Death Is the Only Escape

"I'm so sad. Elena's actually hurting on the inside when she says all of that. She's even clenching her fists."

"This is all because she's still indebted to Ryan. Daniel, I know you are suffering, but you have to put yourself in her shoes. She's only partial to Ryan because of that debt."

"This is too painful to watch. My heart aches for Elena."

How ridiculous. Their so‑called debt of gratitude had nothing to do with me. I had done more than enough for Elena over the past 20 years.

Gazing at Elena, I smiled. "I'm only doing what you wished for. I won't be an eyesore anymore."

Before Elena could even react, I grabbed the knife on the table and slashed hard across my wrist.

"Danny!"

Before I lost consciousness, all I heard was Elena's desperate scream.

I thought this time, it would finally be over, but it wasn't. I woke up when a cup struck me.

Upon opening my eyes, I found Ryan and Hazel standing by my hospital bed. Ryan looked devastated, whereas Hazel was seething with anger.

"Danny, stop hurting yourself because of me, okay? I'll just not marry Hazel anymore."

Pale-faced, Ryan leaned weakly against Hazel, as if he could vanish from sheer misery at any moment.

Hazel immediately steadied him, then fixed me with a cold, aloof gaze.

"What's all this about now? Ryan had to put the wedding on hold because of you. On top of that, he hasn't been eating or sleeping. It's not like we're actually getting married. Who is all this supposed to be for?"

Comments appeared again. "Oh my gosh! Did anyone else notice how tightly Hazel's fists were clenched? Hurting the male lead with cruel words hurts her even more than it hurts him."

"Out of gratitude, she has to go along with what Ryan wants to keep him happy. Daniel has to endure it for now."

"Don't cry, Daniel. Once the wedding is over, all your suffering will pay off, and you'll finally be the star of your own happy story!"

"Hazel is just keeping her love hidden. The deeper her feelings, the more she holds back. I'm practically dying from the emotional pain!"

The comments didn't make me happy in the slightest. Instead, memories of Hazel suddenly surfaced.

Back in high school, I'd spent two years abroad as an exchange student. That was when I met Hazel.

She'd been framed by her father's illegitimate son and driven overseas with barely any money to her name. She had been as miserable as a homeless person.

I was the one who took her in. As she was a pampered young lady who didn't know how to do anything for herself, I cooked every meal, managed the house, and took care of her until she was back to her old self.

With my constant, meticulous care, she went from cold and distant to gentle and soft.

She would secretly sketch me while I was asleep, then write "my husband" beside it in Fleruean.

Once we were back in the country, I helped her win back her place in the family. She had said she wanted to marry me, to have the grandest wedding imaginable. But after Ryan saved her life, everything changed.

Hazel, who was once incredibly gentle, began to hate me and reject me. She was disgusted just by the sound of my name.

Even the hand I used to play the violin was broken on her orders, all because of a "debt of gratitude", something utterly ridiculous that they didn't even know the truth about.

With nothing left to say, I merely lowered my head. "I don't want anything. I just want an end to this. Having lost everything, the only thing left that is mine is my own life."

"Why does Daniel keep saying things that hurt the female lead?"

"Honestly, the male lead is kind of disgusting. The female lead is devoted and endures everything in silence. What more does he want from her?"

The comments kept talking about me, but in reality, they were just using me as a tool for their shipping fantasy. To them, only the female leads' pain ever mattered.