The Seventh Year Since I Left the Novel. I had a new love and a brand new life. But right on the eve of my wedding, the System came knocking on my door. "Host, after you left, your target went completely insane. He almost caused the pocket universe to collapse. "In order to maintain the stability of the novel's world, I brought your target and your child over to you." 1 I froze in place. It felt like a bomb had gone off in my head. "What do you mean you brought them over?!" The System hemmed and hawed for a long time before finally gritting its teeth. "I had no choice! If I didn't take action, Dominic would have torn the entire world of the novel apart. "For the sake of our past partnership, just coax him and your daughter a little. I'll give you extra rewards, and we'll call it even, okay?" Okay? Hell no! But no matter how I screamed for the System in my mind, it played dead and didn't say another word. "Willow, what's wrong? Are you feeling sick?" A voice, as warm and gentle as a spring breeze, pulled me back to reality. My mind reeled as I looked at my gentle, handsome fiancé, Ethan. Uncontrollably, my thoughts drifted back to the years I spent trying to win Dominic's heart. 2 I used to have congenital heart disease. Doctors said I wouldn't live past twenty. And they were right. By the time I was nineteen, I was already experiencing severe heart failure. Right before the grim reaper's scythe fell, the System found me. It tasked me with winning over the novel's obsessive, second male lead—Dominic Vance—who was hopelessly in love with the female lead. As long as Dominic gave up on the female lead and married me, the mission would be a success. In return, I would get a perfectly healthy body. I was lucky. I arrived right when the female lead threw herself into the main hero's arms. Dominic was heartbroken and devastated. During that time, I gave him all the patience and tenderness I could muster in my life. Slowly, I melted his icy exterior. The System used to whisper excitedly in my ear, "Host, Dominic's affection for you has far surpassed his feelings for the female lead!" And in the second year of his skyrocketing affection, Dominic proposed. I completed the mission! I could have returned to my real world with a brand new, healthy body. But shortly after we got married, I found out I was pregnant. I had been an orphan in the real world. Feeling that tiny life growing inside me, I experienced the desire for a real family for the very first time. Besides, Dominic was truly wonderful to me back then. When he found out I was pregnant, he was so thrilled he didn't sleep all night. He pressed his ear to my belly and mumbled to our unborn baby until dawn. I couldn't bear to leave the happiness that was right in front of me. So, I stayed. I gave birth to our daughter, Chloe. Dominic's parents had desperately wanted a grandson. Because of that, they never really cared for Chloe, and by extension, they didn't care much for me. I didn't mind. I thought as long as the three of us were together, everything would be fine. Chloe, on the other hand, loved going to her grandparents' estate. She always said their house was big and beautiful, with so many maids to serve her and play with her. There, she could eat whatever junk food she wanted. She could play as late as she wanted, and no one ever disciplined her. "Plus, Grandma has so much beautiful jewelry. Not like you, Mom. You always wear the exact same necklace. It's so embarrassing for Dad." That was the first time I heard the word "embarrassing" come out of my daughter's mouth. 3 The second time was when Chloe was five. News broke that the female lead, Lily Brooks, was getting a divorce. From that day on, Dominic started leaving early and coming home in the middle of the night. The third time I asked him where he was going so late, he shoved me away with a look of pure impatience. "Willow, are you ever going to stop? We're married, what more do you want from me?" He didn't control his strength, and I crashed hard into the corner of a cabinet. Dominic's eyes flickered for a split second, but then his face went blank, and he walked out the door. He didn't come back that night. At four in the morning, I received a photo from Lily. It was a picture of Dominic, sleeping soundly beside her. After that, the names Dominic and Lily began appearing together constantly. To help Lily secure her divorce smoothly, Dominic got into a physical fight with her husband. He pulled every string he had to hire a million-dollar celebrity divorce attorney. To cheer Lily up from her post-divorce depression, Dominic rented out a hilltop and set off fireworks with her all night. When Lily wanted to start a business, Dominic provided the funding, the manpower, and even hired top-tier designers from Europe to draft her company's logo. My heart grew completely numb. I thought about leaving countless times. But I could never let go of Chloe. Until one night, she ate too much ice cream at her grandparents' house and spiked a high fever. I rushed her to the