I tried to win the male lead's heart ten times, and every single time, I failed because of his best friend, Ethan Vance. On my eleventh attempt, the male lead and I were finally married. All I needed to do was get pregnant and have a child, and I would succeed. But then Ethan showed up again. He told my husband that I was a manipulative schemer who had orchestrated everything. My husband immediately moved out and hired a lawyer to draft divorce papers. That very night, I hired someone to kidnap the root of all my misery: Ethan Vance. He knelt before me, his hands bound tightly behind his back. Even though he was bruised and battered, his gaze remained as arrogant and condescending as ever. I let out a cold laugh, used the tip of my shoe to tilt his chin up, and then stomped my foot down hard onto his face. I’ve been terrified of you ten times. This time, it’s your turn to be terrified of me. 01 Even while kneeling, Ethan's back was ramrod straight. His clothes were torn into ribbons from the whipping, and blood seeped from the corner of his mouth. The moment the tip of my shoe lifted his chin, his chest heaved violently, and beads of sweat formed on his forehead. "What's with that look?" I sneered, stepping on his shoulder and shoving him backward. The old wooden floorboards groaned loudly as he crashed heavily onto his back, completely defenseless. The next second, I stood up and planted my foot firmly on his lower abdomen. "Who gave you permission to look at me?" He stared straight back at me, his face devoid of expression, but the mockery in his eyes was unmistakable. I slid my foot down a couple of inches, stopping abruptly, and looked at him with a playful smirk. "Stop!" The face that had been completely stoic for an eternity finally cracked. His voice was strained, carrying a barely detectable trace of suppressed agony. "Stop?" I dragged the word out, feigning innocence, and pressed my foot down hard. "But you didn't say the magic word." Ethan's face turned serious, his voice trembled slightly, and his breathing grew heavy. "Let me go. I won't press charges." "Let you go?" I removed my foot, watching him curl up slightly. "Do you really think you can walk out of here like this?" "How about I give you a bath before sending you on your way?" His eyes were bloodshot. His bound hands struggled fiercely behind his back, but before he could move his legs, I sat down heavily on his thighs. "You have to take your clothes off for a bath." I tapped his belt buckle with my finger. "So, should we take the pants off first," I moved my hand up to brush against his shirt buttons, "or the shirt?" The pauses between his gasps lengthened. His eyes grew hazy, as if his brain had short-circuited. I let my guard down. Suddenly, he jerked his legs up violently. I lost my balance and tumbled hard to the floor. Seizing the opportunity, Ethan shimmied toward the door, trying to use the wall to stand up. But I was faster. I grabbed a bucket of saltwater I had prepared and splashed the entire thing over his battered body. He didn't even let out a whimper. Tough guy. But so what? Watching Ethan writhe on the floor like a drowned rat, I grabbed him by the hair and delivered a sharp karate chop to the back of his neck. He quickly lost consciousness. Wrestling a guy his size was exhausting; tying him to the bed cost me half my energy. Once I double-checked that all the doors and windows were securely locked, I finally felt safe enough to drive away. Now, it was time to go win back my male lead. 02 Ethan and I were naturally parallel lines with zero intersection. But ten times. Ten times I had tried to conquer the male lead's heart, and every single time I was on the verge of success, Ethan ruined it, sending my progress plummeting. The first time, Ethan invited the male lead to dinner. The male lead met his "destined" female lead there and dumped me. The second time, I was driving the male lead to Ethan's place. We got into a car crash on the way back, and I died on the spot. The third time, before I even officially started dating the male lead, I accidentally offended Ethan. He had me shipped off to a foreign country to do hard labor. And in the subsequent attempts, all my strategies failed because of him, no matter how hard I tried to avoid him. Ethan was the type of person I feared the most: wealthy background, ridiculously good looks, incredibly competent, and worst of all—he had no weaknesses and couldn't be threatened. Whenever the male lead was around him, he turned into a loyal lapdog. If Ethan said walk in a straight line, he would never dare to turn around. During my fifth attempt, the