He Dumped Me Before Deadline

At our class reunion, my husband, Calvin Vance, threw the game on purpose so his friends could "force" him to get a marriage certificate with his ex, Molly Rowan, and post it online. Everyone piled on. Calvin was already pulling out the divorce papers, practically shoving them at me. "It's just a game. Don't make a big deal out of it." I stayed quiet for a long moment. They all looked like they were waiting for me to lose it. Instead, I took the papers. "Divorce is fine. But you have to do three things for me." He agreed without hesitation and pushed me to sign. "Three things? Forget that. Three hundred, whatever. Just sign it. When we get remarried, I'll make it up to you with a huge luxury wedding." What he didn't know was that the second he chose to divorce me, my mission had already failed. The System would erase me. The only way to survive was to complete the three tasks it gave me. Chapter 1 After I signed, Calvin quickly tucked the divorce papers away. The others traded looks, grinning like their little plan had paid off. That was when I finally got it. Tonight's reunion had been set up for me. On the screen behind Calvin, something flashed across the display. Only I could see it. Two red words: [Mission Failed.] The System's voice slammed into my head. [Target has initiated divorce intent.] [Marriage duration required to clear life debt: seven full years.] [Current shortfall: one hour and thirty minutes.] [Erasure countdown activated.] [You will be erased in forty-eight hours.] Then the voice changed. [Exception granted due to your pathetic status. Complete three tasks within the time limit to survive.] [Task One: Make Calvin publicly confess his feelings for you.] I laughed. I had literally just signed the divorce papers, and now the System wanted him to confess to me? Molly suddenly stood up, her face tight. "Calvin, if you have to agree to Rhea's unreasonable request because of me, I'll take the punishment. I'll do the three shots." Calvin looked at her, concern all over his face. "It's fine. She won't make a scene." I gave a quiet, bitter smile. Seven years ago, on our wedding day, Calvin had planned to run away with Molly. Then she disappeared with all his savings. After that, he became convinced I was the one behind it. We went from childhood friends to enemies. I kept thinking that if I treated him sincerely, he'd eventually change his mind. Over the past two years, he had almost accepted reality. On our anniversary, he'd even leave work early to celebrate with me. Then Molly came back. That was when I realized he'd never let her go. He even set all this up just so he could marry her. And he'd forgotten that today was our seventh wedding anniversary. The seven years I stole were finally being taken back. But I still wanted to live. I looked at Calvin. "Calvin, the first thing I want is simple. Confess to me. However you confessed to Molly back then, do the same thing for me." He froze, disbelief flashing across his face. The whole room exploded. "Rhea Reid, seriously? Don't be ridiculous. You already signed the divorce papers. Stop being petty and making Calvin look bad." "Calvin, don't listen to her. She's obviously trying to start something." How pathetic. These were the same people who used to benefit from me. Now that the Vance family was on top, they didn't even bother hiding their mockery. Molly looked like she'd just been slapped. "Rhea, you're doing this on purpose. Calvin, I won't let you go through this humiliation." Humiliation? My legal husband confessing to me was humiliation to her? I swept a cold look across the room and yawned. "I'm talking to Calvin. Since when was this your conversation?" Chapter 2 I kept going. "Calvin, if you don't do it, I'm leaving. Good luck getting me to court to finish the paperwork." After all these years, I knew him too well. Right on cue, he frowned. "I thought you were actually being reasonable today. So this is your new move? If I do it, you'll finish the filing?" He really couldn't wait to make things official with Molly. "Yes." His expression darkened. Like he was heading to his own execution, he forced the words out. "Rhea, be with me. I'll buy you two bottles of milk every day and warm them up for you. What you drink will always be the perfect temperature..." Molly's eyes instantly turned red. "You still remember." The room burst into applause. Everyone praised Calvin for being so devoted, saying that even after eight years, he still remembered the way he'd confessed to Molly. The two of them stared at each other while my stomach twisted. I stood up. "I've got something to do. I'm leaving." Laughter followed me out the door. People said I'd just embarrassed myself. *** Outside, Sasha Selby, my bestie, came running over the second she heard. "You actually signed the divorce papers with Calvin? Are you insane? You gave up your engagement to Mike Mercer and went against your family until you lost everything just to marry him. And now you're divorcing him like it's nothing and letting trash like Molly slide right in?" I stayed quiet. Mike Mercer. The heir to the richest family in the country. Back when Vance Corp was about to go under, I gave up Mike and married Calvin to save him. My parents were so disappointed they cut me off completely. And even then, the Vance family pushed me aside. I was Calvin's wife, but I wasn't allowed anywhere near family business. My place in that house was awkward at