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Too Cold to Love: Letting My Wife and Child Go
Too Cold to Love: Letting My Wife and Child Go
Autor: Snow Top

Chapter 1

Autor: Snow Top
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 whisper behind my back. Even with me standing right behind them, they spoke openly about the perfect dad from another world.

Jasper excitedly tugged at Cheryl's hand. "Mommy, are we going back to find my real daddy now?"

Cheryl's voice brimmed with delight and smug satisfaction. "That's right. I secured your daddy a lifetime of good fortune. From now on, we're going to have a wonderful life with him."

Jasper asked, "Mommy, is my real daddy super cool and handsome? Will he like me?"

"Of course, he will. He's a million times better than Kevin Ford. He loves me so much, so naturally, he'll love you too!"

I was the "Kevin Ford" she spoke of. That was how she had always done it—never once referring to me as Jasper's dad in front of him, always just calling me by my name.

She kept filling Jasper's head with stories about his real dad in another world, promising him that they would leave to find him once the mission was complete.

I stood silently in the doorway, watching Cheryl's retreating back.

Unfortunately, I couldn't see the smile on her face at that moment—that familiar, impossibly sweet smile. I guessed this time it was actually genuine.

She had plotted and endured for years, all just to win a lifetime of good fortune for her true love in the real world.

Now that the mission was a success, she could finally rid herself of me and run back into his arms.

If I were her, I would be smiling too.

I tried to force a smile, wanting to mirror her, but my eyes stung. The corners of my mouth felt like lead, too heavy to lift.

I gave up, turned away, and shut the door.

The food on the table was still steaming. The candles on the cake, the ones Jasper hadn't even had the chance to blow out, were still flickering.

I leaned over, blew them out myself, and ate the cake alone.

So, making wishes really did work. After all, the wish I had just made came true the moment I opened my eyes.

My wife and son had decided long ago to abandon me and return to their real world.

That was fine. Because what I had wished for was not to want them anymore.

I didn't hate Cheryl, and I didn't blame Jasper either. I just chalked it all up to my own rotten luck.

The day I first met Cheryl was the day I heard her talking to her System.

That was when I realized my world was nothing more than a tragic novel. I was the pariah male lead destined to die a miserable, lonely death at 25 years old.

Cheryl had only signed up to win me over in exchange for a lifetime of good fortune for the man she loved in her real world, so that when she returned, they could enjoy wealth and glory together.

She had complained to the System, "I must really be blinded by love. Gavin wanted me to win him good fortune, and I actually agreed to come here and romance a guy like him."

The System had reassured her. "This target is easy. He's desperate for love. Just sweet-talk him a little, and you'll have this mission wrapped up in no time."
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  • Too Cold to Love: Letting My Wife and Child Go   Chapter 8

    The sound of that door slamming shut still echoed in the back of my mind.The home I had always tried to hold on to had never truly been whole.What was the point of staying here any longer? I didn't need to wait for anyone anymore. As long as I was standing on my own two feet, anywhere could be my home.I entrusted the sale of my house to an agent, packed a simple bag, and headed to a remote mountain village to volunteer as a teacher.When I first met Cheryl, I was a P.E. teacher. I later switched careers and went to work at a boxing gym as a coach, even stepping into the ring myself, just to earn more money and give her a better life.I changed my phone number, but before I left, I called Beatrix to say goodbye.She offered to see me off at the station, but I just laughed and told her it wasn't necessary.She chuckled softly and asked, "Next summer, will I still get to eat the cherries that stretch over into my yard?"I didn't know how to answer. After a brief silence, she sa

  • Too Cold to Love: Letting My Wife and Child Go   Chapter 7

    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

  • Too Cold to Love: Letting My Wife and Child Go   Chapter 6

    Cheryl knew my parents had abandoned me, so she came to me and promised to build a home with me.I clung to that small bit of warmth, refusing to think about tomorrow, hoping every promise she made would eventually come true.But deep down, I had known from the very beginning that she was only here for the mission.I had fallen for her, been disappointed by her, struggled with my unwillingness to accept it, but in the end, I chose to let go.After all, she had changed the fate where I was meant to die young. If she had to leave, I hoped we could part peacefully.That was why, on Jasper's fifth birthday, I closed my eyes and made a wish to let them go, though in my heart, I desperately hypnotized myself, "Cheryl, I love you. I truly love you and our son. Please don't leave, okay?"When I opened my eyes, I saw her face light up with overwhelming joy at the news that her mission was complete.My self-hypnosis had worked. At that exact moment, my affection level reached its peak.M

  • Too Cold to Love: Letting My Wife and Child Go   Chapter 5

    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

  • Too Cold to Love: Letting My Wife and Child Go   Chapter 4

    I headed to the local nursery and bought a cherry tree in full bloom.The owner gave me his word that it would bear fruit. He said if it wasn't loaded with cherries in three months, I could come back and dig up anything in his nursery.I took the tree home and planted it in the garden bed that had sat empty for nearly nine years.My days settled into a steady rhythm: working at the boxing gym, picking up groceries on the way home, cooking, having dinner, and tending to the yard.Time, surprisingly, flew by.Three months later, the cherry tree was full of ruby-red fruit."You see, Cheryl? You don't have to wait three years to eat cherries. Maybe forgetting you won't take a lifetime either."I was lost in thought when a cheerful female voice drifted down from above."Hey, handsome neighbor! Your cherry tree is growing into my yard!"I looked up and realized someone new had moved in next door.A young woman was leaning over the second-floor balcony, a bright smile on her face.

  • Too Cold to Love: Letting My Wife and Child Go   Chapter 3

    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

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