In our third year of marrying into the Sterling family as best friends, their childhood sweetheart returned. My best friend and I had promised to run away together, but the night before our escape, she jumped from a high-rise building. I called her husband, Caleb, but he only sneered: "Sister-in-law, my brother said if she jumps off a building today, are you going to jump into a river tomorrow?" ... The mockery pierced my eardrums, and my heart sank inch by inch. I looked at Vivian lying in a pool of blood, my voice hoarse. "Caleb, I'm not joking. Vivi... is really dead." A disdainful scoff came through the phone. "Is that so? She's really dead? Then do I have to plan her funeral and cry my eyes out?" "Sister-in-law, just because I call you that, don't think you're actually the matriarch here. Your and Vivian's little mind games are incredibly boring." It was the middle of summer, but I felt freezing cold. Caleb didn't believe Vivian was dead. I should have known. To him, Vivian was just a tool to appease his family. But at the very end, she had still held onto a tiny sliver of hope that he might change his mind. In the end, she was disappointed again. A woman's voice came from his end. "Caleb, why are you on the phone for so long? Hang up and come sing with me." Then came Caleb's gentle, doting voice: "Alright, alright, my little princess. Hanging up now." The sky was pitch black, pressing down on me until I could barely breathe. With hollow eyes, I held Vivian's blood-soaked body. I didn't understand, and I couldn't wrap my head around it. Just yesterday, Vivi was determined to escape the Sterling family with me. Why did she jump tonight? She was terrified of heights and hated pain, yet she leaped from the thirty-something floor. Numbly, I followed the police, and then to the crematorium. In less than a day, the vibrant, living Vivian had been reduced to a square box in my hands. As the sky turned a pale gray, I walked out of the crematorium, clutching her ashes. I only snapped back to reality when a passerby called out to me. "Miss, your phone is ringing." I froze, stiffly pulling out my phone. My vision was blurred with mist; I couldn't read the caller ID. It wasn't until I answered that a deep voice spoke: "You didn't come home last night." I gave a faint "Hmm." Liam's voice grew colder. "What's wrong with your voice? Are you out fooling around with Vivian again? Chloe, I remember warning you to stay away from her." The phone wasn't large, but at that moment, it felt like it weighed a thousand pounds. I took a deep breath, my voice raspy. "Vivian is dead. Liam, you don't have to look down on her anymore." The line went dead for a few seconds. Then, a cold voice replied: "You're playing along with her act now? Chloe, if she 'dies' today, is it your turn to 'die' tomorrow? Or do you just think faking your deaths is a fun game? What a pity, we don't have time to entertain your drama." The call was ruthlessly disconnected. I let out a sigh of relief. If he didn't believe it, so be it. If Vivian could jump from such a high building, she must have been utterly and completely disappointed in the Sterling family, and in Caleb. I wiped the tears from my face and took Vivian to the beach. She had no family, no place to return to. When we were planning our escape, she once said that besides the mountains and rivers, the place she wanted to go most was the ocean. So, I scattered a portion of her ashes into the sea. Just as I let go, a gust of wind swept by, carrying her ashes deeper into the ocean. My eyes suddenly grew hot. "Vivi, is that you?" The wind seemed to understand, brushing gently against my face. I smiled through my tears. "Go on. When all this is over, I'll take you to walk the paths we never got to finish." The wind stopped. Just like how Vivian would never be by my side again. It was noon by the time I returned to the Sterling estate. Surprisingly, both Sterling brothers were home. As soon as I walked in, two sharp gazes locked onto me. The next second, Caleb scoffed: "Sister-in-law, you're back. Where's Vivian? Is she still rolling around in some hotel bed?" I clenched my fists, suppressing my heaving chest, and said coldly, "She's never coming back." Caleb smiled, but his eyes were ice-cold. "Really? Did she hook up with some rich sugar daddy and decide the Sterling family isn't good enough for her anymore?" So, even now, Vivian was nothing more than a cheap, despicable existence in Caleb's heart. I gave a tragic smile, grieving for the years Vivian wasted loving him. "Caleb, since you look down on her so much, you might as well divorce her. It's better for you, and for her." Caleb let out a light chuckle. "Looks like she really did find a sugar daddy." "Sister-in-law, why don't