best. After Molly came back, Calvin didn't hesitate for a second. He made her the COO and handed her control of ten billion dollars in company funds. Love and indifference couldn't have been more obvious. My heels had rubbed my skin raw. I shifted and let out a bitter laugh. "You think she's trash. Calvin treats her like she's priceless. What exactly am I supposed to do?" Sasha sighed and steadied me. "Men are like shoes. If they hurt, throw them out and upgrade." Just then, Calvin walked downstairs. He gently ruffled Molly's hair. "Molly, we'll do wedding photos first, then pick out the rings. Once we get the license, I'll send a thirty-car convoy to bring you home." Then his eyes landed on me. His mouth tightened. "Rhea, you've got two things left. If you're playing games, I won't go easy on you." I lowered my eyes and smiled bitterly. He had no idea I already wanted to be as far away from him as possible. I was only staying around him because I wanted to survive. After he left, I called out to the System in my head. 'That counts, right?' The System's cold voice didn't change. [Barely acceptable.] [Task Two: Go on a one-day date with Calvin.] I almost tripped. "Seriously? He could barely stand me today. If I ask him on a date, he'll think I'm messing with him." The System stayed cold. [You have no right to question it. You may choose to give up and be erased.] *** I spent the rest of the night tossing and turning, thinking about the task. Bang. Calvin kicked the door open and yanked me out of bed. In the dark, his eyes burned with anger. "Happy now? After the stunt you pulled today, Molly got sick the second she got home. I spent half the night taking care of her before her fever finally went down." I pulled his hand off me and forced a smile. "It was just a game. Couldn't you have stopped it? Who's gonna argue with the CEO?" Chapter 3 Calvin went quiet for a second, then let out a sigh. "It was just a game. Why couldn't you just go along with it?" I answered casually. "The second thing—clear your schedule tomorrow and spend the day with me." His face instantly darkened. "I've been way too nice to you, haven't I? You're really pushing it." He slammed the door on his way out. Bitterness filled my mouth. I already knew this was how it'd end. The next morning, Calvin still showed up. He knocked on my door with a sour look on his face. "I lost a hundred grand because of you today. Whatever you want, make it quick." Because of me? More like because he couldn't wait to marry Molly. The System told me the date itself didn't matter. I just had to keep Calvin with me for six straight hours. So I took him to the mall to kill time. The whole time, his eyes never left his phone. Every so often, he'd stop outside a clothing store or luxury shop and casually buy a few things. All for Molly. Seven years of marriage, and he'd never bought me anything. The dress I was wearing had been washed so many times it was pilling. Just to get back at me, he'd gone after my family's business too. My dad called me a traitor, and I got blacklisted across the industry. No one knew that behind the polished front, I was barely getting by on side gigs online. By noon, Calvin was already getting impatient, so I quickly took him to a restaurant. We'd barely ordered when his expression changed at whatever popped up on his phone. He immediately made a call, worry all over his face. "How are you skipping meals? You can't eat without me? Fine. I'm coming right now." He grabbed his coat. "Something came up at the company. I have to go." I knew Molly was behind it. "Are you coming back?" My task still wasn't finished. He paused, then nodded. "Yeah." But when he came back, Molly was with him. Calvin fussed over Molly the whole time—feeding her, wiping her mouth, acting like she couldn't do anything herself. They looked like a happy couple. I was just the extra person at the table. Every time I tried to order something, Molly would point at it first. My appetite disappeared, and I set my fork down. She looked way too pleased with herself. "Calvin, food tastes so much better when you feed me..." Under the table, her foot came down hard on mine. I sucked in a breath from the pain. Calvin acted like he didn't notice. Thankfully, I only needed to get through a movie to hit the six-hour mark. I forced myself to put up with her. But when we got to the theater, only two tickets were left. Molly spoke first, her eyes already turning red. "Calvin, you and Rhea should go. I know she's using the divorce as an excuse to spend time with you. It's okay. I won't be the third wheel. I'll leave." Calvin instantly panicked and grabbed her. "What are you talking about? Forget the movie. I'll spend the whole afternoon with you instead, okay?" I kept my voice calm. "Calvin, just watch one movie with me. After that, I'll let you go. I won't bother you again." Instead, he shoved me. The popcorn slipped from my hands and exploded across the floor. "Rhea, cut the act. I've already told you—I could never like someone as selfish and self-righteous as you. Molly's kind. She's generous. Just because she doesn't blame you doesn't mean I'll keep giving in to you. I already did more than enough by shopping with you today." Then he took Molly's hand and walked away. [Warning. Passive task behavior detected. Electric shock penalty. Persuade Calvin to return within one minute.] The next second, a brutal surge ripped through my body. I dropped instantly. My knees slammed