After spending five years of sleepless nights working overtime in an overseas research lab, I had finally saved enough to pay off the massive research debt Arthur Sterling had accumulated. I was so excited to give him the ultimate surprise. I brought our daughter, Lily, back to the States, my heart brimming with anticipation of our family finally reuniting. But when we arrived at the luxury high-rise apartment Arthur usually stayed in, the concierge at the front desk gave me a strange look. "Mr. Sterling moved out ages ago. That penthouse has been empty for six months. Are you sure you have the right address?" I froze. Confused and unsettled, I took Lily's hand and headed straight to the luxury hotel where Sterling Corp was hosting its highly anticipated product launch. I tried to slip into the backstage area but was immediately stopped by security. "Ma'am, you can't go back there without a VIP pass. Mr. Sterling is hosting the charity gala in the main ballroom tonight. He isn't taking personal visitors." Just as I was trying to figure out what to do, the massive digital billboard in the lobby flashed a breaking news alert: "Sterling Corp CEO Arthur Sterling hosts million-dollar tech launch and charity gala, walking the red carpet hand-in-hand with business partner Chloe Sinclair. The two shared a picture-perfect, heartwarming moment." A second later, my phone buzzed. It was a voice text from Arthur, his tone flat and distant: "Evelyn, the new lab equipment I ordered just got delivered to the lobby. Go to the front desk and sign for it." In the background of the audio, a woman's voice chimed in, dripping with amusement: "The bet is over. How much longer are you going to keep stringing Evelyn along with that fake marriage certificate? Playing the weak, struggling entrepreneur for all these years... aren't you bored of it?" It turned out, I was the only one who had been taking this life seriously. It turned out that after all this time, I was the one who had been entirely written out of the script. Just then, one of Arthur’s groomsmen and oldest friends hurried over. He grabbed my arm with a look of pure disdain and dragged me to the side, hissing, "How dare someone like you show your face here? Aren't you afraid Arthur will cut off the living expenses for you and your kid?" I gripped my phone in silence. Suddenly, the color drained from his face. He covered his mouth, looking at me with sudden realization. "Wait... do you actually not know?" He immediately backpedaled, his voice panicked. "I was just talking nonsense. I have somewhere to be." Watching him practically run away, little Lily tugged at my sleeve. She looked up at me with big, innocent eyes and asked, "Mommy, what does it mean to be written out of the script?" I forced a bitter smile, my voice breaking as I whispered, "I guess it looks a lot like Mommy right now." Chapter 1 1 It was probably the very first time I hadn't replied to Arthur's message immediately. My phone vibrated on the table. He was calling me. The background noise on his end was loud—clinking glasses, applause, and men laughing. It sounded exactly like a high-end gala. "What's going on? Didn't you see my text?" I ignored the accusatory edge in his voice and simply asked quietly: "Arthur, where are you right now?" "Where else would I be? I'm at the convention center for a partnership signing ceremony. Look, I don't have time for this. Just remember to download the new project files from my email." Before I could even get another word out, he hung up. Staring at the cold "Call Ended" screen, I tried to pull the corners of my mouth into a smile, but my face felt frozen. I realized I had never truly known Arthur Sterling. I never expected him to lie with such effortless ease, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Memories from a few years ago surfaced—the day we parted at the airport. He had solemnly shared his email passwords and calendar with me, promising that this way, we would always be synchronized. No distance, no misunderstandings. "Complete honesty is the only way we survive the distance," he had said, his eyes full of tenderness. But for the past few years, I had been so drowning in lab work and paying off his debts that I never had the time or energy to actually check those shared calendars or emails. Now, acting on instinct, I unlocked my phone and opened his pinned inbox. The most recent automated forward hit me like a physical blow. The subject line read: "VIP Reservation: The Apex Room - Partnership Gala." I stared blankly at the address. It was the most exclusive, astronomically expensive restaurant in the city. Arthur was there right now, spending a beautiful evening with the people he actually valued. Meanwhile, I was left staring at a screen, realizing every ounce of his affection had been a fabricated lie. 2 Holding five-year-old Lily's hand, I walked into the grand lobby of the Sterling Corp headquarters. From a