Ying Luo

On our fifth anniversary, I held the positive pregnancy test we' d prayed for. I cooked his favorite meal, but my husband, Dante, never came home. He was working late with his campaign manager, Kamala. The stress of his cold texts and her smug Instagram post sent a sharp, twisting pain through my stomach. I collapsed on the floor, bleeding. When I called him from the hospital, he accused me of faking it for attention. "What is it this time? A headache?" he sneered. "You'll do anything for attention, won't you?" The next day, he dragged me to a party to celebrate Kamala. In front of everyone, he tried to force whiskey down my throat. The stress, the fall… it was too much. I lost our miracle baby right there on the gallery floor. His apology was bringing me pepperoni pizza in my hospital bed. I'm allergic to pepperoni. It was the first thing I ever told him on our first date. He didn't remember that, but he knew Kamala preferred oat milk in her lattes. He had just proven he didn't deserve our child. He didn't even deserve me. When he finally showed up, his face a mask of fake concern, I looked him dead in the eye. "We're done. I want a divorce."

The police said Liam' s death was an accident, a car crash on an icy road. Simple. Final. But I knew better. Liam, the man I was going to marry, was murdered. And I knew who did it: his father, the tech titan Mr. Davis. Liam was a threat to his perfect legacy, so he erased him. My grief hardened into a quiet, burning rage. They thought I was just a broken girlfriend, but I was going to be the architect of their ruin. The day after the funeral, I went to a tech gala. Ethan Davis, his legitimate son, was my key. I played the part of the devoted, yearning girl I' d pretended to be for years, a scheme Liam and I had meticulously planned to gather intel on his father. Ethan, oblivious, fell right into my trap, flattered by my "loyalty." My revenge began that night. My hands were steady on the wheel as I drove a drunken Ethan home, the gentle look on my face a lie. Everything was ready. The game had just begun. I became the unsuspecting fiancée, meticulously gathering evidence of his father' s corruption and murder. Ethan, blinded by his newfound love and a desire to prove himself, unknowingly handed me the tools of his family' s destruction. The day he proposed, his world crumbled. His father was arrested for commercial fraud and murder. His mother, exposed and disgraced, jumped to her death. Ethan was left shattered, realizing too late he was nothing but a pawn. His family' s ruin was complete, but I discovered my victory felt hollow. Yet, when a car careened towards me, Ethan, the man I' d meticulously destroyed, shoved me out of the way, taking the full impact himself. He survived, but the man who emerged from the hospital was a stranger. Ethan, robbed of everything, finally understood he was merely an obstacle to the happiness Liam and I deserved. He chose to leave, a ghost of his former self. Now, I sit in Mr. Davis' s old office, the new CEO of Miller Corp, having systematically dismantled every last piece of the Davis empire. My revenge is complete, but the overwhelming emptiness echoes in the opulent space, leaving me with only the phantom memory of Liam and Ethan's discarded engagement ring on my desk-a cold testament to a brutal victory.

I remember dying. Not from the Crimson Scourge, but from the mob, their faces twisted with rage. They called me "murderer," believing the lies my husband, Mark Jensen, fed them. He claimed I was holding back the cure while accepting humanitarian awards, a hero to the world, a monster to me. The irony choked me, thicker than the blood in my mouth. I had the universal vaccine, the one that could have saved everyone, but he buried it-and me-for profit. My final thought wasn't of my lost family, but of his betrayal, the only thing real in my last agonizing moments. Then, nothing. Until now. I blinked, the harsh fluorescent lights of a conference room burning my eyes. I was back, a year younger, untouched. It was the day Mark would announce "unforeseen delays" for the vaccine, the day his lies truly began. He stood at the podium, smooth and confident, introducing me, his "brilliant wife," Dr. Evelyn Reed, with a patronizing smile. In my last life, I' d stood there meekly, trusting him despite bitter disappointment. Not this time. "He's lying," my voice cut through the room like shattered glass, every head snapping my way. Mark's smile faltered, his eyes warning me, "My wife is a perfectionist. She' s never satisfied." Alana Vance, his ambitious consultant, chimed in with fake concern, "Evelyn, are you feeling alright? You' ve been working so hard." It was the same condescending script. I remembered giving up a global award for his fragile ego, only for him to criticize my research a week later. The sacrifice forgotten, a weapon in his hand. But this rebirth was a chance. A cold calm settled over me. "No, Mark," I said, my voice clear and steady, loud enough for every microphone. "I think we need to discuss this right now." I stepped away from the wall, away from the role of the supportive wife, into the light. "I' m done."

