Retribution?
Something I deserved?
I froze, my breath hitching in my throat. The words echoed in my mind like a cruel joke. What did I do to deserve this? I simply loved that man too much.
Was that my crime?
No, wait! Who was talking to me?
I blinked hard and looked around. The chill of the night cut through my skin, and the sharp wind slapped my face, pulling me out of my daze. The sounds of the city below—honking cars, chatter, and laughter—felt distant, almost unreal.
From up here, the people and cars looked like tiny specks. Only then did I realize where I was. At the hotel terrace, and I was standing right at the edge.
My heart pounded violently. Panic surged through me. I stumbled back, trembling, trying to breathe, trying to understand. When did I even come here?
I turned back quickly, and that's when I saw her, a woman dressed in a flawless white jumpsuit. Half her face was hidden behind a white fox mask, leaving only her soft pink lips visible. They curved into a smile—cold, and cruel, almost as if delighted by my misery.
Behind her stood a tall man in a black suit, silent and still, his face concealed behind an identical black fox mask.
Confusion flickered in my eyes. Who were they? What did they want from me?
"Who are—ahhh!!"
Before I could even finish my sentence, the woman lunged forward and pushed me. My eyes went wide. A scream tore from my throat as my body lurched backward.
For a second, I felt weightless—like my soul had left my body. But just before I could fall, her hand shot out, gripping my wrist tightly.
"Ahh! Don't—don't let go!" I cried, my heart hammering wildly.
My legs dangled in the air as I clung to her arm with everything I had. "Please! Please don't let me fall!" My voice broke, thick with tears and desperation. "Don't let me go!"
The woman tilted her head, smiling cruelly. "How does it feel?"
Her words made my blood run cold. I didn't know who she was or why she was doing this. But at that moment, where I was dangling between life and death, I knew one thing—I didn't want to die.
Not like this. Not when I still had so much left undone.
I wanted to live. To rise again. To prove that even without Mo Yuzhen, I could rebuild myself. To show that the woman he destroyed wasn't weak. I wanted to make him regret betraying me. I wanted revenge.
"It doesn't feel good!" I screamed. "Not good at all! Please pull me up!"
The woman's lips curled higher. "Oh, I'm not talking about this," she sneered, her voice dripping with venom. "I meant—how does it feel to have your life destroyed by me?"
My eyes widened in confusion. What was she saying? Destroyed by her? Did this woman mistake me for someone else?
I tried to think, tried to search my memory, but my mind was blank. I definitely did not know this woman. Moreover, in my life, I have never harmed anyone, so why did this woman want to kill me?
Why did she hate me so much?
But there was no time for such questions. I clung harder to her wrist, my nails digging into her skin. "Please," I sobbed, my tears falling freely. "Please pull me up. We can talk. Whatever it is, we can fix it—just don't let go."
She chuckled darkly. "Talk?" Her smile twisted into something villainous. "There's nothing left to talk about, Tang Xiyu. Your story ends here. I've had so much fun ruining your life, and I'd do it all over again if I could."
My breath hitched. Her words made no sense. "W-What do you mean?"
She laughed—a sound so sharp it pierced through me. "Don't you understand yet? From the day you met Mo Yuzhen to this very moment, I've been pulling the strings. You were my puppet and I was your puppeteer."
My blood froze. Puppet? Puppeteer? What was this woman talking about?
"You did not fall in love with Mo Yuzhen; I made you fall for him. I was the God writing your story. And now," she whispered, tightening her grip just for a moment before loosening it again, "it's time to cut the final string."
My heart stopped.
"Wait—!"
"Don't worry," she sneered, her voice sweet and poisonous. "You won't be alone in this journey. I'll send him to accompany you soon."
The last thing I saw was her cruel smile before she released my hand. My scream ripped through the night as I plummeted. The wind howled in my ears, whipping my hair and tears away.
The lights above blurred, the masked figures shrinking into the distance. My mind went blank with terror.
So this was it. The end.
Maybe… maybe it was better this way.
Just as that thought crossed my mind, I heard a desperate scream from above.
"TANG XIYU!!!"
Through the rush of wind, I saw a blurry figure beside the masked woman. I tried to look at the person's face, but I was unable to. Even his voice sounded different.
Was it Mo Yuzhen?
For a split second, hope flickered in my eyes. But then I remembered his betrayal, the lies, the pain, and the light in my eyes dimmed. I didn't want him to be the last person I saw before I died.
Closing my eyes, I braced myself for the impact as I whispered my final apology.
"I'm sorry, Tang Xiyu… I couldn't give you the happiness you deserved. I couldn't make your dreams come true. If there's another life… I won't be so foolish. I'll live for myself. I'll chase my dreams, protect my heart, and stay far away from men like Mo Yuzhen."
Those were my final words before everything went dark. The world disappeared in silence.
Or so I thought.
"Ahhhh!"
I gasped, shooting upright, my heart pounding so fast it felt like it might burst. My throat was dry, my breath uneven, and cold sweat drenched my back. For a moment, I couldn't breathe. The images of falling, the rush of wind, the masked woman's cruel smile—it all came flooding back.
Was I... dead?