He Wouldn't Stop, Even After I "Died"

"Host, are you sure about this?" the system's voice echoes in my mind. "Your mother's illness is getting worse. If you reset and start a new world, she might not live to see you succeed."Upon hearing that, I felt something twist painfully inside me.Five years ago, I took on this mission to save my mother, who was dying of cancer.At first, everything seemed to go my way. I got caught up in Zachary Pierce's charm and started believing in the fantasy.Reality, though, woke me up with a slap.Just because I touched a photo album that belonged to Yvonne Shaw and didn't wear the red dress she used to adore, Zachary left me stranded in a slum in a foreign country. He even took my passport.I barely escaped being assaulted, stumbled into the street, and got hit by a car. It was only after I landed in the hospital that I finally managed to call him.Zachary's voice was cold as he said, "If you didn't look so much like Yvonne, do you really think I'd spare you a glance? This is just a

"Your closet has clothes in her size," Zachary said. "Why don't you take the guest room tonight?"Belle pulled the blanket aside, revealing the light pink slip she was wearing. Her smile was smug, laced with barely hidden mockery."Regina, you don't mind, right?" she asked."Those clothes were never really for her anyway," Zachary chimed in. "Whoever fits them, wears them."I understood exactly what he meant. Every dress in this bedroom had been chosen by Zachary to match Yvonne's taste. Now that someone even more like her had come along, I was just expected to quietly step aside."Go get some rest, Regina," he said. "Trust me, you'll always be number one in my heart. You know better than anyone whether I love you or not."He gave me that same teasing smile, looking so sure of himself.With the affection score stuck at 99 percent, he clearly believed I'd keep quiet and feel thankful for whatever bits of affection he threw my way, just like a dog begging for scraps.Sure enough,

I curled up behind the door, pulling my knees tight to my chest. The tears I'd been holding back for so long finally spilled over, dropping to the floor.It felt like every ounce of pain and humiliation from all these years was finally breaking loose, pouring out of me.I cried until my eyes felt completely dry.Then, just as I'd gone quiet, the system's voice sounded in my mind."Host, your request has been approved. We can take you away soon. The next world is already set up for you."I sat there stunned as more tears fell. But this time, they came with a sense of relief, like I was finally ready to let go."Okay," I whispered, and then I let myself drift into a heavy sleep.For a moment, I thought this might finally be the peaceful night I'd been longing for.But in the middle of the night, thick smoke jolted me awake, stinging my lungs. I opened my eyes and saw flames licking up the walls, crawling hungrily toward the ceiling.My survival instinct kicked in. Covering my mo

The rescue crew carefully laid the stretcher in front of Zachary.The charred body looked so fragile it might crumble into ash with just a touch, carried away by the breeze.Zachary stared in shock. He reached out, then stopped, not knowing where to put his hand.Tears blurred his vision. The strength drained out of him, and he collapsed to his knees with a heavy thud."Regina, do you know how hard it was to find someone who looked so much like Yvonne?" Zach asked, laughing through a sob, his face contorting with pain."You wanted the affection score, right? Fine, take it! Just come back! You didn't even finish your mission. Who said you could leave?"But what he didn't know was that I no longer cared about his affection score at all.I was already gone, swept away with the system, waking up in a brand-new world.…Zachary drifted like a ghost as they wheeled my body away and sent it to the crematorium.When it was over, all that was left was a small urn.He held it to his c

Maverick gently wiped away my tears, his voice soft and full of concern.He looked at me with a warm, shining gaze. In his eyes, I saw only my own reflection.I held his hand tightly, listening to the system's notifications as his affection score continued to climb. But strangely, it only made my heart ache even more.A few days later, I stopped by my pastry shop, planning to put up a notice letting customers know that I'd be closing for a while to prepare for my wedding.But as I was about to tape it to the window, I suddenly heard a voice behind me, "You're getting married?"My heart seemed to freeze. That familiar voice slithered straight into my ears, cold sweat instantly breaking out along my back.I turned around stiffly, and just as I feared, there was the face I could never forget.It was Zachary.I tried my best to act calm, reminding myself that my face wasn't even the same anymore. There was no way he could recognize me.But the next second, he opened his mouth and