When the Plot Breaks

I woke up in a trashy romance novel on the day of my divorce. Just as I was about to sign the papers, a series of glowing text boxes floated in front of my eyes: 【HIGH-STAKES DRAMA AHEAD! GET READY FOR THE GROVELING ARC!】 【LMAO, I can’t wait to see this scumbag refuse to sign, then break down and beg the female lead for forgiveness! Make him suffer!】 【He won’t sign. This is the moment he’s supposed to wake up and realize his one true love was framed by the other woman, right?】 I glanced at the comments, smirked, and signed the divorce papers without a moment’s hesitation. I’m not the actual main character. Why the hell would I want to grovel my way through a redemption arc? 1 I’d been transmigrated. Dropped right into the body of Damien Blackwood, the male lead of a cliché-ridden, melodramatic novel called The CEO’s Captive Heart. You know the type: cold, cruel, pathologically blind to the truth, and destined for a long, painful journey of groveling to win back the woman he’d wronged. A classic scumbag CEO. And right now, I was at City Hall, finalizing my divorce. The woman sitting next to me was beautiful, but her face was as pale as parchment. That was Evelyn, my wife—for the next five minutes, anyway. According to the novel, we’d been married for three years, during which I, as Damien, had been a textbook monster. I’d neglected her, humiliated her, accused her of cheating, and even caused her to have a miscarriage. Pure, unadulterated trash. But of course, underneath it all, I was supposedly madly in love with her. My cruelty was just a product of being manipulated by a two-faced schemer—my supposed “one true love” from the past—and provoked by Evelyn’s own suspiciously close male best friend. The plot was simple: the hero acts like a villain, the heroine suffers, the hero has a sudden epiphany, and then the groveling begins. A long, drawn-out redemption arc. The original Damien ends up with a broken leg, bankrupt, and nearly dead. And the best part? Evelyn still doesn't forgive him. He goes through hell for nothing. It’s a tragedy. As I was mulling this over, those colorful, translucent text boxes started popping up again, obscuring my view. 【HERE IT COMES! THE GROVELING IS ABOUT TO BEGIN!】 【Wake up, Damien, you idiot! Look at everything Evelyn has sacrificed for you! If you sign those papers, it’s all over!】 【I’ll bet you fifty bucks he’s about to rip up the agreement and yell ‘I DON’T AGREE!’ It’s a classic!】 Live-chat comments? I got it. They were the audience, watching from another dimension. They were here for the show, waiting to see me suffer, to watch me crawl back on my hands and knees. I almost laughed out loud. A groveling redemption arc? What’s that got to do with me? I wasn’t the real Damien. Why should I suffer for some fictional idiot’s mistakes? A broken leg? Bankruptcy? Begging for forgiveness? You’ve got to be kidding me. Isn’t freedom better? A powerful, primal survival instinct kicked in. I had to get out of this story. Now. The clerk slid the divorce agreement in front of me and pointed to the signature line. Evelyn didn’t look at me. Her gaze was fixed on the tabletop, her eyes empty. She was already signing her copy, her pen moving quickly, forcefully, as if she were escaping a prison. The pen was right there. I picked it up. The comments were scrolling by in a frenzy. 【His expression is so cold. Is he really going to sign? No way!】 【He’s faking! He has to be! The explosion is coming any second now!】 【Getting my screen recorder ready for the iconic scene!】 I ignored the noise and brought the pen to the paper. The tip glided across the smooth surface. Damien Blackwood. My signature was clean and decisive. Not a single tremor in my hand. I put the pen down and pushed the document back to the clerk. “Done,” I said, my voice surprisingly light. The hall was silent except for the low hum of the air conditioning. The clerk looked stunned, glancing from the papers to me, then to Evelyn. He probably hadn’t seen many divorces go this smoothly, especially from a CEO with a reputation for being obsessively in love with his wife. Evelyn had finished signing too. She finally looked up, her vacant eyes meeting mine. The emptiness was gone, replaced by something else. Shock. Utter disbelief. 2 The comments section imploded. 【!!!!!!!!!!】 【WTF???? HE SIGNED???? HE ACTUALLY SIGNED???】 【This isn’t in the script, director! Where’s the part where he rips up the papers?! Where’s the dramatic epiphany?!】 【AAAAAHHHH WHERE’S MY GROVELING ARC?! THIS ISN’T WHAT I PAID FOR! REFUND!】 The clerk, recovering quickly, processed the paperwork. A few minutes later, two crimson booklets were handed to us. The divorce certificates. It was done. I was emotionally, and now legally, a free man. I stood up and stretched. Evelyn was still sitting, staring at the certificate in her hand as if it were a branding iron. I didn’t spare her another glance. I turned and walked away. My steps were long and quick, eager to leave this place behind. The comments went berserk. 【He just left??? He really just left??? Didn’t even look back!】 【My redemption arc! My groveling! Did the writer just give up?!】 【DAMIEN! YOU GET BACK HERE! GET ON YOUR KNEES!】 【Wait a second… does he seem a little too… relieved?】 