After my wife abandoned me for her first love for the tenth time, I received the ultimate punishment from the system. My love for my wife was erased. My wife thought I was acting. To force me to apologize, she brought her first love in front of me and kissed him passionately. She posted sweet photos on Instagram that only I could see, and even handed me divorce papers when I remained unmoved. She thought I would definitely compromise. But she didn’t know that I no longer loved her. When I signed the divorce agreement, my wife finally panicked. She cried and begged me to love her one more time. In the dark room, only flickering candlelight remained. The cream on the cake on the dining table had already collapsed. The system’s voice sounded in my head. [Host, this is your last chance. If you can’t call Jessica back, you’ll face punishment.] I calmly replied “okay,” but my heart was still filled with pain. This was the tenth time Jessica had abandoned me for Luke. Today was my birthday, and Jessica had been called away by Luke halfway through. I didn’t know what punishment I would face, but based on past experience, it definitely wouldn’t be pleasant. The first time Jessica abandoned me for Luke, the punishment felt like high-voltage electricity coursing through my body. I couldn’t get out of bed for three days from the pain. The punishments got worse each time. The ninth time, I was vomiting blood non-stop. I was truly scared. I took out my phone and called Jessica. First call. Second call. It wasn’t until the eighth call that someone picked up. Jessica’s impatient voice came through the receiver. “Jessica, wish me a happy birthday…” I said, my throat tight, almost begging. Just saying “happy birthday” would save me from punishment. At least I wouldn’t lose so miserably. But Jessica just let out a cold laugh at those simple words. “Ryan, do you have nothing better to do? Luke is sick, so I came to take care of him. Who are you trying to act pitiful for? Don’t make me look down on you.” I laughed bitterly, my voice calmer than ever before. Every time Luke called Jessica away and I tried to get her to come back, she always said I was making a fuss over nothing and complaining for no reason. I was tired of explaining. “What if I said I would die?” I asked. I wasn’t sure what would happen to me, but I might actually die. Or maybe…I would leave this world? Isn’t that what happens to other system hosts in novels when they fail their missions? I was truly scared. I thought Jessica would at least be anxious if she heard I might die. Even if she just showed a little concern, I would feel like all these years of devotion and love were worth it. But Jessica replied with disgust, “Always talking about dying. It’s just a stupid birthday, can’t you celebrate next year? If you really want to die then go die far away. I might actually think better of you then!” Before I could respond, I heard a male voice on the other end of the call. “Jess, I’m done showering. You can go wash up now.” The call was immediately hung up. As I listened to the busy signal, I fell into deep thought. Jessica never showered outside our home. I couldn’t rule out that Luke had said that on purpose for me to hear, but there was no denying that Luke was always the exception for Jessica. [Host, time’s up. Punishment begins.]
The clock in the living room struck midnight. My birthday had passed, which meant my mission had completely failed. When the system’s voice sounded, it seemed to carry a hint of gentleness. Jessica and I had been together for five years. I had pursued her for five years. That’s right, I was a transmigrator tasked with winning her over. I thought that as long as I married Jessica, my mission would be complete. I never wanted to return to the real world. After all, in the real world I was an orphan with cancer. The exorbitant surgery fees were beyond my reach, so I ended it all by jumping off a building. In this book world, at least I had a complete family. But Jessica’s heart was never with me. Whenever Luke needed something, even if I was sick and hospitalized, Jessica wouldn’t come back to me. Even ice can be melted with enough warmth, but Jessica’s gaze never lingered on me. But I still couldn’t let go. As the punishment began, I felt something being drawn out of my body. Past memories played like a flipbook in my mind. Jessica’s smile, her silhouette playing in the sunlight, me holding her hand as we exchanged wedding vows under everyone’s gaze. Those warm, beautiful scenes unexpectedly brought tears to my eyes. Amidst gut-wrenching pain, I lost consciousness. When I woke up, my throat felt parched. I stumbled to the kitchen for a glass of water, only to run into an exhausted-looking Jessica who had just returned. Luke followed behind her, looking smug. For some reason, even though I knew the woman before me was my wife, she felt like a stranger. Jessica let out a cold laugh when she saw me. “Weren’t you going on about dying last night? Look at you, still alive and well. All talk and no action – it’s disgusting.” I looked at Jessica in confusion. Her words were harsh, even making my heart ache instinctively. I couldn’t quite remember why I had married such a sharp-tongued woman. For a moment, I couldn’t hide my dazed expression. Even my hand paused as I was drinking water. Jessica casually sat down, leading Luke to do the same. Luke said apologetically, “Sorry to disturb you so late, Ryan. It’s my fault for being in poor health. Jess was worried about me, that’s why she brought me back. You don’t mind, right?”
