The Comments Woke Me Up: I Refuse to Die for the Male Lead

On my hundredth hospital admission, I saw the comments floating across the screen. They revealed that I was the frail supporting character, destined to die young, while my fiancé, Julian Frost, was the male lead. While I was unconscious in the hospital, Julian was busy playing hero to the insecure woman he supporting financially. Even as I was rushed to the ICU and resuscitated, he still had condoms in his pocket for the two of them to use. Everyone in the comments was hoping I would die and set Julian free. Later, just as they wished, I left Julian’s world one spring. But Julian went mad and never escaped that spring for the rest of his life. Chapter 1 When Julian Frost arrived, a few colorful birthday streamers were still caught in his hair. He didn’t seem to notice. He stood anxiously beside me, urging the nurse to be gentle as she removed the IV. The moment the needle came free, he hurried to take the nurse’s place. He gently pressed a cotton ball over the puncture. His head bowed with guilt. “I’m sorry. I should’ve been there with you. Work’s been so busy that I didn’t check my phone. Can you forgive me this once?” Words flickered in the air. [It’s the female lead’s birthday! What’s the supporting female character doing?] [He left the female lead’s birthday party halfway through to be with the supporting female character. Just wait—he’ll regret it and come crawling back to her.] I yanked my hand away and opened my phone. My unanswered plea for help sat alone in our chat. Julian hadn’t replied once. He said he was busy, yet he’d posted a video and forgotten to hide it from me. In it, he held the young woman he supported close. He shielded her from the streamers raining down around them. With a look of pure affection, he wished her a happy birthday. What had I been doing then? Oh, right. My heart condition had flared up, and I’d collapsed, unable to get back up. Every breath hurt. Yet the man who’d promised to protect me for the rest of my life was with another woman. He called it being busy. I reached up and plucked the streamers from Julian’s hair. My voice was steady. “Lakeside Pavilion is so hard to get a table at. Why did you come back so early?” I stared into his eyes, watching every flicker of emotion. “She must be upset, don’t you think?” Comments drifted across the screen, all of them blaming me. [The female lead already gave in. What more does she want?] [The female lead comes from a poor family, and this was her first birthday party. Isn’t it perfectly normal for Julian to celebrate with her, since he’s supporting her?] Julian stammered and pulled out his phone in a panic. He deleted the post. Then he lowered his voice to apologize, but every word he said defended Lily Young. Lily was the girl he’d recently started supporting financially. “You don’t understand. This is the first time in Lily’s life she’d ever had a birthday cake of her own. She sees me as her salvation. If I hadn’t gone, she would’ve been heartbroken. “She’s nothing like you. She’s never had anything. Since I chose to support her financially, I have to see it through and take responsibility for her.” Julian said it all as if it were perfectly reasonable. But Lily’s family being poor had nothing to do with me. Why should I have to bear the consequences? I scrolled through my phone and pulled up a list. Then I enlarged it for Julian to see. “My family supports thousands of students financially every year. I don’t see every one of them expecting their sponsor to celebrate their birthday with them. “So what makes her so special that you have to look after her day and night?” Comments rolled across the screen. [Let the supporting female character keep throwing a fit. She’ll only push the male lead farther away.] [The male and female leads are destined to end up together. Redemption romances are the best!!!] Julian was at a loss for words. He was just about to explain when someone knocked on the hospital room door. Lily came in, sniffling. Tear tracks covered her face, and she looked utterly miserable. She trembled as she approached, then lowered her head to apologize to me, making herself as small as possible. “I’m sorry, Miss Shaw. I was wrong to take up Mr. Frost’s time, but there’s nothing between us. “I’ve never had much experience with things like this. Mr. Frost only celebrated with me because he felt sorry for me. Please don’t take it out on him.” Chapter 2 Lily looked at Julian with open desire in her eyes. Then, in the next moment, she turned her tearful, pleading gaze on me. Her voice sounded utterly sincere. “He loves you so much. If my presence makes you unhappy, I’ll leave right now.” To put it kindly, she’d come to ask for my forgiveness. To put it bluntly, she might as well have come to stake her claim and challenge me. The comments went wild. [The supporting female