Chapter 1

"System, I want to leave this mission world," Sabrina York said.

The system immediately appeared. "Your request has been approved, Sabrina. You'll have half a month to say your goodbyes to your family in this world."

It left as quickly as it had come. Sabrina was dazed at the mention of her family, and she slowly turned to look at a family photo on the table beside her. In it, her husband and son were on either side of her, kissing her cheeks, their eyes full of love. The happy image made her mind wander.

No one knew Sabrina was a Challenger. Ten years ago, the system had brought her to this world so she could win the affections of Jordan Faust, an affluent scion in Jellipolis.

Over the past ten years, they'd gone from dating to marrying. Not only had she successfully completed her mission, but she'd also fallen in love with him. So, when the system had asked whether she wanted to leave the mission world and return to reality, she'd hesitated.

Jordan loved her so deeply that she couldn't imagine how he would live without her—that was why she'd chosen to delay her departure. She'd stayed in the mission world to marry and start a family with Jordan.

He loved her dearly. He bought expensive jewelry for her like it cost nothing and would be home by 7:00 pm every night. Every morning and night started and ended with his kisses, and he constantly talked about her to the people in his life.

When she'd faced labor complications, he'd waited outside the operation theater, his eyes bloodshot with worry and anxiety. His hands had trembled when signing the critical illness notice, and he'd even gone as far as telling everyone he would join her in the afterlife if she didn't make it out alive.

Sabrina had been unconscious for three days after giving birth. The moment she'd opened her eyes, Jordan's tear-streaked face had been the first she'd seen. He'd kneeled by her bedside and held her hand tightly, saying, "We're not having anymore children, Rina. I don't want children—I only want you!"

Knowing that she'd been through hell during labor, he'd forgone a billion-dollar project during the month she'd spent recovering so that he could focus on her and their son, Ansel Faust.

Thanks to Jordan setting an example, Ansel became particularly clingy toward her. The first thing he did after returning from kindergarten was run to her to kiss her cheek.

He would then throw himself into her arms and tell her about what had happened at kindergarten. At night, he and Jordan would cling to her in bed and tell her bedtime stories.

Whenever Jordan came home, he would bring Sabrina a bouquet of flowers. Seeing that, Ansel had taken a leaf from his book and done the same.

Yet it seemed no amount of love mattered. Jordan and Ansel evidently loved Sabrina, but five years into the marriage, they'd still secretly formed a family with Jordan's secretary, Holly Rivers.

Jordan had bought Holly a villa at Bayview Coast—both their names were on the deed. That was where they would rendezvous.

Ansel would bring Holly a gift whenever they met; he would also kiss her on the cheek and cling to her, saying that he adored her.

Sabrina couldn't even count the number of nights they'd sneaked out to be with Holly after she'd fallen asleep.

The broken vows had marked the end of her relationship with them both. Upon learning the truth, she'd no longer been willing to stay in this world. She didn't want Jordan and Ansel anymore.

Sabrina slowly dried her tears and put the photo facedown on the table. Then, she went upstairs and started clearing her things. She packed everything Jordan and Ansel had given her over the years into two enormous boxes.

The villa seemed so empty without the things that it was as if she could stand at one end and see the other. At the same time, she could also see the end of her five-year marriage.

As she finished moving the boxes to the front door, an employee from the courier service she'd hired arrived to pick them up.

She gave the employee Holly's address and said, "Please deliver these boxes to this address in half a month. I also want you to pass a message to the recipient. Tell her I'm giving her these things along with my husband and son."

"What are you giving away, Rina?" Jordan's voice rang out.

Sabrina turned to see him and Ansel standing nearby with two bouquets in their hands.

Chapter 2

"Mom!" Ansel threw himself into Sabrina's arms and gave her the bouquet. "What were you telling the courier guy?"

She glanced at the departing courier guy and said softly, "Nothing."

