Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Now that Elena is back, I can't wait to get away from you. Are you happy now?"

Jace's eyes were bloodshot with rage. He spat the words out like they were poison.

The world felt like it was spinning. The last bit of hope I had been holding onto finally crumbled. His words were a death blow.

"Host, the target's affection level is plummeting. Please, apologize. Try to win him back," the System urged.

But I was done. I felt dead inside. I took a few steps back and forced a twisted smile.

"I agree."

"Whenever you're ready, send me the papers. I'll sign them."

I turned and walked out without looking back. For a split second, I thought I saw a flash of panic on his face.

But it didn't matter. I didn't care anymore.

On the drive home, I felt a deep sense of grief. How did we end up here?

There was a time when I thought we were happy.

Elena was his first love, the one who got away. She was always the biggest obstacle in my mission.

When the System gave me the task to win him over, Jace and Elena were already together. It made everything ten times harder.

I had fallen for him the first time I saw him in high school.

It wasn't just because of the mission. Jace was brilliant, charming, and magnetic.

I did everything to get close to him. I became his best friend, but I could never break into his heart.

He and Elena were childhood sweethearts. They had shared everything.

But during our senior year, Elena disappeared. she moved to the UK without a single word.

Jace was devastated. His grades tanked, and he had to repeat a year of school.

He was broken, and I stepped in. I stayed by his side, convinced that if I just loved him enough, he would love me back.

Eventually, it worked. He asked me to be his girlfriend.

On the day he proposed, my affection meter hit one hundred percent.

I could have left this world right then. But when I saw the ring he had picked out, I gave up my chance to go home. I chose him.

The System reset. The new mission started, but the penalty changed from "death" to "total memory loss."

For years, we were the perfect couple. Everyone envied us.

I thought we were going to grow old together. Then Elena came back.

Everything changed in an instant. All the warmth vanished. Now, he was throwing me away for her.

I finally realized the truth. Even during our best years, he hadn't loved me. Not really.

Jace wasn't kidding about the divorce.

He hired a lawyer immediately. He made sure the whole world knew. Within a day, everyone we knew was calling me.

Some were shocked. Most just looked at me with pity.

The divorce agreement was brutal.

Most of our assets were tied to pre-marital agreements. Jace was taking eighty percent of everything. I didn't fight him.

As I picked up the pen, my heart began to throb with an agonizing pain. I grit my teeth and signed my name.

Jace took the papers and smiled. It felt like a knife in my eye. The pain in my chest felt like a thousand insects were eating me alive.

I couldn't even stand up. I collapsed onto the table, sweating and gasping for air.

It was the System's final warning. It was telling me to stop, or the penalty would begin.

Jace just rolled his eyes. "Jade, what is this now? More acting? You think faking a heart attack will make me stay?"

He thought it was just another trick. He grabbed my arm and dragged me toward the car.

He was in such a rush to get to the courthouse. We sat in the waiting area, and I looked down at my clothes.

"Do you remember this dress? I wore it the day we got married," I whispered.

Jace barely looked at me. "No."

"It's old and out of style. You should throw it away." He got up and moved to a different chair, putting distance between us.

I understood then. To him, I was just like the dress. Old, useless, and ready for the trash.

The process was fast. Fifteen minutes later, we had the papers. As we walked out of the building, Jace sped up to get away from me.

He walked over to a car parked at the curb. "You're sick, why did you come out here? You'll catch a cold," he said, his voice dripping with tenderness.

Elena was in the passenger seat. She didn't even bother to act nice anymore. She gave me a wide, triumphant smirk.

The car drove off, leaving me standing alone on the sidewalk.

The System detected that our marriage was legally over. The mission had officially failed.

"Are you sure you don't want to try one last time?" the System asked as it prepared to wipe my mind.

I shook my head.

The torture was finally over. For the first time in years, I felt light.

"Penalty starting now. Prepare yourself," the System said. I closed my eyes. "Go ahead."

I expected a slow fade, but the System was more direct than that.