said that,the people nearby went quiet. I could only take the bag back. “Thank you.” Only then did Ava smile with satisfaction.”Good.By the way,are you close with Ethan?” My heart tightened. “No.I just know Noah.That day,he asked me for your account,so I helped pass it to Ethan.” Ava stared at me for a while,as if she was trying to decide whether I was telling the truth.At last,she smiled. “So that’s what happened.” As soon as she left,Mia leaned in. “Since when do you know Noah Brooks?” “The fall dance.I was working there.”I stuffed the gift bag into my backpack.”We only said a few words.We’re not close.” Mia clicked her tongue. “Your luck is insane.Your own online relationship failed,and you still somehow set up Ethan and Ava.” I pulled at the corner of my mouth. “If I were really lucky,my online relationship wouldn’t have failed.”

The next day after school,it suddenly started raining outside. I had not brought an umbrella,so I could only stand at the entrance of the academic building and wait for the rain to let up. That was when Ava came over,naturally linking her arm through mine. “It’s pouring.How are you getting home?Ethan’s coming to pick me up.We’ll drop you off.” I was just about to refuse when a black SUV stopped at the steps. The window rolled down,and Ethan looked at me.”Get in.This rain isn’t stopping anytime soon.” With both of them saying it,refusing again would only make me look deliberate. But when I was about to get in,Ethan suddenly opened the front passenger door for me. “Don’t you get carsick in the back?” My hand froze on the rear door handle,and Ava looked at me too. The truth was,I did not get carsick.I had once thrown up on the school bus because I had been exhausted from work and had not eaten breakfast. Later,when Ethan asked about it,I casually said I had felt sick in the car.I had not expected him to remember it for so long. I smiled.”You remembered wrong.I don’t get carsick.” Ethan paused,then quickly corrected himself. “I was asking Ava.” Ava’s expression eased a little. She got into the passenger seat,and I sat in the back,looking out the window the whole way. Rain slid down the glass,and Ava looked at me through the rearview mirror several times. “Lily,didn’t you have an online boyfriend before too?” My fingers tightened. Mia really could not keep anything to herself. “Yeah.” “You broke up?” “We met in person.It wasn’t right.” Ava gave a soft laugh.”That’s how online relationships are,I guess.Behind a screen,anyone can pretend to be devoted.” I did not answer,and Ethan did not say anything either. When the car stopped near my house,I almost immediately opened the door. “Thanks.I’ll go now.” That night,after I showered,a message from an unfamiliar number popped up on my phone. It was Ethan. “Stay away from Ava at school from now on.She’s smart.She’ll notice things she shouldn’t.” I stared at the line,and my chest suddenly felt blocked. Just a few days ago,he had still been my boyfriend.Now,after seeing me in person,he could only remind me not to make his girlfriend suspicious. I replied:”To keep her from misunderstanding,we shouldn’t contact each other anymore.” After sending it,I blocked that number too. When I went to school the next day,my eyes were a little swollen.Mia handed me a bottle of ice water. “You didn’t actually cry all night over that internet guy,did you?” “No.”I unscrewed the cap.”I just didn’t sleep well.” She was about to say something else when Ava happened to walk by.I did not know how much she heard.I only saw her steps pause for a second. After the last morning class,my advisor asked me to bring some documents to the reception room.She said a board member’s son was there to discuss sponsorship for the spring charity dance. I walked in with the files in my arms,and as soon as I opened the door,I saw Noah Brooks sitting inside. When he looked up and saw me,his eyes lit up. “Lily?We meet again.”

The last time I had seen Noah was at the fall dance. That day,he had worn a black suit and smiled like he owned the room,standing by the drink station as he asked for my contact. He said a friend of his wanted to know me,and I thought that friend was Ethan. Thinking about it now,everything had started with that sentence. Noah stood from his chair and held out his hand. “I told you we were meant to run into each other.” The teacher beside us looked at me,then at him. “You two know each other?” “We’ve met once.”I set the documents on the table.”We’re not close.” Noah looked wounded. “That’s cold.” I ignored him. Once the teacher stepped out to answer a call,Noah immediately leaned closer. “I heard about you and Ethan.” My heart sank. “What did you hear?” “He said I gave him the wrong account that day,so he mistook you for someone else.”Noah frowned.”But I never gave him the wrong account.” I froze. “What do you mean?” Noah looked at me. “At the fall dance,the person I wanted to know was you.” “I saved your account on my phone so I could add you later.Then I went to the bathroom for a few minutes,and he took my phone and added you himself.” For a moment,I could not speak. The more Noah talked,the angrier he got. “By the time I found out,the two of you were already together.I asked him what the hell happened,and he said he thought you were Ava.Like I’d believe that.” So Noah had not given him the wrong account.Ethan had been lying from the start. He had taken my account,then later pushed the entire mistake onto one sentence:his friend had given him the wrong account. I was about to speak when a voice suddenly came from the door. “Noah.” Ethan stood there,his face cold.”What are you doing here?” Noah leaned back in his chair,smiling in that obnoxious way of his. “Talking sponsorship.Catching up with Lily.Is that a problem?” Ethan looked at me,his voice clearly holding back anger. “Since when are you two so close?” Before I could answer,Noah cut in first. “Earlier than you think.Closer than you want.” Ethan’s face darkened. “Lily,stay away from him.” That sentence was directed at me. I suddenly almost wanted to laugh. “What right do you have to tell me what to do?” Ethan stopped. “I’m only warning you.Noah doesn’t take relationships seriously.” The smile on Noah’s face faded too. “And you do?You’re so serious you have a girlfriend and still run around telling another girl who she can talk to.” The air froze. Footsteps sounded outside the door,and Ava walked over with a folder in her arms,just in time to see the three of us standing together. Her gaze landed on Noah first,then shifted to me. “Lily,I didn’t realize you and Noah were this close.” I explained,”We’ve only met a few times.I’m just here to deliver documents today.” Noah grinned.”I’m still working on it.Maybe someday I’ll be her boyfriend.” Ethan shot him a cold look.”Nobody asked about later.” Ava’s smile became a little strained.She linked her arm through Ethan’s. “Let’s go.” Ethan made a sound of agreement.Before leaving,he looked at me again. There was something complicated in his eyes that made me uncomfortable. I lowered my head and sorted the documents,pretending not to see it.

