Emerging from the asylum, I found myself driving for hire. Never in a million years did I imagine tonight’s passengers would be my sister, Lydia, and my ex-wife, Cici. The car door opened, and a familiar perfume, mingled with the sharp scent of alcohol, wafted in. From the backseat, they chatted about corporate mergers and Swiss ski trips, their voices light and carefree. My throat felt dry. I couldn't help but cough. “Still taking fares when you’re sick?” Lydia’s voice instantly cut through the air, laced with disdain. “There’s a pregnant woman in the car. Can you really afford to spread your illness?” I didn't respond. Then, Cici suddenly looked up, her gaze meeting mine in the rearview mirror. Her voice was as gentle and composed as ever. “Aiden Caldwell, long time no see.” A suffocating silence descended on the car. “Aiden Caldwell?!” Lydia lurched forward. “You’re actually alive?!” “Cici, don’t you remember he had that… disease? Get out, quickly!” The car conveniently pulled to a stop in front of a sprawling luxury mansion. They practically fled, disappearing into the night. I sat in the car, my hand slowly pressing against my chest. Turns out, it didn’t ache here anymore. Time truly does smooth over everything. 1 I watched my sister, Lydia, rush away, pulling Cici along. “Cici, have you lost your mind? He had that awful disease! Come on, let’s just pretend we saw nothing tonight…” I sat in the driver’s seat, my hands trembling slightly. I fumbled for my cigarette pack, pulled one out, and lit it. Once, I’d smoked cigars worth thousands without a second thought. Now… The moment the cigarette ignited, I choked, bending over in a coughing fit. The car window was gently tapped. Cici had somehow returned, standing beside the car. She leaned in slightly, her voice hushed. “Aiden, it’s Julian’s birthday today. Mom and Dad are there. Do you… want to come in and see them?” I snuffed out the cigarette, my voice hoarse. “No need. Aren’t things clearer with one less person around?” “Don’t say that.” She gently shook her head. “You are, after all, a true Caldwell.” Before her words faded, the villa door swung open. A man strode out. “Cici! Who are you talking to?” “Didn’t I tell you not to bother with those shady characters from outside?” I didn't listen any further. I slammed my foot on the accelerator and sped off. The cold wind swept through the car, making me shiver. The car finally stopped in front of a small pastry shop. The apprentice, Liam, pushed aside the curtain and stepped out, a smile on his face. “Boss, you’re back.” My second job began. Kneading dough, rolling wrappers, filling pastries, steaming them. After finishing all the work, I’d lie down for barely three or four hours before having to get up and drive again. These past years, I’d forgotten how to sleep. At three in the morning, the steam from the pastry shop finally dissipated. Liam squatted by the door, scrolling on his phone, and suddenly let out a “Tsk.” “Wow! Boss, look! The Caldwells are throwing a huge yacht party for their adopted son’s birthday! What a spectacle… And his wife is stunning.” The camera panned across the deck. Julian Caldwell was holding Cici by the waist, whispering something into her ear. She smiled beautifully, as beautiful as she had been on our wedding day. My father stood nearby, lovingly patting Julian’s shoulder. “Heard the Caldwell’s second son passed away eight years ago,” Liam mumbled casually. “Otherwise, none of this would be inherited by the adopted son, would it? It’s fate, I guess…” He sighed, envy coloring his face. “Forget houses, how many years would we have to sell pastries just to buy one of their car tires?” I looked at him and shook my head. That life, I knew it too well. But eight years ago, I was brutally kicked from those clouds straight into hell. The hands that pushed me down—one pair belonged to my new bride, the other, to my own family. 2 I lit a cigarette, taking a deep drag. Liam, wiping down tables, looked up at me. “Boss, your cough is getting worse. You should smoke less.” I rasped, “Can’t quit.” He sighed, turning back to his tidying, sweeping with a feather duster. “Boss, New Year’s is coming. I’m heading back to my hometown in a couple of days, so I’ll clean up the shop first.” As the duster reached under the bed, it suddenly hit something hard. He pulled out a dust-covered box. Opening it, he found a ring inside. Even the dust couldn't dim its shine. “Boss, this looks really expensive,” Liam said, carefully holding it. “You should keep it safe.” He handed me the box. The moment my fingertips brushed the edge, I flinched back as if burned. Eight years ago, I had personally placed this ring on Cici’s finger. Memories flooded back. Once, she was just a little girl who had crawled out of earthquake ruins. My father and I were surveying the village and found her amidst the rubble. Seeing her plight, I sponsored her education. She wrote to me every month, her feelings in those letters growing clearer with each passing year. Later, I bought her a phone. She confessed her feelings over the phone, and I refused. She didn't pester me, but instead studied harder, getting into a prestigious university abroad. When she returned, she was parachuted in as the youngest department manager in the company. Standing before me again, she said, “Aiden Caldwell, do I deserve you now?” This time, I nodded. News of my impending marriage reached home, and my father smashed his favorite teapot, my mother cried all night. I knelt in the family chapel for three days, eventually swaying them. On our wedding day, I announced her name to the world. The wedding dress was custom-made by a designer I hired for her, and I personally placed the ring on her finger. After the wedding, I gradually let her take over company affairs, transferring my shares, little by little, into her name. But at some point, fierce arguments began to erupt between her and my adopted brother, Julian Caldwell. They often bickered incessantly over projects. Cici once directly threw a cup of coffee in Julian’s face, sealing their animosity. I advised Julian to be more accommodating with Cici, but he just sneered at me. “Your taste in women is truly terrible.” I thought these two would remain at odds forever. Until I saw Julian wearing the same brand of clothes as me—a brand I frequently wore. Cici, unperturbed, said, “The store had a buy-one-get-one-free