Affection Score: Absolute Zero

On the third day of trying to win over Heidi Shilton, she confessed to me. But the affection score floating above her head was still zero. After we got together, she spoiled me nonstop. On our sixth anniversary, she pulled off this huge proposal. Tears burned my eyes. I was just about to say yes when comments suddenly flashed across my vision— [Heidi must be exhausted. Six years pretending to love Rowan just to protect the male lead.] [The stand-in for Andy seriously got too into the role. This is hilarious.] The blood in my veins turned ice-cold. No wonder that score hadn't changed in six years. Then a system alert slammed into my head— [Final stage activated. Mission countdown: 10 days. Failure will result in complete erasure.] Smiling, I pushed away Heidi's engagement ring and wiped my tears. "Sorry. I'm done playing this game." Chapter 1 The comments kept scrolling— [Did Rowan's whole vibe just change?] [He should've figured it out sooner. Heidi's always loved Andy.] [Can't wait for his villain arc.] Me? Go full villain? No. I just finally remembered all the little things. She never let me meet people alone, always saying she was "worried I'd end up around bad influences." Any time I brought up work, she'd softly cut me off. "I'll take care of you." So it was never love. It was a cage. *** I walked back to the mansion in a daze, stuffing clothes into a suitcase on autopilot. When I passed the study, the comments suddenly exploded— [Check the computer! Heidi forgot to log out of her chat app!] [Oh crap. If Rowan sees those messages—] [Warning! Operation Protect Andy is starting!] A notification dinged from inside the study. I pushed the door open. The screen was still lit up. A chat window sat open between Heidi and the female lead—Grace Kohler. The latest message was from Heidi— [He suddenly turned down the proposal. Keep Andy safe for the next few days. Don't let Rowan get near him.] Grace replied almost instantly— [Don't worry. You've put up with so much all these years.] I laughed under my breath. Seriously? Because of me, two former rivals had teamed up. I scrolled higher. The chat history felt like a dull knife dragging through my flesh. [Grace: In the original story, Rowan ruined Andy's face and even hired some creep to assault him. You've had to sleep next to that trash every day. That's insane.] [Heidi: As long as Andy's safe, none of it matters.] [Grace: He's getting more obsessed with you. If he learns the truth, won't he completely lose it?] [Heidi: He won't find out. But if he does—and he dares touch Andy—I'll break his arms and legs, dump him in a psych ward, and lock him up forever!] She even added an exclamation point. I stared at the screen, my fingertips freezing cold. The comments exploded again— ["None of that matters." Heidi loves Andy so much.] [Am I the only one freaked out by this? She manipulated someone for six years just for Andy?] [Rowan's the villain anyway. Heidi's just protecting her true love. Everybody wins.] [Look at Rowan's face... Is he about to snap?] [Rowan, quit screwing around and just run!] Run? I looked down at my wrist. Yeah. I needed to get out of here. By the time I dragged my suitcase outside, the night had gone pitch-black. I stood by the road, not even knowing where to go. The comments were freaking out for me— [Is he seriously leaving?] [Hurry up already! Stop getting in the way of Heidi and Andy's romance.] [Wait... isn't that Heidi's car?!] Headlights sliced through the dark. A familiar black sedan screeched to a stop beside me. Heidi jumped out and ran over, shirt slightly wrinkled, breathing uneven, panic and hurt all over her face. "Rowan, I'm sorry. I rushed the proposal... I thought you'd be happy." Chapter 2 She reached for me, eyes red. "Don't go. Can we just talk?" Before, I probably would've given in. But now all I could hear was that line from the chat history— [I'll break his arms and legs, dump him in a psych ward, and lock him up forever!] I stepped back, avoiding her hand. "It's not your fault." My voice came out strangely calm. "I'm just tired." "Tired...?" Her lashes shook slightly, like she couldn't understand the word. "You don't love me anymore?" Under the streetlight, broken light spilled across her face. Her acting was flawless. A comment drifted past— [Honestly... maybe Heidi wasn't completely faking it these past few years. This actually hurts.] That snapped something clear in my head. I looked straight at her. "Heidi, in these six years... was there even one moment when you were actually happy?" Her pupils tightened. She didn't answer. But the comments instantly blew up— [Wait, does he know?!] [Oh crap. Major drama incoming.] [Heidi, why are you just standing there?! Say something!] The cold night wind cut against my skin. I dragged my suitcase and walked into the dark. This time, no footsteps followed me. Only the countdown echoed in my head— [9 days 23 hours 59 minutes] The game wasn't over yet. But me? I was done playing by its rules. *** I flagged down a cab and leaned against the window, my hands shaking. Not from fear. From relief. So this was what it felt like to drop six years of pretending. Like finally breathing again. The countdown blinked coldly in front of me— [9 days 23 hours 10 minutes] Less than ten days left to live. All for someone who was never going to love me back. How pathetic. "Where to, sir?" the cab driver asked through the rearview mirror. I gave him the address of the riverside café I used to love. Heidi always said it was "too