Jordan approached them and gently kissed her cheek. Then, he also gave her a bouquet and said apologetically, "I'm sorry for returning late, Rina. I got caught up in something. Don't be mad at me, okay?"

What else could he have gotten caught up in? He and Ansel had only been with Holly at the Bayview Coast villa. Then again, it made sense that they were busy. They had two families to care for.

Sabrina smiled self-deprecatingly. She looked at the bouquets for a while before saying, "Your work is more important, so I have nothing to be mad about. Let's head inside."

Jordan and Ansel were taken aback when they saw how empty the house was. Many things were missing, and they seemed to all be items they'd given to Sabrina.

A trace of panic flashed on Jordan's face. He asked, "Why are all the things we gave you gone, Rina?"

Ansel was also scared by this. He clung to Sabrina and tugged on the hem of her clothes. "Did you throw them away, Mom?"

She brushed his hand away and sat on the couch, saying indifferently, "No, I just had them taken away so they could be given to people who need them."

After having a child, she'd become more sentimental. Every year, she gathered some old things to donate to orphanages, so Jordan didn't think anything was wrong with her explanation. He thought she'd given the things to charity again.

He relaxed as he and Ansel sat on either side of her. Then, he looked at her dotingly. "It's good that you've given them away—all the more reason for me to buy you new things."

Ansel burrowed in her arms with a laugh and said, "You're the best, Mom. You're the kindest mother in the world!"

Kind?

She supposed it was an apt description. After all, she was so kind that she'd already given her husband and child up.

…

At 6:00 pm, Jordan came out of the kitchen with a final dish and placed it on the table. There were many maids at home, but Jordan insisted on personally attending to anything that had to do with Sabrina. This included cooking.

Ansel held Sabrina's hand and pulled her to the dining table. He pulled out her chair and got her some food. Jordan sat on her other side and did the same. "Have more of this, Rina. It's good for your stomach."

Ansel nodded. "That's right. You'll only be healthy if you eat more of this, Mom. There's a kid in kindergarten who's picky with their food…"

He started telling her about the interesting things that had happened at kindergarten, but she couldn't bring herself to care. Even the food tasted like cardboard to her.

She looked at Jordan, who was listening attentively to Ansel's stories. He would even occasionally chime in.

Suddenly, the whole situation seemed ironic to her. She was sure something like this had already happened with Holly in their midst. Was there any need for a repeat performance with her around?

…

Later that night, the family of three got into bed together, leaving only a night light on in the bedroom. Jordan held Sabrina in his arms, and Ansel clung to her arm. They both wanted to sleep with her in their arms.

"How old are you, Dad? Why do you still want to sleep with Mom?" Ansel asked, putting on a mature act.

"What's that supposed to mean? Rina is my wife—why can't I sleep with her? You, on the other hand, are already four. Why do you still want to sleep with your mother?"

The father and son were at a stalemate. They wanted Sabrina to settle the argument for them but found that she'd already fallen asleep.

Just then, Jordan's phone vibrated. Someone was video-calling him. His expression stiffened when he saw it was Holly calling. He turned to glance at Sabrina, who was unaffected by the call.

Then, he picked up his phone and sneaked out of the room. Ansel saw this and followed suit. Once they were outside, Jordan turned down the volume before answering the call. In the next second, Holly's voice rang out.

"What should I do, guys? It's only been a short while since you left, but I already miss you. It's so lonely being in this enormous villa without anyone else by my side. Can you guys come over to be with me again?"

Jordan glanced at the bedroom door, which was shut. Then, he said patiently, "Be good, okay? It's late now, so we'll only go over tomorrow."

Holly wouldn't settle for that. Her eyes turned red. "I know Mrs. Faust will always be your top priority. I'm not asking for much—I just want you guys to occasionally spend some time with me and give me a small portion of your love. Is that too much to ask?"

Ansel hurriedly tugged on Jordan's sleeve when he heard how choked up Holly sounded. "Let's go, Dad. I want to see Holly! Let's go!"

