Blurb：
After five years of devotion as the antagonist in a novel world, Hailey Paltrow finally receives a marriage proposal from Clayton Amos—only to be betrayed at their wedding when he saves his first love Gladys Dawson instead. As blood stains her neck wound, Hailey accepts the truth: Clayton never loved her. When the system offers mission abortion, she agrees, sealing Clayton’s original fate of limb loss and despair. Dive into Chapter 1 where Hailey recalls her sacrifices—from taking a knife for Clayton to buying him limited-edition racing gear—and her decision to abandon the man destined for tragedy. Will Clayton Amos realize his mistake before losing everything? Explore a tale of twisted love, redemption, and the consequences of choosing Gladys Dawson over Hailey Paltrow.
Content：
Clayton Amos finally agrees to marry me during my fifth year as the antagonist of a novel.
On the day of my wedding, the chandelier in the middle of the hall suddenly snaps and falls. At the most critical moment, he shoves me aside and runs over to protect Gladys Dawson, the protagonist of the novel, and his first love.
Clayton’s arm is slashed as a result, and blood pours out of the wound, dyeing his pristine white suit red.
Meanwhile, Gladys remains unharmed in his arms.
I hold a hand against the bleeding wound on my neck and finally accept the fact that Clayton never loved me.
This is when the system appears and asks me, “Hailey Paltrow, would you like to abort your mission now?”
I nod in silent response.
“Since he’s going to end up losing all four of his limbs and ultimately wish for death, I’ll let him have it.”
Chapter 1
“Have you made up your mind, Hailey Paltrow?” the system asked. “If you decide to abort the mission now, you won’t be allowed to change your mind later.”
The system sighed, finding it quite a pity. After all, the system had only come about because of my great wish to save Clayton Amos from his terrible ending in the novel. At the time, I had felt so sorry for him and wanted to change his outcome.
I pressed my hand against the bleeding wound and felt my vision starting to blur.
“I’ve done my best”
Clayton was the main antagonist of this novel. He had grown up in a loveless family, which contributed to his twisted personality.
After he turned into an adult, he quickly turned into Gladys Dawson’s lapdog and would go to great lengths just to please her. After all, she was the main protagonist of the story.
At the end of the novel, he lost all four of his limbs trying to save her and was left alone to rot, living through a fate much worse than death itself.
After transmigrating into this world for five years, I made sure to jot down all of his likes and dislikes, his highs and his lows, and always stayed by his side so that I could save him from his terrible fate.
Everyone knew that I was in love with him. I was the only one who stayed unafraid even after seeing his darkest side.
At the very beginning, he acted very hostile toward me. He refused to believe a word I said and only had eyes for Gladys.
I knew that Clayton was a terrible human being. Yet, when he purposely rushed toward me with a knife, I didn’t avoid him and let him plunge the knife into my chest, just missing my heart by half an inch.
The wicked grin on his face stiffened at one. He looked both shocked and confused at the same time.
I then smiled and told him that he wasn’t the only one who would die for another person in this world. I was willing to die for him, too.
My bet ultimately paid off. He personally rushed me to the hospital and stopped treating me terribly after that.
He loved racing, but I knew nothing about it. Still, I worked my ass off at my part-time jobs and saved up enough to buy him a globally limited edition helmet just so that he would smile at me. Because of that, I barely slept more than three hours a day.
However, during my fifth year, he suddenly went missing after an accident while he was out racing. I searched for him high and low for the entire day without rest.
When I finally found him, he seemed to be regaining consciousness. He looked at me with red eyes and gently cradled my face in his hands, whispering gentle nothings in my ear.
He then hugged me tightly in his arms like he was going to crush me. A while later, I could hear him sobbing quietly against my ear. Almost instinctively, I circled my arms around him in return, comforting him.
When he was finally discharged from the hospital, the first thing he did was to hold my hand tightly, his eyes dim and somber as he said, “We’ll get married in the future. You won’t be able to escape me anymore when that time comes.”
His tone was light, but he sounded vaguely threatening at the same time. His words seemed to inexplicably root me to the ground for quite some time. I just couldn’t come back to my senses for a long while after that.
My heart thumped wildly against my chest, and I could even hear my pulse ringing in my ears. My face grew red and heated, too.
