Glitch in His Vows: The NPC's Revenge

I stared at the glowing text hovering right above my head: [Male Lead's ExWife] Five minutes ago, we had just signed our marriage license at City Hall. "You're finally mine, wifey." Knox pinned me hard against the door of his Maybach, capturing my lips in a fiercely possessive kiss.

He held up the freshly signed marriage certificate. Our fingers intertwined, his palm scorching against my skin. But the blood in my veins turned to ice.

A dead, mechanical voice pierced straight through my skull. [Congratulations. The Male Lead has successfully conquered the female supporting character.

Main storyline officially unlocked.] My entire body went rigid. I shoved hard against his burning chest, breaking the kiss.

Right above the head of the suited bodyguard standing nearby, a semitransparent status bar glitching with static popped into existence.

I snapped my head toward my reflection in the tinted car window. A line of glowing text flashed above my own head. [Sutton.

ExWife of the Male Lead, Knox.] The affection meter section was grayed out. The intoxicating devotion in his eyes wasn't love.

It was nothing but a pathetic side quest designed to push his main storyline forward.

The perfect marriage I thought I had was nothing more than a disposable tool for him to use and throw away. Chapter 1 The affection meter remained shrouded in a murky gray.

Knox ran his long fingers through my hair, pressing a scorching kiss to the side of my neck. "Sutton, I swear I'm going to give you the entire world." He smiled so handsomely, as if all the sunlight today was shining just for him.

In that pool of light, my shadow was starkly illuminated. [Female Lead Morgan has appeared at the mall.

Male Lead, please proceed immediately to orchestrate an encounter and increase affection points.] Knox opened the car door for me.

He glanced at his phone, his jaw tightening. "Wifey, something came up at the company.

I can't do dinner with you tonight." My fingernails dug so hard into my palms they nearly broke the skin. A sharp spasm ripped through my chest.

I called out to him. "Do you know Morgan?" His silhouette paused. He shook his head. "Never heard of her. I gotta go, baby." That meant he definitely knew her.

I followed Knox to the mall.

I stared coldly at a young girl dripping in designer brands, throwing a screaming tantrum at the manager in the Hermes VIP lounge over a limitededition Birkin bag.

Knox walked in, feigning a coincidence. He pulled out his Centurion Black Card, bypassing the argument.

Not only did he pay for her bag, but he bought out the entire seasonal window display. He smiled helplessly, carrying her shopping bags as they walked out.

They bickered playfully like teenagers. Finally, she stumbled right into his chest, her face flushing a deep crimson.

Knox seamlessly wrapped his arm around her slender waist, even reaching up to brush a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

The movement was so natural it looked as if it had been rehearsed a thousand times. The tips of Knox's ears turned red.

His eyes were consumed by stunning awe and undeniable attraction.

And he was still wearing the same crisp white buttondown we had just worn to get our marriage license. [Main Quest Completed: First Encounter, First Heartbeat.] The voice rang out again, reducing me to nothing more than a pathetic clown hiding in the shadows.

I sat in Knox's Maybach, heading back to the house we shared.

Every single item in that house was something he had painstakingly tracked down from across the globe, all just to make me smile.

Yet, he was dropping hundreds of thousands on luxury goods for another girl. Watching the scenery blur past the window, I opened my character file. [Sutton.

ExWife of the Male Lead, Knox.] [A bottomfeeder gold digger who slept her way to the top.] I scrolled straight to the ending. [Driven by insane jealousy, she attempted to destroy Morgan's face, provoking Knox's disgust.

She was thrown back into the slums, tortured by street thugs, and left to die a miserable death in the gutter.] "Madam, is everything alright?

You look pale." Felix glanced at me through the rearview mirror.

In the reflection, my flawlessly madeup face was drained of color, leaving only my bright red lipstick looking like a fresh wound.

Knox had woken up at dawn to get ready, coaxing me into the customtailored couples outfits he had commissioned.

He had been practically vibrating with energy, a massive grin plastered on his face.

Was he happy because we were getting married, or was he just thrilled that he could finally unlock his main storyline?

Before I even stepped through the front door, Joyce ran out, looking frantic. "Madam, the old Mrs. is here." I nodded.

Walking into the living room, I met the gaze of the woman sitting on the sofa. She was dressed in a pristine haute couture suit, holding a bone china coffee cup.

