Let Her Fall

Natalie Brooke asked me to cook dumplings for her stepfather, Michael Sawyer.

When the dumplings were knocked over and burned Michael's hand, she assumed that I was being disrespectful to an elder. So, she ordered the bodyguards to put me into a large pot, saying she would boil me until I was cooked as punishment.

"Since you burned Michael, I will make you pay the price!"

The water in the pot grew hotter, causing my whole body to be scalded red. All I could breathe was the scorching steam.

I desperately pounded on the lid, but it had long been locked.

I screamed in despair as I clawed the edges with all my strength. Blood overflowed from the pot and dripped onto the ground, but no one cared.

Just before I succumbed to death, I summoned the system and yelled, "I want to go back! I refuse to save Natalie. I don't care if she becomes a vegetable!"

My Death Penalty

Natalie held Michael's hand and carefully applied ointment with a devout expression on her face.

"Michael, your hand is finally getting better," she murmured.

He smiled and ruffled her head. "Did you forget my identity? If we're going by age, I'm your father."

Natalie's eyes darkened when she heard his words. So, she changed the subject by saying, "I will have Felix apologize to you. I already told him that your skin is delicate and scars easily. Yet, that clumsy fool still burned you. Damn it!

"He needs to be taught a lesson so he'll know who the real man of this house is!" Then, she turned to the butler and asked sharply, "How is Felix? Has he learned his lesson?"

The butler lowered his head, and cold sweat covered his forehead. "Ms. Brooke, he hasn't been released yet. Also, there's no movement coming from the pot anymore…"

Natalie froze upon hearing the butler's reply. However, her expression quickly returned to indifference.

He hesitated several times before finally closing his eyes and saying, "Some servants said that there's a smell of cooked meat coming from that room. Could it be that…"

She smiled and said casually, "You're underestimating him. He's not an ordinary person. Maybe he already climbed out of the pot and is enjoying the food inside the room. The smell you noticed is probably him eating!"

The butler was stunned by Natalie's blase attitude. However, he was a servant. Therefore, he had no right to interfere in his master's affairs.

She frowned slightly at the look on his face, her eyes flashing with impatience. "You're dismissed. I know what I'm doing. I will forgive Felix as long as he apologizes to Michael and begs for mercy. If he refuses, then he will be expelled from the Brooke family!"

When Natalie saw Michael yawning, she immediately went to support him.

"Let's get you back to your room and rest. It's all Felix's fault that you haven't slept well for days. Don't worry. I won't let you suffer for nothing. I won't let him out until your wound fully heals!"

Michael looked at her gently and nodded. "I knew it. You are the best, Natalie."

When Natalie heard his words, her ears turned slightly red. "If I'm not good to you, who else should I be good to?"

She personally went into the kitchen and made desserts for him before carrying them to his room and feeding him herself.

"Try this tiramisu. I took care to put in less sugar, so it shouldn't be too sweet. Do you like it?"

Michael rubbed his eyes and pulled Natalie into his arms, behaving as though it was only right for her to service him.

…

At that moment, I suddenly understood why Natalie knew how to make all kinds of desserts, even though she was a CEO.

It was because of Michael.

Suddenly, Michael frowned and said awkwardly, "Your cooking has improved so much during the years I was abroad. Is it because you cook for Felix often?"

Natalie guiltily turned her head away and denied it. "I would rather throw my food away than feed him my cooking. He hurt you because he is jealous of you. I wish I could just stab him!"

My heart felt as if it were being violently torn apart as a bitter tang spread across my tongue.

I couldn't believe that Natalie actually wanted me dead. I guess she'd just struck gold because I was dead as she wished.

My soul drifted out from that boiling pot. I turned back to give my final resting place one last look and saw that the surroundings of the pot were overflowing with blood foam. There was also a huge metal weight pressing on the lid.

Apparently, they had taken steps to prevent me from climbing out.