My name is Jennifer Johns, and for twenty years, I poured my life, my love, and every dollar into raising my best friend' s children as my own. I did it because their mother, Sabrina, supposedly died of cancer, and her last wish was for me to protect them. Then, my adoptive daughter, Molly, stood before a judge and accused my husband, Andrew, of sexually abusing her for years. Andrew was convicted and died in prison. My adoptive son, Caleb, had me committed to a psychiatric facility, where I died, utterly broken and alone. Shortly after, the ghost of my best friend, Sabrina, walked onto a national talk show, alive and well, pointing at the camera and screaming, "I trusted you! And you let your sick husband use them!" My heart shattered, my reputation ruined, and my life extinguished by the very people I sacrificed everything for. How could I have been so blind, so foolish? The betrayal tore me apart, the injustice a gaping wound that never healed. Until I wasn't dead. I jolted awake with a gasp in my own bed, the phantom touch of restraints still clinging to my wrists. Andrew was next to me, his eyes mirroring the horror in mine. And then, the doorbell rang. Sabrina was here, alive, poised to reel me in with her same cruel lie – but this time, Andrew and I remembered everything. This time, we were ready to fight back. This time, we would write our own ending.

The smell of roasting corn and sweet wine usually filled me with joy at the Starlight Grove' s Grape Harvest Festival. I was living a simple life, a farmhand on my own vineyard, teaching my son Caleb the value of hard work and humility. But that day, a single pastry, laced with walnuts, turned my world into a nightmare. Caleb, my ten-year-old, lay dying in my arms, struggling to breathe, his body going rigid from a severe allergic reaction. I plunged the EpiPen into his thigh, but his breaths grew weaker, his lips turning blue. I screamed for help, pushing through the dense crowd towards the main gate where the ambulance was arriving, Caleb' s dead weight heavy in my arms. But the festival' s head of security, Barney Fowler, blocked our path at the VIP exit, demanding a $500 "convenience fee" per person to let us through. Then, he stopped the ambulance itself, holding it hostage for a $1,500 "commercial vehicle entry fee." He grinned, knowing I was desperate and had no choice but to pay. I transferred the money, my hands shaking, my son' s life ticking away. Just when the ambulance finally lurched forward, a horrifying, high-pitched tone cut through the air from inside-Caleb' s heart monitor flatlining. The next words from the doctor shattered my soul: "The delay… his brain was deprived of oxygen. The damage is extensive. And irreversible." My brilliant, vibrant son reduced to a vegetative state, all because of a man' s greed and a few stolen minutes. It was my fault; I created this charade. But guilt quickly transformed into a cold, burning rage. The struggling farmhand disappeared, replaced by the owner of Starlight Grove, and I knew exactly what I had to do. Barney Fowler and his nephew, Wesley, were about to discover who they had truly extorted.

