After completing my mission, I married the man I had been trying to win over.

On our wedding night, I told him that the system had given me ninety-nine regret pills. Whenever he did something that hurt me, I would take one.

Once all the pills were gone, I would completely leave his life.

He held me close and promised he would never give me a reason to regret being with him.

Three months into our marriage, his childhood sweetheart came back from abroad.

The first time he stayed out all night, he realized that I would quietly take a pill after just crying once. After that, he began to act without any restraint.

Ten years later, on our anniversary, his childhood sweetheart threatened to kill herself again.

He left me without hesitation to handle the situation.

The next day, he returned with his neck covered in love bites and begged for my forgiveness. I did not cry.

I looked at him calmly and asked, “Can I take one of the regret pills?”

He shrugged as if it did not matter. “Go ahead. There are plenty left.”

I smiled and let him bring her into our home.

He did not know that there were only three pills left in the box.

Once they were gone, I would leave him for good.

“Mrs. Jordan, what stunt are you pulling this time?”

Mrs. Watson, the housekeeper, looked at the suitcase in my hand with displeasure.

“Mr. Jordan treats you so well. He only brought that young girl home out of kindness. Do you really have to throw such a fit?”

Her wrinkled face puckered as she grumbled.

I gave her a cold look. Maybe I had been too gentle in the past, as she seemed to have forgotten that I was the one who hired her.

Even when the security guards I called threw her out, she still looked shocked.

“I’ve looked after Mr. Jordan since he was a boy! How could you treat me this way?”

I paid her no attention and opened the nightstand drawer. Inside was a small box, and in it lay three white pills.

It was almost time.

Soon, I would be free.

…

Late that night, Clayton Jordan came home. He saw me sitting on the couch and paused for a moment before coming closer. There was a cautious tone in his voice.

“Mrs. Watson only said a few things she shouldn’t have. You didn’t need to dismiss her. She is old. If you send her away, she will be left all alone. That would not be good.”

I looked at him calmly.

“She is a housekeeper. If she dares to interfere in her employer’s business, shouldn’t she be punished?”

Clayton immediately shot back, “She has cared for my family since my mother’s time. She is practically family to me. You went too far.”

“So you expect me to treat her like my mother?”

Clayton frowned when he heard the coldness in my voice.

“What’s wrong with you? You never used to act like this.”

I had always been the kind to settle every score. However, he disliked strong-willed women, so I kept my temper in check for the sake of the mission.

Before I could reply, he stood up and told the butler to bring me chicken soup.

“This is your favorite. I bought it especially for you. Try it.”

Out of respect for our marriage, I swallowed my resentment and reached for the bowl. Just then, his assistant rushed in, looking panicked.

“Mr. Jordan, bad news. Ms. Xenia is having a depressive episode. She says she is going to kill herself!”

Clayton’s face turned pale. The bowl of soup slipped from his hands and shattered on the floor.

I watched his back as he hurried away. Even the butler spoke up.

“Ever since Sophie moved in next door, she has threatened to kill herself almost ten times a day. She always claims she misses her parents, but they died more than ten years ago. If she truly meant it, she would have joined them long ago.”

The butler swept up the broken pieces on the floor and sighed.

“Mrs. Jordan, you’re far too soft-hearted. Every time Mr. Jordan comes home, Sophie pulls the same stunt, and he always falls for it.”

I motioned for him to stop.

“Better not say too much. Thank you.”

He shook his head and carried the trash away.

Once he was gone, I opened the box. I swallowed one pill, and bitterness spread across my tongue.

Only two pills were left.

Two more times, and I would be free.

I had seen through Clayton from the start.

He might not have been heartless, but when love faded, everyone showed their true colors.

…

Clayton came back close to dawn, and he smelled strongly of perfume.

When he undressed, I saw lipstick on his collar.

Our eyes met. His gaze wavered for a moment before he let out a sigh.

“I was in a rush to pull Sophie down from the chair. I must have brushed against her. I’m sorry. I’ll be careful next time.”

He sounded sincere.

I did not press him as I used to. I only said calmly, “Then, as we agreed, I’ll take one regret pill.”

Clayton knew what the pills meant. He knew that once they were gone, I would leave. Yet he looked unconcerned.

“All right. I’ll get one for you. There are plenty left anyway.”

As he walked into the bedroom, a strange sense of anticipation stirred in me.