Faced with persuasion on both sides, Jordan started to sway. After a while, he bent down and gestured for Ansel to be quiet. "Let's sneak out, then. We don't want to wake your mother."

In the bedroom, Sabrina opened her eyes, allowing her tears to flow down her face and onto the pillow. She didn't wipe them or do anything else. All she did was lie there and listen as the footsteps faded.

Chapter 3

Jordan and Ansel stayed out for the rest of the night. When Sabrina came out of the room the next day, she saw the empty living room. Just then, her phone vibrated. She checked it to see a message from Jordan.

"I left early for a meeting at the office, babe. I also dropped Ansel off at kindergarten. Breakfast is on the table—remember to eat it."

She didn't expose his horrible act. Instead, she replied with an "OK" before leaving the house. She didn't have the time to put up with their circus act—she had things to do.

Sabrina took a cab to a crematorium. She wanted to make a reservation. The employee asked her who the deceased was as they recorded the information in the system. She said indifferently, "It's me."

The employee faltered and gave her a pitying look. It was sad that such a young woman was making preparations for her death. The employee wondered if she had a terminal illness.

Sabrina ignored this and continued, "Could you send someone to No. 9, Lightwater Villas on the 22nd of October to pick up my body for cremation?"

"What should we do with the ashes? Should we inform your family, or…"

Sabrina shook her head. "No, that's not necessary. I want you to scatter my ashes after the cremation—I'll pay extra for that."

Her soul would be extracted from the mission world when it was time to leave, and her physical body would die. Despite that, she wanted to disappear from this world so thoroughly that Jordan and Ansel wouldn't even have anything to remember her by.

She left the crematorium after paying. Then, she saw three people sitting nearby. Jordan had his arms around Holly as he coaxed her gently while Ansel was considerately drying Holly's tears. It was such a heartwarming sight that it was almost as if they were a family.

Things would've been perfect if she hadn't interrupted them. She asked, "What are you guys doing?"

Jordan and Ansel panicked when they saw her. The former hurriedly released Holly, and the latter shot to his feet. The two stood with their backs straight, immediately distancing themselves from Holly.

Sabrina approached them and looked at Jordan. "Aren't you supposed to be at work?"

She turned to Ansel. "And aren't you supposed to be in kindergarten?"

Jordan stepped forward, the slightest hint of anxiety in his tone as he said, "Don't get the wrong idea about this, Rina. I ran into Ms. Rivers while on my way to drop Ansel at kindergarten. I saw her crying her heart out, so I asked her what happened.

"She told me that her loved one had just passed away and she didn't know what to do. That's why I brought her here. I was only comforting her earlier."

Ansel tugged on Sabrina's shirt, saying pitifully, "It's true, Mom. Dad only brought Holly here because he pitied her. Don't be mad at us, okay?"

Holly dried her tears at this and looked at Sabrina in trepidation. She bit her lip and said, "It's all my fault, Mrs. Faust. I didn't mean to keep Mr. Faust and Mr. Ansel from their work and studies. I was in a lot of pain because of my loved one's death, and they were comforting me. Please, don't be mad at them."

There wasn't anything wrong with her explanation, but the lie was exposed when an employee approached her with an urn of ashes. "Your dog's ashes are here, Ms. Rivers."

Sabrina glanced at the urn and asked, "So, this is the loved one you guys mentioned?"

Holly took the urn and clenched her fists around it. Her earlier sorrowful expression now became an awkward one.

She was about to say something when Jordan said, "The dog was with Ms. Rivers for over a decade, Rina. I'm sure it was just like family to her."

Sabrina glanced at him without saying anything else. After that, the four got into the car and headed to a restaurant for lunch. Halfway to their destination, Jordan suddenly remembered something and turned to Sabrina.

"Why were you at the crematorium, Rina?"

She mocked herself in her heart. It was funny that it had taken him so long to think about asking this.

