I've painstakingly prepared a nice feast for my son's fifth birthday.

My wife, Cheryl Bennett, looks a little impatient. She complains, "You really love making things hard for yourself, huh? How are we supposed to finish everything with just the three of us?"

I just smile at her. Then, I whip out a birthday cake and get my son, Jasper Ford, to make a birthday wish.

After the candles are lit, I close my eyes as well and make a sincere wish in my mind.

When I open my eyes again, I hear Cheryl's system exclaiming in surprise, "Congratulations, Cheryl! You've completed the quest! You and Jasper can now leave this world!"

Yes, both Cheryl and Jasper have already made up their minds to abandon me so that they can return to their original world.

That's great news. After all, I no longer want them by my side either.

The moment the System announced that the mission was complete, Cheryl Bennett's face lit up with undisguised delight.

She sprang to her feet, grabbed our son, Jasper Ford, and cheered along with the System.

"Great! It's finally over! I was starting to think I'd be tied to him for the rest of my life!"

Cheryl had no idea I could hear her conversations with the System.

She grabbed Jasper and headed straight for the door without even sparing me a glance.

Even though I had prepared myself for this, I still couldn't help trying to stop them. "Cheryl, where are you going? Aren't you staying for dinner?"

The only answer I received was the sharp, echoing thud of the door slamming shut.

I chased after them, but by the time I reached the doorway, Cheryl and Jasper were already at the elevator.

They could finally return to their real world, and they would never have to see me again. So, they didn't even bother making up excuses to fool me anymore.

The two of them no longer had to whisper behind my back. Even with me standing right behind them, they spoke openly about the perfect dad from another world.

Jasper excitedly tugged at Cheryl's hand. "Mommy, are we going back to find my real daddy now?"

Cheryl's voice brimmed with delight and smug satisfaction. "That's right. I secured your daddy a lifetime of good fortune. From now on, we're going to have a wonderful life with him."

Jasper asked, "Mommy, is my real daddy super cool and handsome? Will he like me?"

"Of course, he will. He's a million times better than Kevin Ford. He loves me so much, so naturally, he'll love you too!"

I was the "Kevin Ford" she spoke of. That was how she had always done it—never once referring to me as Jasper's dad in front of him, always just calling me by my name.

She kept filling Jasper's head with stories about his real dad in another world, promising him that they would leave to find him once the mission was complete.

I stood silently in the doorway, watching Cheryl's retreating back.

Unfortunately, I couldn't see the smile on her face at that moment—that familiar, impossibly sweet smile. I guessed this time it was actually genuine.

She had plotted and endured for years, all just to win a lifetime of good fortune for her true love in the real world.

Now that the mission was a success, she could finally rid herself of me and run back into his arms.

If I were her, I would be smiling too.

I tried to force a smile, wanting to mirror her, but my eyes stung. The corners of my mouth felt like lead, too heavy to lift.

I gave up, turned away, and shut the door.

The food on the table was still steaming. The candles on the cake, the ones Jasper hadn't even had the chance to blow out, were still flickering.

I leaned over, blew them out myself, and ate the cake alone.

So, making wishes really did work. After all, the wish I had just made came true the moment I opened my eyes.

My wife and son had decided long ago to abandon me and return to their real world.

That was fine. Because what I had wished for was not to want them anymore.

I didn't hate Cheryl, and I didn't blame Jasper either. I just chalked it all up to my own rotten luck.

The day I first met Cheryl was the day I heard her talking to her System.

That was when I realized my world was nothing more than a tragic novel. I was the pariah male lead destined to die a miserable, lonely death at 25 years old.

Cheryl had only signed up to win me over in exchange for a lifetime of good fortune for the man she loved in her real world, so that when she returned, they could enjoy wealth and glory together.

She had complained to the System, "I must really be blinded by love. Gavin wanted me to win him good fortune, and I actually agreed to come here and romance a guy like him."

The System had reassured her. "This target is easy. He's desperate for love. Just sweet-talk him a little, and you'll have this mission wrapped up in no time."

I went along with Cheryl's mission to win my heart because I also wanted to escape my early death ending.

I ignored the fact that she was a tasker sent to win me over and dated her as if we were an ordinary couple.

She would willfully lace her fingers through mine as we walked down the street, rise on her tiptoes in deserted corners to ask for a kiss, and whisper "I love you" into my ear over and over again.

She said it so often that I fell into a trance, convincing myself I really had someone who loved me.

Three years into our relationship, I made it safely past my 25th birthday, successfully rewriting the tragic ending the original story had planned for me.

But my affection level for her never quite maxed out.

Cheryl grew anxious. After an intimate night together, she urgently questioned the System.

"I even went as far as sleeping with him. Why isn't the mission complete yet? He was clearly caught up in the moment, wasn't he?"

I lay beside her, my racing heartbeat still not fully settled, quietly listening as she and the System discussed it for quite a while.

They finally reached the conclusion that what I might want was a formal marriage.

"Kevin is old-fashioned," she told the System. "He wants a real home. He wants a marriage that's recognized and blessed by everyone."

Cheryl decided to get a marriage certificate with me and plan a perfect wedding, so I could have the home I had always dreamed of.

She handled every detail herself, crafting a breathtakingly romantic ceremony.

I still remember that day. She was in a pure white gown, holding a bouquet of lilies as she stepped through the floral arch and walked down the aisle toward me.

That was the first time I ever saw her smile with genuine joy. Her eyes shone like stars, glistening with what looked like tears, and her dimples were sweet enough to drown my parched soul.

"So, this is what she looks like when she's truly happy," I thought.

I stood there like a statue, completely forgetting what came next in the ceremony.

