Chang An

I gave up my acceptance to MIT to support my boyfriend, Brayden Berg. After his family's tech empire collapsed and his parents died, I worked double shifts as a line cook, using my tuition money to help him get back on his feet. But the day he announced his new company's success, he stood on stage, kissed a high-society lawyer named Jesse Collins, and introduced her to the world as his partner. The humiliation was just beginning. At a party, Jesse deliberately spilled champagne all over me. Later, trapped in an elevator together, she hissed that I was a "charity case" just moments before the cables snapped. The crash shattered my leg. When a rescuer peered down from the emergency hatch, able to save only one of us at a time, I heard Brayden's frantic voice from above. "Save Jesse!" he screamed without a moment's hesitation. "Save her first!" In the hospital, he explained his choice by saying Jesse was "delicate," while I was "strong" and could handle it. Then, he had the audacity to beg me, his childhood friend, to donate my rare blood type to save her. He carried me to the donation room, and the moment the bag was full, he ran off with my blood to Jesse's side without a backward glance. Staring at the fresh needle mark on my bruised arm, I finally realized the boy I had saved was gone. It was time to save myself.

I learned my three-year relationship was a lie from a conversation I was never supposed to hear. My boyfriend, Hardin, the man I'd saved from a car wreck that ended my career, hadn't lost his memory. It was all a long con to steal my life's work-a revolutionary game engine-for his mistress, my old college rival. The man who promised to protect me stood by as she publicly humiliated me, burned my arm with a cigarette, and had me tasered in an alley. He dragged me into an icy shower when I fought back. When I tried to leave, he had me held down while doctors drew my blood and stole my kidney for his mistress's aunt. He called the injury that destroyed my career "unfortunate." He thought he had broken me, turning me into a prisoner in his mansion, a source of spare parts. But he forgot who I was. With the help of my old mentor, I reclaimed my secret identity as the legendary developer "PixelVixen." And I sent the two words that would bring their empire crashing down: "I'm back."

I poured years of my life into "The Gilded Cage," a virtual world where I became Noah, determined to save Chloe, its tragic villainess. I guided her, taught her, helped her build a tech empire, thinking I' d rewritten her destiny. But when she finally stood on top of the world, she looked at me, her eyes cold. "You didn't save me, Noah. You just built me a different cage." Then, she brutally threw me from her penthouse balcony. Ejected from the simulation, I thought I was free. But a system malfunction tethered my consciousness to Chloe's. I was dragged through her past, a ghost watching her childhood trauma and Liam Hayes's betrayal unfold, forced to relive every painful step of her original story. Each memory, a cruel reminder of my failure, of the monster I inadvertently helped create. Why was I condemned to witness the very pain I' d tried so hard to prevent again? The system said it was a recursive feedback loop, a side effect of her emergent sentience. But it felt more like a calculated torment. When my consciousness was finally about to dematerialize, Chloe, tear-streaked and broken, reached for me, pleading, "Please. You have to save me." But the phantom pains of her betrayal surged, and I recoiled, spitting out the words that echoed her own cruelty: "My life doesn't need a monster in it." I thought it was over. Then, weeks later, the real Chloe, corporeal and lost, appeared on my doorstep. "I found a way out... You have to help me. You have to save me."

The silence of my house hit me first. My sweet, goofy rescue dog, Buster, wasn't there to greet me. He was just gone. My estranged husband, Mark, and his new girlfriend, Lisa, spread a narrative that ruined me: Sarah Miller, the animal shelter manager, was so negligent she lost her own dog. My work suffered, volunteers pitied me, and online comments shamed me publicly, painting me as an irresponsible fraud. They paraded around town with a new, expensive designer puppy, while the loss of Buster became a hole in my life that never closed. I became a shell, until I overheard them at a charity gala, hidden in a secluded alcove, laughing. "She still probably thinks he just ran away," Lisa snickered. "It was for the best," Mark replied smoothly. "Getting rid of Buster was the only way to make room for Muffin." "And to knock Sarah down a peg," Lisa added. The world tilted; they didn't just let Buster get lost, they orchestrated it. They destroyed my reputation and my heart for a designer puppy and cruel sport. The shock was a physical blow, and the world went black. I died of a broken heart. Then, I gasped, my eyes flying open to the familiar morning sun. It was the day Buster disappeared. This was a second chance, a miracle. I wasn't going to waste it.