I played the broke NYU art student, secretly Hailey Voss, tech empire heiress, tired of fakes. My crush, Caleb, a famously poor artist, seemed different. So, I lured him to rent a room in my lavish SoHo loft with a twisted, shirtless discount. I reveled in this unusual power game. Then my world imploded. My stepfather, Richard, orchestrated a hostile takeover, bankrupting my mother's company overnight. I lost everything-my fortune, identity, my home. Suddenly, I was genuinely penniless; credit cards useless, trust fund frozen. The next day, "broke" Caleb bought my multi-million dollar loft for cash, flipping our game. He offered me a room, teasing I'd now be topless for rent. Publicly humiliated by Brody, my old tormentor, I felt completely broken, cash thrown at my feet. How did Caleb have millions? Why play my charade? How was Hailey Voss, the heiress, so utterly powerless and abandoned? Blindsided and distraught, my life lay in ruins. Then, alone and desperate in Washington Square Park, a black Escalade appeared. Out stepped Caleb, in a tailored suit, flanked by security, not torn jeans. He faced Brody, voice cold: "You just put your hands on my future wife." My "broke artist" was Caleb Astor, heir to a real estate dynasty, and our unexpected story was just beginning.

I was Sarah Miller, a junior architect, on the cusp of a life-changing promotion, meticulously crafting a future I believed was mine. But then, like a phantom limb ache, the terrifying memory hit: my "father," David, barging into my review, screaming baseless accusations of kickbacks. In my first life, this was only the beginning, the calculated unraveling of everything I held dear. My entire "family"-David, my "mother" Susan, "Grandma" Carol-systematically dismantled my reputation, framing me for identity theft, driving me into mountains of phantom debt. Their biological daughter, Jess, the "roommate" I thought was a friend, gleefully joined their schemes, twisting the knife. I was relentlessly doxxed, blacklisted from my profession, and ultimately met a brutal, senseless end in a hit-and-run. I died, my last conscious thought a haunting question: Why? Why did the people who raised me orchestrate such a relentless, professional campaign to destroy my life? The sheer depth of their calculated malice went beyond mere familial dysfunction; it foreshadowed a sinister, hidden truth far more profound than I could have imagined. But now, I'm back. It's the very same morning, the same inescapable dread, but this time, the grim knowledge has become my power. I remember every trap, every lie, every betrayal they planned. They believed they had broken me irrevocably once. They're about to discover that their carefully constructed world of deceit, built upon my stolen identity, is on the verge of spectacular collapse. Because this time, I'm not just surviving; I'm fighting back to expose every single one of their fraudulent secrets, and to reclaim the life that was always rightfully mine.

My carefully constructed world was perfect, the epitome of the American dream. My son, Sam, was graduating high school, Yale-bound, smart, kind-the culmination of everything I' d worked for. Surrounded by loved ones in our sprawling Hamptons-esque garden, I handed him a substantial stock trust from his late father, a solid foundation for his brilliant future. Then, Darlene Pickett, our former housekeeper, burst through the wrought-iron gates, her face contorted with grotesque rage. She dragged a small, disheveled boy beside her, pointing a trembling finger at my son. "He's not Eleanor's son!" she shrieked for everyone to hear. "He's mine! And this," she thrust the other boy forward, "this is Daniel Ainsworth! Your real son, Eleanor! I swapped them eighteen years ago, in that hospital!" A collective gasp echoed across the stunned crowd as my beautiful day-and carefully curated life-shattered. But the horror deepened as Darlene, her husband, and even her daughter openly gloated about the years of systematic neglect and brutal abuse they'd inflicted on Danny, the boy they thought was mine, detailing every scar and broken bone with chilling pride. My heart clenched, not in fear of public ruin, but at the raw depravity laid bare. Sam, bewildered and utterly disgusted, turned to me, his eyes pleading, "Mom? What are they talking about?" He couldn't fathom such cruelty, begging me to say it wasn't true, that they were all insane. They demanded DNA tests to prove their twisted, greedy claim. And I, with an icy calm that surprised even me, simply replied, "Very well. We'll arrange for them immediately." Because what they didn't-couldn't-know was that I had been waiting patiently for this exact moment for eighteen long years.

