Chapter 1

"System, I would like to request to leave this world."

The system materialized upon being summoned. "Carter, your request has been approved. You have two weeks to bid the family members you have in this world a final farewell."

The system vanished right after saying that.

Meanwhile, at the mention of family members, Carter Grant paused for quite a while. He slowly turned his gaze toward the family photo placed on a nearby table.

In the photo, Carter's wife and daughter looked at him, who stood in the middle, lovingly as they planted a kiss on his cheeks.

He was lost in thought as he stared at that happy moment captured in the photo.

No one knew that Carter was actually a Player. Ten years ago, the system brought him into this world to make Selene Miller, a lady belonging to one of the most prominent families in the city he had arrived in, fall for him.

Over the last ten years, they went from being schoolmates to getting married. Not only did Carter manage to complete the quest successfully, but he had also fallen in love with his target.

That was why he hesitated when the system asked him if he would like to leave this world and return to the real world immediately.

Selene was deeply in love with him. Carter couldn't imagine her having the strength to continue living if she were to lose him then.

Therefore, he chose to postpone leaving. He remained in this world, married Selene, and had a child with her.

Selene loved Carter so much that she often gave him expensive cars worth millions of dollars as gifts.

By 7:00 pm every day, she would get home on the dot. Carter always received a kiss from her before he went to bed and after he woke up in the morning. Even when Selene was speaking to someone else, the conversation would always revolve around him.

When Selene went into labor, Carter rushed to the hospital but got into a car accident on the way.

After delivering the baby, Selene spent long hours waiting outside the operating room. Her hands shook each time she was asked to sign the liability waivers.

At some point, Selene even wrote a will saying that she would take her own life if Carter didn't manage to survive the operation.

Carter finally regained consciousness after being in a coma for three days. The first thing he saw was Selene crying and kneeling beside the bed as she clutched his hand.

"Carter, if something were to happen to you, I would choose to leave our child and this world behind to be with you!"

While he was recuperating, Selene had given up a billion-dollar deal just because she was worried about his condition. She stuck close to him and their child during that time.

Their daughter, Harper Miller, grew to be very attached to Carter, with Selene being a major influence in her life.

Every day after coming back from kindergarten, Harper would run to Carter and peck him on the cheek. She would circle her arms around his waist and share what happened at the kindergarten that day.

At night, she and Selene would lay on either side of Carter and listen to him read bedtime stories.

Selene would bring home a bouquet of flowers for him every day. Harper copied what her mother did and gave him a bouquet every day as well.

Yet, the mother-daughter pair, who had showered Carter with love and affection, kept him in the dark and formed a new "family" with Selene's secretary in the fifth year of Carter and Selene's marriage.

Selene had purchased a villa for her secretary, Adrian Jennings, at Laconia Bay, and the property was placed under both of their names. The two of them would meet there almost every other day.

Harper would bring Adrian gifts each time she went to meet him. She would even peck him on the cheek and cling to him, saying how much she liked him.

There were countless nights when Selene and Harper would wait after Carter was asleep and head over to Adrian's place to keep him company.

Selene had broken all of her promises. After learning the truth, Carter had no intention of staying in this world anymore. He no longer wanted to be with Selene and Harper.

Carter slowly wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes. After putting the frame containing their family photo face down on the table, he got up and went upstairs to pack his belongings.

He gathered all of the things Selene and Harper had given him throughout the years. There were enough to fill up two big boxes.

The villa looked empty after he had finished packing those things. He could easily see the end of the hallway without any obstacles in the way, just like how he could already see the end of his five-year marriage.

The delivery man Carter had hired showed up outside the villa just as he was done moving those two boxes to the front door.

He sent Adrian's address to the delivery man's phone and reminded him. "Please send these boxes to this address two weeks from now.

"Can you also pass on a message to the receiver? Tell him that I'm giving these things to him, including my wife and my child. He can have them too."

"Carter, what did you say you were giving away?"

Carter glanced over his shoulder the second he heard that voice. He could see Selene and Harper standing by the door. They were each holding a bouquet of flowers in their arms.

Chapter 2

"Daddy!" Harper clung to Carter and gave him the bouquet. "What were you talking about with the delivery man just now?"

Carter looked in the direction the delivery man had walked off to and replied dismissively, "It's nothing."

