Chapter 1

To save Ethan Vance, I suffered severe third-degree burns over my entire body. I became a monster.

But tonight, I heard him complaining to his friends.

"Three years! I’ve had to look at that hideous face for three whole years! Even if I owed her my life, three years of this mental torture should be enough to pay it back, right?"

"Every time I think of her scarred, bumpy face, I feel nauseous. Why wasn't it me who got disfigured in that fire instead?"

I stood in the shadows, tears streaming down my ruined face as I overheard everything.

Right then, a cold, mechanical voice echoed in my head.

*“Host, the three-year contract has expired. Do you wish to spend more soul energy to renew the exchange?”*

"System, cancel the exchange. I want my skin back."

*“Understood. Canceling the transaction now.”*

Today was my fifth anniversary with Ethan.

I had been sitting alone at the dining table, waiting for him for over two hours.

Ethan had sent a Snapchat earlier saying he was on his way, but then he went completely radio silent.

Struggling with the constant physical discomfort of my tight, scarred skin, I wrapped my coat tightly around myself and slowly walked out the door to look for him.

As soon as I stepped outside, I spotted Ethan's figure.

Before I could call out his name in excitement, I caught the sound of his voice. He was talking to his friends.

Judging by their backs, they were Carter Hayes and Lucas Hunt.

They were standing a bit far away, so I couldn't hear everything clearly at first. I could only see their grim expressions.

I thought something had gone wrong at Ethan's company. But as I crept closer, the harsh reality hit me. They were talking about me.

"Ethan, bro, we can't keep Chloe waiting forever," Carter said.

Chloe? Who was Chloe?

"Don't worry," Ethan sighed, rubbing his temples. "I'll give her the explanation she deserves. This year. Definitely."

Carter finally flashed a grin. "Finally! I knew you'd come to your senses, Ethan. Why keep torturing yourself like this?"

Ethan didn't deny it. Carter looked immensely relieved.

"Bro, we’ve watched you go from a nobody with nothing to your name to a powerful CEO. We know how hard you've worked," Carter continued. "Sure, Summer stayed by your side for years, but she’s disfigured now. She’s a monster. She doesn't belong in your world anymore!"

Hearing this, my heart barely even fluttered.

His friends had always looked down on me. Even when I was perfectly healthy, they had plenty of issues with me. It was no surprise they felt this way now that I was covered in horrific burn scars.

But they were just his friends. Ethan was the only one whose opinion mattered to me.

I foolishly thought he would defend me. But he shattered that hope instantly.

Ethan lit a cigarette, taking a long drag. "It's been three years. I’ve stared at that hideous face of hers for three long years. I’ve taken care of her, played the doting husband... I’ve more than repaid my debt to her for saving me, haven't I?"

He blew out a thick cloud of grey smoke.

I stared at him from the darkness, unable to believe my own ears. I wished I had misheard him.

Then, Carter spoke up again. "Exactly, Ethan! We all support you. You’ve done more than enough. You shouldn't have to live in this self-inflicted prison."

Seeing his friends validate him, Ethan began to pour out his hidden disgust. "You guys have no idea. She doesn't go to the hospital anymore, but whenever the weather gets hot, her bumpy, raw skin starts oozing this disgusting fluid. It makes me sick to my stomach!"

"I look at that face every single night, and I wake up screaming from nightmares. It feels like I’m sleeping next to a corpse. It’s killing me!"

Even Lucas, who usually stayed quiet, showed a look of pure disgust. "Man, I can't believe you’ve endured this for so long. Just thinking about how you have to pretend to love her and kiss her makes my skin crawl."

Ethan shook his head with a bitter sigh, acting as if he were the biggest victim in the world.

"Don't even get me started. Looking back at these three years of torture, I’d rather have been the one trapped in that fire. Honestly, I don't even know why she rushed in. If she hadn't interfered, the firefighters probably would have rescued me anyway. Why did I have to suffer this curse?"

"I swear, she just wants to cling to me like a parasite for the rest of her life!"

I never, in my wildest dreams, expected Ethan to hold so much resentment toward me.

I let out a silent, bitter laugh. My sacrifice, my willing plunge into a burning hell to save his life, had only earned me his deepest disgust.

Three years ago, Ethan had left the stove running while he was distracted by a business call, causing a massive gas explosion in our kitchen. The fire spread with terrifying speed, trapping him inside.

Our house was in a secluded suburb, and the fire department couldn't make it in time.

Seeing Ethan trapped in the blazing inferno, I was driven mad with panic. Without a second thought, I dove straight into the flames.

But I was too late. A heavy cabinet had collapsed on him, and his body was already severely burned.

I managed to drag him out and put out the flames eating his skin, but his body was completely ruined. Even with the best plastic surgery, he would have been a scarred monster forever.

I knew how incredibly proud Ethan was. He was at the peak of his career. If he woke up to see himself disfigured, it would have broken him. He wouldn't have survived the blow.

He needed a perfect, healthy body to succeed.

I vividly remember staring at the System interface three years ago.

"System, transfer my healthy skin to Ethan. Take his burns and put them on me."

*“Warning, Host. Once this contract is finalized, there is no going back.”*

"If he wakes up like this, he'll go insane. He needs a perfect face. I’ll bear his pain."

...