JASMINE
My skull felt like it had been split open with a hammer.
I pressed my palm to my temple, fingers digging in as if I could pull the pain out as I felt my world tilt.
Instantly, nausea hit me followed by a sudden flood of images that weren't mine.
"I hate this life. I want to die. I am so tired."
The words echoed in my skull, soft and broken, like a prayer no one ever answered. Then came the screech of metal, the shattering of glass, the sickening crunch of impact, and then everything blurred into black.
When my eyes snapped open, the ceiling above me was so wrong and unfamiliar. Soft gold light from a crystal chandelier and silky sheets tangled around legs that felt too smooth.
This wasn't my cramped apartment with peeling paint and the constant drip of the faucet.
I sat up too fast as pain lanced through my head again, sharper this time, and then memories that are not mine crashed in like waves.
A man's voice, low and venomous: "You are pathetic." Bruises blooming across pale skin as I felt a weak body whisper in the dark. "Stephan… please… look at me…"
I squeezed my eyes shut, breathing hard. My hands… long, manicured nails, no calluses trembled as I touched my face.
Just then the door burst open and a woman in a crisp black uniform rushed in, eyes wide with relief.
"Ma'am! You are awake!"
I stared at her, searching for recognition but there was nothing. It was just a blank spot where memory should be.
"It's been almost a month since the accident," she whispered, voice cracking as tears shimmered in my eyes. "We were so scared. The doctors said… the coma…"
"Accident?" My voice came out hoarse, unfamiliar, and higher-pitched than I remembered.
She nodded frantically. "A car crash and that made you lose consciousness. Thank God it wasn't worse."
Another wave hit memories that sliced deeper.
"Please… help me…"
Sobs choked in my throat that weren't mine. It was like the body remembering terror.
Then the woman stepped closer. "I will call the doctor right away and water…."
"Water first," I managed. "Please." Then she hurried out, leaving me alone.
I swung my legs over the edge of the bed, and the floor was cool. I padded to the full-length mirror across the room.
The reflection stole my breath.
Long dark hair cascaded in perfect waves: flawless skin, high cheekbones, full lips.
Eyes like storm clouds, beautiful, haunted. Expensive silk nightgowns clung to curves in this body.
But those eyes… they carried stories no one had bothered to read. This was the first time I have been brought to this kind of world, I am always the useless one who would hardly speak before I get killed off.
(System…) I yelled looking around, (Show yourself… and tell me what I am to do now!)
(System online. Welcome back, Host.)
The mechanical voice rang clear in my mind. Then a translucent panel shimmered into view at the edge of my vision.
[Current Identity is Jasmine Maxwell… Mission World I "Shattered Vows" Romance/Abuse Redemption Arc]
I scoffed at this moment, (For goodness sake for once can't you just put me in…) I suddenly felt my lips sealed like I couldn't speak anymore.
[Host's main Objective is to make the male lead, Stephan Maxwell, fall genuinely in love with you. Achieve true love confession + happy ending.]
(what!) I yelled out again as I broke through his locking stage but it only proceeded.
[Current Points is 30/100…. Failure Penalty is Permanent deletion of host consciousness. Real-world consequence: Mother's life support terminated.]
(Why always me… what happened? To give me 100 points! Why is my life like this!) I cried out.
[Reminder is that Deviation from the plot may result in point deductions.]
I laughed short, bitter… just like the normal days I don't care this time around I see no reason to care.
(You already know the drill, Host. This is just another mission for you to prove yourself.)
"Stop," I whispered aloud as those memories kept dancing there through my head."
(Host… The original owner of this body endured years of emotional abuse from the male lead. Your task is to rewrite her ending and make him love her.)
I stared at my reflection as I spoke.. (So you are saying he hurt her, broke her and you want me to crawl back to him? Make him fall in love with the woman he nearly destroyed?"
(The system does not judge plot morality. It enforces completion. You haven't succeeded in the 17 previous worlds. Don't make this your last.)
"Every night she cried herself to sleep wondering why the man who vowed to cherish her treated her like garbage… and now you expect me to succeed in this one.."
Silence from the system before it spoke again.
(Emotional attachment is inefficient, so focus on the strategy. The male lead is approaching…. Review profile?)
I didn't answer as the footsteps echoed in the hallway and drew closer, a few seconds later the door opened without a knock.
There he stepped in, tall, broad-shouldered in a Tailored black suit that screamed money and menace.
I watch with my mouth ajar as his dark hair swept back, a sharp jawline well sculpted defining his handsome facial features.
Stephan Maxwell… he does live up to his name.
Suddenly I recalled the pain the woman felt and how her heart had begun to beat just seeing him.
From sheer, furious recognition of what this man had done to the woman whose body I now wore.
He stopped just inside the doorway, gaze raking over me.
"You are awake." His voice was low, clipped. "Already plotting your next little game?"
The system pinged urgently.
(Male lead detected. Host, maintain cover. Act fragile. Remind him of your devotion..) But you know what? I ignored it.
I walked toward him slowly, bare feet silent on the tiled floor. But then I stopped inches away but close enough to smell his cologne.
"Yeah," I answered softly. "Plotting how to end you before this farce goes any further."
His expression didn't change at first. Then something dark flashed in those eyes.
In a blur, his hand shot out as his Fingers wrapped around my throat, weirdly I could feel it wasn't tight enough to choke me. He slammed me back against the wall as the impact jarred my already aching head.
"You should have died in that crash," he hissed. "It would have saved me the headache of looking at your face every day."
Tears stung my eyes instantly as my heart broke into pieces. This body remembered this grip and it remembered worse.
Instantly, I grabbed his wrist and twisted it hard. Then I used speed to spin us now his back hit the wall. I leaned in, forearm pressing against his throat.
"How dare you!" I snarled into his ear, my voice low. How in the world was she letting this happen? I knew I was in a weak body, but my soul was still mine, and I hadn't forgotten the fighting skills I had honed through the system's brutal training.
The memories of countless battles and survival instincts kicked in, and I prepared to unleash the fury.
"How dare you put your hands on me again. If you hate me so much, divorce me. Freaking sign the papers and let me go."
His eyes widened at once, and at once the system screamed in my head.
[Warning!! Major plot deviation detected! 5 points have been detected and your current 25/100. Continuing your bullheadedness will result in further penalties. Host death in this world and also in the real world.]
But crazily I didn't care and then glared back at Stephan who stared down at me, breathing hard. For the first time, something flickered behind the ice gaze.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" he murmured.
"The woman who finally stopped begging," I replied and then I shoved away from him and walked to the door.
"Get out," I said quietly. "And don't come back until you are ready to talk like adults. Or better yet don't come back at all."
He didn't move immediately and just watched me with those predator eyes.
Then he straightened his cuff, turned, and left without another word.
Just as the door clicked shut. I sank to the floor, back against the wall trembling.
(Host… what have you done?) The system sounded almost… worried.
I closed my eyes.
"I did what she never could," I whispered. "I fought back."
Then the panel hovered.
[Points are 25/100. The new status is that of a host in the rebellion phase. Consequences pending… make the next mistake and you regret it]
I laughed again, weak and exhausted. This time, I wasn't playing their game this time around. I will make sure to rewrite it.