They Hated Me in My First Life, But Now I Have the Love System
Chapter 343: She Was Lonely

Chapter 343: She Was Lonely

As if trying to stir things further, King Eglon did something calculated. He had Karen brought back to their cell the night before, placing her right in their midst like a spark tossed into dry grass.

But nothing burned.

No fights. No shouting. Not even a single insult thrown.

They simply… ignored her.

Utterly.

They isolated her as if she didn’t exist, like a ghost among the living.

And when King Eglon got word of it the next morning, he frowned.

He had hoped for fireworks, for drama.

But it seemed he had miscalculated.

He had picked the wrong people for his show.

Karen, now sharing a cell with the very people she had betrayed, tried everything she could to make them listen, especially John.

But he wouldn’t even look at her.

He had already made up his mind.

He would rather die with honor than live with a stain gifted by her hands.

And then, to her shock, Ekene made the same decision.

Karen blinked rapidly, unable to hide the disbelief in her eyes. “What? You too?”

Even Abuchi and Nnenna were stunned. They pleaded with John and Ekene, trying to get through to them, trying to shake some sense into their stubborn minds.

“We’ve already lost so much,” Nnenna said softly, her voice shaking. “Must we lose you too?”

But the two men stood firm, their silence louder than any argument.

“We choose our path,” Ekene finally said. “And we’ll walk it with our heads up, not under a shadow.”

There was no hatred in his voice.

Just clarity.

King Eglon had already sealed the fate of Mesha and his family. There would be no miracle for them. The king refused to appear weak or encourage an uprising by sparing his own brother. That part of the story was already written in blood.

But the rest? The others still had a chance. They could still walk free, if they chose to.

John and Ekene simply chose not to.

Eventually, the others stopped trying. They stopped persuading, stopped arguing.

They respected their decision.

After all, they were adults. And sometimes, grown men walk into fire with their eyes wide open.

Karen watched all of it unfold from the shadows of her shame.

The rejection stung deeper than any blade.

Their refusal wasn’t just about pride, it was a rejection of her.

Of everything she did.

They would rather die than let her be the hero.

And in that moment, Karen finally saw it.

Her sacrifice had never been for them.

It was for herself.

For the fear in her chest.

For the need to survive.

For the selfish hope that maybe, just maybe, Abuchi would love her back if they made it through.

Now she knew.

And now, it was too late to change anything.

She did not argue anymore.

Did not plead.

She simply sat alone in a corner of the cell, her back to the others, waiting for the hour they would let her walk free

“Time to go,” the expressionless guard said, his voice dry and final.

There was no room for protest. No need for words.

Everyone already understood, this was it.

Mesha, Ruth’s father, gently reached for his wife’s hand and then for his daughter’s. Together, they stepped forward with quiet courage, their steps heavy but sure.

Behind them, John, Ekene, Abuchi, and Nnenna followed in silence. No one spoke. No one cried.

Each footstep echoed like a countdown.

From inside the cell, Karen watched them walk away.

And something broke inside her.

She told herself—”I saved them… I tried to save them.”

But if that was true… why did it feel like everything was falling apart?

Why did it feel like she was the one left behind?

Her chest tightened.

She had saved her life, yes. But in doing so, she had lost it too.

She had lost Nnenna.

She had lost Ekene.

She had lost John and…. Abuchi, her closest friends, her family.

And worst of all, she had lost their trust.

She had lost their love.

John had loved her unconditionally, even when she didn’t deserve it.

Even when she couldn’t return the love the same way.

And now, she had torn that love apart with her own hands.

They had always been there for her.

Through storms and silence, fights and laughter

They were her anchor, her safe space, her shield from the cruel world.

But now?

Now they were gone.

And she…

She wasn’t just alone.

She was lonely.

Crushed by the weight of silence, she sank into the corner of the cell, hugging her knees to her chest.

She had chosen survival.

But it had come at a cost far greater than she ever imagined.

A cost she would carry for the rest of her life.

The guards led the group of seven, John, Ekene, Abuchi, Nnenna, Mesha, his wife, and daughter, through the winding stone corridor. The air grew heavier with every step, thick with silence, dread, and the smell of dust and metal.

They emerged into the execution grounds, a wide, open courtyard surrounded by high blackened stone walls. The morning sun hung overhead like a witness too bright to ignore, casting long, harsh shadows across the yard.

At the center stood a raised platform, aged wood stained by time and… memories. Soldiers stood at the perimeter, rifles in hand, their faces as hard as the steel they held.

And there, lounging casually under a velvet canopy, was King Eglon.

He sat like he was front row in a movie theatre, legs crossed, drink in hand, and a large bowl of popcorn resting on his lap. He popped a kernel into his mouth and smiled.

“Ah, great! You’re all here,” he said with exaggerated cheer, wiping fake crumbs from his robe. “Now the show can begin.”

His voice echoed too loudly in the solemn yard.

He leaned forward slightly, eyes gleaming with sadistic pleasure as he gestured to the guards.

“Start with my dear older brother.”