Chapter 381: Chapter 381: Wife Chasing Arc?
But in the end, she lowered her head.
Her voice was faint when she spoke.
"It’s true. I was the one who seduced him. Mateo is innocent."
Mateo’s face softened instantly.
He looked at her with gratitude, as if she had just sacrificed herself for him.
Olivia rolled her eyes.
"Disgusting," she muttered under her breath.
The principal’s face darkened.
He adjusted his glasses again, his tone stern.
"Since you have admitted it, Eleanor, you will be expelled immediately. As for Mateo, you will receive a heavy demerit. Be grateful, that is all."
Mateo’s face paled, but he stayed silent. It was the lightest punishment he could hope for.
Eleanor stood motionless, her head lowered; no one knew what she was thinking.
When the meeting was dismissed, she walked out slowly, her steps dragging.
Mateo hurried after her.
"Eleanor! Wait!" He caught up, his voice soft and coaxing.
"I know what I did hurt you. But I only said that to protect you. Once I inherit my family’s business, I’ll make it up to you."
Eleanor looked at him blankly, no emotion in her eyes.
"Protect me? By throwing me under the bus?"
He smiled weakly.
"I had no choice. But now, I promise, I’ll give you everything."
Eleanor nodded once, then turned to leave.
"Why are you acting like this? Don’t you still care about me?" Mateo called after her desperately.
She gave a weak smile, her voice flat.
"I’m just tired." Then she walked away, her steps quickening as if a ghost was chasing her.
Mateo stood frozen, his heart sinking.
But instead of reflecting, he convinced himself that she only felt down because of being expelled.
He believed that once he helped her get admitted somewhere else, she would forgive him.
He even thought that this time, her sacrifice proved how much she loved him. His heart swelled with affection.
As he stood there, lovesick, Olivia passed by him without a word.
Mateo stared at Olivia’s back, and millions of thoughts flashed in his mind.
How Olivia had remained indifferent when he was getting blamed, and how Eleanor had stepped up in front of him and shielded him.
Something inside him shattered, and everything became clear.
Olivia may be an unattainable goddess, but Eleanor? She was the real deal.
Hence, this time he didn’t chase her; instead, he turned and left.
Louis, walking beside Olivia, looked at Mateo’s retreating back and chuckled. "Finally cut off that leech?"
Olivia smirked. "Yes. Men like that are better kept far away."
Eleanor, meanwhile, stepped outside the university gates.
The system’s voice chimed again.
[Mateo’s favorability has reached 100%.]
But her face showed no joy.
She only felt disgust.
The scene in the principal’s office replayed in her mind over and over, each time cutting deeper than the last.
"I want to leave this world," she said to her system.
There was silence.
The system, which usually replied instantly with cheerful or commanding words, did not say a single thing for a long while.
Eleanor’s lips curved into a bitter smile.
Perhaps even the system was shocked.
Finally, after what felt like forever, the cold mechanical voice returned.
[Why do you want to leave?] It asked, sounding almost confused.
It remembered that Eleanor was very excited about the wife-chasing arc. Now that it had almost begun, why was she backing out?
Eleanor closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them again, filled with calmness.
"Because I do not want this kind of man in my life," she answered quietly.
Her voice was not trembling, nor was it filled with anger. It was simple, flat, and honest.
The system paused before asking in a slightly reluctant voice.
[Do you realize what you are giving up? You are losing the only chance to become a beautiful and wealthy wife. You are letting go of the ending that so many people dream of. Money, fame, reputation, luxury... everything could have been yours.]
Eleanor frowned slightly.
She tightened her fists and shook her head.
"I do not want to live a beautiful life if I must live it beside a disgusting husband."
The system’s voice grew curious.
[Disgusting? He is the male lead. He is the one written for you. He will love you more than anyone else. That is what the story says.]
Eleanor let out a soft laugh, but there was no joy in it.
"Love? Do you call that love? If we ever faced a life or death situation, do you really believe he would protect me? He would push me into the fire if it meant saving himself. How can I live with such a person? How can I rest my heart in such a marriage? The moment I lower my guard, he would stab me in the back. That is not love. That is death."
The system fell silent.
Eleanor’s words, though harsh, carried the truth, and for once, the system had no quick answer.
Her eyes dimmed as she continued, her voice softer now.
"You cannot understand what it feels like to stand there, to watch the person you once trusted throw you into the fire without a single thought. I cannot stay by his side. Even if you tell me I am giving up everything, I would rather have nothing than live like that."
Silence stretched between them.
It lasted long enough that Eleanor almost thought the system had left her.
Finally, the cold voice returned, but weaker than before.
[You cannot leave this world until the end of the storyline.]
Eleanor’s lips trembled, but she kept her head up.
"Then can I at least change my target?"
Again, silence. Then the system asked, almost suspiciously,
[Why do you want to change your target?]
Eleanor’s mind filled with an image of Theodore, his deep eyes, and the smile that only appeared once in a while, like sunlight peeking through storm clouds.
Her heart ached faintly, but this time it was not from pain. It was from a strange warmth.
"Because that guy will never betray me," she said softly.
"Even though he is destined to turn into a villain, he was always the one who cared about me the most. In the original story, he even imprisoned me. At that time, I thought he was cruel and controlling. But now, I understand..."