Chapter 2

Thea then raised her hand and tapped her forehead lightly—a quick, fleeting gesture, but the defiance in it was unmistakable. She was telling me that her points were higher than mine—that the game was already hers.

In that instant, the comments section flashed before my eyes.

"35 points for the female lead for now!"

"You can do this, Stella! You're only 19 points away!"

I clenched my fists. I would show her exactly what real high-stakes point-grinding looked like.

It was 2:00 am when footage of Thea clutching her bleeding face went viral and topped the trending list, with several trending hashtags.

#SeansFianceeDisfiguresHisFirstLove

#StellasTrueColorsRevealed

#StayStrongThea

I was being dragged by the entire online community as a cold-blooded villain. I stared at my phone, feeling thrilled. This massive wave of online harassment probably fell under "medium social harm", which had to be at least worth 15 points.

"Has Stella lost her mind? How could she cyberbully herself?"

"If the male lead blames the female lead for this, isn't Stella gifting the female lead free points?"

"Stella has to have a Plan B. Otherwise, this plan is just plain stupid!"

Of course I had a backup plan. I rubbed my eyes to make them look bloodshot and teary before I acted all guilty and walked toward the study. I noticed Sean sitting there, staring at the trending page filled with malicious posts.

"I'm so sorry, Sean. I'm the one who posted the video using an alternate account registered under my name."

Sean cocked his brow slightly.

I forced out a few tears, adding, "I was just scared you guys would get back together. I wanted to frame Ms. Smith so you'd see her as manipulative and despise her… I didn't expect it to blow up like this. What should I do now, Sean?"

I sneaked a look at him, wanting to see his reaction. I wanted him to blow up and lash out at me. I needed those points.

Sean didn't lose his temper right away. He leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers on the desk as his gaze swept over me. He then repeated what I said. "You used your alternate account that was registered under your name?"

"Yes, I registered that account using my information."

It was suddenly silent all over—a heavy, unsettling quiet that made my pulse race.

I frantically called out to the system in my mind. "Where are my points? Hurry up and validate it now! He's going to lose it any second!"

Out of nowhere, Sean's laughter broke the silence. He then asked, "You know your right pinky curls up every time you lie, right, Stella?"

I froze instantly.

He closed his laptop and continued, "Did you post that video to set her up, or was it… to make everyone turn on you, Stella?"

I felt a jolt of alarm, wondering how he had seen through my entire plan.

Sean rose from his seat and grabbed his coat. "I'll deal with the social media fallout, and as for your part in this…"

He walked toward the doorway, his voice tinged with a faint, almost imperceptible trace of resignation, while saying, "You shouldn't do something so foolish again, Stella."

I stood there, stunned. I then whispered, "What about my points, System?"

[System Decision: Social harm has occurred, but the target subject didn't exhibit clear anger, blame, or other negative sentiment.]

[Angst Points: +5]

[Current Progress: 21/100]

I nearly stopped breathing from shock when I realized that I had only gained five points.

Those in the comments section burst out laughing.

"Stella went all out with those moves but ended up with that pathetic result!"

"That male lead definitely treats the supporting female lead differently. He didn't even scold her for this."

"Mr. Parker is on another level—Stella doesn't stand a chance!"

"Hold on! Here comes the female lead!"

It was then that the door to the study swung open, and Thea walked in elegantly. She looked smug and satisfied, even with the bandage still covering her injury.

She whispered, "How does it feel to have your plan blow up in your face?"

I pointed at my face and replied, "It's nothing compared to the pain of being disfigured."

Thea's smile faltered. She suddenly furrowed her brow, pressed her hand to her upper abdomen, and turned ghastly pale.

In that instant, the comments section erupted with excitement.

"Here we go! Here comes the major tragic plot point!"

"That female lead was rushed to the hospital after her stomach ailment flared up, and the male lead, caught up in the chaos caused by the supporting female lead, couldn't be there for her. She wept alone all through the night until morning."

"That scene was utterly heart-wrenching. It's easily worth a minimum of 20 points!"