Chapter 2

I hugged Ben.

“Yes, I definitely can.”

But in the end, I still had not been able to bring his first love back to life.

When my thoughts returned, I promised Ben that I would think about it.

But what he didn’t know was that I only had one wish left.

I wanted to live, to see him every day.

Or at least die for something that was worth it.

Ben merely let out a cold sneer.

“You’re just scared of the pain.”

Bitterness welled up inside me, but I did not dare explain.

Ben hated me even more than he hated my mother.

“Jennifer, you said every wish came with conditions, so if you didn’t have to die, then did Mandy have to die instead? You talk about limits, but the truth is, you’re afraid of pain, afraid of death! Why should your wish be paid for with her life?”

I shrank my neck, letting my oversized hoodie hide the wound on my neck that the System had yet to repair.

‘No, Ben. I had almost sawed my neck off already. But the System’s bright red letters kept reminding me that a life that has already passed cannot be resurrected. Ben, I’m not afraid of pain, and I’m not afraid of death. But... there’s nothing I can do.’

That day, I went home with Ben as usual.

At the end of the long narrow path, the light in my house—one that should not have been on—lit up.

My heart sank.

Ben slung his suit jacket over his shoulder and lowered his head to look teasingly at my panicked face.

“Jennifer, is your mom back?”

He reached out and pushed me toward the half-open door.

“It takes a villain to deal with a villain, don’t you think?”

He walked toward his own home across the street without looking back.

Staring at his receding figure, I reached out, wanting to pull him back.

But a powerful force suddenly yanked me into my house before I could react.

The first thing I saw was my mother, who had been on the run for years and still refused to stop her crimes.

Her loud slap made my head ring.

“Where’s the money? Where did you hide my money?”

My mom tormented me until midnight.

With blood covering my hair, I returned to my room and quietly treated my wounds.

Out of habit, I looked toward Ben’s house across the street.

The moment I glanced over, his bedroom curtains drifted down.

The only warm light went out moments later.

I held a clean cloth and wiped away the blood and the tears that had fallen at some point.

We hadn’t always been like this.

Back then, when faced with my mom’s madness, Ben would hold my hand.

He would say he had made my favorite sweet-and-sour pork ribs and ask whether I wanted to stay at their house that night.

When my mom raised her fists, he would shield me behind him.

When he couldn’t stop her, he would pace anxiously in his room until he saw the light in mine turn on.

Across the night, he would wave at me and comfort me over the phone until I fell asleep.

But later, he never smiled at me again.

I checked my phone, it was four in the morning, and I had to assemble at six to go to another company for a project meeting.

I decided not to sleep and went to the small kitchen.

Ben did not like eating breakfast, but as long as I prepared a delicate morning meal for him, he would always let me sit beside him.

I always believed our relationship would return to what it once was.

Early in the morning, I brought the carefully prepared breakfast to the company.

As soon as I walked into the office, I saw Ben talking with Riley.

When Riley saw me, a flash of hostility passed through her eyes.

I walked to Ben’s desk and said softly, “Mr. Greenwood, this is the breakfast I prepared.”

Riley suddenly reached out and knocked over the tray, the food spilling onto the floor.

“Jennifer, what are you doing? Trying to seduce Mr. Greenwood?”

I forced myself to remain calm.

“Miss Jones, please stop being unreasonable.”

“Unreasonable?” Riley raised her voice. “You parade yourself in front of Mr. Greenwood every day—aren’t you just trying to climb up? Look at yourself, you’re disgusting!”