My philosophy is simple: scorched earth. When the golden boy of campus wanted to shove my face in a septic tank to fish out his girlfriend’s diamond ring, I blew the whole thing sky-high with a quarter stick of dynamite. When some rich prick cornered me on a rooftop, ready to play king of the hill, I wrapped my arms around him and took us both for a swan dive. After that little swan dive, I woke up here, inside the dog-eared pages of some old, tragic romance novel, cast as the long-suffering male lead. A System, buzzing in my head like a fluorescent light, told me all I had to do was play my part. Live through the story’s greatest hits of agony, let the female lead dig out my heart and my kidney for another man. Once her Regret Value hit 100% and she started down that long, groveling road of redemption, I’d get my life back. Plus a hundred-million-dollar bonus. The System’s voice oozed smarmy confidence in my ear. “Listen, kid. The others who came before you? They all tried to fight it. Tried to run. Every single one of them got erased by this world. I’m telling you, don’t be an idiot.” It paused, clearly expecting me to break down. Instead, a grin spread across my face. I couldn't nod fast enough. “Don’t worry,” I said. “An offer this good? Why would I ever run?” After all, making people regret things? That’s my specialty. 1 So when the female lead, Victoria, demanded I give my kidney to her one true love, the ghost of her first love, I injected a vial of HIV into my own veins without a moment’s hesitation. Sure enough, just as they were wheeling me out of the OR, I heard Victoria’s furious roar echo down the hall. “Leo, are you insane? Why didn’t you tell me you were HIV-positive?” I glanced up. Floating over her head, a shimmering meter labeled REGRET spiked to 40%. I shot a wicked grin at the System. “Who ever said her regret had to be the romantic, I-miss-you-so-much kind?” I thought. “See? Right now, she definitely regrets asking for my kidney.” The System was practically having an aneurysm. “You’re supposed to be the one suffering, not her!” I ignored it, turning to the furious Victoria with a face full of manufactured sincerity. “You never asked,” I said simply. “What? Is Evan not happy with this one? I can give him the other one, too.” I made a show of trying to sit up. The next thing I knew, Victoria had me by the collar, pinning me to the bed. “Leo, you did this on purpose, didn’t you?” she seethed. “This is your pathetic way of getting back at him! Where did you get HIV? Were you cheating on me?” Ah. So, the idea of me being unfaithful was more infuriating than the fact that I’d just given her precious Evan a diseased organ. Good to know. Tears welled in my eyes on command. “Victoria, how could you say that? The only reason I have this… this disease… is from that time I sold plasma to pay for your medical bills. You can’t possibly question my loyalty to you.” The mention of her amnesia made her pause. Her expression flickered. According to the novel’s script, the original Leo had found a gravely ill Victoria with no memory and mountains of debt. To save her, he’d done everything—participated in shady medical trials, sold his plasma at those sketchy clinics down on the south side, nearly sold a kidney even back then. He was the picture of devotion. Remembering that time, Victoria’s grip on my collar slowly loosened, her brow furrowed in thought. “Even so, you should have told me. Evan’s health was already so fragile. Now he has this because of you. You need to go apologize to him.” I nodded immediately. “Okay. I’ll go.” Victoria looked taken aback, clearly not expecting me to agree so easily. Before this, Evan and I were like oil and water. Every encounter was a barely-veiled declaration of war. Her face hardened. “You’d better mean it.” The moment she was gone, the System exploded in my head, screeching like a groundhog. It raged about me going off-script. I scoffed. “What do you mean, off-script? Did I give him the kidney? Yes. Does she regret it? Yes. Has the world erased me? No. So what, exactly, is your problem?” My logic seemed to stump it. The System had to admit that I hadn’t received any kind of warning or punishment. When I first got here, I’d asked what would happen if I didn’t follow the plot. The System had just laughed. Then, a massive jolt of electricity had coursed through my body. I convulsed, my heart feeling like it was trying to punch its way out of my chest. “If you deviate,” it had said, “the rules of this world will punish you. A hundred times worse than that.” Clutching my chest, I’d cursed the System out, but I knew I had to play within the rules. A slow smile spread across my face now as I got up and dressed. “No punishment means it’s allowed by the rules,” I said. “And if I remember correctly, the apology is a key scene, isn’t it?” The System was getting scared of me. “What are you going to do now?” My smile was pure poison. “She regrets making me donate the kidney. Now, it’s time to make her regret making me apologize.” When I pushed open the door to Evan’s private room, he was nestled in Victoria’s arms, sobbing quietly. The moment he saw me, his whole body trembled. “Victoria, get him out of here! I don’t want to see him…” Victoria rubbed his back, her voice softer and more tender than I had ever heard it. “It’s okay,” she murmured. “He’s here to apologize.” When she looked up at me, her gaze turned arctic. “Well? Get over here.” I walked forward and gave a perfunctory bow. “I’m sorry.” “That’s it? That’s his apology?” Evan lifted his head from her shoulder, his face a mask of indignation. “Victoria, he gave me this… this filthy disease. If this gets out, my acting career is over. I’ll never be a star. And all I get is a simple ‘I’m sorry’?” Victoria frowned. “Then what do you want…” “I’ll give you an apology you can be satisfied with,” I cut in. “Just give me two hours.” I turned and walked out before they could respond. Two hours later, the quiet hospital grounds turned into a circus. I’d brought with me a dozen protestors I hired off Craigslist, complete with a massive, bright red banner. In bold yellow letters, it read: 【I’M SORRY, EVAN PIERCE! I NEVER SHOULD HAVE DONATED MY HIV-INFECTED KIDNEY TO YOU! PLEASE FORGIVE ME!】 