【What's so sad about it? Mr. Farley gave her a million. Knowing this woman, she'll just hand it back tomorrow.】

【Right, Mr. Farley's money is destined to belong to our sweet girl. So is the man.】

【Ugh, if I had an ex-wife sister like this, even if I couldn't keep the guy, I'd at least keep the money.】

I sat with my knees pulled to my chest and cried the whole night through.

The floating text had me pegged. I really was putting on airs, playing at some pure, noble love.

Kenneth Farley hands me money and I won't even take it.

If I hadn't seen that text, on the day of the divorce I'd probably have walked away with nothing but the clothes on my back.

By the time I'd cried until dawn, I'd finally worked it out.

Kenneth doesn't want me, so I'll just take the money like a sensible person. The moment the heroine shows up, I'll read the room and leave.

Decision made, I crawled back into the bedroom and went back to sleep.

When Kenneth got up that morning and didn't see me, he froze for a rare second.

He pushed open the bedroom door, and only when he saw the small lump in the middle of the bed did his expression ease.

At headquarters, he'd just sat down for the morning meeting when he paused, then pressed the intercom and called in his assistant.

“This is my wife's account number. Transfer her three million from my personal account.”

I slept soundly.

From the day I married Kenneth and spent every waking moment trying to please him, up to today, it was the first time I'd slept this easy.

When I woke, it was already past two in the afternoon.

Which meant I hadn't gotten up to make him breakfast, and I hadn't brought him lunch either.

I figured he didn't care.

I opened my phone, and for once there was a message from Kenneth.

【Let's put yesterday behind us.】

【I transferred you some money. Buy yourself something you like.】

I tapped the balance. Three million, even.

Thank you, Mr. Farley, for pushing my savings straight into seven figures.

I let out a bitter little laugh. If I'd gone after the money this hard sooner, maybe I'd already be set for life.

I splashed some water on my face and decided to go out for a bit.

Somehow my feet carried me back to the coffee shop downstairs.

A girl in a white dress stood there with a stack of pamphlets, handing them out to passersby under the blazing sun.

The floating text exploded at once.

【Ahhh it's our sweet girl Doris Swanson, she's so hardworking, out doing free public legal-awareness outreach even in this heat!】

【I remember she's on her period today and in awful pain, the male lead's going to run into her and take her up to the CEO's office!】

Really? So this was the girl who'd later turn Kenneth into a lovesick fool.

She was... honestly better-looking than me.

Her skin was so fair it almost glowed; even under the sun, it stayed soft and pink.

Not even the loose white dress could hide her figure.

She did look pale, though, no doubt the cramps making her miserable.

Just then, Kenneth strode out of the headquarters building.

Doris swayed, then toppled straight into his arms.

The whole screen flooded with “omg so sweet I'm obsessed”.

And just as the text said, Kenneth froze for a moment, looking at her face.

For the first time, he didn't push an outsider away. He hesitated, then bent down, lifted her sideways into his arms, and turned and walked straight back inside.

I didn't watch the rest. I closed my eyes.

I didn't need to. The leads meet, they're drawn to each other whether they like it or not, and they fall into one grand, sweeping love.

And then I, the unwanted cannon fodder, make my exit.

Some things really can't be fixed by trying harder.

My nose stung, and I wanted to cry and laugh at the same time.

In a daze I drifted into the mall next door, spotted a salon, and turned in.

The stylist smiled at me. “What can I do for you today, miss?”

I pointed at the top of my head. “This stuff. Dye it green.”

He blinked. “That color... might not be a good idea?”

“It's fine. It fits the occasion.”

The look in his eyes turned to pity.

I used to think Kenneth liked refined, ladylike women, so I'd worked myself ragged trying to dress the part.

In the end, he didn't so much as glance at me.

I knew I wasn't pretty. A face that ran a little round, still soft with baby fat, awkward no matter how I looked at it.

Once my hair was dyed forest green, the stylist laughed.

"Hey, gorgeous, I have to say, this color really suits you. Like a witch of the woods."

My smile came out worse than crying. "Does it? Maybe… this is the real me."

Not like Doris Swanson, who just had to stand there and the whole air around her went delicate and soft and lovely.

I went to the mall next door and bought a comfortable set of casual clothes.

When the salesgirl asked what to do with the dress, I said, "Throw it out."

It was just one of the things I'd bought guessing at what Kenneth might like. He didn't like it, and I didn't either. No use keeping it.

Back home, I emptied out more than half my closet—what could be given away, given away; what should be tossed, tossed.

I was still at it past six in the evening when Kenneth came back from the office.

He looked a little surprised to see me carrying bags out to throw away.

"It's the middle of the evening. What are you doing? I thought you loved that dress."

I kept my head down. "I don't anymore. So I'm throwing it out."

"That color on your hair…"

"It suits the mood."

"…"

He didn't press.

Coming in, he saw the dining table was bare.

"You…"

That was when I remembered I hadn't cooked.

"Sorry, I'm a little tired today. Let me order you some delivery."

His eyes settled on me.

"Don't bother. I'm not hungry."

He turned and went into the guest room.

As we passed each other, a faint scent of gardenia drifted off him.

That was Doris Swanson's scent.

Warm water came down from the showerhead.

Kenneth leaned against the bathroom wall, his head full of the image of Lorraine straddling his lap the night before.

He admitted there'd been a reaction. Those ten ginseng tonic pills hadn't been for nothing.