distance, I spotted Arthur standing in the VIP reception area. He was crouched down, gently and patiently tying the shoelaces of a little boy in a sharp miniature suit, looking up occasionally to make the boy giggle. The sight hit me so hard I stopped dead in my tracks. Lily was five years old now. A memory pierced through me—shortly after Lily was born, she had a terrible fever that lasted for three days. She cried non-stop. The doctor told us that a father's soothing presence could help calm her down. But back then, Arthur had just stood by the hospital window, his back to us, and coldly tossed over his shoulder: "I'm not used to being around kids." Even so, Lily had always tried so desperately to get close to him, yet she never received even a shred of warmth in return. Now, watching this man smile with such tender patience at a child from his new family, the truth finally slammed into me. He never lacked the ability to care for a child. He just never had any intention of loving mine. A harsh reprimand snapped me out of my thoughts. I looked down and realized my daughter was no longer holding my hand. I frantically looked around. Lily was standing right in front of Arthur, her little head tilted up, calling out "Daddy" with eyes full of desperate hope. "Daddy, look! I made this for you out of construction paper. It's a special present just for you!" And then, the unthinkable happened. Arthur stared at the little girl with a look of utter bewilderment. He casually batted away the colorful paper Lily was offering him. "What kind of scam is this? Are kids doing shakedowns now?" "I only have one son. I don't know you." The moment the words left his mouth, Arthur impatiently brushed away Lily's tiny hand as she reached for him again. He scooped up the little boy next to him and turned to leave. I sprinted forward, wrapping my arms around a sobbing Lily, and stepped directly into Arthur's path, blocking his exit. "Arthur, what is the meaning of this?" Perhaps he hadn't expected to see me here, or maybe he never imagined I would return to the States without telling him. For a split second, the man froze, his face a canvas of pure, unadulterated shock. A moment later, Arthur tightened his grip on the boy in his arms. When he spoke, his voice was low, carrying a rare tremor of panic and guilt: "How... how are you back?" As he said it, realization seemed to dawn on him. He snapped his head to look at Lily, who was wiping her tears. "Is she... Lily?" My lips twitched into a bitter, hollow smile. She was five years old. And her own father couldn't even recognize her. "Arthur, aren't you going to explain this?" "You..." Before he could answer, a fleet of luxury black SUVs pulled up outside the glass doors of the lobby. A crowd of people stepped out. When I saw the woman leading the group, an involuntary shudder ran through me, and a dull ache settled in my chest. "Sister. It's been a long time." It was Chloe Sinclair. My half-sister. Years ago, she and her father had systematically destroyed my family, driven my mother to an early grave, and pushed me into absolute despair. Meeting Chloe's provocative, triumphant gaze, countless agonizing memories flooded my mind. I couldn't stop my hands from shaking. "Why are we standing out here? It's freezing." Chloe expertly linked her arm through Arthur's. Her tone was intimate, laced with the casual arrogance of a victor. Before I could even speak, she announced loudly, making sure everyone in the lobby could hear: "Sister, Arthur has already told me everything." "You insisted on clinging to him, willing to be the other woman just to stay relevant. But Arthur and I have our own child now. It's time for you to let go." "We've been married for years. Are you really trying to follow in your mother's footsteps and become a homewrecker in someone else's marriage?" The lobby went dead silent. Everyone's eyes were fixed on me, whispering. Some looked at me with blatant disgust and mockery. I clenched my fists so hard my nails dug into my palms. I looked at the man standing beside her and asked, my voice barely a whisper: "Arthur... is this true?" Before he could answer, Lily pulled out of my grasp. She reached into my purse and pulled out our marriage certificate. She threw herself at Arthur's legs, her tiny voice choked with sobs: "Daddy, didn't you marry Mommy? Why do you have a baby with someone else? Did Lily do something bad to make you mad?" "Look, this is your and Mommy's marriage certificate. Mommy carries it with her everywhere." Chloe stepped forward, ignoring the little girl's cries, and snatched the document from Lily's hands. She flipped it open and examined it in front of the crowd. The next second, she held it up and waved it at me, her voice dripping with sarcasm and contempt: "Sister, you really are living in a fantasy world." "This marriage certificate is completely fake. It doesn't even have an official county seal. How much longer were