loud" and "too messy." After that, she never let me go back. Comments drifted past— [Where's he going? Shouldn't he be running?] [That look Heidi gave him at the end was scary as hell.] [Am I the only one who thinks he looks ridiculously hot in that red shirt?] Neon lights blurred past outside the window. For six years, I'd lived inside a glass box. Everything I saw had been filtered through Heidi. Now the glass was finally shattered. Wind rushed in, carrying the smoke from food trucks, the damp smell of the river, the sound of strangers laughing. It felt so real it almost hurt. The café was still there. The bell above the door chimed when I walked in. The gray-bearded owner froze the second he saw me. "Rowan?" "Mr. Keefe. Been a while." "So it really is you!" He wiped his hands and stepped out from behind the counter. "It's been, what, five or six years? You used to sit by that window all the time. One latte, and you'd write for hours." That's when I remembered. Before Heidi, I used to come here to work on scripts. Back then, I was a student at Borevia Film Academy, dreaming about winning Best Actor someday, scribbling notes all over unfinished scripts. And then? Then Heidi said, "Acting's too hard. I'll take care of you." She said, "Showbiz is a mess. You don't belong in it." She said, "Rowan, having me is enough." And like an idiot, I believed her. I quit auditions, turned down contracts, locked my dreams away and handed her the key. "The usual?" Mr. Keefe asked. "Yeah." I paused. "And a slice of tiramisu." I never used to order it. Heidi said I "gained weight too easily" and "wouldn't look good on camera." But I only had ten days left. Who cared about gaining weight anymore? The window seat was still empty. Chapter 3 I sat down. River breeze hit my face while lights across the water broke into trembling gold. The first bite of cake melted on my tongue, sweet cream mixing with bitter coffee liqueur. I closed my eyes. So good. So this was what being alive felt like. The comments went quiet for a second before slowly scrolling again— [He's eating like it actually matters...] [Why do I suddenly feel bad for him?] [If I only had ten days left, I'd want one good meal too.] [You really think Heidi's gonna let him off this easy? No way.] Neither did I. So when my phone buzzed and Heidi's name lit up the screen, I wasn't surprised. I answered without saying a word. "Rowan, where are you? I'm worried about you." Her voice sounded tired. "Eating." "Come home." Her tone softened. "We both need to calm down. I promise I won't bother you tonight. You can sleep in the guest room. We'll talk tomorrow, okay?" That tone. For six years, every time I got upset, she used it. Gentle. Patient. Pulling me right back into the cage. And then everything went back to normal. "Heidi." I stared out at the river. "Remember my senior showcase at film school?" She went quiet for a beat. "Why are you bringing that up now?" "I played this guy locked in a house. At the end, he burned the whole place down with himself inside." I scraped at the cake. "You said it was too extreme. Said nobody in real life would be that stupid. Now I get it. He wasn't stupid. Fire was the only thing he had left." Her breathing turned heavier. "What are you trying to say?" "I'm saying"—I finished the last bite of cake—"for the next ten days, I'm living for myself. Don't look for me. Don't bother me. Don't use my family against me. After ten days, if I'm still alive..." I smiled. "Then we can keep playing your game." *** I checked into the most expensive hotel in the city—the presidential suite. Paid with the backup card Heidi gave me. The comments kept rolling— [The presidential suite??? Dude's living it up.] [Using Heidi's money for this is actually insane.] [He's got less than ten days left. Let him spend it.] I tossed my suitcase by the door and slid into a rose-petal bath. The countdown pulsed in my head— [8 days 14 hours 32 minutes] Eight and a half days left. My phone stayed dead silent. Heidi never called back. That wasn't like her. Late that night, I lay across the massive bed. The comments had slowed— [He's actually sleeping? Dude's fearless.] [What's Heidi doing right now? Looks like she's tracking his phone.] [Honestly, being watched like this sounds suffocating.] Right when I was about to fall asleep, violent pounding slammed against the door. I jerked upright. The comments exploded— [WHAT WAS THAT?!] [Someone's breaking in!] [Is that Heidi?] [I'm actually stressed.] Before I could react, the door got kicked open. Heidi stood there, eyes bloodshot, rage burning through them. "Rowan Rayner." Her voice came out rough as she walked in. I grabbed the collar of my robe on instinct. She stopped right in front of me, her shadow swallowing me whole. "Where's Andy?" I froze. "What?" "Cut the act." She yanked my wrist, grip painfully tight. "Where did you take Andy? Talk!" Chapter 4 [Rowan did it? No shot. He's been at the hotel the whole time.] [The timing makes zero sense. When would he even set up a kidnapping?] [Has Heidi completely lost it?] "Let go!" Pain shot through my wrist. "I haven't even seen Andy! I've been at the—" "I really underestimated you." Her eyes burned. "Acting all heartbroken, then turning around and kidnapping Andy? You're disgusting." "I didn't." I clenched my jaw. I didn't know where she got the strength, but she shoved me onto the bed and leaned over me. "I'm giving you one last chance. Where's Andy? What did you do to him?" Her breath hit my face, sharp with barely controlled rage. In six