I was a widow to Carter Hayes for thirty years. He was a national hero, a titan of scientific research, honored endlessly after his death. Everyone praised my devotion, calling me the great woman behind the great man. I believed them. That was, until I was sorting through his belongings and found a yellowed, faded acceptance letter locked inside his personal diary. The name printed on it was mine. In his diary, he wrote about his overwhelming guilt toward Olivia Bennett. He wrote that her family had saved his, that he owed her his life, and the only way to repay that debt was to steal my acceptance letter and give it to her. I was meant to be a scholar at the top university in the country, but instead, I was trapped by my husband in a kitchen built on lies for thirty years! My heart felt like it was being crushed into dust. My vision went black. When I opened my eyes again, the youthful face of Carter Hayes was hovering over me, filled with concern. "Chloe, what's wrong? You're so pale." I was back. I had returned to exactly seven days before college orientation. Chapter 1 I stared at him. His eyes were full of worry, and he reached out a hand to check my forehead for a fever. I swatted it away. "I'm fine. Just a nightmare." He froze for a second, then chuckled. "Silly girl. Dreams are the opposite of reality." He placed a bowl of warm oatmeal on my desk. "Eat up. When you're done, I'll walk with you to the post office to ask about your acceptance letter." In my previous life, he said the exact same thing. He wasn't walking with me to ask; he was going to confirm the mail carrier's route so he could intercept my letter halfway. I took a bite of the oatmeal and asked, "Carter, do you still have my birth certificate and Social Security card?" "Yeah," he nodded. "Your parents trust me, so they had me hold onto our important documents together. Why?" "I want them back. I'm practically an adult now. I can't rely on you forever." Carter's hand paused. He looked up, studying me closely. In the past, I used to cling to him like a shadow. "Chloe," his voice sounded a bit hurt, "Don't you trust me?" "I do." I looked him dead in the eye. "But I want to learn how to manage my own life." He scrutinized me for a long moment before finally nodding. "Alright. I'll give them to you after breakfast." After we ate, he brought over a manila envelope. I took it and pulled out my documents. In thirty years, these exact papers would be sitting in the dusty safe in his study. "Thanks." I gripped the envelope, walked back into my room, and locked it in the very bottom of my trunk. Carter's voice followed me from the hallway. "Chloe, you're acting a little different today." I didn't even turn my head. "I grew up." That evening, as soon as my parents walked through the door, I placed the envelope on the dining table. "Mom, Dad, these are our family's documents. From now on, we keep them ourselves." My parents exchanged a look but didn't ask questions. They just smiled and said, "Alright, our little girl is growing up." Late that night, I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, wide awake. Through the thin walls, I could hear rustling noises from next door. It was Carter, digging through his things. I let out a cold smirk, too lazy to care what he was plotting. In this lifetime, no one was going to touch my MIT acceptance letter. 2 At the crack of dawn, Carter knocked on my front door. "Chloe, Olivia is here." Olivia Bennett. In my past life, she was the one who stole my spot at the university. Carter and I grew up in the same neighborhood cul-de-sac. Olivia lived on the other side of town, not particularly close, but she was always finding excuses to hang around our street. I pulled the front door open. She stood on the porch, giving me a timid, fragile smile. She was always sickly, always playing the fragile victim. In my past life, Carter exhausted every avenue to get her into college, while I became an uneducated housewife. "Morning," I said flatly, stepping aside to let her in. In the living room, Carter handed Olivia a cup of hot tea. He had specifically stirred in extra honey. His voice carried a tenderness I had never heard him use with me: "What brings you by so early today?" Olivia held the mug with both hands, her voice soft and wispy. "My parents wanted me to ask... about the acceptance letters..." "Soon," Carter reassured her gently. "With your scores, getting into college is a sure thing." When he said that, his eyes never left Olivia's face. I was far too familiar with that look. In my past life, whenever he looked at me like that, I thought it was love. Now I