Chapter 3

3.

I bought a sturdy length of rope and went to an empty suburban park.

I had to end my life somewhere isolated.

Mom was still at home, and I couldn't bear to traumatize her.

I threw the rope over a sturdy tree branch and tied a firm noose.

Looking up at the dangling loop, I let out a mocking laugh.

I had spent twenty-five whole years in this world.

It felt short because it passed in the blink of an eye, yet it felt agonizingly long because of everything I endured.

When we were kids, Harvey resented having a little sister, believing my birth stole our parents' love from him.

Winning him over had been an uphill battle from the start.

Still, I believed that if I treated him with pure sincerity, he would eventually accept me.

In middle school, I skipped meals and saved my lunch money just to buy him the gaming console he begged for.

Whenever he caused trouble, I took the blame for him.

When he fell violently ill in the dead of night, I ran through a pouring thunderstorm to buy his medication, staying by his side to nurse him until dawn.

In high school, when he wanted an expensive pair of sneakers, I worked two whole months of summer shifts to buy them for him.

Gradually, his affection for me rose point by point.

Just when I thought success was finally within reach, Janelle appeared.

She stripped away years of my hard work in a matter of days.

None of it mattered anymore. I would just treat these past twenty-five years as a bad dream.

I stepped onto a large rock, slipped my head into the noose, and kicked the stone away.

Suffocation hit instantly, my body thrashing on instinct, but I clamped my mouth shut to keep from making a sound.

I didn't want to draw anyone's attention.

Oh, right. To keep innocent passersby from panicking, I had left a little note behind.

【Don't be scared. I've just turned into a star in the sky.】

My vision blurred as my consciousness slipped away.

On the brink of death, memories of this world rushed through my mind like a movie reel.

No matter how hard I tried, Janelle took everything from me.

Everyone adored her, while everyone hated me.

Just as darkness was about to consume me, two strong arms caught my waist and hoisted me upward.

Fresh air flooded my lungs, and I gasped greedily for breath on the grass.

"Hadley, have you lost your fucking mind?"

The man standing before me was Dr. Simon Cole, my former therapist, eight years my senior.

He was also one of my former mission targets.

Years ago, when I was diagnosed with depression, I went to his clinic for treatment.

Back then, the System notified me that he was an eligible target.

So, I poured endless time and devotion into caring for him.

We shared meals, painted side by side, and visited theme parks together.

He even brought me to meet his beloved grandmother, telling me I was the very first woman he had ever invited to the family estate.

His favorability score toward me climbed steadily, faster than anyone else's.

I genuinely believed I was going to succeed that time.

Then, Janelle showed up again.

She stood in front of me, crying hysterically to Simon. "Dr. Cole, Hadley hired men to violate me! I can't sleep at night without reliving those terrifying nightmares. I just want to die!"

Without hesitation, Simon pulled her into his arms right in front of me.

"Don't be afraid. I'm here."

Later that day, Simon roared at me with bloodshot eyes, telling me to get out of his sight. He accused me of faking my mental illness just to manipulate his sympathy, calling me disgusting.

And so, another mission crashed into failure.