Her eyes swept over me with the disgust reserved for the lowest class of trash. "Sutton, I have to admit, a sewer rat like you is certainly resilient.

To think you actually tricked my son into dragging you down to City Hall." I turned toward the stairs. "Your son was the one begging me to go." Her voice pitched up, sharp and grating with fury. "A woman with a prison record like yours?

Our family will never acknowledge you in this lifetime!" I swallowed the bile rising in my throat and didn't slam the bedroom door, just shutting it firmly to cut off her screeching.

I looked up. Dead center on the wall hung our wedding portrait. In the frame, I was holding a bouquet of pastel flowers, laughing brightly with a hint of surprise on my face.

Knox had stolen a kiss right when I wasn't looking.

When we picked out the photos, he had smiled and said, "This one captures exactly how much I love my baby." I walked calmly over to the desk, booted up the computer, and hit print on the divorce papers.

Chapter 2 I walked into the massive walkin closet to pack.

Staring at the two walls lined floortoceiling with designer clothes and jewelry, I couldn't find a single thing that actually belonged to me.

Knox had bought it all after I got out of prison. A chill ran down my spine. The old Sutton was gone. I didn't even recognize the woman standing in this room anymore.

I didn't even know when I passed out. When I opened my eyes again, the mattress dipped. Knox was already back.

He lay beside me, his heavy arm wrapping around my waist as he pressed an intimate, lingering kiss to the corner of my mouth. "Wifey…" he murmured against my skin.

He smelled strongly of body wash. He must have showered the second he walked through the door. But he always showered right before bed.

Was he trying to scrub off another woman's perfume? I turned my head away, letting his lips land on my bare shoulder instead. My stomach roiled with nausea.

A thick wave of disgust crawled up my throat. "Baby, I know you're upset about my mother," he hummed low in his chest, his fingers stroking through my hair. "I promised you I'd never let anything make you unhappy.

I'll go downstairs and handle her." Knox pressed one last kiss to my forehead.

But as he pulled away, I saw the floating text hovering right above his head: [Morgan Affection Progress: 20%.] The bedside lamp was dimmed to a warm, soft glow—he had adjusted it just so he wouldn't wake me.

I raised my hand, staring deadeyed at the massive ring weighing down my finger. The day I walked out of prison, Knox bought out every digital billboard on the street.

He pulled up in that limitededition Ferrari, dropped to one knee under the blinding flashbulbs of the paparazzi, and held up that flawless fivecarat pink diamond. "My dearest Sutton, will you become Mrs.

Knox, and let me spend the rest of my life making it up to you?" So, Knox… loving me was just a twisted little assignment all along, wasn't it? I packed nothing.

I took off the ring and left it on the nightstand. Slipping out through the side door, I ran straight into Joyce. "Madam, your eyes are so swollen.

Did something happen?" I shook my head, my voice eerily calm. "I'm stepping out for a bit.

Don't tell him." The second I stepped off the sprawling estate, the suffocating pressure lifted from my chest. The air tasted like freedom.

Guided by some masochistic instinct, I pulled out my phone and switched on the front camera. My eyes were red and puffy.

Did Knox purposely ignore it, or did he just not care anymore?

Opening my messages, I spotted an unread text I had missed. [Sutton, find time to come home for dinner.] It was from my dad.

By the time I walked into his house, he was already halfasleep on the couch. Seeing me alone, his brow furrowed in deep annoyance. "Where's Knox? Why are you alone?

Did you two fight?" I gave a noncommittal hum and headed straight for my old bedroom. "This is between Knox and me," I cut him off sharply. "Stay out of it." "Sutton!

Watch your mouth!" he exploded, pointing a finger at me. "You have a criminal record!

You should be on your knees thanking God a billionaire like him even wants you, and you're still not satisfied?" That vicious strike from my own blood was the final nail in the coffin.

The dam I had been desperately holding back shattered. "Get your facts straight!" I shoved his finger away. "He was the one begging on his hands and knees for me to be with him!" I went into my phone and permanently blocked every single point of contact I had with Knox.

Over the years, he had transferred enough money into my accounts to last me three lifetimes. I was going back to being the free, untouchable Sutton.

I packed up, moved to a different city, and opened up a highend pastry shop. I stayed busy. I stayed untouchable.

