I was a ‘strategist,’ sent from another world. My mission? To make Serena, the second female lead of this story, fall in love with me – even though her heart already belonged to someone else. Nine years. I poured every ounce of myself into our relationship, but she never truly loved me – not for a single moment. It wasn’t until I saw her, with my own eyes, snatching away my daughter’s ransom money just to save Julian’s son first, that my heart turned to ash. Any will to live simply drained from me. I calmly accepted the System’s erasure. But why was she losing her mind, the woman who never loved me? “BOOM!” A deafening explosion ripped through the air, followed by a pillar of fire shooting skyward. My daughter’s tiny body was quickly engulfed by the inferno. “No!” I shrieked, a gut-wrenching sound tearing from my throat. When the firefighters finally pulled Lily out, there wasn’t a single piece of her skin left intact. She was a horrific sight, disfigured beyond recognition. I crumpled to the ground, large, heavy tears streaming down my face. Just moments before the kidnapper realized the police were there and detonated the bomb, Lily had been desperately screaming in his arms, “Mommy, don’t you want Lily anymore? Please, save me…!” But Serena, her own mother, remained stone-faced. She simply turned her back, scooped up Julian’s son, and walked away. My hands trembling, I fumbled for my phone and called Serena. It rang three times before she finally picked up. Before I could even speak, her impatient voice snapped, “What is it? Spit it out, I’m busy taking care of Noah.” The thought of our daughter lying dead while she coddled another man’s child ignited a firestorm of rage within me. I roared into the phone, “The kidnapper and Lily are dead! Our Lily is gone! She’s dead!” “How dare you use *my* ransom money to save Julian’s son? Are you even Lily’s mother?!” I had never spoken to Serena with such venom. The line went silent for a long moment before her voice returned. “Leo! How dare you yell at me?! I already called the police, Lily couldn’t possibly be in trouble. Don’t use such ridiculous excuses just to get me to come home!” “Now, stop wasting time and bring a bowl of chicken soup to the downtown hospital. Noah was startled, he needs something good to recover.” Then, she hung up on me. I scoffed, a bitter, self-deprecating laugh escaping my lips. My desperate pleas for her to see reason, my furious accusations – they fell on deaf ears. There was no reflection, no remorse. Anything connected to Julian and his son, and Serena would drop everything. I was a ‘strategist’ from another world, sent here to complete a mission: to make Serena, the story’s second female lead, fall in love with me. According to the original plot, she was destined to love Julian, the male lead, her entire life. Julian would marry her after returning to the country with the female lead’s child, but once the female lead came back, he’d be in for a brutal battle to win her back. Like most romance novels, the male and female leads would eventually live happily ever after. Serena, however, was fated to be hit and killed by a large truck on her way to win Julian back. I had changed the plot, marrying Serena while Julian was abroad. The System never declared my mission a success. After Lily was born, it went into a long hibernation. It wasn’t until a year ago, when Julian returned, that the long-dormant System chimed back to life. It warned me: if Serena didn’t love me by the end of this final year, I would be erased. I couldn’t help but feel how utterly I had failed. All these years, Serena had never loved me. After cremating Lily’s body alone, I cradled the urn and made my way to the hospital. I pushed open the door to find Serena fussing over Noah, meticulously wiping him down, then sitting by his bedside, peeling a pear. That tender, doting expression was something Lily and I had longed for, day and night, but never received. I walked closer, taking in Noah’s condition. Just a minor scrape. Serena turned, saw me, and her gentle demeanor vanished instantly. She shielded Noah like a protective mother bear, her eyes sharp and wary. That small gesture sent a chill, colder than any winter, through my heart. She snapped at me, “Are you deaf? I told you to bring a thermos with chicken soup. What are you doing carrying a box?” Lily’s death had drained every ounce of strength from me. I couldn’t fight anymore. I just choked out, “Serena, let’s find a burial plot for Lily together, and lay her to rest properly.” “Clang!” Serena’s hand trembled, and the small knife clattered to the floor.
