My cousin Cassie always had my best interests at heart. Or so she said. When she married my billionaire fiancé, she told me she was doing it for me—that the richer a man is, the more twisted he becomes, and she was selflessly diving into the fire to save me. When she sold his spare condo behind his back, she told him I’d taken it over to stash my boy toys. When she maxed out his black card, it was to pay off my gambling debts. When she had an affair with her husband’s own brother, got pregnant, and hemorrhaged after a clandestine meeting, she told everyone I’d been hosting an orgy with a group of male models, that she’d tried to intervene, and that I’d pushed her down the stairs, causing her to miscarry. Ultimately, her husband sent me to the Philippines to atone for my sins. There, her lover had me tortured and dismembered. When I open my eyes again, I’m back on the day of my cousin’s affair and her convenient miscarriage. 1 Every time Cassie went to meet her lover, she told her husband, Donovan Pierce, that she was with me. The excuses were a rotating carousel of chaos. Either I was the other woman in an affair and had been beaten up by the wife, needing comfort and a place to hide. Or I was being chased by loan sharks over gambling debts. She even used the excuse that I’d gone to a clinic for a hymen restoration surgery and needed her there for emotional support. If Donovan hadn’t shown up on my doorstep in my last life, his face contorted with rage as he listed my transgressions, I would have never known my life had been so incredibly… eventful. Right now, my phone is vibrating off the hook with his name. The second I answer, Donovan’s voice explodes in my ear. “Sienna, it’s late. What the hell are you still doing with Cassie?” “I have tolerated you for long enough. Cassie is your cousin, not your mother. You’re a grown woman, for Christ’s sake, stop leeching off her!” “She’s a married woman, and she’s pregnant. Can you have an ounce of shame and stop bothering her with every little thing? Do you have any idea how much of a burden you are?” “Is this about me? Because I broke up with you? Is this some pathetic revenge, trying to destroy my family? Cassie is a good, simple person. If you keep using her like this, don’t blame me for what comes next. Now, send her home. Immediately!” Donovan sounded like he was at the end of his rope, the verbal assault making my ear ache. Back when we were dating, I actually thought he was a gentle, kind man. A true gentleman. But every time he was good to me, Cassie would show me articles about husbands who murdered their wives, dismembered their bodies. She’d warn me, her voice filled with feigned concern, that men were masters of deceit. The more perfect they seemed on the outside, the more dangerous they were on the inside. Then, during a period when Donovan and I were giving each other the silent treatment, she slid into his life as a sympathetic friend, a shoulder to cry on. While she was busy defending him, she was also conveniently, and not-so-subtly, weaving a tapestry of lies about me. With Cassie’s “help,” Donovan and I drifted apart for good. If I hadn’t accidentally seen a piece of Cassie’s lingerie at his house, I would have still been patting myself on the back, grateful for such a clever cousin who helped me dodge a bullet. Soon after, they were married. I made a conscious effort to keep my distance from both of them after that. But Donovan didn't see it that way. I’d get these calls, full of rage and accusations. My life became a cycle of working and then explaining Cassie’s whereabouts to her husband. The truth was, I never knew where she was. I just repeated the lines she fed me, swallowing the pressure and the insults. It wasn't until the day Donovan stormed into my apartment, his eyes burning with fury, and had his men stuff me into a sack and ship me to the Philippines, that I finally understood. I had been her scapegoat. Her fall guy. Remembering Donovan’s revenge, remembering the way Cassie and her lover had disposed of me… a cold fire ignites in my gut. Donovan, tonight you’re going to be the one to rip the ugly truth of your perfect family wide open. A chilling smile touches my lips. I speak into the phone, my voice deceptively calm. “Cassie’s busy. Plumbing issues, you know. Can’t be reached for a while.” Then, my expression hardens. I end the call and switch off my phone, refusing to hear another word from him. Moments later, a heavy knock rattles my front door. The instant I turn