character is about to die anyway. Why is she still standing in the leads’ way?] [Hasn’t the male lead been forced to take care of her for years? Isn’t that enough?] Lily looked heartbroken as she prepared to leave. Julian panicked. I hadn’t seen him look that flustered in years. As far as I remembered, Julian had always been calm and steady. The last time I’d seen him panic like that was when I was first rushed to the hospital after my heart condition flared up. He’d looked like he was falling apart. His eyes were bloodshot, and he stayed by my bedside for three days and nights. He only relaxed when I woke up. Then he knelt before me and swore he’d take care of me for the rest of my life. So much for him being forced to care for me. Now the man who’d once had eyes only for me clutched another girl’s hand and sighed in disappointment. “Stella, I’m really tired. I only wanted to help Lily because she reminds me of who I used to be. Please don’t make this difficult for me, okay?” I said nothing. I stared at their fingers interlaced. My stomach turned. An eerie silence fell over the hospital room. Then a phone rang. It was Julian’s. As soon as he answered, my father’s furious voice filled the room. The gentle, careful man he was with me was gone. With Julian, he sounded like a businessman who’d spent decades fighting in the corporate world. His voice was full of authority. “Julian, I entrusted my daughter to you. I didn’t do it so you could neglect her. “You accepted the resources I provided, so you’d better do your part. If I hear again that Stella was taken to the hospital alone… “Don’t expect me to go easy on you.” Comments appeared in the air. [What’s she so smug about? Aren’t supporting characters supposed to provide the leads with resources?] [She thinks money can buy the male lead’s future? Dream on.] [Once the male lead reaches the top of the business world, her whole family will be homeless, begging on the street!] My father was Julian’s benefactor. Most of my family’s businesses were overseas, but I’d never adjusted to living abroad. My father made major concessions to Julian to ensure he’d take good care of me. All he asked was that Julian treat me well. At first, Julian hadn’t wanted any of it. He said he loved me. Even without my father’s help, he’d gladly take care of me for the rest of my life. He’d never grow tired of it. But now, I couldn’t stop thinking about what he’d just said. He was tired. Julian glanced at me, looking torn. After a moment, he seemed to give in. “I promise this is the last time.” In a spot Julian couldn’t see, Lily glared at me with burning hatred. Only after hearing Julian’s promise did my father soften. As if to reassure him, he awarded Julian a major project with a profit share worth over $20 million. But Julian seemed distracted even after securing the project. He avoided Lily’s gaze and tried to reason with me. “If you’re jealous, I’ll keep my distance from her. From now on, she can go through my assistant for anything. Would that be okay?” I didn’t answer. Lily, who’d just insisted there was nothing between them, ran off with bloodshot eyes, looking deeply aggrieved. Before she left, she apologized several more times. Julian didn’t chase after her, but his fists were clenched tight. The veins stood out on the backs of his hands. He silently pushed a wheelchair over and carefully draped his jacket over my shoulders. Chapter 3 “Even though it’s spring, it’s still a little chilly. Be careful. Don’t catch a cold.” He’d always been like that, taking everything seriously. A faint warmth stirred in my heart. But when I saw the comments, I went cold all over. [Poor male lead. The supporting female character is holding him back.] [He even had condoms ready, and that sickly supporting female character ruined everything.] [The supporting female character has no idea, does she? The male lead was this close to finding happiness with the female lead!] I reached into Julian’s pocket, and sure enough, found an unopened box of condoms. But my health was poor, and we hadn’t been intimate in a long time. I took one deep breath after another. Julian looked down at me, puzzled, and asked what was wrong. I simply shook my head, calm and dry-eyed. So, this was what heartbreak felt like at its worst: silence. On the drive back, Julian and I sat in rare silence. He resented me for interrupting his efforts to help Lily. I hated him for already being prepared to betray me. My phone chimed with a notification. The designer at the luxury fashion house had messaged me. My wedding dress was ready. The brilliant white gown in the photo stung my eyes. The diamonds along its train, symbols of pure love, seemed unbearably ironic now. Tears welled in my eyes. It was beautiful, but I no longer wanted to wear it to marry Julian. My fingers tapped out a message on the screen. I was about to tell the designer I’d buy the