For ten years, I built a wall of mediocrity around myself. After my sister Sarah vanished, an alleged suicide linked to the sinister "Blackwood Tech Curse," my parents pulled me from advanced STEM, scrubbed my online presence, and moved two states over. "Just be average, Ashley," my father pleaded, "Average is safe." I became an insurance analyst, safe and boring, believing I had outsmarted fate, that Sarah was a random tragedy. Until today, when an encrypted email landed in my inbox: "Congratulations, Ashley Miller. You've been accepted." The Blackwood curse, a digital ghost from a defunct institute, promised death wrapped in an acceptance letter, just like Sarah's. When I tried to expose it, the FBI agent who' d dismissed my fears showed me security footage-me, at the scene of a Blackwood victim's death, then a fabricated psych evaluation painting me as delusional. My own laptop was framed as the source of a federal hack, isolating me further. Even my parents, panicked by the lies, asked, "Ashley, honey… Did you… have you been seeing someone?" The one person I thought I could trust, Davies, believed the frame job. "The hack came from your laptop," he said, his voice flat. But then, my own hand clenched, tried to strike me, until Davies, who' d burst in, saw it wasn' t me. "You' re not suicidal," he whispered. "Something else was controlling you." He set up a livestream, making my forced stay at a "safe house" public, only for a chilling message to appear on my screen, "WE CAN GET TO YOU ANYWHERE." Then, a porcelain doll-Sarah' s childhood doll, supposedly lost for years-appeared at my window, its face frozen in a scream. The lights went out, and in the darkness, my mother, her eyes wide and blank, attacked me with a shard of glass, whispering, "The signal is the vessel." The next morning, the doctors diagnosed me with "severe schizoaffective disorder, with acute paranoid delusions." My parents finally broke, signing the commitment papers when a psychiatrist presented a photo altered to show me with a different sister, Eva, claiming Sarah was just my cousin, that their decade of lies was to "protect" me. I realized then, in the sterile silence of the psychiatric facility, that this wasn' t a ghost story, but a controlled experiment. And I heard a name whispered in the halls: Marcus Thorne, the vanished founder of Blackwood Tech, now a VIP patient on the top floor. They thought they had trapped me, broken me. But they had just given me a new purpose, a new identity, and a clear target.

The grand hall was silent, a suffocating blanket. I stared at the engagement photo, a smiling lie from a life that was now a ghost story. Just back from a humanitarian mission, I expected wedding bells, but David Hayes, the man I was supposed to marry, had moved another woman into our home, my clothes gone, my future surgically removed. He introduced her, Seraphina Thorne, a social media star, her smile as artificial as the diamonds on her wrist, while he couldn' t even meet my eyes. When I demanded to speak to him alone, he coolly replied, "Whatever you have to say, you can say it in front of Seraphina." The public humiliation stung like a physical blow. His gaze was that of a stranger. My year away, he claimed, showed him what he truly wanted: a "partner" who strengthened his position, not a "distraction" like me, the doctor who saved lives. Then came the final cut: he wouldn't let me leave. I was to stay, wear his gifts, and smile at their engagement party, or he would destroy my brother Michael's journalistic career. Trapped, humiliated, and reduced to a pawn in his cruel game, I felt the walls of the gilded cage close in. Was this the price of love, or was I merely an asset to be discarded and then reclaimed? That night, as David, my former fiancé and now my captor, forced a sapphire necklace around my neck saying, "You' re still mine," I knew I had to find a way out. I needed to break free from the ashes of my past and reclaim the life I had lost.