you enlighten me? Who is this guy?" At this moment, Caleb looked like a lone wolf, his eyes emitting a deep, predatory green light. One wrong move and he'd bite my throat out. I turned my head away and walked briskly upstairs. I didn't come back to argue with them. I just wanted to find the truth behind Vivian's fall. I didn't believe she committed suicide. She valued her life so much. But before I could even reach the second floor, a powerful force pinned me against the wall. Caleb's warm breath hit my face, carrying a suffocating pressure. "Chloe, tell me, who the fuck is Vivian with?" "Tell me!" Caleb, who always had a smile plastered on his face, finally snapped. In that moment, I suddenly felt a twisted sense of satisfaction. If he realized too late that Vivian was actually dead, would he go even crazier? "What are you laughing at? Chloe, don't think that just because you're my sister-in-law, I won't do anything to you. Ask my brother—does he even care about you?" "So, be a good girl and tell me. Where is Vivian?" I laughed out loud, the corners of my eyes damp. I enunciated every word: "She really is dead. Last night, she jumped from a thirty-something story building. She hit the ground so hard she was unrecognizable. Covered in blood." "If you don't believe me, go investigate. Caleb, you have the resources to do that, don't you?" The hand gripping my collar suddenly tightened, but I didn't flinch, meeting Caleb's glare head-on. His furious rage and my dead calm were like two uncrossable chasms. Suddenly, a large hand clamped down over Caleb's. "Enough, Caleb. If you really want to know where she is, go look into it. Don't take your anger out on her for no reason." The grip on my collar loosened, and Caleb took two steps back. His eyes were dark. He nodded repeatedly, then flashed another fake smile. "Fine. I'll go check right now. Sister-in-law, if I find out you and Vivian teamed up to play me, I might not touch you, but she's going to have a very bad time." I twitched my lips into a small smirk, watching Caleb's angry back retreat until he disappeared out the front door. "Have you looked enough?" A gloomy voice sounded by my ear. I pressed my lips together, ignoring Liam, and walked toward Vivian's room without a word. But before I could take two steps, a strong force yanked me in the opposite direction. Liam's strides were long, and I stumbled to keep up. "Let me go, Liam. Let go of me." "You stayed out all night, came back looking like a ghost, and claimed Vivian is dead. Chloe, I think you've genuinely lost your mind." As soon as we entered his room, I was thrown violently onto the bed. Then, Liam's tall figure leaned over me, his fingers gripping my chin so hard I had to look up at him. He parted his thin lips, his tone vicious: "Chloe, have I been too lenient with you? Didn't I warn you to stop hanging out with Vivian?" It was no secret that Liam disliked Vivian. Three years ago, Vivian's family faced a crisis. As the sole heir, she had to drop out of college and bounce between elite cocktail parties, desperately trying to secure investments. Liam thought she acted like a cheap socialite and always looked down on her. Even after Vivian married Caleb, his opinion of her never changed. In Liam's words: "She just went from servicing many to servicing one." But for Vivian, this marriage was like a moth drawn to a flame. The free-spirited prince she had fallen in love with was actually a monster wearing a tailored suit. I looked at Liam for a long time. His face hadn't changed at all, but I could no longer see the man I once loved. "Liam, let's get a divorce." I had known Liam for five years and been married to him for three. I used to think I'd spend the rest of my life with him. But ever since Harper came back six months ago, that dream slowly ground to dust. I just wanted to leave him, to sever all ties with him. Liam froze, a flicker of suspicion crossing his handsome, cold features. "What did you say?" "I said, let's get a divorce." Perhaps I had accumulated enough disappointment, because when I said the word "divorce," my heart felt completely at peace. The room was dead silent. I quietly waited for Liam's answer. There was no reason for him to refuse. Harper was back. Once we divorced, he could pursue her without any hesitations. He wouldn't have to worry about explaining it to our families, nor would he face any media backlash. Just then, a ringtone broke the silence, and a flash of panic crossed Liam's deep eyes. It was Harper's custom ringtone. He didn't even hesitate to answer it right in front of me. Because of that, I heard every word of the woman's voice on the other end. "Liam, I think I caught a cold. Could you take me to the hospital? I called Caleb, but he didn't