Lover on Loop: Her Cruel Revenge Game

Ruby Monroe's memory resets every three months, back to the day she hates me the most. She breaks my hand again and again to get revenge for her adopted son, Ricky Smith. She also loses her memories again and again after proposing to me beneath a sky full of fireflies. I live through our story over and over, waiting for the day she finally remembers everything. Until one day, I accidentally overhear her talking to her friends. "Ruby, how long are you going to keep this act up? Only a fool like Ricky would believe you really lost your memory. Every time, he gets down on his knees and begs us to play along with him, dreaming that he'll marry you. "In three days, you're going to fake losing your memory again, right? How many times has it been now?" "Nine times." Ruby's cold voice comes through the door. "His food gave Ricky food poisoning and ruined his coming-of-age ceremony. He should be punished!" She pats Ricky's head. "Nobody bullies Ricky!" My heart breaks when I hear her gentle yet cruel words. I never expect that all my years of waiting are just part of her revenge. I wipe away my tears and summon the system. "Cancel our previous deal. In three days, declare this mission a failure and erase all my memories of Ruby." Chapter 1 [Host, are you sure?] Before I could answer, voices drifted from the private room again. "Apparently, if Archie's hand breaks one more time, he'll never be able to hold a painting brush again." The person glanced at Ruby Monroe, her voice hesitant. "Ruby, maybe… you should stop with the punishments…" Ruby paused, her hand still swirling the wine in her glass as she pressed her lips together. Ricky Smith lowered his head, his eyes falling on the custom-made watch around his wrist. "Ms. Monroe, I really appreciate your gift. The coming–of-age ceremony is just a formality. It doesn't matter whether I have one or not…" His voice was soft. He spoke as if he had no regrets, yet every single word betrayed him. Ruby's expression went dark. She slapped the woman and scolded, "I don't need you to teach me what to do!" She took Ricky's hand in hers, acting like he was some precious treasure. "Even if Archie's hand were broken, it still wouldn't compare to Ricky's coming-of-age ceremony. A guy who sells pancakes thinks he can become a painter? That's one of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard. What a joke!" Ruby scoffed, striking me where it hurt most. I still remembered how I almost gave up on my dream after losing that painting competition. It was Ruby who kept comforting me. She used to tell me I was a fighter, like a vine that kept climbing no matter what got in its way. She told me that no matter how tough things got, I had to keep pushing forward and chasing my dreams. But in the end, all her sweet words were just lies meant to get revenge on me. I was never a fighter to her. I was just a joke. Everyone in the private room burst into laughter. "Archie is quite something, though. If Ruby hadn't gone to the judges beforehand, he would've taken first place in that competition." My ears started ringing, and my fingers trembled. I had poured everything I had into that competition, but Ruby ruined my dream with just a single word. Were poor people's dreams really that worthless? How could she trample all over mine? I clenched my fists hard, an unbearable ache filling my chest and making it hard to breathe. The system asked me again, [Host, are you sure you want to erase your memory? You traded ten years of your life to extend this mission's time. Are you sure you want to give up now?] Bitterness filled my heart. A month ago, the system warned me that I was running out of time to complete this mission, and failure would mean losing all my memories of Ruby. I didn't want to forget her or everything that happened between us, so I begged the system, trading my lifespan for more time. It wasn't until yesterday that the system finally agreed to my request. Yet now, I realized that the relationship I tried so hard to protect was all just a lie. How ridiculous. I closed my eyes as tears rolled down my face. I replied, "Yes, I'm sure!" Just then, my phone rang. "Archie, something happened to your dad!" Chapter 2 Uremia! The word on the report burned my eyes. I held back my tears and looked at my pale-faced dad, Donny Klein, lying in the hospital bed. All these years, I had been so obsessed with Ruby that I never noticed how the illness had already left its mark on Dad's face. Guilt and regret swept over me like a raging tide, drowning me. I could no longer hold back my tears as they fell hard onto the crumpled report in my hand. I went to the payment counter, my eyes swollen. When I saw how little was left in my bank account, my heart dropped again. The nurse kept urging me, her eyes filled with disdain. I gripped my phone, feeling awkward. "Can I…" Just then, Ruby came out of the elevator and rushed over, panting. "Archie, I heard your dad is sick…" When she saw my red-rimmed eyes, she pulled me into her warm embrace and reassured me, "It's okay. I'm here now." Ruby was always like that, showing up whenever I was at my most helpless—whether I'd been rear-ended, caught by city officials, or found myself in any number of other situations where I needed her. It was like she could see the future and appear out of nowhere at just the right moment. I grew up without a mother, so I craved the warmth of a mother's embrace more than anything. That was why, after Ruby broke my hand, I forgave