Led by my ex-boyfriend, the police raid the base of the major crime syndicate.

The antagonist takes his own life, and the only person who could prove my identity as a top-secret undercover operative died two weeks ago.

My ex-boyfriend drags me into court. He wants my memories extracted so I can face public judgment and sentencing.

Nevertheless, I have no intention of explaining myself. "I plead guilty. Grant me a swift death."

The masses are outraged, despising me with every fiber of their being.

"Ha! You despicable traitor! You monster! You're a rat who exposes undercover journalists, yet you dare ask for a swift death?

"This is the world of a novel. The maximum penalty for a guilty plea is euthanasia, but if judgment is passed by the court, you will suffer endless torment until your last breath!"

"You don't deserve euthanasia. You belong in hell!"

Rotten eggs and stones pelt me mercilessly. Even with my face now covered in blood, I make no effort to avoid the assaults. I only longed for death.

My ex-boyfriend glares at me coldly.

"You betrayed me. What right do you have to ask for a swift death? Your memories must be extracted and judged in court. Death will come only after your torment!"

They are the ones who demand my memories be extracted and judged, yet after seeing them, why are they also the ones who go mad with regret?

The base of a major crime syndicate was suddenly raided by the police, who were brought by my ex-boyfriend, Jonah Burnett.

The antagonist killed himself, and the only person who could prove I was a top-secret undercover operative had died two weeks earlier.

Jonah brought me before the court, insisting that my memories be extracted so I would stand trial before the public.

In any case, I had no desire to defend myself. "I plead guilty. I ask only for a quick death."

Public outrage boiled over, and they directed their hatred at me.

"You filthy traitor! You dare beg for an easy death after ratting out an undercover journalist? In this world, the harshest penalty for a guilty plea is euthanasia, but you don't deserve that. The court will judge you, and you'll be condemned to endless agony until death!"

"You're not worthy of a merciful death. You belong in hell!"

I was pelted mercilessly with rotten eggs and stones. Blood ran down my face, but I remained unmoving, wishing only for death.

Jonah fixed me with a cold glare.

"You exposed me. How dare you ask for a swift death? Your memories will be extracted, and you'll be judged before all. Only after enduring endless torment will you be allowed to die!"

"Yeah! She's a journalist herself, yet she betrayed the male lead, who was also undercover. She offered him up as proof of loyalty, then slept with the antagonist! Disgusting!"

"If not for her, the male lead would've long since exposed the antagonist's crimes with solid evidence, bringing him to justice. He wouldn't have ended up with his legs broken and endured torment!"

"Before she dies, she must suffer the pain of getting her legs broken. Only then will our hatred be appeased!"

"Exactly! And not just that, she should also be starved for three days and nights! That's how she tortured the trafficked children. She needs to be tormented before she dies. She can't be let off so easily!"

The crowd clamored, voices rising in a storm of hatred.

Bloodied and battered, I forced myself to lift my head despite the stabbing pain in my chest. That was when I met Jonah's icy gaze.

A flicker of emotion stirred in my empty eyes.

A year had passed since we last saw each other. He seemed more composed and mature now. Even so, there was still that lingering weariness in his eyes. Had he lost sleep again?

If I had known, I would have left him my prescription for insomnia. After all, trial or no trial, I wouldn't be alive much longer, while he still had a long road ahead of him.

My lips quivered. Instinctively, I wanted to call his name.

But Jonah turned away. Then, he stroked the head of the woman beside him.

She was Crystal Vega, my adoptive sister.

My awakening had come late, and I later learned that she was the female lead of this novel world. She and my ex-boyfriend, the undercover hero, were the destined pair.

Crystal tilted her head, slipped her ring-clad hand through his arm, and smiled sweetly. Her wedding ring gleamed, hurting my eyes.

Of course. I was the evil side character, bound to fall alongside the antagonist. The story was nearing its end, and the male and female leads were destined to marry.

My final verdict would be their wedding gift.

Jonah's face remained impassive. "Your Honor, let's begin the trial."

The judge, honoring the hero's decision, gave the order for my memories to be extracted.

