Danmaku Warned Me Against Funding My Fiancé; I Gave Everything

The moment I was about to hand over my entire savings to fund my fianc's startup, lines of text drifted across my vision.

Whatever you do, don't give Lewis Gilbert that money, and don't help him start his company! Once he makes it, he'll set a fire and burn you alive!

Then he and his first love will sit back and enjoy everything you built, have seven or eight kids together. And you'll be ground to ash and scattered, denied even a proper burial!

Seeing me freeze, Lewis asked me.

"Harper, are you having second thoughts about helping me?"

"How could I? I only hate that I can't give you more."

I pressed the card with a million dollars on it into Lewis's hand.

"This is everything I've saved. Take it for now. If it's not enough, I'll figure something out."

The text scrolled faster.

"This Harper Sawyer is such a lovesick fool. Told her a hundred times and she won't listen. She deserves to die!"

"How is Harper this brain-dead? Can't she see we're warning her? Did a donkey kick her in the head?"

"Is this what a top-tier lovesick fool looks like? She knows the scumbag's going to kill her, and she still wants to give him everything!"

""

I didn't need to read them one by one. Every single line was cursing me out.

I'm not a lovesick fool, and I'm not brain-dead.

It's just that in my last life I listened to that floating text and refused to hand over my savings to fund Lewis's startup.

With no seed money, his business failed, and in his humiliation and rage he charged into my home and stabbed me a hundred and twenty-one times.

Rather than follow the text and spend every day on edge, bracing for Lewis's revenge.

Better to walk straight through the original plot, so at the very least I'd know exactly when he'd come for me.

Lewis took my card and went to the bank right away to withdraw the money.

With that first pot of startup cash, and the connections I'd introduced him to, his project moved along remarkably smoothly.

When the first profit came in, Lewis gripped my hand, moved to tears.

"Harper, without you there'd be no me, not the way I am today. Once my company takes off, I'll marry you right away!"

He took out a little red box. "Open it and see."

I opened it. Inside was a gold necklace.

"Do you like it? Let me put it on you."

Lewis lifted the necklace and fastened it around my neck.

I saw the text again.

"A million dollars, and all she got back was a three-gram gold necklace, thinner than one of my hairs."

"Harper, don't you dare get all touched. He's giving you a necklace so he can squeeze more money out of you. Do not give it to him!"

Once the necklace was on, Lewis spoke.

"Harper, I'm about to launch a new project. I'm a little short on funds. Could you help me out again?"

The text kept drifting past.

"The scumbag's about to make Harper sell her house."

"I've already given you all my money. Where would I get more?"

"Didn't your parents leave you that old house? You don't even live in it. Why not just sell it and help me out."

"But that's the only thing my parents left me before they died."

"Things are just things, people are what matter! Harper, the second this money comes through, my company can start running."

"When that happens, I'll give you shares. I'll make you the company's biggest shareholder!"

The text scrolled wildly.

"Don't you believe him! Sell that house and you'll have nothing left! And once he uses your money to become a self-made rich man, he'll marry another woman."

"All that's waiting for you is death!"

"Harper, when I say I'll do something, I do it! If you're worried, we can sign a contract!"

Lewis pulled an agreement out of his bag.

"See, I already had it drawn up. I'm not just talking. I mean it."

I picked it up and read through it. "You're giving me sixty percent of the company?"

"That's right, Harper. Without you there'd be no company. This is what you've earned."

"You're really willing to give up that much?"

"What's there to give up? We're getting married sooner or later. What's mine is yours. Doesn't matter whose name the shares are under."

The commentary was scrolling so fast it made my head spin.

"Don't fall for his sweet talk. Right now he acts like he can't live without you, but the second he runs into his first love again, he'll turn on you cold."

"Signing that contract won't help you. The moment he sees Susannah Jennings, he'll regret it. He'll want the shares back but won't want to pay you what he owes, so he'll decide to kill you outright."

"Once you're dead, the shares are his again, and the money he owes you just disappears."