offer, so I picked one up for Julian too.” I was even happy when their relationship seemed to mend. Later, when Cici was kidnapped by a competitor, the first to rush to her rescue was Julian. When I arrived, I saw him tightly embracing a tear-streaked Cici. My heart felt heavy, but I said nothing. Cici later explained, “I was terrified then. No matter who arrived first, I would have reacted the same way.” The day after our wedding, I flew abroad for an urgent project. When I returned, I didn't tell her, wanting to surprise her. I quietly walked to the glass conservatory I had given her. And then, I witnessed a sight I would never forget. My adopted brother, Julian Caldwell, had my new wife, Cici, pressed against the transparent glass. Their bodies were intimately entwined, the conservatory filled with an illicit spring glow. The gift box in my hand fell to the ground with a ‘thud.’ 3 I rushed forward and landed a solid punch on Julian. Cici frantically dressed, grabbing my arm. “Aiden, let me explain!” “Explain?” I shook off her hand. “Explain how you two ended up together? Do you think I’m blind?” I looked at Julian, then at Cici. In my extreme fury, a ridiculous glimmer of hope still remained—perhaps she was just momentarily confused. I extended my hand to Cici. “Come here. I’ll give you one last chance.” The moment she moved, Julian yanked her back behind him. My brother, who had always been so gentle with me, now had eyes filled with disgust. He looked at me and said clearly, “Aiden, I’m sorry. But Cici and I are truly in love.” “Just let her go.” I swung a punch at his face, and blood immediately gushed out. Cici shrieked, then raised her hand and slapped me across the face. After hitting me, even she seemed stunned. I looked at the fresh hickeys on her neck and suddenly felt a chill spread through my body. Julian wiped the blood, a cold smirk on his face. “Aiden Caldwell, what else can you do besides resort to violence? Face reality.” He paused, then each word landed like a blow. “And, she’s already carrying my child.” The last thread in my mind snapped. Julian and I lunged at each other. Cici rushed in to intervene, but I accidentally pushed her away with force. She fell heavily to the ground, and a pool of blood quickly spread beneath her. She had miscarried. In the hospital, my mother continuously wiped away tears. My father, his face grim, finally spoke. “Aiden, you were too impulsive. No matter how angry you are, you shouldn’t lay hands on a pregnant woman.” I looked at them, finding it all absurd. “She was carrying Julian’s child. A bastard with no blood ties to the Caldwell family, and you still want it?” “Silence!” My father roared, his cane striking my calf with brutal force. My leg buckled, and I crashed to my knees. My father’s chest heaved as he pointed his cane at me. “You animal, listen carefully!” “Julian’s father was a brother I fought alongside on the battlefield, a man who took a bullet for me! Before he died, he entrusted me with only one thing: to care for his only son!” He looked down at me. “In your mother’s and my heart, Julian is a Caldwell! If you dare touch him again, I won’t need anyone else; I’ll break your legs myself!” I knelt there, the pain in my leg nothing compared to the cold spreading through my heart. Turns out, twenty years of father-son affection couldn’t outweigh a single dying wish. My father sternly scolded, “Still talking back! If you hadn’t been so neglectful of Cici, how would she have ended up with Julian? You’ve been headstrong and willful since childhood, nothing like your brother, who is steady and sensible! Apologize to your brother!” Lydia chimed in. “Aiden, since Julian and Cici are truly in love, why don’t you just let them be?” “Dad!” my voice trembled. “His feelings are important, but can your biological son’s dignity be trampled so casually?!” I looked up, catching Julian and Cici exchanging glances. That fleeting moment of intimacy shattered my last shred of illusion. I abruptly stood up and rushed to the hospital bed, grabbing Cici’s wrist and dragging her off. “Let’s go! Let’s get out of here. I won’t hold anything against you!” Cici shrieked, falling to the floor. She grabbed the vase from the bedside table and violently smashed it over my head. “Let go of me!” The porcelain shattered on my scalp, blood mixed with cold water streaming down my face. My father’s bodyguards instantly rushed in, pinning my arms behind my back and forcing me to the ground. “Mad! He’s truly mad!” my father roared. “Send him to psychiatry! Lock him up and let him clear his head!” As I was pressed to the ground, the last thing I saw was Julian carefully shielding Cici in his embrace. I was sent to a mental asylum. Under the effects of sedatives, time became a blur. During my daily one-hour TV time, I always saw news of Julian and Cici. They had gone to the Maldives with my sister, their smiles blinding. I knew that if I kept resisting, I’d never get out. I started to be compliant, taking my medication diligently, accepting “treatment” on schedule. On the day of my discharge, Julian personally drove to pick me up. Cici sat in the passenger seat, and Lydia accompanied me in the back. The car drove for a long time before Lydia suddenly spoke. “Aiden, when I visited you last time, you’d already signed the divorce papers. This morning, Cici and Julian officially registered their marriage.” She shook her phone, the screen displaying their wedding photo. I felt a dizzy spell; I had no recollection of ever signing anything. “Stop the car!” “Aiden!” Lydia frowned in annoyance. “Can you please stop making a scene? Look at Julian, always so composed. No wonder Mom and Dad decided to hand the entire company over to him.” I suddenly grabbed the back of the front seat. “What about my shares?” Cici turned around, her voice still gentle. “Aiden, you were deemed mentally incapacitated during your illness. Mom and Dad thought it was for your own good to temporarily entrust your shares to Julian.” “That was my life’s work!” I stared at the back of Julian’s head. He scoffed. “Aiden, you don’t have the capability. Isn’t it better to just be a rich idler?” I looked at the people in the car. My wife, my “brother,” my sister. “Stop the car,” my voice was very soft. “Otherwise…” I suddenly leaned forward, grabbing a handful of Julian’s hair and yanking hard!
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