Part 1Unchained

In a fiery car crash, I threw myself in front of Jacob Vance and saved his life.

In doing so, I fell into a coma, becoming the untouchable saint in his memory, the ghost he could never let go of.

But when I woke up, I found a fiancée by his side—a woman who shared my eyes, my smile.

That’s when I learned the truth: I was living in a dark romance novel, a world designed for my suffering. Jacob was destined to waver between us, torturing me with his indecision.

After a series of heart-wrenching and brutal events, I would finally die of cancer. Only then would Jacob have his grand epiphany, casting aside his fiancée to live a life of lonely regret.

The Laws of this World whispered, "This is the greatest punishment for him."

And I thought, To hell with that.

* * *

It didn’t take long for the news of my awakening to reach Jacob.

He was overseas at a critical summit, but the moment he heard, he dropped everything and chartered the first flight back.

That evening, I saw him, haggard and travel-worn.

He burst through the door to my private room, the usually stoic, reserved man stumbling as he collapsed by my bedside. He seized my hand, his grip desperate, as if I were a priceless treasure he’d almost lost forever.

“Chloe… Chloe! You’re really awake. I thought they were lying to me…”

Jacob pulled me into a fierce embrace, his hot tears searing my neck. “Why did you do it?” he choked out. “Why did you push me out of the way? If I had known you’d end up like this, lying here for years… I would rather it had been me who died.”

The nurses in the room were already wiping their eyes, captivated by what they saw as a beautiful, tragic love story.

If I hadn’t dreamt of the brutal future awaiting me, a premonition of all the pain to come, I might have been moved, too.

He held me for a long moment. When I remained still and silent, he pulled back slightly, his voice soft with concern. “Chloe, why aren’t you saying anything?”

I moistened my lips, gesturing to my throat, which felt like sandpaper.

He was on his feet in an instant, pouring a glass of lukewarm water and helping me take small, careful sips.

Once the soothing water eased the rasp in my throat, I spoke, my voice a fragile whisper. “I saved you?”

He froze, a bitter smile twisting his lips. “You did. You shoved me so hard… before I even knew what was happening, the car hit you. It sent you flying.”

Jacob clutched his head, a wave of pain washing over his face as he relived the memory. “Chloe, don’t you ever do something so foolish again. You’re the most important person in my life. If anything had happened to you… I would have lost my mind.”

I said nothing.

Because in my memory, that wasn’t how I ended up in a coma. Not at all.

But as he spoke, his expression was utterly sincere, and the faces of his assistant and the nurses showed no hint of surprise. It confirmed my suspicion: this novel-world had a self-correcting mechanism, capable of rewriting reality to fit its plot.

But…

My fingers traced the line of his jaw, up to his perfect, sculpted features. There, just at the edge of his eyelid, was a tiny, faint brown scar.

According to the script, my selfless sacrifice should have left him completely unharmed. Yet, here was proof—a flaw in the narrative. The car crash had left its mark on him, however small. It meant the plot wasn't entirely absolute. It could be bent.

I suppressed the storm of emotions rising within me, forcing myself into the role I was meant to play.

“Jacob,” I whispered, my eyes welling with tears. “I’ve missed you so much…”

I threw my arms around him and began to sob, just as the girl in the story would have.