male lead brought me to meet Ethan. Ethan looked at me like I was a piece of trash, warning the male lead not to bring just any random stray dog around him. I knew he looked down on me, so I always took detours to avoid him and never willingly crossed his path. I never imagined that this time, after Liam and I were already married, Ethan would actually demand that Liam divorce me. And Liam, stupid as a pig, actually believed the so-called "evidence" Ethan provided, accused me of having ulterior motives, and sent a lawyer to negotiate our divorce. I admit, winning him over was my mission, but my love for him wasn't fake. Every single time I restarted this loop, my eyes were only on him. I racked my brain to plan the perfect "accidental" first meeting, worked tirelessly to fit his exact ideal type, never wore the same date outfit twice, and even did all his group projects for him in college. After finally enduring all the hardships, he wants a divorce? Impossible. My informant texted me that Liam was currently at home packing his bags. I didn't waste a second and sped home. "Liam, what exactly do I have to do to make you believe my feelings are real?" Opening the door and seeing Liam dragging his suitcase toward the exit, I threw caution to the wind and wrapped my arms tightly around his waist. "Chloe, don't be unreasonable." He didn't stroke my hair like he used to. His voice carried a distinct note of warning. "You're sentencing me to death over a few pieces of paper from Ethan?" I buried my face in his chest. "I love you. Even if I schemed and calculated, it was only because I wanted to be with you." "Chloe, when feelings are mixed with calculation, they turn sour." He mercilessly pried my fingers apart. "And I don't like it when you talk about Ethan that way." Then, he strode out the door. When he loved me, he was so afraid I'd be lonely that he kept a video call on even while we slept. When he didn't love me, he left me all alone in a massive, empty house. It was all Ethan's fault! If it weren't for Ethan, I would have succeeded a long time ago. Checking the time, it had been three hours. Ethan should be waking up right about now. 03 Thankfully, I arrived just in time. Ethan had almost freed one of his feet. I sneered and delivered a sharp slap across his face. "You broke my bed." Ethan really did have delicate skin; half his face swelled up immediately. I grabbed his foot, tied it securely again, and then viciously slapped the other side of his face. "There. Now it's symmetrical." He remained silent, his mouth shut tight like a clam. "Speak." I squatted by the edge of the bed. "Doesn't it hurt?" I poked at the bleeding corner of his mouth. He still didn't make a sound. "That's fine." I didn't care. I leaned in closer, letting my dark hair brush against his ear, cheek, and neck. "Ethan, you are going to beg me." He squeezed his eyes shut, refusing to look at me. I shrugged, pulled up a chair to sit beside him, started playing on my phone, and placed a water-drop hourglass on the nightstand. I watched a movie for two hours. My back was getting stiff, so I stood up to stretch. Glancing over, I saw the man on the bed resting with his eyes closed. I smiled. Let's see how long you can hold out. Another movie, another two hours. The man on the bed was starting to lose his composure. I hadn't played the movie audio out loud, so the rhythmic dripping of the water hourglass was exceptionally clear. Ethan's brow furrowed slightly, and his breathing became erratic. I glanced at him again, the corners of my lips curling up. Half an hour later, the expected voice finally sounded. "Chloe, untie me." "What was that?" I stood by the bed. "I didn't hear you." "Untie me." His body was contorting involuntarily, though he couldn't see it himself. "Untie you to do what?" I asked again. "You know what." The veins on his forehead popped, and the sound of him struggling against his bonds grew louder and more desperate. "I have no idea." I continued playing dumb. "Chloe!" His voice grew stern. "Untie me, and we'll pretend this never happened." "Beg me." I felt a thrill of excitement coursing through me. "Chloe!" His calm facade shattered completely. He looked like an irrational beast. I watched his frantic state with cold detachment. He looked exactly like he did during my third loop, when he looked down at me like I was an ant. "Please." He finally surrendered. "What did you say?" I asked. "I'm begging you." He closed his eyes in defeat. I knew not to push him too far. I smiled brightly. "Alright, since you asked so nicely." I turned to leave the room. "Chloe!" He panicked. "Why aren't you untying me?" "Untying what?" I looked completely innocent. "You promised me." "Yeah, I promised you." I said nonchalantly. "What did I promise you?" He froze, not knowing how to respond. I laughed. "Like I promised... "I won't look. "Help yourself." 