What would he do when he saw there were only two left?

I heard the lid fall.

Puzzled, he asked, “Wendy, why are there only two pills left?”

I drew in a breath and began to count the past events on my fingers.

His face turned paler with every word. By the end, he rushed forward and pulled me into his arms.

“It’s my fault. From now on, I’ll treat you better.”

I did not answer him. He raised his head with hesitation in his eyes.

“Even when the pills are gone, you won’t leave me, will you?”

Before I could speak, he lifted me and pushed me down on the bed. His eyes burned with stubborn madness. His voice came low and hoarse.

“Wendy, let’s have a child.”

I wanted to refuse, but a thought held me back. I let him strip my clothes without resistance.

When it was over, he lay beside me and breathed hard with satisfaction written across his face.

Then, his phone rang. He picked it up, and Sophie’s coy voice came through.

“Clayton, my chest hurts so much… Am I dying? Can you come see me one last time?”

Clayton shot up from the bed at once. He hesitated, then looked at me with worry.

“Wendy… I…”

I kept my eyes away from him.

“Her life could be on the line. Go.”

Relief filled his face as he grabbed my hand.

“You’re not angry? Then don’t take another pill. Wait for me. I’ll be right back.”

He ran out before I could reply.

I opened the drawer, took out the birth control pills I had prepared, and swallowed them along with one regret pill.

There was only one pill left.

Clayton, you had better not disappoint me.

…

He did not return until morning. Afraid I might be angry, he had even gone to my favorite cake shop to buy me pastries.

The first thing he did at home was check the pillbox.

He saw two pills inside, and his brow eased. He never noticed the smile on my lips.

There were still two pills in the box, but one of them was a vitamin I had slipped in the night before.

Clayton came to me and said sincerely, “Don’t worry, Wendy. You’ll never have to take another regret pill for the rest of your life.”

I looked into his eyes and smiled with a nod.

“Alright.”

…

In the days that followed, Clayton treated me well. Even when Sophie called him, he no longer rushed off like he once did.

Then, one ordinary morning, Sophie ran into my room. She dropped to her knees, started crying, and said she was pregnant with Clayton’s child.

Clayton was in the kitchen cooking for me. When he heard her words, the spatula slipped from his hand and hit the floor.

“When did I ever touch you, you—”

Sophie’s sobs grew louder. “It was that night… You had too much to drink… and then…”

She clung to my pants while still kneeling on the floor.

“Wendy, please don’t make me get rid of the baby. Just think of it as keeping a pet. Think of it as a puppy or a kitten. Please?”

I stayed silent, and her crying became more desperate.

“You and I are the same. We both grew up without parents. You should understand where I’m coming from. If you agree, I’ll serve you for the rest of my life!”

She cried so miserably that every word was filled with pain. Clayton’s face filled with pity as he stepped forward to help her up.

I said nothing and called for the family doctor. After the examination, the timing matched what Sophie had claimed.

When the doctor left, Clayton stood there with guilt written across his face. He fumbled for words and failed.

I broke the silence.

“If the child is yours, then let her keep it. However, you’ve betrayed me again.”

I thought I could stay calm, but the tremor in my voice betrayed me.

Clayton looked guilty and ashamed.

“Wendy, I know this is my fault. The child is mine, and I can’t just walk away. You’re also aware that even after all these years, you still haven’t gotten pregnant. I was wrong, but you should bear some responsibility too. Tell me how I can make it up to you.”

Inside, I sneered.

“Don’t you think it’s too late for that? If you truly want to make it up to me, bring me the pill.”

Clayton clenched his jaw and swore with all his heart.

“Wendy, I swear this is the last time. If it ever happens again, may I be left penniless and reduced to nothing.”

He had no idea that he was out of chances.

I held the last regret pill in my hand, though I did not take it in front of him.

When he left for the office, I was so overwhelmed that I nearly collapsed. I clutched the pill tightly in my hand.

At last! At long last, I was free!

For years, the system had bound me. I had never been able to move more than 1.5 miles away from him.

Every effort I made only turned into luck for him, and that was why Clayton’s career kept climbing.

Through heat and frost, I waited outside his office every day. At home, I never stepped past the door.

He never worried about my whereabouts because he was certain that I would always be there every time he turned around.

I left the Jordan villa.

I would never see Clayton again.