“Ms. Rhimes, the payment has been sent in full. Where is Silas?”
I glanced at her faded jeans and wondered where she’d gotten a quarter of a million dollars.
But I didn’t ask.
I simply said, “He’ll be down shortly. The fox seems a bit reluctant to leave. Security needs a moment.”
Jenna didn’t believe me
D
1:22 PM
Jenna didn’t believe me, accusing me of lying, ready for an argument.
I couldn’t be bothered to engage.
The argument died in her throat when two burly security guards appeared, dragging a struggling Silas between them. Jenna’s eyes immediately filled with tears.
She pointed an accusing finger at me.
“Ms. Rhimes, why did you abuse him?”
held up my hands.
“Let’s not make baseless accusations. I never starved him. My beastman kibble is all–you–can–eat.”
In the hands of the large guards, Silas looked frail and thin.
He saw Jenna and whimpered, “Jenna, I missed you so much.”
Jenna rushed to him, her face etched with heartbreak as she took in his gaunt features. Tears streamed down her face.
*Kibble? You used to feed him the finest imported meats, with a specially designed nutritional plan…”
The System Commentary returned with a vengeance.
[I’m crying. My poor baby. Don’t cry, Mommy loves you.]
【Even though the plot went off the rails, their love in the face of adversity is so beautiful.]
【They both care so much for each other! The FL is so brave for love!]
[Go, FL! Put the villainess in her piace! I live for this!]
Their sappy romance was already annoying enough.
The incessant commentary and Jenna’s nagging accusations were grating on my last nerve.
I finally snapped back.
“Let me reiterate. It is my money, and I have the right to decide how to spend it.”
Both Jenna and the System were stunned into silence.
1 gestured for the guards to hand Silas over.
Jenna took him, and as she held him, she let out a small gag.
She choked it back, her face turning red as she held her breath and hugged him tightly.
Silas hugged her back
“Jenna, the new handler wanted to give me a bath, but I promised you I’d only let you touch me. So I might smell a little… You don’t mind, do you, Jenna?”
Jenna didn’t speak, just shook her head vigorously.
Finally, under Silas’s expectant gaze, she forced out the three words.
“I don’t mind.”
I; along with the System, had to marvel at it.
{What a great love!]
11:23 PM
C
0
อ
*
She could tolerate that stench.
No wonder she was the female lead.
The commentary continued.
【It’s all the villainess’s fault for suddenly selling the male lead! The FL had to borrow a ton of money to save him!)
[Don’t worry, once she returns to the Graves family, this amount of money will be nothing.]
[I wonder how long the villainess can act so smug. ‘My money, my right to decide.‘ Let’s see her crying in a ditch when she has no money left.]
Too bad for them, I had money now.
A condo, a sports car, and a seven–figure bank account.
And a fresh quarter–million–dollar deposit.
Meanwhile, their precious female lead, Jenna Croft, was now $250,000 in debt. That should keep her busy for a while.
It wasn’t enough.
I wished I could find the people writing this commentary and ruin their lives too.
But since I couldn’t reach through the screen, I’d have to settle for destroying the story they loved so much.
ཁ –
I didn’t want to waste money on a private investigator for those two.
Thankfully, the occasional System Commentary kept me updated. Silas and Jenna were miserable.
The broke lovers were surviving on bread and clichés, whispering sweet nothings to each other to keep warm.
The System was in mourning.
[I know shared hardship is precious, but why is it so damn pathetic?]
I don’t like this plot! Can we fast–forward to the takedown
part?
Perhaps the Systern’s pleas were heard, because the plot seemed to accelerate.
Three months later, Maximilian summoned me to his office.
His expression was grim.
“Calla, do you know a young woman named Jenna Croft?”
My mind went blank for a second.
At this point in the original story, Maximilian shouldn’t have known who she was.
A flood of commentary filled my vision, and I found the key piece of information.
- 1.
[The plot has caused the FL to be recognized by the Graves family ahead of schedule!)
(Yes! Finally!)
I hadn’t even married into the Graves family yet.
I looked at Maximilian, weighing the pros and cons of forcing a marriage versus just taking the job at OmniCorp.
He adjusted his gold–rimmed glasses.
11:23 PM
“We’ve had a family issue. It seems there was a mix–up at the hospital years ago. My biological sister was swapped with the one on my birth certificate.”
“My biological sister, Jenna Croft, came to us today. While she was telling us about the hardships she’s faced, she mentioned you.”
“She seems to hold a strong grudge against you. She claims you abused a beastman and made her life difficult in various ways…”
“I tried to explain, but my parents think I’m just covering for you…”
Unbelievable. The villain playing the victim.
Before I could speak, Maximilian continued.
“Calla, I know you’re not that kind of person. There must be some misunderstanding between you. So I’d like to bring you home with me, to meet my parents…”
”
The System was one step ahead of me.
【It’s useless for the villain to bring the villainess home. The Graves mansion is the FL’s turf now!)]
[Takedown incoming!)
I thought of the security footage I had saved from my living room.
I wondered if Maximilian’s parents were as easily fooled.
If I didn’t go, the misunderstanding would only deepen.
If I went, and presented my case, there might be a surprising outcome.
I went with him.
Maximilian had prepared all the gifts, carefully chosen based on his parents‘ tastes.
On the way, I frowned at the excited chatter of the System.
Maximilian, thinking I was nervous, took my hand.
“It’s okay, Calla. I’ll always be on your side.”
I nodded.
“I know.”
The Rolls–Royce glided into a lavish, gated community.
The commentary grew more crowded.
[Here we go! I bet this is the iconic scene!]
[Let the show begin!]
The car came to a stop.
The door was opened from the outside.
As I stepped out, I saw Maximilian’s parents.
And my scalp went numb.
Two faces. So familiar.
11:23 PM
о
O
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*
4
D
The resemblance was staggering.
Ninety percent, at least.
My pupils dilated, and my fingers trembled.
My knowledge of basic biology was screaming at me.
Something was wrong.
The System was wrong.
The plot was wrong.
Jenna Croft was probably not the true heiress at all.
She was a cuckoo, laying her eggs in another bird’s nest.
Over and over again.
Taking what didn’t belong to her.
I looked up.
Jenna stood beside Mrs. Graves, her features bearing no resemblance to either of Maximilian’s parents.
The person who truly resembled them was the new beastman handler I had just hired.
My expression was an open book.
The System was confused.
[What’s with that look on the villainess’s face? Is she scared?】
[Our FL is the legitimate Graves heiress. There’s a DNA test to prove it.]
I suppressed the storm raging inside me and forced my face into a neutral, pleasant expression.
I greeted them with the poised grace of any young woman meeting her partner’s parents for the first time.
Their expressions were cool, their replies merely polite.
First impressions are hard to change.
But I believed the truth would change everything.
Jenna linked her arm with Mrs. Graves’s and whined prettily.
“Mom, this is the Ms. Rhimes I told you about. My former employer.”
Mrs. Graves patted Jenna’s hand lovingly, her gaze turning even colder as she looked at me.
In the end, I wasn’t even allowed through the door,
Even with Maximilian fighting for me.
His parents‘ stance was firm.
“Yes, Calla Rhimes is an exceptional woman. From a professional standpoint, she would be an ideal daughter–in–law. But this family values character above all else. We cannot accept a woman like that into our home.”
Maximilian argued, but his pleas were no match for the guilt his parents felt for their long–lost daughter.
The System was a chorus of celebration.
1:23 PM
[Hahahaha, the villainess thought she could marry her way up. Dream on.]
[This is what I live for! The schadenfreude!)
I didn’t argue.
