Ficorpio
Chapter 1
By your third year as the heroine of a toxic angst romance, you had finally figured out the rules: accumulate one hundred Suffering Points, and you could return to the real world.
But who said you had to be the one who suffered?
When your husband’s precious childhood friend shattered your family heirloom pendant and he urged you to be as forgiving as he was, you quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
“My childhood friend accidentally broke your mother’s urn.”
“You’re so understanding. I’m sure you won’t blame him.”
“Oh, and he’s having a hard time after his divorce, so I’ll need to spend tonight comforting him.”
“I already gave him a watch, but even that didn’t cheer him up.”
Adrian Sterling’s pupils contracted. His entire body went rigid.
You suppressed a laugh. Today was your wedding anniversary, and that watch had originally been meant for him.
[Ding! Suffering Score increased by 10 points!]
Just as you thought. Hurting the male lead was the fastest way to raise your score.
Crash!
The sharp sound of something breaking came from the bedroom.
You had barely risen when Adrian strode inside. By the time you followed him into the room, he was already examining Vanessa Hayes’s hand.
On the floor lay your family heirloom pendant, shattered into pieces, its pale surface gleaming coldly beneath the lights.
“Chloe, I’m sorry…” Vanessa’s voice trembled. “I really didn’t mean to do it. My depression flared up, and my hands started shaking. I couldn’t hold on to it…”
Before you could say a word, Adrian frowned.
“You don’t need to apologize. You can’t control an illness.”
Then he looked at you, his voice so calm it bordered on indifference.
“Clean up the pieces. I don’t want Vanessa cutting her feet.”
You didn’t move. Your gaze remained fixed on the shattered pendant.
“This is the tenth time she’s accidentally destroyed something of mine. And that pendant was the only thing my mother left me.”
“Your mother is gone,” Adrian said, his tone still level. “Clinging to an object won’t bring her back. Besides, bringing up your dead mother now feels like emotional manipulation.”
[Ding!]
The Mission System chimed inside your head.
[Suffering Score increased by 1 point.]
You drew a deep breath and looked him straight in the eye.
“Adrian Sterling, don’t you think you and Vanessa are getting a little too close?”
He turned toward you, his dark expression impossible to read.
Silence descended over the room.
Vanessa suddenly began to sniffle. “Am I causing problems in your marriage? I should leave…”
Chapter 2
“Don’t think like that.” Adrian gently caught her arm, then looked back at you with a complicated expression. “Do you see? Vanessa is innocent and kind. She doesn’t have a malicious bone in her body. You’re imagining things.”
His voice hardened.
“She just went through a divorce. She’s emotionally unstable, and she has depression. Can’t you try to see things from her perspective?”
“Be more understanding. Try following my example.”
[Ding!]
The Mission System sounded again.
[Suffering Score increased by 1 point.]
You sighed inwardly. At this rate, your score was rising slower than a snail could crawl.
Apparently, you would have to take matters into your own hands.
Relief spread across your face, followed by an easy smile.
“Honey, thank goodness you’re such an understanding man.”
Adrian’s brows drew together.
“My childhood friend accidentally broke your mother’s urn,” you continued. “I’ve been too afraid to tell you.”
His expression froze.
“But since you’re so forgiving, I’m sure you won’t blame him.”
You paused as though something else had just occurred to you.
“Oh, and he’s having a hard time after his divorce, so I’ll need to spend tonight comforting him.”
Adrian went completely still.
With a soft, regretful sigh, you added, “I already gave him a watch, but even that didn’t cheer him up.”
Adrian’s pupils contracted violently.
[Ding!]
The Mission System’s chime sounded positively delighted.
[Suffering Score increased by 10 points!]
You threw a silent victory sign in your head.
Who said only the heroine had to suffer?
The male lead could suffer just as well.
It took Adrian a long moment to react. Then he let out a quiet laugh, bent down, and reached for the shattered pieces of the pendant.
“Chloe, this joke has gone far enough. If you don’t want to clean it up, I will.”
You immediately widened your eyes in disbelief. “Honey, why would I joke about something like this?”
With that, you hurried into the study and returned carrying the urn you had already smashed. You set it gently in front of him.
“You’ve been staying at Vanessa’s place and haven’t come home lately, so I guess you didn’t notice. I had no idea how I was going to tell you…” You gave him a relieved smile. “But now I realize there’s nothing to worry about. You’re such a forgiving person. I’m sure you won’t be angry.”
The hand hanging at Adrian’s side trembled almost imperceptibly.
Like you, he had loved his mother deeply.
“Oh my God…” Vanessa’s eyes filled with tears, as though the sight were simply too painful for her to bear. “Chloe, do you have any idea how much Adrian’s mother meant to him?”
“That urn was the only thing he had left of her. He doesn’t even have any of her other belongings.”
You shrugged, utterly unconcerned. “Well, the dead are gone. There’s no point clinging to old things.”
Vanessa choked on her response and fell silent.
Chapter 3
Adrian drew a deep breath, his dark gaze fixed on you. “Then explain this so-called childhood friend of yours.”
“Of course you don’t know him,” you replied readily. “He moved abroad after he got married. He only came back recently because he got divorced, and he has no one else here, so he’s staying with me for now. He accidentally knocked over your mother’s urn.”
Adrian said nothing.
“And the watch?” he pressed.
“He liked it, so I gave it to him.”
“That was supposed to be my gift!” His voice rose sharply.
You looked at him with just the right mixture of confusion and disappointment. “Adrian, what’s gotten into you? Why are you suddenly being so petty? He just went through a divorce. He’s emotionally unstable and suffering from depression. Can’t you try to see things from his perspective?”
“Be a little more understanding, okay?”
[Ding! Suffering Score increased by 8 points!]
His jaw tightened. His Adam’s apple moved as though he were forcing down every emotion threatening to break free.
After a long silence, he spoke again, his voice barely calm. “Chloe, do you know what today is?”
You froze, your mind racing.
His teeth clenched. “It’s our third wedding anniversary.”
Realization immediately dawned across your face. “Oh… that’s today?”
[Ding! Suffering Score increased by 10 points!]
Adrian gave a cold laugh. “Don’t tell me you only just remembered.”
You responded with an awkward little chuckle and left the question unanswered.
The air went taut.
Adrian suppressed his anger and took a deep breath, as though struggling to preserve the last scraps of his dignity.
“Since it’s our anniversary, make dinner. Do the red-wine braised beef and almond pudding. Vanessa likes them, and she’ll be eating with us tonight.”
“No,” you said flatly. “I don’t know how.”
The original Chloe had known how to make both dishes.
You didn’t have the faintest idea.
Adrian frowned, disbelief hardening his voice. “How could you not know? You made them before.”
Vanessa began to cry at precisely the right moment, her voice breaking between soft sobs.
“I understand. Chloe can’t stand having me here. I’ll leave right now!”
She turned and ran out the door.
Adrian stared at you, turbulent emotions churning in his eyes. In the end, they condensed into a single bitter question.
“Are you happy now?”
Then he turned and hurried after her without looking back.
The front door slammed shut, plunging the Sterling Residence into silence.
A few moments later, your barely suppressed laughter filled the room.
God, that felt good.
Taking revenge on a toxic husband was incredibly satisfying.
According to the original storyline, Adrian Sterling was supposed to spend their wedding anniversary comforting Vanessa Hayes, which meant the anniversary dinner would never happen.