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Because Selena Gray,the female student sponsored by Don Matteo Moretti,wanted to see a porcupine,Matteo had someone fire seven hundred crossbow bolts at our son,turning him into a living target. I was forced to stare at the surveillance feed,watching black fletching pierce Nico’s throat,watching every plea spill out of him with blood. I screamed in despair,”Even if you don’t love me.But Nico is your blood.He is the Moretti heir.How can you be this cruel?” Matteo sneered.”Who told him to score a perfect seven hundred on the heir assessment and show off in front of Selena?Selena wanted to see a porcupine.These seven hundred bolts are his lesson.” He slapped me across the face.”She cried all night.So I want you to feel pain too.” Looking at Nico,barely alive on the monitor,he loosened the ropes holding me down and told me the address of the training island. Before he left,he bent close and whispered viciously,”The speedboat’s out of fuel.Run fast.Maybe you’ll still get to see a living porcupine.” … When I found Nico,blood was seeping from his neck.A thick black bolt had gone through his left eye and pinned him deep into the dirt. His eighteen-year-old body was covered in seven hundred crossbow bolts.Blood kept flowing out of him. I dropped to my knees,but I did not even dare to lift him.”Nico!” “It’s all Mom’s fault…” His remaining right eye opened with great effort,just a slit,and he still tried to smile at me. “Mom,don’t cry…You’re here.Nico isn’t scared.” My shaking hand touched his face.”Don’t be scared.Mom is taking you to the hospital right now.” I gathered him up as carefully as I could and rushed toward the dock.But just as I was about to board,the guards stopped me. “Moretti private boat.No outsiders.” I hurried to explain. “I’m the Donna of the Moretti family.The one in my arms is Moretti family heir,Nico.I came here on this same boat today.You’ve seen me.” “You’ve got some nerve,pretending to be our Donna.I saw the Don and his Donna today,and they looked very much in love.Do you have any idea what happens to people who pull a stunt like this?” The guard scoffed.”And the heir passed his assessment.He went to Europe to celebrate.Why would he be in a place like this?” Looking at Nico’s weakening face,I hurriedly tore off my necklace and showed him the family photo inside the pendant. “I really am the Donna of the Moretti family.” When the guard saw the photo,his face filled with anger. “Where did this crazy woman come from?How dare you fake a photo with the Don and the heir?You want to die?” The crowd closed in around me at once. With trembling hands,I opened the pinned contact in my encrypted messenger and started a video call. The screen lit up.Matteo leaned bare-chested against the headboard,a fresh lipstick mark stamped on his collarbone,his face filled with pleasure. Beside him,Selena was completely naked,moving up and down on top of him.With a taunting smile,she said,”Mrs.Moretti,calling at a time like this?Did you want to join us and enjoy yourself too?” Matteo let out a mocking laugh and gave Selena’s breast a squeeze.”Her?During sex,she’s like a puppet.No matter how rough it gets,she never makes a sound.Letting her join would only make me sick.” At that,Selena kissed the corner of his mouth smugly.”Then I suppose I’ll have to comfort the Don properly.” “Matteo!” I clenched my teeth and forced down the nausea.”Nico is in critical condition.Let us on the boat now,or he’ll die.” Matteo frowned impatiently.”Are you done yet?Those bolts had their heads removed.They were only glued to him.Did you really have to pour blood all over Nico just to lie to me?” “I’m not lying!”I turned the camera toward Nico.”Look for yourself.The bolt heads went through his body.I’m begging you,all right?As long as Nico can be saved,I’ll sign the divorce papers.I’ll give up the Donna’s position.” Matteo froze for a moment,his gaze falling on Nico’s face. But just as he seemed to waver,Selena suddenly began to cry. “Don,you said this boat was only for me.If she gets on,I’ll feel uncomfortable.” “Besides,Nico is the Moretti family’s genius heir.Making a few fake bolts look like they went through him would be easy for him,wouldn’t it?” The moment she finished,Matteo’s expression changed.He glared at me in disgust. “You two make me sick.Nico Moretti,I’m warning you.If you keep acting with your mother,don’t blame me when I strike you off the succession list.” At those words,Nico’s breathing suddenly quickened,and tears fell hard from his eye. My heart ached,and I wanted to explain,but Matteo only let out a cold laugh. “Still pretending?Fine.I’ll see how far you take this.You want to board the boat,do you?Selena’s boat doesn’t allow other women on it.You know what to do.” He smiled contemptuously,and that smile stabbed through my heart like a needle. Once,he had loved me and Nico. But ever since this sponsored student gave him a taste of something new,he has changed. I stared at Matteo in disbelief.”Nico is your son!For that woman,you won’t even care about your own blood?” Matteo looked at me coldly.”If you don’t dare keep acting,kneel and apologize to Selena.Then stay on the island and accept family punishment.In three days,I’ll send someone to pick you up.” At that,I gave a bitter smile. The boat in front of me was the last one leaving the training island today. It was also Nico’s last chance to live. Looking at Nico’s deathly pale face and his faint breath,every last bit of self-esteem inside me was crushed. Then,under Matteo’s gaze,I yanked the folding knife from my keychain. The blade cut across my face without hesitation.The instant the pain hit,warm blood welled out. I stared hard at the screen.”Now,can I get on the boat?”

Matteo leaned closer to the camera in shock.”Elena,are you insane?” The next second,Selena immediately hugged him,her voice trembling. “Don,is she threatening me?I’m so scared.” Matteo seemed to jerk the camera back as if burned.His eyes went cold,and he ordered the guards, “I want to see how long they can keep acting.Let them on.” Then he turned and comforted Selena in a low voice.”If the boat is dirty,we won’t keep it.I have someone order you a new one from Italy.” Pain stabbed through my heart,but I had no time to care.I carried Nico onto the boat. After we reached shore,the family ambulance I had called took Nico and me straight to the Moretti family hospital,and he was rushed into surgery that night. While I waited for Nico to come out,one of the nurses forced me to have my wound treated.I had just finished when the doctor came out of the operating room. I rushed forward.”Doctor,how is Nico?” “The heir has suffered severe blood loss,but the family blood bank still has reserves.Donna,you and the nurse need to get the Rh-null blood bags immediately.” I nodded and ran with the nurse. But just as we were about to get the blood,several bodyguards rushed in.Without a word,they pinned me to the floor and covered my mouth. Before I could react,a familiar figure walked over and took the blood bags in front of me. I struggled to lift my head and saw Matteo barking at the nurse. “Send all Rh-null blood to the VIP ward on the third floor right now.If anything happens to Selena,every one of you is out of the Moretti medical system.” Matteo did not notice me on the floor at all.He walked away quickly. The nurses’whispers cut into my ears.”It’s just a scrape on her leg.Does she really need all the life-saving blood?” I fought free of the bodyguards and caught up to Matteo on the third floor,grabbing his arm. “Matteo!Nico has lost too much blood.He needs Rh-null.” When he saw it was me,disgust creased his brow. “Elena,I just care a little more for the student I sponsor,and you get jealous.But now you’re lying that the heir is dying?What next,will you bring me a corpse and force me to admit I was wrong?” “And if you hadn’t faked that bloody scene just to get on the boat,Selena wouldn’t have been so upset that she fell down the stairs and hurt her leg.” “All the blood here is being kept for Selena.If you dare touch it,I will make you regret it.” He pried my hand off and turned to leave,but those blood bags were Nico’s hope of survival. I dropped to my knees and clung to Matteo’s leg.”Please.I only need two bags of Rh-null.” Just then,Selena appeared. “If the Donna wants blood…it’s not impossible.” She leaned against the ward door,smiling with amusement,looking nothing like a patient who needed a transfusion. Matteo kicked me aside and hurried to support her.”She just wants attention.You don’t need to pay her any mind.” Selena coyly tapped Matteo’s chest,then lifted an eyebrow. “I just want to see how far the Donna will go for this little performance.” After she said that,her gaze on me turned dark and unreadable. “Don,I want you inside me.” “But my leg is hurt,and I can’t move very well.Can the Donna stay and help?” “If she could do me a favour,perhaps I could do her one in return.” In an instant,I understood what she meant. I stood up and clenched my fists,ready to hit her,but Matteo stepped in front of me.”What,Elena?Done acting now?” “I’m not acting!” I cried hoarsely,”Matteo,Nico has already been taken into surgery.” “You are the Don of the Moretti family.One word from you,and you can find out exactly what happened to Nico.If you don’t believe me,I’ll take you to see him right now.” I grabbed his hand to lead him away,but Matteo shoved me off. Then he slapped me hard across the face.”Enough.” “If you can’t keep acting,kneel and apologize.Otherwise,do as Selena said.” He took Selena inside.Soon,low gasps and the dull thud of the bed frame hitting the wall came from the ward. Just then,the nurse rushed over anxiously.”The other blood banks won’t make it in time.Donna,please think of something.The heir won’t last much longer.” In that instant,all the anger drained out of me. I walked into the ward. Clenching my teeth,I went to the bedside.Under Selena’s smug gaze,I held her waist,pressed down her weakened legs,and helped her match Matteo’s movements. By the time they finally finished and came out,everyone was looking at me with pity. I ignored every strange look and took the blood bags to save Nico. The moment I reached the stairs,Matteo rushed out. It was as if my obedience had suddenly stung his pride.His eyes were full of embarrassed rage. “For the sake of acting,you can even do something like that?” Before the words had fully left his mouth,he kicked me down the stairs. I tumbled all the way down.Bones cracked again and again,and blood spilled across the floor. Matteo looked down at me coldly. “Useless thing.”