her when she bent down and apologized, then stayed by my side day and night without ever complaining, even when I deliberately made things difficult for her. I even fell in love with her, a woman 12 years my senior. A mature woman's warmth was intoxicating, enough to make me lose all sense of direction. "Ms. Monroe!" Ricky called out. Ruby instinctively pushed me away, and I came back to my senses, forcing a bitter smile. I had fallen for her fake tenderness again. How pathetic of me. Ricky glanced at the bank balance on my phone and exclaimed, "Archie, how do you only have this much money left? Is Ms. Monroe not giving you enough money every month?" His voice was loud enough for everyone nearby to hear. They all thought I was Ruby's boytoy and started pointing fingers at me. Ruby frowned, but she didn't try to clear up the misunderstanding. Instead, she lowered her voice and said to me, "Ricky didn't mean it that way. I'll talk to him when we get home. He's sensitive. I can't correct him in front of everyone…" To save Ricky's dignity, Ruby was willing to let me be labeled her boy toy. But then, it made sense. I was just a sinner. How could I compare to her precious adopted son, whom she spoiled rotten? I looked at Ruby, my eyes devoid of warmth. "Give me 500 thousand dollars!" Ruby froze when she heard my words. After all, I had never asked her for money before. But since I had already been labeled her boy toy, I might as well make it worth something. Besides, I needed the money for Dad's treatment. Ruby's expression darkened, and she looked displeased. "What did you say?" "I never took any of the clothes and watches you gave me before. Those alone are worth more than 500 thousand dollars, right?" Ruby was furious. "How is that the same?" Of course it wasn't. When the master gave the dog something, it was a gift. But when the dog asked the master for something, it was overstepping its place. Ricky patted Ruby's arm, and she instantly calmed down. He smiled, undisguised contempt in his eyes. "Archie, Ms. Monroe left in a hurry, so she didn't bring her purse. Here. I have five thousand dollars. Take it." He pulled a stack of cash from his bag and took my hand. But just as he slapped the cash into my palm, his sharp fingernails suddenly dug into my flesh. I cried out in pain and shook his hand off. Ricky screamed as he fell hard to the ground, the cash scattering everywhere. He looked up at me, tears in his eyes. "Archie, why did you push me? I only wanted to give you money. I never meant to humiliate you." Chapter 3 Ruby's expression frosted over. "Is this how someone who's asking for money should act?" I tried to explain myself, but she cut me off with a raised hand. She continued, "I know what you want to say. You want to tell me Ricky fell by himself, right?" I closed my mouth and sneered. This wasn't the first time Ricky had slandered me. Nor was it the first time Ruby had misunderstood me. I was the fool, trusting too much in the love she had for me to see that the two of them were already secretly involved. I crouched and slowly picked up the money, piece by piece, feeling numb inside as Ruby stepped on my hand and looked down at me. "Apologize to Ricky!" The soft rubber sole crushed the last shred of dignity I had left. I resigned myself to it and said, "I'm sorry!" But Ruby wasn't satisfied. "You should be sincere about it." I bit down on my lip, then knelt hard on the floor and said, "I'm sorry!" Then I raised my head and looked at Ruby indifferently. "Is that good enough?" Her chest heaved. Then she sighed and crouched down, helping me gather the cash. "I know you're devastated by what happened to your dad, but you shouldn't let out your frustration on Ricky. Don't do this again." I replied, "I won't…" There was no future between us anymore. Ruby paid part of the bill in cash and shoved the rest into my hand. "Take me to your dad!" Dad didn't like Ruby. Even though she was rich, to him, she was just a psychopathic old woman. He had never treated her kindly or given her a warm welcome. But this time, he acted completely out of character and talked with Ruby for a long time. I knew he wanted Ruby to take care of me. He was afraid I'd be all alone once he was gone. A deep ache gnawed at my heart. My throat felt like it was being squeezed tight. I didn't dare to tell Dad that Ruby was a jackal in sheep's clothing. I didn't want to completely fall out with Ruby. After all, I needed her money and connections to find a kidney donor. That night, she found a suitable kidney. As long as it arrived the next day, Dad would survive. The next day, I waited from dawn to dusk with hope in my heart. But Ruby still didn't arrive with the kidney. The orange-red light fell across my sleeping dad, making him look like a hazy illusion that could disappear at any moment. The fear of losing the only family I had gripped my heart tightly. With trembling hands, I called the number again, the same one I'd tried 99 times without getting through. This time, it did. Ruby's friend, Miriam Kerr, answered. It turned out Ruby had spent the whole day taking care of Ricky, who had suddenly got a headache. Dad's lifesaving kidney was with her. I raced over to Ruby's villa, not bothering to look at the two of them kissing on the bed. I grabbed the cooler she'd thrown into the corner and ran outside. There was only half an hour left. As long as I made it to the hospital within 30 minutes, the kidney could still be used. I had just hailed a cab when Ruby's bodyguards dragged