A month before I was supposed to marry Caleb Grayson, I got an anonymous email. It held a video of him and his assistant, Chloe, in a steamy embrace. The boy who swore he’d love me forever was covered in kiss marks, his eyes hazy. He looked straight into the camera, his voice cold. “Audrey Hayes? Ten years? I’m so over her.” I smashed the carefully chosen gifts. Then I jumped in my sports car, needing to blow off steam. But I crashed into a guardrail. Hard. As I lay in the hospital, I saw Caleb standing outside my room, his face etched with pain. I was about to rip into him. But then, a few lines of text floated before my eyes. [System, you jerk! You said staying away from the side character would keep her safe, but she still got hurt!] It hurt. A searing pain tore through my whole body. I curled up into a tight ball, my nails digging deep into my palms. “Audrey, Audrey, I’m so sorry, please… just be okay.” Someone knelt by the bed, their fingers trembling as they brushed my sweat-soaked hair. I tried hard to open my eyes, but my eyelids felt like lead. Warm liquid dropped onto my cheek. Through a hazy blur, I saw Caleb’s face. His expressive eyes, usually twinkling with humor, were now bloodshot, looking like they were about to bleed. Tears streamed down his face. I wanted to tell him to get lost, to stop pretending. But in the end, before I could even speak, I slipped back into unconsciousness. When I woke up again, it was two days later. Caleb sat by my bed, his suit crumpled like an old rag. His collar was loose, revealing a fresh scratch on his collarbone. My nails. I’d done that. “Stop playing dead.” My voice was hoarse. “Had enough of your little act, Mr. Grayson?” He snapped his head up, his eyes a stark, painful red. I wanted to scoff, but then I saw a line of glowing text float above his head: [Male lead’s heart pain value is at 99%! System warning: If he keeps crying, it will trigger forced hibernation!] “What…?” Before I could even process it, a torrent of messages flooded my vision: [System, you jerk! You said staying away from the side character would keep her safe, but she still got hurt!] [The male lead and his assistant are innocent! He hasn’t even held her hand! That video was AI-generated to fool her!] [Sweetheart, look at the male lead’s phone! His screen saver is your 18th birthday photo!] What system? What side character? What the hell were these pop-ups in front of me? I looked up at Caleb, wondering if he could see this bizarre display. Caleb was watching me too, his eyes swirling with an emotion I couldn’t understand. [Sweetheart, the male lead truly loves you so much! He’s like this because of this damn system.] [The assistant is a system-controlled “conqueror.” Her mission is to marry the male lead.] [If the male lead marries you, sweetheart, you’ll be erased on your wedding day. That’s why he put on this act, to make you give up.] [Waaaaah, my poor OTP! You worthless system, come out and get what’s coming to you!!!] The messages suddenly scrolled wildly, and my eyes widened in shock. Oh my God, what was going on? Had I hit my head in the crash and gone crazy? “Ca-Caleb, can you see that?” I stared intently at the endlessly scrolling messages above his head, my voice trembling with tension. “See what, Audrey? What’s wrong with you?” Caleb reached out to touch my forehead but froze midway. The messages suddenly exploded into a blood-red warning: [Sweetheart, you are the villainous side character, but the male lead defied the main plot and fell in love with you!] [Every time he gets close to you, one year will be taken from both your lives.] [Sweetheart, quickly pretend you hate the male lead. That’s the only way to fool the system’s monitor.]