After saying that,he walked up to me and,while my vision was going black,snatched the blood bags from my hands. Then he tore off the seal and slammed the blood bag onto the floor. “For a performance,you’d even sell the Donna’s dignity.Elena,how was I ever blind enough to marry a woman like you?” “Get out.” Enduring the pain,I picked up the blood bags. Selena gave a soft laugh.”Don,look.Doesn’t she look like a dying dog?” I seemed not to hear their mockery.With my hand pressed tightly over the puncture in the bag,I tried to stand and leave,but my body had gone numb. In the end,I crawled out of the ward,leaving streaks of blood behind me,and pushed the remaining blood bags into the family doctor’s hands. “Please.You have to save Nico.” After a long time,the operating room light went out.The doctor looked exhausted,but relieved. “The heir has been brought back.He’s very weak.Tonight is critical.” “Don’t worry,Donna.We will do everything we can.” I caught sight of the medical waste bin inside the operating room.It was piled high with crossbow bolts,blood-soaked cotton swabs,and syringes.My heart felt as if it had been carved open. But at least he was alive. I wept with joy,thanked them again and again,and stayed beside Nico after he was transferred to the ward. His face was pale.His breathing was weak,but steady. The taut string inside me loosened slightly.I went with the doctor to have my injuries treated. When I wheeled myself back to the ward alone,I saw Selena standing by Nico’s bed with a group of people. I stared at Selena nervously,trying to get closer,but the bodyguards stopped me. “Selena?What are you doing?” Selena turned to look at me,an innocent smile on her face. “I got close to the Don for the Moretti family’s power.He even got me pregnant with Moretti blood,but because of this little bastard,he still hasn’t kicked you out of the Donna’s position.” “I wanted to put on a little show so the Don wouldn’t suspect me when this bastard died.But who knew he would actually be saved?” The news of Selena’s pregnancy did not stir anything in me.I begged hoarsely. “When Nico is discharged,I’ll divorce him immediately.I’ll take Nico and leave.We’ll never disturb you again.” Selena said nothing.She simply took out a glass bottle,opened the cap,and shook it lightly. A single drop fell onto the bed.With a hiss,acrid white smoke rose,and the bedding was instantly corroded. It was the industrial corrosive used in dockside warehouses to destroy evidence. My eyes nearly split with rage.I lunged forward,and the wheelchair was violently overturned. I crashed to the floor and crawled toward the bed with both hands and feet. “No!Selena!Let him go.He just survived.I’ll take him away right now.” Selena made a gesture,and the bodyguards’fists and feet rained down on me. Her gentle voice drifted over.”But it’s all right.Now…he’ll just rot into a lump no one can recognize.” Through the shifting shadows of legs,I watched with my own eyes as Selena tipped the bottle in her hand.The liquid poured over Nico’s cheek,neck,and chest. Nico let out one hoarse scream,then fell silent. In moments,only a ruined,rotting shell remained on the bed,so mangled it no longer looked human. Flesh had collapsed,and acrid smoke curled upward.

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I come back from a phone call, and my boyfriend is speaking French to my best friend again. I step up beside him. Try to catch a word. Before I can open my mouth, Landon raises a hand without turning around. “Don’t interrupt. Sienna and I are discussing something important.” “If you need something, just wait.” The fight drains out of me. Sienna is trilingual—French, English, German. She loves pulling people into “language practice” sessions. Landon is worse. English, French, German, Russian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Italian—he’s fluent in all of them. When the two of them get going, they never run out of things to say. They just never say it in the one language I understand. I used to fight it. I used to say, “Hey, can you guys switch to English? I’m right here.” Two days in, nothing changed. Now I watch them walk ahead, so wrapped up in each other they don’t even notice I’ve stopped moving. Something in me just—goes quiet. I don’t follow them. Instead, I find an outdoor café outside the Disneyland park and sit down by myself. I don’t like coffee. Never have. The bitterness reminds me of everything I tried to leave behind—cold mornings, empty cupboards, a childhood where nothing came easy. But Landon and Sienna love it. They grew up rich—boarding schools, private jets, summers in Europe. The kind of people who debate single-origin beans like it matters. So when I’m with them, I sit and listen. I listen to them talk about the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the trip they took when they were eight. The Northern Lights in Iceland when they were ten. The family vacation in Santorini just last month. I dump sugar and cream into my cup until the coffee barely tastes like coffee anymore. Good thing they’re not here. They’d laugh at me again. So childish. So unsophisticated. So basic. My phone buzzes. Landon. [Where are you?] Before I can reply, a second text pops up. [Sienna and I have been to Disneyland literally hundreds of times. We’re way past over it.] [I gave up my day off to bring you here. Can you not wander off? I’m already annoyed and now I have to come find you.] I stare at the screen for a long time. He’s forgotten. This isn’t even our first time here together. Last time, he said the exact same thing—I’ve been a million times, I’m only here for you. And how did that turn out? I’d waited in line for over an hour to get a Lotso plush. Nothing fancy—just a classic Lotso. I was so excited I almost cried. But Sienna spotted a limited-edition Duffy bear, and Landon swapped mine out without even asking. “Sienna’s picky. She never likes anything—this is the first time she’s actually wanted something.” He didn’t even look at me. “We’ll come back for yours next time.” The only reason they agreed to come again was because of that “next time” he promised. I should be used to it by now. Sienna is his childhood best friend. She’s also my college roommate. My so-called closest girl friend. She’s the one who set us up. So—birthdays, Valentine’s Day, anniversaries, even a couples’ movie night—there’s always a seat saved for her. I’m not supposed to mind. Not even a little. Because if I do, it means I’m betraying our “golden trio.” I take a breath. Type back: Go ahead without me. Something came up. Heading home. I leave the coffee on the table. Two sips. That’s all I managed. No matter how much sugar and cream I add, it never quite tastes right.

