I had been married to Carlos for 20 years. My long-absent system finally reappeared, telling me that my task was complete and I could go home. So, I let Carlos and his son hand over the last of our ration coupons to the heroine, allowed our son to give up his university admission to her daughter, and simply smiled when the neighbor asked why I seemed so carefree. “Because I’m going home,” I replied with a smile. Little did I know that my departure would drive them mad. “Dear Host, congratulations. Your ‘Villainess Supporting Role’ series mission is now complete. The portal to return to your reality will open in five days. Please prepare accordingly.” Hearing the mechanical voice again after so long, I froze in disbelief. It had been twenty years since I first arrived in this world. Back in my senior year of college, while searching for a job, I had unexpectedly been transported here and bound to a system. Like any romance novel protagonist, I’d assumed my mission was to save the male lead or woo the devoted second male lead. But the system had told me otherwise. My task was simply to ensure the plot progressed smoothly, creating obstacles for the main characters along the way. Once that was clear, the system had vanished, leaving me to fend for myself. If not for its sudden reappearance, I might have forgotten about the task altogether. “You’re daydreaming again. That water’s about to drown the vegetables.” Emma, my neighbor, snapped me out of my trance, snatching the ladle from my hands. Apologizing sheepishly, I crouched down to dig a channel to drain the excess water. After finishing, I took back the ladle and resumed watering. “You look so happy. Is it because Bruce is heading off to university? I’d be over the moon, too, if my son had that opportunity. But, alas, my boy can’t compare to yours. Smart parents, smart kids, huh?” Emma teased as she worked, her laughter infectious. My smile faltered slightly, and I paused for a moment before continuing. “It’s not that. As for university… Bruce told me yesterday he’s not going.” “What?!” Emma gaped at me in shock. “Bruce got into a school that most people could only dream of attending! Why on earth would he not go? Is something wrong at home? You have to talk some sense into him! If you’re struggling, just tell us. We’ll help however we can,” she said earnestly, her concern genuine. Her kindness warmed my heart, but I couldn’t bring myself to explain the real reason. I let out a barely audible sigh. Seeing my silence, Emma furrowed her brow and finished the last ladle of water. “Don’t tell me… it’s because of Molly.” She clicked her tongue in frustration, muttering under her breath. “That Molly and her mother are nothing but trouble. The mother ruined your husband, and now the daughter’s after your son. Shameless, both of them.” In the past, I might have joined in her tirade, venting about my frustrations. But after what the system had just revealed, my mind was elsewhere. Apparently, I had only been meant to stay here for four years. But due to a system malfunction that extended my time, I was now being compensated with a ten-million-dollar reward and a wish upon my return. The thought of such a windfall made my head spin with excitement. With freedom so close, how could I care about the petty dramas of Carlos and his son? So, I politely excused myself from Emma’s complaints and went straight to the team leader to exchange my accumulated labor points for ration and cloth coupons. Catching the last bus into town, I exchanged the coupons for fine fabric and had the shop tailor me a new dress. I even treated myself to a meal at the restaurant I’d always deemed too expensive, relishing every bite. Finally, I strolled home leisurely, carrying a few vegetables and a small piece of meat. After all, I was leaving soon. There was no point in saving my labor points. They’d only end up benefiting Molly and her mother, Zanya.
When I first arrived in this world, Carlos was a bright, promising college student with a sharp mind and a bright future ahead of him. When we got married, everyone said I had hit the jackpot. What they didn’t see, however, were the early mornings I spent selling breakfast on the streets to make ends meet. They didn’t see how Carlos’ mother tormented me daily for not being able to help him climb the social ladder. I didn’t mind back then. After all, Carlos was good to me. He would walk me home when he didn’t have classes, shield me from his mother’s harsh words, and massage my sore back when I woke up exhausted in the middle of the night. I genuinely wanted to change Carlos’ fate and prevent him from ending up alone and disgraced, but I soon realized it was futile. No matter how hard I tried, the predetermined plot couldn’t be altered. Eventually, Carlos fell for the heroine, Zanya. He gave up a lucrative job offer and volunteered to go to the countryside, where he stayed for 18 years. Over those years, I transformed from a naïve, hopeful girl into a worn-out woman who could juggle farm work and housework without batting an eye. Looking at my rough hands and bloated figure, I couldn’t help but smirk bitterly. At least this miserable chapter was finally coming to an end. As I walked past rows of thatched cottages toward the tiny, cramped house we called home, I saw Bruce handing his university acceptance letter and my savings to Zanya’s daughter, Molly. “Molly, you’re a girl, and you need this admission letter more than I do,” he said earnestly. “And take the money. It’s a gift from me and my dad. Life in the city is different from here, and you’ll need it. Please take it.” Carlos, standing nearby, smiled affectionately as he encouraged Zanya and her daughter to accept. After a