Chapter 2 — A Choice That Shouldn't Change
The accident came sooner than Millar expected.
It wasn't dramatic.
No warning.
No time to prepare.
Just one phone call—
—and everything changed.
"She's in the hospital."
The words echoed in Millar's mind as he stood frozen.
Chloe.
The girl who used to smile so brightly at him…
…was now lying unconscious.
The hospital corridor felt suffocating.
White walls.
Cold air.
Muted footsteps.
Millar stood outside the room, unable to move.
For the first time since transmigrating… fear crept in.
"This… this is where it starts…"
In the novel, this was the turning point.
The moment that decided everything.
Through the glass window, he saw her.
Chloe lay motionless on the bed, her face pale, almost fragile.
Too quiet.
Too still.
Not like her at all.
Millar's fingers trembled slightly.
"…She looks… so weak."
A strange feeling twisted in his chest.
Guilt?
Regret?
Or something else…
"You came."
A calm voice broke the silence.
Millar turned.
Andru stood behind him.
For a moment, Millar didn't know what to say.
This was the male lead.
The one who would take everything from him in the end.
The one who would survive.
Andru's eyes moved past him… landing on Chloe.
There was no strong emotion.
Just quiet concern.
The kind that stayed hidden.
"You don't have to stay," Andru said softly.
"I'll handle things here."
Millar frowned slightly.
In the novel… this was how it always was.
Andru silently taking responsibility.
Silently enduring everything.
"…No," Millar said.
Andru paused.
"I'll stay," Millar added.
That was new.
Andru looked at him—really looked this time.
As if trying to understand something that didn't match his expectations.
"…I see."
Inside the room—
Chloe couldn't move.
Couldn't speak.
But she could hear.
She could feel.
Footsteps.
Voices.
Presence.
Millar…?
Even in the darkness, she recognized him.
The one she liked.
The one she trusted.
The one she believed… would always choose her.
Her heart stirred faintly.
You came…
Time passed slowly.
Doctors came and went.
Machines beeped steadily.
Then came the conversation.
The one that sealed fate.
"The doctor said…"
Chloe's grandfather's voice was heavy.
"…if she marries, it might improve her condition."
Silence.
Heavy.
Unavoidable.
All eyes turned to Millar.
Because everyone knew.
Chloe loved him.
They had a contract.
They were supposed to marry.
This was the moment.
The exact moment.
In the original story—
He refused.
Millar's mind raced.
If he followed the plot…
He lives a little longer.
But dies miserably.
If he changes it…
Everything becomes unknown.
But one thing was clear.
He couldn't walk the same path again.
Millar looked at Chloe.
Lying there.
Helpless.
Yet still…
important.
"…I'll marry her."
The room froze.
Andru's eyes widened slightly.
Chloe's grandfather stiffened.
Even the air felt different.
Because this…
wasn't supposed to happen.
Inside the darkness—
Chloe heard it.
Every word.
Clear.
Undeniable.
"…I'll marry her."
Her silent world trembled.
Millar…
didn't leave her.
Something warm spread through her chest.
Soft.
Fragile.
But growing.
You… chose me…
Outside—
Andru lowered his gaze.
His hands clenched slightly… before relaxing again.
"…Understood," he said quietly.
But something had already shifted.
Fate had changed.
Just a little.
And somewhere deep within—
A feeling began to bloom.
Not love.
Not yet.
But something far more dangerous.
Possession.