After Penelope Hart, a rich socialite, loses her memories, she starts pursuing me relentlessly. Having played the role of her boyfriend for the next three years, I realize that I've developed actual feelings for her.

When Penelope gets pregnant, I plan on proposing to her. That's when I hear Jonathan Parker, the high school senior who used to bully me, tell her, "Penelope, thank you for pretending to be amnesiac and pull a prank on Edward for 99 times just to get revenge for me.

"Once you've pulled the 100th prank on him, I'll date you."

Only then do I find out that Jonathan is the man Penelope has been yearning for but can't date the whole time. As for me, I'm just the clown whom she uses just to please Jonathan.

Later on, I die in a plane crash.

After searching for my remains like a lunatic in the wreckage, Penelope finally locates a ring. A message is carved on the band.

"For the 100th prank, I bet you love me."

Rumors have it that Penelope has cried her heart out while on her knees to the point that her body goes into shock, resulting in her getting sent to the hospital. When she wakes up, she decides to get revenge on everyone who's involved in the pranks that were used on me.

I, on the other hand, burn my medical records with a smile on my face on a winter night in Ferentia.

Since Penelope decides to toy with my feelings with her fake amnesia, I decide to fake my death so that I can teach her a proper lesson in life.

From the other side of the wall, Jonathan Parker called out cheerfully, "Penelope, the 96th prank was a success!"

Penelope Hart's voice carried a trace of mockery that felt unfamiliar to me. "Jon, do you find this funny?"

Her friends started cheering and encouraging them.

"We're getting back at him for you, Jonathan. Edward shouldn't have taken your national scholarship and won the game design competition."

"Jonathan, once we've pulled a hundred pranks on Edward, Penelope can finally be with you!"

I felt my blood freeze in an instant.

"I've got to say, Penelope really knows how to mess with people. Back then, she came up with the idea to fake amnesia just to prank Edward.

"The first time, she had Edward searching for a bracelet in the pouring rain, then handed it to Jonathan. The look on his face—"

The bracelet they were talking about was something Mom had given me before she passed away. Penelope said she lost it while moving. That day, I searched through a torrential storm for seven hours and ended up with a high fever.

My nails dug into my palms as I clutched the ring I had brought to propose to her.

Her friends laughed. "The best one was the day of Edward's thesis defense! Penelope told him that she got drunk at a bar and was beaten up. He rushed over, only to find no one there. I even snuck a photo of him crying and begging his advisor for another chance."

That time, I walked out of the thesis defense I had spent six months preparing for to look for Penelope, delaying my graduation as a result.

Jonathan chuckled. "And that time, Penelope folded the game design drafts Edward had stayed up three nights to finish into paper airplanes. He spent the whole night picking them up with bloodshot eyes. He looked utterly defeated."

Penelope laughed along. "How should we mess with Edward this time?"

"Let's tell him that Penelope's in the hospital and make him rush over. Then we'll throw a party and leave him waiting there for nothing. What do you think?" someone asked.

My phone vibrated immediately. It was a message from Penelope. "I'm in the ER at City Hospital. Come quickly."

But two minutes later, she deleted it, as if she felt guilty about lying to me. I pretended I hadn't seen it and didn't text back.

Honestly, I had seen this coming.

While Penelope was in the shower, I happened to discover an encrypted folder on her phone titled "Game Progress". Inside were 96 videos, exactly matching the number of times she had pranked me.

The password was Jonathan's birthday, 1224. She had lied, claiming that it was the day she first met me.

Last year, on that day, I waited in the snow for three hours to spend Christmas Eve with her. Meanwhile, she was sharing a glass of red wine with Jonathan at the Hart residence and didn't show up until late at night.

When she finally arrived, she carefully wrapped a scarf around my neck. Her eyes flickered with affection, as if I meant everything to her.

A dull ache spread through my chest as I opened her WhatsApp. In her pinned chat, she had been reporting the progress of the pranks to Jonathan every single day. Line after line of messages stared back at me.

"Today I told Edward I had to work overtime, but I actually went to the theme park with you. He waited for me until 3:00 am."

"I purposely told Edward his competition was two hours later than it really was. Watching him run in his pajamas was hilarious."