Stepping out of City Hall, I was hit by the bright sun. The air felt cleaner out here. The driver pulled the black luxury sedan to the curb. I got in, sinking into the plush leather seat. It was comfortable. “Back to the office, Mr. Blackwood?” the driver asked. “Yes.” I leaned back and closed my eyes. A dull ache was still throbbing in my head, but the weight in my chest was gone. I felt light. Lighter than I had in a long time. The car pulled into traffic, leaving City Hall behind. My phone vibrated. I pulled it out. The screen lit up with a name: “Vivian.” The other woman. The manipulative schemer who framed Evelyn and caused the miscarriage. The catalyst for the entire groveling arc. The comments instantly perked up. 【Here we go! It’s the other woman!】 【She’s definitely calling to ‘comfort’ him! Damien’s gonna go cry on her shoulder now!】 【Let the trashy couple rot together! Leave our Evelyn alone!】 Just seeing the name made me feel sick. I declined the call, then dragged the contact into my block list. The world instantly felt 50% cleaner. Another explosion in the comments. 【??? He hung up???】 【AND BLOCKED HER?? HOLY CRAP???】 【What the hell is this plot twist?!】 【This isn’t how the story goes! Damien, snap out of it!】 【Wait… does he know? Does he know Vivian framed Evelyn?】 【So what if he knows! It’s too late! Scumbag!】 The driver glanced at me in the rearview mirror. “Sir, that was Miss Sterling.” “Don’t mention her name again,” I said. My voice was quiet, but cold. The driver immediately shut up. “Yes, Mr. Blackwood.” The phone rang again. My assistant this time. I answered. “Mr. Blackwood, is everything finalized?” he asked, his voice hesitant. “Yes. It’s done.” “Should I arrange a settlement for… Miss Lin?” “Not a single penny. Stick to the prenup,” I cut him off. I remembered the prenup. Evelyn had signed it. She left with nothing. The original Damien had forced her to have the abortion and then kicked her out penniless because Vivian convinced him the child wasn’t his. “Have her things packed and thrown out of the house. Don’t send them anywhere. And get the keys back.” My assistant audibly choked. “Understood, sir. And… what should I tell your father? He’s always been very fond of her.” My father. The one person in the book who was decent to Evelyn. He’s also the one who eventually disowned Damien. “I’ll handle him.” “Now, head back to the office. I want a meeting with all department heads in one hour. I need to see the latest financial reports and project statuses. All of them. Anyone not in that conference room in thirty minutes can submit their resignation.” “Yes, Mr. Blackwood! Right away!” My assistant’s voice was suddenly sharp and efficient. He hung up. The comments were flying so fast they were a blur. 【Is this a divorce or a scorched-earth campaign?!】 【Cold-blooded! So damn cold-blooded! Evelyn wasted three years of her life on this monster!】 【Blocked Vivian, kicked out Evelyn, and now he’s going back to work? What the hell possessed this guy?】 【Did his business brain just activate? He’s all about the money now?】 【The groveling arc has officially been shredded and set on fire! LMAO (crying)】 3 I strode into my office at Blackwood Corp. A figure lunged at me, enveloped in a cloud of perfume. It was Vivian. Her eyes were red-rimmed, her voice cloying. “Damien! Why did you block me? What did I do wrong?” I sidestepped her. She stumbled, catching herself just before she fell. “Damien?” she whimpered, her face a mask of wounded confusion. I walked past her and sat down behind my desk. I looked up, my gaze like ice. “Who let you in?” “My assistant told me about the divorce. I was worried about you.” She started to move closer. “Get out.” “What?” Vivian froze. “Right now. Get out of my office.” I pointed to the door. “And don’t ever come near this building again.” Her face flushed, then drained of color. “Damien, how could you…” “Security!” I buzzed the front desk. The comments were losing their minds: 【Damn, that’s harsh! He’s treating the ‘love of his life’ like this?!】 【Vivian’s face is priceless! HAHAHA!】 【That was a slap in the face! So satisfying!】 【Did Damien take the wrong pills this morning?!】 【It’s like he hates everyone now?】 Two security guards appeared in the doorway. “Mr. Blackwood?” “Escort Miss Sterling out. And from now on, she is not permitted in this building without my express approval.” I looked down at a file, dismissing her completely. “Yes, sir.” The guards turned to Vivian. “Miss Sterling, please.” “Damien! You’re a bastard! I hate you!” she shrieked as the guards firmly led her away. The office was finally quiet. The comments kept rolling: 【He really kicked her out! Savage!】 【The main love interest just got demoted to a random extra? The plot is in shambles!】 【I don’t understand this development, but I am thoroughly shaken!】 【Is the scumbag turning over a new leaf? No, wait, this isn’t redemption, this is a complete personality transplant!】 