My life was a carefully constructed empire – a tech CEO with a groundbreaking project, wealth, and the perfect fiancée, Chloe. Then, a ghost from my past shattered it all: my estranged brother, Ethan, weak and dying, called claiming to have pancreatic cancer. I brought him into my home, sacrificing everything – Chloe' s trust, my company, my reputation – to care for him, only to discover it was all a monstrous lie, a calculated plot to strip me bare. Caught in a web of deceit, publicly humiliated, and facing utter ruin, an unimaginable horror unfolded: Ethan wasn't just a conman; he was responsible for our mother's death. Stripped of all illusions, I had to choose: succumb to the darkness or fight back with every fiber of my being.

My eighteenth birthday was supposed to be the culmination of a perfect life, the grand debutante ball cementing my place in Dallas society. I was Gabrielle Johns, poised, confident, and ready to claim the life I' d meticulously prepared for, always mindful of the recurring nightmare of a girl screaming I was a fake. Then, just as my father was about to speak, the ballroom doors burst open. A girl, Maria Chavez, a wild, aggressive stranger, stood there. She pointed directly at me, yelling, "She' s a fraud! I am the real Blakely daughter!" The room plunged into shocked silence, all eyes on me as I registered her worn clothes against my designer gown. My heart pounded, but a single, calculated tear traced a path down my cheek as I whispered, "Daddy?" Maria lunged, splashing wine on my white dress, a violent stain shattering the perfect image. My own brother, Andrew, my closest confidant, then shockingly defended her, presenting a 'DNA report' from a shady lab and claiming her story was true. He chose her over me, leading this sobbing stranger further into my home, while my fiancé, Wesley, quickly abandoned me for her. How could my family, my brother, be so easily manipulated, so quick to doubt the daughter they raised, over a desperate plea and a flimsy lie? Even as the world tilted, a cold resolve settled in my bones. The dream wasn't a nightmare; it was a warning. They expected me to break, to crumble. But I was a strategist, and this was only the first battle. I would fight for my life, expose the impostor, and reclaim everything that was rightfully mine.

The air around me reeked of gasoline, a sharp tang that somehow mixed with the familiar scent of ancient leather from my family' s priceless library. My phone buzzed, Maria's name flashing on the screen, but I ignored it, focused on the tiny, dancing flame of the lighter in my hand. Then came her text: "Jocelyn, what the HELL are you doing?! The staff is freaking out! They said you have gasoline! Are you insane? I'm calling the police to have you committed!" Insane. That' s what they' d label me. A cold smile touched my lips. Let them. They had no idea what was coming. Seven days from now, "The Veiling" would tear our world apart, merging it with a nightmarish spirit realm. I knew this because I had already lived through it. And died in it. The last time, I was naive, trusting my best friend, Maria, and my boyfriend, Ethan. I shared my meticulously prepared sanctuary, gave them everything. They rewarded me by pushing me outside to a monster. They feasted on my supplies, while I, disfigured and broken, became their pet. Then, they tortured me, sacrificing my very life force to empower their stolen haven, watching with triumphant glee as my world went dark. I died believing I was utterly alone, used, and discarded. I died wondering how those I trusted most could become such monsters. But I came back. Reborn. And this time, I remembered everything. This time, their twisted game was just the first step in my ultimate revenge.

My life as a successful game developer was comfortable, despite the slow drift from my wife, Chloe. Then, an anonymous link shattered my world: vile, digitally altered photos of my parents, smeared as "hicks" living off my "dirty money." When they bravely decided to confront these lies, a devastating car accident left them critically injured. At the hospital, Chloe and her childhood friend, Liam, chillingly delayed my parents' critical surgeries, worsening their fragile condition. Chloe then trapped me in a suffocating marriage, siphoning my fortune for three years under the guise of "care" for my parents, even as they languished. I was a tortured prisoner, constantly reminded of "crimes" I never committed. The sickening truth hit when I overheard Chloe confess everything: the deepfakes, the smear, even orchestrating the accident-all fueled by Liam' s lie that I caused her parents' death. But she was wrong. So terribly wrong. Her parents were alive, well, and thriving in Italy, because I saved them years ago. That explosive secret ignited a cold fury. My torment was about to turn into a meticulously planned counterattack.