The last message was from the day of the class reunion. That day, when Jonathan "accidentally" knocked over a cup of scalding coffee, Penelope had instinctively shielded me.

But in the chat history, her message read, "Touching him felt gross. I had to use sanitizer three times."

I called Dad and told him that I wanted to move to Paville with him.

Ever since she passed away five years ago, he had lived in the place where he and Mom fell in love, spending his days there to be near her. I had stayed behind for Penelope, turning down opportunities to study abroad. As a result, I hardly saw him all year.

I once believed that my devotion would eventually win her over, but I was wrong. To her, my love was nothing more than a prank, and I was just a fool she used to pursue her true love.

Dad sounded thrilled when he heard me, saying I had finally come to my senses.

I fought back my tears and let out a quiet grunt in agreement. "Dad, when I leave, help me fake a plane crash."

Though he didn't understand why, he agreed anyway.

That crash would be my last gift to Penelope. I wanted her to spend the rest of her life drowning in regret.

I deleted all the photos of Penelope and me from my phone. While I was packing at home, a notebook slipped out of her safe. It had a dark green cover embossed with a phoenix totem from the game "Embers of Myth".

That was the first version of the game's logo, which I had spent 36 sleepless nights designing. Penelope had it printed on the cover. The notebook held all my design sketches, which she had carefully collected, hoping my dream would come true.

I paused when I reached the seventh page. There was a sticky note next to a photo of me wearing glasses and writing code.

It read, "Today, Edward sounded so fierce when he scolded the planners. The revised plan was ten times better. How could there be such an adorable genius?"

I remembered how Penelope had stayed up with me every time I pulled an all-nighter sketching. She would give me massages and make midnight snacks. Since I stayed up late too often, she even took the time to learn how to brew herbal teas and prepare healthy meals for me.

Although she claimed her love for me was just a prank, it was clear she had been deeply invested in our relationship too.

Tucked into the last page was a flight ticket stub from last year's Valentine's Day.

Her neat handwriting read, "If I had to choose again, I would still pretend to lose the ticket and trick Edward into staying at the airport to revise my proposal with me all night, because it was the 72nd prank I promised Jonathan."

Raindrops pattered against the bay window.

I realized then that all my love had been built on self-deception. She might have loved me, but she loved Jonathan more. I was nothing more than a tool she used to let him vent his frustrations.

My hands shook as I pulled out my phone and booked a flight out of the country.

Late at night, I lay in bed and heard Penelope come home, but I pretended not to notice. The mattress sank behind me as a pair of arms wrapped around me tightly.

She rested her head against my neck, her voice warm and full of joy. "We're having a baby, Teddy."

I already knew. My phone was linked to Penelope's medical records, so I received her prenatal check-up report the moment it was issued.

That was why I spent all my savings on the most expensive diamond ring and rushed to propose to her without hesitation. Only then did I find out that everything was just a prank.

I felt a deep, overwhelming sadness I couldn't shake.

The baby she carried was the final proof of the love we had shared over the past three years, but it was also an oversight in her game—an accident she hadn't planned.

When I stayed silent for too long, she grew impatient. "Teddy, did you hear me?" she asked.

Teddy was her nickname for me. She used to say I was like a caramel-colored teddy bear, a source of warmth meant only for her, and that she wanted me by her side forever.

I used to believe in her wholeheartedly, only to later discover that she and Jonathan laughed at how utterly foolish I was. She had made up the nickname just to mess with me for fun. All she wanted was to see me lose my dignity and become a fool blinded by love.

"Teddy, we're going to be the best parents and take great care of the baby," Penelope said.

It seemed that, deep down, she didn't want me to leave, so she made me promise to stay forever.

"I heard you," I replied flatly.

Even so, I wavered, wondering if I should cancel my flight. Maybe Penelope would finally stop her pranks.

Unaware of my thoughts, Penelope pulled out the prenatal check-up report and drew three little hearts on it with a fountain pen. It was the very pen I had bought her with my first paycheck after starting work. She had carried it with her for years.

I didn't say anything as Penelope held me tighter, whispering words of affection nonstop.

I reached out and held Penelope tightly. "I'm tired. Let's get some sleep," I said.

She went quiet immediately, only mentioning that we would be attending Jonathan's birthday party tomorrow before drifting off to sleep.