One of the women I hired, a pro with a bullhorn, aimed it directly at Evan’s hospital window and let loose. “MR. EVAN PIERCE! WE’RE SOOOOORRY!” “MR. LEO WANTS YOU TO KNOW HE WAS WROOOONG!” “YOU’RE A BIG MAN, A GENEROUS MAN! PLEASE FIND IT IN YOUR HEART TO FORGIVE HIM FOR GIVING YOU AN HIV-INFECTED KIDNEY!” “HE TOLD YOU HE DIDN’T WANT TO DONATE, BUT YOU INSISTED! HE FINALLY AGREED, SO PLEASE DON’T LET THIS UPSET YOU! THINK OF YOUR HEALTH!” All up and down the hospital wing, windows slid open. Curious faces peered out, their gazes zeroing in on Evan’s room. The System screamed again. “This is not how the apology was supposed to go!” “There are different types of apologies?” I sneered. “He got the words ‘I’m sorry,’ didn’t he?” Just then, Victoria stormed out of the building. She snatched the bullhorn and slammed it onto the pavement, her voice a low, furious hiss. “Leo, have you lost your mind? Evan’s an actor! Are you trying to destroy him?” I watched the Regret Value above her head climb to a neat 50%. I blinked innocently. “But I just wanted to show him the depths of my sincerity. If this isn’t enough… I can come back and do it again tomorrow?” Victoria lunged, grabbing my collar in a rage. “Leo, are you incapable of understanding English? How dare you pull a stunt like this? Do you want me to cut off your mother’s medical payments?” As the words left her mouth, her phone rang. She answered, and her face went ashen. After hanging up, she stared at me, her eyes burning. “What else did you do?” “Nothing much,” I said, smoothing the wrinkles she’d made in my shirt. “I just rented out the Jumbotron in the middle of the city. It’s looping my apology video 24/7.” Seeing the veins throbbing in her temples, I added helpfully, “If Evan’s still not satisfied, I could always contact a few TV networks, set up an exclusive interview…” “You—!” Victoria raised her hand to slap me, but she was interrupted by a nurse sprinting towards us. “Ms. Blackwood! It’s terrible! Mr. Pierce… he’s slit his wrists!” Victoria’s hand froze in mid-air. She immediately turned and ran back toward the hospital. Halfway there, she spun around to glare at me. “If anything happens to Evan, I’ll make you pay with your life!” A grim smile touched my lips. “Look, we’re at 60%,” I mused to the System. “Think I can get it to 100% by tonight?” “And you know, most people take three, five years to complete this mission. Do I get a bonus for speed?” The System sounded like it had a migraine. “A bonus? Evan is trying to kill himself! That never happened in the book! The plot is completely off the rails!” “Relax.” I yawned, turning to head back to my own room. “He doesn’t have the guts to die.” The System was still panicking. “Aren’t you afraid Victoria will just kill you herself in a fit of rage?” My face was blank, but my voice was cold. “If she tries, that just makes things simpler. We die together.” “But I don’t think,” I added, “that Victoria will have time for me.” Just as I predicted, Victoria was insanely busy for the next two months. My apology video went viral. #EvanPierceHIV #EvanPierceScandal Both hashtags were trending worldwide within thirty minutes. Victoria threw a fortune at PR firms to kill the stories and scrub the search results, but it only backfired. People started digging. They found traces of her long, ambiguous relationship with Evan. And then the bombshell dropped: the story of how she forced her own husband to donate a kidney to save her old flame. The moment that news broke, Blackwood Industries’ stock took a nosedive. To save the company’s image, Victoria had to make a choice. She sacrificed Evan. She released a public statement claiming they were just friends and expertly redirected most of the ensuing blame onto him. Evan’s career was incinerated. To make it up to him, Victoria brought him to our home. She gave him total control over the household finances, making him the de facto house manager. The System was stunned. “The… the plot point where he gets control of the finances… that just happened five years ahead of schedule!” In the original novel, Evan took over the money, but only after years of his own self-destructive behavior had ruined his career. Victoria gave him the responsibility to try and help him get back on his feet. Somehow, I’d managed to fast-track the whole damn thing. “No, it wasn’t an accident!” the System declared, a newfound respect in its tone. “You planned this from the start, didn’t you?” I just smiled and said nothing. Once in power, Evan began to make my life a living hell. He moved my mother to the worst ward in her nursing home, citing budget cuts. He cancelled my driver and gave me