Serena’s eyes widened. She took a step back, her face a mask of disbelief. Her hands shook as she reached for the urn, but the next second, she regained her composure, scoffing at me. “Leo, your tricks are getting more elaborate, even bringing props now. I can’t believe a grown man, a father even, is so childish, acting out of jealousy to this extent.” I grabbed her wrist, my voice deadly serious. “If you don’t believe me, come home with me and see for yourself if Lily is still there.” Her eyes openly conveyed disgust and contempt, as if I were nothing more than a pathetic, clingy nuisance. Julian, standing nearby, sighed. “Leo, Noah’s mother isn’t here. Serena was just being kind. You’re a grown man, you should understand, there’s no need to be so petty.” “If you’re really so bothered, you could have just told me directly. I would have convinced Serena to go home. But Lily… how could you curse your own daughter with death? She’s innocent!” His last words were undoubtedly meant to fan the flames, but Serena, to my utter despair, looked at him with eyes brimming with tenderness and gratitude. A wave of bitter envy washed over me. How I wished she would look at *me* that way. I clenched my fists, my knuckles cracking, and couldn’t help but snarl at Julian, “Stop trying to stir up trouble!” Serena’s temper flared. She shoved me with all her might. “Leo, are you done?! Julian is telling the truth! How long are you going to keep being so unreasonable?!” I stumbled backward, hitting the table behind me. The urn slipped from my grasp, and Lily’s ashes scattered across the floor. In an instant, the entire hospital room fell into a deathly silence. Serena saw the ashes on the floor, her lips moving silently a few times, but she stubbornly insisted, “You’re really committed to this act. You should become an actor.” I ignored her sarcasm. I dropped to my knees, frantically trying to scoop up the scattered ashes. Torrents of tears poured from my eyes. “Lily, I’m so sorry. Daddy messed up. Daddy didn’t hold you tight enough. Did you get hurt, my darling?” Serena had never seen me cry so miserably. A flicker of emotion finally crossed her face. She opened her mouth as if to speak. But then, Noah whined from the bed, calling out for help. Serena reacted like a reflex, rushing to him instantly. “There, there, Noah. Auntie Serena is here. Don’t be scared.” Julian stroked Noah’s head, comforting him. “Noah’s okay. Auntie Serena and Daddy already chased the bad guys away.” I watched the warm scene unfolding before me, a picture of a perfect family of three. It felt like a thousand tiny needles piercing my heart, making it impossible to breathe. Even if Serena didn’t believe Lily was dead, she hadn’t shown a single ounce of concern for our daughter. No worry about whether she was hurt. She was perfectly content doting on another man’s son. I closed my eyes, clinging to a final sliver of hope, and slowly spoke. “What if I told you… I’m dying?” Serena frowned. Julian put on a sympathetic front, cutting in before she could speak. “Serena, you should go home. I can take care of Noah by myself. It’s my fault today, I’ve affected your relationship with your husband.” He finished, then gave Noah a subtle look. Noah immediately understood, shaking Serena’s arm. “Auntie Serena, don’t leave. Noah needs you.” As expected, Serena took the bait instantly. She pointed a finger at me, unleashing a torrent of abuse. “When Julian went abroad, you took advantage of him and married me. Then you used a child to get some attention from me. Now you’re using lies to gain my sympathy.” “Leo, you are truly despicable!” Despicable? A bitter smile twisted my lips. So, that’s what she thought of me all along. “If you want to die, then go die! Bringing an urn into a hospital is just bad luck!” Her words held no trace of fondness for our relationship, only a pervasive annoyance. Tears eventually run dry, just as hope eventually crumbles away. I nodded. “I understand. I won’t bother you anymore, then.” As I closed the door, a fleeting, almost imperceptible smile crossed Julian’s lips. I had no energy to decipher its meaning. Dragging my exhausted body, I left.
