Chapter 1
"Jessica, listen. Lydia and Tristan fought. I'm heading to Ataville to find her." My husband, Michael Norton, said.
I stopped chopping vegetables instantly, stunned by what he just said.
I turned around, feeling upset as I looked at him. "Do you really have to go?
"If you go to her, what about the baby and me? We need you here, too."
He lowered his head, unable to meet my eyes. "I'm sorry, but I have to go. Lydia needs me now.
"If you're trying to use the baby to make me stay, I don't care if you decide to have an abortion."
The system reminded: [If the second male lead goes to find the female lead, the host's mission will fail immediately.]
Watching him pack up, I didn't break down or cry. I just silently picked up the kitchen knife again.
The system: [What are you doing with that knife? You're not seriously going to kill him, are you?]
I stayed quiet, walking straight toward Michael. If the mission was doomed anyway, he might as well die.
The system was wailing. [No, please don't do this.]
*****
Michael's words kept replaying in my mind over and over.
I clenched my fists so tightly that my nails dug into my palms, the pain sharp, but my face stayed blank.
I said, "Do you really have to go? Ataville is so far away. The baby and I need you here right now."
He lowered his head and sighed. "Jessica, Lydia ran away after fighting with Tristan. She has nowhere to go. Do you know how much it hurt me when she called me, crying?
"I can't be so selfish. I have to find her, and I'll stay with her for a while until she feels better.
"And as for the baby, don't even think you can use it to make me stay. If you really want, have an abortion."
He turned away, his face showing that he couldn't care less.
I stared at him, shocked. "Does this baby really mean nothing to you?"
He looked away. "Nothing and no one can stop me from going to Lydia, not even my own child."
I let out a deep sigh and lowered my head. "Fine. I understand."
Watching him pack his stuff, I couldn't help but think how absurd it all was.
The system: [If he goes after Lydia, the mission fails instantly.]
I squinted at Michael's back. "Yeah, I know."
I spun around, snatched up the kitchen knife from the cutting board, and marched straight toward Michael.
The system panicked. [Whoa, what are you doing? Are you seriously going to kill him just because the mission failed? Come on, that's way too much!]
I gripped the knife, my gaze icy and resolute. "Relax, I won't hurt myself. Dealing with this worthless jerk won't take long.
"He's like a stray dog that can't even be trained. What a waste of my time. Since the mission's a bust, I'll just kill him, reset, and do it all over again.
"If I fail again, I'll kill him again. In my world, failure isn't an option. Only the protagonist's death means game over."
Just as I was closing in on Michael, the system started howling like crazy. [Forget about yourself. Don't kill him. Stop! Seriously, stop right now!]
I lifted the knife high, aiming at Michael's neck with deadly precision.
Right as I was about to strike, the system suddenly yelled something that made me freeze.
The system: [I'll swap you a new love interest.]
Hearing that, I kept the knife in my hand and swiftly retreated to the kitchen.
I gave a slight smile. "Alright, I'll put my heart into the mission."
It didn't matter who the new love interest was. If I failed again, I'd kill him, reset, and then try again.
After all, if the love interest died, the whole world would just reset anyway.
As Michael finished packing and was about to leave, he shot me a quick look. "Jessica, I swear this is the last time. Just wait for me. When I get back, I'll stick by your side."
He left without even glancing over his shoulder.
The moment the door slammed shut, I got an instant notification. My abortion appointment was confirmed.
I had to deal with this baby ASAP. No way was I letting it hold me back from my next mission.
In the real world, my mom was in the final stages of cancer. There was nothing left to do.
Just when I was about to break down, the system pulled me into a novel world.
It was a tragic romance novel where the male and female leads were constantly at odds.
She ran, he chased, and after a whirlwind of misunderstandings, betrayals, and all sorts of drama, they finally ended up together.
Michael was the devoted second male lead. He was an orphan from the start, and after Lydia saved him as a kid, he became her most devoted follower.
But in the end, the male and female leads got their happy ending, while Michael was left with nothing.
He even donated a kidney to Lydia, but the surgery went badly, leaving him in terrible shape. In the end, he lost all will to live and jumped into the river to end it all.