Five years of silence had turned my marriage into a tomb. My husband, Ethan, a brilliant CEO, was a stranger. I decided to leave, taking our six-year-old son, Leo. We couldn't live like that anymore. But as we drove away, a blinding light erupted. Then, darkness. The 'accident' left Leo with one eye gone, and me, a kidney missing. Guilt consumed me; I blamed myself for leaving. Ethan, the 'devoted' husband, played his part on live TV, begging for 100 days to prove his love. Broken and weak, I believed him. So I agreed. Day ninety-nine arrived. I overheard Ethan's voice, casual and chilling, from his study. He was talking to Dr. Peterson, the surgeon. Not about a car crash, but about harvesting. My son's eye, my kidney – taken. For Chloe, his mistress, and her son, Liam. The 'accident' was deliberate, a monstrous organ farm. My world tilted, my trust shattered. The man who' d begged for my forgiveness had butchered us for his affair. He brought his new 'family' into our home, and when I reacted to their cruelty, his hand struck me. That brutal slap, Leo's horrified, awakened face – it ignited a cold, black fury. This was no longer about leaving.This was about retribution.And I knew exactly what I had to do.

The coppery taste of blood was a phantom memory, chilling me to the bone as I jolted awake. I knew this day; it was etched into my soul, the day Red Rock burned and I died at Mike’s hand, a forgotten casualty of his reckless ego. This time, I wouldn’t just watch; I’d save Red Rock, starting with the town alarm, a desperate wail echoed by my pounding heart. But the school bus, our only way out for the women and children, was gone, along with the men and our best guns. Mike had taken them, miles away, for a lavish birthday party for his new girlfriend, Lila, completely abandoning us. He’d stripped us of our last hope, dismissing my desperate warnings as cheap jealousy, leaving us vulnerable to the marauding Vulture gang, who were already tearing our town apart. Even his own sister, Chloe, was slapped by him and sent back when she tried to warn him. Later, fiercely pregnant, I rode out alone for help, only to be intercepted by Jake, Mike’s blindly loyal deputy, who, brainwashed, believed my pleas were lies. He dragged me, bound, to their drunken desert party, where Mike publicly humiliated me, forcing me to watch while our homes turned to ash. How could Mike be so blind, so cruel, sacrificing everyone for a frivolous celebration? My agony intensified when Red Rock lay in ruins; Mike, feigning shock, turned the mob’s grief and rage onto me, blaming me for everything. They descended, a blur of fists and kicks, until a searing, tearing pain in my belly confirmed my worst fear: my baby, violently ripped from me. But this time, I wouldn't die in silent despair. As life drained from me, Chloe appeared, a small, defiant beacon, exposing Mike's selfish lies and turning the tide of vengeance. This time, Mike, you wouldn't get away with it.

My name is Ethan Prescott, scion of a powerful family, destined for a life groomed by expectation. My future was mapped out: marry Victoria Sterling, secure the Prescott legacy, forge a formidable alliance. But then I met Sarah, a bright, real woman who painted harbors and loved the sea. She awakened a truth in me that transcended wealth and duty, and I promised her a future, vowing to defy my iron-willed mother, Eleanor. But Eleanor's ultimatum crashed down, a brutal choice: marry Victoria and save my family's name, or watch Sarah's world crumble, utterly destroyed. I caved, clinging to a twisted compromise: marry Victoria, give them an heir, then we'd be free. What began as a desperate hope became a living nightmare. I stood by, powerless, as Victoria’s calculated lies smeared Sarah, accusing her of crimes, orchestrating public humiliations, even leading to physical assault at my mother's command. I watched Sarah’s spirit break, her belief in me shatter, all while I built a public facade of a perfect family with Victoria and our children, Lily and Daniel. Each "temporary" sacrifice I made was a new knife in her heart. How could I, the man who swore to protect her, become the architect of her deepest agony? Each decision fueled by fear, each broken promise, only cemented my role as her tormentor, crushing the very soul I claimed to love. I was a fool, chained by duty, believing my elaborate ruse protected her, when in reality, it was destroying her. But just as I stood at the altar, moments from sealing my public fate with Victoria, the horrifying truth erupted. I heard Victoria's chilling confessions of pure manipulation—the fake illnesses, the staged "accidents," even her "miscarriage"—and my own mother's cold admission of forcibly banishing Sarah. Now, the scales have fallen from my eyes. I know the depths of their deceit, and I will tear down their empire to find Sarah and reckon with the ghosts of my unforgivable past.

