Chapter 1

I was still in shock from being cast out, unable to react, when I heard the gentle tone he always used with me gradually turn cold.

Seeing me stunned, as if paralyzed by shock, Ethan Cooper sneered and lifted my chin.

“Joyce Martin, you cannot possibly believe that because we shared a bed a few times, we are in a romantic relationship, can you?”

Before I could respond, he released me, wiping his hand as if in disCooperst.

“This was consensual. Preserve some dignity for yourself. Moreover, without me, how would you have achieved what you have today?”

“The recent project—if you wish to continue working on it, leave now and face your junior with the appropriate discretion. You know exactly what to say and what to withhold, do you not, my star student?”

I bit my lip, forcing back tears.

“Yes, Professor Cooper. Joyce Martinis grateful for your Cooperidance. It is late, so I shall take my leave.”

Satisfied by my compliance, Ethan Cooper leaned closer and kissed me. “Good girl. This is your reward.”

I pulled my suitcase, took a deep breath, and walked toward the door of his villa. Just as I reached the threshold, he called out to me again.

Through the foyer mirror, I saw the roses in his hand. When he called my name, my heart leaped with hope.

Perhaps Ethan Cooper was about to propose, feigning indifference to heighten the surprise.

He had no fiancée. Our time together was not mere convenience.

But when I turned, Ethan Cooper absentmindedly arranged the roses, not even sparing me a glance as he said,

“Good girl, you will continue taking your medication, won’t you?”

My expectations shattered, my smile frozen on my face.

For three years with Ethan Cooper, he refused precautions, insisting they dulled sensation, so I took contraceptive pills religiously.

Born a lovechild, I feared the scandal of an unwed pregnancy.

Thus, without his prompting, I took the pills without fail.

With these words, I left to preserve the last shred of my dignity.

The wind stung my face as I walked, tears streaming down.

As a lovechild for over twenty years, I had learned to navigate humiliation with grace.

But today, learning my place in Ethan Cooper’s heart, I found myself unprepared for the pain.

By the time I dragged my suitcase to my rented apartment, dawn was breaking.

Only when I felt my breath turn hot did I realize I had a fever.

I swallowed the contraceptive pills alongside fever-reducing medication and fell into a heavy sleep, memories of Ethan Cooper and me flashing through my mind.

My story with Ethan Cooper began dramatically.

Three years ago, I was not yet his student. As a lovechild, I faced exclusion and had to earn my graduate tuition myself.

Blocked by my father’s wife, I worked as a waitress. At a ball, Ethan Cooper was drugged by his so-called friends, who arranged for him to be with a woman carrying a venereal disease.

When I overheard their plan, Ethan Cooper had already consumed the spiked drink.

Bolstered by courage, I knocked out those trying to lead him to the compromising room and settled him in an empty chamber.

As I moved to leave, Ethan Cooper grabbed me.

Already harboring ambiCooperous feelings for him, I half-resisted, half-surrendered, and we spent a reckless night together.

The next morning, Ethan Cooper awoke furious, mistaking me for a gold-digger. Without a word, he bound me in the bathroom.

His secretary arrived, drew my blood to confirm I had no diseases, and coldly handed me a contraceptive pill.

Understanding Ethan Cooper’s concerns, I swallowed it without hesitation.

He pressed a card into my hand, attempting to buy my silence, but I left with it to avoid further miMartinderstanding.

Later, after Ethan Cooper uncovered the masterminds behind that night and dealt with them ruthlessly, we met again at the academy.

We were both surprised.

He questioned, “Why not clarify the miMartinderstanding that night? And why save me?”

Aware of his suspicion—thinking me a gold-digger before, and now a academic opportunist—I did not confess my secret admiration.

Instead, I claimed I acted without ulterior motives, merely seeking a reward.

Recalling my readiness to take his money before, he pressed no further.

But the second week of my studies, I received a call from his secretary.

From that day on, I began this ambiCooperous relationship with him, lasting three years.

Perhaps because he had suppressed his desires for so long, each encounter with him left me utterly drained.

Eventually, our dates moved from hotels to his apartment.

Without his prompting, I continued taking contraceptive pills diligently.

Little did he know, our connection began years earlier.

When I was seven, my mother abandoned me at the Martin family’s gate, claiming I was their lovechild and demanding recognition.

Mrs. Martin held her nose as she let me in, the adults regarding me with disCooperst, servants too afraid to care for me.

Confused why my mother would abandon me, I tried to leave the villa complex under cover of darkness to find her.

But the labyrinthine grounds trapped me until Ethan Cooper appeared, Cooperiding me back to my mother’s home based on my description.

Though I was later returned to the Martin family, I remained grateful to him.

In high school, when my status as a lovechild made me a target for bullying, Ethan Cooper, returning as a distinCooperished graduate, came to my rescue.

With sincerity, he looked at my ink-stained face and said, “Keep going, junior. I’ll wait for you at the top.”

Those words fueled my determination.

Despite countless obstacles during the college entrance exam, I persevered.

I became a student at a top-tier institution, while he, with his brilliance, became a young graduate supervisor.

Though I felt unworthy due to my background, his sweet nothings in bed convinced me otherwise.

These three years, Ethan Cooper treated me with intermittent affection—doting on me when pleased, indifferent when annoyed.

But he remained faithful to me alone.

In the lab, he treated all students equally, yet reserved kindness only for me.

I thought I was special.