knew better. It was nothing but guilt and a desperate need to compensate. My mom walked out of the kitchen. Seeing Olivia, she immediately put on a warm smile. "Olivia, sweetie! Have you had breakfast?" "I ate, Mrs. Evans." "Carter," my mom signaled him with her eyes, "Give Olivia the bacon from your plate. She needs her strength." Without a word of protest, Carter transferred his food onto her plate. "Eat up." Olivia quickly shot me a sidelong glance. "I couldn't possibly..." "It's fine, eat it," Carter waved his hand. "I'm a guy, I don't need much." I watched them in silence. It was the same in my past life. Everyone thought Olivia was pathetic. Everyone thought I should yield to her. "I'm full." I put down my fork, walked into my room, and shut the door. Outside, I heard my mom lower her voice. "What's gotten into her?" Carter's voice was soft. "She might just be in a bad mood, Mrs. Evans. I'll go check on her." He knocked on my door. "Chloe, open up." I ignored him. "Don't be mad. I'll make you more bacon later." I still ignored him. He stood outside my door for a long time before finally walking away. I walked over to my window and watched him and Olivia leave the neighborhood together. He tilted his head down to speak to her, and she kept her head bowed, a faint blush on her cheeks. They looked like a perfect couple. I was the one who looked like the third wheel. 3 Carter didn't come back all day. He walked in at dusk, looking exhausted. "Where were you?" I asked. "There was an accident at Olivia's house. Her dad broke his leg at the factory. I had to help get him to the hospital." "Oh." He looked at me. "Are you still mad about this morning?" "No." "Olivia's health is already so fragile, and now with Mr. Bennett's accident... sigh." He ran a hand through his hair. "We should help them out as much as we can." In my past life, he said the exact same thing. The Bennett family used that exact excuse to chain him down for a lifetime, which in turn chained me down. "Carter," I looked at him, "Do you have feelings for Olivia?" He stiffened. "Chloe, what kind of nonsense is that?" "Then why do you treat her better than you treat me?" I cut him off. "You give her your food, you cater to her, and the second her family has an issue, you run faster than anyone else. Carter, you can't lie to me." He fell silent. After a long time, he finally spoke, his voice gravelly. "It's not what you think. Our families... we have a deep history. My dad told me that the Bennetts saved our lives." "Saved your lives?" "Yeah. My dad said the Hayes family owes the Bennetts a debt in this lifetime, and we absolutely must repay it." I stared at him. There was no trace of deception on his face. "So, how are you going to repay it?" I asked. He avoided my gaze. "I'll figure something out." I sneered inwardly. Your 'something' is stealing my college acceptance letter to give to her? "Carter," I said, emphasizing every syllable. "You can never pay off a debt by stealing someone else's life." The color drained from his face. "What exactly are you trying to say?" "Nothing. I'm tired." A life-saving debt. What a heavy, noble excuse. Carter Hayes, you thought you were a hero, but you were just a cowardly thief. The next day, I went to the local public library. In the microfiche archives of the County Gazette, buried in a corner from over a decade ago, I found a tiny article: [Accident at Local Steel Mill: Gas leak in worker housing. Neighbor, Mr. Bennett, assists Hayes family in evacuating. Minor injuries reported.] The timeline, location, and last names all matched perfectly. The so-called "life-saving debt" was just a neighbor helping them walk out of a building during a minor gas leak. I printed a copy of the article. On my way home, I saw Carter standing outside his house talking to Olivia. Her eyes were red, and she was crying while he comforted her incessantly. I walked past them without any expression. "Chloe!" Carter called out, stopping me. I halted. "Where did you go?" "The library." Seeing me, Olivia immediately wiped her tears and took a few steps back. "Chloe, please don't misunderstand..." "What exactly am I misunderstanding?" She was stunned by my bluntness. Carter frowned. "Chloe, Olivia's family is going through a crisis. She's upset." "What does her family's crisis have to do with me? Because she's sad, the whole world is supposed to coddle her?" "Chloe Evans!" Carter raised his voice. It was the first time he had ever used my full name in anger. "When did you become so cold?" "I used to be an idiot who believed everything you said. Now I'm not, and you can't handle it?" Carter's