Chapter 1

Julian Vance didn’t care for innocent girls; he preferred experienced, mature women.

Every plaything he kept around had to be groomed by me personally. They weren’t allowed into his bed until they were molded into the perfect, sophisticated standard.

The women who came out of Julian’s bedroom were always smug, putting on queenly airs in front of me.

"I heard Mr. Vance hasn't touched you in five years. But last night, he took me eight times!"

I would listen to these women brag about Julian’s overnight prowess without a single blink. Then, I’d simply call out to the door, "Next."

For five years, I had cried and thrown tantrums for Julian. But all I ever got in return was his cold reply: "Once I've had enough fun, I’ll naturally settle down with you."

After that, I stopped making scenes. I behaved myself and played the perfect Mrs. Vance.

On another late night, Julian handed me an unlimited black card. He told me,

"Audrey, starting tomorrow, you don't need to groom any more girls for me. Naomi is divorced."

My heart didn't flutter at all. I just took the card and kept it safely.

Julian had no idea that in exactly seven days, my transmigration mission would be declared a failure.

By then, I would be sent back to my original world, and we would never see each other again.

After sending the last batch of women into Julian’s room, I exhaustedfully summoned the System in my mind.

"System, is there only seven days left before I leave this world?"

The System’s cold, mechanical voice echoed in my head.

[Yes, Host. According to Article 285 of the Guide, if the favorability of the target remains at zero after five years, the host will be automatically repatriated to their original world.]

"System, a host who spends five years on a target and still has a 0% favorability rating... I bet you can't find another loser like me in the entire database, right?"

The familiar mechanical voice didn't reply. Instead, Julian’s deep, husky voice came from behind me.

"Audrey, who are you talking to?"

I shook my head and made up a quick excuse. "Nothing. Just hearing things."

Julian didn't care. He put on his shirt while casually reviewing the service.

"The girl you groomed this time—her expressions, her posture—everything felt off."

"Audrey, your standards are slipping. Have you not been sleeping well?"

I smiled bitterly to myself.

His ultimate goddess, the woman who had married someone else and was the sole reason why he only loved mature women, was coming back to the country. How could he possibly care about these cheap duplicates anymore?

Julian finished buttoning his shirt and laid out several photos of puppies in front of me.

These were all the breeds I had dreamed of owning. I hadn't expected Julian to still remember.

Just as a tiny wave of warmth touched my heart, Julian’s next words dragged me straight into hell.

"Naomi loves puppies. Help me choose which one looks the best."

I froze for a second, then slowly pointed to my favorite Maltese.

"This one. Girls usually love this type."

Julian quickly caught the subtle affection in my voice, and a genuine smile broke across his face.

"Audrey, thank you for helping me. Let me take you out to dinner as a reward."

I was stunned.

For five years, Julian had never been willing to eat out with me.

He always used the excuse that it would look bad for his public image. But this time, he agreed so easily.

At the high-end steakhouse, Julian patiently arranged my plate and cut my steak. He was flawlessly attentive.

Noticing my dazed look, Julian explained with a smile:

"Naomi loves Western fine dining. I’m just worried I’ll embarrass myself when I take her out, so I wanted to practice beforehand."

"Quick, taste it. How did I cut it? Does it affect the flavor?"

I picked up a piece of steak and put it in my mouth. Even the most perfect texture tasted like cardboard to me.

On the night before our wedding five years ago, Julian told me he had a first love who had married someone else.

After our marriage, he sent batches of women to my room for me to groom, claiming he only felt safe when I was the one training them.

Back then, I had screamed and fought, only to get a cold line from Julian: "Audrey, be good. Once I’ve had my fun, I’ll settle down."

After five bitter years of waiting, all I got was his first love returning.

Thinking about everything I had sacrificed for Julian over the years, my stomach churned violently.

In the end, that piece of beef didn't make it down my throat.

Seeing this, Julian handed me a tumbler to help me soothe my stomach.

After a while, my face recovered, but I froze again when I saw the tumbler.

It was a limited-edition designer tumbler that I had queued up for a whole night abroad but failed to get.

"Nice, right? Naomi is obsessed with this brand. I had to pull a lot of strings to get it."

"Well, since you've drunk from it, she definitely won't want it anymore. You can keep it. I’ll buy her another one later."

My hand holding the tumbler couldn't stop shaking.

I vaguely remembered what Julian had said when he saw me waiting in line at midnight back then:

"Queuing up all night for a stupid cup. You are truly an idiot."

But now, he had pulled strings just to buy one for Naomi Cox.

In the middle of the night, I was awakened by blinding lights and loud noises.

I opened my eyes and saw Julian moving all of our shared belongings out of the room.

Noticing my gaze, Julian explained, "Naomi will definitely sleep in the master bedroom when she gets back. She’ll be unhappy if she sees your things."

"Her plane lands in three hours. I need to clean up the house quickly."

I smiled. "Then let me help you move."