you planning on playing make-believe?" Then, she pulled a genuine, official marriage license from her designer bag and held it up to my face. "Here. Let me show you what a real one looks like." "Oh, by the way, Arthur and I took a video the day we went to City Hall. Want to watch?" She shoved her phone in my face. The video showed the two of them smiling brightly, signing the official registry. On the screen, Arthur's smile was radiant. The sheer joy radiating from him pierced my eyes, forcing hot tears to well up. "Ignore her. Let's go inside." Arthur finally spoke. But when he said it, he didn't even spare me a single glance. Seeing him turn to leave, Lily lunged forward and wrapped her little arms around his leg. "Daddy, please don't leave Lily..." He frowned coldly. He forcefully pried her tiny fingers off his leg, his voice like freezing iron: "I am not your dad." With that, Arthur walked deeper into the grand lobby, not looking back once. 3 I can't remember how I walked out of that suffocating exhibit hall. I only remember pulling Lily into a desperate embrace when Chloe Sinclair appeared in front of me again. She stood on the marble steps, looking down at me from above the crowd, her eyes filled with absolute disdain. "Evelyn Hayes, you were destined to be crushed under my heel for the rest of your life." She waved a VIP auction paddle in her hand. The charity painting that had originally been named after my family—my child and me—had just been bought by her for an astronomical sum. The applause and murmurs from the crowd surrounded us, as if the entire world had gathered just to witness my humiliation. Chloe smiled, taking her time as she handed over a signed receipt, her voice sounding like a judge delivering a sentence: "Did you really think anyone here would validate your little delusion of a family? Your pathetic memories and fake photos mean absolutely nothing in the real world." I held my daughter tight, a freezing chill spreading through my chest. Still crying, Lily pulled a crumpled photograph from her backpack—our only family photo—and held it up to the crowd, her voice trembling but defiant: "This is Mommy and me's home! We really were here, and we really loved Daddy..." Chloe let out a sharp, cruel laugh. She snatched the photo, threw it onto the pavement, and ground her stiletto heel into it. "Art is a mirror of reality. You two were erased from the picture a long time ago, and you certainly don't exist in this family." Her words sliced through my dignity like a scalpel. And Arthur, from beginning to end, never looked back. He just led his new family into the glittering, wealthy crowd. I stood outside the massive glass doors of the exhibit hall, holding my weeping daughter. In that moment, I realized that every single shred of warmth we had ever clung to had been ruthlessly, permanently stripped away. That night, after finally coaxing Lily to sleep, I collapsed onto the sofa in my study. My phone lit up. It was a text from Arthur: "Things got out of hand today. Don't overthink it." Reading those words, a wave of unspeakable bitterness surged up my throat, choking me. Arthur was always like this. He would shove you off a cliff, then toss down a crumb of comfort once you hit the bottom. The phone buzzed again. This time, it was Chloe: "Since you're back, come to the corporate office tomorrow. It's time we finally settled the inheritance issue once and for all." Looking at my sleeping daughter, I took a deep, silent breath, picked up my phone, and called my best friend. "Hey, it's late. What's up?" "Are you free tomorrow? Can you watch Lily for the day?" "Lily? Since when do you have a daughter? With who?" I paused for a second. "Arthur." The line went dead quiet before my friend's shocked voice exploded: "Arthur Sterling?! Didn't you guys break up seven years ago? How do you have a kid with him?" "And if I remember correctly, Arthur has been married to someone else for years!" She paused, as if suddenly connecting the dots. "Girl... please tell me you didn't love him so much you agreed to be his mistress..." The corner of my mouth twitched, but I couldn't form a smile. My eyes felt like they were made of ice. "It turns out... from the very beginning, I was the only one living in a lie." 4 After ending the video conference with Arthur, I sat frozen, staring at my laptop screen. A string of messages from him popped up, leaving my mind entirely blank. The first was an address to a new corporate housing unit. "I'm swamped with work right now. You and Lily should move back into the apartment you were renting." "Starting tomorrow, organize the physical archives in the office. Bring me lunch in the conference room at noon. I still prefer your cooking." "Also, the day after tomorrow is Chloe's birthday. As her older sister, don't forget to prepare a nice gift." As the messages rolled in, a blind, suffocating rage rushed straight to my head. Even now, Arthur offered