the lock, the door is thrown open with such force that I stumble backward. Before I can even register what’s happening, several large bodyguards have me pinned, my arms twisted behind my back. Donovan strides into my apartment, his heavy footsteps echoing on the floorboards as he violently searches for Cassie. He tears through my two-bedroom apartment like a hurricane. He finds nothing. “You said she was dealing with plumbing. Where is she?” he snarls, his face flushed with anger as he gets in my face. Seeing him like this, a thrill of vengeance courses through me. I raise an eyebrow, my voice slow and deliberate. “I only said she was dealing with plumbing. I didn’t say it was my plumbing. Have you checked your brother’s place?” A dangerous glint enters Donovan’s eyes. He grabs a fistful of my hair, yanking my head back. “Stop playing games,” he hisses, his voice low and menacing. “I’m going to ask you one last time. Where are you hiding her?” 2 Cassie was always secretive about her movements; I was just the cover story. I had no idea where she actually was. Wincing from the pain shooting through my scalp, I state the simple truth. “She’s a grown woman with arms and legs. How am I supposed to control where she goes? I’m not her mother!” This wasn’t the answer he wanted. Donovan’s eyes turned cold. He lets go of my hair only to swing his hand, the open palm cracking against my cheek. The force of it makes my head ring. I can feel the fire in my own veins rising to meet his. This is it? This is all the anger you have? The thought is exhilarating. Oh, Donovan. The real storm hasn’t even hit you yet. Seeing the defiance in my eyes, he starts tapping my bruised cheek with his fingertips, a condescending, rhythmic pat. “You think because you’re stubborn, I can’t get what I want?” With that, he fishes my phone from my pocket, powers it on, and uses my face to unlock it. He scrolls through my contacts. When he sees my emergency contact, a cruel smirk spreads across his face. He presses dial. “Honey? What’s wrong?” The voice on the other end is my husband, Mark. As always, it’s soft and gentle. I try to scream, to warn him, but one of the bodyguards clamps a hand firmly over my mouth, silencing me. “Are you Sienna’s husband?” Donovan asks, his tone dripping with contempt. “Who is this?” Mark’s voice sharpens instantly, laced with alarm at hearing a strange man on my line. Donovan looks directly at me, his eyes full of malicious intent. “I’m Sienna’s ex,” he says. “But don’t worry, I’m a married man now. I have zero interest in her.” Mark is silent for a beat. “Then why are you calling me from her phone?” “No reason, really. Just thought you should know a few things about your lovely wife.” “Her private life is… a disaster. When we were together, she was constantly sneaking around behind my back with other men.” “It disgusted me, so I broke it off.” “For years now, she’s been surviving by sucking my wife dry. She ‘borrows’ our condo to cheat, she’s addicted to gambling, and she makes my wife max out my credit cards to pay her debts.” “You probably don’t know this, but your wife also moonlights as a homewrecker. She got beaten up by the other woman just last month.” “And last week? She went to some back-alley clinic for a… tune-up. Hymen restoration surgery. Had my wife sit with her in the hospital. Now, you tell me, why would a married woman need to ‘restore’ her virginity? Which one of her lovers is she planning to give that ‘first time’ to?” “Doesn’t it embarrass you, being married to someone so filthy?” “Honestly, it’s pathetic for a man to live like you do. All those green hats you’re wearing every day must be heavy. If I were you, I’d have killed myself by now.” Donovan’s verbal barrage is relentless, grinding my reputation into dust. On the other end of the line, there is only a long, heavy silence from Mark. Mark and I had a good marriage. He’s an honest, kind man, always gentle and patient with me. No matter how big our fights were, he would always be the one to soothe things over, to talk it through. But this time, it seems Donovan’s words have struck him dumb. He doesn’t have a single thing to say. Donovan hangs up, a triumphant look on his face. “Well? Are you going to tell me where Cassie is now?” The bodyguard removes his hand from my mouth. “Breaking and entering, false imprisonment, assault, slander… those are all crimes, you know,” I spit out, glaring at him. I wish my eyes were daggers; I would have torn this fool to shreds. My