Selene came up to Carter and gave him a gentle kiss on his cheek. She handed him the bouquet and said apologetically, "I'm sorry, Carter. I came back late because I had to take care of something urgent today. Please don't be upset with me."

Carter scoffed inwardly.

Something urgent? Wasn't it because she had to bring Harper to the seaside villa to spend time with Adrian? Well, he could understand. They had two homes now. It was only natural for them to be this busy.

He looked down at the flowers for a while. Then, he said flatly, "Work is important. I won't get upset over something like this. Let's head inside first."

As soon as they entered the house, Selene and Harper were momentarily stunned by the sight before them.

The villa looked rather empty and desolate. Moreover, the things that were missing seemed to be the gifts Carter had received from them.

Selene had a flustered look on her face. "Carter, why have all the things we've given you gone missing?"

Even Harper, who stood beside him, tugged at the hem of his shirt since she was surprised. "That's right, Daddy. Have you thrown away everything?"

Carter let go of Harper's hand and sat on the couch. "No. I had the delivery man deliver those things to someone who needed those things more."

After having Harper, Carter became increasingly soft-hearted. Every year, he would pick out several things from home and donate them to the orphanage.

Selene didn't think much of it after hearing his explanation. She thought that Carter had simply donated those things to the orphanage again.

She let out a small sigh of relief. Then, Selene and Harper sat on either side of him and looked at him endearingly. "It's a good thing you've given those things away. I now have valid reasons to buy new things for you."

Harper giggled and hugged him tightly. She praised him in a sweetly innocent tone. "Daddy, you're the best! You're the kindest daddy in the whole wide world!"

Carter wondered if he was kind like she said. Perhaps he was since he was kind enough to give his wife and child away to someone else.

…

When the hour hand of the clock pointed to six, Selene brought the last dish out of the kitchen and placed it on the dining table. Even though they had hired maids and helpers at home, Selene preferred doing things for Carter herself, including cooking his meals.

Harper held his hand and led him to the dining table. She also pulled the chair out for him and served some food on his plate.

Selene took the other empty seat beside Carter and did the same. "Have some of this, Carter. It's good for your stomach."

Harper nodded. "That's right. You should eat more of this to be healthy, Daddy. You know, a kid from our kindergarten is a picky eater, and they…"

Feeling chatty, Harper started recounting funny anecdotes about the people and her time at her kindergarten.

Sadly, Carter felt like he could hardly taste the food in his mouth. He lifted his gaze and watched Selene, who listened intently to the amusing stories Harper was sharing and gave her remarks now and then.

He couldn't help but find the situation ironic. Selene and Harper had most likely done the same thing and shared the same stories with Adrian before coming home. He couldn't understand why they would want to do the same things with him again.

…

At night, only a small night lamp was left on in the bedroom.

Three people were lying close to each other on the bed. Selene clung to Carter's arm, and Harper copied her. Both of them wanted to sleep next to him that night.

"Mommy, you're already old enough. Why do you still need to sleep next to Daddy at night?" Harper asked, trying to sound like an adult.

"What do you mean I'm already old enough? Your daddy is my husband. I have the right to sleep next to him. As for you, you're already four. Why are you still asking to sleep in the same room as him?"

Selene and Harper were bickering. They were about to ask for Carter's opinion but found that he had dozed off at some point.

Just then, the phone Selene had left at the side vibrated. The window for a video call popped up.

Selene's expression hardened when she saw Adrian's name on the screen. She turned and checked that Carter was still sound asleep. Then, she grabbed her phone and went out of the bedroom.

Harper, who saw everything from the other side, climbed out of the bed and left the room too.

Standing next to the bedroom door, Selene adjusted the volume to the lowest level before pressing the answer button. Adrian's voice could be heard on her phone the next instant.

"Selene… Harper… What should I do? You guys left just a while ago, but I already started to miss you two. I feel so lonely staying in this big house. Can you two come over and stay with me?"

Selene cast a glance at the door behind her. Then, she patiently coaxed Adrian.

"Don't be silly. It's really late now. We'll come and meet you tomorrow."

Adrian didn't want that, of course. His eyes were red. "I know that Mr. Grant will always be the most important person to you in your hearts. I'm not asking for much. I just hope that you two can spare some time for me and give me just a tenth of your affection. Is that too much to ask?"

