I gaped at the bank card in my hand, utterly dumbfounded.

Just like that... crisis averted?


Wasn't he supposed to be cold, ruthless, and decisive?

How had I—the designated villainess—broken through his defenses so easily?

He must be blinded by love!


Ethan misinterpreted my stunned expression as surprise and gratitude.

His gaze softened with sincerity.


"Whatever you want, I'll buy it for you."

"O...okay."

Finally, Ethan gently patted my head and escorted me home.

It was a sleek apartment in the city center that Ethan had rented specifically for me, to shorten my commute to school.

Meanwhile, he lived in a dilapidated room near the construction site, yet provided this luxury for me.

To be honest, he'd been incredibly good to me. And I—the villainess—had been truly heartless.

I mentally scolded myself once more.

The next morning, I prepared for school.

From the "princess wardrobe" Ethan had funded, I selected a pale yellow sundress with delicate lace trim, paired with silver stilettos and a pearlescent shell-shaped clutch, before sauntering to school.

Though I now had my own consciousness, I couldn't entirely escape my character's DNA—a terminal case of princess syndrome with a penchant for designer labels.

The moment I stepped onto campus, I noticed classmates pointing and whispering.

Just as I took my seat, a girl in a pristine white cotton dress with a makeup-free face approached me.

It was the novel's heroine, Anna Reed.

"Bella, have you seen that video?" Anna asked, her face a perfect mask of concern, though her eyes gleamed with something else entirely.

"What video?" I asked, genuinely confused.

Anna handed me her phone.

After a few glances, I understood what everyone was discussing.

It was a viral video on the school forum.

In the footage, I was cornering an overweight boy at the stairwell, awkwardly confessing while offering him a cake. He shoved me away, sending me tumbling down the stairs with cake smeared across my face.

Extremely embarrassing.

I fell silent.

The boy in the video was Leo Hammond, a classmate of mine and Anna's. His family owned a company, making him somewhat wealthy.

This happened last week when I apparently lost my mind and decided Leo Hammond was my soulmate.

Afterward, I wondered why I, Bella Reed, a face-judger, would be interested in Leo. His height probably only reached Ethan's waist.

Now I understood—it was the plot's ham-fisted attempt to showcase the heroine's "righteousness" and "kindness."

"Bella, I know you were just being impulsive," Anna said with practiced concern. "I've heard you already have a boyfriend, so this was clearly a mistake. Why don't you go to the podium and publicly apologize at assembly, and we can all move past this?"

Anna's brow furrowed with performative righteousness.

But what business is this of hers?!

The surrounding classmates quickly chimed in.

"Anna, you're too kind. Bella Reed is such a gold-digger, it's disgusting."

"I heard Bella's boyfriend is some construction worker—dirty, ugly, and broke. No wonder she's desperate enough to chase Leo."

Anna continued her sanctimonious speech.

"Bella, loyalty is a girl's most precious virtue. If you won't apologize, give me your boyfriend's number. He deserves to know."

My internal reaction: "Is this chick for real?"

I massaged my temples, feeling physically and mentally exhausted.

Seriously, Author? Is this heroine supposed to be likable?

She's a walking stereotype of every self-righteous busybody ever written.

I flicked my wrist dismissively. "Buzz off."

Anna's eyes instantly welled with tears. "Sis, how could you?"

She stomped her foot like a toddler and fled the room.

A bunch of classmates followed her out in a rush. "Anna, Anna! Are you okay...?"

I rolled my eyes and pulled headphones from my clutch.

Setting aside the plot and character design, I genuinely couldn't stand Anna.

Because she was, unfortunately, my actual sister.

Three years ago, when precious Anna was about to start high school, my parents decided she deserved this elite academy—and that I should drop out to help pay for it.

I refused and ran away from home.

After wandering penniless for days, Ethan found me.

Even knowing this was just some author's twisted fantasy, I couldn't forgive my parents' blatant favoritism.

Because of this, I had zero affection for my sister, despite her protagonist's halo.

However, I had no plans to antagonize her. After all, she was the protagonist, and I was just the cannon fodder.

My priority now was changing Ethan's perception of me. When he eventually meets Anna, maybe he'll offer a generous settlement, we'll part ways amicably, and I'll escape my tragic fate.