absolutely zero explanation. Instead, he seamlessly slipped back into ordering me around like an unpaid servant, acting as if nothing had happened. He had even forgotten that today was Lily's birthday. My fingers trembling slightly, I slowly typed out my response: "Arthur, do you even remember what day today is?" The chat went silent. He didn't reply. Exhausted to my bones, I rested my head against the sofa and somehow drifted off to sleep. The next morning, while I was still half-asleep, I heard Lily's cheerful voice right next to my ear: "Mommy, look! Daddy sent you a reward voucher!" I took the phone on instinct. Arthur had finally replied sometime in the early hours of the morning: "What day? Are you short on money again? You don't need to make up excuses if you want an allowance. Don't forget to use the digital voucher the company gave you." Lily had already excitedly clicked the link to redeem the "reward." It was a $2.50 digital gift card for the company cafeteria. It wasn't even enough to buy the cheapest coffee on the menu. 5 Carrying a massive stack of project reports, I pushed open the doors to the press conference. Everyone was already seated. Chloe sat dead center on the main stage, looking every bit the confident, decisive executive. Seeing me walk in, the corner of her lips quirked up. "Since everyone is here, let's officially begin." She scanned the room, her tone authoritative. "As you all remember, ten years ago, my father's dying wish stated clearly: Whoever launches an autonomous AI medical system first will be the true leader of this corporation's future." "Today, I am proud to announce that under my leadership, our team has successfully completed the development of this system." "This breakthrough would not have been possible without the support and collaboration of a very important person." Chloe's eyes locked onto me as she continued, "Now, please welcome my brother-in-law, Arthur Sterling, to present the development history and technical highlights of our AI medical system." The moment she finished speaking. Arthur, dressed in a sharp charcoal suit, confidently strode up to the podium in the multimedia hall. He opened the PowerPoint and flawlessly presented the data to the gathered media and investors. Every single slide, every data point projected on that screen, was the blood, sweat, and tears I had poured into my non-profit educational tech initiatives over the last five years. I couldn't hold back anymore. I rushed to the front, grabbed Arthur's arm, my eyes red and my voice a suppressed, furious hiss: "Arthur, what the hell are you doing?" But the next second, he forcefully shook off my grip. He turned to face the audience and the cameras, his voice cool and unwavering: "Ladies and gentlemen, there is a matter I must clarify publicly today." "A year ago, Chloe and I co-founded the smart remote learning initiative. While Evelyn Hayes was involved in the preliminary research, the core breakthroughs that made this system possible were achieved by our joint team." "However, I am fully aware that this system was originally built upon the foundation of Evelyn's years of non-profit work and trial-and-error. I believe her contributions are valid and deserve recognition." Low murmurs rippled through the hall. Some questioned my actual involvement, while others showered Arthur and Chloe with praise for their "generosity." I looked up at Arthur from the crowd. Our eyes met, but he quickly looked away, refusing to engage. For years, I had poured every ounce of my energy into advancing educational equality through tech. I had been entirely transparent with Arthur about every single step. He knew better than anyone how important this project was to me, and he knew exactly how much suffering it had cost me. I never imagined he would trample on my trust and publicly team up with someone else to discredit my life's work. I was about to speak up and defend myself when my phone suddenly vibrated in my pocket. It was my best friend. She was panicked. Lily was missing. I forgot about the conference, the project, everything. I scrambled toward the exit in a blind panic, but Arthur grabbed my arm, stopping me: "Evelyn, you owe Chloe an apology!" "Arthur, your daughter is missing!" I screamed at him, my eyes blazing red. The color instantly drained from Arthur's face. Panic finally broke through his calm facade: "Lily? What happened to Lily?" Chloe quickly rushed over, grabbing his hand and whispering soothingly: "It's fine, it's fine. The nanny just texted me. She said Lily is just fast asleep at home." Hearing this, Arthur let out a massive sigh of relief, his posture relaxing completely. Looking at the man who could switch his concern off so effortlessly, I gritted my teeth, ripped my arm away, and bolted out of the hall. I left him with one final sentence: "Arthur, you don't even deserve to be called a father!"
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