Too Cold to Love: Letting My Wife and Child Go

The moment the System announced that the mission was complete, Cheryl Bennett's face lit up with undisguised delight.She sprang to her feet, grabbed our son, Jasper Ford, and cheered along with the System."Great! It's finally over! I was starting to think I'd be tied to him for the rest of my life!"Cheryl had no idea I could hear her conversations with the System.She grabbed Jasper and headed straight for the door without even sparing me a glance. Even though I had prepared myself for this, I still couldn't help trying to stop them. "Cheryl, where are you going? Aren't you staying for dinner?"The only answer I received was the sharp, echoing thud of the door slamming shut.I chased after them, but by the time I reached the doorway, Cheryl and Jasper were already at the elevator.They could finally return to their real world, and they would never have to see me again. So, they didn't even bother making up excuses to fool me anymore.The two of them no longer had to whispe

I decided it was time to pull the plug. I was done playing my part in this game.Even if her leaving meant meeting the tragic end originally destined for me, I didn't want to keep enduring such fake affection for even a second longer. I was ready to lay my cards on the table and end it once and for all.But Cheryl insisted we go on a honeymoon. Afraid I might turn her down, she pulled out all the stops, painting a vivid picture of the perfect getaway.I knew she wanted to use the honeymoon to push her plan forward, hoping that in some romantic moment, my affection level would finally max out so she could punch her ticket home.Her description of the trip was so beautiful and tempting that I couldn't help indulging in those romantic fantasies again."Let the dream last one more month before it all goes dark," I told myself.Even if it all came to nothing, at least I would have a few more wonderful memories to hold onto.I clung to the slim chance that maybe, just maybe, she would

I had already verified it. No one remembered Cheryl or Jasper.There was no record of them in the system. In the eyes of the world, I had always lived here alone, single, and had never left.Realizing this left me with a swirl of emotions I couldn't quite put into words.The wife and son I once cherished had been nothing more than a house of cards, a fever dream that vanished the moment I woke up. I honestly didn't know whether these nine years had been a blessing or a curse.But right now, watching Cheryl panic, I felt a flicker of relief.For once, the System had finally done me a favor by ensuring she couldn't just barge back into my life whenever she felt like it.Cheryl ran to the neighbors, pounding on door after door, but not a single person recognized her.She came back defeated. Suddenly, she yanked Jasper over and shoved him toward me."Look. This is your son. Your own flesh and blood. I don't believe you really don't recognize him."Jasper's eyes brimmed with tears

The sobbing of Cheryl and Jasper only grated on my nerves. I just wanted this whole farce to end as soon as possible.For some reason, I found myself thinking back to when I got injured during a competition last year.Cheryl refused to take a day off to care for me, giving me nothing but an impatient expression.When I asked Jasper to hand me a bottle of water, he grumbled about what a nuisance I was, telling me to hurry up and recover so I could cook for him.At the time, I convinced myself that Cheryl was just being spoiled as usual, and Jasper was simply too young to know better.But now, I realized they just didn't love me. Just as I didn't love them anymore.A few days later, Cheryl showed up at my house again.She collapsed at my feet, clutching my legs and wailing, spinning stories about how wonderful she had been to me in the past.She spun a web of perfect lies, claiming she had only been acting out of spite and had taken Jasper on a trip just to clear her head.She t