After marrying Frederick’s older brother, Arthur, I feigned frigidity, repeatedly turning him away. The next time Arthur went to take a cold shower, I saw the comments. [The female side character is so disgusting. She married the male lead's brother but is still obsessed with the male lead.] [Poor male lead's brother. He's clearly better in every way than the male lead, but he's always sexually frustrated.] [Once the male lead's brother finds out the female side character's unrequited love for his brother, he'll divorce her.] [After the divorce, the female side character will foolishly drug the male lead, exhausting the last bit of goodwill her ex-husband had for her, ending up miserable.] Me: ? Just then, Arthur suddenly emerged from the bathroom. I shakily held up the “toy.” “Honey, let’s do it…” 1 Arthur’s eyes darkened slightly. A thick bath towel wrapped around his lower half showed no obvious contours. But I couldn't shake the feeling that his gaze was dangerous. I dared to, my hands trembling as I tore open the box. “H-honey, wanna…?” Arthur exhaled, then stepped towards me, snatching the item from my hand. His face betrayed no emotion. The way he stroked my head was stiff. “Valerie, don’t force yourself.” With that, he pulled up my blanket and pajamas. Then he went to sleep in the guest bedroom. But the moment Arthur turned, I clearly saw beneath the bath towel… The master bedroom door clicked shut. I stared at the ceiling and sighed, the comments from moments ago flashing through my mind. A wave of apprehension washed over me. 2 I had indeed always liked Frederick, Arthur’s younger brother. I thought I had hidden it well. But those comments actually knew the secret I had kept buried in my heart. Could… could the comments be true? Was I just a dramatic female side character? And Frederick was the male lead, destined not to be mine? Thinking this, my heart ached inevitably. To marry into the Vance family, I had deliberately used a trick, slipping a drug into a drink. I never expected the waiter serving the drinks to mix up the two Vance brothers. By a strange twist of fate, Arthur and I ended up in bed together. Afterwards, he offered to take responsibility, to marry me. My father, suddenly having climbed the social ladder by attaching himself to the Vance family, was overjoyed and naturally agreed. The only one unhappy was me. I cried and went to Frederick, telling him that I liked him. He looked at me with a complicated expression and said, “Valerie, we can’t be together anymore.” I had no choice but to follow my father’s arrangements and marry Arthur. After the marriage, I found Arthur’s desires alarmingly intense. As long as he wasn’t working overtime, he would be in bed precisely at ten o’clock. Then he’d approach me from behind, whispering in my ear, “Today, is it okay?” But my first time had left me with severe PTSD, so I could only feign frigidity. Every time Arthur stared at me with those hazy eyes, I would tremble uncontrollably. But without exception, I would push his arm away and shake my head. Arthur would reply in a pained voice, “Okay… I’ll go shower.” He wouldn’t say what he was doing in the bathroom. And I wouldn’t ask. But we both knew perfectly well. It wasn't that I wanted it both ways. It was because in the second month of our marriage, Frederick suddenly gave me subtle hints. This gave me new hope. I couldn’t help but wonder: did Frederick like me a little too? Coupled with my existing PTSD, I began to openly reject Arthur. But now. The comments shattered my illusion. Frederick was the male lead, and I was just a side character. Then who was the female lead? Never mind, it wasn’t important. What was important was that I would end up miserable. Thinking this, I shivered. As if I had foreseen my tragic end. 3 The next day. I woke to find a glass of honey water on my bedside table. A note was tucked under the glass. Arthur’s handwriting was, as always, restrained: “Company matters, breakfast is on the table. May be back late tonight, no need to wait for me.” I stared at that note for a long time. One year of marriage. He was like this every day. No matter how late I slept, there was always honey water when I woke up. No matter how cold I had been the day before, he was still as gentle as ever the next day. Sometimes I even wondered if this person had no temper. But I knew perfectly well that he did. It was just all bottled up in those cold showers. I stared at the water glass. A strange tightness in my chest. The comments said I would exhaust Arthur’s last bit of goodwill. So, how much did he have left now? [The male lead’s brother is truly a good person. What a shame, he’s only there to be a foil for the male lead.] [Doesn’t anyone think this repressed, self-controlled older man is incredibly appealing?] [Laughing so hard. Once tasted, now perpetually starved.] [If you’re feeling stressed, you can always check the male lead’s brother’s zipper.] I suddenly felt inexplicably guilty. Arthur was only five years older than me. How was he an “old man”? I mentally grumbled at these comments, not forgetting to defend Arthur. 