Losses and Descent

Right, if he doesn’t listen, we’ll make him even worse, ruin his family, leave him penniless, begging on the streets, force him to crawl to us!

Abusing the wife is fun for a while, but the groveling arc is the real hell!

Isn’t the plot always about the transmigrated girl clinging to the male lead, who unknowingly falls for her? According to the original story, I should grow feelings by staying with him, but now that he fired me, I can’t get close to him. How can I increase the affection score?

Don’t worry, host, let’s destroy the Whitaker family first, pull him off his pedestal, drag him into the mud.

The more I listened, the more alarm bells went off. According to them, they could mess with this world using some unknown power. I won’t let anyone destroy generations of Whitaker sweat and blood—or hurt my family. And I’d never marry a lunatic like Autumn. No way.

I called my parents, who were recovering at home. Called my girlfriend, Savannah Miller, who was studying abroad. Made sure everything was fine. Before I could make my next move, as soon as I left the company, a rag clamped over my mouth and nose. Out cold.

When I came to, I was in a basement. The air was damp, moldy, and reeked of bleach. I was choking, took a few seconds to realize: my neck and feet were chained, forced to kneel on the concrete.

"Long time no see, little prince Whitaker."

A man ground my face into the floor with his leather shoe. I struggled to look up. Saw a middle-aged man with slanted eyes and a week’s worth of stubble, grinning like a shark. The Whitaker family’s biggest rival, Reyes Corp’s chairman, Vincent Reyes.

The untouchable ice prince trampled underfoot, so exciting.

Autumn’s voice echoed in my mind.

"I want Whitaker’s shares."

Vincent didn’t bother with pleasantries.

"Dream on! Even if Whitaker was mine alone, I’d never hand over generations of hard work!" I spat in his face.

Whack!

A slap so hard my ears rang. I fought back, but the neck chain yanked me tight. The thugs on both sides kicked my back, dropping me to my knees, mouth full of blood.

"Little prince of luxury, probably never suffered."

"Unlike us, scraping by every day, finally get a break, but Whitaker still blocks our way. Not happening."

Vincent had them drag in a fish tank, forced my head under. The water stank of algae and cigarettes, flooding my throat, burning my lungs…

Filthy humiliation, near-drowning, again and again. The voice in my head cut through it all.

Host, it’s actually easy to destroy Whitaker. Their internal data is transparent to me. Once Chase Whitaker is down, you’ll be his savior, no need for such risks.

No way, he never gave me a good face, I have to vent! Finally convinced Dad to kidnap him, can’t let him go easily!

Dad, system, destroy Whitaker? The pieces snapped together. So that’s it. Autumn is Vincent Reyes’s daughter, the Reyes family heiress. This was all a self-directed rescue play. Of course.

If I caved, my parents would be the first to pay. Once the shares were gone, the Whitaker patriarch would have no value. Would the system really let him live? I didn’t want to find out. So I had to endure.

Dirty water, rotten food, beatings. Vincent wanted Whitaker’s assets; Autumn just wanted to break me.

I’m going to tell Dad, Chase Whitaker studied piano for twenty years, hehe.

Autumn’s voice. Sure enough, Vincent came for me soon after.

"Little prince Whitaker, pretty tough."

Vincent had them pin me down.