I get home and collapse on the bed. Fall asleep without meaning to. I don’t know how long I’m out before the bedroom door opens. The mattress dips. Landon leans over me, wraps his arms around my waist, presses a kiss to my forehead. “So this is what you meant by ‘something came up’?” he murmurs. “You’re busy being asleep?” I open my eyes. Push him off. Sit up, stiff, staring at nothing. Silence. After a while, he sighs and pulls me back into his arms. “I’m sorry, baby.” “I know I got caught up talking to Sienna today. I ignored you. My tone was shit. I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.” He tilts my chin up. “You haven’t eaten, right? Let me cook. I’ll make it up to you—the candlelight dinner I owe you. How about that?” The candlelight dinner he owes me. Right. Last time, he promised me a private dinner—just the two of us. I spent the whole afternoon cooking. Comfort food. Pot roast, cornbread, peach cobbler. Everything from scratch. Then Sienna showed up uninvited. And had an allergic reaction. Landon lost it on me. “Maren, you didn’t know Sienna’s allergic to fennel?” “What kind of friend are you?” I stood there, eyes burning, throat tight. “I didn’t know. Neither of you ever told me.” He scoffed. “Bullshit. Sienna and I literally talked about it on the Aspen trip. You were sitting right there. Don’t tell me you didn’t hear.” The words died in my throat. And then something between a laugh and a sob almost escaped. “Yeah,” I said. “I heard. But you were speaking French. And I don’t speak French.” Landon stared at me for a second. Then, without missing a beat: “So? You don’t understand—and that’s our fault?” Right. Whose fault is it? Mine, for growing up poor. For not learning languages. For not even recognizing the European cities they namedrop like grocery stores. While they were skiing in the Swiss Alps, I was hauling firewood up a hill and got bitten by a copperhead so bad my foot swelled to twice its size. While they were watching the Northern Lights in Iceland, I was up before dawn, walking a dirt road in the dark to catch the school bus—because if I missed it, there wasn’t another one. My world—they’ll never get it. Their world—I can’t even follow the conversation. When two worlds collide, one always has to shrink. And it was always mine. Landon leads me to the couch, sits me down, and heads for the kitchen. The doorbell rings. Sienna breezes in, arms full of grocery bags. “Landon, you ass! You said you were cooking dinner for me tonight!” “I bought everything!” She holds up the bags like trophies. “Lobster, abalone, and scallops—my favorite!” I look at the bags. Lobster. Abalone. Scallops. I almost laugh. So the dinner was for Sienna. And they both forgot—I’m allergic to shellfish. A table full of food. I don’t touch a single bite. Landon notices me sitting there, knife untouched, and his jaw tightens. “What’s your problem?” “Sienna went out of her way to buy all this. I’ve been in the kitchen for an hour. You’re not eating? Are you seriously throwing a tantrum right now?” Sienna claps a hand over her mouth. “Oh my God, Maren—I totally forgot. You’re allergic to shellfish. I’m so sorry.” Dead silence. For a long time, no one speaks. Then Landon clears his throat, stiff, and changes the subject. “My parents have some time next week. They want to meet with you.” “We should lock down the wedding plans.” Sienna’s eyes light up. She clasps her hands together. “Oh! The restaurant—Landon actually asked me to book it. I picked this amazing place, and there’s a movie theater right next door. After dinner with your parents, we could all go see a—” I take a breath. “No need.” I cut her off. “I’m busy next week. Work trip.” I raise my head. Two sets of startled eyes stare back at me. And for the first time in a long time, half the weight just lifts. “The wedding can wait.”

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Six years of long-distance. I finally waited for his job transfer. I was packing his things, my heart full of joy, ready to marry him the moment this long-distance nightmare ended. But then, I overheard his boss asking him, “Are you seriously changing your transfer location to Seattle? That’s over two thousand miles away from your fiancée, Luna.” “You’ve already kept her waiting for six years. Aren’t you afraid she’ll leave you if you make her wait longer?” Ethan’s face didn’t even flicker. “She waited for six years. Three more won’t hurt.” “Chloe is running her first independent project. I’m her mentor, and I don’t want her struggling alone. Going to Seattle is the perfect way to support her.” Chloe Bennett. The “clumsy intern” Ethan always talked about. It turned out he could uproot his entire life and relocate across the country just for an intern. Yet, during our six years apart, he told me every single year that getting a transfer was too difficult, begging me to just wait a little longer. I waited. From twenty-two to thirty. I wasted my prime years, becoming the “leftover woman” in everyone else’s mouths. And in the end, for another woman, Ethan was willing to fly thousands of miles to Seattle, dismissively telling me to wait another three years. I let out a self-deprecating laugh and texted my best friend, Sienna, on Snapchat: You won. I’m coming back to New York to get married. Ethan had no idea that before I came here, Sienna and I made a bet. She bet that Ethan would break his promise again. I bet that he would keep his word, end the long distance, and marry me. I lost. I accept my defeat. Ethan, I’m done waiting for you.

The lounge was loud and lively. Today was Ethan’s last day at the firm, and his colleagues were throwing him a massive farewell party. “Congrats on the promotion, Ethan! Finally reuniting with your gorgeous fiancée!” “Remember when Ethan said he’d marry Luna the second he got back to New York? Well, she’s standing right here. When is the proposal, man?” “I literally saw Ethan at Tiffany’s today. He definitely bought a ring!” The cheering and teasing grew louder. Ethan pulled a diamond ring box from his pocket and walked straight toward me. But he didn’t stop. He walked right past me and stopped in front of Chloe. “I ruined your necklace the other day. Here’s your replacement,” he said softly. The room fell dead silent. Chloe gasped, covering her mouth, her eyes shining with shock and tearful gratitude. “Ethan… this is way too expensive. I can’t accept this.” Ethan gently patted her head, his eyes filled with tenderness. “Take it. You deserve it.” Then, he turned to me, offering a casual, dismissive explanation. “Don’t overthink it. It’s just a replacement gift.” “As for the wedding, let’s wait a bit. I have to go to the Seattle branch for three years. I’ll marry you when I get back.” The music in the lounge seemed to freeze. The people who were just cheering shut their mouths instantly, casting awkward, cautious glances at me. Everyone expected me to throw a fit. Instead, I just curled my lips into a polite smile. “It’s fine. Career comes first.” Ethan froze, clearly not expecting this reaction from me. The silence was deafening. Someone quickly tried to break the ice. “Yeah, exactly! It’s all corporate’s decision. Ethan had no choice. Luna, don’t take it personally.” “If he had a choice, Ethan would be dying to stay in New York and marry you right now!” I wanted to laugh. It was pathetic. Did he really have no choice? Or did he just not want to choose me? A couple of female colleagues whispered in the corner: “But the HR memo said Ethan’s original transfer was to New York. He was the one who requested Seattle.” “Going to New York was a promotion. Seattle is practically a demotion. He gave up a promotion just to go to Seattle. This isn’t about work. It’s about a girl.” “If he really wanted to marry her, why make her wait six years? You’re telling me he didn’t have a single chance to transfer in six years?” A sharp, bitter ache swelled in my chest. Even random outsiders could see through his lies. Ethan’s promises were nothing but empty checks, and I was the fool who cashed them for six years. Chloe walked up to me, biting her lip innocently. “Luna, please don’t be mad at Ethan. He’s just really caring toward his team. The ring doesn’t mean anything. Please don’t overthink it.” Ethan. What a sweet, intimate nickname. Clearly, their relationship had progressed far beyond my knowledge. Before I could speak, Ethan stepped in, shielding Chloe behind his back. “It’s just a ring, Luna. Don’t bully her.” “If you want one, I’ll buy you another one later.” His tone was gentle, but his eyes held a cold, warning glare. I touched my bare ring finger, took a step back, and smiled. “No need. Someone already bought me one.”