into the floor with a sharp crack as my whole body started convulsing. Chapter 4 Almost biting through my lip, I forced the words out. "Calvin! Please, just watch the movie with me. If you don't, I'll die. Please..." Calvin turned around, startled. The second he saw me on the floor, his eyes widened, and he instinctively took a step toward me. Then Molly spoke. "Calvin, go ahead. Rhea's always been healthy. If she suddenly collapsed, it must be serious. Stay with her. Don't worry about me." He stopped. His face went cold. "Rhea, now you're faking a collapse too? Stop acting weak. Don't make me look down on you." He walked away. No matter how many times I called after him, he never looked back. After a long time, the punishment finally ended. My face was ghostly pale, like I'd just been dragged out of water. People started gathering around me, offering to take me to the hospital. The System's voice cut in, cold and sharp. [Task Two completion rate: fifty percent.] [If Task Three is not completed perfectly, you will still be erased.] The panel shifted. Only one line remained. [Make Calvin propose to you.] A hollow smile tugged at my lips as I sank to the floor. This was impossible. *** When I opened my eyes again, I was in a hospital room. Sasha quickly handed me some water. "The doctor said your organs are failing. You probably don't have more than three days left. Does Calvin know? Is that why you're divorcing him?" I knew it was the aftermath of the System's punishment. Not more than three days? I only had twenty-four hours left. I still didn't want Calvin's pity. I used to be the daughter of an old-money family. I still had my pride. I shook my head. "No. Sasha, for the sake of our friendship, I need you to do one thing for me. After I die, tell everyone I moved overseas and settled down. Don't let them see me die like this." Sasha's eyes turned red. She wiped at them. "Back during the avalanche, you were the one who saved Calvin. He thinks it was Molly. He misunderstood you and put you through hell all these years, and you—" My phone started ringing on the table. Calvin. Sasha answered, and this time she couldn't hold back. "Calvin, do you even know Rhea's sick?" I struggled up and tried to stop her. There was a pause on the other end. Then Calvin let out a cold laugh. "Did Rhea tell you to play along? She just fell down. What's supposed to happen? Tell her to hurry up and say the last condition so we can get this over with. I don't have time for her games." Hearing the impatience in his voice, I took the phone and spoke seriously. "The third thing is simple. I just need you to propose to me." Crash. Something slammed into the floor on the other end. Calvin's voice instantly changed. "Molly? What's wrong? Molly, don't scare me!" The next second, he snapped. "Rhea, are you out of your mind? I'm done playing along. Finish the court filing with me—or don't. I don't care anymore. My lawyer already has everything ready." Then he hung up. A sharp pain stabbed through my chest. I knew he wanted me gone. I just never thought he'd hate me this much. The System kept pushing me to finish the task. But I had nothing left to use against him. What else could I even do? Exhaustion hit me all at once. Even if I begged Calvin, he'd just think I was acting. If that was the case, I'd rather die with some dignity left. With that thought, I called him again. He answered immediately, irritation clear in his voice. "If you're calling to bring up that proposal crap again, then go die." Chapter 5 He had no idea how right he was. My voice stayed calm. "I was kidding before. Meet me at the county courthouse tomorrow morning." Calvin sounded surprised. "That easy? Since when did you become so reasonable?" "Don't want to? Forget it." "Wait. You'd better not be pulling anything." He agreed almost instantly. *** At nine the next morning, we were standing in the hallway outside the county courthouse. The family court office and county clerk's office were on the same floor, separated by nothing but a hallway. Because I was one minute late, Calvin immediately snapped. "Rhea, what now? So you were faking being sick yesterday too? People like you always stick around. You'll probably live to a hundred." His friends looked just as smug. They were all waiting for Calvin and Molly to get their license, holding confetti and ready to celebrate. I almost laughed. Back then, whenever Calvin and I made plans, he was never on time. He stood me up over and over, enjoying watching me wait around like an idiot. Now I was one minute late, and he was already annoyed. "Yeah, I did it on purpose. I changed my mind. For the third thing, carry me on your back into the family court office so we can finish the filing." It wasn't even a hundred yards from here. Calvin narrowed his eyes at me. "That's it?" Molly rushed over like I'd committed some unforgivable crime. "Calvin's the CEO. How can you treat him like a servant and make him carry you? So what if the divorce isn't finalized today? I'll wait for Calvin forever!" The others immediately frowned. "Rhea, seriously? That's shameless. You're doing this on purpose. You just don't want the divorce finalized." I smirked and waited. Calvin finally spoke. "Fine. But if you pull anything in there, I'll make your life hell." He stepped in front of me. I climbed onto his back without hesitation. A quiet sound escaped him. He must have felt it immediately. I was too light. Alarmingly light. I used to be