Lewis brought out a second contract, one for selling the house. "I've already found a buyer for the house. The price is very good."

He handed me the pen. "Sign these two and you'll be the biggest shareholder in my company!"

"Don't sign! Sign that and you're finished!"

"If you don't sign, maybe Lewis won't go through with killing you. But if you sign, you die for sure!"

"He'll burn you alive, leave you a charred corpse. Then he'll grind your body into powder and scatter it over some barren hillside to bake in the sun day after day!"

"Even in death you'll be tortured, until there's nothing left of your soul!"

Every word of the commentary jabbed at my nerves, and my temple kept throbbing.

"Harper, what are you still hesitating for? Sign it!"

Lewis's eyes went dark, and his voice dropped several notches. "You don't not want to help me, do you?"

I gave him a small smile. "How could that be? I'm just too touched. I never imagined you'd give me this many shares."

I picked up the pen and signed both contracts without a moment's hesitation.

The commentary broke into a wail.

"It's over, it's over. Harper really has been swindled out of everything she's got."

"This lovesick idiot. She deserves to be murdered by a man!"

"How can a woman be this stupid? Can't she see Lewis is only after her money?"

Contracts in hand, Lewis was delighted and kissed me on the forehead.

"Harper, I've got a class reunion in a couple of days, and I don't even have anything decent to wear."

"You just got paid, didn't you? Could you take me to the mall to pick out a couple of outfits? I'm a boss now, more or less. I can't show up looking shabby and embarrass you too."

The commentary sped up again.

"This is the reunion where Lewis runs into his first love, Susannah. The two of them hook up that very night!"

"And this is the day Lewis regrets giving Harper the company shares and decides to kill her."

"If you can keep Lewis from going to this reunion, you can stop him and Susannah from ever crossing paths again!"

"Harper, this is your one and only chance to change your fate!"

"Harper, hurry up and find a reason to stall Lewis. Whatever you do, don't let him go to that reunion!"

The comments raced across my vision, and I smiled.

"You're right, I really should buy you some nicer things. After all, your status is different now."

I looped my arm through Lewis's and went with him to the mall.

Inside the store, whatever Lewis wanted, I bought, until I'd maxed out my credit card.

The comments were all cursing me.

"This Harper's got a serious illnessthrowing money at a man will ruin her whole life!"

"Let's just wait and watch her get burned alive by that scumbag. Serves her right!"

"Die, you lovesick idiot!"

""

I ignored the venom. I understood them, too.

Once the shopping was done, Lewis left satisfied.

I got home and had just settled in to rest when a call came in from Abigail Gilbert, Lewis's sister.

"Do not pick up. The second you do, Abigail's going to latch onto you. She'll move in here with her mom and make you wait on the two of them hand and foot!"

"Relax. Harper already can't stand this future sister-in-law and her mother-in-law-to-be, and she knows they're trying to freeload off her. There's no way she'll answer."

Reading that, I pressed the accept button without a moment's hesitation.

"Harper, I'm planning to bring Mom over to your place for a few days. Get the house tidied upwe're coming tomorrow."

"But Lewis has been busy with a project lately. If you come now, I'm afraid it'll be a distraction for him."

"Then you just host us yourself and don't tell him. That solves it, right? Harper, don't tell me you don't want us to come."

"Of course not. What time does your flight get in? I'll pick you and your mom up at the airport."

The comments went back to calling me a doormat throwing herself at them. I chose to ignore it.

The next day, I picked up Abigail and Tracey Finch at the airport.

Abigail spotted the gold necklace at my throat in an instant.

"My brother bought you this, didn't he?"

She yanked it right off.

"You really know how to spend my brother's money."

"Harper, this necklace doesn't suit you anyway. Abigail wears it much better. Consider it a welcome gift from you, her future sister-in-law. Abigail, you keep it."

Abigail had already fastened the necklace around her own neck.

Then she grabbed my wrist and shoved my sleeve up, checking every inch.

"Didn't my brother buy you a big gold bracelet? Did you hide it so I wouldn't see?"

