I worked as a caregiver at a psychiatric hospital.

One day, during a quiet shift, I came across a post from my husband's widowed sister-in-law.

[Just launched my first AI-generated short drama! Hope you'll check it out and support me!]

I tapped on the video attached to the post.

The villain's face was identical to mine.

I immediately messaged her and demanded that she take the video down.

Instead, she posted our chat in the family group.

Then she added:

"If it really bothers you, I'll delete it. It's just a shame my first attempt at starting a business has already failed..."

My husband replied almost instantly:

"Don't delete it!"

Then he tagged me.

"So, what if you played a vicious villain? That's called making sacrifices for art."

"This is the first business your sister-in-law has ever started. Stop being so dramatic."

My mother-in-law chimed in as well:

"Your sister-in-law is trying to build something of her own. What's wrong with supporting her?"

"What do you mean she used your face without permission? We're family. Why make such a fuss over something so trivial?"

"She used all of our faces, and none of us complained. What, do you think your face is worth more than everyone else's?"

What they didn't know was that I was an undercover investigative journalist.

So yes, my face really was worth more than theirs.

The messages in the family group chat made my head buzz.

The psychiatric hospital where I was currently working might have been involved in human trafficking behind the scenes.

As an undercover investigative journalist, I understood better than anyone what would happen if my identity were exposed.

I immediately went to the restroom and called my husband, Sean Lowe.

As soon as the call connected, I lowered my voice anxiously.

"Sean, I told you before we got married that the nature of my work required me to keep a low profile.

"While the video still doesn't have much traffic, get your sister-in-law to delete it right now."

Sean sounded extremely impatient.

"What kind of job needs to stay low-profile? Aren't you just a caregiver at a psychiatric hospital?

"My brother passed away, and Rachel only just managed to pull herself together. Do you really have to ruin things for her now?"

Before I could argue back, my mother-in-law, Shirley, grabbed the phone. Her voice was sharp and piercing.

"Are you jealous or something? Rachel can make money just by editing videos at home, while you're still spending your days cleaning up after psychiatric patients.

"You heartless woman. She's raising her son by herself. She finally started making a little money, and you're already jealous of her!"

Shirley's monthly pension and half of Sean's salary both went toward helping Rachel Ross with household expenses, and I always understood that.

I even reminded Sean countless times to look after her whenever he could. How could I possibly be jealous of Rachel?

I desperately wanted to tell them the truth, but my work was confidential. The only thing I could do was keep finding indirect ways to persuade them to delete the video.

"Mom, I didn't even have a wedding ceremony or wedding photos when I got married because a fortune teller said taking those kinds of pictures would bring misfortune to my family.

"It's not that I'm suddenly jealous of Rachel now. I stopped taking photos and videos a long time ago."

Shirley always believed in things like that.

She hesitated.

"Now that you mention it, you really haven't taken photos for years."

"Sophia Jones!"

Sophia Jones was the alias I used at the psychiatric hospital. The voice belonged to the head nurse calling for me.

I hurriedly reminded Shirley to delete the video, and she immediately agreed.

After hanging up, I returned to work.

When the day's work was finally over, I went home and lay on the bed scrolling through short videos.

The next second, I shot upright from the bed.

I came across the AI short drama video while scrolling.

As I watched the video's popularity surge, a cold sweat broke out across my back.

I rushed downstairs and knocked on Rachel's bedroom door.

"Rachel, hurry! Delete the video now! I can't show my face!"

Rachel looked troubled.

"Anna, please just let me earn this money."

As she spoke, tears filled her eyes.

"The video finally gained some traction. You know how hard it is for me to raise a child on my own. I'm begging you."

As she spoke, she started lowering herself to her knees.

Shirley and Sean rushed over after hearing the commotion.

Shirley quickly stepped forward and pulled Rachel back up before she could kneel.

Without asking any questions, Sean stormed over and slapped me across the face.

"Do you really have to make things difficult for her? Do you have any idea how hard it is for a woman to earn money on her own?

"Anyone who cuts off someone else's livelihood will get what's coming to them."

The slap landed hard.

My cheek instantly burned with pain.

