Tragic Heroine. Death System. Torment Swapped.

The day Finnian Blackwood forced the divorce papers on me, I was bound to the Dare-to-Die System. The System’s voice echoed in my head: “Slap him across the face and tell him to get lost.” I trembled. Finn was a ruthless man. If I dared to stand between him and his first love, he would tear me apart without a second thought. But the System’s threat was more immediate: “If you don’t follow the dare, you will die. Now.” I had no choice. I swung my hand back and slapped him. My heart hammered in my chest. I turned and fled the house before he could react. Then the System issued its next command: Vandalize the police car parked on the corner. I was certain the System was trying to get me killed. But it was only after I smashed the cruiser’s side mirror that I understood. The life the System wanted me to risk wasn’t my own.

1 I stared at the police car, my mind reeling. “No way. That’s a crime!” “Take the dare, or you die,” the voice in my head repeated, cold and unyielding. I hadn’t believed it at first. The voice had appeared out of nowhere half an hour ago, informing me that I was the tragic heroine of a novel designed for heartbreak. According to the System, after Finn’s childhood sweetheart, Sienna Vance, returned to the country, I would be kicked to the curb. I was destined for a series of heart-wrenching abuses—forced blood donations, having a kidney stolen—before being left to a gang of thugs and dying a miserable death. A shiver went down my spine. Sienna had returned last month. And this month, Finn had started staying out late. He’d stare right through me, lost in thought. I found a lipstick in his coat pocket that wasn’t mine. He started taking his calls in another room. I knew this sham of a marriage was over. Today, he’d handed me the divorce papers. “Sienna won’t see me,” he’d said, his voice flat. “She says it’s improper now that I’m married. You know her health is fragile. She can’t be left alone.” “Isla, just sign the papers.” I scanned the document. There was no mention of any assets for me. My own savings were long gone, spent during the two years I supported Finn while he rebuilt his empire from scratch. For the past few years, he’d insisted I stay home, embarrassed by my humble origins. If he threw me out now, I wouldn’t have enough money for dinner. I had wanted to reason with him, but the System had commanded me to slap him instead. Everyone knew the new Finn Blackwood was a ruthless shark who’d clawed his way back from bankruptcy. That slap was a literal death wish. “Smash it! Now!” the System urged. Terrified that the System’s predictions would come true, I grabbed a loose brick from the pavement and brought it down hard on the cruiser’s side mirror. With a sickening crunch, the mirror shattered and fell to the ground. An alarm blared. Three officers burst out from around the corner. I immediately raised my hands, ready to surrender. They cuffed me and took me to the precinct. In the interrogation room, an officer held up my blood test results. “No alcohol, no drugs. Mentally stable. So why’d you smash a police car? Do you have any idea what you’ve done?” I recited the lines the System fed me. “I know exactly what I was doing. It was deliberate.” A young female officer looked at me, exasperated. “What’s wrong with you? Bad breakup?” “Not a breakup,” I said honestly. “A divorce.” The thought of prison food made my eyes well up with tears. The officer cleared her throat. “Full restitution for damages, a $1,000 fine, and ten days in detention. Call your family. And don’t do it again.” I dutifully handed over my bank cards, but each one was declined. Finn was already teaching me a lesson. The officers told me to call a family member. I tried Finn’s number ten times. No answer. On the eleventh try, I discovered he had blocked me. The female officer used the precinct’s landline. The moment she said my name, Finn cut her off. His voice, which had once been so gentle, was now like ice shards. “Isla? Call me again when she’s dead.” The officers exchanged uneasy glances. The female officer checked my records again. The file read: Orphan. Her expression hardened. “Take her to the holding cells.” The ten days passed faster than I expected. I was too busy with mandatory “re-education” programs to think much about Finn. When I got my phone back, it was flooded with missed calls from Finn and his assistant. I called him back. “Where the hell are you?” he snarled. “The file from my office drawer—where did you hide it?!”