Amy, a gifted chef, poured two days into a perfect Thanksgiving feast, hoping to heal her fractured family. But her husband, Rich, arrived with his mistress, Veronica, who immediately dismissed Amy's efforts with a store-bought pie. Over dinner, both Rich and Veronica openly ridiculed Amy's traditional cooking as "quaint" and "not modern," while her own daughter, Lily, eagerly chose Veronica's sugary dessert over her mother's cake. This blatant disregard was a harsh blow, amplified later when Amy discovered her new business ideas were being stolen and flaunted by Veronica with Rich's complicity. The ultimate betrayal came when Amy saw Veronica flaunting the engraved anniversary watch Amy had secretly bought for Rich, now on Veronica's wrist. How could the man she had loved, the father of her child, weaponize her dreams and her love against her so cruelly? The raw humiliation became a searing anger, pushing Amy to the edge of despair, yet sparking a ferocious resolve. Just as Amy fought to rebuild her life from the ashes of betrayal, launching her own bakery, Rich and Veronica destroyed it again, meticulously trashing her new shop and stealing her grandmother’s precious recipe book. This was the final straw. It wasn't just about revenge anymore; it was about reclaiming her legacy.

Maggie's tea-making skills at the nightclub were unmatched. She was loved by so many guests for her incredible talents. She was like a lotus blooming in the mud. She had become a local treasure that couldn't be knocked off her pedestal. However, the more untouchable this white lotus was, the more men wanted a taste of her. She attracted almost anyone, including Seamus’s father. Seamus never expected his father to marry a simple tea lady! He wanted to find out for himself, what was so special. A simple taste of this enchantress was enough. Her sweetness was addictive, and he had no choice but to take her in as his secret lover.

Aurora woke up to the sterile chill of her king-sized bed in Sterling Thorne's penthouse. Today was the day her husband would finally throw her out like garbage. Sterling walked in, tossed divorce papers at her, and demanded her signature, eager to announce his "eligible bachelor" status to the world. In her past life, the sight of those papers had broken her, leaving her begging for a second chance. Sterling's sneering voice, calling her a "trailer park girl" undeserving of his name, had once cut deeper than any blade. He had always used her humble beginnings to keep her small, to make her grateful for the crumbs of his attention. She had lived a gilded cage, believing she was nothing without him, until her life flatlined in a hospital bed, watching him give a press conference about his "grief." But this time, she felt no sting, no tears. Only a cold, clear understanding of the mediocre man who stood on a pedestal she had painstakingly built with her own genius. Aurora signed the papers, her name a declaration of independence. She grabbed her old, phoenix-stickered laptop, ready to walk out. Sterling Thorne was about to find out exactly how expensive "free" could be.

The sterile white of the operating room blurred, then sharpened, as Skye Sterling felt the cold clawing its way up her body. The heart monitor flatlined, a steady, high-pitched whine announcing her end. Her uterus had been removed, a desperate attempt to stop the bleeding, but the blood wouldn't clot. It just kept flowing, warm and sticky, pooling beneath her. Through heavy eyes, she saw a trembling nurse holding a phone on speaker. "Mr. Kensington," the nurse's voice cracked, "your wife... she's critical." A pause, then a sweet, poisonous giggle. Seraphina Miller. "Liam is in the shower," Seraphina's voice purred. "Stop calling, Skye. It's pathetic. Faking a medical emergency on our anniversary? Even for you, that's low." Then, Liam's bored voice: "If she dies, call the funeral home. I have a meeting in the morning." Click. The line went dead. A second later, so did Skye. The darkness that followed was absolute, suffocating, a black ocean crushing her lungs. She screamed into the void, a silent, agonizing wail of regret for loving a man who saw her as a nuisance, for dying without ever truly living. Until she died, she didn't understand. Why was her life so tragically wasted? Why did her husband, the man she loved, abandon her so cruelly? The injustice of it all burned hotter than the fever in her body. Then, the air rushed back in. Skye gasped, her body convulsing violently on the mattress. Her eyes flew open, wide and terrified, staring blindly into the darkness. Her trembling hand reached for her phone. May 12th. Five years ago. She was back.