dress and keep it as a memento. Then Julian spoke up. “Our wedding outfits are ready. Let’s go try them on in a few days.” He showed me a photo of his custom suit on his phone. I neither agreed nor disagreed. As I reached into the storage compartment for some water, my fingers brushed against a box. I took it out and saw a ring inside. A flicker of something strange crossed Julian’s face, but he smiled as he slipped it onto my finger, his tone gentle and coaxing. “Lately, I’ve neglected you, but we’re going to spend the rest of our lives together. I promise I’ll make it up to you.” The ring had an unusual design. I’d never seen one like it. But as soon as I put it on, I felt how loose it was. It wasn’t my size at all. I pinched the ring between my fingers and gave it a gentle shake. That was when I noticed two letters engraved inside it. J and L. Julian and Lily’s initials. Everyone in the comments was watching the drama unfold. They were laughing at me. [I’m dying. Does the female lead really think that ring is for her? The male lead had it made for his darling Lily!] [Stealing the female lead’s things and love. Shameless.] But I’d never stolen Julian’s love from anyone. He was the one who’d said he loved me. I forced a smile, my heart aching as though someone had squeezed it hard. Julian hurried to explain. “The jewelry store must have made a mistake. There’s a rare ruby in tonight’s auction. How about I buy it and have a ring made for you?” I took off the ring and placed it in Julian’s palm. “If it was a mistake, then take it to the person it was meant for.” The ring didn’t fit me, and neither did Julian. Maybe I should let them both go. Julian pressed his lips together, then asked tentatively, “Stella, are you upset? If you really like it, I can have someone resize it.” There was a time when we had no secrets or doubts between us. But if he’d truly meant the ring for me, he wouldn’t have clutched it so tightly after I gave it back. I shook my head and said there was no need. Julian smiled again and chatted on about the interesting things at that evening’s auction. He promised to buy me anything I liked. The car pulled into the estate. The moment the door opened… Chapter 4 For a moment, I thought I’d gone to the wrong place. The home I’d lived in for two years looked much the same at first glance. Yet everywhere I looked, it felt unfamiliar. The estate was silent. It was only three in the afternoon, but Muffin should have just finished eating and be tearing around the house. Normally, the moment I came home, Muffin would run out to greet me. Julian stood in the entryway and took off his coat. Then, with practiced ease, he put on an apron. He looked every inch the devoted husband. “What would you like to eat? I’ll make it for you. The auction won’t start for a while, and I’m worried your blood sugar might drop.” I ignored him and hurried past toward the pet room. But after only a few steps, my vision went black. I collapsed to the floor, unable to stop myself. My legs had no strength in them. As the room spun around me, I saw Julian running toward me in a panic. He carried me to the sofa. Then he turned, grabbed a few candies from the coffee table, and put them in my mouth. They were sour, with the orange flavor I hated most. It was the scent that clung to Lily. Once I’d regained a little strength, I pulled away from Julian and continued toward the pet room. But he called me back. He turned his face away, looking uncomfortable, and guilt crept into his voice. “That cat never warmed up to me. It nearly scratched me yesterday, so I gave it away. Don’t worry. I only rehomed it. I found it a really good family.” I turned around weakly, no longer caring about keeping up appearances. I could think of nothing but my cat. I’d had Muffin for five years. I’d known Julian for five years too. Muffin was affectionate and well-behaved. How could it possibly have scratched Julian? The comments scrolled by, and my heart sank. [The supporting female character’s cat is just as spiteful as she is. The female lead only wanted to pet it, and it freaked out and tried to scratch her.] [At least the cat knew who its real owner was. When the male lead got rid of it, it didn’t even resist. Imagine how heartbroken he’d be if the female lead got hurt.] I didn’t know how I made my way to the pet room. Every step felt like slow torture. The dizziness hadn’t passed. It was getting worse. Even after I’d taken my heart medication, my chest still ached dully. I picked up the little protective charm I’d bought for Muffin. I rubbed it gently in my palm. Tears streamed down my face. Julian probably hadn’t expected me to be this upset. Confused, he stepped forward to steady me. He patted my back, trying to soothe me. “It’s just a cat. Do I really matter less to you than it does?” My vision blurred. But when I turned to look at Julian, everything suddenly