2 I blinked, confused. “What file?” “You have thirty minutes to bring it back,” he seethed. “If you don’t, I’m calling the cops. Isla, don’t you dare test my patience.” I was completely lost. I looked at the female officer beside me. She had heard everything and held out her hand for my phone. She took it and spoke in a stern, official tone. “Mr. Blackwood, your wife was just released from detention and still has an outstanding fine. If you’d like to file a report, you can come directly to the precinct.” To my shock, Finn let out a cold laugh. “Isla, I’m not in the mood for your games.” He hung up. I didn’t know what was going on, but the officers told me to wait while they contacted Finn to come and pay the fine. Half an hour later, Finn stormed in, his face a thundercloud. He was grilling the officer. “Are you telling me she’s been in here for the last ten days? She hasn’t gone anywhere?” “Believe what you want,” the officer snapped. “Just pay the fine.” On the way to his office, I pieced together the story from Finn’s conversation with his assistant. Yesterday, the tender proposal in his drawer had vanished. It was for the company’s biggest and most confidential project of the year. Finn had the only final copy. The bid was due tomorrow. “A file that important has no backup?” I asked. The assistant whispered, “Ms. Vance accidentally spilled water on Mr. Blackwood’s laptop. The hard drive is completely fried.” Finn’s voice was a low warning. “Sienna already feels terrible about it. She’s sensitive. You are not to mention this in front of her.” The entire office was in a state of panic, everyone scrambling. The only person who was relaxed was Sienna, who was sitting in Finn’s chair, casually browsing the internet. When she saw me, she strode over with a bright smile. “Finn, you found Isla! Did you get the file back?” She took his hand and gave it a little swing. “I told you she was just angry and took it to get back at you. You can stop worrying about the bid now.” Finn’s expression was strange. He said nothing. Sienna’s smile faltered. Her gaze shifted to me. “Isla, you didn’t… lose the file, did you?” When I didn’t answer, her brow furrowed. “Isla, I heard Finn asked for a divorce. I know he was wrong, and you must be upset. But you shouldn’t have taken the company’s documents. So many people worked hard on that.” She changed her tone to one of gentle persuasion. “Just give it back. I’ve already talked to Finn. He won’t press charges.” “She didn’t take it,” Finn ground out. Sienna looked stunned. “How is that possible…?” Just then, the System issued a new command. “Slap her. Now!” How could I possibly touch Finn’s precious darling? But then, it clicked. The System had made me smash the police car to create a perfect alibi. It wasn’t trying to hurt me. Understanding dawned. I put every ounce of strength I had into my arm and swung, slapping Sienna hard across the face. “Such an act!” I spat out the lines the System provided. “Who do you think you are, sticking your nose in other people’s business? If you’re so concerned, maybe you should start by keeping your eyes off married men! You knew I couldn’t have the file, so you deliberately fanned the flames. I bet you’re the one who stole it!” The air froze. Sienna clutched her cheek, her eyes wide with disbelief. “You…” I slapped her again. “‘You’ what?! Don’t talk to me. I don’t converse with morally bankrupt homewreckers. It’s disgusting.” “Isla, are you insane?” Finn finally reacted, grabbing my wrist. Following the System’s next directive, I snatched the water glass from his desk and threw its contents in his face. The hot liquid drenched him. Finn froze.

3 He stared at me as if I were a complete stranger. “What’s happened to you? If I had known you were this unreasonable, back then I…” “If I had known you were no better than a public toilet,” I cut him off, “I never would have saved you!” Years ago, when the Blackwood family went bankrupt, Finn’s father had jumped from a skyscraper, and his mother had followed. His creditors had broken his leg and thrown him into the sea. I was a girl from a small coastal town, out on my fishing boat, and I pulled him from the water. I thought two lonely people could at least find some warmth in each other. But Sienna’s return had turned our eight-year marriage into a joke. The System’s spoilers and interventions had thrown my world into chaos. For the first time, looking at the drenched, pathetic man before me, I regretted saving him. Suddenly, Sienna shrieked. She stumbled, clutching the desk for support. “Finn, I feel dizzy.” Without even wiping the water from his face, Finn turned and swept her up into his arms. He didn’t spare me a single glance as he carried her to the sofa. I turned to leave, but he stopped me. “She fainted because of you. Don’t you move!” He buzzed his private doctor. After listening to Finn’s instructions, the doctor wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead. “Mr. Blackwood, while Mrs. Blackwood and Ms. Vance both have Type A blood, anemia doesn’t necessarily require a transfusion. And even if it did, we could…” “That’s too much trouble,” Finn’s voice was glacial. “Isla laid a hand on her. She can damn well take responsibility. Just draw her blood.” “Don’t just stand there,” the System prompted. “It’s time for a dare.” I pinched my palm, then threw open the office door. “Urgently seeking Type A blood!” I yelled to the stunned employees outside. “Ten thousand dollars a pint!” I turned back to meet Finn’s shocked gaze. “What, you’re not willing to part with a little cash?” People began to gather. “Mr. Blackwood, ma’am, I’m Type A! I even have my donor card. Is it really ten thousand a pint?” I smiled. “Mr. Blackwood is very anxious to save Ms. Vance. The more, the merrier.” With that, I pushed through the crowd and went home. Following the System’s guidance, I spent the afternoon drafting a new divorce agreement. Finn came home at two in the morning. He smelled of lilies. He had forgotten I was allergic. He picked up my version of the agreement and let out a series of derisive snorts. “Isla, are you out of your mind? Demanding I leave with nothing?” He tossed a form on the table in front of me. An organ donation consent form. “No more tricks. Either you sign this, or I’ll have someone sign it for you.” I opened it. It was for my kidney, of course. Finn started scribbling changes on my divorce agreement. “Sienna’s having some health issues. Help her, and consider it helping me. As a thank you, I’ll give you a million dollars.” He stared at me coldly. “Don’t be so greedy. It makes me wonder if you had ulterior motives for saving me all those years ago.” Perhaps he was overconfident. He went into the master bedroom to sleep, leaving me in the living room. A cold wind blew in from the window, chilling me to the bone. Following the System’s instructions, I went into the study and turned on the computer. Finn’s social media password was easy to guess: the date Sienna left the country. He had, after all, once tattooed those numbers on his ankle. I took a picture of the organ donation form and posted it online. The caption read: Seeking a matching kidney. One million dollars. Serious inquiries only. Below, I listed Finn’s personal phone number.