The biting Detroit wind cut through my worn coat. Every day was a fight, cleaning floors, dodging debt collectors, haunted by the memory of my mother, Eleanor, walking out when I was five. Then, after two decades of silence, her sleek black SUV appeared outside my rundown apartment. Eleanor, dripping in luxury, had finally resurfaced. But her return wasn't for me; it was for my bone marrow, to save her "perfect" son, Leo, who had leukemia. She demanded my "sisterly duty," then offered a pittance for my life-saving donation. Her lawyer even tried to intimidate me, threatening to expose my difficult past if I didn't comply. It was a cold, transactional exchange for the body part she needed. My bitterness festered. Abandoned, struggled, and now, I was only valuable for my biology, a pawn in her meticulously crafted perfect life. Was this my purpose? To be a disposable resource for the woman who casually discarded me? The injustice burned. But then a mysterious informant revealed Eleanor's true secret: Leo was adopted, and her entire marriage to the tech mogul Jason was built on a web of deceit she was desperate to conceal. My bone marrow wasn't just for saving a life; it was to protect her empire of lies. This wasn't a request; it was a battle. And I knew exactly how to win.

My life revolved around two jobs, every penny for Lily, my daughter' s critical heart surgery. $50,000 was a fortune for our "struggling" family, a sum my wife, Sarah, supposedly understood. Then, delivering to a gala one rainy night, I saw her. Sarah, my wife, shimmering in designer finery, bidding millions for a diamond necklace. "CEO Sarah Thompson is so generous!" the auctioneer boomed, shattering my world. My "struggling" wife was a millionaire, lavishing gifts on her ex-husband' s child while ours faced death. Her ex, Kevin, engineered my firing; Sarah, oblivious, simply dismissed the "incompetent delivery guy." She continued her cruel charade, denying Lily a simple cake, then abandoning her for Kevin's daughter. Lily's fragile heart worsened, and we were even ejected from the mall, Sarah silent. How could she live such a calculating lie for five years, faking poverty and neglecting her own child? Why sacrifice Lily' s survival for millions spent on another' s? The raw betrayal left my little girl whispering: "Daddy, did Mommy ever love us?" I walked away, taking only Lily and our broken trust. Sarah's desperate pleas were hollow, but Lily' s raw cry, "Mommy, I hate you," forced my decision. I' d take her money, not for me, but to save my daughter, transforming her deceptive wealth into Lily's only hope.

Fate has never stopped in its quest to make Joy's life an interesting turn of events. The man who she had known as her father wanted to kill her. Her mother, the one who she had thought passed away long ago, was now the wife of a rich businessman. And to add the cherries on top, Jimmy, the most powerful man in the city, wanted to propose to her. "Be my woman, and I'll give you anything you want and everything I have." Those words were the last thing she heard before she was dragged in into a whirlwind of drama, romance, and heartache.

Elliana, the unfavored "ugly duckling" of her family, was humiliated by her stepsister, Paige, who everyone admired. Paige, engaged to the CEO Cole, was the perfect woman-until Cole married Elliana on the day of the wedding. Shocked, everyone wondered why he chose the "ugly" woman. As they waited for her to be cast aside, Elliana stunned everyone by revealing her true identity: a miracle healer, financial mogul, appraisal prodigy, and AI genius. When her mistreatment became known, Cole revealed Elliana's stunning, makeup-free photo, sending shockwaves through the media. "My wife doesn't need anyone's approval."

"Stella once savored Marc's devotion, yet his covert cruelty cut deep. She torched their wedding portrait at his feet while he sent flirty messages to his mistress. With her chest tight and eyes blazing, Stella delivered a sharp slap. Then she deleted her identity, signed onto a classified research mission, vanished without a trace, and left him a hidden bombshell. On launch day she vanished; that same dawn Marc's empire crumbled. All he unearthed was her death certificate, and he shattered. When they met again, a gala spotlighted Stella beside a tycoon. Marc begged. With a smirk, she said, ""Out of your league, darling."