emergency room. I called Dominic eight times. He hung up on me eight times. On the ninth ring, he finally answered. His voice was dripping with suppressed rage. "Willow, can you grow up? Can you stop acting like one of those clueless, desperate housewives whose only goal in life is to keep tabs on her husband the second he leaves the house?!" He hung up before I could say a word. The sentence, “Your daughter is running a 102-degree fever, please come to the hospital,” died in my throat. I looked at Chloe, sleeping fitfully in my arms. I lied to myself. I told myself he must just be really busy. Until a few minutes later. Around the corner of the hallway, a tall man walked into view, carrying a little boy slightly older than Chloe. Clinging tightly to his side was a petite woman with a flawless, bright face. It was Lily. She looked up at Dominic coquettishly. "I told you, Charlie just has a little tummy ache. It's nothing serious. You're being too overprotective." Dominic looked down, his eyes brimming with absolute tenderness. "You can never be too careful when it comes to kids." It was a complete 180 from the man screaming at me on the phone moments ago. The little boy in his arms, who looked so much like Lily, wrapped his arms around Dominic's neck. "You're the best, Daddy Dominic." From a distance, they looked like the picture-perfect family. They never noticed me huddled in the corner with my sick child, looking like an absolute clown. 4 That night, Chloe cried until the early hours of the morning because she felt so awful. To make her comfortable, I patted her back and coaxed her, not sleeping a wink. The next morning, I went to grab her some breakfast. When I returned, I saw two familiar silhouettes standing by her hospital bed. Chloe was buried in Lily's arms. "Aunt Lily, you smell so good and you're so pretty! Not like my mom. She doesn't brush her hair or change her clothes. "When I opened my eyes this morning, I thought I saw a ghost. It's so embarrassing for me and Dad. "Aunt Lily, I love you so much. My dad loves you too. Why don't you come live with us and be my mom?" Lily blushed and shot Dominic a shy glance. Dominic's eyes never left Lily. They were filled with faint, doting affection. The fortress I had built entirely out of self-deception finally crumbled into dust. I turned around in silence. I tossed the packed breakfast into the nearest trash can. For the first time in six years, I contacted the System. "Send me back to my original world." It was only then that I realized what a brilliant decision I had made when the System had asked if I wanted to trade my return ticket for endless wealth and power, and I chose to keep the ticket. 5 The System worked fast. It prepared the extraction protocol almost instantly. Right before pulling me out of the novel's world, it asked me one last time. "Host, are you absolutely sure? Once you leave, you can never come back. Can you really bear to leave..." I knew exactly what it was hesitating to say. Never mind Dominic. I carried Chloe for ten agonizing months and almost died giving birth to her. The System knew perfectly well how much I had sacrificed for her over the years. But this was my own flesh and blood, the child I loved down to my marrow. And she viewed me as a stain. An embarrassment. The idea that children automatically love their parents was just my own wishful thinking. I didn't belong here. This was Lily's world. My lover and my child were just things that could belong to her the second she batted an eyelash. My supposed happiness was nothing but a fleeting illusion. Now, it was time to wake up. I told the System, "I'm sure. Pull me out." 6 After returning to the real world, my body was perfectly healthy. I spent four years finishing my college degree, using the time to heal from the trauma of the novel. I spent another three years building a fairly successful career. And I met Ethan—a man whose eyes held nothing but me. I was happy and fulfilled. Only occasionally, in the dead of night, would I think of Dominic and Chloe. But now, the System was suddenly telling me it had dragged them into my world. I dug my nails into my palms to stop myself from screaming curses at the void. Ethan noticed something was wrong and gently pulled me into his arms. I prepared for the worst. I knew I couldn't keep this from him. I had told Ethan all about my experience being trapped in a book before we even started dating. So when I told him that my 'target' from the novel was here, he didn't look completely shocked. He even tried to joke about it. "Willow, do you think our world is a book too? Otherwise, how can fictional characters just cross over whenever they want?" I tried to smile, but my lips wouldn't cooperate. Even though he was trying his hardest to hide it, the arms wrapped around me tightened involuntarily. After a long time, Ethan rested his chin on the top of my head. He asked softly, "Willow, you aren't going to choose him, are you?" He sounded like a stray puppy left out in the rain. My heart melted