I don’t know if I was being overly sensitive, but I felt like Luke was blatantly showing off. Before I could respond, Jessica rolled her eyes at me and reassured Luke. “You’re my best friend. Certain people aren’t important enough to interfere with my decisions. Make yourself at home. Let me know if you need anything.” Then Jessica turned to me, her eyes wary, as if afraid I might do something to hurt Luke. She warned, “Ryan, I’m telling you, if you want to stay with me, don’t play any tricks. Don’t make me hate you!” I finally realized that I no longer loved Jessica. In the past, when Jessica brought Luke in front of me, I would feel angry, sad, and wronged. But now I felt nothing. So the system’s so-called punishment was to take away my love for Jessica. For a moment, I didn’t know whether to feel sad or relieved. Perhaps I should be relieved. Loving Jessica was too exhausting. Even though my memories were hazy, when I tried to recall the past, it felt like something was crushing my chest, making it hard to breathe. I calmly finished my water and coldly replied, “Oh, okay.” Jessica looked surprised. She had probably prepared a bunch of insults, expecting me to protest. She didn’t expect me to be so indifferent, and was momentarily at a loss for words. But Luke didn’t seem to want things to go smoothly for me. He immediately lowered his gaze, as if I had bullied him. “Jess, maybe I should leave. It seems Ryan doesn’t welcome me. Don’t let me affect your relationship.” Jessica seemed to find an opening and grabbed Luke’s hand in front of me, looking at me with disgust. “Ryan, who are you putting on this dead-faced act for? I came back like you wanted. Luke is just staying with us for a few days. If you don’t welcome him, fine, but do you have to look so sour? Did all those years of education go to waste? You have no manners!” These words left me stunned. I hadn’t said anything, hadn’t even tried to drive Luke away. How had I become the petty one in Jessica’s eyes? Oh, I almost forgot. It wasn’t just this time. It had always been like this. When I protested Jessica seeing Luke, she said I was jealous and had no sense of boundaries. When I was forced to accept Jessica and Luke’s relationship, Luke would find ways to provoke me, saying I didn’t like him. And Jessica would still scold me harshly. In short, everything I did was wrong. Now I was incredibly grateful that I no longer loved Jessica. Looking back, I realized how helpless and pitiful I used to be. I paused as I was heading back to my room. “How about I leave instead?”
The air in the room froze for a few seconds. Jessica and Luke looked at each other in disbelief, as if they couldn’t believe this was my reaction. It’s true, in the past, if I didn’t kick up a huge fuss to vent my dissatisfaction, I wouldn’t be Ryan. Everyone in our social circle knew I was Jessica’s devoted admirer. I loved Jessica to death. People even joked that even if every man in the world were to change his heart, I never would. It was because I loved her too much that I couldn’t stand any man being close to Jessica, let alone giving them private time together now. But Jessica quickly realized something and laughed loudly. “Ryan, tired of the suicidal act? Now you’re playing hard to get? “Let me tell you, even if you do this, I still…” I had already closed the door and left before Jessica could finish her sentence, cutting off her unfinished words. No heartache, no grievance. I just found Jessica annoying. The streets were cold late at night. I walked aimlessly, feeling an unprecedented sense of freedom and relaxation. Since coming to this book world, every day had been spent hovering around Jessica. I never had time for myself. I still remembered Jessica’s birthday, when she smashed the cake I had made with my own hands onto my body in front of everyone in our social circle. She gritted her teeth and said to me: “Ryan, no matter how much you grovel, I will never like a pushover like you. Even if you were the last man on earth, I would never choose you!” But how did Jessica agree to marry me? At that time, Jessica’s family company was facing a financial crisis and on the verge of bankruptcy. Who among the elite doesn’t kick you when you’re down? Overnight, Jessica was begging everyone for help, even willing to offer herself. But those she once called friends all closed their doors to her. Even her first love Luke made excuses about going abroad and broke up with her. I still remember that rainy night when Jessica came to find me. My family’s company wasn’t small, but it was inferior to Jessica’s former company, which was why she had looked down on me. At that time, I knew I was Jessica’s last resort. When her tear-filled eyes stared at me, begging me to save her family, I softened. Jessica asked to marry me. Although she was my target, I wasn’t the type to take advantage of someone’s misfortune. Besides, I had already truly fallen in love with her after pursuing her day and night. In the end, Jessica’s family felt indebted to mine, so they let her marry me. This time I didn’t refuse. But after marriage, Jessica gradually came to her senses. She felt I had taken advantage of her vulnerability and that I had ulterior motives for helping her. She never looked at me with warmth. But I still remembered why I liked Jessica in the first place. She would buy vegetables and fruits from elderly vendors, donate to orphanages, and smile at poor people. Jessica was originally a good person. She just… didn’t love me.