fearless. I loved racing, mountain climbing, anything with adrenaline. I used to be strong. He asked, "Have you been starving yourself?" I answered flatly, "You and Molly make me too sick to eat." His expression hardened. "Enough." Back when we got married, ten bodyguards had dragged him into the county clerk's office in this same building and forced him to sign the marriage paperwork. He'd looked disgusted the whole time. Now, in the same courthouse, he walked toward the family court office with steady steps, determined to end our marriage. In a daze, I thought back to when I was seventeen. Calvin had gotten caught in an avalanche during a ski trip. I ran into the snow without thinking. I screamed his name until my throat felt shredded before I finally found him. Snow blindness had blurred his vision, and he'd slammed his leg against a rock. He couldn't even stand. I half-carried, half-dragged him down the mountain for a day and a night. I even cut my wrist and fed him my blood so he'd have the strength to keep going. Half-conscious, his hot tears soaked into my neck. "You're so good to me. I'll marry you!" I laughed and told him he better not break that promise. By the time we made it down the mountain, I should've died from hypothermia. That was when the System attached itself to me. It told me our love was extraordinary. If I stayed married to Calvin for seven years, it'd give me health and a long life. I agreed without hesitation. Secretly, I was thrilled. It felt like a gift. Of course we'd be happy. But when I woke up, I saw him confessing to Molly in front of the entire school. He said he'd marry her. I was the one who saved him. What I got in return was his endless gratitude toward Molly. I tried to explain. He didn't believe me. "The person who saved me was gentle. Like an angel. You're rough and bossy. How could it possibly be you?" Snapping out of my thoughts, I leaned close to his ear. "We're even now." He stopped. "What did you say?" Chapter 6 My throat suddenly burned, and I started coughing up blood. Yesterday's punishment from the System had damaged my organs. Even with my hand over my mouth, a drop of blood splattered onto Calvin's neck. He instantly lost it. "Do you have a death wish? You coughed on my neck? That's disgusting. Wipe it off." I wiped the blood from my lips, turned his head forward, and spoke calmly. "Watch where you're going. Not me." Calvin picked up his pace and carried me into the family court office. Before he could set me down, I hopped off and grabbed a tissue to wipe his neck. He still looked annoyed, yanking out tissue after tissue like I'd gotten something disgusting on him. I looked at him. "If you're choosing Molly, then don't screw her over." He frowned and finally looked at me. "What are you even talking about? It's one day. You seriously can't handle that? Relax. Once this game's over, I'll give you the luxury wedding I promised. I don't go back on my word." A weak smile pulled at my lips. I reached for the paperwork, feeling around for the signature line. My eyesight had taken the worst hit once my organs started shutting down. Calvin grabbed my hand and moved it to the right spot. Then he smirked. "What, are your eyes messed up now? Divorcing me got you crying yourself blind?" I let out a quiet laugh. "No. Watching you and Molly together was so gross my eyes tapped out." For a second, it felt weird. It had been a long time since we'd talked like this. Calvin shoved me. "You seriously never say anything nice." A groan slipped out, and I had to steady myself for a second. His expression shifted. "Are you actually sick?" I answered lightly, "No. Just hurry up and finish this. I'm going overseas for a while. Plenty of fish in the sea, right?" The people behind us snickered, not even trying to hide the contempt on their faces. Calvin's expression darkened. Then he suddenly stood up. "We're not getting divorced." "Not getting divorced?" Molly cried out. Her eyes instantly turned red. "Calvin, if you can't let her go, it's okay. I'm willing to take the punishment. I only have a mild alcohol allergy—I won't die. I'll go buy the drinks right now." I just stared at him. I had no clue what he was doing. So I pushed him. "Cut the act. Or what? You actually can't let me go?" Calvin took the bait. He snatched the papers and signed them fast. "If I hadn't seen how pale and pathetic you look, I—" He cut himself off. *** Calvin's lawyer had already pulled some strings, so our uncontested divorce went from filed to finalized that same morning. Calvin took his copy of the divorce papers, and we walked out of the family court office. The second we stepped into the hallway, his friends crowded around him, practically buzzing with excitement. They were heading straight for the county clerk's office. None of that had anything to do with me anymore. I turned to leave when Calvin suddenly called after me. "Don't go. Once Molly and I get the marriage certificate and post it online, I'll remarry you right away." Divorce, then remarry me? Did he seriously think this was some game? I gave him a half-hearted response and walked out of the courthouse. On the virtual screen, the countdown showed thirteen hours left. Enough time to wrap everything up. Then my vision suddenly flashed red. [Rhea Reid—mission failed. Divorce confirmed. Countdown reset to zero.] I never saw that coming. The System still had one last move. I grabbed the courthouse doorframe and dropped to the floor.