I had clearly overestimated how much she cared about me.

At Jonathan's birthday party, Penelope's friends pushed the biggest slice of cake toward her, saying, "Penelope, Jonathan said you love sweets the most."

I looked up at Penelope when I heard that, but she avoided my eyes and ate it as if nothing was wrong.

The moment she tasted the cake, she looked as if she was about to gag. Yet her friends held her down and continued forcing the rest of the cake into her mouth. "One bite won't be enough. We agreed to prank Edward with a miscarriage. Don't back out now."

I realized something was wrong and rushed over. "What are you doing?"

But Jonathan blocked me, holding a plate of cake. "Edward, it's my birthday—have some cake."

As soon as he finished speaking, he had someone pin me down and shoved the cake into my mouth.

After finishing the cake, Penelope ran to the restroom and threw up violently. Blood streamed down her legs, a horrifying sight.

The baby!

I tried to charge in, but Jonathan stood in the doorway and said with a grin, "Penelope just has an irregular period. It's common for women. Don't overreact, Edward."

Before I could speak, sharp cramps shot through my stomach. I collapsed to my knees, frothing at the mouth. Penelope's friends laughed and held up their phones to record my humiliation.

My vision blurred as I passed out on the floor. I finally realized that this birthday party had also been a prank, and the stakes were my child and me. Once again, she had won.

…

When I woke up, I heard Jonathan sneering outside the consultation room, scolding one of Penelope's friends. "Did you add too much of the hallucinogen? Wasn't the plan just to embarrass Edward in front of everyone? How did it end up turning into poisoning?"

The friend simply grinned and said, "Making Edward's stomach is actually doing Penelope a favor. She should be thanking me.

"At least Penelope successfully got rid of that burden in her womb. The prank was a success! I can't wait to see Edward's reaction when he wakes up.

"I recorded the video of Edward kneeling and frothing at the mouth. I'll share it in the group chat later so everyone can enjoy it."

Penelope stayed silent for a long time before speaking. "A prank is one thing, but don't mess with his health."

Jonathan demanded angrily, "Back then, weren't you the one who said you wanted to teach that nerd a lesson and get back at him for me?

"Weren't the pranks your idea? You said poisoning Edward and having a miscarriage would be your birthday gift to me. Are you in love with him or something?

Penelope denied it instantly, as if the idea was repulsive. "No way! Of course, I love you."

Laughter filled the hallway again. They celebrated the end of their 98th prank and started planning the 99th.

I touched my aching stomach. Penelope didn't act like a mother who had just lost her child at all. It turned out that hurting our baby and me had really been nothing more than her birthday present to Jonathan.

Penelope faked her amnesia and wasted three years of my devotion. Now, I would stage my own death and make her regret it for the rest of her life.

My fingers trembled, and just as I was about to call Dad, Penelope walked in. I closed my eyes and pretended to be asleep. I heard her say in a hoarse voice tinged with guilt, "Edward, I'm sorry."

The reason for her apology was obvious.

…

After I was discharged, Penelope said that Jonathan and the others had invited us to hike Mount Veridian. She told me that there was a chapel at the summit known for its power, and that she wanted me to come along to pray for our lost child.

I knew this might be another prank, but the thought of the baby made my heart ache. Since I would be leaving for Ferentia afterward, I treated it as a final goodbye to our child.

Throughout the hike, Penelope and her friends surrounded Jonathan, laughing at him and catering to him while completely ignoring me.

When we reached the wishing tree, Penelope bought a wooden plaque and wrote a blessing for the child alongside me.

Jonathan stood nearby and said, "Edward, you really are a good father."

I ignored his sarcasm.

There wasn't much room left on the tree, so I had to lean over the railing to hang the plaque. As I leaned out, someone suddenly shoved me from behind.

"Ah!"

Caught off guard, I tumbled forward down the steep slope. Sharp pain instantly shot through my entire body.

As I drifted in and out of consciousness, I heard Penelope's voice trembling. "Teddy, don't be scared. I'm taking you to the hospital."

Tears blurred my vision. I asked in a low voice, "Why? Why would you do this to me?"

Though my wounds were external, it felt like my heart was being torn to pieces too.

Penelope answered, "I didn't know they would do this. I really had no idea."