System Husband: One Divorce and I'm Gone

When my wife's boy toy, Bradley Bell, posts on social media about wanting to settle down, she loses her cool. She rushes home—a place she hasn't set foot in for months—and pleads, "Alan, Bradley is throwing a total fit about wanting something official. Let's get a fake divorce. Just move out for a few days, okay? "Don't worry. It's just a fake divorce. You're the only man I'll ever consider my husband." Seeing her desperate expression, I agree. What she doesn't know is that I came to her side through a companion system I was bound to. Once we're divorced and living apart, I'll be destined to vanish from this world forever, and she'll never see me again. Chapter 1 The moment I agreed to my wife Charlotte Cooke's request for a fake divorce, she dragged me straight to the courthouse. "Alan, give me seven days. Just seven days. Once I smooth things over with Bradley, we'll come right back and remarry, okay?" She gazed into my eyes with deep affection and even showered me with a mountain of parting gifts. There was an expensive luxury watch, a fresh bouquet of vibrant flowers, and a black card with an unlimited credit line. She was throwing everything at the wall just to get me to sign the papers, all to keep her boy toy, Bradley Bell, happy. Yet I felt surprisingly calm. Bradley wasn't the first young man to pop up around her over the years. In the past, I used to fight and cause a scene. Charlotte would patiently soothe me, only to go right back to her wandering ways once the dust settled. Eventually, I made peace with her restless nature. After all, who would expect love to last forever these days? As long as she always came home to me, I could live with it. But Bradley turned out to be the exception. For his sake, Charlotte hadn't come home to see me in months. And now, she had come back purely to convince me to go along with this fake divorce and pack up my things. I knew this marriage was finally dead. "I don't need any of this. Let's just go inside and get it over with," I said calmly as I turned toward the building. Charlotte paused for a second before scrambling to follow me in. At the counter, she sat right beside me, looking at me with eyes full of tenderness. Meanwhile, I stayed entirely composed. The clerk hesitated for a moment before asking, "Are you two sure you want a divorce?" "Yes!" Charlotte blurted out before I could even open my mouth. After saying that, she glanced at me awkwardly and softly reminded me, "Alan…" "I'm sure," I said flatly. My confirmation sent a visible wave of relief through her. While we waited for the clerk to stamp the final paperwork, Charlotte kept anxiously studying my face. She instinctively reached out to take my hand, but I pulled away. She bit her lip, looking like she wanted to say something but held back given where we were. Once the divorce certificate was stamped and handed over, we left the courthouse. After a few minutes of silence, I broke the silence. "I'll head back and pack now. Give me about two hours, and I'll be out of the house." The concern in Charlotte's eyes deepened at my detached tone. "Alan, there's no rush. I'll stay with you today. We can start the clock tomorrow. Besides, Bradley has classes today anyway—" Before she could finish, a guy in sportswear with short hair strolled over, calling out cheerfully, "Charlotte! I've been waiting out here forever." Then he shot me a provocative look and said with a half-smile, "Hey man, thanks for stepping aside for Charlotte and me—" Charlotte's expression instantly darkened. She cut him off. "Bradley! Who told you to come here? Get back to class right now!" She stepped in front of me, as if to shield me from him. Once upon a time, Charlotte promised that no matter how much she fooled around on the side, she would never let me have to deal with any of it. So now, she was panicking. Bradley, however, didn't flinch. He just pouted playfully. "Charlotte, you just divorced him. Why are you still taking his side? I skipped class just to surprise you. Didn't you say you were taking me back to live at your place today? You—" Charlotte pointed at her parked car as she cut him off again. "Get in the car and wait there. Don't make me repeat myself." Bradley threw me one last bitter glare before slinking off toward Charlotte's car. Chapter 2 When Charlotte looked at me again, her face was filled with panic as she said cautiously, "Alan, I'm so sorry. I didn't think he'd just run over like that. Bradley's completely spoiled. I'll talk to him when I get back, I promise. Please don't be mad." I shook my head. "It's fine." I'd seen far worse than this. The sting had worn off a long time ago. Charlotte studied my face, relaxing only when she was sure I wasn't upset. Her eyes drifted instinctively toward her car, and she said softly, "Alan, don't worry. I won't let Bradley cross your path again. It's just… we should probably speed up the move…" Her voice was faint and heavy with guilt. A minute ago, she was saying there was no rush and that she wanted to spend the day with me. Now, one look at Bradley, and she was ushering me out the door. I swallowed the bitterness rising in my throat and nodded. As expected, I didn't see Bradley again on the way back. Charlotte and I returned to the villa together. I started packing right away. All I had was a small suitcase and a cardboard box filled with mementos of my happy times with Charlotte. There were handwritten