Finite Love

To win Samuel Zane’s heart, I lost everything. My family was ruined, and I was forced onto an operating table so he could take my heart and save his adopted sister, Xenia Zane, whose organs were failing. At the critical moment, William Zane disguised himself as a doctor and rescued me. We left the country and started a new life overseas. I used all my points to change my target from Samuel to William. “Host, I need to remind you that if you fail again after changing your target, you will be reincarnated as an animal and never become human again.” I looked at William as he knelt before me with a ring in his hand. I said firmly, “I do.” But when I gave birth to our daughter, I saw two figures standing outside my hospital room. William handed our daughter to Samuel and said, “Samuel, you’re rushing this. We need to wait until her organs are fully developed before we can take them.” Samuel’s expression remained cold. “Thanks to your plan, we were able to grow a healthy, young heart for Xenia. Don’t worry. We can just use an organ maturation agent.” “But…” “William, don’t tell me you’ve fallen for that woman.” “Of course not!” I heard him deny it immediately. “I endured everything for Xenia.” The moment he finished speaking, the system’s robotic voice rang in my mind. “Host, your mission has failed. In one month, you will be reincarnated as an animal.” Chapter 1 I closed my eyes. My body felt weak, and my face was deathly pale. The conversation outside the room went on. “Now that we have the child, we don’t need Natalie anymore. You should dump her as soon as possible. “I should thank you for the plan you came up with back then. Not only did it help me get rid of her, but it also made her willingly have your child and provide Xenia with a suitable organ donor.” Samuel Zane’s voice carried the same disgust for me as always. I had heard that tone of voice countless times when I was trying to win his heart. I thought I had escaped that voice forever. I never expected every part of it to be nothing but a carefully planned lie. “I’ll think about it. Take good care of Xenia. Tell her I miss her.” Samuel’s footsteps faded into the distance. William Zane came into the room. He closed the door as quietly as he could, as if he were afraid he might wake me. It was a thoughtful gesture, but it could not chase away the iciness I felt inside. I opened my eyes and looked straight at him. “Natalie, you’re awake. How are you feeling? Does anything hurt?” William froze for a second. Then, the look of concern I knew so well returned to his face. He wrapped an arm around me and gently pulled me into his embrace. His deep voice sounded above my head. “Natalie, I have some bad news. The baby you gave birth to… was stillborn.” Even though I had prepared myself, I felt my breath catch for a moment. “But don’t worry. We’re still young. We’ll have lots of children!” I sneered. Tears welled up in my eyes. To William, the child I had waited for with all my heart—the child born from our love—was nothing more than an insignificant object. Even our relationship had been nothing but a lie he created. When he saw me cry, he immediately kissed my cheek. He looked at me with heartache and kept whispering words of comfort. It was as if he still loved me. “All right, don’t cry. It hurts me to see you like this. Once you’ve recovered, we’ll have another baby.” My hand clenched into a fist beneath the blanket. I looked at the thirty-day countdown that flashed in my mind. Then, I looked at William’s loving face. I closed my eyes in despair. ‘William, we’ll never have another child,’ I thought. ‘Soon, I’ll disappear from this world.’ … After the countdown began, my body started to fail at an alarming rate. William was frantic. He brought in one specialist after another to examine me. Later, he stayed home and took care of me himself. Chapter 2 “Natalie, try my cooking. I learned how to make this just for you!” William placed a bowl of creamy fish soup before me. I looked at him weakly and noticed the bandage wrapped around his finger. He had always been like this. He would try anything for me, even if it meant hurting himself. But his gestures would never move me again. I turned my head away and silently refused. William did not get upset. Instead, he scooped up a spoonful of soup, blew on it carefully until it cooled, and brought it to my lips. “Natalie, just eat a little. You already feel so weak. If this continues, you won’t be able to take it.” I sneered inwardly, but I opened my mouth and tasted the soup. William was right. I needed to get better so I could cut ties with him completely. Even if I died, I would make sure my last moments on this earth were not as his wife. I ate one spoonful after another until I could not