Chapter 4

From that day on, Angela immersed herself in the fantasy of live chat and being the female lead.

She got even more fixated on the so-called "storyline."

Angela would read into even the most offhand look from Dale as a mix of possessiveness and tenderness. She believed that he was a little bit bossy, but mostly sweet to her.

Whenever Dale sent her a text, she'd clutch her phone and read it over and over.

Then, taking cues from the live chat, she'd agonize over every word, making sure she sounded reserved but not cold.

She blew all her pocket money, and even started finding sneaky ways to get more from Alma, just to buy the kind of designer clothes she imagined a high-society woman would wear.

At first, Alma tried to talk her out of it, but Angela would always shut her down and say, "The chat stream says this is a must-have investment. Dale likes me dressed like this."

After Dale rolled up to the school gate in his flashy sports car to pick Angela up once, Alma just stopped arguing and even started slipping Angela extra cash on the sly.

"Angela, I'm counting on you..." Alma said.

I heard Alma say that to Angela more than once.

As for me, I was always just the quiet observer.

Whenever Angela hesitated or the "storyline" hit a snag, I'd chime in at just the right moment and say with an innocent tone, "Angela, the chat says the female lead should keep him guessing right now. Don't get too clingy.

"Angela, the chat says Dale likes it when you're obedient. You talked back to him last time, and it looked like you really ticked him off.

"Angela, the chat says in high society, it's all about being a good match. Even if you're the female lead, you still gotta step up your game. Maybe you should work on your grades a little bit."

Angela hung on my every word. In her eyes, I was like her secret weapon, sent from above to help her out, even though I couldn't see the live chat.

She even got into the habit of gushing to me about all the lovey-dovey stuff between her and Dale.

Angela said, "London, do you think he really likes me? Yesterday, he took me to meet his friends, but they were giving me these weird looks.

"He gave me another present today. It's a bracelet, but it's silver, not gold or anything. The chat suggests that maybe he's testing me, trying to see if I'm just a gold digger.

"Sometimes he gets in these moods. Last time in his car, I just asked about his ex, and he made me get out.

"The chat says that he is being super possessive. It means he actually cares about me."

When she talked about all this, her face would go from dreamy to confused, and sometimes I could catch a trace of fear she tried to hide.

Every time, I'd listen patiently, then smile and reassure her, "Angela, didn't the chat say? He's being a jerk now, but that's just the classic trope. He'll regret it and come running after you later. It's all part of the script."

Angela would grab onto that like it was her lifeline, nodding hard. "Exactly. That's it. It's all just the storyline!"

Thanks to my encouragement, her self-delusion, and the constant guidance from the chat, Angela just kept falling deeper.

She turned a blind eye to all the obvious signs, Dale's disrespect, his games, even his mind control, and twisted it all into some kind of alpha romance.

It was not like I never gave her a chance to see things for what they really were.

One time, she came home with finger-shaped bruises on her neck, locked herself in her room, and cried. I asked her what happened.

She sobbed, "Dale wanted me to go out drinking with him and his friends, but I refused. He felt humiliated in front of them, and in the car, he almost strangled me.

"The chat was blowing up. Some were yelling at me to get out, others were saying he's about to go full villain mode, and that's when things get really juicy."

Angela was shaking as she added, "London, I'm really scared..."

Seeing her so fragile, it felt like an icy hand was squeezing my heart.

I grew up with Angela. Even after everything she'd done to me, she was getting hurt at that moment.

I almost blurted out, "Leave him. He's a total bastard!"

But I forced myself to bite my tongue.

The freezing water in the tub, the burning in my chest, and Angela's wild, hate-filled eyes as she pinned me down all came rushing back to me.

I took a deep breath and gently patted her back, my voice soft and almost hypnotic. "Angela, don't be scared. The chat always says, big risks mean big rewards.

"Guys like Dale, with his status, it's totally normal for him to have a bit of a temper. Losing control like that just shows how much he cares. He's so into you, he can't help but get worked up.

"Think about it, didn't he apologize afterward? He even got you a expensive bag, right?"

Angela stopped crying and stared at me, dazed. "Yeah, he did apologize, and I kept the bag..."

"That's exactly it," I said.

I wiped away her tears, my voice steady and sure. "It's the old slap-then-sugar routine, that's how they tame you. If you stick it out, you'll be the one and only Mrs. Jenning.

"But if you give up now, everything you've done so far will be wasted. All those people who look down on you will have a field day laughing at you."

Angela's eyes shifted from confusion to fierce determination, and for a moment, there was even a glint of ruthlessness in them.

She said, "Yeah, I can't give up. I won't let those people laugh at me. I'm the female lead. I'm meant to be with him!"

She touched up her makeup, carefully hiding the marks on her neck. Just like that, she was back to being the "lucky female lead," lost in her high-society fantasy once more.

As I watched her walk away, the last faint trace of pity I had for her was snuffed out completely.

I gave her a chance.

However, she was determined to get back on the road to hell.

I felt that she couldn't blame me if I gave her the final shove.

The chance came up fast.

There was a school talent show. Angela did everything she could to snag two front-row tickets. She was practically bouncing, ready to invite Dale along and make their relationship even stronger.

"The chat says this is a big deal for our relationship. It's supposed to level up his feelings for me!" Angela said.

She spent ages rummaging through her closet, finally settling on a tight, figure-hugging mini dress that showed off every curve.

But just half an hour before the show started, Dale gave her a half-hearted text. [I am busy. Got plans with friends.]

Angela stared at her phone, her face going ghostly pale, her fingers trembling.

"How could he do that? He promised me to go together. What's the chat saying now? It's all a blur, I can't make sense of it anymore..." Angela stammered.

She was practically tearing at her hair, looking like she'd lost her GPS, completely adrift.

I walked over, picked up her phone, and glanced at that text.

Putting on just the right worried-but-reassuring tone, I said, "Angela, don't freak out. Maybe the chat's just frozen or something. Honestly, this could actually work out for you."

Angela asked, "What do you mean?"

Angela just stared at me, totally clueless.