04 I had only intended to scare Ethan. I never expected his psychological defenses to crumble so easily. He lay on the bed like a corpse, his breathing barely perceptible. Just now, when I changed his clothes, he hadn't struggled at all. "Ethan?" I called his name. His eyes were vacant. He didn't seem to hear me. "Should I untie you?" I asked again. He continued to stare blankly at the ceiling, his eyes totally devoid of life. Oh my god, did I break his brain? I untied one of his hands. No reaction. So I untied the other. His feet were still tied, so I wasn't afraid of him attacking me. But he still lay there, completely motionless. I started to panic. My first instinct was to run. As long as there's life, there's hope. The worst-case scenario was that I'd just have to restart the loop. I still had chances. I didn't even have time to lock the doors or windows. I sped away, rushed home, packed my bags, bought a ticket for the earliest flight out of the city, and went into hiding in a remote border town. For a whole month, nothing happened—except for Liam constantly calling me to come back and finalize the divorce. I contacted my informant and asked if there was any major news in the city. My informant replied with a question mark. Before I could prompt further, the informant sent another message, saying the only big news was that the Vance family was increasing their overseas investments, and the head of the family was personally overseeing it abroad. Wasn't the head of the Vance family Ethan? It seemed he hadn't gone crazy. I breathed a sigh of relief, but then my heart leaped into my throat—he was definitely going to come after me for revenge. The system urged me to speed up my progress. The progress bar had been stagnant for a month. It also delivered a piece of devastating news: if I failed this loop, my ultimate reward—returning to the real world and resurrecting my grandmother—would be permanently revoked. I asked my informant if they could find out how long Ethan would be abroad. The reply was a year at minimum, maybe three to five years. Without Ethan interfering, I could finish my mission in six months tops. Then I could negotiate with the system. By the time Ethan returned, I might already be back in the real world. High risk, high reward. I immediately booked a flight back to the city to continue my mission. I never expected to be grabbed by a group of men the moment I stepped off the plane. And the man who was supposedly "abroad" was now sitting right in front of me. Except this time, I was the one kneeling. 05 His subordinates all left, leaving just me and Ethan in the massive room. He toyed with a lighter in his hand. The flame flickered to life, died, and sparked again, perfectly mirroring the erratic spikes of my heart rate. Then it hit me—he was just a fictional character in a novel. What did I have to be afraid of? My fear vanished instantly. I raised my head, looking down my nose at him, a faint, almost imperceptible smirk playing on my lips. "What are you smiling at?" He stopped spinning the lighter. His eyes held a mix of confusion and a hint of madness. "Who gave you permission to sit?" I demanded. In an instant, his chest rose and fell rapidly, and the sound of him swallowing was loud in the quiet room. "Kneel," I commanded. The very next second, Ethan dropped to his knees like a robot. His face was flushed crimson, and he was shaking like a leaf in the wind. Even if I hadn't eaten pork, I'd seen pigs run. I felt like I was doing something terribly forbidden. "Untie me," I continued. His eyes grew icy, holding a mixture of pain and deep reluctance. "Be a good boy," I said, my voice dropping to a husky whisper. With just a few words, the power dynamic between me and Ethan had completely shifted again. 