Kind, hardworking, full of misfortunes, drowning in debt, and perpetually poor—such was the fate of countless protagonists, especially bottom-tier male leads. They always started at rock bottom, only for their misery to deepen upon meeting their supposed saviors: cruel, manipulative partners who masked their inner demons with charm or authority.
Despite the suffering, these stories often had happy endings. But not this one.
The novel I reincarnated into was different.
The bottom male lead didn't find salvation. Instead, he spiraled into despair under the obsessive grip of his partner. The story ended in tragedy: the bottom male lead, trapped in a cage, his spirit utterly broken, resigned to a life of control and manipulation.
I often questioned why I'd finished reading such a story. Maybe it was morbid curiosity, but after that ending, I vowed never to read anything like it again.