defiance only fuels his rage. “Crimes? I’ll show you what a real crime looks like!” He turns to his bodyguards. “Trash this place!” On his command, they begin to systematically destroy my apartment. Within minutes, my neat and tidy home is a wasteland of splintered wood and shattered glass. Not a single thing is left intact. I bite down hard. “Donovan, you act like you’re above the law. Do you really have no fear of consequences?” He scoffs, his face a mask of disdain. “The only one facing consequences here is a gold-digging leech like you. Do you have any idea how much money you’ve conned out of Cassie over the years? Everything in this apartment was bought with her money. I’m just breaking my own things. What’s the problem?” He speaks with such conviction, as if he’s not committing a felony but righteously punishing a sinner. I glance at the time. Less than half an hour until Cassie’s miscarriage. The show is about to begin. Suppressing my own fury, I look at Donovan with a playful smirk. “Why don’t we wait a little longer? I have a feeling your wife will be in touch with you very soon.” My nonchalant attitude infuriates him further. “Still trying to be clever? Fine. Today, I’ll make sure your name is ruined forever!” “Take her outside!” His men drag me out of my apartment and down to the building’s main entrance. The commotion quickly draws the attention of neighbors and passersby. Seeing a crowd gathering, Donovan seizes the opportunity. He begins to loudly broadcast my supposed ‘sins’ for all to hear. In moments, I am surrounded by a circle of pointing fingers and judgmental stares. “That’s just disgusting. A grown woman, sucking her pregnant cousin dry. She’s practically trying to kill her! That cousin must be a saint to put up with it. If it were me, I’d have kicked her to the curb years ago!” “She’s the classic vampire relative. Can’t stand to see you poor, but hates it when you’re rich. Lazy, greedy, just takes and takes. My wife’s cousin was just like that, ran her into massive debt. She’s still on antidepressants.” “That kind of woman is a parasite. Whoever gets close to her is doomed!” “And she’s dirty! She has a husband, but she’s out sleeping with models and breaking up marriages. Living in the same building as a public bus like her is just bad luck.” The crowd’s vitriol flies at me from all directions, painting me as a monster. Donovan looks down at me, a sneer on his face. “Well? Are you going to keep being stubborn?” He thinks he has me, that he’s broken me. He’s just waiting for me to beg. I let out a cold laugh. “Is this the best a billionaire can do? A few neighbors yelling at me? What’s that going to accomplish? I can just move. If you really want to ruin me, you should call some influencers, get me on a livestream. That’s how you make someone infamous.” Donovan’s face darkens, his jaw clenching. “Fine. You asked for it.” He pulls out his phone and makes another call. My heart beats faster, not with fear, but with anticipation. Go on. Make a scene. Make it as big as possible. I want the whole world to watch when the scandal of your perfect little family finally breaks. 3 Donovan’s influence was undeniable. Within minutes, a swarm of influencers and livestreamers descended on the scene, each holding a phone up to my face. “You guys are not gonna believe this! The woman you’re looking at right now, she might look simple on the outside, but inside, she is completely rotten!” “For years, she’s been living like a parasite on her cousin. When she needs money, she just asks. Her cousin is pregnant, but this woman still treats her like a personal servant, making her run errands, go shopping, even pick her up from bars when she’s blackout drunk.” “And does she show any gratitude? No. She just spends more and more, making her cousin pay for everything. She scammed money from her, took over their condo to entertain her boy toys, and even maxed out her cousin’s credit card to pay off her own massive gambling debts!” “But that’s not the worst of it. This woman’s personal life is a cesspool. She has a husband, but she’s constantly cheating. Besides the guys she keeps in the condo, she has countless others on the side. She has no conscience. She knowingly became a homewrecker, and even after getting beaten up by the wife, she went to a clinic to get a ‘virginity restoration’ surgery so she could pretend to be innocent and trick more men. I heard she’s been treated for syphilis no less than ten times. I have never seen a woman so filthy; it’s