Chapter 3

He was supposed to be gentle in the book. A soft, patient husband.

But when I looked into his eyes now and saw the anger simmering there, everything finally made sense.

His tenderness had never been meant for me.

It was meant for the real heroine of this novel.

I was just an imposter who took her place.

—

I am, admittedly, both petty and cowardly.

From the moment I inexplicably landed inside this novel, my only goal was to stay alive.

So when it hit me that the male lead might actually take revenge on me, my first instinct was simple.

Run.

If I escaped far enough, he might never find me again. And once he met the real heroine, he would probably forget all about dealing with me.

I immediately began planning my escape.

“What are you spacing out for? Come eat.”

Shawn still hadn’t cooled off. His expression was cold as he set three dishes and a soup on the table, waiting for me to join him.

Say what you want, but his cooking really was amazing.

I swallowed my drool and quietly edged over.

Normally, I would order him to serve me, blow on my food, and make it just right before I ate.

This time, I did not dare. I picked up my fork and spoon and ate like a model citizen.

As I chewed, I wondered why my past self had insisted on being so ridiculous.

Halfway through dinner, the atmosphere grew even heavier.

Why did he look even angrier?

Panic set in. Before running away, maybe I should at least leave him with a decent impression.

So I scooted closer and poked his arm.

“The food is really good today. Thank you for cooking.”

He ignored me. I poked him again.

“I shouldn’t have lied earlier. Please don’t stay mad.”

Look at this reversal. He used to coax me all the time. When had I ever lowered myself like this?

The tension finally softened. His brows eased as he shot me a sideways look.

“You are suddenly very obedient.”

He paused. “Say it. What do you want to buy this time?”

What.

So in his mind, I had already become a shameless, materialistic woman.

At this point, maybe I should stop trying to fix my image and just focus on running away.

—

Eventually, Shawn calmed down.

Once his mood improved, he was surprisingly agreeable.

I even told him we were sleeping with the blanket between us tonight, and he nodded without arguing.

At dawn, he still gave me a good-morning kiss and made breakfast.

The moment he walked out the door, I shot out of bed and started planning my escape for real.

Even though I had been here for two years, I had never gone anywhere without him. I barely knew the outside world. So I called the only friend I trusted for advice.

Phones in this era were expensive and basically had no functions. Shawn had saved for ages just to buy this one for me.

With my friend’s help, I quickly picked a destination and started packing.

There wasn’t much to bring. A few clothes and enough money for a bus ticket.

The phone was the most valuable thing I owned, and selling it would fetch a good amount.

I hesitated, then placed it on the table along with a short farewell note.

Just like that, I walked out of the place I had lived in for two years.

Everything happened fast, not even noon yet.

Behind the rental house was a narrow, run-down alley.

To avoid attention, I didn’t take the main road. I slipped into the alley and hurried along its winding path, hoping to catch the earliest bus out of town.

Every doorway was closed. The alley was quiet and cold.

Thinking about my successful escape and the fact that I might actually survive this, my steps grew lighter.

I turned another corner.

I lifted my head, relieved and optimistic.

Then I froze.

Shawn stood at the end of the alley, tall and still, holding a half-burned cigarette between his fingers. Smoke drifted around him, softening the harsh lines of his face as he looked at me with cool indifference.

I had no idea how long he had been waiting.

—

Before I could even react, someone jumped out from behind him.

“Shawn, I told you she was planning to take the money and run!”

I stared.

It was the friend I had asked for help that morning.

The same friend I had confided in about where to live.