Ethan looked at me, exasperated. “Alright, Luna. You’re not twenty anymore. Stop acting so childish.” He thought I was just throwing a tantrum. His colleagues quickly chimed in. “Come on, everyone knows Luna only has eyes for Ethan. She waited six years for him. How could she possibly accept a ring from anyone else?” Ethan clearly shared the same smug confidence. He threw me a cold glance. “It’s just three more years. I never said I wouldn’t marry you. Stop making a scene.” With that, he took Chloe’s hand and gathered everyone around for a game of Truth or Dare. Ethan drew a “Dare.” Chloe’s cheeks flushed pink. “Can I ask for anything?” Ethan’s smile was incredibly indulgent. “Whatever you want, Chloe.” Chloe gathered her courage. “Then… I want Ethan to grant me three wishes.” The crowd cheered, making wild guesses about what those wishes would be. Everyone’s attention was on Chloe. I sat alone in the dim corner of the lounge, feeling like an unwanted third wheel. I didn’t say a word. I stood up, slipped out the door, and walked into the cold night. Ethan didn’t know that I actually did have a massive ten-carat diamond ring sitting in my purse. Before today, I was hesitating on how to return it to the sender. Now, it seemed I didn’t need to hesitate anymore. When I got back to Ethan’s apartment, I realized I didn’t have the keys. During our six years of long distance, I visited him once a month. But Ethan never gave me a spare key. Every time, his excuse was: “You’re too forgetful. Giving you a key is useless.” But my memory was flawless. I had never lost a key in my life. On the contrary, it was Chloe—the girl he always described as “clumsy and scatterbrained”—who was constantly losing things. Standing in the hallway, I called Ethan three times. None went through. I waited until midnight. There was still no sign of him. I pulled out my phone and saw Chloe’s Instagram story had just updated. “Wish number one: stargazing with the best guy in the world. Checked! ” The photo showed her and Ethan, sitting side by side under a starry sky, their backs to the camera. I had been waiting outside his door for three hours, dialing his number repeatedly, while he was out making her wishes come true. I laughed at my own stupidity and turned to leave. Just as I reached the elevator, it opened. Ethan was holding Chloe’s hand. Seeing me, Ethan seemed to finally remember my existence. “Oh, sorry. I forgot to leave you the key.” Before he could finish, Chloe reached into her purse, pulled out a key, and unlocked the door with practiced ease. As the door opened, a pair of pink bunny slippers sat neatly by the entrance. Slippers I had never seen before. I looked inside. There was a pink silk bathrobe draped over the sofa. Female lingerie hung on the balcony to dry. A cute couple’s mug sat on the coffee table next to Ethan’s matching one. Noticing my gaze, Ethan cleared his throat. “Chloe just graduated and got scammed by a terrible landlord. She had nowhere to go, so I let her crash here temporarily.” Temporarily? Does “temporarily” mean three whole months? No wonder Ethan had been refusing my FaceTime calls for the past three months, using every excuse under the sun to keep me from visiting. He had a roommate. I remained calm, looking toward the master bedroom, which was now clearly occupied by Chloe’s belongings. I looked at Ethan. “Then where do I sleep?” Ethan seemed to just realize this dilemma. He fell silent. Chloe immediately bit her lip, tears welling up. “I’m so sorry, Ethan. I shouldn’t have stayed here. Now that Luna is back, I’ll pack my bags and leave right now. I don’t want to cause trouble.” She turned to pack her things. Outside, a heavy storm was raging. Ethan’s eyes filled with pity. “Luna, you’re only staying for a couple of days anyway. Let Chloe keep the room. You can sleep on the couch.” Looking at his blatant favoritism, a sudden wave of stubbornness washed over me. “What if I say no?” I stared at Ethan, hoping—just hoping—that some part of him still cared that I was his fiancée. This was his absolute last chance. But Ethan only frowned, his voice dripping with annoyance. “Are you really going to be this petty? It’s just a room. Fine, I’ll book you a hotel room outside.” I let out a quiet laugh. The very last shred of hope and attachment in my heart crumbled into dust. I took a step back and shook my head. “No need.” “Ethan, let’s break up.”

Ethan’s hand shook violently, but his eyes quickly turned icy. “Are you done throwing a fit?” “Just because my transfer got changed to Seattle, you’ve been giving me attitude since this afternoon. You skipped my farewell dinner, and now you’re pulling this stunt. Don’t you find this embarrassing?” My nails dug deep into my palms. “You think I’m just making a scene?” Ethan sneered. “Aren’t you? All this drama just to force me to marry you.” “I told you to wait three years. You can’t even do that? Are you seriously that desperate to get married?” So, that was how he saw me. I laughed bitterly. “Yes, I am desperate. If you won’t marry me, plenty of men will.” Ethan looked at me like I had lost my mind. “Luna, you’re thirty. Who else is going to marry you if you walk out that door?” “Do you still think you’re some twenty-year-old girl? Nobody is going to tolerate your toxic tantrums!” “If you don’t want to sleep on the couch, get the hell out!” The rain outside was torrential. Stepping out meant getting completely soaked. But I didn’t hesitate. I turned around and walked out. The heavy thud of the door slamming shut echoed behind me. I didn’t stop. I walked straight into the freezing rain. It was the middle of summer, but my heart felt like it was trapped in a block of ice. I dragged myself to a nearby boutique hotel, checked in, and stripped out of my wet clothes. The moment I did, all my strength vanished, and I collapsed onto the floor, burning up. Through a hazy fever dream, I felt a pair of warm arms lifting me onto the bed. A cool fever patch was pressed onto my forehead. I opened my eyes. Ethan was standing over me, taking my temperature. “102 degrees. If I had come any later, you could have died here and nobody would have known.” He handed me some pills and a glass of water. I swallowed them blindly, my throat raw and hoarse. “How did you find me?” “This is the only decent hotel in this block.” “Luna, running away and getting yourself sick… why do you always have to be so difficult?” His tone was soft, almost returning to how he used to treat me, as if nothing had happened. In the past, whenever we fought, he would always use this clumsy, practical way to offer an olive branch. But this time, I wasn’t going to take it. I looked at him. “Didn’t you tell me to get out?” Ethan choked on his words, then let out a deep sigh. “I was wrong. I shouldn’t have said those things.” “But you didn’t have to target Chloe. She’s just a kid.” I scoffed, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “A ‘kid’ who happily lives in a grown man’s apartment for three months?” Ethan’s face hardened instantly. The doorbell rang, cutting off the suffocating silence. Ethan went to the door and brought back a bag of takeout. “You have a fever. Eat something light. I got you some warm soup.” As he set the food down, his eyes fell on my wrist. “You’re still wearing that bracelet?” It was a vintage emerald bracelet. Ethan’s mother, Eleanor Vance, had given it to me the very first time I met his family. She told me it was a Vance family heirloom reserved for her future daughter-in-law. “Chloe saw you wearing it yesterday. She thought it was beautiful and wanted to try it on. Let her borrow it for a couple of days.” I thought Ethan came to this hotel because he cared about me freezing in the rain. It turned out he only came to strip the family heirloom off my wrist for Chloe. A bitter taste filled my mouth. Ethan continued, “I promised to grant her three wishes, remember? This is wish number two.” “It’s just a bracelet. Chloe has a vintage photoshoot tomorrow, and she needs a high-end accessory to complete the look. Just think of it as a loan.” Seeing my silence, Ethan’s patience wore thin. “My mother gave you that. I have every right to—” Before he could finish his threat, I unclasped the bracelet. “Here. Take it.” Ethan froze. My movement was so clean, so effortless, without a single shred of hesitation or care. “You’re… not angry?” he asked, bewildered. I looked up and smiled. “Why would I be angry?” After all, I didn’t plan on keeping anything from the Vance family anyway. A sudden, strange chill swept through Ethan’s chest. He opened his mouth to speak, but his phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen, and his face instantly paled with worry. He grabbed his coat, ready to rush out. I grabbed his sleeve. “Ethan… what medicine did you just give me?” Ethan frowned, annoyed by the delay. “Just standard antibiotics. Penicillin.” My face went completely bloodless. I have a severe penicillin allergy. On the very first day we started dating, I told him. I warned him that even a tiny dose of penicillin could put me in anaphylactic shock and kill me. My skin was already breaking out in angry, itchy red hives. My throat felt like an invisible hand was squeezing it shut, cutting off my air. I clawed at his coat, gasping for breath. “I’m… allergic. Hospital. Now.” But Ethan violently shook my hand off. “Luna, enough! Chloe is alone at home and had an emergency. Can you stop being so incredibly selfish for once?!” He turned and bolted out of the room. I collapsed onto the floor, watching his retreating back disappear through the door, before my world went entirely black…

