Chapter 1

1

At our ninety-ninth wedding ceremony, Gavin's childhood friend threatened to jump off a building for the ninety-ninth time.

He threw down the wedding ring without hesitation, turning to leave.

I grabbed his wrist and begged, "Can we please just exchange rings first? It only takes one minute. No, thirty seconds."

Gavin pried my fingers off one by one, looking at me with utter disappointment.

"A human life is at stake. How can you be so cold and heartless? We can always hold another wedding later."

The moment he walked away, the system notified me that my mission had failed and I would be erased.

I thought for a moment and said, "Then let me die right in front of him. Let him see what someone who truly wants to die looks like."

Later, Gavin completely broke down looking at my broken, lifeless body.

......

Just as Gavin was about to slide the ring onto my finger, his phone rang.

"Gavin, pick up my call, hurry!"

The sickeningly sweet voice echoed through the banquet hall. It was a custom ringtone Gavin had set specifically for Nadia.

His expression instantly shifted. He snatched his hand back and answered the phone.

"Gavin, I won't get to be your bride in this life. What's the point of me staying in this world?"

"I don't regret meeting you. I just hope I can be by your side in the next life."

Gavin dropped the diamond ring from his other hand, his voice trembling.

"Nadia, stay right there! Don't move! I'm coming over right now!"

He turned to look at me without an ounce of guilt, his eyes filled only with worry for Nadia.

"Jessica, something happened to Nadia. I have to go to her, so our wedding will be postponed."

"No!"

I gripped his wrist tightly, demanding hysterically.

"We've attempted ninety-nine weddings, and she has pulled this suicide stunt ninety-nine times! Does she really want to die? Why does she always pick this exact moment?"

"Even if it's real this time, Gavin, shouldn't you call 911 immediately and let the paramedics handle it? Why does it have to be you?"

"Can't you even wait thirty seconds for us to exchange rings?"

By the end, I was begging him in the most pathetic voice, hoping he would at least put the ring on my finger before running off.

Gavin pried my fingers away one by one, his gaze full of disappointment, as if I were the villain.

"I never realized you were this cold-blooded. It's just a wedding ceremony, so does that compare to Nadia's life?"

"What if I die the moment you walk away?"

I looked directly into his eyes, enunciating every single word.

Ten years ago, I was diagnosed with terminal cancer in my original world. The system came to me and promised that if I married Gavin within ten years, my mission would be complete and I would survive.

It took me three years to finally get Gavin to propose.

Back then, I thought my mission was practically done. I even wondered if I could ask the system to let me stay in this world forever.

Spending three years together had made me fall deeply in love with him.

I was an orphan in my original world with no family to hold me back.

I genuinely wanted to build a warm home with Gavin here.

Right then, his childhood sweetheart, Nadia, returned from abroad.

She aggressively pursued him from day one, completely ignoring the fact that I was his girlfriend.

Whenever I asked Gavin to set clear boundaries with her, he always excused her by saying she was still young. He claimed she just couldn't tell the difference between romantic love and childhood attachment.

Yet Nadia was already twenty years old, a grown adult with full capability to think for herself.

With Gavin's constant indulgence, Nadia ruined our dates over and over again.

Later, it escalated to the point where she staged a suicide attempt every single time we scheduled a wedding.

It had been seven long years since Gavin first proposed. We had attempted ninety-nine weddings, and Nadia had staged ninety-nine suicide attempts.

It was as if she timed it perfectly. Her calls always came right as we were about to exchange rings.

Gavin abandoned me every single time without exception.

Now, there were only three days left before my ten-year deadline expired.

If Gavin walked out on me again today, my mission would fail, and I would be erased.

Gavin clearly thought I was just throwing a childish tantrum, his expression turning completely impatient.

"Jessica, when did you learn to use cheap threats like dying?"

"It's just one ceremony, so we can always reschedule it. But Nadia only has one life."