He Wouldn't Stop, Even After I "Died"

I curled up behind the door, pulling my knees tight to my chest. The tears I'd been holding back for so long finally spilled over, dropping to the floor.

It felt like every ounce of pain and humiliation from all these years was finally breaking loose, pouring out of me.

I cried until my eyes felt completely dry.

Then, just as I'd gone quiet, the system's voice sounded in my mind.

"Host, your request has been approved. We can take you away soon. The next world is already set up for you."

I sat there stunned as more tears fell. But this time, they came with a sense of relief, like I was finally ready to let go.

"Okay," I whispered, and then I let myself drift into a heavy sleep.

For a moment, I thought this might finally be the peaceful night I'd been longing for.

But in the middle of the night, thick smoke jolted me awake, stinging my lungs. I opened my eyes and saw flames licking up the walls, crawling hungrily toward the ceiling.

My survival instinct kicked in. Covering my mouth, I forced myself to my feet and rushed for the door.

The moment I opened the front door of the villa, I saw Zachary lying on the ground, coughing.

When he saw me, his face lit up with surprise and relief. But then, his expression changed, as if he suddenly remembered something.

"Oh no! The baby's still inside! Regina, just go! The fire's too big. We can't get back in…"

My heart plummeted, and I felt as if a vise had tightened around my throat.

"I'll go. I know where the baby is," I said firmly.

Without looking back, I turned and plunged straight into the fire.

Every inch of my skin burned, but I pushed through the pain and hurled myself against the nursery door until it burst open.

However, the crib was empty.

For a second, I stood frozen. Then, I ran through the house, checking every room.

Panic clawed at my insides.

"Baby, where are you?" My voice was raw, each shout ragged and hoarse, but the baby was nowhere to be found.

Just as I was about to give in to despair, an image flashed through my mind—a vision the system projected.

I saw Zachary and his friends in the yard, passing around a pair of binoculars.

"Move! Let me see! She's still looking for the baby. She doesn't even know the baby's not in there."

Someone snatched the binoculars, zooming in. "Damn, Zach, you really went all in! You're gonna lose a villa for this one!"

Zachary just laughed, not even trying to hide his smugness. "Whatever. I bet she won't leave me, not even after this. Her mission's not done."

"I'll take the other side. I bet she finally leaves. Seriously, this is brutal!"

The system kept streaming their conversation straight into my mind.

As I watched them laughing, the flames flickered all around me, lighting up my pale face.

Just then, my phone rang. It was Zachary.

His voice was light, almost cheerful. "Sorry, Regina, the baby isn't inside. Anyway, he's not your baby. I used Yvonne's egg. Did you actually think I could ever fall for you? I've been planning this for a whole year. Surprised?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the affection score dropped from 99 percent to zero.

So, that was his final blow. He wanted to take away the very last bit of hope I had.

But I let him down. I didn't cry or scream. I just gave a quiet laugh and said, "Thanks, Zachary. Thank you for finally setting me free."

Then, I hung up and told the system, "I'm ready. Let's go."