Chapter 1

The rain pelted down on me, quickly soaking through my thin dress.

I clutched my knees and huddled at the hotel entrance like a stray dog abandoned by its master.

I wanted to leave—wanted to get away from this humiliating place this very second—but the System started screaming in my head.

"Don't walk away now! Layla, this is crunch time if you want to prove your sincerity to Kendrick.

"He was just acting out in the heat of the moment. Once he's done and sees you still waiting out here in the rain, his anger will melt into pure heartbreak.

"Have you forgotten all those classic romance novels? This is the iconic 'confession in the rain' trope. Today's downpour is the perfect catalyst to take your romance to the next level!"

I looked up at the sky. The rain was coming down so hard it felt as though the heavens had burst open.

My lips were turning blue, and my teeth chattered uncontrollably.

"I… I'm so cold," I managed to mutter out, my voice trembling.

"Being cold is the whole point! The more miserable you look, the more it'll break his heart. Trust me, he's definitely tossing and turning up in that room right now, thinking only about you."

Once again, I chose to believe it. To get back home, I had no other choice.

So, I remained huddled beneath the hotel awning, watching luxury cars pull up one after another and couples leave, pressed close together beneath their umbrellas.

Not a single person spared me a second glance.

As the minutes ticked by, my consciousness began to blur. My body went from freezing cold to burning hot.

"Hang in there, Layla! Every extra minute you wait out here is another minute he'll spend feeling guilty and heartbroken over you. When he comes out and sees you sick because of him, that guilt will send his affection level straight into the stratosphere!"

The System's voice continued to echo inside my head. Leaning against the freezing wall, I felt my body slowly slide downward against my will.

Through my daze, I thought I saw Kendrick Miller—the male lead of the romance novel I'd transmigrated into—running toward me with a panicked look on his face.

I deluded myself into thinking he would pull me into his arms, wrap his warm coat around me, and take me home.

But none of that happened.

…

The pitch-black night gave way to the pale light of dawn, and the rain finally began to let up.

As the hotel's revolving door began to turn, I used every ounce of my remaining strength to lift my head.

It was Kendrick.

He looked completely refreshed, his hair styled immaculately. It was obvious he had enjoyed a very pleasant night.

And by his side stood his first love, Audrey Thompson, wearing a lightweight dress.

At that exact moment, my heart plummeted.

Kendrick's gaze swept over me without pausing for even a second. If anything, his brows knit slightly in annoyance.

Audrey shivered and complained softly, "Ken, it's kind of cold out here."

Kendrick immediately took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. Then, pulling her close, he guided her into the car that had been waiting at the curb and drove off.

From beginning to end, he didn't even look me in the eye.

As the car pulled away, the tires rolled through a puddle, splashing muddy water all over me.

I couldn't hold on any longer and blacked out completely.

…

When I woke up, I found myself in a hospital bed. A kind passerby had brought me in.

The doctor said that between my high fever and being drenched in the rain for so long, I would have ended up with severe pneumonia if I'd been brought in any later.

I lay in bed, the harsh fluorescent lights illuminating my deathly pale face.

The System was finally quiet.

I pulled up the system interface. In the top right corner, Kendrick's affection level remained at a flat 5%.

In three long years, that number had never budged.

In the dead of night, burning with fever, I kept dreaming of going home. I dreamed of the home-cooked meals my parents used to make and of my own warm, cozy bed.

I woke up crying, only to find my pillow soaked through with my tears.

The System chose that exact moment to chime back in.

"Layla, I'm sorry. I underestimated how well Kendrick can suppress his emotions. He didn't show it because he had to maintain his aloof persona in front of Audrey. But my sensors detected that he barely slept a wink after he got back."

I listened in numb silence.

It continued, "But it's fine. Even though it didn't work this time, it still showed him your absolute devotion. Let's pivot to a new strategy."

What other strategy could I possibly have left?

Other than becoming an even more obedient simp, that was.