"No wonder the groom is standing there stunned! The bride's smile is absolutely breathtaking. I think we're all starstruck! Let's give a huge round of applause for the happy couple!"

The emcee's jokes drew laughter from the entire room. Amid the applause and blessings, I couldn't help but feel a flicker of hope.

At that moment, was her heart finally beating for me? Even if it was only for that single moment.

But a split second later, I heard the System's voice. "Kevin's affection level for you is skyrocketing! It's at 99%. Once you exchange rings, the mission is as good as done!"

Cheryl was overjoyed. "Great! The buildup today was totally worth it. The second we swap rings, I'm out of here. I'm even taking this wedding dress back with me."

The realization hit me like a physical blow. Her happiness was all about completing the mission. Even the dress she had carefully chosen was only meant to be worn back to another world.

The joy that had swelled in my chest instantly receded like a retreating tide.

I couldn't suppress the agony and the disappointment knotting in my gut.

The System suddenly informed Cheryl that my affection level was plummeting.

I watched her smile falter for a fraction of a second, stiffening into a mask before shifting back into that perfect, practiced grin I knew so well.

She took a deep breath, looked me straight in the eye, and began her vows. "Honey, you're my soulmate and my only love. I promise to laugh with you and cry with you. Through the best of times and the worst, in prosperity and in hardship, I'll be by your side forever."

She knew me too well. Every word hit me right in my weakest spot, and I couldn't stop the tears from welling in my eyes.

I took out the ring and slid it onto her slender finger with the reverence of a sacred rite.

The System's voice rang out in my ears again. "It's working, Cheryl! His affection level is climbing back up. That was a masterstroke!"

Cheryl's internal tone was smug. "Told you. He's a sucker for sentimental stuff. Just hurry up and hit 100% already. I'm honestly so sick of him."

So, it was all fake. Not a single word of those vows was true.

My affection level dropped again. Cheryl failed to complete the mission at the wedding as she had hoped and was forced to stay.

I decided it was time to pull the plug. I was done playing my part in this game.

Even if her leaving meant meeting the tragic end originally destined for me, I didn't want to keep enduring such fake affection for even a second longer. I was ready to lay my cards on the table and end it once and for all.

But Cheryl insisted we go on a honeymoon. Afraid I might turn her down, she pulled out all the stops, painting a vivid picture of the perfect getaway.

I knew she wanted to use the honeymoon to push her plan forward, hoping that in some romantic moment, my affection level would finally max out so she could punch her ticket home.

Her description of the trip was so beautiful and tempting that I couldn't help indulging in those romantic fantasies again.

"Let the dream last one more month before it all goes dark," I told myself.

Even if it all came to nothing, at least I would have a few more wonderful memories to hold onto.

I clung to the slim chance that maybe, just maybe, she would change her mind.

A month later, she dropped the bombshell that she was pregnant.

It was the last thing I expected. From the moment we got together, she had been adamant about not having children.

She used to pout and say, "I don't want a child stealing your attention. I want you all to myself forever."

I had agreed. As long as I had her, I didn't feel like I was missing out on anything else.

But now, she was telling me she was pregnant.

"Wait," I said, caught off guard. "I thought you were on the pill?"

Her expression changed instantly. "What's that supposed to mean? You don't want this child?"

When she realized the pregnancy still wasn't enough to max out my affection, Cheryl was disappointed. She immediately decided to go to the hospital and terminate it.

However, the doctor warned her that due to her specific physical condition, an abortion would likely ruin her chances of ever conceiving again.

After wavering for a while, she eventually decided to keep the child.

Late that night, I overheard her venting to her System.

"No wonder his own parents don't like him," she hissed. "He's not even a normal human! Aren't men supposed to be obsessed with carrying on their family line? I'm carrying his child, and yet his affection level still won't max out. He's cold and heartless. A total freak!"

"I can't have an abortion. I still need to give Gavin children. Gavin definitely won't blame me. I'm sacrificing myself for our future together."

…

No matter what she thought, the child she carried was mine.

I figured that once the child was born, I would support whatever choice she made. Raising him as a single father was also an option. Anything was better than living alone.

The child was born, and he grew up in what felt like the blink of an eye.

I loved him with everything I had, took care of him, and worked myself to the bone trying to be a qualified father. Unfortunately, the feeling wasn't mutual. Jasper didn't love me either.

He only loved the perfect, "real" daddy Cheryl had told him about in another world.

The food on the table had gone cold. Pulling myself out of my memories, I scraped every dish into the trash, scrubbed the plates clean, and began tidying up the house.

From now on, it would just be me.

Things would unfold the way they had in the original story. I would drop dead from a sudden heart attack in this yard. My body would lie there, forgotten, until the stench drifted down the block and someone finally bothered to check.

But until that day came, I would keep this house in order and live my life as best I could.

I tended to the plants in the yard. The garden bed I had reserved on the east side had always remained empty.

When I first met Cheryl, I wanted to plant a cherry tree there because of her name.

I told her excitedly, "We can admire the cherry blossoms in spring and eat cherries in summer. Wouldn't that be nice?"

But she shut the idea down immediately. "Don't you know how much of a pain cherry trees are to grow?"

"You're so ignorant," she mocked. "A cherry tree takes at least three years to bear fruit. Who has the patience to wait that long just for a handful of cherries?"

It turned out she had been preparing to leave all along. She didn't even have the patience to wait three years.

What she hadn't realized was that it would take nine years—from our first date, through the wedding, to Jasper's fifth birthday—for her to finally complete her mission and leave.

If I had planted that cherry tree back then, it would be covered in blossoms by now.