Chapter 1
Stephanie Morrison found herself trapped inside a cruel romance novel, cast as the original wife who sacrificed everything for the male lead, Porter Montgomery—only to die a miserable death.
The System informed her: [Complete your mission, and you could go home.]
But the condition was brutal. She had to make Porter "truly regret, writhing in agony."
For three long years, Stephanie had played the part—being the perfect wife, endlessly devoted, all while watching Porter pine after his loved girl, Destinee Garza.
But last night, strange words began floating before her eyes.
[Poor Stephanie, is Porter blind or something?]
[Heartbreaking! Run, girl, stop loving him.]
[Porter is about to marry Destinee off to the enemy.]
It was then she realized the novel she was living in wasn't just a story. It was being live-streamed to readers.
When a line of text floated across her vision, Stephanie Morrison thought she must be hallucinating.
[I've seen this episode before. Stephanie's about to be sent off to marry the Northvalen.]
Stephanie blinked, but the words were still there, hovering in midair, a faint white like subtitles from an old movie.
After three years in this book, she'd never run into anything like this before.
Three years ago, Stephanie woke up to find herself trapped as the wife in a tragic romance novel—someone who gave everything for Porter Montgomery, only to end up dying alone, locked away in isolation.
The System told her she could go home if she completed her mission: make Porter truly regret it, so much that he'd be torn apart inside.
For three years, she played the perfect, loving wife—shielding him from poisoned wine, looking after his precious "white moonlight," and even diving into a freezing lake in winter to fish out his lost pendant.
But he never even spared her a single glance.
[My heart aches for Stephanie. Girl, run. Don't waste your love on him.]
[She's so naive. Is Porter seriously blind?]
Two more lines drifted by.
Stephanie reached out to grab them, but her fingers passed right through the words—nothing there. They just hung in the air, like someone was posting messages in the void. No, it was more like someone was watching her.
"Miss Morrison?" Millie Rojas, her maid, pushed the door open. "Why are you up so early?"
Stephanie stared at the top of Millie's head. There was a small line of text floating above her: [Loyal to the end, eventually dies protecting Stephanie.]
Stephanie's throat tightened. "Millie, don't you see it?"
"See what?" Millie replied.
"Nothing," Stephanie said.
Heavy, hurried footsteps sounded outside the door. The live chat blew up.
[It's happening.]
[Brace yourselves.]
[He's actually sending her to marry the Northvalen.]
The door was pushed open.
Porter stood in the morning light, dressed in a black suit, his eyes as cold as frost in the dead of winter. He was the Montgomery family's heir, powerful enough to sway the entire court.
She'd stared at his face for three years, every detail burned into her memory—including the warmth in his eyes when he looked at others, and the emptiness when he looked at her.
He'd never truly seen her.
"Pack your things," he said, his voice as calm as if he were commenting on the weather. "In three days, you're being sent to marry the Northvalen."
Millie went pale and fell to her knees. "Mr. Montgomery. Miss Morrison is your wife. How can you—"
"Leave," Porter ordered.
Millie was hauled out of the room.
Stephanie stood frozen, watching Porter, and saw the line of text hovering above his head: [Someday, he'll be on his knees, begging her to come back.]
She recalled what the System had told her. She had to make Porter feel real remorse, so deep that it would tear him apart.
'So this is the way home,' she thought.
Porter paused for a few beats, waiting for her to break down, question him, or plead. But she didn't. He frowned, and for the first time in three years, he truly saw her.
Her eyes were eerily calm.
"You... aren't going to say anything?" he asked.
Stephanie lowered her gaze, letting her lashes hide every trace of emotion.
"Fine," she murmured.
The live chat blew up at that moment.
[Seriously? All she said was "fine"?]
[Ugh, she's dead inside now.]
[This is so brutal.]
[Wait, look at Porter's face. He's stunned. He actually cares.]
Porter really was stunned.
He opened his mouth, like he wanted to say something, but in the end, he just nodded. "Alright, then... so be it."
He turned to leave, his steps slower than when he'd come in.
Stephanie looked up, whispering to the unseen viewers in the void—her voice so quiet, only she could hear it. "How do you want me to die?"
The chat went silent for a moment.
Then, the whole world blew up.
[What happens?]
[Can she actually see us?]
[Holy crap, she's got both transmigration and bullet screen powers.]
[This girl is about to break the game.]
[Run—wait, no, screen record this.]
Stephanie actually smiled—really smiled.
It was the first genuine smile she'd managed in three years since she got stuck in this world.
Porter paused at the courtyard gate. He turned back, and through the half-open door, he saw her standing in the morning light, her lips curved in a smile, but her eyes were empty.
Porter felt a sudden emptiness inside.
It was like something precious had slipped through his fingers before he could even reach for it.
After Stephanie smiled, the live chat went absolutely crazy for half an hour straight.
[She can actually see us.]
[Everyone, stop spamming. She's reading the screen.]
[Help, the transmigrated side character just woke up. What kind of plot twist is this?]
[Where's the author? Come out and take your compliments.]
[I've read over 300 tragic romance novels, and this is the first time I've ever seen a heroine who can actually see the chat.]
Stephanie stared at the dense barrage of messages floating before her, her eyes glazing over. She wondered silently, 'Who are you?'
The chat went quiet for a moment, then went absolutely wild:
[She's asking who we are.]
[We're your audience, Stephanie.]
[We're watching you on our screens from another world.]
[To put it simply, this is a novel. And you're not the main character; you're just the supporting girl.]
Stephanie was finally starting to make sense of it all.