The Life Revenge System

The smell of disinfectant hadn't fully faded yet; I sat in the hospital chair beside Rachel Wade, watching her sleeping profile. She had just given birth to a daughter for me, nicknamed Nancy, who now lay quietly in the baby crib, breathing steadily. My fingertips gently brushed the sweat-soaked strands of Rachel Wade's hair, and my thoughts involuntarily drifted back five years. It was the very first day I crossed into this world, standing bewildered on an unfamiliar street until a system voice echoed in my mind. "Master Tim Lincoln, bound to the life revenge system. Complete specified tasks to receive startup funding, skill boosts, and ultimately achieve fame and success." In five years, I went from having nothing to founding "Tim's Technology," becoming a well-known young entrepreneur in the industry. Even more fortunate, I met Rachel Wade, a gentle and kind woman who stood by me through the toughest early days of entrepreneurship. She is now my wife, and our child was born healthy. Suddenly, my phone vibrated. The screen lit up with an unfamiliar number, traced back to the city where I once lived. I hesitated for a moment, then stepped outside the ward and answered the phone, lowering my voice as much as I could: "Hello, who is this?" A voice that was both familiar and strange came from the other end—a woman's voice, tinged with an entitled coquettishness: "Tim Lincoln, it's me, Caroline Scott." My heart suddenly sank. Caroline Scott—her name was like a thorn piercing through memories I had long sealed away. "Is there something you want?" My tone was cold; I didn't want to get tangled up with her any more than necessary. "Of course," Caroline's voice carried a teasing smile that inexplicably irritated me. "I want you to marry me. We'll hold a grand wedding, just as we once promised." I almost thought I heard wrong, frowning deeply: "Caroline Scott, we broke up five years ago, have you forgotten?" "Break up?" She sneered, her tone sharp, "That was just a test I gave you. I never truly agreed to break up." "A test?" I laughed bitterly, the betrayal from five years ago rushing back instantly. "You left without a word the day before our wedding, and now you say that was a test?" "At the time, I went to take care of Sam Jones. He was my childhood sweetheart; I couldn't ignore him," Caroline Scott said. "Now that he's better, I'm back to find you. We'll hold the wedding again." "Impossible." I firmly refused, "I'm already married. My wife just gave birth to our child, and we are very happy." "You're married?" Caroline Scott's voice suddenly sharpened with incredulous anger, "Tim Lincoln, how can you marry someone else? You can only marry me!"