Elijah Vance’s childhood sweetheart miscarried. He assumed it was my doing, that I had used poison. I was in agony, writhing on the floor in excruciating pain. The System declared my mission a failure. At that moment, his voice was ice-cold: "You owe this to Chloe. You won't die, because I intend to make your life a living hell." Click. A second later, I died right in front of him. 1. My death was incredibly abrupt. No one saw it coming. Just moments ago, I was drenched in cold sweat, biting my lip until it bled. I clutched the hem of Elijah’s suit jacket, begging: "Elijah, please... Chloe's miscarriage... I swear I didn't do it." Because the poison I supposedly gave them was lethal. But he didn't believe me. He hated me to his core. Through gritted teeth, he hissed: "Vivian, I told you—Chloe’s accident years ago wasn't intentional. Why are you still holding a grudge?" On the hospital bed, Chloe sobbed: "It's my fault. I shouldn't have come back. Elijah, let me just die. Let me go be with our baby!" Years ago, Elijah was the black sheep of the Vance family—the illegitimate son, powerless and ignored. When it came time to choose a fiancée, Chloe was the first to run. She publicly sneered: "I'm not marrying him! Who wants to be the wife of a loser?" Elijah was humiliated, the laughingstock of New York's elite circle. Yet, seven years after I married Elijah, she came back. She wept and threw herself into his arms. "Elijah, I was wrong! My father forced me to say those things. I had no choice. But all these years, I never married anyone because I was waiting for you!" By then, Elijah had become the CEO of Vance Global, the heir apparent. And I had just found out I was two months pregnant. He held my hand, smiling. "Viv, when everyone looked down on me, you were the one who stood by my side. You suffered so much for me in those early years." "From now on, I, Elijah Vance, will never let anyone hurt you again." Then Chloe threw herself at him. At first, he was disgusted. He pushed her away, looking at the tear-stained woman with cold eyes. "What makes you think I'd still be waiting for you?" He held my hand tighter, enunciating every word: "I only love Viv now." So, how did he go soft? 2. Was it because Chloe stood in the rain outside our estate for twenty-four hours, begging for just one glimpse of him? But back then, Elijah simply paused while putting food on my plate and scoffed: "Throw her out. Don't let her dirty my driveway." Or was it her relentless persistence, her desperate pleas for him to just look at her once? Even I started to feel a twinge of pity. But he just shielded me from her view, acting like he didn't care at all. "Get out! If you upset my wife again, I won't be so forgiving!" Chloe’s face went pale, as if struck by a physical blow. "Elijah... do you really not recognize me anymore?" Everyone in our circle knew the story. When Elijah was a kid, locked in a basement by his abusive stepmother, a girl had accidentally found him and saved his life. That girl was Chloe. She was bratty and entitled, but Elijah called it "spirited." She bullied others, but Elijah called it "charming." If she hadn't smashed the engagement ring and run off years ago, they probably would have been the perfect couple. But that humiliation became a thorn in Elijah's heart. Hearing her bring up the past, his face darkened. "Get lost!" 3. Chloe really did disappear. For two whole months. At first, I was worried. "I hope nothing happened to her." She had been stalking Elijah for so long; if something bad happened, people might blame him. But he didn't care. "Why worry about her, Viv? She has nothing to do with us." Nothing to do with us? I looked at the red marks on his hand from how tightly he had clenched his fist earlier. I felt a chill in my heart. 4. Elijah didn't know that I was actually a "Tasker." At seventeen, suffering from a terminal illness, a System found me. It told me I had the "Phoenix Destiny." If I successfully "captured" Elijah’s heart and helped him become a wise leader, I would live a long, healthy life. Plus, according to the plot, we were soulmates. I didn't know about plots. I didn't know about capturing hearts. I just wanted to live. So, when every other socialite was making excuses to avoid him during his lowest point, I stepped forward. "Fine. I'll marry him." That marriage lasted seven years. We weathered storms together, moving from polite strangers to inseparable partners. He climbed the ladder, becoming the CEO. My health improved, and I even got pregnant. To say I didn't develop feelings over time would be a lie. There were many moments I genuinely thought we would grow old together. But the moment Chloe reappeared, I knew it was over. Because two months after she disappeared, Elijah received a suicide note. If it had been before, he would have burned it without a second thought. He would have said: "My heart only has room for Viv! Especially not for a gold-digger!" But this time... He tore open the envelope, panic in his eyes. Chloe’s handwriting was frantic: Elijah, you don't want me, and my father is forcing me to marry someone else. Since I can't be with you, I'd rather die. I'm going to the lake where we first met. Drop. The letter floated to the floor. Elijah ran out, abandoning all dignity. By the time I caught up, he and Chloe were both soaked, embracing by the lake. This time, he didn't push her away. He held her tightly, terrified she would vanish. The System screamed in my head: "How can the Male Lead have a change of heart?! Host, don't worry, he's just momentarily blinded by the supporting character!" I should have felt comforted. I should have held onto hope. But all I felt was cold. 5. After the incident, Elijah came to see me with a heavy expression. That was three days later. He had carried Chloe away and hadn't come home for three days. I was drinking bitter herbal medicine for the pregnancy. Bowl after bowl. Only the flutter of life in my belly kept me sane. I sat there all night. Finally, Elijah spoke slowly: "Viv, Chloe... she..." "Let her move in," I said. He froze, then looked surprised and relieved. "Viv, what did you say?" "I said—" I spoke numbly. "Since it's come to this, let her move into the guest house." I should have known. Marrying into a powerful family like the Vances... Monogamy was a fairytale. Why did I hold onto hope? Vivian, at least you're alive. You have a child, right? You just don't have love anymore. It didn't seem like such a big deal. But I never expected that in the end, I would lose the child too.
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