I violently turned my head away. That simple movement extinguished the light in Caleb’s eyes. He slowly withdrew his hand, his knuckles white. “Audrey, you… you need to rest.” “Rest? Have you and your little assistant had enough rest?” I forced a sarcastic smile, my gaze sweeping over his red eyes. “Mr. Grayson, your acting is truly superb. You can even shed tears on command.” Caleb’s face instantly went pale. “Audrey, if I told you…” “Mr. Grayson!” Alex’s voice suddenly called from outside the door. “Ms. Chloe said you promised to go wedding dress shopping with her today.” Caleb’s body tensed instantly. He lowered his head. “Audrey, I’m sorry. I… I’m marrying Chloe Thompson. Our wedding is off.” His words felt like a dull knife twisting in my chest. I bit my lower lip, forcing out an even more cutting smile: “Mr. Grayson is certainly decisive. What are you waiting for? Go accompany your bride to try on dresses.” Alex’s voice chimed in perfectly from outside: “Mr. Grayson, Ms. Chloe said if you don’t go now, the bridal shop will close.” Caleb’s shoulders trembled. He slowly turned, his silhouette long in the light streaming through the door. “Audrey, take care of yourself.” The messages started scrolling frantically again. [Too heartbreaking, too heartbreaking. I can’t watch this. Why is the system breaking up my sweet couple?] [Waaah, at least the male lead and our girl’s lives are safe. I believe there must be another way!] [Yes! Our girl’s love now depends on us!] I lifted a hand to wipe away the tears I hadn’t realized were falling. My thoughts drifted back to the first time Caleb confessed to me. It was a beautiful spring day. The grass was green, the hills inviting. Fireworks burst in the night sky over the city, dazzling and dreamlike. Seventeen-year-old Caleb held a bouquet of blue roses, carefully. His beautiful, expressive eyes were deep and dark. When he turned his head, I noticed his ear tips were flushed pink. “Audrey, we’ve been childhood sweethearts, growing up together. I truly like you. Will you… will you be with me?” “I swear I’ll love you forever, protect you, and never let you be sad. Please… give me a chance.” My heart suddenly pounded, “thump-thump” echoing in my ears. I could clearly feel Caleb’s sincerity. He truly loved me. I stood on my tiptoes and hugged him back with all my strength. Caleb’s breath caressed my ear, bringing with it the scent of roses. “I will.”
“Audrey, my darling daughter, how could you have gotten into a car accident? You scared your mom to death, boohoohoo…” Before I could fully register what was happening, I was enveloped in a warm embrace. It was my mother, Susan. Usually so poised and composed, her hair was disheveled, and her eyes were filled with worry. Immediately after, my father, David, rushed to the bedside. His voice held a hint of责备: “Don’t hug her so tight! Audrey just woke up, and the doctor said she’s still very weak. Be gentle, don’t hurt her.” Seeing my parents’ concerned faces, my heart softened instantly. I shook my head, pushing aside the annoying pop-ups and the system. “Dad, Mom, I’m fine, don’t worry.” “You still say that! Do you have any idea how critical your condition was? If you hadn’t gotten emergency treatment in time, you might never have woken up.” Dad’s face was ashen, his fists clenched. “That heartless jerk, Caleb Grayson! How did he promise us when he asked for your hand? Where is he now, the scoundrel?” Mom also frowned. “Exactly. I know he’s busy with work. But Audrey, something so serious happened to you. How could Caleb not be by your side?” I lowered my eyes, concealing my complex emotions. Mom and Dad didn’t know Caleb had already broken off our engagement. How was I going to explain it to them? According to the messages, the system could erase me directly. Could it also hurt my parents…? Just as I was wrestling with this dilemma, the hospital room door suddenly swung open. A delicately dressed, charming woman entered. It was Chloe Thompson. “Who are you?” Mom frowned, her face full of vigilance. Chloe walked directly to my bedside. Her eyes were red, her voice choked with sobs. “Audrey, I’m here to apologize to you. If Caleb hadn’t fallen in love with me and broken off his engagement with you, you wouldn’t have been so heartbroken and gone racing, getting into such a serious car accident.” As she spoke, she gently wiped away her tears. The messages immediately started scrolling wildly again. [Oh my God, I can’t watch this. Chloe is doing this on purpose, just to provoke our girl and her parents.] [System, are you crazy? This manipulative snake can be the female lead?] [Damn conqueror, relying on the system to break up my pure love couple!] My parents stared wide-eyed, their faces filled with disbelief. Mom was the first to react, her voice trembling. “You… are you serious?” Dad’s face turned even paler with rage. He suddenly stood up, pointing at Chloe and yelling: “What is going on here? Who are you? Where’s Caleb? Tell him to get his butt over here and explain himself right now!”
