Chapter 3: The Price of Devotion

By the time I made it to the restaurant, they’d already finished eating. It was supposed to be a friends’ night out, but I was just there to pay the bill—not part of the group, never the boyfriend, always the simp.

I pushed through the heavy glass door, catching a glimpse of them packed around a booth under flickering neon. Nobody waved. I was just the guy who paid.

Natalie leaned into Marcus—her latest boyfriend—her hand on his shoulder. As soon as she spotted me, she straightened up, her eyes cold. "Go pay the bill. I’ve been waiting forever."

Marcus barely looked at me. Natalie rolled her eyes, her tone all business, like she was managing a DoorDash delivery.

I nodded and headed to the counter. The card reader beeped, the smell of fried onions clinging to my jacket, and behind me, Natalie’s friends giggled into their half-empty Coke glasses.

"He really does whatever Natalie wants."

I heard a snicker, the click of someone’s phone camera. My cheeks burned, but I kept my head down.

"Derek is the ultimate simp."

That word again. Every time, it stung a little more, but what could I do? I’d built my whole life around this role.

"He knows Natalie has a boyfriend and still treats her so well. What kind of tragic love is this?"

I could feel their pity, see it in the way they avoided my eyes. Sometimes I wished I could just vanish.

I’d learned to tune it out—just white noise. The only opinion that mattered belonged to the System, and to Natalie.

I smiled as usual. "Are you Natalie’s friends? She said she wants to sing later. I’ve already booked the karaoke bar and called an Uber for you."

I put on my best customer-service smile, holding out my phone to show the Uber confirmation, pretending it didn’t sting.

I led them to the car, opening the doors like a bellhop. Marcus and Natalie climbed in, her friends giggling behind their hands.

Natalie stuck her head out the window, her voice icy. "Seriously, Derek? You think you’re one of us now? Don’t kid yourself."

I froze, her words like a slap. Even after all these years, she never missed a chance to put me in my place.

Marcus shifted in his seat, drumming his fingers on the door, not quite meeting my eyes. "Natalie, Derek did book the place. Let him come with us."

I tried to sound sincere, even as my heart twisted. "No need. Natalie doesn’t like seeing me. I don’t want to ruin her mood. Take good care of her. I’ve already paid for the private room and drinks. If it’s not enough, let me know."

I looked at Natalie with all the affection I could muster. "Have fun. I’m heading off."

She just gave me a dismissive wave. I watched the car pull away, taillights smearing red across the rain-slicked street. For a second, I caught my own reflection in a shop window—tired, invisible, wondering if anyone would ever really see me.

Back home, I tossed my keys on the table and slumped onto the couch, my phone buzzing in my hand. I couldn’t relax—not when Natalie was out.

Sure enough, at two in the morning, my phone rang. "Natalie got drunk and fought someone, trashed the place. She wants you to come pay for it."

Marcus sounded exhausted, his words slurred. In the background, I could hear Natalie yelling.

I’d made a contact list just for her revolving door of boyfriends. Sometimes they called me instead of her—an unofficial fixer for Natalie’s messes.

"Alright, you look after her. I’ll be right there."

Before I could hang up, Natalie’s impatient voice cut in: "Derek, get over here now."

I didn’t hesitate—I never did.

The karaoke bar was a mess—overturned chairs, the air thick with stale beer and sweat. The manager glared at me. "You the one paying?" I nodded, glancing at a group of angry twenty-somethings icing bruises and shooting daggers at me.

I asked for the bill, then tried to smooth things over with the other group. "Man, my friend’s drunk. How much for a private settlement? Let’s be reasonable."

One of the guys, holding a bloody napkin to his lip, glared at me. "She needs to say sorry herself. Not just throw money around like it means nothing."

Natalie staggered in, slurring her words, lipstick smudged as she wiped her mouth. "Didn’t you deserve a beating? Why else would I hit you?"

Marcus’s face darkened. He rubbed his temples, looking mortified. "Natalie, stop talking. Go apologize."

Natalie swayed, arms crossed. "No, I won’t. I didn’t do anything wrong."

"You were wrong. You got drunk and hit someone. You have to apologize."

Marcus looked from her to me, desperate for backup. I knew better—reason had no place here.

The other group wouldn’t let it go. "If she apologizes, five grand will do. If not, you give me a hundred grand."

Natalie wobbled, defiant. "Derek, give him the money. I’m not apologizing."

The System buzzed—no choice. I gritted my teeth, opened my phone, the blue light painting my face as my thumb ached from too many rejected swipes. I filled out another payday loan, the pit in my stomach growing deeper as I waited for approval.

Just one more month, I told myself. Thirty more days, and I’d never see another loan app again.

The guy sneered, glancing at my cracked phone and the stack of cards in my wallet. I just stared back, too tired to care. "I just don’t want the woman I love to be wronged."

Natalie flashed a smug smile at Marcus. "See? Your boyfriend can’t even compare to Derek the loyal dog."

Marcus looked like he’d been slapped. "You started the fight. You’re just being unreasonable..."

Natalie cut him off. "A boyfriend’s job is to support his girlfriend unconditionally. You’re not even as good as Derek."

Marcus stood, voice trembling. "Fine, let’s break up. Go date Derek. Don’t drag normal people into this."

Natalie shrugged, brittle laughter escaping her lips. "Breaking up is fine, but I won’t date Derek. He’s just my simp. How could he be worthy?"

It was almost a running joke: new boyfriend, same old Derek.

The guy who’d gotten my hundred grand looked stunned. "So after all that, you’re just her simp?"

I shrugged. "Being a simp is great. I simp when I want, and stop when I want. Gives me a sense of control."

It was a lie, but I’d told it so many times, I almost believed it.

I caught Marcus’s arm as he tried to leave. "I’m just Natalie’s simp, don’t get the wrong idea. Please don’t break up with her because of me. Natalie would be sad..."

He shook me off, not meeting my eyes. The room went silent, the karaoke machine still playing a pop song no one was listening to. Even the bartender looked relieved as Marcus left, sneakers squeaking on the tile, the door slamming behind him.

Natalie dropped to the floor, mascara streaking down her cheeks, shoulders shaking. For a moment, she looked like the scared kid she used to be, not the queen bee.

I knelt beside her, rummaging for a tissue. "Come on, Natalie, don’t let him see you like this. We’ll fix it tomorrow, okay?"

She let me wipe her tears, her hand gripping mine tighter than usual.

"Derek, you’re so good to me. I’ll allow you to stay by my side and simp for a lifetime."

She tried to smile, her voice trembling. To anyone else, it would sound like a cruel joke. To me, it was just another line in a script I knew by heart.

I faked a big, grateful grin, but inside, the countdown had started. Natalie’s Simp Membership was finally about to expire—one month left, and my billion-dollar payday was almost here.

The guy who’d gotten my cash patted my shoulder, pressing half of it back into my hand. "Why bother, man? You deserve better. If it doesn’t work out, find someone with a better temper to simp for. You’re actually a good guy."

I managed a weak smile, promising myself I’d never end up here again.

I borrowed more money to pay for the repairs, sent Natalie home, then walked the city streets in silence. My breath fogged in the night air, streetlights buzzing overhead.

Just as I reached my door, my phone buzzed again—a new message from the System:

Congratulations, Derek. One month left. Are you ready for your real test?

I stared at the screen, heart pounding, knowing my ordeal wasn’t over yet.