eat anymore. Then, I made up an excuse to send William away so I would not have to see him. “I want the cake from that shop in the East District. The one you used to buy for me all the time…” “Okay. Get some rest. When you wake up, you’ll have your cake.” I had only closed my eyes for a few seconds when a sudden knock on the door disturbed me. I went to open it, and a box was immediately placed into my arms. Inside were stacks of neatly arranged letters. There was a note on top. The words on it caught my eye. [A thousand love letters mean nothing compared to seeing you once. William, I miss you.] The signature was Xenia Zane. The man who had been so busy that he even forgot my birthday could still patiently write a thousand letters for someone else. My hands trembled as I opened the first letter. [The first little thing I love about you: Tonight, I suddenly thought about you while we were on the Ferris wheel. When you were young, you were afraid of heights and held onto my hand tightly. I complained about it, but I secretly did not wash that hand for the entire day.] I remembered that date with William. Atop the Ferris wheel, we held hands and kissed with our eyes closed. But at that moment, he must have been thinking about someone else. A sharp pain spread through my chest. I opened the second letter. [The second little thing I love about you: You’re always picky about food, but you love fish. I learned every fish recipe there is. I can cook for you for the rest of your life.] I tore open the letters like a madwoman. In the end, I sat among the mess and cried silently. A thousand love letters in total… Every single one was filled with love for someone else. What had I been to William all these years? Was I just some random nobody to him? The fish soup in my stomach suddenly churned. A wave of nausea rushed over me. I stumbled into the bathroom and threw up until I had no strength left. I looked in the mirror. The person staring back at me had a face that was deathly pale, with an unnatural flush on her cheeks. Ring! Ring! Ring! It was the special ringtone I had set for William. I had just taken a step forward when my vision went dark, and I fell to the floor. I forced myself to endure the discomfort and crawled back to the bedroom to answer the phone. But the first thing he said was, “Natalie, something came up. I need to go back to the country for a while. You can take care of yourself, right?” “William, I think I have a fev—” He cut me off. He only said two words before hanging up. “Good girl.” I stared at the dark screen and finally uttered the words that I had wanted to say. “I think I have a fever… Can you stay with me one last time?” The moment I finished speaking, I collapsed onto the cold floor. The last thing I saw before I lost consciousness was the news playing on the television. “Just now, Xenia Zane, the adopted daughter of the Zane family, fainted at a banquet. The Zane brothers are rushing to the scene.” … When I opened my eyes again, I was still on the cold floor. Chapter 3 The sky grew dark, but the house no longer held the warmth of another person being present. I was just about to call the hospital when William came back. “What happened to you? Didn’t I tell you to take care of yourself? How did you let yourself get this bad?” He looked exhausted from the journey, and his words were harsh the moment he walked in. I turned away and did not answer him. William’s expression softened. He quickly returned to the gentle and familiar version of himself. His voice grew softer, almost as if he were comforting a child. “Natalie, I’m not blaming you, but you really can’t get hurt again. As long as you focus on getting better, I’ll do anything you ask.” I suddenly opened my eyes and made a request. “I want to go back to the country.” William froze for a moment, then quickly agreed. “Okay. We’ll go back. Although our daughter was unfortunate enough to pass away, I still gave her a name. Once we return, we can build a grave for her. “Her name is Xena Zane.” Xenia Zane. Xena Zane. She had been born only for Xenia. On the private helicopter, I kept my eyes closed and bitterly repeated the name over and over in my mind. William thought I was asleep. He lowered his voice and called someone. “Yes, we’ll be back soon. Make sure the room is ready and have the family doctor on standby. Also, tell the chef to strictly follow the nutrition plan I gave them… “Yes, make sure her body recovers well. If that heart fails to mature properly, at least we’ll have a backup to save Xenia.” A chill ran through me. I could no longer pretend to be asleep. When William saw me open my eyes, he quickly ended the call. He looked at me with a strange expression. “What’s wrong? Did I wake you?” I shook my head. I