came into focus. While he was completely off guard, I clamped a hand around his throat. My voice came out sharp. My nails nearly pierced his skin. “Julian, how could you be this heartless? Muffin lived with us for years, and you just threw it away. What gave you the right?” I pointed at the red smears and cat fur by the pet room door. “Someone must have hurt Muffin. Otherwise, why would it scratch anyone? You knew perfectly well…” I spat out the orange candy. My heart hurt so badly I could barely breathe. I struggled toward the TV cabinet, hoping to find some medicine. But as soon as I opened it, I saw that the whole cabinet was crammed with snacks. There were enough varieties to stock a corner store. The lifesaving medicine I’d kept there was gone. Julian saw my face turn purplish and stopped arguing with me. He searched frantically for the medicine. At last, he found it in the storage room, carelessly tossed into a box for scrap paper. His hands trembled as he hurriedly placed the pills in my mouth, one by one. But my eyes were vacant, and a mocking smile spread across my face. Julian froze. He followed my gaze, but there was nothing there. Chapter 5 “What are you looking at? I was wrong to handle things that way. If you like cats, I’ll take you to buy another one. “Let’s forget about Muffin. It nearly scratched Lily, so we shouldn’t keep it. She’s just a young girl. It would be awful if this left her traumatized. “I heard Lily’s been afraid of cats since she was little. Can’t you try to understand?” It took only a few minutes for him to realize he couldn’t hide the truth from me. The person who’d nearly been scratched had changed from Julian to Lily. But if Lily was so pitiful, wasn’t Muffin pitiful, too? More than a dozen hours had passed since I was admitted to the hospital yesterday. Muffin was a stray cat my mother brought home for me five years ago, shortly before she died. It was unusually timid. It was the only thing I had left to remember her by. Julian knew how much Muffin meant to me, yet he’d still done this. I couldn’t bear to imagine where Muffin might be hiding now. Or whether it was even still alive, waiting for me to come get it. Julian didn’t know that while he was looking for my medicine, the comments had answered all my questions. The TV cabinet wasn’t the only place. The fridge. The bedroom. The entire estate was full of traces of Lily. The fridge Julian had once stocked just for me was now packed with food I didn’t like. Even Lily’s underwear and sleepwear had made their way into my closet. They sat right beside Julian’s pajamas. The comments flooded the screen, celebrating that Lily would soon become the lady of the house. But I’d bought this house. It was the home I’d lived in and furnished for years. Julian seemed to realize what I was thinking. He looked uncomfortable as he tried to explain. “Lily had never had snacks before, so I bought a bunch for her to try. I knew you didn’t like them, so I didn’t tell you. “But don’t worry. Whatever you want to eat, I can have someone bring it to you anytime, okay?” I braced myself against the floor and pushed to my feet, then staggered toward the door. Dust stained my pearl-white dress, and my hair, which I’d had done that morning, was now a mess. I didn’t need Julian to tell me how wretched I looked. He hurried over and stood beside me, confusion and bewilderment on his face. “It’s just a cat. How much longer are you going to make a fuss over it?” Rain began to fall outside, and a damp chill seeped in through the entryway. The comments streamed by. [Let the supporting female character ruin herself if she wants. Our darling Lily is waiting for the male lead to cuddle with her.] [Rainy day, power outage, just the two of them—ooh, I can’t wait!] Julian stayed where he was, but I stopped just before stepping outside. I quickly grabbed the coat he’d left in the entryway and gave it a light shake. A box of brand-new condoms dropped to the floor. Thunder rumbled, and lightning flashed outside. A bolt lit Julian’s face, revealing his horrified expression. He tried to explain, but his words sounded weak and unconvincing. I let out a quiet laugh and asked, “How many times have you slept with her? Or were you just about to?” “No, Stella! Please believe me. I haven’t done anything with her!” Julian bit his lip so hard that blood welled at the corners of his mouth. “Okay, I believe you. So, what’s this box of condoms for?” I leaned casually against the door and watched him stammer through his excuses. In the end, all he could say was, “It must’ve been a prank by a friend. We’ve been together for years. Don’t you trust me?” I said nothing. I stared straight at him, leaving him nowhere to hide. Then I took out my phone and called the personal assistant my father assigned to me. “Book me a flight for tomorrow, as early as possible. And tell my father I’m coming back.”