I clutched my face and shouted in despair, "I told you before we got married that I didn't like showing my face! You promised you'd respect that.

"Besides, using my face in an AI video without my permission is a violation of my rights!"

Sean glared at me furiously.

"We're family. So, what if it's a violation? Are you really going to report your own family?

"What could possibly happen from showing your face for a few seconds? Rachel spent several sleepless nights making that video. There's no way she's deleting it."

I watched the likes continue climbing higher and higher.

My hands began to tremble uncontrollably.

According to my investigation, the seven abducted children and five trafficked women were still being held inside the psychiatric hospital.

If my cover was blown, the investigation would lose its only lead. What would be destroyed wouldn't just be my mission—it would be the hopes of countless families still waiting for their loved ones to come home.

At that thought, I gave in.

My voice caught in my throat as I stepped forward and took Rachel's hand.

"I still have forty thousand dollars in my account. You can have all of it to help with household expenses.

"Just delete the video, okay? I'm begging you."

Rachel refused a few times out of courtesy before sheepishly accepting the bank card.

Only after seeing her delete the video with my own eyes did I finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, the video had not yet been pushed into the platform's recommendation feed. The only viewers were friends and acquaintances.

The next morning, I was jolted awake by a ringing phone.

A friend I hadn't spoken to in years sounded excited.

"Anna, you've gone viral! Since when did you become an actress? Don't forget to give me an autograph!"

A bad feeling immediately settled in my stomach.

After brushing her off with a few casual responses, I opened the trending searches.

One glance was all it took.

A layer of cold sweat broke out across my forehead, and my hands and feet turned ice-cold.

Unable to hold back any longer, I kicked Sean awake and shouted at him, "What the hell is wrong with your sister-in-law? She took the money, so why is she still using my face to generate videos? Do you have any idea how serious this is?"

Sean rubbed his eyes and casually glanced at the video.

"Oh, that? I told her to do it.

"You're the female lead now, aren't you? What are you still complaining about?"

Tears streamed down my face as I roared, "Can any of you understand plain English? I said I don't like showing my face!"

Shirley kicked the bedroom door open and pointed a finger at me.

"Anna Hall, Rachel's video has gone viral. She's going to make millions from this.

"I haven't even settled the score for how you tried to trick her out of it using forty thousand dollars last night, and you still have the nerve to make a scene?"

I pointed at Rachel, who was hiding behind Shirley.

"I'm taking this copyright violation all the way. Anyone who broke the law will answer for it."

I turned and walked out the door, accompanied by the vicious insults hurled after me by Sean and Shirley.

I knew that one wrong move could push me straight into a dead end.

But what was done was done.

I forced myself to suppress my emotions, stay calm, and focus on solving the problem.

After arriving at the psychiatric hospital, I stepped up my search for evidence.

I slipped into the hospital archives ahead of schedule.

My fingertips had just brushed against a file marked "Accidental Deaths of Psychiatric Patients" when I sensed footsteps approaching from behind.

The steps were deliberately light, tapping softly against the floor.

I could feel the person's gaze fixed on the back of my neck like a vulture stalking its prey.

"Anna Hall."

He finally spoke, his tone deliberately casual, yet he called me by my real name.

My grip tightened around the file until my knuckles turned white.

I waited a moment before slowly looking up.

I put on the dull, timid expression expected of a hospital orderly.

"Dr. Warren, my name is Sophia Jones. You must have mistaken me for someone else."

The director, Daniel Warren, let out a short laugh, his eyes dropping to the file in my hands.

"It's nothing. You just happen to look a lot like that actress from the short drama that's been trending lately."

My heart sank.

I feigned clumsy nervousness and set the file back on the desk.

"Really? I... I don't usually watch that kind of thing."

His gaze lingered on my face for several seconds, openly scrutinizing me.

"Now that I look closer, you don't really resemble her that much after all. Maybe I was mistaken. What are you doing in here?"

I carefully controlled my breathing and forced myself to sound relaxed.

"The head nurse asked me to deliver some paperwork. I noticed the room was a little dusty, so I thought I'd clean up while I was here."

As I spoke, I picked up a broom nearby and began sweeping.

Without another word, he left the archives room.