letters from her, matching ceramic mugs we'd made together, keychains, and more. As I was debating what to do with them, Charlotte walked in. Impatience flickered across her face as she said, "Alan, just toss the old stuff. We can always buy new replacements later." She was right. Old things should be replaced. People were no different. I let out a quiet smile, carried the box outside, and dumped it into the trash truck. When I grabbed my suitcase to leave, Charlotte looked at me with a flicker of concern. "Alan, give me a hug." She opened her arms, but I stepped back. Before she could say anything, I forced a smile. "It's only seven days. Don't go giving Bradley a reason to be jealous." I knew he was already waiting right outside, ready to take my place. Charlotte froze for a second, then gave a nod with a smile. "Right. You'll be back in seven days anyway. Thank you, Alan." I nodded, got in my car, and hit the gas. As I pulled away from the villa, a mechanical voice rang out in my head. "Alan, the system has detected your divorce and separation from Charlotte Cooke. You've failed the task. In seven days, you will die in a car crash and leave this world." … About ten years ago, I was in a car accident in my original world. To survive, I bound myself to a companion system and was sent here to Charlotte's side. My task was to stay by her side and remain married to her for ten years. If I succeeded, I'd get to stay in this world and spend the rest of my life with her. But with only seven days left, Charlotte had asked for a divorce. I had failed the task. Now, I had to return to my original world and face whatever fate was waiting for me there. I checked into a hotel to lay low for the remaining week. On the drive over, I noticed that every billboard along the road featured the same young man. Beneath the picture, the words were written in stylized lettering. "Happy 19th birthday to my boy. From Lottie." It was Bradley. I recognized him instantly. And Lottie was Charlotte's nickname. It all made sense now. No wonder Charlotte was in such a hurry to divorce me. She wanted to surprise her boy toy. My mind drifted back to when I first arrived here. I pursued her first, but she was the one who fell harder. Back then, she always went out of her way to surprise me, not just on birthdays and anniversaries, but on ordinary days, too. She learned how to cook for me, knitted sweaters for me, and rented out massive billboards just to tell the world she loved me. When her family opposed our relationship, she knelt for three straight days just to get their blessing. "Alan, I'll love you forever, in this life and the next." That was her promise to me. But later, she forgot. Shortly after I settled into the hotel room, my phone rang. It was the hospital, asking me to pick up my in-laws' latest checkup results. Charlotte was always too busy with work, so taking care of her parents had fallen on me all these years. Chapter 3 Since I was leaving anyway, I figured I should wrap things up. Before I even set foot inside the Cooke residence, I saw Charlotte through the window, shielding Bradley behind her. "Mom, Dad, Alan was busy, so I brought Bradley over to visit," she said angrily. "There's no need to throw the gifts on the floor!" Charlotte's father, Jordan Cooke, pointed at her, his voice booming with fury. "You brat! Listen carefully! Alan is the only son-in-law I'll ever accept! Get this boy toy out of my house! Now!" Sharon Gibson, my mother-in-law, clutched her chest, her face pale with frustration. "Your father is right. Take him away right now! Charlotte, how do you think this will make Alan feel?" Watching them stand up for me brought a faint warmth to my chest. Years ago, Jordan and Sharon were dead set against me marrying Charlotte. Only after she spent three days and three nights on her knees did they finally cave. To win them over, I regularly visited to cook for them and look after their health. Over time, they came to treat me like their own son. "Alan and I already talked about this! He doesn't mind me bringing Bradley home! I'm not asking you to accept him. I just brought him over for a quick visit. Do you really have to be this cold? Bradley, let's go!" Charlotte's face flushed with anger as she grabbed Bradley's hand to leave. It was a mirror image of how she used to fight for me back then. Except now, the guy by her side had changed. I left the checkup results at the front door and turned to leave. Just as Charlotte opened the door, her eyes locked onto mine, and her expression instantly froze. "Alan?" Our eyes met for a brief second. I caught the flash of panic and unease in her eyes, but in the end, she didn't run after me. It wasn't until I walked out of the neighborhood that my phone buzzed with a message from her. "Alan, I only brought Bradley to see my parents. There's nothing else to it. You're their only son-in-law and my only husband. "Once these few days are over, I promise I'll break things off with him completely and make it up to you, okay?" She sent several messages in a row, terrified that I'd misunderstand. I typed back a simple reply. "It's fine. I just came by to drop off their checkup results. They're getting up there in age. I'll send you the details of their health conditions. You can review them when you have time. From now on, you or Bradley will have to handle these things." Charlotte replied almost immediately, "Alan, you're still mad, aren't you? You're jealous