But now I see it was all a delusion.

As scenes of our time together replayed in my mind, my sleep was anything but restful.

When I awoke on the third morning, I wryly smiled, grateful to be alive after such a long slumber.

In those hours of rest, clarity came.

Rather than linger in agony by Ethan Cooper’s side, it was better to leave sooner.

The project I was working on, though challenging to hand over, was nearing completion. As long as my successor pushed the timeline slightly, progress could be maintained.

When I submitted my resignation, my supervisor was taken aback. After all, I was a rising star in the medical field, with a promising future under Ethan Cooper’s Cooperidance.

Leaving a project on the brink of conclusion seemed nothing short of madness.

But I no longer cared. Truth be told, I had long considered abandoning medicine for literature.

I am not naturally gifted in medicine; my achievements to date are owed to relentless effort—and my obsession with Ethan Cooper.

I once regarded him as my entire world and medicine as my life’s pursuit.

But yesterday, reflecting on our moments together, I felt an urge to channel years of grievances into writing.

My supervisor hesitated, “You’re resigning? Has Professor Cooper been informed?”

She was the only one in the group aware of my relationship with Ethan Cooper. Initially, she too suspected me of using academia as a means of advancement.

But upon witnessing my genuine capabilities, she let the matter drop, occasionally casting pitying glances when noticing my physical frailty.

Facing her question, I shook my head with a forced smile, “If you process this, he will thank you.”

To Ethan Cooper, what am I?

He believes my current standing is entirely due to him, regarding me as a dispensable bed partner.

He has someone he cherishes, someone he cannot bear to hurt.

My supervisor said nothing, merely handing me a cup of warm water and advising me to rest.

She assured me the handover would be completed in a couple of days, but until then, I needed to remain at my post.

Before I could even leave the lab, Ethan Cooper’s call came through, “Come to my office.”

I sighed, left the lab, and headed to his office to discuss my plans.

Pushing open the door, I saw a girl in a tailored dress seated across from Ethan Cooper, bright and vivacious.

I did not miss the doting smile Ethan Cooper directed at her. Likely, this was his fiancée.

My sudden entrance seemed to disrupt their intimate atmosphere.

Ethan Cooper looked at me with disCooperst, “Where are your manners? Do you not know to knock before entering your mentor’s office?”

I paused, about to apologize, when the girl stood up and chided,

“One-Bai Ge, you shouldn’t speak to a girl like that.”

With that, she approached me, “I’ve heard so much about Professor Cooper’s brilliant senior student. I suppose you’re her. Hello, I’m Chloe, your new junior.”

After her introduction, she extended her hand. I looked up, catching the warning in Ethan Cooper’s gaze.

Carefully, I shook her delicate hand, “Pleased to meet you, future Mrs. Cooper. I’m Joyce Martin.”

Hearing this title, Chloeshyly lowered her head, while Ethan Cooper’s expression became inscrutable.

“Oh dear, One-Bai Ge, how could you speak so freely? How will I face everyone now?”

Ethan Cooper stepped out from behind his desk and wrapped an arm around Chloe, “They would have found out eventually. It was only a matter of time. Come, let me introduce you to the team.”

With that, the two began to leave. Noticing I had not followed, Chloeurged, “Senior Sister Charlotte, do hurry up.”

Catching Ethan Cooper’s hint, I trailed behind them.

The walk from the office to the lab was short, yet the pair strolled as if savoring a leisurely tour.

Along the way, Chloemarveled at the campus’s new technologies, while Ethan Cooper watched her with a smile.

Following behind, I witnessed a tenderness from Ethan Cooper I had never seen before.

Inevitably, a sense of desolation washed over me.

Finally arriving at the lab, after introducing Chloeto everyone, Ethan Cooper proposed that she take over my project.

The team exchanged glances between the new junior and me, their expressions a mix of surprise and awkwardness.

Chloe, sensing their scrutiny, teared up, “I didn’t mean to take over Senior Sister’s project.”

Observing the tension, Ethan Cooper gave me a pointed look.

Receiving his signal, I stood and addressed the group,

“I’ve actually applied to leave the project for personal reasons, as I informed the team leader this morning. Junior here is stepping in at a crucial moment—let’s give her a round of applause.”

The team hesitated, glancing at the team leader for confirmation. Upon her nod, they realized their miMartinderstanding and welcomed Chloewarmly.

Amid the applause, I attempted to synchronize data with Chloewhen an unexpected incident occurred.

A new student, in their negligence, triggered an explosion. Everyone evacuated orderly.

Noticing Chloenearby, I moved to Cooperide her to safety but was shoved into the flames.

I dodged instinctively, avoiding serious burns, but stumbled onto a desk corner, drawing blood. Dizziness overwhelmed me.

Stunned, I looked at Chloe. Had I not reacted in time, the fire would have disfiCooperred my face.

Instead, she panicked and fled.

At that moment, Ethan Cooper entered, wrapped in a fire blanket, his focus entirely on Chloe.

“Lady, are you alright?”

“Are you hurt?”

Chloe, terrified, threw herself into his arms. Amidst the flames and the hurried efforts to extinCooperish them, they stood composed and united.

Watching them embrace, I felt a blinding pain.

Alone in the chaos, I seemed forgotten by the world.

So be it.

My consciousness began to fade. After a dizzying spin, I collapsed to the ground.

Piercing screams echoed from afar.

“Senior Sister Charlotte!”