A splitting headache tore through me, as though countless sharp claws were tearing open my brain. The next moment, my memories appeared on the massive screen.

Inside an office, I pulled a ring from a bouquet of roses. As my coworkers began to hoot and holler, my ears went red with embarrassment.

"What is all this, Jonah?" I asked.

Jonah, in his white shirt, gazed at me tenderly. "I had this ring custom-made for you. I'm afraid once we leave for this mission, I might not get the chance to give it to you."

For a second, I was stunned. Dropping my smile, I yanked his ear with one hand and stuffed the ring back into his palm with the other.

"Cut the nonsense, Jonah. We just have to make it out alive. I expect a proper proposal from you afterward. Got it?"

Jonah winced, but he laughed and relented. "Alright, alright. I got it. I'll give you the most romantic proposal and the grandest wedding. I'll make you my wife."

The office erupted in cheers. "Wow. They're the perfect couple. How nice! We're so jealous."

"Once the undercover mission is over, we'll be waiting to attend your wedding!"

The memory froze on the screen. My eyes went dazed, while Jonah looked as if he'd been stabbed where it hurt the most. His fists clenched, and the corners of his eyes were red.

As for the audience, they sneered in disdain.

"Anyone can make empty promises. When disaster struck, she immediately abandoned the male lead and slept with the antagonist!"

"Yeah! She's nothing but a disgrace to her profession. Working with her must have been pure hell for the male lead!"

Sure enough, the next scene proved their point. Jonah was forced to his knees, his eyes bloodshot as he stared at me in despair.

"Rose Vega, I've already gathered all the evidence and have the getaway car ready. We're this close to finishing our mission. We're this close to bringing the antagonist to justice, and then we can retire and get married. So why… Why did you rat me out? Why did you abandon our cause?"

"You ask too many questions. Fine, I'll tell you the truth." Sitting in the arms of the antagonist, Austin Hood, I showed no guilt. I even smirked as I raised my hand to reveal the dazzling diamond ring on my finger.

"Because the diamond he gave me is ten times bigger than yours. Because he took a liking to me. All I had to do was sell you out, and I'd have endless riches and glory.

"What I can get are things you could never earn in your whole life. Why would I throw away such a good life for a poor man like you?"

Jonah's pupils constricted, his voice breaking into a roar. "This can't be true! Rose, I know you. You're not that kind of person. You'd never betray me, or your own conscience, for money!"

Suppressing the anguish within me, I clung to Austin with a sly smile.

"You really don't know me at all. It's human nature to want to move up in life. I'll be honest—I've already slept with Austin. Don't resent me for betraying you, Jonah. I just want a better future for myself."

With a satisfied smile, Austin fed me the last grape. "Enough. Lock him in the dungeon."

After quietly finishing the grape, I gazed at Jonah's utterly desolate expression before earnestly suggesting, "He's tough. He might try to escape. A dungeon might not hold him."

Austin raised an eyebrow. "So what do you propose?"

I stepped out of his embrace with a smile and approached Jonah. I stepped on his fingers with my heel before grinding down hard.

"Why don't we break his legs and throw him into the jungle to feed the mountain lions?"

My face turned ashen as I watched the memories of the past. Yet I was grateful the judge hadn't continued playing my memories.

Please just stop here.

Jonah's expression was as grim as it was on the screen. He raised a hand to clutch his aching chest, prompting Crystal to quickly hold him.

"Jonah, are you alright? Are you mourning the past? If Rose had known that you wouldn't be eaten by the mountain lions and that you would bring the police to their base to bring them to justice, maybe she wouldn't have been so cruel to you."

A cold, mocking laugh escaped Jonah's lips. "No, she's nothing but cruel. There's no way she'd be merciful. But if not for her heartlessness, I never would've met you."

Crystal looked at him shyly, her fingers tightening around his hand.

The crowd seethed with rage.

"That vicious side character probably never expected the mountain lion's den to have a hole. She never imagined the hero would escape through it before running into the female lead, who saved him."

"Ha! Imagine her finding out that after becoming a national hero, he gave the female lead a diamond-encrusted bracelet. She'd probably die of rage."