"Your brother only ever bought me one necklace, and it's on your neck right now."

Abigail pouted but said nothing more.

At my place, Abigail immediately started her snide remarks.

"You live in a place this big all by yourself? My brother really spoils you, buying you a house this size. Mom and I have never lived somewhere like this."

"I rent it myself."

"You rent it? Then my brother's obviously the one paying your rent."

She stormed into my bedroom and started tearing through everything, dragging out all my clothes and accessories.

She put every ring, bracelet, and necklace on herself. "Harper, you've got it so cushy. How much of my brother's money did all this cost?"

Tracey's face went long the moment she saw it. "Harper, don't take this the wrong way, but my son's money doesn't grow on trees. How's it supposed to hold up against spending like yours?"

"You're going to marry into my family and share a life with my son. If you keep throwing money around like this, I won't stand for it!"

Aunt Tracey, I bought all of this myself. Not a cent of your son's money went into any of it.

Tracey scoffed. Talk all you want. It won't help you.

She started trying on my jewelry and clothes right alongside Abigail.

Abigail, take whatever you like. It was all bought with your brother's money anyway.

Go ahead and take it. It's all fake anyway.

Abigail shot me a glare. See that? Too stingy to give it to me, so she says it's fake.

Abigail put on my dress and heels, wore my jewelry, and kept turning in front of the mirror.

Meanwhile I was in the kitchen, cooking for the two of them.

The commentary kept drifting across my eyes.

I can't even be bothered to curse Harper anymore. The pitiable always have something in them that earns contempt. She brought all of this on herself. Nobody forced her.

Here she is cooking for Lewis's mother and sister, while Lewis is off at his class reunion reminiscing with his first love.

The two of them got so into it they already ducked out early and went to a hotel to get a room!

I ignored it and carried the finished dishes to the table.

All through the meal Abigail complained. This dish was too salty. That one had too much oil.

I hummed and nodded along, my eyes fixed only on the commentary.

After Lewis slept with Susannah, he spilled everything about himself to her. Once Susannah found out he'd signed the shares over to Harper, she handed him a vicious little plan on the spot: burn Harper to death and take the shares back!

Right now the two of them are lying in bed, wrapped around each other, working out how to pull it off.

On the day the company officially launches and they throw the celebration party, they'll hire someone to set a fire and burn Harper alive. That's the day after tomorrow!

A chill ran through me. The day was coming even faster than I'd expected.

Tracey rapped her chopsticks against my bowl. I'm talking to you. Didn't you hear me? What, you don't like listening to me?

Aunt Tracey, I was thinking about work. What did you say?

I said put together an itinerary for us, so I can take your sister around the sights tomorrow. I know you're busy with work, so you don't need to come along. Just cover our expenses and we're fine.

I pulled out my credit card and pushed it straight across to Tracey.

Aunt Tracey, here's the card. Swipe it for whatever you want.

Tracey smiled. At least you know how to behave.

Of course I did. That money was buying your lives.

Aunt Tracey, I've been swamped lately. I have to put in overtime at the office. I'm worried I'll come home late and disturb your rest, so I'll stay at the company for the next few days.

Abigail jumped in right away. Fine, don't come back. I'm a light sleeper. If you come in the middle of the night and wake me, I won't be able to fall back asleep.

That same night, I packed my things and left for the company.

I went to work as usual, and at night I stayed at the hotel next to the office.

When the day Lewis had chosen for the fire arrived, I dressed to the nines and, following the commentary's directions, went to the hotel where he was holding the celebration party.

I pushed open the doors to the banquet hall. Lewis had his arm around Susannah, clinking glasses with the crowd, grinning ear to ear.

The company throws a celebration party, and nobody thinks to invite me, the largest shareholder?

Every head in the room turned toward me.

Lewis and Susannah looked at me like they were seeing a ghost.

How are you here?!

Why shouldn't I be here?

Lewis muttered to himself. That's not right. I had someone confirm you were at the house.

I smiled. And?

Terror flooded his face, and the color drained out of it all at once.

If you're here, then who's at your house?