Chapter 4

Ivy reached out to grab my hand, gripping it so hard that my bones ached.

"You'll always be my only husband, my love. You and Chester are different."

My stomach churned in disgust at her words.

It was like cutting open a perfect-looking apple to find it completely rotten inside and giving off a foul smell.

I forced a smile to my face and asked softly, "Really? Am I your one and only?"

She was momentarily caught off guard, but then she nodded emphatically.

"Of course."

No sooner had the words left her mouth than we heard a stifled sob coming from the doorway.

She turned to see Chester standing there with tears streaming down his face.

"Vivi, are you simply taking pity on me? Are your feelings for me not genuine? I'd rather die than accept your pity, so I'll just leave," he said through choked sobs before running off.

Ivy stiffened. She reflexively let go of my hand, stood up, and ran toward the door.

"Chester, please don't misunderstand! I didn't mean it that way!" she yelled.

She hastily ran after him, her high heels clacking on the floorboards.

The hospital room instantly quieted down. I was left alone on the bed, staring up at the ceiling in a daze.

I asked quietly, "How much affection does Ivy have for me right now?"

The system's cold voice rang out in my head, "Her affection value is at 20%."

"Will I be able to leave once it hits 0%?"

"Yes."

Ivy might not have realized it, but Chester wasn't the only person who'd transmigrated into this world for her sake.

I'd succeeded in raising her affection value to 100% seven years ago, but I'd chosen to stay behind for her.

In hindsight, I'd made a ridiculous decision.

Tears welled up in my eyes against my will and soaked through my pillow.

Ivy did not visit me at the hospital for several consecutive days, but I would experience increasingly severe misfortunes with each passing day.

Whenever the hospital notified Ivy of these incidents, she would brush them off casually.

"I understand. It's fine so long as he doesn't die. You don't have to keep me informed from now on."

After a week, I was practically at death's door.

The hospital staff were terrified that my bad luck would rub off on them if an unfortunate soul like me died in their establishment, so they called Ivy and asked her to take me away.

I couldn't hear what she said in reply, but she hung up shortly afterward.

My attending doctor said indignantly to the nurse, "Her husband's dying in the hospital, yet of all things, she's holding a wedding with the man she's cheating on him with! How heartless is that?"

Although the doctor felt incredibly sorry for me, he didn't dare keep a jinx like me around any longer. So, they wheeled me out to the entrance of the hospital and let nature take its course.

The digital billboard by the roadside was dazzlingly bright. It was currently broadcasting the wedding of the century—Ivy's wedding to Chester.

Bright golden text scrolled across the screen.

"Congratulations to Ivy York and her true love for tying the knot."

A wry smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. I laughed hoarsely.

If their love was true, then what did that make me, her lawful husband?

My phone suddenly started ringing.

On the broadcast, Ivy was wearing a pure white wedding gown. She gazed blissfully at Chester with a tender expression.

However, her voice over the phone was as cold as ice.

"I heard that you've been discharged from the hospital. I'll send someone over to pick you up and bring you over to the wedding venue. Chester says that he wishes to have your blessing."

I took a breath before asking feebly, "If proceeding with the wedding will result in my death, will you still go ahead with it?"

She paused before replying with a hint of annoyance, "I'm only asking for your blessing. Do you really have to threaten me like that? I didn't say that I was going to divorce you. I just wanted to hold a wedding for Chester."

I repeated stubbornly, "Would you still go ahead with the wedding at the cost of my life?"

She declared without the slightest hesitation, "Yes, I'll go ahead with it no matter what."

The system announced, "Warning! The affection value of your capture target, Ivy York, has reached 0%."

I closed my eyes. My chest felt as if it was being crushed, making it painful to even breathe.

Yet, before I could even catch my breath, the ear-splitting squeal of failing brakes abruptly reached my ears.

When I opened my eyes, I saw that a large truck by the side of the road was hurtling straight toward me like the driver had lost control.