Harper immediately tugged Selene's sleeve when she heard Adrian's choked voice. "Mommy, let's go. I want to see Uncle Adrian. Let's go, Mommy! Won't you take me there, Mommy…"

Selene started to waver as she listened to them pleading desperately and persistently. After a while, she leaned down and put a finger over her mouth.

"We'll leave quietly, then. Don't wake your daddy up."

Inside the room, Carter's eyes were open. Tears streaked his face and stained the pillow under his head. However, he didn't wipe his tears off or make a sound. He just lay there silently and listened to Selene's and Harper's receding footsteps.

Chapter 3

Selene and Harper were out for the whole night.

Carter opened the bedroom door only to see the empty living room the next day.

The phone in his hand vibrated just then. When he unlocked it, a message from Selene popped up on the screen.

"Honey, I have to attend a meeting at work. So, I left home early. I'm dropping Harper at the kindergarten too. Breakfast is on the table. Remember to eat it."

Carter didn't try to point out the flaws in Selene's poor acting and excuses. He merely replied with an "OK" before heading out. He had no time to go along with this pretense since he had things to do.

He took a cab to a crematorium to make a reservation. While the staff member was registering the relevant information on a computer, she asked him who the reservation was for.

Carter replied flatly, "Me."

The staff member stopped typing and glanced at him sympathetically.

"He's so young. What a shame… Does he have some kind of incurable disease?" she wondered.

Carter ignored her gaze and continued, "Please come over to Villa No. 9 at Crescent Bay on the 22nd of October and transport my body here for the cremation."

The staff member looked at Carter in shock. She couldn't understand how the man knew precisely the exact time of his death.

"How do you prefer we proceed with the ashes, then? Should we call and inform your family or…"

Carter shook his head. "That won't be necessary. Once you've cremated my body, I'll pay extra to scatter my ashes into the river or the sea."

When it was time for him to leave this world, Carter's soul would be extracted, and the body he had in this world would die. However, he wanted to wipe out his existence entirely. He didn't want to give Selene and Harper a place or memento they could remember him by.

After settling the payment, Carter took his phone and left the building. Soon enough, he spotted three people sitting somewhere in the distance.

Selene had her arm around Adrian's shoulders as she comforted him. Meanwhile, the thoughtful Harper was wiping Adrian's tears with a handkerchief.

The three of them looked like a tight-knit family. If only Carter hadn't called out to them…

"What are you guys doing here?"

Both Selene and Harper were flustered when they saw him.

Selene immediately pulled away from Adrian while Harper followed Selene and stood with her back straight. The two of them kept their distance from Adrian almost instantly.

Carter walked up to them and gazed at Selene. "Shouldn't you be at work?"

Then, he lowered his head and glanced at Harper. "Shouldn't you be at the kindergarten?"

Selene hurried toward him. She sounded a little anxious. "Carter, I hope you won't misunderstand. While I was taking Harper to the kindergarten, I saw Adrian crying miserably by the sidewalk.

"We asked him and found out that he had just lost a close family member. I brought him to the crematorium since he was devastated and didn't know what to do. We were just consoling him."

Harper walked over and tugged at his shirt. She explained with a crestfallen look on her face, "That's right, Daddy. Mommy took Uncle Adrian here because she pitied him. Please don't be mad, Daddy."

Adrian had stopped crying. He looked at Carter a little nervously and came forward to apologize.

"It was my fault, Mr. Grant. I shouldn't have interfered with Ms. Selene's work and Ms. Harper's studies. I was devastated by the passing of a loved one. They were just trying to console me earlier. I hope you're not upset."

His explanation was sound and reasonable. Yet, just as Adrian finished saying that, a staff member carrying a small urn went up to him.

"Mr. Jennings, we've finished collecting your pet dog's ashes."

Carter glanced at the urn and asked, "That's the close family member you mentioned earlier?"

Adrian tightened his grip on the urn that he had received from the staff. The expression on his face turned a little stiff.

He opened his mouth to say something, but Selene spoke before he did. "Carter, Adrian had the dog for over ten years. It's just like family to him."

Carter merely looked at Selene for a while without saying anything.

After they had the urn buried in a plot of land within the cemetery, the four of them got in the car and headed to a restaurant for lunch.

Halfway through the journey, Selene finally thought of something and looked at Carter, who sat beside her.

"Carter, why were you at the crematorium today?"

"You've finally thought about asking that now?" Carter snickered inwardly.