A long time later, I squeezed his hand in return and looked at him urgently. “I’m going to hold you to your word. We’re going to get married for sure!”
I immediately started preparing for our wedding as soon as we got home that day.
I took all matters into my own handsfrom choosing the wedding venue to picking out the garlands and boutonnieres for the occasion. I was greatly looking forward to how everything would come together nicely on our wedding day.
In fact, I even invited Gladys to attend our wedding. I initially had enough faith that Clayton wouldn’t go after her.
However, the moment the chandelier snapped and fell, my dream immediately shattered into pieces.
I held my hand against the bandages that the doctor had wrapped around my neck and felt the wound still pulsing in pain. Quietly, I lowered my head and hid my tears from everyone else.
I took my phone out and told the vendors that the wedding was canceled. Then, I took off my wedding dress and accessories, carefully keeping them away.
I initially thought that Clayton would treat me a little better since we’d been through life-and-death situations together. However, I’d greatly underestimated his love for Gladys.
It didn’t matter how long I’d spent with him or how much I’d sacrificed for him. As long as Gladys was in the picture, I was immediately out of the running.
The system couldn’t stop itself from asking, “Hailey, are you really planning to go back home?”
I nodded.
“Why don’t you tell me how much longer until I can get home instead?” I asked.
“About a day later,” the system replied. “The tunnel will be activated then. While waiting for it to activate, you can do whatever you want with your time left here. Don’t leave with any regrets.”
Chapter 2
I handed the bag in my hands to Crystal Amos, Clayton’s younger sister. She was one of the few people who had treated me with kindness for the past few years.
“Please burn this dress after I’m gone. I don’t deserve to wear this anymore.”
Crystal accepted the bag from me, the anger showing in her eyes because of how unfairly she thought I was being treated.
“Clayton’s truly gone overboard this time! I’m going to give him a piece of my mind! I’ll make sure he gives you a hefty break-up fee before you leave! ”
Crystal turned to leave in a huff, but I quickly stopped her.
“There’s no need for that anymore.”
She was well aware of how I’d been treating them both for the past few years, and she committed it to heart. After all, I was the one who had tried to help them improve their relationship and bring them closer to each other.
As soon as I was done speaking, Clayton reappeared while pressing against the wound on his arm. His voice was icy-cold as he asked, “Where are you going?”
I looked up at him. It had only been half a day since I saw him, but I couldn’t help feeling taken aback.
Suddenly, I was reminded of the time when I first met him.
It was dark in the bar, and he was leaning against the edge of a table, downing glasses of wine all by himself.
A jacket was draped over his broad shoulders, adding to his tall frame. His eyes were dark and murky, his lips tugged in a straight line, and he looked about as welcoming as a wolf with blood on its muzzle.
However, all it took was just one look from him, and I was enamored. I could no longer shift my eyes away from his gaze.
I had seen plenty of expressions in his eyes over the past few years. However, I had never once seen the tenderness he’d only reserved for Gladys.
I snapped back to the present and said, “You’re mistaken. I was just asking Crystal to help me settle some irrelevant things.”
The more I spoke, the more my eyes darted around the place. Somehow, it felt as though I was also trying to convince myself of that.
I wasn’t wrong, though.
Since I’d arrived without a word, I was going to sever all ties with this world before I left, too.
Clayton stared at me for a long time. Then, he finally accepted my explanation and left after failing to find any fault with what I’d just told him.
This was more like his usual self.
Clayton had always been quiet when he was around me. He’d only speak a little more if he were talking about Gladys. Naturally, he wouldn’t really care where I was going.
However, a short while later, the door to my home opened. I watched as Gladys ignored me and rushed upstairs to find Clayton.
She behaved as if this were her home instead of mine, seeing as how she didn’t even spare me a single glance.
I followed her up the stairs and saw her knocking on Clayton’s door.
As soon as she’d knocked, Clayton immediately screeched, “Get lost!”
Gladys sounded anxious. “It’s me, Clays”
The sound of the door unlocking was heard.
The door was thus opened from the inside.
I only realized then that the “Get lost” he’d yelled at the door earlier was meant for me. He thought I was the one knocking at his door instead of her.
Clayton’s eyes were full of lust as he stared at Gladys and asked, “Why are you here? Aren’t you worried that he’d find out you came over?”