She looked at Holly, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, and said, "My friend's dog died, too. She was so overwhelmed by her sadness that I had to be there on her behalf."

Chapter 4

The atmosphere in the car suddenly became awkward. Jordan was about to say something when the driver stopped the car. "We've arrived at the restaurant, Mr. Faust."

As soon as they entered the private room, Jordan started fussing over whether Sabrina would be cold if the air conditioner kept blowing in her face. He had her switch seats before pouring her a hot drink and warming her hands.

On the surface, he did seem like the perfect husband. The scene would've been picture-perfect if not for the restaurant's manager suddenly entering the room with a gift.

He stood respectfully before Jordan, Holly, and Ansel. "This is your 99th time at our restaurant, Mr. Faust, Mrs. Faust, and Mr. Ansel. Last year, you celebrated your wedding anniversary here. This year, we've prepared an anniversary gift and a cake for you. We wish you all the happiness in the world."

He held out the gift, but no one accepted it. Silence descended upon the room, which confused him. Before he could say anything, Sabrina laughed.

The sound made Jordan snap to his senses. He shoved the manager's gift away, looking furious as he pointed at Sabrina. "What are you talking about? This is my wife—that woman is only my secretary!

"And what was that about this being our 99th time here? You must have gotten the wrong people. This is our first time here as a family!"

The manager's gaze traveled between Holly and Sabrina, his expression one of disbelief. "But I—"

"That's enough. Get the hell out of here!" Jordan's gaze was filled with warning and impatience.

Only then did the manager catch on and hurriedly apologize. "I'm so sorry about this. We must have gotten the wrong people."

Once he was gone, Jordan hurriedly held Sabrina's hand, looking panicked. "Don't overthink this, Rina. This really is my first time at this restaurant."

He glanced at Ansel. The latter hurried over to Sabrina and clung to her arm. "It's true, Mom. This really is Dad's first time bringing me to this restaurant. Cross my heart and hope to die!"

A hint of jealousy flashed in Holly's eyes when she saw how anxious Jordan and Ansel were as they tried to convince Sabrina to believe them. She clenched her fists before releasing them and forcing out a smile.

"They're telling the truth, Mrs. Faust. Please don't let this drive a wedge between you and Mr. Faust. This is an upscale restaurant that many couples come to. Why would Mr. Faust and I ever come here?"

Sabrina's gaze was mocking as she looked at them put on an act. Earlier, as soon as they'd entered the restaurant, the server had greeted them like they were old friends and led them to a private room without even asking whether they had a reservation. They hadn't even needed to order any dishes.

Would anyone believe this was really Jordan and Ansel's first time here?

She didn't expose their lies, though. She said indifferently, "Alright, I got it. Let's eat."

She didn't want to waste any more time on their lies and reached out to get some food. That was when she realized she couldn't eat any of the many dishes—they were all spicy, which her stomach couldn't handle. They were catered to Holly's tastes, though.

Jordan turned to look at her when he noticed that she wasn't eating. Then, he followed her line of sight and looked at the spicy dishes. He blanched, seemingly remembering that she couldn't handle spiciness. He raised a hand to ask the server to change the dishes.

However, she shook her head. "It's fine."

The meal ended on an awkward note, after which the group got into the extended Rolls-Royce. Jordan and Ansel sat beside Sabrina on the way home. They seemed to notice that she wasn't in the best mood and kept trying to cheer her up.

Holly couldn't help getting jealous when she saw this. Her tone carried a hint of sourness as she said, "You guys are such a happy family, Mr. Faust. I envy you, Mrs. Faust—I'd be overjoyed to have such a wonderful husband and son."

Sabrina looked at her and smiled perfunctorily. "Don't worry. I'm sure you'll have that in the future."

She'd already given Jordan and Ansel to Holly, after all.

Just then, a blinding light shone into the car. Sabrina raised a hand to shield her eyes. She was about to ask what had happened when the sound of brakes screeching rang out. Then, a truck rammed into them from the front after losing control.