I didn’t go home. I drove to the cemetery. After burying Lily, the System’s voice echoed in my mind. It sounded urgent. “Host, you have three hours until erasure. Aren’t you going to fight for it?” I shook my head, calmly accepting my fate. Unconsciously, nine years had passed since I arrived in this world. Nine years. I was so tired of living. I couldn’t count how many times Serena had pierced my heart. Last month, on our ninth wedding anniversary, she actually agreed to celebrate with me for the first time. Lily was thrilled, clapping and cheering. I was so excited I couldn’t sleep all night. The next day, I woke up early and prepared roses, candles, a necklace, and a table full of all her favorite dishes. I truly believed that our little family of three would finally have a happy meal together. But then, she suddenly received a SnapChat message about Julian having a stomachache. In a panic, she rushed out to bring him medicine. Before she left, she condescendingly tossed me a, “Happy anniversary.” As always, I swallowed my resentment. I didn’t stop her. I didn’t want to argue in front of Lily. Sensing my disappointment, Lily decisively FaceTimed Serena. She sweetly asked, “Mommy, Daddy seems a little unwell. Can you come back and keep him company?” Serena roared at her, “Did your dad tell you to say that?! You’re so young, and you’re already learning to lie and trick people with your dad!” “I don’t have time for him right now! Don’t bother me!” Lily quickly covered the microphone, afraid I’d hear and be sad. Even though her mom had just yelled at her and she felt a little wronged, she acted like a tiny adult, comforting me. “It’s okay, Daddy. Don’t be sad. Lily is here to keep Daddy company.” My eyes stung, and I fought back tears. “With Lily here, Daddy isn’t sad.” Countless incidents like this had left my heart shattered and riddled with holes. It was only Lily’s love that had kept me going. Now that Lily was gone, I truly couldn’t bear it anymore. Before I died, I FaceTimed my friend Caleb to tell him I was leaving this world. I gave him the cemetery address, asking him to bury me next to Lily. Father and daughter, side by side, neither of us alone. “I never truly belonged in this world. Leaving… isn’t it a kind of release?” “Is it because of Serena?” I didn’t confirm or deny it. He quickly understood, his voice husky with emotion. “You brat, don’t you dare forget me, even when you’re gone.” “If, and I mean *if*, Serena ever asks about me, just tell her to come to Lily’s and my grave.” The System and I had agreed: after my death, I would lose my physical body and become a wisp of a soul, able to float around Serena. Perhaps it was out of stubbornness, but I desperately wanted to know Serena’s reaction when she learned the truth. Would she repent? Would she admit her mistakes? Or would she remain indifferent, unbothered? After hanging up, I received a SnapChat message from Serena. “Where are you? Come pick me up at the hospital, now.” “I’m coming home, alright?” Her imperious tone made it sound like her willingness to return was some colossal act of grace. Out of spite, I typed out one last message: “When you get home, don’t open the closet in Lily’s room. I’m afraid you’ll regret it when you see what’s inside.” She replied quickly. “What are you rambling about? What is there for me to regret?” Serena kept messaging me, urging me to pick her up, but she never got another reply. By the time she FaceTimed me, I was already dead. That feeling of being ripped from my physical body… it was truly unbearable. I floated over to Serena. To my surprise, she hadn’t stayed at the hospital to care for Noah. She actually intended to go home. After waiting for my call to go unanswered, she reluctantly called a cab. As soon as she got in, she received a call from Lily’s school teacher. “I’m so sorry, Mrs. Serena, I know you’re busy, but Lily’s father’s phone has been unreachable, so I had no choice but to call you.” “We teachers are all very saddened by Lily’s passing. Please accept our condolences. When do you have time to come to the school to pack up her belongings?” Serena’s eyes glazed over, her mouth agape. She couldn’t utter a single word for a long moment. “Hello? Mrs. Serena, can you hear me?”
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