a ten-dollar daily allowance, calling it a “real-life experience.” I accepted it all without a word of protest. Even when he deliberately withheld the payment for my mother’s life-saving medication, I just smiled and said, “As you wish.” The System finally couldn’t take it anymore. “Host, have you had a personality transplant? You’re just going to let him do this?” I was calm. “What’s the rush? Have you forgotten the most critical turning point in this book?” The System thought for a moment. “It’s when Evan, in charge of the finances, arranges for your mother to be in an accident. Then he refuses to pay the medical bills, she dies, and you, heartbroken, finally leave. That’s when Victoria’s regret kicks in and the redemption arc begins!” I nodded. “Should be any day now.” The System was speechless. “You don’t mean…” “That’s right.” I smiled. “I’ve already built the stage. Now we just have to see if Evan will play his part.” And how could he not? He was desperate to get me out of the Blackwood family. So, two days later, the call came from the hospital. “What?” I gasped into the phone, my voice filled with panic. “A car accident? How? I’ll be right there with the money.” I hung up and sprinted to find Evan, my voice trembling. “Evan! There’s been a car accident! A family emergency! They’re in the ER, they need money for the surgery right now, can you give me some?” “Sure.” Evan coolly pulled a ten-dollar bill from his wallet and pressed it into my hand. “You’d better hurry. Don’t want to keep them waiting.” I stared at the ten dollars. “This is it? You’re only giving me ten dollars?” Evan smirked. “Ten dollars a day. That’s the rule. You want more, you can come back tomorrow.” He was doing this on purpose. I knew it. No more words. I dropped to my knees in front of him. “Evan, please, this isn’t a joke. The hospital said they won’t operate without payment. Please, just give me more. You don’t understand, the one in the accident is…” He cut me off before I could finish. “It’s the same procedure for everyone. The Blackwood fortune wasn’t built on handouts. If I make an exception for you, how will I ever manage this household?” I figured he wouldn’t budge, so I pulled out my phone and dialed Victoria. “Victoria, Mom’s been in a car accident! She’s at the hospital waiting for money to save her life, and Evan won’t give it to me! Please, just talk to him, tell him to give me something! It’s life or death!” There was a few seconds of silence on her end before she told me to put Evan on the phone. I quickly handed the phone over. His tone immediately softened. “Victoria, darling, it’s not that I’m being unreasonable. It’s just, if I break the rules so soon after they’re set, the staff will never respect my authority. I know you feel for him, but I need to establish my position.” I couldn’t hear what Victoria said, but a triumphant smirk spread across Evan’s face. He handed the phone back to me. “Victoria wants to talk to you.” I took it. Her voice was sharp with impatience. “Leo, a house has rules, just like a country has laws. Evan just took over the finances; he needs to establish his authority. If he makes an exception for you now, how will he ever stand on his own two feet in this house? As for your mother, it’s fine if the money is a little late. The hospital won’t actually let her die.” “A little late?” My voice shot up an octave. “Victoria, are you insane? It’s emergency surgery! A single minute could be the difference between life and death! Are you telling me you’re just going to do nothing? You are going to regret this!” “Regret it?” A cold laugh came through the phone. “Leo, I still haven’t settled the score with you for that disaster you created at the hospital. This time, just let Evan have his way. Once he’s calmed down, the money will be sent. Just behave yourself and stop making trouble.” The line went dead. I shot Evan a murderous glare, spat out the word “bastard,” and left. Of course, I went straight to the hospital. No money, and Evan had clearly given them instructions. It wasn't long after I arrived that they handed me the death certificate. Looking at the paper, my lips trembled slightly. I knew these were just characters in a book, but still… Just then, the System whispered, “Try to keep your laughter down.” I tried. I really did. I failed. “Sorry,” I choked out. “I just can’t help it when I think about what’s coming next.” The System was completely immune to my antics by now. “So, what’s the plan?” I clutched the death certificate and hailed a cab. “Isn’t it obvious? I’m going to settle the score with those two scumbags.” The second I walked into the Blackwood mansion, I went straight for Evan. I slapped him hard across the face, twice, before he could even react. “You son of a bitch, Evan! It’s all because of you! She didn’t make it! She’s dead! Are you happy now?” The commotion brought Victoria through the door. She had just gotten home. She ran over and shielded Evan with her own body, pointing a finger at my nose. “Leo, who do you think you are, hitting him? It’s not Evan’s fault your mother died! If you have to blame someone, blame her for being too weak! We were about to send the money. It’s not our fault she couldn’t hold on! Who can you blame for that?” Her words lit a fire in me. Without thinking, I blurted it out. “Victoria, are you even human?” “And besides, it wasn’t my mom who died. It was yours!”
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