I don’t know how much time had passed when I finally opened my eyes in a sterile hospital ward. The doctor standing over me looked furious. “You’re finally awake. Did you not know you have a life-threatening penicillin allergy? Your heart literally stopped when they brought you in! You almost died!” I stared at the ceiling, a hollow, bitter smile on my lips. I never thought Ethan would forget my allergy. When we first started dating, he didn’t know about my allergy and accidentally bought me something containing penicillin. When I had a reaction back then, he was terrified. He ran red lights, speeding like a maniac to get me to the ER. He stayed by my bedside all night, his eyes bloodshot with tears. Since that day, he threw out every single medication containing penicillin from his house. Every time he bought me medicine, he checked the label three times. His friends used to tease him, saying that even if I forgot my own name, Ethan would still remember my allergies. But in the end, love fades, and memory goes with it. After finishing my IV drips, I took a cab back to Ethan’s apartment. Since I had decided to walk away, I needed to pack my things. When I entered, I saw Ethan packing a large suitcase, looking ready for a trip. He looked up and explained, “The firm gave me a two-week vacation before my transfer. I’m taking Chloe on a trip. She’s always wanted to see the Southern coast.” Then, he quickly added, “This is Chloe’s third wish. It’s just a game, Luna. Don’t overthink it.” I nodded, my voice completely calm. “Sure. Have a great trip.” Ethan looked stunned by my easy response. His eyes drifted to the medical tape on the back of my hand. “What happened to your hand?” He still hadn’t remembered the allergy. My heart didn’t even hurt anymore. I slipped my hand behind my back. “Nothing. Just picking up some stuff.” Ethan finally noticed how cold I was being. He frowned. “What is wrong with you lately? Are you still throwing a tantrum over Chloe?” “I told you, it’s just a game. Can you stop being so incredibly petty?” I looked around the apartment. It was filled with Chloe’s things. Sometimes, an apartment is just like a relationship—there was no room left for me here, and there was no room left for me in Ethan’s heart. My things had been shoved into the dusty storage closet, just like I had been shoved into the dark corner of his life. “Ethan, let’s…” Before I could finish, Chloe pushed the door open. “Ethan, are you ready? Our Uber is downstairs!” Seeing me, Chloe looked flustered. “Oh, Luna… are you coming with us?” I opened my mouth to say no, but Ethan cut in smoothly. “She’s not coming.” He turned to me, his voice dismissive. “Grab your things and head back. Chloe and I have a flight to catch.” With that, he grabbed Chloe’s suitcase, took her hand, and walked out. I stood alone in the empty living room. The words let’s break up died in my throat. Whatever. He would find out soon enough. I started packing. The anniversary gifts I bought him, the scarf I knitted by hand, his favorite gaming console… every little piece of our eight-year history. I packed them all into cardboard boxes and sold them to a recycling truck downstairs for twenty bucks. Then, I threw every single one of my daily necessities straight into the trash chute. Finally, the most important thing: six years of long-distance. Hundreds of boarding passes and train tickets. I threw them into a metal trash can and lit a match, watching them burn to ashes. The only thing I took was a luxury vintage watch. My father had left it to me, intended for his future son-in-law. Since we were over, I was taking it back. Dragging my lightweight suitcase, I boarded a one-way flight back to New York, leaving this city behind forever. Seven days later. Ethan was on a sunny beach with Chloe when his phone buzzed. He frowned, automatically assuming it was another angry text from me. He unlocked his phone with a sigh of annoyance. But the message was from a college buddy: “Bro, the Mercer Group heir is getting married in three days. You got your invite?” An electronic invitation card was attached. Ethan tapped it open. The moment he saw the names on the card, his eyes widened in sheer shock…

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My wrist was still bleeding, and Ethan Mercer stood over me, his eyes full of disgust. “Are you done throwing your little tantrum? Slitting your wrist just to force me to marry you? Summer, you make me sick.” I lifted my head, wiped the blood and tears from my face, and suddenly laughed. “Fine. The wedding is off.” He froze for a second, then let out a cold, mocking laugh. “Quit playing hard to get. In less than three days, you’ll come crawling back to me like a dog.” I grabbed the door of the VIP lounge, looked back at him, and said, “Remember this, Ethan. From this second on, I am done with you.” Then, I dialed the one number I had never dared to call in my entire life. It rang three times before a deep, cold voice answered. “Who is this?” “Adrian Mercer,” I whispered, gripping my phone as my voice trembled. “I want you to marry me. Now.” Summer’s POV I woke up to the deafening, bone-rattling bass of heavy metal music. My eyes snapped open. I was in a dimly lit VIP booth at a club, and sitting right across from me was Ethan Mercer, casually swirling a glass of whiskey. “Are you done throwing your little tantrum?” Ethan raised his eyes, making no effort to hide his annoyance. “Slitting your wrist just to force me to marry you? Summer, you make me sick.” A sharp, stinging pain flared in my left wrist. I looked down. A messy bandage was wrapped around it, and fresh blood was slowly seeping through. I wasn’t dead. I had actually traveled five years back in time, to the exact day I tried to end my life just to force Ethan to get engaged to me. In my past life, I loved Ethan to the point of madness. For him, I turned my back on my own family, took a blade for him, and even handed over the tech company I built from scratch, all just for a scrap of his attention. And what did I get in return? Ethan took everything I worked for and handed it on a silver platter to his first love, Chloe Vance. When I was framed by Chloe, thrown into a freezing prison, and left to die of a terminal illness, Ethan was busy throwing her the wedding of the century. Before I took my last breath, Ethan had looked at me through the prison glass, his eyes as cold as stone. “Summer, you brought this on yourself. Chloe is sweet enough to make sure you get a proper burial.” That bone-deep, burning hatred was something I could never forget, even in death. “What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue?” Seeing me stare blankly, Ethan sneered. He grabbed a glass of ice water and splashed it straight onto my face. “Clear-headed now? Let me tell you something. Even if you bleed out right here, I will never marry you. My only wife will be Chloe.” Ice-cold water dripped down my cheeks. The freezing sting snapped me completely into reality. I raised my hand, casually wiped the water from my face, and stared at him. My eyes were dead silent. No screaming. No hysterical crying. I stood up and looked down at him. “Fine.” Ethan froze, his brows furrowing. “What did you say?” “I said, fine.” I pulled my lips back into a cold, lifeless smirk. “The wedding is off, Ethan. From now on, you and I are completely done.” Without waiting for his response, I turned and walked away. Just as my hand touched the brass doorknob of the VIP lounge, the voices of Ethan’s rich, toxic friends drifted over from behind me. “Hey, Ethan, what kind of reverse-psychology game is Summer playing now?” Ethan let out a sharp, arrogant laugh. “She’s just bluffing. In less than three days, she’ll crawl back to me like a dog.” My fingers tightened on the handle for a split second. Then, I threw the door open and walked out without looking back. The moment I stepped out of the club, the cold night wind made me shiver. I pulled out my phone and dialed the number I had been too terrified to call in my past life. It rang three times before a deep, icy voice answered. “Who is this?” “Adrian Mercer,” I said, taking a sharp breath and calling him directly by his name. “It’s Summer Sterling. I need to see you. Now.” Adrian Mercer. Ethan’s uncle. The shadow billionaire who truly ruled New York’s underworld and high society. In my past life, I was terrified of him. It wasn’t until after I died that I learned this cold, ruthless man had broken ties with the entire Mercer family just to clear my name after I was jailed. He had died in a suspicious car crash because of me. There was a heavy silence on the other end of the line. “Thirty minutes. Penthouse suite, Grand Hyatt.”