Someone grew impatient and said, "Your Honor, let's keep watching. Once we see it all, this vile woman can finally receive her deserved sentence!"

A sharp pain seized my heart. With what little strength my battered body had left, I shouted with all my might, "That's enough! I admit my guilt. I am ruthless, cruel, and guilty of countless sins. Just end my life now!

"If killing me isn't enough to ease your anger, then torture me to death. I'll accept it without complaint. Just stop watching!"

No one had expected me to become so agitated, and all eyes turned to me.

Crystal glanced my way. "That won't do, Rose. Your crimes haven't been judged yet. Please continue, Your Honor."

My protest was ignored, and the pain in my body grew stronger.

The screen flickered again, shifting to another memory.

I was leaning in Austin's arms, my red lips curving seductively. "Austin, I've had my eye on a designer handbag. Could you give me some money?"

Austin pinched my waist with a smirk. "Sure. But you'll have to earn it. I have a lot of buddies here. Satisfy one of them, and I'll give you 20 thousand. How about it?"

A door on the side creaked open. A man stood there, staring at me with feverish hunger, like a predator eyeing its prey.

Instead of shame, I smiled sweetly. Slipping off my coat to reveal a thin nightdress, I walked into the room.

The audience below the bench broke into a furious uproar.

"No wonder she was so desperate to plead guilty. Turns out she was terrified this filthy scene would come out and disgrace her!"

"This is crazy. That woman's insane! She actually stooped that low for money!"

"Back then, the female lead sang at bars every night to pay for the male lead's treatment and was never swayed by money. But this vicious woman? She throws herself at men for scraps. Ugh, she's disgusting!"

"Don't compare her to the female lead. It would only tarnish her name."

A smug look crossed Crystal's gaze when she heard the scornful comparisons.

The very next moment, her face appeared on the screen.

Backstage at a bar, I wore a mask and cap, handing Crystal a wad of cash and a sealed letter.

"This should be enough to cover Jonah's treatment. Spend the rest as you see fit. And this letter. Please deliver it to him."

Crystal eyed me warily, her expression uneasy. "Rose, where did you get this money? And your neck—what happened to it?"

She reached for the marks on my skin, but I jerked away.

"I-It's nothing. Just hurry and pay his bills. If it drags on, the damage will be permanent."

I left the money behind and hurried away.

The courtroom erupted in shock.

"What's going on here? Could it be that the money she begged from the antagonist was actually for the male lead's treatment?"

"In the novel, this part was glossed over. It only said that some kind-hearted donor was moved by the female lead's perseverance and covered the male lead's bills. Could that person have been Rose? No way!"

Even Jonah was in disbelief. He grabbed Crystal's hand. "Why didn't you tell me Rose gave you the money? Where's that letter? Why didn't you give it to me?"

Startled, Crystal trembled a little as she tried to explain, voice filled with grievance, "You were badly hurt back then, Jonah. Of course your treatment had to come first! And I was afraid it was some kind of trap, so I didn't tell you.

"She may be my sister, but she's still a traitor. As for the letter… I was so busy paying the hospital bills that I must've misplaced it."

Suppressing his emotions, Jonah turned to me. "What did you write in that letter?"

Crystal quickly cut in, "What else could she have written? It had to be some pathetic love letter. She'd say anything to trick you into trusting her, no?"

The crowd agreed with her.

"She's right. Don't forget—Rose broke Jonah's legs in the first place. Now she comes offering to pay the hospital bills? Isn't that just knocking him down, then throwing him a bone? She definitely had ulterior motives."

"The female lead was right to be worried that he might fall into Rose's trap. After all, she can't always show up in time to save him."

As the voices piled on, Jonah's emotions gradually calmed, but his eyes never left me. "Did you really write that letter just to trick me into trusting you?"

My ugliest side had been laid bare before him, and shame burned through me. Yet unlike the others, he didn't call me filthy or insult me. He only pressed for the truth about the letter.

The weight of that struck me like a blow to the chest, and pain rippled through every corner of my body.