06 I was overjoyed. Liam was Ethan's loyal lapdog. If Ethan was now completely obedient to me, completing the mission would be a piece of cake. Running my fingers through Ethan's fine, dark hair, I didn't hesitate to slap him twice across the face. "Who told you to tie me up?" He suddenly acted like a wronged golden retriever, grabbing my hand and trying to blow on it to soothe the sting. I immediately yanked it away. "Don't touch me." He knelt there, lost and unsure of what to do. His lips parted and closed several times before he finally spoke: "I didn't tell them to tie you." "Ethan." I leaned in closer. He became visibly happier, a faint blush creeping across his cheeks. "I don't like it when you talk back." His face paled, and he lowered his head in silence. "I don't like it when you give me the silent treatment, either," I added. At those words, Ethan's head snapped up. Tears were actually welling in his eyes. "Please don't dislike me." "Then you have to be good." I gently touched his swollen cheek. "Does it hurt, Ethan?" He took the opportunity to grab my hand, then quickly released it under my warning glare. "It doesn't hurt." I knew the art of the carrot and the stick perfectly. "But my heart aches for you." "Don't ache for me." He struggled, unsure of what to call me. I cupped his cheek. "Call me Chloe." He shyly looked down, then quickly looked back up. Like a child who had just sneaked a taste of honey, his eyes couldn't hide his delight. "Chloe." "Good boy." I took his hand. "What reward do you want?" "Can Chloe kiss me?" He squeezed his eyes shut nervously, his eyelashes fluttering. I pressed a quick kiss to his forehead, not missing the flash of disappointment in his eyes. "Chloe, don't leave." I stood up, preparing to go. My main quest for today was finding Liam; I had already wasted too much time here. Ethan looked frantic, but I didn't let him get up. He had to stay kneeling. "Count to one hundred and eighty before you stand up." Looking into his desperate eyes, I smiled and said, "I like it when Ethan listens to me." 07 The system informed me that Liam would meet the female lead, who was working as a part-time waitress, at a cocktail party tonight and enact a classic "hero saves the beauty" scene. I had to intervene and save the female lead before he did, severing the red thread of fate between them. Sure enough, when I arrived, the female lead was already surrounded by a group of rich playboys. Luckily, no one else had noticed yet. I thoroughly chewed out the little brats, then comforted the female lead and told her that her dorm RA was doing a surprise room check, urging her to hurry back to campus. The female lead had always been a stellar student. She completely believed me but was worried no one would cover her shift. Right on cue, the replacement waitress I had hired in advance showed up, and the female lead successfully left the party. Having disposed of that ticking time bomb, I scanned the room for Liam, ready to pounce. At exactly 8:00 PM, Liam made his entrance. He wasn't as powerful as Ethan, but he was still a young, successful CEO that everyone wanted to network with. People swarmed him to hand out business cards. I found an opening and appeared in front of him. I hadn't seen him in a month. A wave of grievance washed over me, and my nose stung. After spending ten loops with him, our emotional connection couldn't be summed up in a few simple words. When things were good between us, I genuinely intended to have a child with him before I left this world. The people around us tactfully dispersed, leaving Liam and me standing face-to-face. "You didn't even come looking for me?" I pouted, acting petulant like I always did, waiting for him to coax me. "I called you," his voice was distant. "Since you're back, let's finalize the paperwork. The mandatory cooling-off period is over." "Liam, you weren't like this before." I raised my hand, the wedding ring on my ring finger sparkling under the lights. "Did you forget what you said?" Liam had custom-made the ring himself, setting a circle of tiny, crushed diamonds into the band. I had told him that setting all those tiny stones was too hard on his eyes, and that a single diamond or a plain band would be fine. But Liam had said that setting every single diamond felt like kissing my eyes. "Don't forget to return the ring," he said, his eyes completely dead, as if he were discussing the weather. "Liam, look me in the eyes." I grabbed the lapels of his suit. "I refuse to believe you have absolutely no feelings left for me." "You know me." He gently but firmly removed my hands. "I've always despised being lied to." "What are you two doing?" Ethan's voice suddenly rang in my ear. Looking at the architect of my misery, I started trembling with rage. Liam used the distraction to push me away. I tried to chase after him, but Ethan grabbed my arm. "Chloe, didn't you two get divorced?" I slapped Ethan across the face. The entire ballroom fell dead silent. "No, we didn't," I enunciated clearly. He wasn't angry. He just pulled me into his arms. I struggled violently but couldn't break free, and he half-carried, half-dragged me out of the venue.
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