I lived twenty-something years before I suddenly realized I was the villainess in a romance novel. The heroine was naive and kind, eternally loved by everyone. I, on the other hand, was the gloomy creature crawling in the dark, doing every wicked thing imaginable. Thinking back on my past behavior, I felt like I’d been struck by lightning. So, I did the only logical thing: I packed my bags and ran away with the baby I had just discovered was growing inside me. I never expected that four years later, just as I was watching the news about my perfect sister running away from her wedding, I would receive a call from the Male Lead. "Hello? Where are you? I miss you." 01 I loathed my father. He abandoned my mother for fame and fortune, only to hypocritically bring me home after she died. He always spoke to me with an air of charity, as if acknowledging my existence was a gift from God. I hated him, and naturally, I hated his new family. But hatred is the most useless thing in the world. My younger sister, Lily, was pampered from birth. She was soft, sweet, and kind. Anyone who met her couldn't help but want to be close to her. I was just the foil. The shadow to her light. Consumed by jealousy, I made many mistakes. I even threw myself at the Male Lead, seducing him in a desperate bid for attention. But when I found myself in a clinic, realizing there was a tiny life inside me, I re-evaluated my entire existence. I decided to quit the game. I took my unborn child and left that city for good. Time flows like water. I spent four years hiding with a child I "shouldn't" have had. Just as my life was stabilizing, I saw the news. Lily had fled her wedding. The news anchor read my sister's name in that practiced, serious tone, and for a moment, I was in a daze. My phone rang. I picked up. It was a drunk, raspy voice I hadn't heard in years. "I miss you." 02 I looked at Lily’s photo on the TV, then remembered the look of disgust on that man’s face the first time he saw me. What did he mean? Did he want to drag me back into that abyss of pain? I replied calmly, "I'm sorry, you have the wrong number." I turned off my phone and fed my sweet boy, Leo. Only after he was asleep did I turn it back on. Dozens of missed calls. Because Lily left, he suddenly remembered the half-sister who shared her blood? "Do you even deserve to bleed the same blood as her?" I still remembered him whispering that in my ear years ago. So why look for me now? Or did he know about Leo? Was he coming to take my son? I gritted my teeth. I would never go back to those days of fighting for scraps of affection, of being a pawn in their games. I packed overnight. We were moving first thing in the morning. If he was looking for me, I didn't have much time. I felt terrible for Leo. I had promised him that once he started preschool, we wouldn't move anymore. I wasn't a good mother. I broke my promise again. 03 The new city I chose was a small, quiet town in the Pacific Northwest. It turned out to be a good decision. Leo loved his new preschool and even made friends. Our landlord was a kind older man named Arthur who owned the bakery downstairs. I worked as a pastry chef in his shop. Arthur had a daughter about Leo's age. In my free time, we often talked about the kids. "Leo's father... what kind of man was he?" Arthur asked one day while we were kneading dough. I immediately recalled a man with a personality like dynamite—one spark and he'd explode. The years I spent entangled with him were hardly pleasant. "Let's just say he's dead," I said calmly. Arthur paused, stunned. But he was a man of boundaries. He sensed my discomfort and offered a gentle smile. "That... must have been hard for you." Actually, it was fine. Being a single mother in the modern world was easier than I imagined, even if my morning sickness had been ten times worse than the internet said. Since my mother died, I had nothing. My father detested me. That house was my prison, not my home. Leo wasn't born to my father, and certainly not to my "boyfriend." In this world, only Leo wouldn't abandon me. He wouldn't hurt me. He would just hug me and sweetly call me "Mommy." As long as I had him, I feared nothing. Perhaps the loneliness on my face was too obvious. Arthur laughed heartily. "It's just a dead man! Don't worry, I'll introduce you to someone better!" I didn't know when it happened, but Arthur's bright smile gave me strength. He was like family. If only I really had a brother like him. I smiled and agreed. Finding a dad for Leo... it wasn't a bad option. Single-parent households... they do affect children eventually. 