Caleb arrived quickly. He first glanced at me, his eyes dark, filled with an unbearable sorrow. When he saw me looking at him, Caleb turned his head, avoiding my gaze. He walked straight to Chloe, frowning impatiently. “Who told you to come here? Didn’t I tell you not to bother Audrey?” Chloe sniffled and said: “Caleb, I… I just felt so bad for Audrey, I wanted to apologize.” Mom couldn’t hold back anymore. She rushed to Caleb, tears welling in her eyes. “Caleb, what did you promise us back then? You said you’d be good to Audrey your whole life, that you’d take care of her, cherish her. And now? You changed your mind so quickly?” Dad grabbed Caleb’s collar, yelling: “You need to give us, and Audrey, an explanation today, or this isn’t over! We treated you like our own son, and this is how you repay us?” I watched the chaotic scene before me, a whirlwind of emotions swirling inside. I knew Caleb was being manipulated by the system, but I couldn’t defend him. Why… why were they doing this to us? Caleb lowered his head, his lips moved, but he didn’t say a word. Chloe spoke, looking utterly pitiful. “Mr. and Mrs. Hayes, it’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have come. Please don’t blame Caleb.” Dad’s anger completely erupted. He raised his hand and slapped Caleb hard, twice. “SLAP! SLAP!” The sharp sounds echoed through the hospital room. Caleb’s face instantly swelled, and blood seeped from the corner of his mouth. Chloe shrieked at the sight. “Ah! How dare you hit him? Don’t you know that’s against the law! Caleb!” “Shut up.” Caleb suddenly roared. His furious shout stunned everyone. A flicker of panic crossed Chloe’s eyes, but she quickly reverted to her pitiful demeanor. Tears hung precariously on her eyelashes. “You… you yelled at me?” Caleb ignored her. He slowly turned his head, his gaze filled with agony as he looked at me. “I owe Audrey everything. Mr. and Mrs. Hayes, I’m sorry.” “Caleb, look at me!” Mom’s trembling hand reached out to touch his swollen face. “Have you forgotten what you said on your engagement day? You said you’d do everything you could to make Audrey happy…” Caleb’s body trembled slightly. His previously lowered head slowly rose. His eyes were bloodshot, hiding countless unspoken hardships. “I haven’t forgotten… but some things, I can’t control…” His words caught in his throat, unable to continue. “You can’t control them? Is there anything in this world more important than making Audrey happy? What about your vows? Did they mean nothing?” Dad’s hands clenched into tight fists, his knuckles white from the strain. “Caleb Grayson, if you don’t explain yourself today, you won’t leave this room! We treated you like our own son, and this is how you repay us?” Watching this scene, my heart felt like it was being squeezed by an invisible hand, making it hard to breathe. A wave of helplessness washed over me, threatening to drown me. Caleb, I know you must be in even more pain than I am, right? “Dad, Mom, please don’t push him…” I couldn’t help but speak, my voice laced with a plea.
Mom clutched my IV hand, warm tears dripping onto my skin. “Silly child, he treated you like this, and you still want to speak up for him?” She suddenly turned to Chloe. “What spell did you cast on him?” Chloe let out a soft laugh, her finger tracing Caleb’s suit tie. It was the silver-grey one with subtle patterns, the one I had personally chosen for him. “Mrs. Hayes, Caleb merely… discovered someone more worth cherishing.” Dad suddenly exploded, grabbing Caleb’s collar. “I’ll ask you one last time! Are you sure you’re calling off the engagement with Audrey to marry this… this shameless woman?” Caleb’s Adam’s apple bobbed violently. Chloe collapsed into Caleb’s arms, her voice tearful. “Caleb, they’re saying such things about me! You promised me you wouldn’t let me suffer any injustice.” I propped my shaking body up against the headboard. Under Caleb’s perfectly tailored suit, his shoulder blades trembled subtly. His throat worked three times before he squeezed out the words: “Yes… I… I have to marry Chloe Thompson.” [CRASH.] Mom picked up a glass and violently hurled it at them. “Do you Graysons treat marriage like a child’s game?” Hot tea splashed onto Chloe’s high heels, making her gasp and take half a step back.
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