For three quiet, patient years, Christina kept house, only to be coldly discarded by the man she once trusted. Instead, he paraded a new lover, making her the punchline of every town joke. Liberated, she honed her long-ignored gifts, astonishing the town with triumph after gleaming triumph. Upon discovering she'd been a treasure all along, her ex-husband's regret drove him to pursue her. "Honey, let's get back together!" With a cold smirk, Christina spat, "Fuck off." A silken-suited mogul slipped an arm around her waist. "She's married to me now. Guards, get him the hell out of here!"

After five years of playing the perfect daughter, Rylie was exposed as a stand-in. Her fiancé bolted, friends scattered, and her adoptive brothers shoved her out, telling her to grovel back to her real family. Done with humiliation, she swore to claw back what was hers. Shock followed: her birth family ruled the town's wealth. Overnight, she became their precious girl. The boardroom brother canceled meetings, the genius brother ditched his lab, the musician brother postponed a tour. As those who spurned her begged forgiveness, Admiral Brad Morgan calmly declared, "She's already taken."

Sunlit hours found their affection glimmering, while moonlit nights ignited reckless desire. But when Brandon learned his beloved might last only half a year, he coolly handed Millie divorce papers, murmuring, "This is all for appearances; we'll get married again once she's calmed down." Millie, spine straight and cheeks dry, felt her pulse go hollow. The sham split grew permanent; she quietly ended their unborn child and stepped into a new beginning. Brandon unraveled, his car tearing down the street, unwilling to let go of the woman he'd discarded, pleading for her to look back just once.

In their previous lives, Gracie married Theo. Outwardly, they were the perfect academic couple, but privately, she became nothing more than a stepping stone for his ambition, and met a tragic end. Her younger sister Ellie wed Brayden, only to be abandoned for his true love, left alone and disgraced. This time, both sisters were reborn. Ellie rushed to marry Theo, chasing the success Gracie once had-unaware she was repeating the same heartbreak. Gracie instead entered a contract marriage with Brayden. But when danger struck, he defended her fiercely. Could fate finally rewrite their tragic endings?

Linsey was stood up by her groom to run off with another woman. Furious, she grabbed a random stranger and declared, "Let's get married!" She had acted on impulse, realizing too late that her new husband was the notorious rascal, Collin. The public laughed at her, and even her runaway ex offered to reconcile. But Linsey scoffed at him. "My husband and I are very much in love!" Everyone thought she was delusional. Then Collin was revealed to be the richest man in the world. In front of everyone, he got down on one knee and held up a stunning diamond ring. "I look forward to our forever, honey."

Maia grew up a pampered heiress-until the real daughter returned and framed her, sending Maia to prison with help from her fiancé and family. Four years later, free and married to Chris, a notorious outcast, everyone assumed Maia was finished. They soon discovered she was secretly a famed jeweler, elite hacker, celebrity chef, and top game designer. As her former family begged for help, Chris smiled calmly. "Honey, let's go home." Only then did Maia realize her "useless" husband was a legendary tycoon who'd adored her from the start.

The whispers said that out of bitter jealousy, Hadley shoved Eric's beloved down the stairs, robbing the unborn child of life. To avenge, Eric forced Hadley abroad and completely cut her off. Years later, she reemerged, and they felt like strangers. When they met again, she was the nightclub's star, with men ready to pay fortunes just to glimpse her elusive performance. Unable to contain himself, Eric blocked her path, asking, "Is this truly how you earn a living now? Why not come back to me?" Hadley's lips curved faintly. "If you’re eager to see me, you’d better join the queue, darling."

Blinded in a crash, Cary was rejected by every socialite—except Evelina, who married him without hesitation. Three years later, he regained his sight and ended their marriage. "We’ve already lost so many years. I won’t let her waste another one on me." Evelina signed the divorce papers without a word. Everyone mocked her fall—until they discovered that the miracle doctor, jewelry mogul, stock genius, top hacker, and the President's true daughter… were all her. When Cary came crawling back, a ruthless tycoon had him kicked out. "She's my wife now. Get lost."