I am a humble stone spirit from the court of the Lady of Petrifaction, iron-hearted, incapable of love or sorrow. Yet, I found myself tethered to the body of a woman drowning in sentiment. She was a pitiable soul, loved by no one. When she miscarried, her husband was out having fun with her adopted sister. And her own mother accused her of being ungrateful, constantly saying how much better it would have been if the adopted sister were her real daughter. Later, her husband came home, the adopted sister in tow, and said, “Serena is staying for a few days. You can give her your room.” A dull ache pulsed in my chest, and my eyes began to well with tears. I knew it was the lingering love this body still held for him. But it didn’t matter. In one week, the host’s emotions would fade completely, and I would be free to be myself again—the stone spirit with a heart of iron… 1 This time, I didn’t throw a fit like she always used to. I simply said, “Alright.” I gathered my things and started to walk out. Aaron watched me, his eyes narrowed. “What are you plotting now?” His gaze was filled with suspicion, as if I were the one who had committed some unforgivable crime. But from the very beginning, I had always been the one reacting to their cruelty. I replied meekly, “A few days ago, Mom told me I should act more like a proper older sister.” Aaron’s expression softened slightly. “It’s good that you’re finally willing to listen.” He smiled and patted my stomach. “Go on to the guest room for now. I’ll be there in a bit, and we can do some prenatal bonding with the baby.” His face held a rare gentleness, but the sight of it sent a blade twisting through my heart. Just a week ago, the body’s original owner, Elara, had slipped and fallen in the bathroom. With the last of her strength, she had called Aaron. All she received was his irritated voice on the other end. “Elara, can you stop calling me all the time? Not even the cops check up on me this much! It’s so annoying!” “Ah! Aaron, be gentle…” A soft, feminine moan drifted through the line, and just before he hung up, I heard him whisper a soft apology, his voice low and coaxing. Elara had lain there on the cold tiles, a pool of blood spreading around her. The plea for help never left her lips. I clutched my chest, my heart pounding a frantic rhythm—thump, thump, thump. The pain was staggering as I stumbled out of the room. A suffocating pressure tightened around my heart, as if it were being torn apart. I knew this feeling. It was grief. Behind me, Aaron was already eagerly helping Serena with her luggage, not sparing me a single glance. I slept in the cold, damp guest room. Aaron never came. This wasn’t the first time. The original owner had cried and raged over it, but it had never changed anything. And me, a stone spirit with a heart of iron? I certainly didn’t care. Even if I was still trapped with all her emotions. The next day, we went to visit my mother. Serena immediately claimed the passenger seat, a smug smile on her face. “You know I get carsick, sister.” She always did this. In the beginning, Elara would gently protest, but Aaron would always give her the silent treatment. After a while, she just stopped trying. Perhaps I was lost in thought for too long, because Aaron impatiently yanked open the back door and shoved me inside. “What’s with the attitude now? I’ll have Mom set you straight.” I fell hard onto the back seat. A sharp pain shot through my hand, and blood instantly welled up. I looked down. A lace bra was lying on the seat. The metal clasp on the back was what had sliced my palm open. 2 Seeing the bra in my hand, Aaron’s face flashed with guilt. But it was Serena who let out a little gasp, leaning over to snatch it away. “I was wondering where this went! It must have fallen out here.” Aaron sighed. “How many times have I told you not to be so careless?” Then he turned to me, offering a flimsy explanation. “Elara, don’t get the wrong idea. This must have fallen out of her luggage when I helped her move last time.” My bleeding hand was nothing compared to the agony in my heart, but I had no desire to argue. “Let’s just go,” I said. “Don’t keep Mom waiting.” The original Elara was a devoted and filial daughter. She had been sent to live with her grandmother as a child and cherished every reunion with her parents. After we parked, Serena grabbed Aaron’s arm and started pulling him upstairs. In the past, he would have followed without a second thought, but this time he hesitated, looking back at me. “Elara?” I snapped out of my daze and slowly followed. Serena’s expression instantly soured. … “You’re here! No need for such formalities, come in, sit down!” “Serena, you’re back too! How’s work? You haven’t come to see your mother in so long.” My mother beamed as she ushered Aaron and Serena inside, leaving me to stand awkwardly on the doorstep. At the same time, a faint wave of disappointment washed over me. So this was Elara’s mother. Seeing me just standing there, my mother turned and snapped, “What are you doing, just standing there like a statue? The cooking isn’t finished. Go and do it. Don’t think you can get out of everything just because you’re pregnant.” “Let me tell you, when I was pregnant with you, you gave me nothing but trouble. And I still had to cook for everyone when I was eight months