Beating the System

It wasn’t just Maddie. Even the high and mighty Mr. Zimmerman was the same.

Whenever I picked up a book at home, Mr. Zimmerman would immediately look anxious.

That was when I would make my requests.

“Dad, can you take father-and-son pictures with me?”

“Dad, can you play chess with me tonight?”

“Dad, can you celebrate my eighteenth birthday with me? Can you wish me a happy birthday?”

Everything I had been missing was gradually made up for during that time.

I began to play the role of an unmotivated heir.

I stopped reading and studying.

I dated recklessly and shamelessly enjoyed the affection of my “family”.

With that came the obvious result.

Every exam I took, my ranking dropped lower and lower.

The comments burst into ridicule.

[Ridiculous. So what if he’s smart? He’s just a lovesick idiot. Totally hopeless!]

[A few sweet words, and the supporting character just throws his life away. No wonder later he gets sick and is thrown out of the house, abandoned on the street by his own biological parents…]

But I didn’t care at all.

Looking at Blaine, who had finally taken first place in the grade for the first time, I smiled.

He looked ecstatic; his eyes red as if he had finally proven himself.

Of course, I didn’t miss the smug, mocking expression he gave me when he glanced at my report card.

He was happy, and so was I.

Because that meant I could claim an even better reward.

Sure enough, that day, both Maddie and Mr. Zimmerman were in exceptionally good moods.

Mr. Zimmerman bought me a limited-edition watch, while Maddie rushed into my room, hugging me excitedly and saying she would grant me one wish.

I quietly closed the door and pushed her onto the bed with a smile.

“My wish is… I want you.”

The moment I said that, the comments exploded completely.

[What’s going on? According to the plot, shouldn’t the supporting character get drugged and then sleep with a woman the female lead arranged, catch a disease, and ruin his life? Why is he making the first move now?]

[What the hell? The female lead isn’t going to agree, right? She’d no longer be a virgin!]

[I just want to ask, is this still the kindergarten bus? Why is it getting so wild?]

The commotion in the room was impossible for Blaine not to hear.

After Maddie left, he stormed straight to my room.

His eyes locked onto the faint kiss marks on my shoulder, his anger almost tangible.

In the end, he only gritted his teeth and spoke with thinly veiled sarcasm.

“You’re really shameless. You just turned eighteen, and you’re already this impatient?”

I didn’t care at all.

Smiling brightly, I looked at him.

“Maddie is my fiancée. Something like this is pretty normal, right?

“Besides, I’m full of energy these days.

“I can’t exactly spend all that energy… studying, can I?”

Blaine froze slightly when he heard that.

He understood very clearly. Between the girl and first place in the grade, he could only choose one.

Blaine glared at me fiercely.

“Then I wish you plenty of ‘blessings’ every day before the SATs!”

The next day, I followed the suspicious-looking Maddie and Blaine to an abandoned gym.

Through the crack in the door, I saw Blaine pull Maddie into his arms somewhat urgently.

“Maddie, once that jerk’s SAT results come out, dump him and come back to me, okay?

“I’ll give myself to you too…”

As he spoke, he lowered his head to kiss her, only for Maddie to turn away, though she didn’t understand why.

Blaine had endured it the entire night in front of me yesterday.

Now, seeing Maddie’s reaction today, he could no longer hold it back.

“Maddie, what do you mean by that? You’re not actually falling for that poor jerk, are you?”