Summer’s POV The penthouse suite of the Grand Hyatt. I pushed the door open, and the rich, heavy scent of expensive Cuban tobacco hit me instantly. Adrian Mercer was sitting on the leather sofa in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, casually holding a glowing cigar between his long fingers. He wore a tailored black dress shirt, the top buttons undone to reveal a sharp, rugged collarbone. His dark, piercing eyes locked onto me, heavy with an overwhelming, suffocating pressure. “Why are you here?” his voice was smooth, devoid of any emotion. I walked over and sat directly across from him, cutting straight to the chase. “I want to marry you.” Adrian’s hand paused. A dangerous, unreadable glint flashed in the depths of his dark eyes. He leaned forward, his towering, dominant presence instantly wrapping around me like a trap. “Summer, do you even know what you’re saying?” He pinched my chin, forcing me to look up into his dark gaze. “You’re using me just to get back at Ethan?” “Yes,” I admitted, staring right back into his eyes without flinching. “Ethan controls the lifeblood of my company, and I’m backed into a corner. In all of New York, you are the only one who can crush him. I need your power, and you…” I paused, my voice growing steady. “You need a shield to stop your family from forcing you into an arranged marriage. We both get what we want.” Adrian stared at me for what felt like an eternity. Then, a low, dark chuckle escaped his lips. The sound was deep, but it carried a chill that made my spine tingle. “Mutual benefit?” He let go of my chin and leaned back into the sofa. “Summer, you think too highly of yourself. Why should I ruin my own nephew for you?” “Because I can help you land the South Side waterfront property,” I threw down my ultimate card. In my past life, that land was Adrian’s biggest obsession. He had planned for three years to get it, only for Ethan to steal it at the last minute through dirty tricks. Adrian’s gaze turned instantly sharp. “Deal.” He crushed his cigar in the ashtray and stood up. “Tomorrow morning at ten. Bring your papers. Meet me at City Hall.” When I walked out of the hotel, my legs were shaking. Negotiating with Adrian Mercer was like playing with fire. But I had no other choice. The next morning, the moment I stepped out of my apartment building, a swarm of paparazzi surrounded me. “Miss Sterling! Is it true you tried to end your life to force Ethan Mercer into marriage last night?” “Miss Sterling, Ethan Mercer has officially declared his love for Chloe Vance. Do you have any comments?” “Miss Sterling, isn’t this desperate chase getting a bit pathetic?” Flashing lights blinded me, cameras shoving into my face. Just past the crowd, a black Maybach sat parked. The window rolled down, revealing Ethan sitting inside. He watched the media tear me apart with a smug, mocking smirk. He wanted to ruin my reputation. He wanted me to realize that without him, Summer Sterling was absolutely nothing. I glared at the reporters, ready to snap, when a sleek, custom Rolls-Royce roared up, parking directly in front of the Maybach and cutting off the crowd. The door swung open, and Adrian Mercer stepped out, looking deadly handsome in a bespoke black suit. The entire street went dead silent. Adrian walked straight over to me, took off his suit jacket, and wrapped it gently around my shoulders, pulling me against his chest. His icy gaze swept over the stunned reporters. His voice wasn’t loud, but it carried the weight of a death threat. “Who gave you permission to lay a finger on Adrian Mercer’s fiancée?”

Summer’s POV “Fiancée?!” A collective gasp rippled through the crowd. The reporters stared at each other, completely frozen, forgetting to even click their shutters. Inside the Maybach, Ethan kicked his door open and marched over, his face twisted in rage. “Adrian! What kind of nonsense is this? Who does Summer think she is to be your fiancée?” Adrian gave him a cold, dismissive glance. “Watch your mouth, Ethan. From now on, you will address her with respect.” Ethan looked like he had been struck by lightning. He glared at me, his teeth clenched so hard I could hear them grinding. “Summer! Just to get back at me, you slept your way to my uncle? You really are a shameless bitch!” SLAP! I swung my hand and slapped Ethan across the face with everything I had. The sharp crack echoed loudly in the quiet morning air. “Ethan, watch your dirty mouth,” I said, my voice empty of any warmth. “Who I marry is none of your business. From now on, stay the hell away from me.” Without waiting, I opened the door of the Rolls-Royce and slid into the leather seat. Adrian shot Ethan one last look, a look filled with deadly warning and absolute contempt. Then, he got in beside me. The Rolls-Royce glided away, leaving Ethan standing on the curb, clutching his burning cheek, his eyes dark with fury. Inside the car, the air pressure was suffocatingly low. I handed the suit jacket back to Adrian. “Thank you.” Adrian didn’t take it. He kept his eyes on the road. “Since you are my fiancée now, start acting like my wife. Next time someone disrespects you like that, hit them harder. I’ll handle the fallout.” I blinked, momentarily stunned. In my past life, Ethan would always say: “Summer, can’t you be more mature? Chloe is fragile. Why do you always have to make things hard for her?” But Adrian told me to hit them harder. “What? Touched?” Adrian turned his head, a faint, mocking smile playing on his lips. “No,” I replied, looking out the window. “I just think your customer service is quite impressive, Mr. Mercer.” At City Hall. The clerk handed us our marriage certificate. Looking at our names printed together, a wave of disbelief washed over me. I was officially married to Adrian Mercer. “Mrs. Mercer, pleasure doing business with you,” Adrian said, holding out his hand. I shook it. “Likewise.” The moment we walked out of City Hall, my phone vibrated violently. It was my vice president. His voice was frantic. “Summer, we’re in deep trouble! Our core AI project data has been leaked! The investors are pulling out, and our bank accounts have just been frozen!” My heart sank. That project was Sterling Tech’s entire future. If it failed, the company would go under. “I got it. I’m on my way.” I hung up, my expression turning to ice. I didn’t even need to think about who did this. It was Ethan. He wanted to break me until I crawled back to him. “What’s wrong?” Adrian noticed my shift. “Just a minor setback. I can handle it.” I didn’t want to start our marriage by begging him for favors. Adrian didn’t press. He just looked at the driver. “Drive to Sterling Tech.” When we arrived, I got out of the car and walked into the lobby, only to find Chloe Vance standing there, surrounded by my senior executives. She wore a delicate white dress, looking like an innocent angel, but the smug triumph in her eyes was unmistakable. “Summer,” Chloe called out, walking toward me with a pitying smile. “Ethan said that if you just apologize, admit your mistakes, and merge Sterling Tech into the Mercer Group, he might consider letting you off the hook.”

Summer’s POV Looking at Chloe’s fake, innocent face made my stomach churn. In my past life, it was this exact fragile act that fooled everyone and pushed me off the edge of a building. “Admit my mistakes?” I sneered, taking a step forward and backing her into a pillar. “And what exactly did I do wrong? Was it being blind enough to love a piece of trash like Ethan, or was it not tearing down a fake snake like you sooner?” Chloe’s face turned pale. She took a step back, her eyes instantly filling with tears. “Summer, how can you say that? I only came here to help you…” “Help me?” I cut her off ruthlessly. “By bringing Ethan’s pity to rub in my face? Chloe, drop the act. This is Sterling Tech, not your personal stage. Get the hell out.” “Summer, don’t you dare push your luck!” A furious roar echoed from the entrance. Ethan stormed into the lobby, pulling Chloe behind him. He glared at me. “Chloe came here out of the goodness of her heart, and you’re acting like a psycho! I’m telling you, you will sign this buyout contract today, or you can get ready for bankruptcy and prison!” Ethan slammed a hostile takeover agreement right in front of my face. I didn’t even look at it. I grabbed the papers, ripped them into shreds, and threw them into the air. The white pieces drifted down like snow. “Ethan, do you really think you’ve won?” I asked, my eyes cold and fearless. “Oh, I know I have,” Ethan laughed. “I have your core data. Your investors are gone. What do you have to fight me with? Summer, kneel down, beg me, and apologize to Chloe. Maybe then I’ll leave you with some dignity.” “Kneel to her?” I laughed as if he had lost his mind. “Ethan, did you hit your head this morning?” “You!” Ethan’s face flushed with rage. He raised his hand, aiming to slap me. But before his hand could descend, a powerful grip caught his wrist mid-air. Adrian had appeared behind me. His eyes were like deadly daggers, his entire aura radiating a terrifying, suffocating anger. “Ethan, who gave you the right to touch what’s mine?” Adrian shoved him back. Ethan stumbled, nearly crashing to the polished floor. “Adrian…” Ethan’s voice shook, his face turning pale as he stared at his uncle. “You’re going against me for this woman?” “She is my legal wife,” Adrian said, his voice deadly quiet. “Who are you to yell at her in her own building?” Ethan clenched his fists, staring at me with a mix of shock, anger, and a strange, bitter jealousy. In all the years I had known him, I had never seen that expression on his face. He looked like someone had stolen his most prized possession, leaving him utterly humiliated. “Fine! Great!” Ethan laughed bitterly. “Adrian, if you want to protect her so badly, don’t blame me for what comes next. Let’s see how you save a bankrupt, empty shell of a company!” With that, Ethan grabbed Chloe and stormed out. The lobby fell into a tense silence. I turned to Adrian. “You just…” “I told you, I’ll handle the fallout,” Adrian interrupted, his tone leaving no room for argument. “I’ll have my finance team transfer enough funds to cover Sterling Tech’s deficit. As for the mole who leaked your data, I’ll have them hunted down.” Looking at him, a complex wave of emotion hit my chest. “Adrian, why are you doing all this for me?” Adrian looked at me, a deep, unreadable emotion swirling in his dark eyes. “Because,” he murmured, his voice low and commanding, “you are Mrs. Mercer now. And my woman only stomps on others. She doesn’t get stomped on.”

