The Rich Life She Deserved - Chapter 6: Chapter 6

The next day was my day off, but when I woke up, Cedric was already gone.
Thinking about last night, my cheeks warmed.
Nothing had happened between us, but he'd held me in his arms as we slept through the early hours.
The more time I spent with him, the more I noticed his quiet kindness.
He wasn't the type for grand romantic gestures or sweet talk, but after I cooked, he'd clear the table and scrub the dishes until they shone. He always left the house before me, yet never forgot to take out the trash. If he wasn't working late, he'd tidy the apartment. And if he had an early shift after a long night, he'd bring me breakfast.
Steady. Dependable. Safe.
So, Vivian… do you really know what you signed up for?
My thoughts were cut off by furious pounding at the door. Startled, I shoved my feet into slippers and rushed to open it—only to be met with Vivian's hysterical shriek.
"You're going to get me killed!"
Her injuries weren't as bad as I'd feared.
One eye was swollen shut, five angry red fingerprints streaked across her cheek, and her lip was split. She wore long sleeves and pants, but I didn't need to see beneath them to know her body was a patchwork of bruises.
Still, compared to the time Herbert broke my ribs and left me bedridden for three months, the fact that she could still walk—let alone run here screaming—was a mercy.
"Jeanette, what kind of nightmare were you living in? That man is a monster!"
She trembled, her voice raw. "The second he saw me, he made me step on a scale. When he realized I'd gained ten pounds, he ordered the maids to starve me starting tomorrow. Then he noticed the pimples on my forehead and booked me for some insane skin treatment at the hospital!"
Her breath hitched. "I refused, so he hit me. Then he found out I opened one of his precious bottles of wine, and he beat me like I was nothing! If I hadn't run, I'd be dead!"
Sobs wracked her body as she relived the horror. Then, like a switch flipping, she lunged forward, nails digging into my wrist.
"We have to switch back! Herbert just texted me—he said when he catches me, he'll kill me! I don't want this anymore! You can have your 'Mrs. Yates' title back! Jeanette, you're his wife—not me!"
I pried her fingers off, my voice flat. "Vivian, isn't this the life you wanted? The one you earned?"
She froze. Her lips parted, but no sound came out.
She'd been so eager to trade places, convinced she was stepping into a life of luxury. She never imagined the Yates mansion was a gilded cage with a predator lurking inside.
"He's going to murder me!" she wailed. "You're used to the beatings, but I'm not! Herbert's a demon! What's the point of all that money if I'm not alive to spend it?"
When I didn't react, she dropped to her knees, clutching my legs. "Jeanette, I was wrong—I swear I was! Please, let's switch back. I'll never take anything from you again!"
She raised a shaking hand like she was taking an oath.
I looked down at her, unmoved. "You already tried last night, didn't you? And you realized—without my consent, you can't go back."
A beat of silence.
"The System told you, didn't it?" I said softly. "Body-switching requires both of us to agree."