Game Over, NPCs

Anyway, the child, with just a bit of time with Simon, turned on me completely.

The divorce was finalized in a week. Without another word, Silvia hurried away to embrace her true love.

That night, the romantic merger between the Watts and the Bartones was featured everywhere.

The approach was classic Silvia. True to her heart, she couldn’t wait to stake her claim and announce her engagement.

I turned on the TV with a blank face. The wedding was a huge deal, held at the city’s swankiest hotel, complete with fireworks and synchronized drones.

The history between Silvia and Simon had been rewritten into the perfect romance, wiped of any trace of my existence.

Given all the romantic gestures and lavish spending, it must be real love. No one would’ve spent that much otherwise.

I stared at the transfer transactions with multiple digits. I didn’t lose out for sure.

Before I could change the TV channel, my phone rang. It was Kaden. Standing in the thick of the celebration, he struggled to lift his phone to show me the embracing couple.

While I scratched my head, Kaden tensed his facial muscles and said, “See that? Mom and Simon are made for each other. Don’t try to come between them, or I won’t let you get away with it.

“Don’t forget that the System is gone. You only have me and Mom left. We can ruin you if you don’t stay in your lane.”

I was baffled by his confidence.

The System merely took off to submit the task completion while I enjoyed a month off.

I would not stay in any world for anyone, especially not for two thankless snakes.

I saw the writing on the wall when Simon returned from abroad to deal with his family’s struggling business.

Silvia never actually fell in love with me. I had been through many worlds to recognize true affection and the fickle human nature.

Upon learning about Silvia and Simon’s secret rendezvous, I asked the System for a progress update.

Having worked alongside for years, the System knew me better than anyone else.

To facilitate my swift exit from the world, the System changed the objective of the mission. My task would be complete when the target felt heartbreak and grasped what it meant to love and appreciate.

The situation was the ideal outcome. At that point, I didn’t have to deal with her anymore. It didn’t matter whether her love for me was genuine.

The mission progressed swiftly, nearing an end.

I would be gone in two weeks.

“There you go again, Dad. Don’t play dumb. I won’t sympathize with you. Save your acting for the Oscars!”

At this age, Kaden wasn’t thinking far. The only thing on his mind was to show off how happy his mother was, so I could back off.

Without hesitation, I hung up and shut out his angry screams.

Since I couldn’t take Silvia’s generous settlement with me, I needed to splurge instead of wasting my time on something so trivial.

My friend, Kelsey, having heard what happened, came over to keep me company. She was the only one I could have a meaningful conversation with.

Not one to be stingy with good friends, I picked out the most extravagant bridal gown in the store for her wedding in the future.

The retail assistant processed the transaction with thrill and chattered away.

“Sir, you must love your wife a lot. It reminds me of the romance between Mr. Bartone and Ms. Watt. They grew up together, and he came back years later from abroad to take her hand. It’s like a fairy tale.”

I spotted the clip playing on the retail assistant’s phone, knowing what she was talking about.

With a pale face, my good friend tried to intervene, but I held her hand down with a smile.

“They are a match made in heaven for sure. One is a moron, and the other’s an idiot. They should stay together, so the rest of the world is safe from them.”

I didn’t raise my voice, but it carried across the bridal store.