years, I'd never seen this side of Heidi. The comments split instantly— [Heidi's scary as hell...] [If Rowan really kidnapped Andy, then he deserves this.] [Look closer. Rowan didn't even have time to do it.] [What if this is all a misunderstanding?] "I said I don't know." I stared at her. "Have I ever lied to you in the last six years?" Her pupils tightened. For a split second, she hesitated. "The last place Andy's phone pinged"—her eyes locked onto mine like a poisoned blade—"was the café you went to." Cold spread through me. A trap. Someone set me up. "It wasn't me. I didn't..." My voice started shaking. "Enough!" She shot to her feet and pulled out a folding knife. Heidi grabbed my hand. The blade pressed against my wrist. "Rowan." Her voice dropped terrifyingly low. "I know you hate Andy. Hate that he took me away from you. Even though I was never yours to begin with. But you do not get to touch him." Her grip tightened. "I'll ask one last time. Where is Andy?" The blade cut into my skin. Bright blood spilled instantly. Pain ripped through me like a live wire. My vision blurred at the edges. I was seconds from blacking out. The comments exploded— [Heidi's actually insane.] [I'm starting to feel bad for Rowan... He seriously looks clueless.] [Rowan, just say something! Lie if you have to!] I opened my mouth, but only broken breaths came out. "I... didn't..." Bright blood spread across the white sheets. Heidi's hand stayed locked around my wrist like a vise. The blade dug into flesh. Every heartbeat sent another wave of tearing pain through me. "One last time." Her voice sounded far away. "Where's Andy?" I tried to speak, but nothing came out. My vision blurred. All I could see was her tight jaw and the almost-manic red in her eyes. The comments flooded in— [He's actually gonna die...] [Heidi, let go! He'll bleed out!] [Someone call the cops! This is assault!] [Where's the System?! Why isn't it stopping this?!] The System stayed silent. Of course it did. In a game like this, nobody cared if a side character lived or died. I was just an NPC. An obstacle in the leads' romance. A disposable villain there to make the male lead look better. But the pain was real. Way too real. "Still not talking?" Heidi pressed down harder. I heard skin split, then felt another rush of warmth spill out. Black spots flickered across my vision like static from an old TV. Right when I thought I was about to die— Her phone rang. The second she saw the caller ID, her pupils tightened. She answered immediately. "Andy?" Chapter 5 A man's shaky sobs came through the phone. "Heidi... I-I escaped... They had me at some abandoned factory in Westfield... They ran... I'm scared..." "Don't be scared. I'm coming right now." Heidi's voice changed instantly. All the rage from before vanished, replaced by a trembling softness I'd never heard from her. "Are you hurt? Find somewhere safe and hide." She didn't even hang up. The second she let go of my wrist, she ran out. I collapsed onto the bed and watched her disappear through the door. The comments went quiet for a second before blowing up— [She seriously just left?!] [Rowan's still bleeding!] [At least call an ambulance!] [This is her version of love? She can hurt someone like that for Andy?] [How did I ever think she was devoted...] I forced my good hand up, trying to reach the phone on the nightstand. My fingers shook uncontrollably. The phone was only a few inches away, but it felt impossibly far. Blood kept pouring out. The white sheets were completely soaked, dark red spreading everywhere. I gritted my teeth and dragged myself forward another inch— My fingertips finally touched the edge of the phone. The comments flooded in— [You've got this! You touched it!] [Call an ambulance! Hurry!] [Don't fall asleep! Stay awake!] I unlocked my phone, but my vision was too blurry to see the screen. I punched in the number from memory and hit call. The dial tone rang in my ear. One ring. Two. My breathing turned shallow. More black spots crowded my vision. "Beep—" The call connected. "Emergency services..." I opened my mouth to speak, but only air came out. "Hello? Can you hear me? What's your emergency?" I wanted to tell them I was in a hotel. That I was bleeding. That I was dying. But my throat locked up. No words came out. "Hello? Hello?" The voice on the line sounded farther and farther away. The phone slipped from my hand and hit the carpet with a dull thud. The comments exploded— [NOOO!] [Somebody help him!] [Where's the hotel staff?! Didn't anyone hear all that?!] [Screw you, Heidi!] My consciousness started slipping apart. Everything felt distant, like I was floating. I saw myself curled up in a pool of blood, skin pale as paper. Then I saw the comments. [Heidi found Andy.] [Andy broke down the second he saw her.] [She kept holding him, telling him, "It's okay. You're okay."] [Andy kissed her.] [...They're kissing. While Rowan's bleeding out alone.] The comments disappeared for a few seconds. Then the tone changed— [I suddenly think Heidi's disgusting.] [What did Rowan even do wrong? He just loved the wrong person.] [He was real with her for six years.] [What gives Heidi the right to treat him like this?] [If Rowan dies, she killed him.] [I want to see her regret this.] [I want to see her beg him to forgive her.] [But he might not survive long enough for that.] [Can somebody please go save him? I can't keep watching this.] The countdown still flickered faintly— [8 days 9 hours 01 minute] The game wasn't over yet. But the player seemed ready to quit early.