Gladys’ eyes immediately filled with tears. Her voice shook as she said, “We aren’t dating just yet. He can’t do anything about me.
“But you got hurt because you tried to protect me. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I didn’t make sure that you were okay.”
I stood rooted to the ground. My heart felt as though someone had just pummeled it into a mess. It had hurt so much.
It was obvious that they didn’t even bother pretending I was still alive, based on their conversation with each other.
I had done everything I could all day to stop them from contacting each other, yet in their eyes, I was still nothing but the dust beneath their shoes. I was expendable to them.
Gladys began to cry. “Don’t you want to see me too?”
Clayton couldn’t hold back anymore. He hugged her tightly right in front of me.
“I need you, Gigi. I’ve always needed you.”
I watched as his eyes gradually turned red. He looked like he’d just been reunited with something precious he’d lost for years.
His words were like a sharp knife in my heart.
So, had I always been a joke to him?
After they were finally done hugging each other, Gladys immediately started checking on the wound on his arm. She kept caressing his arm while sobbing quietly.
“Does it hurt?”
Clayton looked at her with pity in his eyes, feeling sorry for her. He gently grabbed her wandering hands and held them in his own.
His eyes were gentle as he said, “Don’t be scared, Gigi. It doesn’t hurt anymore.
“Look, the doctor bandaged it up really well for me. Nothing will go wrong as long as I change out the bandages regularly as told.
“Also, you should go back.”
I’d spent five years with him, yet not once had I ever heard Clayton speak so gently to me.
As it turned out, only the main protagonist of the story deserved his gentleness.
Chapter 3
I couldn’t bear to watch anymore, so I quietly left.
I couldn’t hide the tears in my eyes anymore. They streamed down my face and dripped onto the floor.
I sat in the living room for a long time, staring at the clock and starting a countdown in my head.
Luckily, I was about to leave in less than a day, and I would never have to return.
A long while later, Gladys carefully made her way downstairs, sporting lips that were a lot redder and more swollen than before.
I averted my eyes and pretended not to have noticed a thing.
However, Gladys came straight up to me and gave me in-depth instructions.
“I’ve finally managed to coax Clays to sleep. Be careful not to wake him up. Also, I won’t be able to come very often, so you’d better take good care of him. Don’t let him get hurt again.
“He may have a terrible temper, but he’s a good person. If he ever yells at you, you can come looking for me. I’ll help you tell him off.”
She held my hand while looking at me with a gloating expression that she wasn’t able to hide.
I withdrew my hands from her hold and couldn’t stop myself from firing back, “I am his fiancee. You don’t have to tell me what to do.”
The delight in her eyes just exemplified. She chuckled aloud and said, “If it weren’t for me, did you really think that you would even have a chance to be with him in the first place?
“You think too highly of yourself. I am his first love. You’re nothing but my replacement. So, you’d better behave as one.”
It was strange, but her words didn’t stir up any emotion within me. Perhaps it was because I’d already sunk to the bottom of my sorrows, and nothing could bother me anymore.
“You’re not the one to tell me whether I’m a replacement or not. At the very least, I am his fiancee. Even if we can’t get married now, we can still marry next time.”
“You”
Gladys was upset, and she raised her voice at me all of a sudden. Then, she took a deep breath and paused to collect herself.
“You may be able to win this argument against me, but that’s about it. And since I’m feeling mighty happy today, I’ll let you win.
“But next time, I’m going to kick you out of this very house you live in. Guess who Clays is going to listen to then? Me, or you?”
With that, she stomped over to the door and slammed it shut behind her.
I immediately lost all my remaining energy and slumped back onto the couch, breathing heavily.
Clayton walked down from the top of the stairs and started chiding me.
“What’s the point of arguing with her? She’s nothing but an older sister figure to me.”
I glanced at the red lipstick mark by his lips and couldn’t stop myself from chuckling.
“Ah. I see that you have a very good relationship with her.”
He immediately started explaining himself as he lifted his hand to wipe away the lipstick mark I’d just seen.
“I just brushed against something by accident. Can you please stop overthinking and coming up with ridiculous scenarios in your head?”