After walking for over an hour, a Maybach suddenly pulled up beside me. When the window rolled down, it revealed Jessica’s delicate face, though she was frowning and looked displeased. “How long are you going to keep this up? Walking around on the streets like this – if the media reports on it, they’ll say I’m ungrateful again.” Then Luke’s head poked out from the passenger seat. He said pitifully, “Ryan, I’m sorry. My presence caused you two to fight. I’ll go back now. Even though I have no family or friends here, I’ll accept my fate even if I die alone at home.” Luke’s clumsy attempt at playing the victim – I don’t know why I used to fall for it repeatedly. Could Jessica really not see through Luke’s act? She probably could. She just enjoyed Luke going to such lengths for her, which meant he still cared about her. And I was just the sacrificial lamb in their love game. I ignored Jessica and kept walking. The night wind was really cold, seeping into my body. Jessica impatiently honked the horn. Seeing I didn’t react, she stopped the car and shoved me into the backseat. “Can’t you be more sensible? You’re only making things more difficult for me! Why can’t you be more like Luke?” This was probably something Jessica blurted out in anger. Yes, I’m not like Luke. At least in Jessica’s heart, I can’t compare to Luke at all. I wanted to speak, but my throat felt tight and salty. In the end, I couldn’t say anything. People’s preconceptions are like mountains. In Jessica’s mind, I had always been unreasonable and jealous. No matter how I tried to explain myself, the verdict had already been passed. Besides, I no longer cared. The rest of the ride was silent. When we got home, Luke, who had been crying about going home, still followed us in. As soon as we entered, Luke quickly ran in front of me and threw himself against the entryway. His forehead hit the corner of a cabinet, immediately drawing blood. The loud noise caught me off guard. Jessica quickly went to help Luke up. The blood from Luke’s forehead was flowing down his face, looking quite gruesome. Luke’s tears immediately fell. He looked at me in disbelief. “Ryan, even if you don’t like me, you can’t hurt me like this. I’ll leave right now, okay? Please spare me.” As he spoke, Luke stumbled trying to get up, falling several times. I inwardly scoffed. Luke never tired of using these framing tactics on me. He probably couldn’t even remember how many times he’d done it. Jessica held Luke protectively in her arms, looking at me with deepening hatred. “Ryan, why can’t you ever learn? How dare you be so vicious right in front of me. I’m warning you, if anything happens to Luke, I won’t let you off!” Jessica anxiously helped Luke to the hospital. Before leaving, I caught a glimpse of smug satisfaction in Luke’s eyes. But what did it matter? I had anticipated this kind of treatment. In the past, I definitely would have frantically explained that it wasn’t me, even chasing them to the hospital. My desperate attempts to explain made me look like a criminal. Since Jessica despised me so much, so be it. Close to dawn, I saw Luke’s Instagram post. [So this is what it feels like to be cared for.] The photo showed Jessica sleeping by Luke’s hospital bed, her head propped up on her arm. Back when I was punished by the system, I had crawled to the hospital on my own. When I called Jessica, she impatiently said:
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