From Pawn to CEO Queen

“The phone rang, splitting the quiet of my father's funeral home. It was Mark, my boyfriend of three years, who was supposed to be here holding my hand. "Ava," he rushed, "I can't make it. Chloe's having another panic attack." The air in my lungs turned to ice. Chloe Davis, a friend of a friend, always "fragile," always needing Mark. My voice broke as I whispered, "Mark, I have no one right now but you." He called me strong, an excuse to abandon me at my weakest. Later that night, he finally came home, exhausted from comforting Chloe. He looked at me with cold eyes. "About the house your father left you... Chloe's landlord is kicking her out." He suggested I sign my father's house, the only thing I had left, over to her. A hollow ache fractured into cruel betrayal. He wasn't just abandoning me; he was trying to erase me. I stood there, speechless, the System's quiet hum in my mind confirming my utter heartbreak. "I'm done," I said, my voice quiet but firm. "I want a divorce." He scoffed, stepping aside as my mother stormed in, slapping me and accusing me of being selfish, jealous of "poor Chloe." Then, Chloe walked in, clinging to Mark, whispering apologies, playing the blameless victim. My mother cooed over her, bringing her tea on my couch. The life I built was stripped away, piece by piece, handed to her. I was the villain. Days later, I saw them through the office glass: Mark, his hands on Chloe's shoulders, telling everyone how "natural" she was at my job, even offering her my share of the company. A wave of nausea hit me. He was giving away my life. Then, Chloe fell to her knees, sobbing, "If I don't complete the quest, my System will execute me!" My blood ran cold. My entire life, my heartbreak, was just a game, and I was the final boss. Mark knew. He watched me grieve, he watched me break, and he enjoyed it. The pain ripped through my chest. "Goodbye, Mark." And then, everything went dark. Five years later, I'm CEO of my own firm, thriving, with Zephyr, my System, now a human companion. He tells me Mark has spent years torturing Chloe, trying to cross dimensions to find me. I see Mark, gaunt and manic, screaming at a chained Chloe, desperate to reach me. "Mark," I say, my disembodied voice echoing. "It's over." But he tries to force a gateway. Zephyr appears, stopping him, a deep, resonant voice proclaiming, "I'm the one who always chose her." He turns to me, his eyes filled with unwavering affection. "I love you, Ava Miller. I always have." And as he leans in to kiss me, I know I'm home.”