Chapter 1

My boyfriend, Ethan Lane, was someone I chased for over half a year.

To get back at him for his coldness before we got together, I started bossing him around the moment we became a couple.

I'd only eat shrimp if he peeled them, fish if he deboned them, and coffee if he stuck the straw in for me. Even in bed, I was the one giving orders.

Then I saw the comments floating in front of me.

[She's doing this on purpose, right? The male lead has OCD. He has to wash his hands seven times after peeling shrimp for her.]

[She chased him for months, and he only agreed to date her reluctantly. She's three years older than him, and now she's acting like a spoiled little girl.]

[Wait for it. The female lead is coming soon. Later on, the male and female leads will bankrupt her company and send her to prison.]

I listened to the comments and stopped bossing him around. I broke up with him.

But that night, he grabbed my wrist. "Emily, if you have to marry him, I can be your side piece, your affair. He's too old. I'm still young."

*****

Ethan walked out of the bathroom, shirtless.

He ran a hand through his damp hair. Water droplets dripped down his neck and over his abs. Finally, they vanished into the towel wrapped around his waist.

Just watching him got me all hot and bothered. I beckoned him over with a finger. "Come here, puppy."

I was about to get handsy with him when a flood of comments suddenly appeared in front of me.

[The supporting girl is such a drama queen. She loves bossing people around and even treats the main guy like her own puppy.]

[Can't you see the main guy looks totally unwilling? You're the only one enjoying yourself here.]

[Don't worry, later the main couple will have the supporting girl end up behind bars.]

Wait, would I end up behind bars?

Shouldn't I call my boyfriend "puppy"?

As the comments kept coming, it finally hit me. Ethan was the main character of the novel, and I was the drama-queen side character with a doomed ending.

Suddenly, his good looks lost all their appeal.

Ethan noticed I was frozen and asked, "Want me to help you out of that?"

It sounded like a question, but before I could even reply, his hand was already on the button of my pajamas.

I panicked and quickly pulled my collar tight. "I can handle it myself."

Ethan was stunned that I turned him down.

Usually, I loved bossing him around and cozying up to him. But this time, I was acting nothing like myself.

Ethan had no clue what he'd done to upset me. He stared at me in silence.

I stared right back at him.

Ethan was still in college, not even graduated yet.

He had that clean, gentle look. He was a classic soft-featured heartthrob.

I fell for him the second I saw his face. It took me over half a year to finally win him over.

And his body, that lean but toned build, was something I couldn't resist.

I let my eyes roam over Ethan from head to toe: his face, his abs, his V-line, and yeah, that part too. But in the end, all of him would be the main girl's private property.

So what was I supposed to be? Just the main girl's guinea pig, testing the waters for her?

Thinking about it made me feel like I'd swallowed something nasty.

My face twisted with annoyance as I angrily threw Ethan's pajamas at him. "Put some clothes on, will you? Stop strutting around half-naked in front of me. Have you no shame?"

The pajamas smacked right into Ethan's chest. He didn't even get mad. Instead, he kept moving closer.

The comments were driving me crazy.

When he leaned in, I panicked and tried to kick him away.

But I missed, and he grabbed my ankle instead.

I struggled, yelling, "Ethan, let go of me."

Ethan held onto my flailing foot and bent down to kiss it. He said with a helpless sigh, "Not mad anymore, right?"

That was something I always made him do.

After reading those comments, I realized everything I thought showed he loved me was me making him do it.

I had him peel shrimp for me, pick out fish bones, and even told him how gentle or rough to be.

He never really loved me after all.

I yanked my foot back. But then, he loosened his grip. The momentum sent me tumbling onto the bed. He followed right after, pinning me beneath him.

I pushed against his chest with all my might. I turned my head to avoid his kiss. "I don't want to tonight."

Ethan asked, "What did I do wrong this time?"

Did he say "this time"? So he really did think I was being dramatic. He was getting fed up with me.

I blurted out, "My period started."

Ethan said, his voice low, "Your period ended last weekend."

I fell silent. Ethan was the male lead. Why did he keep such close track of my period?

A flood of live comments popped up again.

[She's always making things difficult for the main guy. She gets her way and still pretends to be innocent.]

[Exactly. The main guy does everything for her, and she's still not happy.]

Those damn comments made me so mad I could explode. My dignity was hanging by a thread.

I couldn't help but snap at Ethan, "So what if my period's all over the place?

"You want to control every little thing about me, even my period?"

To my surprise, he got up and walked away. So he had learned to give me the silent treatment when he was pissed. What a heartless jerk.

I buried myself under the covers. I couldn't stop feeling wronged. My pillow was soaked with tears.

A few minutes later, Ethan came back with a glass. "I made you some milk. I'll let it cool down a bit before I give it to you."

I wiped my tears away and poked my head out from under the covers. I snapped at him, "I never asked you to do any of this. Why are you even bothering?"

Ethan smirked. "I'm trying to avoid a repeat of last time, when you made me run out at three in the morning to buy you painkillers."

He didn't want the hassle of me bossing him around. But I actually believed he was being sweet.

I was so mad that I sent Ethan to sleep in the guest room.