Chapter 1
Charles Reed was the hero sent to save me, the supporting female character, but he fell in love with the heroine, Emily Lane.
For her, he repeatedly missed the critical moments to save me.
Each time I died, he spent his accumulated points to resurrect me.
After eight times, I heard his system say to him, "Host, you only have enough points to revive Sophie Grant one last time. Fail again, and you'll lose the chance forever."
Charles' reply was unwavering. "I won't fail. I have this under control."
But when the kidnappers captured Emily and me together on a cruise ship, with a pale face, Charles declared, "I choose Emily."
As I plunged into the deep sea, I screamed out to Charles' system, "Bind me! I don't need a savior. I will save myself!"
*****
What Charles never knew was that ever since my first resurrection, I could hear every word he said to that Rescue System.
Over the years, I'd died eight times.
The first time was when the office caught fire. Emily Lane and I were trapped inside.
Charles rushed in, grabbed Emily, and left me to burn.
When I woke up again, I heard the Rescue System complaining, "Host, Emily's the heroine. Even if you don't save her, the hero, William Hart, will step in.
"But if Sophie Grant dies, she's gone for good. Don't forget who you're supposed to save."
Charles ran a hand through his hair, clearly frustrated. "You're just a system. You wouldn't understand. When push comes to shove, I just want to save the woman I love most. Is that really so wrong?"
Still reeling from the pain of being burned alive, I finally saw the truth.
The man who once claimed to love me had been faking it all along. Every word, every promise, was a lie.
The second time, a runaway car came speeding down a busy street.
Charles shoved Emily out of the way and let me get hit instead.
The third time, during a camping trip, an earthquake struck. He pulled Emily to safety while I was crushed under a falling boulder.
The fourth, fifth... it just kept happening, again and again.
The eighth time, Emily's heart began to fail. She needed a transplant, but there wasn't a matching donor anywhere.
The Rescue System told Charles that William would find a way, but Charles was too desperate to listen. He forged my name on the donor consent form.
"Are you crazy?" the Rescue System yelled.
Charles said, "Soph's time is almost up anyway. I'm not saving her this round. Once she's gone, I'll have her heart transplanted into Emily. Next time, I'll make it up to her."
Then, while we were walking past the bank, a man pulled out a gun and aimed right at me.
Charles yanked me aside just enough for the bullet to miss my heart. He couldn't risk damaging the heart he planned to give Emily.
After watching me die so many times, he'd grown numb.
He used to panic every time, but now, he acted like he'd figured everything out.
After all, I always came back.
When I woke up again, I was clutching my chest, drenched in sweat.
It hurt so much.
Every death was seared into my mind, driving me to the edge of madness.
The Rescue System's voice rang in my ears, irritated. "This is your last chance. Mess up again, and Sophie's gone for good. The Rescue-the-Supporting Female-Character System will be dismantled. All your money, skills, and everything will be gone!"
"I got it, all right?" Charles snapped. "This time, I won't fail. I promise."
When he saw me stir awake, he leaned down and wiped the sweat from my forehead.
"Soph, bad dream?" he asked softly. "You're soaked in sweat."
His every move dripped with concern and tenderness.
I pulled away, my voice distant. "I dreamed someone shot me."
Charles froze for half a second, then forced a relaxed smile. "You must just be overworked. That's why you're having nightmares. But with me around, no one's going to hurt you."
He held up a beautiful dress. "Come on, get ready. We're going to Em's birthday party tonight."
Emily was engaged to William, the hero and CEO of the company.
As the deputy CEO, Charles had to attend. And as his girlfriend, I had to go with him.
On the way to the party, the Rescue System sighed. "Host, you've reset this story so many times that it's completely off track. No one knows what's going to happen next."
Charles squeezed my hand. "Relax. This time, I won't let anything happen to Soph."