like she’ll die if she goes a single day without a man.” The streamers embellished and exaggerated, piling on fabricated sins until I was buried beneath them. The live chat feeds scrolled furiously with hate: “OMG, her cousin and husband are so unlucky to have this shameless bitch in their lives!” “Jesus, you can’t even call her a woman. She’s a walking plague!” “Seriously, people like her are just a menace to society.” The story went viral. In an instant, my face was all over the internet. “The Vampire Cousin,” “The Toxic Leech,” “Public Bus”—these became my new names. Fueled by the streamers’ sensationalism, the mood of the crowd grew uglier. They started throwing eggs and rotten vegetables at me. Someone from a nearby restaurant hurled a beer bottle that shattered at my feet. I felt like a lamb being led to the slaughter, standing in a pile of garbage, enduring a storm of insults. Suddenly, a figure pushed through the dense crowd. It was Mark. Seeing his familiar face, my lonely, besieged heart felt like it had finally found a safe harbor. For me, Mark had always been my rock. No matter what troubles I faced outside, he was the one who would patiently comfort me, who would solve all my problems. He was my husband, but more than that, he was my sanctuary. In that moment, all I wanted was to collapse into his arms. I let down all my defenses and walked toward him. But just as I reached for him, he shoved me away, hard. Caught off guard, I lost my balance and fell backward onto the ground. The shards of the broken beer bottle dug deep into my palms and legs. A sharp, searing pain shot through me, but the pain in my heart was a thousand times worse. Even Mark… even he didn’t believe me? “Sienna, I can’t believe you’re this kind of person,” he said, his face a dark mask of disappointment. “For all the years we’ve been married, I treated you like a treasure. I gave you everything you wanted. I never once lost my temper with you, never let you suffer a single moment of hardship.” “When you were sick, I learned to cook nourishing meals to nurse you back to health. I made sure you were warm, made sure you were safe. I was so afraid of you ever being unhappy.” “And what did you do?” “You went behind my back to drain your cousin, to gamble, to throw away your own dignity and our reputation!” “The body I worked so hard to care for, you threw it into the gutter with those disgusting, filthy acts!” “Sienna, you’re not just debasing yourself, you’re trampling on our marriage!” Mark, who had always been so gentle, was completely unhinged. He was screaming, every word dripping with profound disappointment. Seeing him like this twisted something inside me. I pushed myself up, ignoring the pain. “Mark, I…” Before I could finish, he slapped me across the face. “Shut up! Don’t you dare say my name. You don’t deserve to!” With that, he twisted the wedding band off his finger and threw it at my face. “I want a divorce!” His cold, merciless rejection was the final blow. That single slap shattered the last pillar of faith I had. I stood there, frozen, feeling like my soul had been ripped from my body. Donovan took the opportunity to sneer at me. “How does it feel, Sienna? To be utterly disgraced? A greedy, filthy woman like you who only knows how to seduce men doesn’t deserve anyone’s love. And you certainly didn’t deserve Cassie’s kindness.” “Thank God I saw you for what you are and got away from a disgusting parasite like you. The fact that I ever dated you is the greatest shame of my life.” “The only good thing you ever did was bring a wonderful woman like Cassie to me. Now, you can enjoy the rest of your life being despised by everyone. I’ll make sure Cassie never speaks to you again. Let’s see how you survive without her!” Donovan’s words resonated with the crowd. The live chats, the onlookers, the streamers—they all erupted in a fresh wave of condemnation. The weight of a thousand accusations is a terrifying thing. Even though I had prepared myself for this, I could feel myself starting to break. Just then, Donovan’s phone rang. The caller ID read: Cassie. He answered, and through the speaker, we all heard Cassie’s broken sobs. “Honey… I… I lost the baby!” Donovan’s eyes instantly turned bloodshot. “What happened?” Cassie’s voice was hesitant. “It was Sienna! She was messing around with a bunch of male models. I just tried to talk some sense into her, and… and she pushed me. She made me lose our baby!”
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