me to the villa's rooftop. Ricky stood outside the railing, crying his heart out. Ruby's expression was grim as she grabbed me by the collar and marched me to Ricky. "You suddenly burst in and saw us doing that just now, so Ricky is afraid you'll misunderstand. Now he wants to end his life! Tell him you didn't get the wrong idea!" I snorted. "What wrong idea? That you're mother and son on the surface, but actually a pair of sick freaks who kiss and sleep together?" Ruby slapped me hard across the face. She glared at me, her voice shaking with rage. "What the hell are you talking about? If you can't convince Ricky to come back down, then your dad won't get his kidney, and no doctor will dare operate on him!" I stared at her in disbelief, but there was no changing her mind. She had already kept the kidney waiting for so long just for Ricky. Who knew what else she would be capable of? Dad was still waiting for me. I shouted, "There was no misunderstanding! You two are completely innocent, just a loving mother and son!" A smug glint flickered in Ricky's eyes. He deliberately dragged his feet again, taking several more minutes before finally coming down. I forced down the hatred raging inside me and rushed to the hospital, but the doctor told me that the kidney couldn't be used anymore. And it was all because of the few minutes Ricky deliberately wasted. I broke down into uncontrollable sobs. Until I received a familiar, beautifully wrapped gift box. Chapter 4 I received a call from Ruby. She said, "Ricky is my old friend's son. I can't just ignore him. I can find your dad another kidney." I kept quiet. Ruby sighed and changed the topic. "You got the suit already, right? Wear it tomorrow and meet me at the same place. I have something important to tell you." I suddenly realized that tomorrow would be the day she proposed to me for the ninth time. Even now, she still wanted to toy with me. But this time, I wasn't going to play along. I had no use for your money anymore, Ruby. And I had no use for you either. … I didn't show up the next day, and I also threw the custom-made suit into the trash. While I was arranging for Dad to be discharged from the hospital, Miriam suddenly showed up and dragged me away against my will. "Ruby has been waiting for you. Why didn't you show up? Even though she has proposed so many times before, maybe this time she won't lose her memory again. You can't give up on her!" Fireflies danced across the night sky. Even after seeing it eight times, I still couldn't stop my eyes from filling with tears. I had always thought that I was Ruby's unwavering choice. But it turned out that I was the target of her unwavering revenge. The sky was filled with fireflies. But this time, they were nothing but glaring. I stared numbly at Ruby in the same white dress, saying the same proposal vows. I raised my hand and knocked the diamond ring away. Ruby looked startled. "Archie, y-you don't want to marry me?" I stared at her frostily. "Ruby, drop your act…" Just then, Miriam ran over with her phone. The two of them looked at the phone, then instinctively glanced at me. As if trying to hide something, Ruby shoved Miriam aside. "Can't you see I'm busy? It's nothing important. Leave!" A deep sense of unease gripped me. I snatched the phone from Miriam and felt my heart stop beating for a split second. It was a livestream of Dad standing on the hospital rooftop. I scrambled to the side of the road and hailed a cab. All the way there, my hands trembled as I called Dad's caregiver and frantically left messages in the livestream chat. "Dad, please come down…" It hit me then that Dad couldn't see my message. I told the streamer, "Please tell my dad that I'm on my way." To my surprise, the streamer gave a cold laugh. "So you're his son! Your dad is doing this because of you! He's ashamed because his son is someone else's boy toy!" My blood ran cold. Dad's caregiver called me. "Archie, come over now! Around half an hour ago, a young man named Ricky told your dad you were someone's boy toy. Your dad thought his illness had ruined your life, so he wanted to end it all…" I gripped the phone hard, my hatred nearly overwhelming me. When I finally arrived at the hospital, I heard someone say, "Just jump already. Having a son like him is your biggest mistake!" Then came a deafening bang. Dad fell and burst into a pool of blood right before my eyes. "No!" I threw myself onto Dad and pulled him into my arms. My tears fell onto his face and mixed with his blood. I looked around me, trying to plead for help, but no words came out. I could only silently beg them to save Dad. [Host, time's up. Your mission has failed. Memory removal of all information regarding Ruby will now begin.] … Ruby had wanted to follow me to the hospital, but Ricky called her again, claiming his headache was back. After a brief hesitation, she went back to the villa. He kept pestering her until she had no choice but to stay and sleep with him. She slept until late the next morning. A message popped up in the group chat when she woke up. "Ruby, are you going to lose your memory for the ninth time now?" Ruby furrowed her brows, her fingers hovering above the screen. It wasn't until Ricky rolled over beside her that she finally replied, "Yeah." After washing up, she sent her bodyguards to break my hand, just like the previous eight times. But this time, a sense of unease lingered in her heart, leaving her restless. Two hours later, Ruby's bodyguard called, "Ms. Monroe, Mr. Klein is missing."