Yet I could still feel that probing gaze lingering on me long after he was gone.

It followed me all the way until I stepped out of the archives.

Even though I was wearing makeup and hadn't revealed any obvious flaws, unease continued to gnaw at me.

I immediately sent a message to the police officers I was working with.

The operation might have to be moved up at any moment.

When they replied that they were on standby and ready to act, some of the tension finally left my chest.

But in the very next second, I glanced casually out the window, and saw Rachel leading a large crowd straight toward the entrance of the psychiatric hospital.

My breath caught in my throat. I had repeatedly warned my family not to come anywhere near the psychiatric hospital.

The only thing I could do was turn away and blend into the crowd.

Rachel stood at the hospital entrance with a selfie stick, livestreaming to her followers.

"I'm a single mother, but I've never given up on life. I'm honored that the videos I've worked so hard to create have been so well received.

"I came to the psychiatric hospital today mainly to do some charity work and give back to the community.

"And there's someone else I'd like to thank—my sister-in-law. She's the female lead of the AI drama and works here as an orderly."

I froze.

Cold sweat soaked through my back as I prayed Rachel wouldn't accidentally ruin everything.

Shirley immediately jumped in.

"Why bring her up? She's just a buzzkill. Everything you've achieved came from your own hard work, Rachel."

Daniel heard the commotion and came over.

Rachel eagerly stepped forward to greet him.

"Dr. Warren, I'm here to make a donation to the hospital."

Daniel shook her hand and thanked her. After asking her to end the livestream, he invited them to his office to discuss the donation in private.

As Rachel passed through the crowd, she spotted me instantly.

"Anna!"

I didn't dare turn around.

My fingers tightened around the signal transmitter until my knuckles turned white.

I could feel Daniel's gaze pinning me in place through the sea of people.

Rachel leaned toward Shirley and whispered, "Mom, doesn't Anna work here as an orderly?"

A smile remained on Daniel's face as he casually asked, "Isn't your sister-in-law the female lead from that drama? I think her name was Anna Hall."

Rachel eagerly moved closer to him and began chatting away.

"That's right. She works right here at your hospital."

"The forty thousand dollars we're donating today is actually on her behalf. We were hoping she'd be here to witness it.

"My sister-in-law is the hardest worker you'll ever meet. If there's any dirty work nobody wants to do, you can always count on her."

Daniel's smile deepened with meaning.

"Of course," he said without hesitation.

I listened to Rachel's little scheme and trembled with anger.

I wanted nothing more than to walk over and slap some sense into her.

Just then, the transmitter in my hand vibrated twice.

I immediately understood the signal.

The operation was beginning.

I quickly put on my earpiece and slipped away from the crowd.

"Police! Nobody move!"

Almost the instant the command rang out, the seemingly ordinary pedestrians around us sprang into action.

Undercover officers closed in from every direction.

The psychiatric hospital erupted into chaos.

Patients and staff scattered in every direction, scrambling to escape.

Amid the confusion, Daniel suddenly grabbed Rachel before she could react and pressed a sharp knife against her throat.

I took advantage of the distraction and led the officers assigned to support me down to the basement.

There, we successfully rescued the seven children and five women who were about to be trafficked.

After that, I rushed to the archives room and uncovered years' worth of trafficking records.

When I handed the evidence over to the task force commander, I saw that Rachel was terrified out of her mind, her face drained of all color.

Rachel noticed the way I interacted with the police and immediately pointed at me with a trembling finger.

"She knows the police! She's the one who called them!"

Shirley burst into tears and screamed, "Please let Rachel go! Anna, do something! Trade places with her!"

"Don't come any closer!" Daniel shouted.

"One more step and I'll kill her!"

Daniel and the attending physician held Rachel hostage as they backed toward a deserted alley behind the hospital.

With a hostage's life at risk, the police had no choice but to temporarily give ground.

When they reached the mouth of the alley, Daniel turned toward me and flashed a sinister smile.

Then he dragged the scalpel across Rachel's neck.

Rachel was kicked violently toward us.

Blood poured from the wound on her neck.

That brief moment of chaos was all Daniel and the attending physician needed. The two ringleaders behind the entire operation turned and fled.