of Bradley." Then came a transfer of five thousand dollars. "Take the money. Go hang out with some friends and unwind for a couple of days. Have fun. We're getting remarried in a few days anyway, so don't overthink it. You're the one I love most." She followed it up with a kissing emoji. I transferred the money back to her and just replied, "Okay." Only then did she finally stop messaging. After leaving the Cooke residence, I felt completely aimless, unsure of where to go. Without realizing it, I wandered onto the historic street where Charlotte and I used to go on dates. "Charlotte, put on these bunny ears! You're gonna look so cute. Come on, let's take a photo!" A familiar voice cut through the air. I looked up and saw Charlotte and Bradley in matching outfits, snapping affectionate photos together by the curb. Charlotte spotted me almost instantly. Her expression shifted, and she quickly walked over. Before she could speak, Bradley put on a wounded act. "Alan, why are you following us? Charlotte's only keeping me company for a few days. Do you really have to do this?" His eyes welled up with tears as his voice cracked. "Do I have to disappear from Charlotte's life forever before you're finally satisfied?" Hearing him level accusations at me, I didn't even have the energy to defend myself. Charlotte frowned and cut him off. "Don't talk to Alan like that! Go wait over there." Bradley tried to act cute, but Charlotte's expression darkened, forcing him to reluctantly shuffle away. Charlotte turned back to me. After a long silence, she let out a weary sigh. "Alan, you're making this really exhausting." Chapter 4 Charlotte continued, "I already told you, it's only for seven days. Find something of your own to do over the next few days instead of pestering us. I told you we're getting remarried. Why won't you listen?" Looking at the deep disappointment written across her face, I felt nothing. "Sorry," I said quietly. "My bad. It won't happen again." I turned to leave, but Charlotte froze and suddenly caught my arm. A hint of sympathy crossed her face. "I'm sorry, Alan. I was too harsh. I promise, he's just a fling. I don't really have feelings for him. No one is ever going to take your place. Please, just trust me, okay?" I nodded. "Okay." I pulled my arm free and walked away alone. For the next few days, I stayed inside the hotel to avoid running into them again. During that time, Bradley tracked down my socials and deliberately sent me photos of him and Charlotte together. "Alan, Charlotte took me shopping for a suit. It cost thousands of dollars." "Alan, I'm staying at your place tonight. You won't get mad, will you?" "Alan, you must be furious, right? But what can you do? An old face like yours just can't give Charlotte that spark anymore." I didn't reply to a single message. I passed the days in quiet solitude, eating three simple meals a day, much like the years I spent waiting at home for Charlotte to return. On the seventh day, I put on a clean set of clothes, checked out of the hotel, and got into my car. I drove aimlessly down the road, ready to greet the end of my life. Along the way, Charlotte—who hadn't reached out in days—unexpectedly called. Her voice sounded bright and cheerful. "Honey, I'll be back home right at midnight to be with you. You must be happy, right?" I gave a few hollow responses and hung up. The next second, a violent crash roared through the air, and a crimson haze burst across my vision. The car slammed into the median, and flames instantly engulfed the vehicle. Agony tore through every inch of my body as my consciousness began to fade. Was this finally over? Through the haze, I faintly heard sirens. Soon, several people pulled me from the wreckage. I saw someone pick up my phone and dial Charlotte's number. "Hello? Is this Alan Miller's family? He's been in a terrible car accident." There was a moment of silence on the other end before Bradley's voice cut in. "Charlotte, it's the very last day. Is Alan really that impatient that he has to make up a lie like this to trick you into going back?" Charlotte quickly cut Bradley off and grabbed the phone. "Alan, stop making jokes like this," she said softly. "It's not nice. Didn't I say I'd be back at midnight? Just wait for me." The person holding the phone realized she'd misunderstood and tried to explain. "No, wait—" But Charlotte hung up. With no other choice, the paramedics focused on trying to save me. My consciousness grew fainter, and even the excruciating pain began to fade away. I was rushed to the hospital, where they hooked me up to countless life-support machines, but nothing worked. The monitor beeped faintly as my vital signs dwindled. Flashes of my life with Charlotte since I'd arrived in this world swept through my mind. Our first encounter, confessing our feelings, falling in love, walking down the aisle… She once promised she would love me forever. Then she said she couldn't help falling for new men, but I would always be her husband. In the end, I didn't even get to keep the title of her husband. I was left with nothing. Tears slid down my face. The system's voice echoed in my head. "Beginning countdown to depart this world. Three… Two…" At the same time, the heart monitor began to beep erratically. As the countdown hit one, the line on the monitor went completely flat. Midnight of the eighth day had arrived. The next second, the ER doors burst open, and Charlotte rushed inside. "Alan, I'm back!"