pick up." Harper's voice dripped with pathetic grievance. I saw the sharp ache of concern in Liam's eyes, and my supposedly numb heart still gave a painful throb. Harper had a minor cold, and he was beside himself with worry. But when I had a 104-degree fever and begged him to take me to the ER? He had just answered a call from Harper, tossed a careless "call an ambulance" over his shoulder, and impatiently rushed off to be with her. Even now, when I brought up divorce, his priority was still Harper. Liam almost tripped over his own feet in his rush, not forgetting to comfort the woman on the phone. "Harper, I'm coming right now. Hang in there." Once Liam's presence vanished from the room, I understood clearly. As long as Harper existed, I was nothing more than thin air to him. After three years, I finally realized that some hearts are just too cold to be warmed. I searched Vivian's room for a long time. But I found nothing. Except for a journal, filled entirely with Caleb. From infatuation, to disappointment, to absolute despair. On the last page, she had written only one sentence. "From this moment on, I will not love Caleb anymore." My chest heaved violently, a dense, agonizing pain spreading through my heart. One night three years ago, Vivian suddenly sent me a flurry of texts. She said: "Chloe, guess who I'm marrying!" "It's Caleb." "I told you about him. My free-spirited prince." "He said he wants to marry me." "My family is saved." Reading between the lines, her excitement was palpable. I knew she wasn't just thrilled about saving her family. She was ecstatic because she was marrying Caleb, the man she had secretly loved for three years. That night, Vivian and I texted until 3 AM. Yet all that excitement and joy had dissolved into disappointment and despair over these past six months. Holding the journal, I felt dizzy and somehow drifted off to sleep. I had a bizarre, fragmented dream. Vivian was in it. We were climbing a snowy mountain. A bone-chilling cold swept through my entire body. But Vivian was dressed in thin layers, as if she couldn't feel the cold at all. She ran joyfully toward the summit, like a free, radiant sun. "Chloe, I finally made it to the top! I can't hear the voices from the bottom anymore! I'm free!" The sunlight beamed down from above her, casting a golden halo over her entire body. Before I could even feel happy for her, Vivian suddenly tilted backward. In a flash, her body disappeared off the blindingly white, snowy peak. "Vivian!" I reached out desperately to grab her, but my hand didn't even brush the hem of her clothes. I woke up with a violently start, my body drenched in cold sweat, a deep chill wrapping around me. The sky outside was completely dark. I set the journal down, planning to revisit the building where Vivian had jumped. Just as I opened my bedroom door, a tall figure stood blocking the way. Caleb's face was terrifyingly dark, his eyes filled with absolute frost. "Why did Vivian jump?" His voice was hoarse and heavy, carrying an interrogating tone. It seemed he really did go investigate, and finally believed that Vivian was truly dead. "Chloe, tell me. Why did Vivian jump? And what is the deal with that flight ticket out of the country?" "She wanted to leave me?" I sneered, "More than that." Caleb's brows knitted tightly. The face that usually wore a mocking smile was now frighteningly grim. Yet, I felt absolutely no fear, only a soaring sense of vindication. "Caleb, in about two days, you should receive a divorce agreement in the mail. That was the very last thing Vivian left for you." "It's just a shame that whether you sign it or not doesn't matter anymore, because Vivian has already left you completely." "Chloe!" My name seemed to be squeezed through Caleb's gritted teeth. He violently grabbed me by the throat, pinning me against the wall. His dark eyes were so deep and stormy they looked like pooling ink. "Tell me, why did she want to leave me?! Why?!" "Did you manipulate her into doing this?!" I met Caleb's fury-filled gaze expressionlessly, a cold smile never leaving my lips. "Caleb, do you seriously still not know why Vivian wanted to leave you?" "You are such a massive failure." "Answer me!" he roared, grinding his teeth, his grip on my neck tightening. I had no doubt he actually wanted to strangle me to death. I let out a cold laugh. That journal was filled to the brim with all the misery Vivian suffered over the past three years. Whenever I thought of those words, those events, I wanted to murder Caleb myself. My eyes turned icy, and I said, word by word: "Caleb, I should be asking you. When Vivian's parents passed away one after another, what were you doing?" "When Vivian was cornered and harassed in an alleyway, where were you?" "When