Chapter 2
It was like someone hit the mute button on reality.
The wind howling outside the factory, the kidnapper's ragged breaths, Wendy's stifled sobs, even the sound of my heart shattering—everything just went silent.
All that remained were those three words, "I choose Wendy", hammering in my head on repeat.
I couldn't help but let out a wry laugh.
So those comments were true after all.
So in my last life, it was all for nothing—I died, and it didn't even matter.
All that tenderness, those little acts of kindness, even the guilt Jack showed sometimes—it was all just a mirage, nothing real.
Whenever Wendy was around, I, Sophia, was always the first one he'd toss aside without a second thought.
The kidnapper stared at me like I'd lost my mind, jabbing the gun harder against my head. "What are you laughing at, crazy woman?"
On the other end, Jack heard the commotion, his voice tinged with barely hidden annoyance. "Sophia, hang in there. Wendy's too fragile for this; she can't handle it. I'll be there to save you soon!"
How thoughtful of him!
Even now, he couldn't help but coddle his precious Wendy and toss me a half-hearted pep talk.
I stopped laughing and looked up, my eyes sliding past the kidnapper and landing on Wendy, curled up in the corner, putting on her best damsel-in-distress act.
She looked scared out of her mind—face ghostly pale, eyes swimming with tears, trembling like some delicate little flower in a hurricane. Anyone watching would want to rush over and play hero for her.
But through all that fake fragility, I could see the truth those bullet comments had already exposed.
What a master manipulator Wendy was!
And what a well-suited pair they made, that conniving woman and Jack.
If in my past life, all my selfless sacrifices and ultimate death only paved the way for their blissful union, then in this life, there was no point in me being the unwelcome spoiler.
I was utterly worn out. No more chasing after Jack's love, no more vying for his attention.
I refused to relive that nightmarish ending from before.
"Jack, do as you wish. Go to your precious Wendy. I am done with this charade," I murmured.
Right on cue, Wendy's voice came through the speaker, trembling and choked with sobs. "Jack, I'm so scared... Don't worry about me, just save Sophia first..."
She always pulled this move—acting all selfless and pitiful, making her supposed kindness and innocence look flawless.
Just as expected, Jack's tone melted in an instant, overflowing with concern and doting urgency. "Wendy, don't say that! Hang tight, I'm coming for you right now!"
Without another word to me, he ended the call.
The dial tone hit me like a stinging slap on my already desensitized face.
The kidnapper cursed under his breath as he shoved his phone away, glared at me, then at Wendy, and spat on the ground. "Damn, guess you got lucky!"
He then snapped at his crew, "Watch this one like a hawk! Once we get paid, the other one's all ours... heh."
His lewd chuckle made his meaning crystal clear.
Two of the thugs roughly hauled Wendy to her feet and dragged her toward a rundown little room in the far corner of the factory.
Wendy struggled, glancing back at me with a complicated look—fear, a hint of barely hidden smugness, and maybe something else I couldn't quite place.
Meanwhile, the live-stream chat was abuzz with comments.
[Uh-oh, Wendy's starting her performance!]
[Classic manipulative line—"Don't worry about me, save her first." Jack eats it up every time!]
[Yikes, the kidnapper's got that look—Wendy's about to "suffer," but honestly, she set this whole thing up herself.]
[Wouldn't be surprised if she bribed the kidnappers for this pity show.]