I ignored them. My phone rang again. It was the butler from the family estate, informing me that my father demanded my immediate presence. I drove to the old Blackwood mansion. The old man was on the sofa, his face livid. To my surprise, Evelyn was there too. She was standing in the middle of the living room next to an open suitcase, methodically packing a few items of clothing. She paused when she heard me enter but didn’t turn around. The old man saw me and slammed his hand on the armrest. “You insolent whelp! You’d better explain yourself!” “Father, you see for yourself. It’s done,” I said calmly. “She’ll be gone as soon as she’s finished packing.” “Gone?” He shot to his feet. “Who said she’s leaving?!” He strode over to Evelyn and slammed the suitcase shut. “Evelyn, you stop that right now! You’re not the one who’s leaving!” Evelyn’s hands hovered in mid-air. The old man whipped around, his finger practically in my face. “You’re the one who’s getting out! Damien! I have no son who is so heartless, so blind!” Another explosion in the comments: 【Whoa! Go, Dad! Put him in his place!】 【Damien must be terrified now! Time to beg for forgiveness!】 【Here it comes! The breakdown! The pleading!】 4 The old man turned back to Evelyn, his voice softening. “Evelyn, don’t go. Damien has changed, really. I just got word he blocked that Vivian woman and had her banned from the company. He still loves you!” Seeing that I wasn’t reacting, my father’s chest heaved with rage. “Damien! I’m telling you right now! If you dare to go through with this divorce, you can get the hell out of this family! The Blackwood fortune will have no heir named Damien Blackwood! Evelyn is a wonderful woman, and you’ve done nothing but torture her! Without her, you are nothing!” He glared at me, waiting. Waiting for me to break, to beg, to have the great epiphany the novel had promised. I looked at him. Then I looked at Evelyn. She was watching me too, her lips pressed into a thin line. The air was electric. I nodded. My voice was perfectly calm. “Alright.” The old man froze. Evelyn’s eyes widened, just a fraction. A flicker of some unreadable emotion crossed her face. It looked like pure, unadulterated shock. Maybe even a hint of curiosity. The comments stuttered, then erupted. 【????????????】 【What did he say?】 【‘Alright’? That’s all he said?】 【Wait… hold on… did he get the wrong script?】 【His father just disowned him and he said ‘alright’?】 【He’s lost it! Damien has completely lost his mind!】 【Look at Evelyn’s face! Even she didn’t see that coming!】 【HOLY CRAP HOLY CRAP HOLY CRAP! WHAT IS THIS PLOT TWIST?!】 【He didn’t just shred the groveling script, he set it on fire and pissed on the ashes! He’s giving up his family for this?】 My father stood there, speechless, his face turning purple. Evelyn’s gaze was fixed on me. I ignored them both and turned, heading upstairs to my room to pack. The taste of freedom was intoxicating. The comments were still going wild: 【He’s giving up his inheritance? Just to get a divorce?】 【This guy has achieved a new level of scumbag? An iron-willed scumbag?】 【Evelyn: I spent three years preparing for a tragic romance, and you give me this?】 【My world is crumbling! I can’t watch this show anymore!】 Just then, Evelyn stepped in front of me, blocking my path. Her expression was flat. “Damien, I’m the one who should leave. But I need you to know, the baby I lost was yours. It wasn’t Idris’s. I never cheated on you. You can stop playing these push-and-pull games. I’m not coming back.” I squinted at her, a lazy grin on my face. “I’ll personally drive you to the airport. Your words are music to my ears. By the way, there’s a corporate gala tonight. Please, whatever you do, don’t show up. I really don’t want to see you there.” Her brow furrowed, a flash of anger in her eyes. I examined my fingernails. “If you don’t go, then Idris won’t go. I’m not inviting Vivian. Everything will be perfect. I’m begging you, stay away.” She just stared at me, confused. I’d read the book. I knew the cliché scene that was supposed to happen tonight. At the gala, Damien sees Evelyn arrive with her “best friend” Idris Vance. Consumed by jealous rage, Damien grabs Vivian and kisses her, escalating the drama. He then gets into a fistfight with Idris, pushing Evelyn away for good. Finally, his father publicly disowns him, and the groveling arc officially begins. By telling her not to come, I was trying to avoid all of that. A clean break. Everyone wins. But if they did show up, I wouldn’t be playing by the book’s rules anymore. I already had evidence the original Damien never found. Freedom felt too good. Who had time for their pathetic love-hate games? I didn’t need to chase anyone, bow to anyone, or be a puppet for some trashy plot. I wanted my own time, my own space, my own future. Screw the groveling. Screw the melodrama. I was here to make money, build an empire, and live my own goddamn life. But Evelyn, in a complete break from her usual character, lifted her chin, a stubborn glint in her eye. “I’m going. Who are you to tell me what to do?” As expected, the comments went wild. 【Evelyn: You want me to listen? Sorry, my rebellious phase just started!】 【The story of how my ex-husband told me not to go to a party, so I obviously had to go.】 【Damien vs. Idris! Place your bets!】 【Tonight is gonna be a war zone! Can’t wait to see Damien break down and beg!】 【I’ve read the book, a massive showdown is coming! If the male lead doesn’t suffer, I’ll eat my own shoes!】

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