Chapter 2

But after he met me, that promise meant nothing. No matter how much Delaney threw a fit or stirred up trouble, Gideon was always unwavering in choosing me.

But his spoiling of Delaney never lessened, not even a little.

"Maddison, I love you. We're husband and wife. We vowed to share our lives and even our graves. Could you just let her have her way, please?" Gideon would plead.

I gave in. Again and again, for seven whole years. Until three days ago, when Delaney messed with my car, and because of that, I lost my first child.

The System's voice echoed in my mind, sounding almost human for once. "Host, Gideon loves you. If you regret it, just tell him about the document he signed by mistake. He'll pour his heart into making it up to you."

I stared out at the gray sky, a bitter, mocking smile tugging at my lips. "Forget it.

"His heart isn't worth much anyway."

The System was silent for three seconds before asking, "Didn't you already give up on the mission?"

I didn't say a word.

My fingers absentmindedly rubbed the edge of the bedsheet, again and again, as if I could somehow erase seven years of marriage.

Seven years ago, I was diagnosed with late-stage cancer. The doctors told me I had maybe six months left, tops.

When the System found me, I was just standing there on the hospital rooftop, feeling the wind on my face. It said if I finished Gideon's mission, I'd get a clean bill of health and 300 million dollars.

But in the end, Gideon's devotion ended up moving the System.

He spent night after night by my bedside, holding my hand and promising he'd stay with me till the very end.

The System made an exception and let me heal way earlier than planned.

Back then, I figured there was no way Gideon would ever divorce me. He had money, and he was handsome, so I decided to just stick it out and make the most of it.

But they had forgotten that by the seventh year, the monotony of married life had set in... and no one was immune.

"Guess I'll stick with the mission after all," I said, my voice flat. "A month to cool off before the divorce goes through? I can wait."

The System said, "You've really thought this through?"

"Yeah." I shut my eyes. "I'm sure."

The day I got out of the hospital, Delaney showed up to pick me up herself.

She wore an ivory dress, her makeup was on point, and her smile was soft and polite—like she was the picture of the perfect little sister.

I couldn't help but frown.

Every time I saw her, it always meant trouble.

But just then, Gideon spoke up, his voice solemn. "Maddison, this is me making it up to you."

If this had been before, I probably would've been glad.

But now, I just felt nothing but irritation and disgust.

People always said Gideon was some kind of genius. Whatever he wanted, he got, like nothing was ever out of reach. Even when Delaney and I were at each other's throats, he somehow managed to juggle us both and keep things from blowing up.

But hey, real life wasn't a fairy tale. I couldn't have it all, no matter how hard I tried.

Delaney strutted over, swinging a shopping bag with an outfit inside.

She flashed a sweet smile as she handed it to me. "Maddison, I picked this out just for you to wear home from the hospital. I bet you'll absolutely love it."

I took the bag, trying not to roll my eyes, and pulled out the clothes.

It was an obnoxiously bright pink, with a ridiculously poofy skirt and lace frills circling the collar.

If I put this on, I'd look like a total clown.

Gideon picked up on Delaney's little trick. He walked over to me and whispered, "Just put it on for now. When we head out, I'll cover you with my jacket so nobody will make fun of you."

He reached out to take the outfit from me, but I moved out of his reach, avoiding his hand.

"I made Delaney come here, so it's normal she's feeling upset," he said even softer, his usual gentle tone trying to comfort me. "She knows she was wrong, and this is already her way of making up for it. Just let her have this one, alright?"

A sly smile tugged at my lips.

Without a word, I snatched the scissors from the nightstand, grabbed Delaney by the skirt, and with a loud snip, sliced right through the fabric.

The sound of ripping cloth cut through the silence of the hospital room, harsh and jarring.

Delaney screamed, scrambling to cover her bare thighs with both hands, her face drained of all color.

"Maddison!" Gideon snapped, his eyes blazing with anger as he quickly shrugged off his jacket to cover Delaney. "Are you out of your mind?!"

I set the scissors down and tossed the hideous pink outfit back into the shopping bag, my voice as calm as if I were talking about the weather. "If you want to apologize, at least put some real sincerity into it.

"If you're going to pull these sneaky stunts to make me miserable, don't blame me if I make you miserable right back."

Delaney clung to Gideon, her tears falling in big, dramatic drops. "Gideon, I swear I know I messed up, but why does Maddison have to treat me like this? Why is she being so mean to me?"

Gideon held Delaney close as he walked her out, but just before stepping through the door, he turned and gave me one last look.

There was disappointment in his eyes, anger, and something complicated I couldn't put my finger on.

The door slammed shut with a loud bang.

The hospital room fell silent again.