completely, and I hugged him back tightly. "Of course not. I would never choose him over you. "Besides, the System said once this mess is sorted out, it will send them right back." Ethan let out a quiet "Mhm." On the walk home, he held my hand much tighter than usual. As if he was terrified I might slip through his fingers. I squeezed his hand back just as hard. But the moment we reached my front door, a chubby little figure in pigtails suddenly lunged forward and locked her arms around my waist in a death grip. "Mommy! You're finally back! I missed you so much!" Behind her, a man stepped slowly out of the shadows. His bloodshot eyes were filled with aggression and overwhelming dominance. "Willow. Long time no see." 7 Long time no see. I instinctively took half a step back. In doing so, I shoved the unfamiliar little girl away. That single motion seemed to enrage Dominic beyond belief. A flash of hostility crossed his eyes, and he reached out to grab me. "What are you hiding from?" Before he could touch me, another hand blocked him. It was Ethan. He stepped squarely between Dominic and me. The two men locked eyes. The tension in the air was explosive. "Willow, who the hell is this man?" "You must be Dominic. Nice to meet you." They spoke at the exact same time. Ethan still had a polite, faint smile on his face. But Dominic's eyes had narrowed to dangerous slits. It was a sign that he was about to lose his mind. Dominic was a lunatic. Before he could explode, I stepped sideways, placing myself between them. I gave Ethan's fingertips a reassuring squeeze. Then, I looked at Dominic—and the girl who felt like a total stranger. It had been a few years. Dominic hadn't changed much, though the obsession in his eyes was darker. But Chloe... she had aged two or three years. Time clearly flowed differently between the novel and reality. What shocked me was her appearance. She had gained a massive amount of weight. Her previously delicate, doll-like features were practically stretched out of shape by the fat. She wore a pair of thick, heavy prescription glasses over her nose. Pushed away by me, she stared in helpless confusion, biting her lip and crying silently. She was never like this before. Before, if she felt the slightest bit wronged, she would scream and throw a massive tantrum until I practically begged her to calm down. When did she ever learn to cry so quietly? My heart twisted inexplicably. But I simply lowered my eyes and broke eye contact. I kept my voice light. "Let me introduce you. Dominic, this is my fiancé. "Ethan, this is Dominic. "As you can see, Dominic, I am getting married. The Willow from your world is dead. Take Chloe and go back." Dominic stared at me, unblinking. "I. Will. Not. Accept. This." I wanted to tell him it didn't matter if he accepted it; it was a finalized reality. But Chloe beat me to it, bursting into loud, wailing sobs. "Mommy, are you really throwing me away? The kids at school call me a bastard without a mother! Are you really going to make me a bastard?!" 8 She cried until her voice went hoarse, her chubby face covered in tears. Every single drop felt like boiling water splashing against my chest. It burned so much it hurt. I opened my mouth. "Please don't leave me, Mommy! I'll be good, I'll be the best daughter for you and Dad! "I'll never make you mad again! I'll never get sick again! I ate so much so I could get super strong! Please don't leave me, Mommy, please?!" My nose stung. She was, after all, a piece of my own flesh. Interrupted by her pleading, the cold words I was about to say were forced back down my throat. In the end, it was Ethan who opened the front door and said gently, "Let's go inside to talk. It's not good to make a scene out here for the neighbors to see." I looked at him gratefully, met only with his soft, supportive profile. It was getting very late. I coaxed a endlessly sobbing Chloe until she finally cried herself to sleep, then quietly slipped out of the guest room. In the living room, the tension between the two men was thick enough to cut with a knife. Dominic had an unconcealed smirk of disdain on his face as he surveyed my apartment. "Willow, is this your house? It's not even as big as our old bathroom. Are you sure this is the life you want?" I dropped the gentle mother persona I'd worn for Chloe. Seeing Ethan's slightly shifting expression, I smiled at him. "Ethan, could you go wait in our room for a bit?" After a moment's hesitation, Ethan nodded. He gently patted the top of my head. "Call me if you need me." He was always like this. No matter what happened, he stood by me with unwavering gentleness, reminding me he had my back. Once Ethan was gone, Dominic let out another scoff. "Did you know I was coming? Is that why you hired some actor to put on a show for me? Do you really think I'd care about a loser like that?" I looked at the familiar arrogance and delusion in his eyes and gave a tired smile. "Dominic, you aren't worth that kind of effort anymore."
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