Chapter 3 "Boss, massive order!" Simon burst through the back door, practically vibrating with excitement. "A new Wall Street conglomerate just moved into the building next door, and they bought out our entire highend dessert bar for the whole day!" They didn't have many demands, but they paid an obscene amount of cash.

We hustled all morning. When it was time for delivery, I spotted Knox's signature Maybach idling by the curb. A demure, elegant girl stepped out.

Hovering brightly above her head was the text: [Morgan.] Looks like Knox had succeeded after all. "Are you Sutton?" She tilted her chin up at me.

Her arrogance was laced with a blatant, sheltered naivete. She was clearly a girl who had been fiercely protected from the real world. "That's me." I kept my face blank.

The customer is always right, especially when they're paying in hundreds. "Knox told me that whatever was between you two was just a calculated transaction.

He's been sick of you for a long time." "Fantastic." I rolled my eyes openly and flashed her a blatantly mocking, plastic smile. "Miss Morgan, do me a favor.

Tell that lying bastard to sign my divorce papers immediately.

Tell him to stop clinging to me like a piece of chewed gum on the bottom of my shoe." Morgan froze, her perfectly manicured nails digging into her purse. "Stop lying.

He said you two divorced ages ago." I let out an exaggerated sigh, throwing my hands up. "Wow. He's even lying to you?" That did it.

Morgan spun on her designer heels, stomping furiously back to the Maybach like a ruffled cat. The wire transfer hit my account.

I flipped the open sign and moved to pull down the metal security gate. "Sutton." Knox appeared out of nowhere.

His large hand slammed against the metal grate, forcefully blocking me from closing it. He looked like hell.

His eyes were bloodshot, dark bags hanging under them as if he hadn't slept a full night in weeks. His voice cracked, heavy with raw pleading. "We're not getting a divorce.

Please?" I shoved the gate down anyway. He deliberately jammed his fingers into the closing gap. The heavy metal bit into his skin, leaving a harsh red welt.

Knox didn't even flinch. He looked utterly wrecked. "Sutton, why the sudden divorce? I must have done something to upset you. Just tell me what it is. Don't leave me, okay?

Sutton, you said you were just stepping out for a bit. I waited for you. I waited for so long." [Warning. Deviation from main storyline.] The air pressure in the street plummeted.

Galeforce winds whipped up from nowhere, rattling the glass storefronts as if the sky itself was caving in.

The deafening siren blared on repeat in my skull. [Sutton is deviating from the original plot. Correct immediately.] The dead, mechanical voice echoed relentlessly.

I stood paralyzed. Why was it targeting me? All the color drained from Knox's face. He reached for my wrist. "Sutton, you have to come back with me right now." So he heard it too.

I pulled my hand back, out of his reach. "Knox, I know everything." He was a brilliant man. He connected the dots.

The blood drained from his face. "Sutton… you can hear it too?" I gave a curt nod, ignoring the earsplitting warnings tearing through my head. "You saved me once. We're even.

You go finish your little quest, and I'll go on with my life. Knox, sign the papers." The mechanical sirens abruptly flatlined. The wind died.

The world snapped back to a suffocating normal.

He stared at me, all the fight draining out of his broad shoulders. "Sutton, if you defy the system, it will kill you." I let out a dry, empty scoff. "This world has never done me any favors.

Why the hell should I bow down to it now?" Sutton. I used to despise my own name. It always felt cheap, like something easily discarded. But eventually, I learned to live with it.

The very first time I met Knox, he smiled at me and asked, "Sutton, can I call you that? It's a beautiful name." He was the first person in my entire life to ever say that.

The VIP club booth had been chaotic that night, reeking of stale liquor and expensive cigars. I was currently trapped in the arms of some random sleazebag executive.

Everyone in that room knew exactly what I was there for. Knox was the only one who actually looked me in the eye. I was terrified of being poor.

The kind of bonedeep, starving poverty that strips away your dignity.

All I had left was a pretty face and a decent body, so I sold the illusion, playing arm candy for trust fund brats. They lusted after my youth. I just wanted their cash.

But I was terrified of men like Knox. He was fiercely reckless, charging in blindly without a single thought for the consequences.

He offered me more wealth, more stability than anyone else ever had. But his money was the only currency I was too terrified to accept.

Chapter 4 Knox's mother tracked me down and offered me a massive check. Naturally, I took it.

