Chapter 4

The message had just gone through.

Darrell came storming back and drove his foot into my legs, the legs I couldn't move, kicking them again and again.

"Davina, I honestly don't get what you think you're doing!"

"First you post that garbage in the group, then you dissolve the whole chat."

"Do you have any idea how excited Melissa is for tomorrow's wedding? Why do you have to make everything a fight with her!"

I pulled up the leg of my pants, looked at the skin already bruised purple, and threw the words back at him.

"My wedding. Why is she the one excited about it."

"I'm the bride. If I want to call it off, what's the problem with that."

Darrell's face went darker and darker as he listened, and staring at how calm my face was, he ground out three fine, fine, fines through his teeth.

Then he crouched down, set his hand next to the button on the mechanical heart again, and let out a scornful laugh.

"Since you won't learn, we'll just keep it paused until the wedding starts."

"I want you to think it through — what kind of bride I want tomorrow. If you don't understand, then I'll leave it paused!"

I knew exactly what would happen the moment he pressed the seventh pause.

So I panicked. I begged Darrell not to press it.

"Darrell, you can't press it a seventh time."

"If you do……"

Before I could finish, Melissa rolled in on her wheelchair.

She saw the way Darrell was crouched there, and she waved her hands about, giddy, pouting up at him.

"Darrell! Let me do it! This looks so fun! I've never gotten to play a game where you can pause someone's life whenever you want."

"Please, let me do it～ come on～"

Darrell looked at her and gave an indulgent smile, then walked over and pushed her wheelchair to my side.

He looked at me, and handed me over to Melissa like a toy.

"Go ahead. She's yours to play with."

"Play with her however you want from now on. A mechanical heart doesn't break anyway."