"Holly, watch out!"

"Be careful, Holly!"

As the car spun around, Sabrina watched as Jordan and Ansel moved past her to shield Holly from danger.

Chapter 5

The first thing Sabrina saw when she next opened her eyes was the white ceiling. The smell of disinfectant invaded her senses.

A nurse entered the ward to change her dressing. She hurried forward happily when she saw that Sabrina was awake. "You're finally awake, Mrs. Faust! You have no idea how anxious Mr. Faust and Mr. Ansel were while you were unconscious.

"They stayed by your bedside to watch over you around the clock and got the city's best doctors to check on you. They even went to Fordham Church outside the city to pray for your safety. They climbed the 999 steps leading to the church, praying the whole time. They made the trending topics, you know!"

The nurse showed Sabrina her phone. In the video, Jordan and Ansel slowly made their way up the steps to the church. Many people believed there was something about Fordham Church that made one's wishes come true, so many visited the place to pray for miracles.

Jordan and Ansel were the first to pray every step of the way, though. That was why so many people had filmed them. In the video, they stopped on each step and chanted something before praying that Sabrina would wake up soon.

Instead of being moved, Sabrina only found the situation cruel and mocking. If Jordan and Ansel truly loved her so, why would they have abandoned her to protect Holly when the accident had happened?

The news of Sabrina regaining consciousness soon reached Jordan's and Ansel's ears. They hurried back to the city and charged into her ward, throwing their arms around her.

This wasn't her first time seeing Jordan lose control like this, but she'd definitely never seen Ansel like this. Still, she wasn't touched when she saw their red eyes and trembling hands. She only felt numb.

Wouldn't it have been great if she'd died in that accident? That way, they could be a happy family with Holly. Wasn't that the best for everyone? Why were they still putting on acts before her like this?

Jordan and Ansel cried and spoke for a long time, but Sabrina didn't react to anything. They released her, feeling taken aback when they saw her calm expression and the mockery deep in her eyes.

Seemingly remembering what had happened before the accident, Jordan hurriedly explained that he and Ansel had only tried to shield Holly because she and Sabrina were dressed too similarly. He claimed they'd mistaken her for Sabrina.

"I'm sorry, Rina. It really was a case of mistaken identity. I swear I won't do it again," Jordan said.

Ansel added, "Me too, Mom. I promise I won't mistake Holly for you anymore. Can you please forgive us?"

They were quick to make promises, but Sabrina only felt tired. They'd lied to her so many times that it seemed they were actually starting to believe their lies.

She closed her eyes, feeling exhausted. She didn't want to hear any more. The clothes she'd worn that day had been completely different from Holly's outfit, and she'd clearly heard them cry out Holly's name when the accident had happened.

Sabrina wanted to tell them to come up with better lies if they wanted to keep the act going. Couldn't they even do that properly?

She turned away from them without saying a word, allowing her tears to flow freely. Jordan and Ansel thought she was just tired, so they stopped talking and quietly left the ward.

For the next few days, they refused to leave her side, perhaps out of guilt or diffidence. Jordan even rejected all of Holly's calls.

The neglect made Holly panic. She decided to switch tactics and go after Sabrina instead.

Sabrina received several photos and a video from Holly. Despite knowing the three of them had already formed a family behind her back, she was still hurt when she saw the photos of them together.

The first showed Jordan standing before the window with Holly in his arms. There were fireworks outside and hickeys on Holly's neck.

The second showed Ansel sound asleep in Holly's arm. He held her sleeve tightly, seemingly afraid she would leave him.

The third showed the three of them at a restaurant. They sat together, looking just like a happy family.

The fourth showed them having a snowball fight and building snowmen. There were joyful smiles on each of their faces.

As for the video, it was a recording of a birthday celebration. Jordan and Ansel kissed Holly's cheeks while wishing her.

Jordan said, "Happy birthday, honey."

Ansel said, "Happy birthday, Mom."