But the second I turned my back, she teamed up with my exboyfriends and dragged me to court, throwing me in prison. They claimed I scammed them out of their money.

Knox ran himself ragged hiring the best defense attorneys, visiting me every other day. In those days when I was cut off from the world, he was the only light keeping me sane.

I went on with my life. Knox dropped by often, but he only ever bought a cake and left.

He still hadn't signed the divorce papers. "Boss, the landlord said he's pulling our lease," Simon said, his face scrunched up in misery. "Why is this place cursed?

First we get reported and dragged to the police precinct, and now we don't even have a storefront." I patted his shoulder. "It's fine.

I'll go look for a new spot." So much insane crap had happened lately, getting so ridiculous that I was forced to remember Knox's warning. [If you defy the system, it will kill you.] Impossible.

I shoved the thought down. The door chime jingled. A middleaged man walked in. "Welcome in—" No. My eyes locked onto the massive hunting knife gripped in his hand.

I spun around to run. His face twisted into a maniacal grin as he lunged. "Die, bitch!" I couldn't dodge in time. The cold steel plunged deep into my abdomen.

My knees buckled, sending me crashing to the hard tile floor.

Hot, metallic blood bubbled up my throat, spilling out of my mouth in thick, heavy splatters. [Sutton is deviating from the plot.

Commencing erasure.] The mechanical voice droned again. The world blurred into a chaotic, gray static.

No matter how tough I acted, a tiny part of me used to hope the universe would show me just an ounce of mercy. But not anymore.

The second my eyes slid shut, I vaguely saw a frantic silhouette sprinting toward me. "Sutton!" When I finally forced my heavy eyelids open, the affection meter was floating right above my vision. [Knox Affection Progress: 50%.] Next: [Knox Affection Progress: 30%.] The hospital room was empty.

A cheap plastic lunchbox sat on the bedside table. It belonged to my dad, Douglas. I grabbed my phone from the nightstand. A new friend request popped up on my social media.

It was Morgan. Her attached message was painfully blunt: [Knox and I are getting married.

Consider this your official invitation.] I smashed the accept button without hesitating. [A bitch and a dog, a match made in heaven.

But for the sake of the almighty dollar, what kind of wedding cake do you want?] The squeak of the heavy hospital door slicing open shattered the quiet.

Douglas marched in, his face set in a hard, furious scowl. "Did you and Knox get a divorce?" I nodded once.

His face turned an ugly shade of purple. "What the hell is wrong with you!

You're a grown woman, how can you be so stupid?" His roar rattled against my eardrums, sending a sharp throb through my skull. "He's screwing around behind my back," I said coldly.

He pointed a trembling, furious finger right at my nose. "How did I raise you? For a billionaire like Knox, playing around on the side is normal!

For the sake of his checkbook, why couldn't you just pretend you didn't see anything?" He spat the words with such agonized desperation, acting as if this was all for my own good.

Any shred of warmth I felt from seeing that pathetic little lunchbox vanished in a heartbeat.

All the ugly memories I had purposely shoved down clawed their way back to the surface. "Right," I sneered. "You raised me just hoping I'd hook a rich guy." He always told me my mother abandoned me.

But floating right above his receding hairline, the text read: [Wife died due to childbirth complications.] "Sutton! Don't you ever forget who paid for your damn schooling!

Who raised you! You dare talk to me like that?" It was the pure, unfiltered rage of a man whose dirty secrets had just been dragged into the light. A memory hit me.

Back when I failed my college entrance exams, I told him I wanted to retake them. His face twisted into an ugly sneer as he told me to get a damn job.

So, I worked three minimumwage shifts just to pay my own tuition. And the second I finally got accepted into a decent university, he miraculously showed right back up.

Chapter 5 He never shied away from asking his friends and relatives right in front of my face, "What is the going rate for selling a daughter these days?" Relying on the thin, pathetic thread of blood relations, he painstakingly scraped away every last ounce of my value.

His eyes bulged, bloodshot. "Sutton, from the time you were little until now, have I ever hit you?

How can you be so ungrateful!" "I am no longer your personal ATM." I stared coldly at the ceiling, my abdomen still seeping blood, yet my chest felt lighter, filled with an unprecedented sense of freedom. "The American dollars I have transferred to you over the years are more than enough for you to squander.

From this moment on, just pretend your daughter died under that street thug's knife