Vesper's marriage to Julian Sterling was a gilded cage. One morning, she woke naked beside Damon Sterling, Julian's terrifying brother, then found a text: Julian's mistress was pregnant. Her world shattered, but the real nightmare had just begun. Julian's abuse escalated, gaslighting Vesper, funding his secret life. Damon, a germaphobic billionaire, became her unsettling anchor amidst his chaos. As "Iris," Vesper exposed Julian's mistress, Serena Sharp, sparking brutal war: poisoned drinks, a broken leg, and the horrifying truth-Julian murdered her parents, trapping Vesper in marriage. The man she married was a killer. Broken and betrayed, Vesper was caught between monstrous brothers, burning with injustice. Refusing victimhood, Vesper reclaimed her identity. Fueled by vengeance, she allied with Damon, who vowed to burn his empire for her. Julian faced justice, but matriarch Eleanor's counterattack forced Vesper's choice as a hitman aimed for her.

Trigger/Content Warning: This story contains mature themes and explicit content intended for adult audiences(18+). Reader discretion is advised. It includes elements such as BDSM dynamics, explicit sexual content, toxic family relationships, occasional violence and strong language. This is not a fluffy romance. It is intense, raw and messy, and explores the darker side of desire. ***** "Take off your dress, Meadow." "Why?" "Because your ex is watching," he said, leaning back into his seat. "And I want him to see what he lost." ••••*••••*••••* Meadow Russell was supposed to get married to the love of her life in Vegas. Instead, she walked in on her twin sister riding her fiance. One drink at the bar turned to ten. One drunken mistake turned into reality. And one stranger's offer turned into a contract that she signed with shaking hands and a diamond ring. Alaric Ashford is the devil in a tailored Tom Ford suit. Billionaire CEO, brutal, possessive. A man born into an empire of blood and steel. He also suffers from a neurological condition-he can't feel. Not objects, not pain, not even human touch. Until Meadow touches him, and he feels everything. And now he owns her. On paper and in his bed. She wants him to ruin her. Take what no one else could have. He wants control, obedience... revenge. But what starts as a transaction slowly turns into something Meadow never saw coming. Obsession, secrets that were never meant to surface, and a pain from the past that threatens to break everything. Alaric doesn't share what's his. Not his company. Not his wife. And definitely not his vengeance.

The roasted lamb was cold, a reflection of her marriage. On their third anniversary, Evelyn Vance waited alone in her Manhattan penthouse. Then her phone buzzed: Alexander, her husband, had been spotted leaving the hospital, holding his childhood sweetheart Scarlett Sharp's hand. Alexander arrived hours later, dismissing Evelyn's quiet complaint with a cold reminder: she was Mrs. Vance, not a victim. Her mother's demands reinforced this role, making Evelyn, a brilliant mind, feel like a ghost. A dangerous indifference replaced betrayal. The debt was paid; now, it was her turn. She drafted a divorce settlement, waiving everything. As Alexander's tender voice drifted from his study, speaking to Scarlett, Evelyn placed her wedding ring on his pillow, moved to the guest suite, and locked the door. The dull wife was gone; the Oracle was back.

My husband Julian celebrated our five-year anniversary by sleeping with his mistress. He thought I was a clueless trophy wife, too dim to notice the vanilla and tuberose scent on his expensive suits. He was wrong. For years, I played Mrs. Vance, hiding my brilliance while Julian claimed my patents. An anonymous email confirmed his ultimate betrayal: photos of him and Scarlett Kensington in ecstasy. My heart didn't break; it solidified into ice at five years wasted. I activated "The Protocol" for a new identity and escape countdown. Playing the doting wife, I plotted his downfall, catching him with his mistress selling my work, and publicly snapping his credit card. His betrayals and stolen work ignited a cold, calculated fury. He had no idea the monster he'd created. I was dismantling his empire. I shredded his patent papers, stripping him of his ill-gotten gains. With a final tap, I initiated "Identity Erasure." Mrs. Vance was dead. Dr. Evelyn Thorne had just begun her counterattack.

