Chapter 3

Escape Plan B—pulling crazy stunts to get dumped—had flopped.

I was completely drained. I spent the whole day holed up in my room, trying to figure out my next move.

I'd tried every trick in the book, soft approaches, hard ones, but Chris was like an iron wall, totally unshakable. No matter how reckless I acted, he'd always interpret it as some kind of "sign of affection."

I was starting to suspect he had some kind of mind-reading skill, but it was like a low-level version—he could sense my emotions, but couldn't actually understand what I was thinking.

He'd take my panic and see it as excitement. My disgust? He'd think I was acting cute. And my anger? He'd chalk it up to me feeling insecure. Seriously, how am I supposed to deal with this?

When I was at my wits' end, the maid's voice came from outside my door. "Mrs. Shaw, Ms. Sutton is here. Mr. Shaw would like you to come downstairs."

Ms. Sutton?

Grace Sutton!

My eyes instantly lit up. Grace was the female lead from the novel. She could be my lifesaver.

According to the original story, Grace was Chris's one and only love—the person he'd actually show tenderness and patience to.

Sure, the plot had gone a bit haywire since I barged in, but the chemistry between the main couple should be unstoppable.

If I could nudge Chris toward Grace and get their romance rolling again, then I, the expendable side character, could finally bow out in style.

'Operation Freedom is on. Grace, my escape depends on you!' I thought, hope bubbling up inside me.

I jumped out of bed, rushed to the closet, and grabbed the most seductive, revealing red slip dress I owned. And then I went all out with a smoky eye makeup—perfect for a wild night at the club.

I was going to use my tacky, over-the-top look to make Grace's innocence and elegance stand out even more.

Wearing 4-inch heels, I made a dramatic entrance downstairs, my steps echoing loudly with every stride.

In the living room, a girl in a white dress with long hair cascading over her shoulders sat nervously on the couch. She had that soft, graceful aura—totally the textbook female lead look.

Chris was sitting across from her in a single armchair. He looked composed, but his gaze was noticeably gentler than usual.

'This is it. There's definitely something going on!' I thought.

Feeling a surge of excitement, I sashayed over, plopped myself right next to Chris, and hooked my arm around his neck.

"Chris, who's this cutie? She's so pure and innocent. I'm honestly getting a crush," I put on my best cutesy voice, tossing Grace a flirty wink.

Grace's face turned bright red.

Chris stiffened for a moment, trying to subtly pry my arm off him without making a scene.

Like hell I'm letting him shake me off.

'Trying to keep your distance from your precious Grace? Forget it. Today, I'm making sure you two are glued together,' I thought, determined.

So I latched onto Chris even tighter, practically hanging off him. Flashing a smug, possessive smile at Grace, I said, "Don't mind us, Grace. Chris and I are always this clingy—can't keep our hands off each other."

Chris's face darkened.

He was finally pissed.

On the outside, I put on my best pitiful act, pouting as I said, "Chris, why are you being so serious? You're scaring Grace. She's the guest you personally invited. You can't ignore her."

I deliberately stressed the words "the guest."

'Look, Grace. He treats you differently. I'm the trashy drama queen, but you're his true love,' I thought.

Chris's gaze lingered on my face for a few seconds, his eyes clouded and impossible to decipher.

I thought for sure he was about to snap and throw me out. But instead, he suddenly smiled.

He locked his arm around my waist, pulling me firmly into his embrace. And then he looked over at Grace, who was as pale as a ghost, his voice icy and distant.

He said, "Ms. Sutton, I invited you here to talk about your brother's embezzlement from the company."

Grace visibly shuddered. "I... My brother..." she stammered.

"He embezzled 200 thousand dollars. The evidence is irrefutable," Chris cut her off, his voice completely devoid of warmth. "Out of old ties, I can give him a chance."

He leaned in, his lips grazing my ear, his voice teasing and just loud enough for the three of us to catch. "As long as my baby... is happy."

I was totally dumbfounded.

I freaked out inside. 'Hold on, this isn't how the script goes. Aren't you supposed to warn me, the evil supporting character, to protect Grace?

'How did it turn into you using her brother to threaten her, just to make me happy? Chris, you lunatic. Give me back my only hope.'

Chris could practically hear my inner meltdown, and his grin kept getting bigger.

He gently nipped at my earlobe, his breath hot as he whispered in my ear. "Baby, are you happy now? For you, I can make anyone disappear. Even... your only hope."

In that moment, I looked into his unfathomable eyes and felt like a venomous snake had its sights locked on me.

Chris knew exactly what I was thinking. He wasn't clueless or limited. He was doing this on purpose. He was savoring the thrill of watching me struggle, knowing there was no way out.