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."

When I regained consciousness, my right leg was already encased in a thick plaster cast. The doctor said the injury could leave permanent damage.

Penelope sat beside my bed, looking haggard. Her face was drawn with distress, and her eyes were filled with guilt and sorrow.

She drew a tiny teddy bear on the plaster and said softly, "Teddy, I'll stay with you until you're fully recovered."

I closed my eyes as Penelope tucked me in, careful not to wake me.

Then she busied herself, gathering everything I needed for my hospital stay. She didn't stop for nearly an hour, looking like the most devoted girlfriend imaginable.

But she was the one who had caused all this.

I pretended to be asleep, but my heart pounded wildly in agony.

Penelope stayed by my bedside all night without sleeping. She kept kissing the bear on my cast, with tears streaming down her face. She gripped my hand tightly as if I would vanish the moment she let go.

"I'm sorry, Teddy. It's all my fault. I shouldn't have listened to them, and I shouldn't have hurt you.

"Luckily, I still have a chance. I'll never hurt you again. You're my life, Teddy," she whispered in a choked voice.

Penelope watched over me like that all night.

I knew she felt distressed because I was injured. Last time, she had even told Jonathan and the others that it was only a prank and that my health was off-limits. My heart softened for a moment, but then I realized how pathetic I was being.

Penelope's only true loyalty was to Jonathan. This was the 99th prank, and I was still nothing more than a tool she used to please him. Once again, she stood by and let them do this to me.

Who could say she wouldn't play the accomplice and hurt me again for the 100th time?

…

The next day, while Penelope went to buy breakfast, I called Dad. I asked him to send bodyguards to pick me up and to prepare the plane crash plan.

While I waited, Jonathan arrived. He looked like a victor, smiling with smug satisfaction. "Edward, breaking your leg was part of my plan. That was the 99th prank."

I ignored him.

Jonathan scanned me from head to toe, then glanced at the luxury watch on his wrist that Penelope had given him. "For the 100th prank, you'll be accused of plagiarism at the Aetheria Competition. Penelope sent me every single copy of your game, Embers of Myth.

"She's already bribed the committee. Your submission time will always be three minutes after mine. Just wait—you'll be exposed and shamed for life."

The Aetheria Competition was the most prestigious game design contest in the country, and I had spent two years preparing for it. The copies of Embers of Myth were right there on my computer.

Furious, I punched Jonathan. "You stole my work and are coveting my girlfriend! Jonathan, you're only good enough for leftovers. Don't you find that disgusting?"

Jonathan's brows furrowed, and he raised his hand to slap me. "You're the one using secondhand goods now!"

But the slap never landed.

"Jonathan, what are you doing?"

Penelope had returned, and behind her stood the bodyguards Dad had sent. For the first time ever, she lost her temper with Jonathan.

Jonathan understood that she had to stay in a relationship with me for one last prank, so he left without saying a word.

Before Penelope could explain, the bodyguards brought a wheelchair to take me away. Sensing something was wrong, she grabbed the wheelchair and asked nervously, "Teddy, what are you doing?"

I lowered my head. "I'm going to Ferentia to recover. Dad is too worried about me."

Penelope protested, saying she was concerned about me, and yet she was the very person who had caused my leg injury. I insisted that Dad wanted to see me as soon as possible, so she had no choice but to agree.

Then, as if she couldn't wait, she booked a flight for the next day right in front of me. She promised to come find me and asked for my flight number.

I paused for a moment before answering, "EB5882."

Penelope wanted to see me off, but her phone suddenly rang. It was her friend, Lilian Blake. "Penelope, come quickly! Jonathan fell down the stairs!"

She didn't even bother to explain what happened to Jonathan or say goodbye to me. She just bolted out the door.

I gave a bitter, cold laugh.

"Let's go," I said to the bodyguards.

…

At the airport, a bodyguard told me, "Mr. Lawson, the flight path has been arranged. Mr. Lawson Senior said he'll create the most perfect plane crash scene."

The electronic screen at the boarding gate flickered, showing 2C1621. I nodded and boarded the plane to Ferentia.

The crash was scheduled for 12:24 pm. That number was the date Penelope said we first met.

Whether it was true or not, I chose that moment so she would never forget me. I wanted her to remember that I died because of her pranks, leaving her with nothing but lifelong regret.

One second before the plane crashed, I sent Penelope one last text. "Penelope, for your 100th prank, I'm betting on my life!"

My phone was immediately flooded with calls and messages from Penelope.

The crash of EB5882 was completed.