Vivian clutched her Hermès bag, her doctor's words echoing: "Extremely high-risk pregnancy." She hoped the baby would save her cold marriage, but Julian wasn't in London as his schedule claimed. Instead, a paparazzi photo revealed his early return-with a blonde woman, not his wife, at the private airport exit. The next morning, Julian served divorce papers, callously ending their "duty" marriage for his ex, Serena. A horrifying contract clause gave him the right to terminate her pregnancy or seize their child. Humiliated, demoted, and forced to fake an ulcer, Vivian watched him parade his affair, openly discarding her while celebrating Serena. This was a calculated erasure, not heartbreak. He cared only for his image, confirming he would "handle" the baby himself. A primal rage ignited her. "Just us," she whispered to her stomach, vowing to sign the divorce on her terms, keep her secret safe, and walk away from Sterling Corp for good, ready to protect her child alone.

Serena Vance, an unloved wife, clutched a custom-made red velvet cake to her chest, enduring the cold rain outside an exclusive Upper East Side club. She hoped this small gesture for her husband, Julian, would bridge the growing chasm between them on their third anniversary. But as she neared the VIP suite, her world shattered. Julian's cold, detached voice sliced through the laughter, revealing he considered her nothing more than a "signature on a piece of paper" for a trust fund, mocking her changed appearance and respecting only another woman, Elena. The indifference in his tone was a physical blow, a brutal severance, not heartbreak. She gently placed the forgotten cake on the floor, leaving her wedding ring and a diamond necklace as she prepared to abandon a marriage built on lies. Her old life, once a prison of quiet suffering and constant humiliation, now lay in ruins around her. Three years of trying to be seen, to be loved, were erased by a few cruel words. Why had she clung to a man who saw her as a clause in a will, a "creature," not a wife? The shame and rage hardened her heart, freezing her tears. Returning to an empty penthouse, she packed a single battered suitcase, leaving behind every symbol of her failed marriage. With a burner phone, she dialed a number she hadn't touched in a decade, whispering, "Godfather, I'm ready to come home."

Yelena discovered that she wasn't her parents' biological child. After seeing through their ploy to trade her as a pawn in a business deal, she was sent away to her barren birthplace. There, she stumbled upon her true origins-a lineage of historic opulence. Her real family showered her with love and adoration. In the face of her so-called sister's envy, Yelena conquered every adversity and took her revenge, all while showcasing her talents. She soon caught the attention of the city's most eligible bachelor. He cornered Yelena and pinned her against the wall. "It's time to reveal your true identity, darling."

The acrid smell of smoke still clung to Evelyn in the ambulance, her lungs raw from the penthouse fire. She was alive, but the world around her felt utterly destroyed, a feeling deepened by the small TV flickering to life. On it, her husband, Julian Vance, thousands of miles away, publicly comforted his mistress, Serena Holloway, shielding her from paparazzi after *her* "panic attack." Julian's phone went straight to voicemail. Alone in the hospital with second-degree burns, Evelyn watched news replays, her heart rate spiking. He protected Serena from camera flashes while Evelyn burned. When he finally called, he demanded she handle insurance, dismissing the fire; Serena's voice faintly heard. The shallow family ties and pretense of marriage evaporated. A searing injustice and cold anger replaced pain; Evelyn knew Julian had chosen to let her burn. "Evelyn Vance died in that fire," she declared, ripping out her IV. Armed with a secret fortune as "The Architect," Hollywood's top ghostwriter, she walked out. She would divorce Julian, reclaim her name, and finally step into the spotlight as an actress.