along.” “I should never have had you. If only Serena were my real daughter. She’s so beautiful and thoughtful…” She rambled on, her voice dripping with disdain for me. Her sharp words were like an invisible hand, squeezing my heart until it felt like it would burst. My pulse quickened, pounding against my ribs. So this is what it feels like when your heart breaks completely. I saw Aaron frown at me and Serena smirk in triumph. I had no choice but to retreat to the kitchen. Tears blurred my vision. I leaned against the counter, forcing myself to calm down. From outside the kitchen came the sound of their cheerful laughter. They were a perfect, happy family. No one gave a second glance to the pale, trembling woman in the kitchen. I had heard that Serena’s mother died saving mine. Wracked with guilt, my mother adopted her as a goddaughter, and from that day on, Serena became the treasured jewel of the family. Because of a single, childish comment—that I didn’t like her, that I might bully her—I was sent to my grandmother’s in the countryside before I was even eight. When I was finally brought back home, they constantly reminded me to give in to Serena, to let her have her way. Even Aaron doted on her. “Elara,” he would always say, “it’s your family’s fault she’s an orphan. This is a debt your family owes her.” But the one who owed the debt was my mother. Why was I the one who had to bear all the blame? The original Elara never understood. Neither did I. I was bound by karma. I couldn't divorce him, nor could I cut ties with my mother. But even though my heart was breaking, I still had to eat. As a stone, I could neither eat nor drink. Now, I cherished food. At the dinner table, as they chatted, Serena suddenly spoke up. “By the way, Aaron, now that my sister is pregnant, it’s not very convenient for her to keep working at her old company. Why don’t you let her join yours?” Aaron frowned. “She doesn’t have the qualifications. I can’t bend the rules for her.” My chopsticks paused. A sharp, needle-like pain pierced my heart. The year Elara graduated from high school, Serena had hidden her university acceptance letter. Thinking she had failed, she got a simple job right after graduation. Though she eventually earned a degree through self-study, in the eyes of someone like Aaron, it held far less weight than a degree from a traditional university. When Aaron found out about it, all he had said was, “That’s just fate.” Remembering this, I clung to a final shred of hope and asked the question Elara had never dared to ask. “Aaron, can’t you make an exception, just this once?” 3 Aaron’s brow furrowed, and he answered without a hint of hesitation. “If I make an exception for you, then others will ask me to make exceptions for them. If I let you in today, someone else will want a spot tomorrow.” My mother chimed in, “Aaron’s right. You can’t set that kind of precedent, or the whole company will fall into chaos. If you find your job inconvenient, just quit. It’s not like anyone is counting on you to support the family.” So, giving his own wife a job would disrupt the company, but letting the clueless Serena become his personal assistant was perfectly fine. I managed a weak smile. “Forget it. I was only joking.” The table fell silent. After a moment, Aaron hesitated. “Well, maybe… you could be my assistant? Usually…” “Sister, I’m so sorry!” Serena cut him off, her eyes welling with tears. “If I hadn’t been so thoughtless back then and lost your acceptance letter, you wouldn’t have…” Clatter! Before she could finish, my mother slammed her chopsticks on the table. “That was years ago! Are you still blaming your sister for it now?” “Elara, can’t you be more understanding for once? Missing out on a university degree hasn’t affected you that much!” Her shrill accusations echoed in my ears, a roaring sound that made me want to vomit. I knew this was the original Elara’s trauma response. She had endured so much scolding that her body reacted this way automatically. My heart throbbed with a searing pain. I tried to stand up to get my phone, but the world swam before my eyes. My legs gave out, and I crashed heavily against the table. With a series of sharp cracks, the dishes and food went flying. Sharp porcelain shards dug into my elbow, and blood welled up instantly. My mother jumped, her voice hesitant. “What’s… what’s wrong with you? Are you not feeling well?” She reached out to help me, but Aaron’s cold voice stopped her. “Is faking sick really that interesting, Elara? You send me every one of your check-up reports. I know you’re perfectly healthy.” But in all this time, he had never once gone with me to a check-up. He had no idea that after every appointment, I would go see a therapist. Aaron’s words ignited my mother’s anger. She shot me a glare. “This family has no peace with you in it! Come on, let’s go eat out!” She grabbed Aaron and Serena, one in each hand, and pulled them out the door. Just before she left, Serena turned back and gave me a triumphant smile. I sat there, a pathetic figure amidst the wreckage of the meal, gasping for breath, unable to move for a long, long time. The sky turned completely dark, and they never returned. I stared at the calendar, silently counting down in my head. Five days left…
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