pretended that I had just woken up. Then, I took a stack of documents from my bag and placed them in front of him. “These are the grave sites I chose for our daughter. Which one do you think is better?” William took the documents from me, but he felt too guilty to even look at them. “Buy them all. When we get back, you can take your time choosing. I’ll listen to whatever you decide.” His kiss landed lightly on my forehead before he quickly pulled away. Then, he picked up a pen and signed his name on each of the grave purchase documents. When he reached the last document, his guilt made his hand tremble. The pen dragged across the paper and left a long streak of ink. I watched him coldly. He looked like a clown putting on a ridiculous act. My fingers gently brushed over the last document. It was a divorce agreement. I had secretly placed it among the papers beforehand. This was the last thing I was going to do for myself before I died. I would cut all ties with William. I did not want him to taint my next life. … After a day of traveling, I returned to the Zane residence. When the servants opened the basement room, William lost his temper. “I told you to prepare a room, and this is what you prepared?!” “It was Ms. Zane’s order. She didn’t want outsiders on the second floor, and the guest room on the first floor is already occupied by the family doctor.” The servant answered coldly. I looked at the iron bed in the basement and clenched my hands. Just as I expected, the moment William heard that it was Xenia’s order, his expression softened. He looked at me apologetically and said, “Natalie, you’ll have to endure this for now. Xenia’s health is not good, so we should understand. “The basement has everything we need. It’s still a place where you can stay.” But that night, William complained that the bed was too small and went upstairs. After we returned to the country, William stayed with me less and less often. The servants also watched me as if I were an animal. Chapter 4 They said they were worried I would offend Xenia. A week later, the Zane residence suddenly became lively. William came to find me himself. “Tonight is Xenia’s birthday banquet. There will be a lot of guests. Don’t wander around. “If you need to leave the basement, remember to wear this mask.” He handed me a mask. I was silent for a long while before I finally took it. I no longer had the strength to argue with William. It was better to avoid making things more complicated. When night fell, cheerful music filled the air outside. Meanwhile, I was so hungry in the basement that I felt dizzy. Everyone in the Zane residence was busy preparing for Xenia’s birthday banquet. How could they remember that there was someone in the basement who had not eaten? I could not hold on any longer. I put on the mask and went to the kitchen to find something to eat. The moment I stepped into the living room, I looked up and saw Xenia on the staircase. She was dressed beautifully. Her face was a little pale, but she still wore a bright smile. William and Samuel stood on either side of her. Their eyes were fixed only on her. I immediately lowered my head and continued walking, but I accidentally bumped into a servant. “Watch where you’re going!” The cup in her hand fell to the floor, and she pushed me into the broken glass. The shards cut my palm. The noise caught everyone’s attention. Whispers reached my ears from all directions. But I did not care. I stubbornly looked at William as he walked toward me. His brows furrowed. He grabbed my arm and dragged me back toward the basement. “Stop embarrassing yourself.” The blood from my palm had already soaked into my sleeve, but William did not notice at all. “William, who is she?” It was only after Xenia spoke that William finally stopped. He immediately stepped away from me, as if he was afraid of being misunderstood. “She’s just a servant. I’ll have her leave right away. Xenia, don’t worry about her.” The gentle voice he had used just moments ago was gone. When he spoke to me, all I heard was impatience. “What are you waiting for? Get out!” I clenched my hands. My nails dug into my wounds, but the pain was nothing compared to the bitterness in my heart. I realized this was the real William. This was who he had always been. “Okay.” I answered softly and turned around, but Xenia stopped me. “Don’t leave yet. You ruined my birthday party. Shouldn’t you show some remorse?” She looked down at me. The cruelty in her eyes was impossible to hide. I quickly said, “I’m very sorry.” She still refused to let it go. “An apology? That’s too easy. How about this? I won’t make things difficult for you if you dance for everyone and liven things up.” Xenia stepped back a few steps. The people around her also moved aside