Chapter 2

Hearing my clear response, Clara’s shock vanished, replaced by an unmistakable upward tug at the corners of her lips. She looked thrilled.

The moment she caught me watching her, she quickly wiped the joy off her face, putting on her usual stern mask. After all, her excuse was still "saving Julian’s life."

Young Chloe, however, didn't have her mother’s filter. A radiant smile burst across her face. She grabbed Julian’s hand, bouncing on her heels in pure ecstasy.

Curiously, Julian—the man who had just begged on his knees for this exact outcome—looked stunned. There wasn't an ounce of joy in his eyes.

Clara noticed his expression and frowned slightly in confusion.

I, however, knew exactly why Julian looked horrified.

Because he never actually wanted me to agree.

After I was tortured to death in my past life, an entity—a rogue cosmic System—drifted toward my departing soul.

It told me the truth: Julian was indeed a transmigrator.

His mission wasn't to play happy family with Clara; his mission was to harvest emotional trauma. This world was a tragic romance simulation, and he was the tragic hero.

And me? I was the heartless, jealous villain designed to keep the star-crossed lovers apart.

Julian needed their romance to be as agonizing as possible. His objective was to make Clara and Chloe fall desperately in love with him, and then rip himself away from them through death.

The more heartbreaking the tragedy, the higher his performance rating, and the greater his cosmic rewards.

And what could possibly be more tragic than watching the love of your life die in your arms right when your forbidden love was finally sparked?

Years of playing the sensitive, doting secretary had already maxed out Clara and Chloe’s affection meters. All he needed was for me to act like an arrogant, ruthless husband who kicked him out.

Then, he would dramatically die "for" Clara.

In my previous life, when I rejected his absurd demand, Julian had slunk away with a broken, martyred expression. Naturally, no sane man would believe in magical systems and life-or-death curses.

That rejection turned me into public enemy number one. Clara and Chloe hated my guts.

Julian played the self-sacrificing martyr to perfection. He tearfully told them that he wasn't blessed enough to be their family in this life, but promised to find them in the next. He patted Chloe's head and told her to listen to her cruel father.

That broke Clara and Chloe completely. Chloe wrapped herself around his legs, screaming that Julian was her only real dad. Clara shoved me away, threw her arms around Julian, and kissed him right in front of me.

"Nobody gets to tell us who we can love!" she had yelled, dragging him toward the door to run away together.

It was all part of Julian's calculated script.

He waited until Clara was filled with hope for their new life. The second their getaway car turned the corner, he commanded the System to stop his heart.

As his vital signs plummeted, he used his "dying breath" to safely steer the car to the curb, whispering dramatically:

"Live well for me, Clara... take care of Chloe... In the next life, we’ll be a family..."

And then, he logged out like a hero, leaving behind a shattered, wailing mother and daughter on the side of the road.

After his death, they blamed me for everything. Clara accused me of secretly poisoning him. Using my trust, she manipulated company documents, stripped me of my executive power, and served me divorce papers.

Penniless, I was thrown into the streets.

When Chloe tracked me down, I naively thought my daughter was coming to save me. Instead, she had hired hospital heavies to drag me into an asylum, paying them to torture me every single day as punishment for Julian’s death.

The System took pity on my pathetic demise, letting my soul see the truth and throwing me back in time for a second chance.

Now, Julian finally snapped out of his daze. Forcing an ecstatic grin, he scrambled to his feet.

"Mr. Hayes! Thank you, thank you so much! You’re a lifesaver!"

"I swear I’ll take the best care of Clara and Chloe!"

I smiled, holding up a hand.

"Don't start thanking me just yet. I have one condition."

The joy on Clara’s face soured into an annoyed scowl. "Why do you always have to complicate things? What condition? Just spit it out!"

My smile widened.

"The condition is... we get a divorce."