He turned his eyes toward Adrian, who sat in front. "My friend's dog died too," he said calmly. "She couldn't stop crying, so I had to come in her stead."

Chapter 4

Following Carter's remark, an awkward silence descended in the car.

Selene was about to say something, but the driver happened to stop the car just then. "Ms. Selene, we've arrived at the restaurant."

After the group entered a private room, Selene started worrying if Carter would feel too cold sitting under the air conditioning. She helped him switch places, poured him a glass of hot water, and rubbed his hands.

Selene seemed to be the perfect, thoughtful wife. If only the restaurant manager hadn't come into the room bearing a gift.

The manager pushed the door open. In a respectful manner, he stood facing Selene, Adrian, and Harper.

"Ms. Selene, Mr. Jennings, and Ms. Harper, this is the 99th time you've visited our restaurant. On this very day last year, you celebrated your wedding anniversary here.

"This year, we've prepared an anniversary gift and a cake for you. We wish Ms. Selene and your family a happy life for an eternity."

The manager held the gift out after he shared those congratulatory words. Curiously, no one stepped forward to accept the gift from him. Instead, there was a deafening silence.

While the manager was feeling puzzled, Carter let out a chuckle.

It immediately snapped Selene out of her reverie. She flew into a rage and shoved the gift the manager held out in her direction away.

She pointed at Carter. Her voice was frigid. "What nonsense are you going on about? This man is just my secretary. That's my husband.

"Also, what the heck do you mean by the 99th time? You must have made a mistake. This is the first time my family and I are visiting this place!"

The restaurant manager looked incredulous as he glanced back and forth between Carter and Adrian. "I… but I…"

"Enough! Get out!"

This time, there was a warning and impatient look in Selene's eyes.

The manager finally had an inkling of what was going on. He quickly apologized, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. We've made a mistake."

After the manager left, Selene hurriedly took Carter's hand. Her eyes reflected her nervousness. "Carter, don't mind what that man said earlier. This is my first time dining at this restaurant."

She cast a glance at Harper.

"That's right, Daddy." Harper came and sat next to him, clinging to his arm right away. "This is the first time Mommy has taken me to this place. If I'm lying, I'll become a puppy in my next life!"

There was a flash of jealousy in Adrian's eyes as he watched Selene and Harper try so desperately to please Carter. He balled his fists and soon relaxed his grip.

Adrian forced a smile. "That's right, Mr. Grant. You shouldn't doubt Ms. Selene because of what that man said earlier. This is a high-end restaurant catering specifically to couples. There's no way Ms. Selene and I would come to a place like this."

Carter looked at the three people before him quietly with scorn.

When they entered the restaurant earlier, a waiter came up to them like he had done it many times before. Without them needing to say anything, the waiter led them to the private room they normally used and served the dishes they usually ordered.

Who would believe these people were here for the first time after seeing all that?

Still, he didn't call them out for their lies. He said calmly, "I know. Let's eat first."

Carter had no interest in discussing the topic any further. However, when he picked up his spoon, he noticed he couldn't have any of the food on the table.

They were all spicy dishes that he couldn't eat, yet these also happened to be the flavors Adrian preferred the most.

Selene glanced at Carter when she noticed he wasn't taking the food. Then, she followed his gaze and looked at the dishes on the table.

Her face turned pale. Selene had probably just remembered about his food preferences. She raised her hand and was about to call over the waiter to change the dishes.

"It's alright." Carter shook his head.

The meal ended pretty soon.

All of them got into the Rolls Royce limousine. Perhaps sensing Carter's bad mood, Selene and Harper sat beside him on the way back and tried their best to cheer him up.

Even Adrian had started feeling a bit jealous. There was a barely noticeable hint of envy in his tone.

"Ms. Selene, you and your family share such a close relationship. I envy you a lot, Mr. Grant. It would be great if I had such a wonderful wife and daughter too."

Carter directed his gaze to Adrian and smiled dryly. He didn't have to worry. He would be having them soon.

After all, he had decided to give away Selene and Harper to Adrian.

Suddenly, the blinding lights from a high beam headlight came shining in their direction. Carter reflexively lifted his hand to cover his eyes. He was about to ask what was going on when he heard the screeching sound of a car braking.

A truck coming from the opposite direction seemed to have lost control and rammed into their car the next instant.

"Adrian, watch out!"

"Uncle Adrian, watch out!"