and cleared a space. Everyone silently urged me to do it. Their faces were filled with amusement as they waited to see what would happen. I stood there without moving. My silence was my refusal. Then, William suddenly pushed me into the center of the room. “Can’t you understand what she’s saying? Finish the dance and go back downstairs. This is your punishment for wandering around.” The wound from childbirth throbbed all at once, and tears blurred my vision. “Aren’t you the best at dancing? Just dance a little. Be good.” I stared straight at William. I could not understand how a person could change so suddenly. A little tenderness hidden inside a fake love was enough to make me fall for him. I danced the way William had loved the most, but his eyes never left Xenia. My wound tore open again. Blood flowed down my leg. Every step felt like I was dancing on the edge of a blade. Xenia held her wine glass and watched with interest. When I passed by her, she purposely stuck out her foot and tripped me. “Oh, you’re so careless!” Chapter 5 She pretended to help me up and deliberately pulled off my mask. “Oh, aren’t you the pathetic girl who used to follow Samuel around? How do you still have the nerve to show up at our house?” She looked surprised as she leaned into Samuel’s arms, then turned to look at William. The people around us immediately looked at me in disgust. To them, I was nothing more than a foolish woman who had squandered her family’s fortune on the Zane family, left her parents with nothing, and driven them to take their own lives. But they did not know the truth. The Zane family had taken advantage of my mission and deceived me. I clenched my fists, raised my head, and decided to reveal everything. “What do you know? The Zane family was the one that kept coming after me! They even had a forbidden relationship between adopted siblings…” Samuel and William’s expressions changed immediately. Samuel lifted his leg and kicked me to stop me. William called for someone to drag me back to the basement. The basement door slowly closed behind me. Through the narrow gap, I saw Xenia’s mocking smile. She silently mouthed one word. “Idiot!” … I really was an idiot. How else could I have escaped one trap only to fall into another? After cleaning the bloodstains from my body, I lay on the small bed in the basement and watched the bright red countdown flash before my eyes. Three days… Only three more days until I entered the cycle of reincarnation and became an animal. Maybe that was not so bad. I hoped that in my next life, even if I was an animal, I would not have to suffer this much pain. I closed my eyes as bitter tears streamed down my face. Not long after, something woke me up. Someone buried his face against my neck and kissed me forcefully. His hands moved over me without restraint. It was William. He seemed drunk and had come to find me. The wounds on my body still hurt. I pushed him away with all my strength, but he slapped me across the face. It was the first time he had ever hurt me like this. I stared at him in disbelief. He said I was shameless. His violent movements tore open the wounds I had just treated. When he saw the blood on his hand, he lost interest and got out of bed. Before leaving, he said, “I was drunk. I’m sorry.” But his apology was meaningless. The door was not completely closed. Through the gap, I saw a very different William standing before Xenia. “William, you must be feeling terrible. Do you want me to help you?” I watched William raise his hand and touch Xenia’s face. Then, he forced himself to pull his hand back. His restrained voice reached my ears. “I was drunk. I was afraid I would hurt you. Go back to bed.” My cheek still burned. He could treat two people completely differently. I covered my face as tears streamed down my face. The next day I chose my grave. The bigger one was for me. The smaller one was for my child. With 24 hours left on the countdown, I had someone deliver the divorce agreement and a letter to William. I no longer wanted to be Xenia’s backup organ donor. I no longer wanted to be the cover for the forbidden love between those three adopted siblings. With only ten minutes left on the countdown, I lay inside the cremation chamber and smiled at the staff. I said, “Make sure you burn everything completely. I don’t want to leave a single thing behind.” I closed my eyes. The system’s robotic voice sounded in my mind. “Countdown complete. Host Natalie Quinn, your mission has failed. Your punishment is reincarnation as an animal. You will never become human again.” My consciousness slowly faded. The red light in the cremation room turned on. This deception was finally coming to an end. At that moment, a figure rushed over and began pounding on the door.