Chapter 1

On both sides of the long overpass, lights flickered.

Pedestrians hurried across the bridge, except for one woman with long hair cascading over her shoulders, standing by the railing. Several empty beer bottles lay scattered at her feet in disarray. No one stopped to care about her. The drizzling rain soaked her clothes, clinging to her body, cold to the bone. Her mind involuntarily replayed the words she’d heard that afternoon: "I’m sorry, Alice. I had no choice. Once I secure my position, I’ll divorce Kate. You have to believe me!"

‘huh, Divorce...’ "Go to hell, you liar! Ethan, why don’t you just drop dead? Anyone who believes you is a damn fool!" She flung the beer bottles down the bridge in a frenzy, ignoring the screeching tires, honking horns, and curses below. Choking on the fine mist of rain, Alice half-crawled, half-stumbled off the bridge and crossed the road.

“Screech—” The brakes of a car shattered the silence, splashing water everywhere.

Alice’s unsteady figure was thrown into the air like a rag doll and then slammed back down hard.

"Sir, someone’s been hit." The black Rolls-Royce was forced to a stop in the middle of the road. From the dimly lit back seat, a man’s low, muffled voice sounded: "We don’t have the time to stop. Bring her in!"

“Yes, sir!”

Darkness. Pain.

She knew she’d been hit by a car, but she didn’t even have the strength to lift her eyelids.

A raspy, low male voice spoke again: "How ugly."

If I’m so ugly, don’t look, then.

The luxurious car remained parked casually by the roadside. On the left side of the vehicle, a small silver skull gleamed ominously in the dim light. A tall, dark figure stood silently next to the car, as still as a statue, quietly keeping watch.

The rain gradually stopped. The wet road reflected the hazy lights, and all was silent.

Two hours later, the car window lowered slightly, releasing a faint scent into the wind. The man’s deep, exhausted voice came again: "Raven, let’s go."

“Yes, sir.”

---

Hospital.

The smell of disinfectant pierced her nose. Her fingers twitched reflexively. Riley leaped from the sofa: "Alice, you’re awake?"

Her body felt disjointed, every movement painful. Her mind was blank, as if nothing made sense: "Riley, what happened to me?"

"You were hit by a car, you were in an accident! Don’t you remember? Why did you drink so much?"

An accident. Oh yes, the accident. Why had she drunk so much? Alice let out a sorrowful laugh. "Ethan became my uncle today. Forget it. My head hurts. I’m going to sleep a bit more."

"What?" Riley gasped, but Alice had already drifted back to sleep.

In the darkness, she had a dream of the car accident, but in the dream, someone had the audacity to drag her into a car after the crash, ripping her apart again and again. Bastard—was there no humanity left in the world?

Three days later, she was discharged from the hospital. Her body was fine, except for one painful area... between her legs. It had to be psychological, she convinced herself as she folded her clothes.

Riley came to pick her up, worried all the way: "Alice, are you really okay?"

"I’m fine." From the initial rage and sorrow to the current calm, Alice felt like she had seen through the world. "Actually, Ethan made the right choice. Marrying Kate saves him twenty years of hard work. Marrying me... a daughter nobody cares about—that would have been foolish. Anyway, I’m home now. Thanks for the ride. Take care on your way back."

Standing before the heavy wrought-iron gate, Riley nodded. "See you tomorrow, then."

"See you tomorrow."

After walking down the long path, Alice headed straight for the small two-story building beside the main house. This was where the servants lived, but her room was here. After all, she was the illegitimate child left behind by her father’s one-night affair.

No one here treated her as the young lady of the house. She was just like a servant. Her father was always busy, and her stepmother controlled the finances. Aside from school fees, she barely got any pocket money. She survived by working odd jobs during summer and winter breaks.

Her cousin, Kate, was different. As the beloved daughter born to her father in his later years, she was doted on beyond measure. She wasn’t much older than Alice, but their lives were worlds apart. Ethan wasn’t blind after all.

With a bitter smile, Alice drew four more Xs on her calendar. Four more days had passed. Just a little longer, just endure a few more than three hundred days, and it would all be over.

Sigh—

Ethan and Kate left for their honeymoon and wouldn’t be back for a month. When Alice heard the news, she felt relieved. She threw herself into work with Riley, handing out flyers, waiting tables, making coffee, baking cakes—anything to make money.

Until a month later, when school started again.

And just like that, everything returned to normal. Ethan’s name was buried deep in her heart.

As usual, the school term started with a medical exam.

The unexpected always arrives when you least expect it.