I'd just woken up and realized the new chapter hadn't been changed to a "chapter note" and had instead become a paid chapter.
I wrote until two in the morning yesterday and was a little dazed from exhaustion. After finishing, I uploaded it and forgot to change the VIP chapter into a chapter note.
If the author doesn't change it manually, the system defaults it to VIP. That was my mistake.
Since I said it would be free, it will definitely be free. There's no reason for me to slap myself in the face. I really was in poor shape late at night and forgot to change it.
Once a VIP chapter is published, it can't be edited or deleted. I'm discussing with the editor-in-chief how to refund everyone; he needs to ask his superiors first.
I'll let everyone know once there's news.