couple of polite refusals, Zanya finally gave in, her face glowing with gratitude. I stood there watching the scene, amusement tugging at the corners of my mouth. Emma wasn’t wrong. Molly and Zanya were like sirens, luring these men to ruin. Despite wanting to wash my hands of Carlos and Bruce, maternal instinct kicked in. Bruce was still my son, after all. With a frown, I stepped forward and snatched the acceptance letter from Molly’s hands. “Bruce, have you thought this through? Do you understand how hard it was for you to get into college? And what about the consequences if this transfer is discovered?” “Mom!” Bruce interrupted me impatiently. “This is my decision, and Dad agrees with me. Why are you interfering? You’ve lived in the village long enough to know how much harder it is for girls to get into college! You’ve always taught me to be generous, but now you’re being so selfish!” His words stung. I stared at him, my heart heavy with disappointment. How had the son I poured my heart into raising turned into this? “She can take the exam herself if she wants to go to college so badly. Over the years, you and your father have given them ration tickets, meat coupons, and now even the money I saved for your education. Have you ever thought about how we’re supposed to survive?” I turned my gaze toward Zanya and her daughter, frustration boiling inside me. Thanks to Carlos’ endless generosity, Zanya and Molly lived a comfortable life. They didn’t have to do farm work, and Carlos even gave up his job as a scorekeeper so Zanya could have it, making her the most well-off of all the educated youths sent here. Zanya’s eyes filled with tears. She quickly handed the money back to me. “Sherra, this is my fault. Carlos told me the money was just extra, that you didn’t need it. I didn’t think too much about it. Please don’t fight because of me. Molly will take the college exam herself, and I’ll earn the money for her tuition.” “Carlos,” she continued, her voice trembling, “thank you for everything over the years. But to avoid any more misunderstandings with Sherra, we should keep our distance from now on.” She turned to leave, but Carlos grabbed her hand, his face filled with urgency. “Zanya, what are you saying? This family isn’t Sherra’s to dictate. Bruce and I don’t need all this money, but you and Molly do. And what misunderstanding? I’m married; there’s nothing for her to misinterpret. “Come on, take the money and the acceptance letter.” I watched helplessly as Zanya and her daughter walked away with the money and letter. My gaze shifted to Carlos and Bruce, both of whom looked completely unbothered. Disheartened, I tossed the basket I’d been carrying onto the table and turned to leave. This place was suffocating. I needed to escape. But before I could leave, Carlos called after me. “Sherra Thompson, you did that on purpose, didn’t you?”
I froze mid-step, not because of Carlos’ harsh tone but because of the name he had just used: Sherra Thompson. It had been so long since anyone had called me that. Ever since we were sent to the countryside, people had only known me as “Carlos’ wife,” never by my maiden name. “Why did you have to say that just now?” Carlos demanded, his voice thick with anger. “Zanya grew up spoiled, and being sent here was already a huge blow for her. Did you really have to twist the knife? It’s not like we’re short on money. What was the point of humiliating her like that? Are you really that cruel?” “Exactly!” Bruce chimed in. “Mom, didn’t you see how Molly was about to cry because of you? How could you be so heartless? And besides, Molly’s going to marry me anyway. What difference does it make whose name is on that college admission? Stop making a scene.” I almost laughed at the absurdity of it. Of course, they thought I was heartless. They’d never earned those ration tickets or labor points themselves. Ever since Carlos had come to the countryside, his health had been poor, leaving me to do the work of two people just to scrape together enough labor points for food to nurse him back to health. At first, Carlos had been grateful. He’d even cried one night when he saw how rough my hands had become from farmwork, apologizing for not being able to take better care of me. In those moments, I’d believed I’d married the right person. But everything changed when he learned that Zanya wasn’t eating well or sleeping soundly. Suddenly, I no longer mattered. He started giving her our limited ration tickets, leaving me to faint from low blood sugar. He spent nights guarding her door, completely ignoring the fact that I was pregnant. And when his health improved, he worked tirelessly to earn cloth coupons. Not for our son, but because Zanya envied someone else’s pretty clothes. This pattern repeated itself so many times over the past eighteen years that I’d lost count. At first, I’d fought back, even threatened divorce. But every time I looked at my small, helpless son, I’d relent. I’d told myself to endure, just for Bruce. And so I endured, year after year, until now. The sharp pain in my arm brought me back to reality. Carlos’ grip was like a vice, his fingers pressing so hard they turned white, which somehow matched the sickly pallor of his face when he was sick. “Sherra, what’s wrong with you? Answer me!” I thought I’d scream at him, as I had so many times before. Or perhaps I’d cry, demanding answers, begging for fairness. But to my surprise, I felt none of that. Looking at Carlos and Bruce, I felt only exhaustion and disgust. I slapped his hand away, watching him wince and let go. The pressure in my chest eased slightly as I said, “Do whatever you want. I don’t care anymore.”
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