Summer’s POV The air inside Sterling Tech’s executive boardroom was so thick it was hard to breathe. BANG! I slammed a thick stack of bank statements onto the glass table, glaring coldly at the trembling man sitting across from me. It was Ryan Carter, my head of R&D, who had been with me for three years. “Fifty thousand dollars,” my voice was like ice. “That’s all it took for Ethan to buy your dirty soul and throw away three years of our team’s hard work. You really are pathetic, Ryan.” Ryan collapsed onto his knees, tears streaming down his face. “Summer, please! My mother needed a kidney transplant, and Ethan threatened me… I had no choice!” “You had no choice, so you decided to bury my entire company with you?” I showed absolutely no mercy. “Security, call the cops. You can tell your sob story to a judge.” After Ryan was dragged out, the room fell silent again. The mole was caught, but the crisis was far from over. My VP rushed in, dripping with sweat. “Summer, we have a bigger problem. Ethan put out a warning in the tech sector. Anyone who funds our project is an enemy of the Mercer Group. All the venture capitalists who agreed to talk to us just blocked our numbers.” “And our server host just terminated our contract. They are shutting down our servers at midnight tonight.” I clenched my teeth so hard my jaw ached, my nails digging into my palms. Ethan was trying to suffocate my company. No data, no funding, and now, no servers. If the servers went dark, we would face massive breach-of-contract lawsuits. It would be the end. “We have six hours until midnight,” I stood up, my head spinning from exhaustion. I had to grip the table to keep from falling. “Contact overseas server providers. I don’t care how much it costs, migrate our data now!” “It’s useless.” A deep, cold voice drifted from the doorway. Adrian Mercer stood there, looking sharp in his custom black suit, followed by two elite assistants carrying briefcases. He walked over to me, looking down at my pale, exhausted face. “Ethan has blocked every exit. Overseas server migration takes at least three days to clear security audits. You don’t have that kind of time.” I lifted my chin, my eyes bloodshot. “I’m not going down without a fight.” “I can give you access to Mercer Group’s private servers. My tech team can migrate your data in two hours,” Adrian said casually, as if talking about the weather. I stared at him warily. “What’s the catch?” I wasn’t stupid. Adrian was a ruthless businessman. He never did anything for free. Adrian leaned in close, his long fingers pinching my chin, forcing me to look directly into his dark, dangerous eyes. His presence was heavy, intoxicating, and completely dominant. “Move into my estate,” he said, his voice low and commanding. “Tonight is the Mercer family dinner. My father wants to meet you. As my wife, you need to play your part. If you ruin this, Sterling Tech disappears by tomorrow morning.” My chest tightened. Was this another trap? Looking into his cold, handsome face, a wave of bitterness washed over me. I had escaped Ethan’s cage, only to step right into Adrian’s web. To this man, I was just a convenient chess piece he could manipulate at will. “Fine,” I forced a hollow smile. “I agree.” Adrian let go of my chin and tossed a black titanium card onto the table. “Buy yourself a proper dress. I’ll pick you up at seven. Don’t embarrass me.” With that, he turned and walked out. I stared at the black card, my eyes burning with unshed tears. But I forced them back. Right now, I didn’t even have the luxury to cry.

Summer’s POV Seven PM. The Mercer Estate. The century-old mansion was blazing with lights, the driveway packed with multi-million-dollar supercars. Wearing a dark emerald silk gown, I held Adrian’s arm as we stepped into the grand ballroom. The lively chatter in the room died down instantly the moment we walked in. Every gaze turned toward me like sharp knives, filled with judgment, disgust, and whispered malice. “Is that Summer Sterling? The girl who slit her wrist for Ethan? How did she end up with Adrian?” “What a gold digger. Her family is practically broke, and she thinks she can climb into the Mercer family?” “She must have used some cheap tricks to play both Ethan and his uncle.” The nasty whispers drifted into my ears. I kept my spine perfectly straight, but my hand on Adrian’s arm tightened involuntarily. Adrian noticed my tension. He didn’t say anything comforting, but his icy glare swept over the crowd. The moment people met his eyes, they quickly looked down in fear. “Father,” Adrian said, stopping in front of the head of the room. Old Charles Mercer sat in a large velvet chair, holding a delicate cup of English bone china. He didn’t even look at me. He just let out a cold snort. “So you finally decided to show up? I thought some gold digger had completely blinded you to who you are.” “Father, this is Summer. My wife,” Adrian’s voice was calm, but it held a terrifying strength. Smash! Charles slammed his teacup down right at my feet. The hot tea and sharp ceramic shards exploded across the floor, splashing onto my bare legs. A sharp sting flared up where the hot liquid hit my skin. I gasped from the pain, but I bit my lip and didn’t make a sound. “Wife? Since when does the Mercer family let a trashy, scandalous girl be the mistress of this house?” Charles roared, slamming his fist on the table, rattling the silverware. “Adrian, divorce her immediately! Or you can say goodbye to your inheritance!” “Adrian, Grandfather is right.” Ethan walked out from the crowd, holding Chloe’s hand, a smug, vindictive smirk plastered on his face. “I know exactly what kind of trash Summer is. She’s a psycho who will do anything for money. Don’t let her fool you. Her company is failing, and she’s just using you as a lifeline.” Chloe chimed in with a sweet, fake voice. “Yes, Adrian. Summer was ready to die for Ethan just days ago. Now she suddenly marries you? She definitely has an agenda. Please don’t fall for her trap.” Looking at the two of them, I wanted to throw up. I turned my head to look at Adrian. I wanted to see what my new “husband” would do. Adrian’s expression didn’t change. He slowly pulled a silk handkerchief from his pocket, knelt down on one knee, and gently wiped the tea from my legs. The entire ballroom went dead silent. The ruthless head of the Mercer Group was kneeling in public to clean a woman’s legs? Adrian stood up, tossed the dirty handkerchief right into Ethan’s face, his eyes colder than ice. “Ethan, who the hell gave you permission to speak about my wife? Who I marry is my business, and no one tells me what to do.” He turned to his father, his voice dripping with deadly venom. “Father, I don’t care about the inheritance. But Summer is mine to protect. Anyone who touches a single hair on her head is dealing with me.” With that, he wrapped his arm tightly around my waist and led me out of the mansion, leaving the stunned crowd behind us. The night air was chilly. Sitting in the passenger seat, I looked at the man driving beside me, my heart beating fast. “About earlier… thank you.” “Don’t mention it,” Adrian said, staring straight ahead, his voice cold. “I was only protecting my own reputation. Even if I have to discipline her, it is no one else’s business.” My heart dropped. To him, I wasn’t even a human being.

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