He walked toward me, his eyes deep and dark. However, his explanation was preposterous. I just couldn’t think of how he’d manage to brush his lips against red lipstick “by accident”.
I never really got to know anyone else besides him after transmigrating into this world. I only followed him around, and he had become my whole world.
Everyone thought that I was out of my mind, trying to “seduce” Gladys’ lapdog without fearing retribution from her.
And yet, Clayton would never take my side or bother explaining himself.
He said, “Don’t even think about it. I will never abandon Gladys just to be with you.”
My eyes turned red. I then locked myself up in my room and refused to eat, drink, or even look at Clayton anymore.
Eventually, he broke into my room and dragged me out.
His eyes were as cold as ice as he demanded, “Did you really think that I would give you more of my attention if you starved yourself to death? Why don’t you think of some other way instead?”
I read between the lines and pretended that he was actually trying to comfort me. And so, I found myself forgiving him and feeling a whole lot better afterward.
No matter what other people said about me, I refused to acknowledge them.
When people called me Clayton’s lapdog, he wouldn’t say a word to them. His expression would barely even change. However, he now got angry on Gladys’ behalf and wouldn’t let me call her names because he didn’t want me to “overthink” and blame her for anything. He even went as far as calling them “ridiculous scenarios”.
I hung my head low and wiped my tears away.
“You’re the one overthinking things. I never did such a thing,” I said.
I could feel Clayton’s suspicious gaze on me.
I continued, “I’ll apologize to her the next time I see her.”
Chapter 4
Sometime in the middle of the night, I looked at my neck in the mirror and couldn’t help touching it.
It had been a full day, and my injury had been in plain sight, but Clayton never even noticed it. It was as if he were 100% sure that I wouldn’t get hurt.
It had been quite chaotic that day. The only one who helped me up was Crystal, and she was also the one who brought me to the hospital after.
“It’s been so long. I initially thought that my brother was also in love with you. After all, he’s such a private person, but he was willing to invite so many guests to witness the wedding.
“But you were right next to him, and he still shoved you aside and ran toward Gladys, who was so far awayall to protect her!
“I can tell that he doesn’t even love you in the slightest!”
I had been deathly pale that day, and droplets of blood had stained my wedding dress. However, Clayton never once turned to look at me or check on me. He just kept his arms tightly around Gladys, shielding her from the shattered glass and making sure that she was unharmed.
Gladys had remained in his arms for a long time before she suddenly snapped to her senses and forced herself to push him away.
“Your wife is hurt. You should make sure that she’s okay,” she said.
However, Clayton refused to listen. Instead, he kept inspecting Gladys all over, checking her for any injuries. He only heaved a sigh of relief when he noticed that she wasn’t hurt.
“I’m glad that you’re not hurt. Anyway, nothing will happen to her. I know that much at least.”
Crystal helped me hobble out of the banquet hall. I was in so much pain that I couldn’t stop the tears from falling.
I recalled the past and felt the pain washing over me once again. I couldn’t help but shudder at the thought and quickly shoved the painful memories away.
However, the bitterness in my heart just wouldn’t dissipate.
I guessed one would only be able to tell if someone actually loved them when their lives were in grave danger.
I knew that I would be able to heal as long as I could leave this place. Time would pass, and I would eventually forget all about Clayton.
I would then just pretend that I’d never transmigrated into this novel in the first place.
Early the next morning, the system began its countdown. There were exactly five hours left.
I looked at the ring on my finger and immediately took it off.
Clayton had given me this ring out of the blue three days after he was discharged from the hospital. His face had been red and heated when he gave it to me, telling me that he’d just bought it on a whim from a street vendor.
However, I read between the lines and understood what he really meant. Since then, I’d always treasured the ring with my life.
I rubbed my fingers around the band, feeling a little reluctant to part with it. Still, I knew that I had to say goodbye to it.
After thinking about it for a while, I decided to return it to its original owner.
I thus went over to Clayton’s office and handed it back to him.
“This ring comes with a burden too heavy for me to bear. I can’t keep it with me any longer.”
Clayton stared at me in pure disbelief, and his breathing began to quicken.
“What do you mean by that? You don’t want it anymore?”
I nodded. “Yeah. I don’t want it anymore.
“Also, I’m here today to properly bid goodbye to you. Let’s each go our separate ways after this.”
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