But what bothered him more was that he kept going back to that kiss.

Shameful, and somehow restless with it.

He soaped himself absently, one ear on the sounds outside the whole time.

Half an hour passed, and Lorraine never came in.

He ran his tongue along the inside of his cheek and decided he must be losing his mind.

How could he be hoping she'd come in and kiss him again.

It wasn't as if he even liked her.

He rinsed off the suds, pulled on a robe, and walked out.

A little thirsty, he told himself. He just wanted a glass of water from the kitchen.

But in the living room the lights were all off.

That was when he saw that Lorraine had already gone to sleep.

Something about it left him uneasy, and he turned and went back to the bedroom.

That night, he dreamed of the study, of Lorraine straddling his lap—and he didn't push her away…

The next morning when I woke, there was breakfast on the table.

Kenneth had cooked, which he rarely did. Seeing me, he smiled faintly. "You're up? You'd had some wine yesterday, so I made you a bowl of warm oatmeal to settle your stomach."

I gave a quiet hum.

Just as my heart started to ease a little, I saw the text again.

【Damn, what's going on? Mr. Farley actually made breakfast for the ex-wife?】

【No way—it's because he heard yesterday that our precious Doris has a bad stomach, and he wants to learn how to make soothing porridge. He's just practicing on the ex-wife.】

【I'm telling you, she looks like she's about to cry. She's not going to misread this as him liking her again, is she?】

【So shameless. Looking like that, no self-awareness at all, and still throwing herself at him.】

The more they cursed me, the colder I went inside.

I drank the porridge in silence.

Kenneth ate his sandwich, watching me from the corner of his eye. "Is it good?"

I hummed. "It's good."

When he makes it for Doris Swanson later, she'll probably like it.

I picked up the bowl and chopsticks and went into the kitchen, never noticing that behind me, Kenneth's gaze stayed fixed on me the whole time.

As he was heading out, he suddenly bent down, wanting to kiss me.

It startled me, and I leaned back out of his reach.

"What is it?"

"Nothing." He cleared his throat and explained awkwardly, "It's just, we're married. This is normal."

I gave a wry smile and waved him off. "No, no need. You don't have to do that anymore, ever."

You don't have to force yourself to accept me against your own feelings. Go do what you actually want to do.

I looked at Kenneth's handsome face and quietly drew a period at the end of this relationship.

Kenneth's face darkened, and he left for the office.

Now that the heroine had appeared, I figured our marriage would probably be over soon.

After that I'd be on my own, with no idea what to do.

I wanted someone to talk it through with, so I took a cab to my mother's place.

She was there, holding my little brother in the sun.

When she saw me, displeasure flickered in her eyes. "What are you doing here?"

I explained awkwardly, "Nothing, I just wanted to see you. Mom, there's something I want to talk to you about—"

Right then, my little brother took a tumble.

She rushed over and scooped him up in a panic. "If there's something, just text me. His dad's coming back soon, and he doesn't like you, so hurry up and go."

So I sheepishly went looking for my father, only to find the gate locked tight.

I called him. On the other end I could hear waves, and a woman calling out to him with a laugh in her voice.

"I'm on vacation abroad. Don't call me unless it's important."

"Dad, there's something—"

"If there's something, tell your mother. Stop always coming to me for money! You're not only my child!"

And with a sharp click, he hung up.

I stood at the intersection, my mind a blank.

Right then, the floating text came through again.

【Yes! Yes! Our girl brought soothing chicken soup to Mr. Farley, and the two of them had a sweet little meal together all afternoon.】

【So sweet, so sweet. When does the ex-wife go offline? I want to see Mr. Farley burn for love.】

【Soon, soon. By the plot, in about two more months Mr. Farley should be proposing to our girl. Before that, the ex-wife will definitely get dealt with.】

I wanted to cry and couldn't, breaking down inside.

Even if I'm just a side character, shouldn't I get a little something sweet too?

Forget it. From the moment my parents divorced and neither of them wanted me, I've been used to this feeling, the one where the good things never come around to me.

I crouched by the side of the road and cried for a while before getting up to leave.

Right then, a black Mercedes slowed to a stop beside me.

The window rolled down, revealing a gentle face.

"Lorraine Barnes? What are you doing here?"

I looked up, and to my surprise, I recognized him.

"Caspar Lawson... Lawson?"

Caspar nodded. "Yeah, just got out of the lab. You looked familiar, so I came over to check."

He'd been Kenneth's startup partner back in college. Later they disagreed on direction, so he sold his stake and went out on his own, building his own medical company.

Apart from that brief glimpse at the wedding, we'd never seen each other again.

I hadn't expected him to still remember me, let alone get out of the car and hand me a pack of tissues.

For some reason I felt embarrassed. "Thank you..."

Caspar smiled. "What's wrong? Crying like this. Did Kenneth do something to you?"

The peanut gallery started up.

【Oh, this is Mr. Lawson, right? That big shot, rich, good-looking, and a man with heart!】

【I heard this guy's stayed single all along, focused on his career. Totally clean.】

【If you ask me, the ex-wife's just unlucky. If she'd caught Mr. Lawson's eye, she'd at least have a life of comfort and wealth, no worrying about him falling for someone else.】

【Hahaha, you're right. Mr. Lawson loves no one, only his career. Being with a man like that, honestly, is so damn convenient.】

Caspar... convenient?