lips parted, but no words came out. "Carter, it's all my fault..." Olivia's tears spilled over again, and she turned and ran. But the very next day, she was back. This time, she ran straight into our cul-de-sac and threw herself at Carter's feet, sobbing hysterically. She cried that her father's leg was shattered, the factory refused to cover the medical bills, and her family didn't have a single dime left. Carter was heartbroken. He wanted to give her money right then and there. But he was just a student; he didn't have a penny to his name. He paced around frantically. Then, his eyes landed on my wrist. Resting there was a vintage gold locket bracelet, an heirloom my mother had given me. "Chloe," he started, his voice dry. "Your bracelet... can we pawn it just for an emergency? I swear I'll buy it back for you!" Olivia's sobbing paused for a fraction of a second, her eyes darting toward my wrist. "No. It's a family heirloom from my mother." I rejected him without a second thought. Carter grew desperate. He took a step toward me. "Chloe, this is a matter of life and death! Just consider it a loan!" "That is my property!" "Chloe Evans!" he roared, reaching out to grab my wrist. His grip was incredibly strong. "Just give it to me first, I'll pay you back, I swear!" He didn't even look me in the eye. His other hand violently yanked at the bracelet. The gold scraped painfully against my wrist bone. No matter how hard I struggled, I couldn't break free. He forcefully stripped the bracelet off my arm. A bright red, bruising mark was left behind on my skin. He snatched the jewelry, didn't even glance back at me, and shoved it into Olivia's hands. "Hurry, go to the hospital!" Olivia muttered "I shouldn't..." but her eyes were glittering with greedy satisfaction. I knew exactly how her mind worked. She had envied me since we were kids. She was jealous that I was healthier, jealous that my grades were better, jealous that I had everything she didn't. To her, the world was inherently unfair. She believed she was entitled to a share of everything I possessed. And she used that tiny favor her father did for the Hayes family as her ultimate bargaining chip. When Carter returned from seeing her off, he actively avoided my gaze. I looked down at the angry red mark on my wrist. The skin was burning, but my heart felt like it was encased in ice. 4 A few days later, the acceptance letters finally arrived. The mail carrier was shouting from the end of the street, "Carter Hayes! Chloe Evans! Certified mail!" Carter was the first one to sprint out of his house. By the time I walked outside, his back was to me. He was gripping two envelopes, his shoulders trembling slightly. He tore his open. State College. The other envelope had the Massachusetts Institute of Technology crest stamped in bold letters. Without even looking at it, he shoved it deep into his jacket pocket. He only turned around when he heard my footsteps, forcing a strained smile. "Chloe, my letter came. I got into State." I stared right at him. "Where's mine?" His eyes darted away. "Yours? It probably hasn't arrived yet. We'll just have to wait." The way he looked when he lied was exactly the same as in my past life. "Okay," I said. I didn't expose him right then and there. Instead, I went inside and called my parents to come home immediately. Five minutes later, my parents and Carter's parents all hurried into the cul-de-sac. I had also called Officer Miller from the local precinct, and a few of the neighborhood elders had gathered around, sensing the commotion. Everyone was present. I knocked hard on Carter's door. "Carter, come out here. Everyone is waiting." The door opened. Carter saw the yard full of people and froze. "What is..." My dad stepped forward, his face like thunder. "Carter, is Chloe's acceptance letter in your pocket?" Carter's face drained of color instantly. "Mr. Evans, what are you talking about?" "Drop the act," I said coldly. "Take it out." Every eye in the yard zeroed in on him. He instinctively clutched his jacket pocket. "I don't know what you're talking about!" Officer Miller stepped forward, his tone severe. "Carter, think very carefully. Stealing and withholding someone's federal mail—especially a university acceptance letter—is a felony. If Chloe presses charges, you will go to federal prison." Carter's body began to shake violently. "Carter! What the hell is going on?!" his father roared. Just then, Olivia came sprinting into the yard. "Carter!" She saw the crowd and gasped in shock. "I heard you say the letters arrived, and I..." I laughed. "Olivia, your timing is impeccable. Running all the