Chapter 1Punching the Script

A new intern started at the company. As he was introducing himself, a transparent comment feed, like a livestream chat, materialized in my vision.

【HOLY CRAP, THE REAL MALE LEAD IS FINALLY HERE! THE HEROINE IS ABOUT TO GET BACK WITH HIM, DUMP THE TOXIC EX, AND LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER!】

【THE TOXIC EX BETTER NOT CAUSE ANY TROUBLE. HE SHOULD JUST QUIETLY HELP THE MAIN COUPLE GET TOGETHER!】

【YEAH, IF THE SIDE CHARACTER OBSTRUCTS THE PLOT, HIS ENDING WILL BE HORRIFIC. HIS ONLY CHANCE OF SURVIVAL IS TO SUCK UP TO THE MALE LEAD!】

Right after his introduction, the intern, Zane, walked over to my desk and picked up a file I had prepared for my manager’s girlfriend.

“I’ll take this to the manager for you.”

A second after he entered her office, a furious shout echoed out:

“Get out! Who do you think you are, waltzing into my office whenever you please?”

* * *

Everyone’s head snapped toward the office. The comment feed scrolled again.

【DON’T BE FOOLED BY HOW FIERCE THE HEROINE IS NOW. IT’S ALL AN ACT. SHE’S JUST PLAYING HARD TO GET. LATER, WHEN SHE FALLS FOR HIM, SHE’LL FEEL SO GUILTY ABOUT THIS!】

【SEE? THE TOXIC EX IS SO ANNOYING! IF HE’D JUST BROKEN UP WITH HER EARLIER, THE MALE LEAD WOULDN’T BE GETTING YELLED AT.】

I glanced into the manager’s office. Chloe sat at her desk, her face a mask of disgust as she glared at Zane.

“What are you still standing there for? Is all your work done?”

Zane’s face went pale, but he tried to save face. “Manager, I’m new here and I don’t know anything. Could you… maybe show me the ropes?”

Chloe let out a short, sharp laugh, looking him up and down. “Show you the ropes? What’s my level, and what’s yours? Trying to cozy up to me? If you don’t have a mirror, take a look at your job description. Now get back to your desk before I call security.”

Defeated, Zane slunk out of the office, his eyes red with humiliation. My coworkers started whispering among themselves. He shot me a look filled with pure resentment.

I found it almost funny. I hadn’t told him to take the file, and I certainly hadn’t yelled at him. Why was he glaring at me?

As Zane returned to his desk, the comment feed went wild, and I gleaned some new, disturbing information.

According to the comments, I was the “toxic side character” in a novel, currently in an office romance with the “heroine.” The “male lead,” Zane, was her one true love, the one that got away. She had started dating me out of spite after a misunderstanding with him. Soon, she would come to her senses and try to break up with me, but I would refuse, clinging desperately and sabotaging their relationship at every turn.

In the end, completely disgusted with me, she would expose my schemes and have me fired. With a black mark on my record, I’d be unable to find another job, get evicted, and eventually starve to death on the streets, my body undiscovered for weeks.

I frowned. I was Wyatt Young, the sole heir to Young Industries. Even if I got fired, I’d just go home and take over the multi-billion-dollar family business. Starve on the streets? Ridiculous.

And as for Chloe, she was the one who pursued me. As if a guy like me would be hung up on one woman.