Chapter 5: The Novel Knows Everything

The comments were way too much information.

Taking advantage of Rachel’s business trip these past few days, I sat down and tried to make sense of it all.

Her absence filled the house with a weird stillness. I wandered from the kitchen to the den, clutching a mug of instant coffee, as if the caffeine could force clarity into my brain.

Finally, I figured out that the world I live in is an old-school romance novel.

I laughed out loud, nearly spilling my coffee. A damn romance novel. Seriously? Sometimes I think the universe is just screwing with me.

Melissa is the main female lead, and I’m the humble, groveling male lead.

The male assistant Drew is Melissa’s first love from high school, and the main source of drama in my relationship with her.

I pictured his smug face, the way he smirked whenever Melissa laughed at his dumb jokes. The jealousy burned fresh.

Another source of drama is my aunt Rachel...

In the book, Rachel is loving but unattainable, eventually turning dark as the main villain and becoming Melissa’s mortal rival.

In their silent war, I chose Melissa, broke off with Rachel, and completely fell out with her.

That image haunted me: Rachel standing alone in the empty foyer, the echo of my footsteps fading up the stairs. She never cried, but her silence was punishment enough.

In the extra chapter, the woman, out of love turned to hate, locked me in the basement for three whole days and nights...

To sum up my tragic life:

First, Melissa tortures my heart; later, my aunt torments my body.

In between, there’s skin hunger syndrome and the green tea second male lead stirring up trouble...

"What a load of crap."

I couldn’t help but grumble, still only half-believing the plot.

Even if I can’t see through Melissa, I know my aunt.

How could she ever team up with Drew to torment me...

It sounded like the kind of twisted drama you’d see on a late-night streaming miniseries, not real life. Not my life.