way over here... were you worried your dear Carter might have misplaced that stolen letter before he could hand it to you?" Chapter 2 Olivia's face turned ashen. Carter looked at her, then at me, and finally at the deeply disappointed faces of the elders surrounding him. He completely collapsed inward. His hand reached into his pocket and slowly pulled out the pristine MIT acceptance letter with my name on it. The moment the letter was revealed, a deathly silence fell over the yard. My dad, shaking with uncontrollable rage, lunged forward and delivered a brutal backhand across Carter's face. "You animal!" Blood trickled from the corner of Carter's mouth, but he didn't even flinch. "Arthur," my dad pointed a shaking finger at Carter's father, "This is the son you raised! Stealing my daughter's future! Is this how the Hayes family repays kindness?!" Arthur Hayes's lips trembled, but he couldn't form a word. "No!" Carter screamed, his voice cracking. "It's because our family owes the Bennetts!" My dad let out a dark, freezing laugh. "Oh, is that so? What life-saving debt?!" He glared at Arthur. "Arthur Hayes, did you forget? When your family was evicted and had nowhere to go, it was my father who took you in! When your wife was deathly ill, it was my mother who emptied our savings to pay her hospital bills! Did you conveniently forget all of that?!" "Just because John Bennett turned off a leaky gas valve, you think you owe them a life? And you decided to use my daughter's entire future to pay for it?!" Both Carter and his father were stunned into absolute silence. "I..." Arthur's face turned a deep, humiliating purple. "I don't care about your family drama," I interjected, my voice cutting through the tension. "I only have one question for Carter." I looked at him with pure disgust. "Is the acceptance letter I earned through years of hard work your property? Do you get to just give it away like a cheap gift?" Carter's lips moved, but not a single sound came out. I stepped past him and stood directly in front of Olivia. "You knew all along, didn't you? You just sat there, waiting comfortably for him to hand you a stolen future." Olivia stumbled backward, babbling incoherently. "No... I didn't know..." "You didn't know?" I pulled the copied newspaper article from my pocket and threw it directly at her face. "What about this? You took a minor neighborhood incident and spun it into a tragic, heroic fairy tale to manipulate Carter for over a decade!" Seeing the newspaper clipping, her legs gave out, and she collapsed onto the dirt. Carter picked up the paper, read it, and his expression shattered completely. "This is..." "A newspaper from over ten years ago," I said flatly. "It states very clearly: a minor gas leak, resolved by a neighbor. Carter, is this your grand 'life-saving debt'?" Carter's face went from flushed red to a sickly white. Officer Miller cleared his throat, stepping in to mediate. "Chloe... look at this situation. Do you want to handle this legally, or settle it privately?" Before I could even answer, Carter's mother rushed forward and dropped heavily to her knees right in front of me. "Chloe! I'm begging you! Can we please settle this between families? Carter just made a stupid, temporary mistake! Please, let him off the hook!" Carter stared at me, his eyes filled with desperate, agonizing pleading. But in my past life, who ever showed me mercy? "I won't press charges." As soon as the words left my mouth, the collective tension in the Hayes family evaporated. I didn't give them time to breathe. "But I have two conditions." "First, Carter, you will write a letter of confession right now. You will admit that you stole my university acceptance letter. Once it's written, it gets pinned to the community bulletin board for everyone to see." "Second, from this day forward, our families have absolutely no relationship. Carter Hayes, never show your face to me again!" The last drop of color drained from his face. He stared at me for a long, agonizing moment before a pathetic, broken smile formed on his lips. He nodded. "Fine. I'll write it." That confession hung on the community bulletin board for three days. Everyone in town knew that the golden boy of the Hayes family was a common thief. Carter didn't step out of his house once. I didn't care. I packed my bags and headed to the train station. On the platform, both my parents were crying. Carter never showed up. Good. The train lurched forward, the platform slowly receding into the distance. From this day forward, I, Chloe Evans, would only live for myself.
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