While everything went spinning before his eyes, Carter witnessed Selene and Harper leaping across and putting their arms around Adrian to protect him.

Chapter 5

When he opened his eyes again, Carter was greeted by the white ceiling. The strong smell of disinfectant invaded his senses.

A nurse pushed a trolley into the ward to change his dressing. She hurried to the bed delightedly when she noticed that he was awake.

"Mr. Grant, you're finally awake! You have no idea how worried Ms. Selene and Ms. Harper have been during the days you were unconscious.

"They stayed by your side and watched over you for days without getting much rest. Plus, they hired the best doctor in our city to treat you. They also went to the Forrhe Church located on the city outskirts to pray and wish for your speedy recovery.

"There were a total of 999 steps! The two of them knelt and bowed each time they climbed a step. What they did has become a trending topic online!"

The nurse held her phone in Carter's direction. In the video, Selene and Harper knelt and bowed on each step as they headed for the church found on the mountaintop.

The Forrhe Church was said to be a place where many of their followers had gotten their wishes granted. Therefore, people often knelt and bowed while climbing up the steps until they reached the church to offer their prayers.

However, it was the first time they saw a mother and daughter doing it together. So, a lot of people took out their phones and filmed them.

In the video, as they knelt and bowed, Selene and Harper were sobbing and praying for Carter to wake up soon.

Yet, he sneered inwardly as he watched the clip. If Selene and Harper had truly loved him so much, would they have chosen to abandon him and protect Adrian during the car crash?

The news of Carter having woken up reached Selene and Harper fairly quickly. They didn't even stop to treat their wounds as they rushed to the hospital all the way from the city outskirts at night.

The two of them came barging into his ward and hugged him tightly.

Once again, Carter saw how Selene had lost her composure. However, this time, Harper was showing the same reaction too.

He didn't feel touched in the slightest as he took in their red eyes and trembling bodies. He just felt numb.

Wouldn't it have been perfect if he had died in the crash? Their wish would be granted and they could form a new family with Adrian. Wouldn't that be nice? So, why bother acting like this in front of him?

Selene and Harper cried for quite a long while and said a lot of things. Yet, there was no response from Carter.

The two of them let go of him but froze when they saw the calm and mocking expression on his face.

Selene probably recalled what happened during the car crash, as she quickly tried to explain. She and Harper had protected Adrian because his and Carter's outfits were very similar. They had mistaken Adrian for him because of that.

"Carter, I'm so sorry. We mistook him for you. We won't make that mistake again."

"That's right, Daddy. I promise that I won't mistake Uncle Adrian for you next time. Can you please forgive us?"

Selene and Harper put up one hand and vowed.

Carter felt extremely drained at that moment. These two seemed to believe in those lies after having said them over and over again.

He closed his eyes in exhaustion. He didn't want to listen to their lies anymore.

The outfits he and Adrian wore that day were of very different styles. Besides, they had called out Adrian's name the moment the truck hit their car.

If Selene and Harper wanted to fool him, they could at least come up with a convincing lie. Why couldn't they do a better job at lying?

He said nothing and turned around, lying with his back to them.

Selene and Harper fell silent after seeing how Carter had reacted. They assumed he was just tired and went out of the room quietly.

For the next couple of days, perhaps out of guilt or regret, Selene and Harper stayed by his side almost the entire time. Selene even declined all of Adrian's phone calls.

Adrian felt extremely anxious after being ignored for so many days. He decided to make Carter his target this time.

He sent a bunch of photos to Carter. A video was also included at the very end.

Even though Carter was already aware that those three had formed their own "family" behind his back, it was still painful to see actual photos of them together.

In the first photo, Selene was standing before the floor-to-ceiling window while Adrian hugged her tightly. They could see fireworks going off through the window. Adrian's neck was speckled with hickeys.

In the second photo, Harper was sleeping soundly in Adrian's arms. She clutched onto his sleeve firmly as though she was afraid he would leave.

In the third photo, Selene, Harper, and Adrian were taking a photo together in a restaurant. The three of them sat close to each other, looking just like a happy family.

In the fourth photo, the three of them were having a snowball fight after building several snowmen. A bright, contented smile hung on each of their faces.

Lastly, in the video, his wife and daughter gave Adrian a kiss on his cheeks during a birthday party.

Selene said, "Honey, happy birthday."

Harper said, "Daddy, happy birthday."