she was sick in the hospital and just wanted you to keep her company, what did you say to her?" "Can you remember any of that?" I only knew about these things from reading her journal. For three years, I knew Caleb was cold to her, but I never knew she endured so much abuse. When her parents died, I asked Caleb where he was, and Vivian covered for him, saying he was abroad on a business trip. Now I know he wasn't on a business trip. He was on vacation with Harper. When she was cornered in an alley, Caleb was sleeping with another woman, and dismissed her call for help as just another one of her 'tricks'. But Vivian never said a word, swallowing all her pain and grievances. The expression on Caleb's face slowly froze. The hand gripping my throat gradually loosened its pressure. "I... I was..." He muttered to himself, unable to form a complete sentence. Suddenly, a figure sprinted over and violently shoved Caleb away. Caleb lost his balance and stumbled hard onto the floor. "Caleb, I told you, stop losing your temper for no reason." I looked at the broad back shielding me, my heart completely devoid of any emotion. It wasn't until a petite figure hurried into my peripheral vision that I realized Liam hadn't returned alone. Harper gasped, rushing to Caleb's side and reaching out to help him up. But this time, Caleb simply swatted her hand away blankly. Harper bit her lower lip, looking aggrieved. When she looked up, her eyes were already brimming with tears. "Liam, what's wrong with Caleb?" Liam frowned and said coolly, "Ignore him. When he sobers up, he'll tell you." Then he turned his attention back to me. "I don't feel comfortable leaving Harper to live alone right now, so I'm bringing her here to stay for a while. Chloe, go prepare a nice guest room for her." I kept my eyes fixed on Caleb's defeated face on the floor, not even sparing Liam a glance. His voice deepened, heavy with authority. "Chloe, I'm talking to you." I cast a lazy, indifferent glance at him. But I didn't do what he ordered. Instead, I calmly walked over to the corner, picked up Vivian's journal, and dropped it right in front of Caleb. "Vivian left this behind. Caleb, take a good look. See exactly how much pain you've caused her over the last three years." I used to think Caleb didn't love Vivian. But his reaction now gave me the illusion that he actually cared about her. If he didn't care, this journal would be nothing more than a joke to him, something to mock her with. If he did care, this journal would haunt him for a very long time. Vivian died an unjust death, and I refused to let the person who hurt her live in peace. But surprisingly, when Caleb reached out to take the journal, his hands were violently shaking. He was terrified, yet desperately eager to hold onto the last piece of Vivian he had left. He cradled the journal against his chest like it was a priceless treasure. No matter how Harper called out to him, he ignored her completely. I smirked, but I still couldn't suppress the heavy, suffocating anger in my chest. I felt suffocated. I needed fresh air. But suddenly, a large hand clamped down on my wrist. "Chloe, what did you do to Caleb?" Liam narrowed his eyes, the air around him dropping a few degrees. Honestly, Liam wasn't much better than Caleb. We were a corporate arranged marriage. The first two years were respectful, but over the last six months, he had done plenty of crossing the line. He even used my family's company to threaten me. If I hadn't suddenly woken up to reality and demanded a divorce, Vivian wouldn't have suggested we run away together. And maybe she wouldn't have jumped off that building. My heart suddenly ached. I even had the delusional thought that I had killed Vivian. My face went pale. I violently yanked my hand free and said coldly, "You should ask him what he did to Vivi." "Chloe..." "Liam." I cut him off. He definitely wasn't about to say anything nice, and I refused to let Vivian's name come out of his mouth again. It was an insult to her. "Liam, let's get a divorce. An amicable split. It won't affect our families' businesses." Originally, I planned to mail him the divorce papers after I left, purely to avoid an argument that he might use to threaten my family's company. But now that he had actually moved Harper into the house, he should be thrilled to agree to a divorce right away. The argument I worried about wouldn't happen. I didn't bother looking at Liam's expression. There was absolutely nothing in this house I needed to take with me. So, I didn't even pack a bag. I walked out of the mansion empty-handed. Before I could even clear the front gates, Caleb chased after me, his voice totally hoarse. "Sister-in-law."
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