4 At eight in the evening, Arthur returned. He stood by the entryway, changing his shoes. He visibly paused when he saw me sitting on the sofa. “Why aren’t you in the bedroom?” I clutched the cushion in my hands, trying to make my expression look natural. Succinctly, I said, “Waiting for you.” Arthur’s movements as he changed his shoes faltered. He looked up at me, his eyes holding something I couldn’t quite decipher. I quickly added, “Um… have you eaten? I made some noodles.” As soon as I said it, I regretted it. In our entire marriage, Arthur had never let me into the kitchen. Last night I’d brought out the “toy.” Today, I was cooking for him. Such obvious attempts to please were unmistakable to anyone. Arthur’s gaze fell on the rather sad-looking bowl of noodles on the dining table. He was strangely silent for a few seconds. Just as I thought he would politely decline, he suddenly said, “Okay.” I watched Arthur sit at the dining table and slowly eat the entire bowl of noodles. I sat opposite him. Just thinking about what was going to happen tonight made my palms sweat with nervousness. After eating the last bite, Arthur put down his chopsticks and looked up at me. “Valerie.” “Hmm?” “What happened?” Arthur was a strikingly handsome man with strong features. Being stared at by him gave me an inexplicable sense of intrusion. Caught off guard by his gaze, my heart gave a violent leap. I quickly stammered, “N-nothing… nothing at all…” Arthur said nothing. He just watched me quietly. That gaze made me feel utterly exposed. I thought of his intense self-control last night. Then I remembered the comment about my “miserable end” and gritted my teeth, blurting out: “Honey.” “Tonight… let’s sleep together.” 5 The air was silent for a few seconds. Arthur lowered his eyes. I suddenly couldn't discern the emotion in his gaze. The comments, however, exploded as if they’d eaten a pot of toads: [Huh?? Hold on! Why did the female side character suddenly change her tune?] [Didn’t she self-righteously think the male lead liked her, and was saving herself for him??] [Female side character proposes a friends-with-benefits arrangement.] [She seems to have forgotten her cold persona, lol.] My fingertips trembled when I read the second comment. So Frederick didn’t like me at all? Then why did he say those ambiguous things to mislead me? Just as I was lost in thought, staring at the comments, Arthur’s voice suddenly sounded in my ear. “Valerie, you don’t have to force yourself.” “I’ll always respect you in these matters.” My brow twitched. An inexplicable guilt welled up in my heart. It was I who had drugged him, inadvertently leading Arthur to drink it. He was forced to marry me. After marriage, it was because of my unrequited love for Frederick that he slept alone. From beginning to end, this should have been my fault. Yet Arthur still thought I was the one being wronged. He was still thinking of me. Just like how he discreetly handled my father’s troubles for me. How he managed everything that might affect my mood. I suddenly felt like I was completely blind. Arthur suddenly approached, taking my hand and examining it carefully for a few seconds. He blew softly on a tiny scratch on my index finger. “Next time, don’t use knives. If you really want to cook, I’ll find someone to teach you, okay?” I nodded silently. Arthur led me back to the bedroom. I lay down, watching him. Noticing he was preparing to go back to the spare room, I couldn’t help but ask, “Can’t you really stay with me?” Arthur paused. After a long moment, he slowly said, “I’ll go get my pajamas.” I idly listened to the sounds from the bathroom. After some time, Arthur finally emerged. He lay down beside me, like a corpse. I stealthily edged closer. Arthur suddenly spoke. “Get some rest.” Me: “…” Oh. Sleeping chastely. The comments exploded again: [Bro, your wife’s thighs are crying for you. Are you going to do anything?] [Why was he in the bathroom for half an hour? So hard to guess.] [Suspected homage to Plato.] [Don't make the fierce beast laugh.] 6 Even though Arthur rejected me, I knew he was just holding back. Well, of course. Rome wasn’t built in a day. For the past year, I’d been feigning frigidity. Such a sudden change, it was no wonder Arthur was overthinking it. After careful consideration, I asked the housekeeper to prepare lunch early, intending to deliver it to Arthur later. As long as I wasn't being dramatic and dutifully played the part of Arthur’s wife, I should be able to avoid the miserable ending the comments predicted, right? Near noon, as soon as I arrived at the company, someone recognized me. I carried the lunchbox to Arthur’s office. He seemed to be in a meeting. I sat idly on the sofa, waiting for him. The door suddenly opened. I instinctively stood up, my gaze hopeful towards the doorway. The next second, my expression froze. It was Frederick. The comments became active the moment he appeared: [Here comes the little bitter gourd male lead. He suffered so much with his mother since childhood. Finally returned to the Vance family, but he's not valued by his father.] [The male lead is only a department manager