04 Life in the small town was stable and slow. Everyone took their time. I thought living here forever wouldn't be a bad thing. Until that man, Leo's father, appeared. When I saw him, he was chatting and laughing with Arthur. My heart plummeted into my stomach. How did he find me? His leg was in a cast. Standing next to him, laughing happily, was Leo. Blood rushed to my brain. For a few seconds, I thought my heart had stopped. He saw Leo. Was he going to take him? If he wanted custody, with the Sterling family's power, I wouldn't stand a chance. My mind raced. Finally, my heart restarted, and blood began to flow again. I forced myself to calm down. Don't panic. Nothing has happened yet. Getting rid of him is the priority. I walked slowly into the shop. I picked Leo up. He saw me instantly. He was broader now, his features sharper, more rugged. He had shed his youthful arrogance for a heavy, steady presence. He stared at me without blinking. His pupils constricted, his breathing quickened. He tried to stand, but I immediately carried Leo to Arthur's side and gently nudged Arthur with my elbow. I leaned against Arthur naturally. "Caleb," I said. "Long time no see." Caleb’s gaze was like a blade. His voice was ice-cold. "Who is he?" I responded politely, just as I would have years ago. "I don't think that's any of your business." Arthur, bless his heart, was emotionally dense. Seeing the tension, he tried to smooth things over. Just then, a sleepy voice drifted from the stairwell behind the kitchen. "Daddy, it's so loud..." It was Arthur's daughter! Leo looked up from my arms, saw her, and grinned, his eyes turning into crescents. "Sissy!" Ha. Divine intervention. The scene was perfect. Arthur's daughter called him Daddy. Leo called her Sissy. I was Leo's mom. To an outsider who didn't know the facts, we were a happy family of four. Caleb’s face turned green. "Daddy? Son? Daughter?" I smiled. "Naturally." Dense Arthur finally found his brain. "Is he... wait, isn't he the dead guy?" Caleb’s face went from green to black. "Dead?!" I nodded at Arthur. "Don't worry, he's leaving right now." Caleb stared at me, jaw clenched so hard a vein popped. He forced out a smile that looked like he wanted to set my face on fire. "Vivian. Is this how you greet an old friend?" I knew that look. He was in his "burn it all down" phase. I nudged Arthur again, signaling him to get the kids out of the blast zone. Once they were gone, I calmly reminded him that I had broken up with him years ago. And, to be precise, we were never officially together. "Our relationship should have ended a long time ago," I repeated the words he once used on me. "Those were your words. I don't understand what I still owe you." He choked on the memory, his chest heaving. "If you loved me, why did you leave without a word? Do you know how long I looked for you? I finally got your number, and you said 'wrong number'! I crashed my car on the way here trying to find you. I broke my leg. And you? You dumped me, and now you're playing happy family with... him?" "Vivian," he hissed, "you said you loved me. Is this how you love someone?!" I was confused by his barrage of accusations. I didn't understand where this vague sense of grievance was coming from. I thought back to the past. Yes... I did tell him I "liked" him. Drugging someone was already shameful. To save my life, I had to invent a script: I had a crush on him for years but couldn't have him, so I resorted to desperate measures. If I said I had a crush, maybe he wouldn't kill me. If he knew I was actually targeting his brother, I would have been torn to shreds right then and there. But that was just an excuse. He never cared about my "like." He despised me, constantly calling me a liar. Why was he obsessing over my old lies now? Surely he didn't believe them? So many people lined up to love him. Did he really need one more? "Lily is gone. I suppose you missed her. But..." He looked like he was laughing and crying at the same time. "You really gave me a surprise..." Where did he get the confidence that I would wait for him forever? I looked at this man with a sense of resignation. "I knew you for ten years. I was by your side for two. If you had ever cared about me, if you had ever treated me well, we wouldn't be standing here today." I was so starved for affection back then. If he had given me even an ounce of tenderness, even knowing it was hopeless, I would have flown into the fire like a moth. But he never did. He despised me like everyone else. Worse, actually—others ignored me. He slept with me and then despised me. He gritted his teeth, pronouncing every word. "I didn't treat you well? For you, I even..." My heart rate spiked, a ringing filled my ears. He cornered me against the counter. I couldn't hold on anymore. I couldn't hear his last few words. I slid toward the floor. Panic flashed across his face. He tried to grab me, but lost his crutch and fell with me, cushioning my fall with his own body. It took me a few minutes to come to. Arthur had rushed back in and was pulling me up. "It's dark. We're closed. Please leave," Arthur told the man on the floor. Arthur escorted him out of the bakery. That night, holding a cup of hot water, I told Arthur the rough outline. He sighed. "So what now? You lied to him about us being a family. Are you and Leo staying in the shop tonight?" The second floor was Arthur's home. I had already caused him enough trouble. I declined his offer and took Leo back to our apartment. I thought it would be fine. It was wishful thinking. My rationality told me that. I should leave. I should take Leo and run as far as possible. But I couldn't bear to make Leo sad. He had just adjusted. He loved it here. He had friends. He told me excited stories about preschool every day... I didn't want to be the bad mom who ruined his life again. Besides... where could we run? That man was crazy. If he wanted to find me, I would be found. I had insomnia. I tossed and turned until Leo groggily patted my face. "Mommy, sleep." I kissed his cheek, closed my eyes obediently, and lay awake all night.
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