because he's an illegitimate child.] [Exactly. He's clearly very capable, but he's always been suppressed by his brother.] [Oh, it's okay. After the male lead gains power in the later stages, with the female lead's help, he successfully gets his share.] In the blink of an eye, Frederick walked up to me. He calmly observed the changes in my expression. He smiled. “Are you very unhappy to see me, Valerie?” Hearing that endearment so suddenly, my ears flushed. It was what he used to call me often. After I married Arthur, he rarely used it. But today, he suddenly called me that again. I distanced myself. “Don’t call me that. I’m… your older brother’s wife now.” If the comments were to be believed, my tragic end stemmed from my lack of clarity and boundaries. So, upholding my boundaries now was also a way of saving myself. But Frederick's face immediately darkened. “Is that so? Weren’t you always quite averse to that title? Now you’re eagerly running here to deliver lunch. Have you fallen for Arthur?” His sarcastic tone stung me. While I couldn’t exactly say I’d fallen for him, Arthur was indeed a very good person. Seeing my silence, Frederick’s tone grew a bit more agitated. “Didn’t you say you’d do anything for me?” He then added, “Then would you mind putting this in Arthur’s study?” I looked down. A small listening device lay quietly in Frederick’s palm. I was a little confused, not quite understanding what Frederick meant. The comments shared my confusion: [What? What are you doing, male lead? Playing dirty?] [Is this how the male lead in the original story became the head of the Vance family??] [Actually, the male lead didn't do anything wrong. He just really wanted to get ahead and was too eager to gain his father's approval.] [Oh, it's okay, after the male lead gains power in the later stages, with the female lead's help, he successfully gets his share.] I didn’t take the listening device. Frederick directly slipped it into my bag. I was stunned for a few seconds, then immediately tried to fish it out of my bag to return to him. But Frederick suddenly pressed down on my hand. “Valerie, you don’t want to see me always suppressed in the Vance family, do you?” His voice was low, carrying a hint of pity. “Big brother has everything – family assets, status, and… you.” He added, “But what about me? I only have you.” I looked up, meeting Frederick’s eyes, brimming with deep affection. I had to admit, it was very similar. Similar to how he used to look at me when I liked him. [The male lead is performing again.] [This trick, the female side character fell for it eight hundred times.] [Every time the female side character wavers, the male lead pulls this stunt. He really treats people like fools.] [Haven’t you noticed? The male lead only shows affection when he needs to use the female side character.] 7 My heart violently constricted. So all those times Frederick had been hot and cold with me this past year—all those hints that made me mistakenly believe he liked me too—it was all because… I could be used by him? I pulled my hand out from under Frederick’s, taking a step back. A flicker of surprise crossed Frederick’s face. “Valerie?” My voice was very soft. “Frederick, I can’t help you.” Frederick’s eyes instantly turned cold. He stared at me for a few seconds, then suddenly smiled. There was an indescribable sinister quality to it. “Valerie, do you really think Arthur is a good person?” He continued, “He only married you because he slept with you and felt obligated to take responsibility. Do you really believe he likes you, an illegitimate child?” I froze. Everyone could use my status as an illegitimate child to hurt me. But Frederick couldn’t. Because he, too, had grown up under the stigma of being an illegitimate child. And more importantly, he knew how I had been locked out in the snow by my older siblings when I was a child. If Frederick hadn’t saved me, I might have frozen solid. My eyes suddenly felt a little sore. I saw Frederick raise his hand helplessly, as if to wipe away my tears. Just as his fingertips were about to touch me, the office door suddenly opened. It was Arthur. Arthur had clearly just finished a meeting. He stood at the doorway, looking at Frederick and me for half a second. I abruptly stepped back, wiping my own tears. Arthur slowly shifted his gaze from me to the displeased Frederick. “Meeting in Conference Room Three.” 8 Frederick left. Only Arthur and I remained in the spacious office. But an inexplicable sense of oppression settled over me. He must have seen it all, just now, right? What would Arthur think? Would he misunderstand? Or… My mind raced with speculation. But Arthur merely took off his suit jacket and sat on the sofa. “Aunt Betty told me you came to bring me lunch. Would you like to eat something with me?” I lowered my eyes, concealing my emotions. Arthur didn’t ask. He didn’t even care why I had been crying just now. I forced a smile. “I’ve eaten. I want to go home now.” Arthur was silent for a few seconds, then gave me a long, deep look. Slowly, he said, “Okay, be careful.”
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