The Villainess's Reckoning

Nathan Carter was famous in high society for being completely devoted to his wife.

All because I had an almost obsessive need to control him.

Not only did he have to video call me every five minutes to check in, but every morning when I woke up, I expected a five-thousand-word love letter waiting for me.

The first time he was a minute late checking in, my paranoia spiraled out of control, and I bombarded him with ninety-nine voice messages, threatening to kill myself.

He transferred me one million dollars, dropped to his knees, and swore it would never happen again before I reluctantly forgave him.

His voice softened as he leaned closer, trying to kiss me.

Suddenly, a flood of comments exploded across my vision.

[Exactly! Once Quinn catches HIV, he should dump her. A villainess like her deserves to get sick, lose the baby, and die a miserable death!]

[Who could put up with a crazy woman like her? If she hadn't pushed the male lead so hard, he never would've slept around and contracted HIV!]

[When is the female lead finally going to show up? I can't wait for her and the male lead to heal each other and get their happily ever after!]

I looked at Nathan, who had already taken off his shirt, his breathing heavy.

I hurriedly grabbed a towel from the side and wrapped it around myself.

"Honey, I'm suddenly not feeling very well. Don't you have a meeting to get to? You should go. I don't want to keep you from work."

Nathan Carter froze in stunned disbelief for a moment.

The next second, he quickly forced a flattering smile and took both of my hands in his.

"Honey, did I say something wrong just now and upset you?

"If you're unhappy, then hit or yell at me. Just don't bottle it up, okay?"

His voice was gentle, his posture humble.

He sounded exactly as he always did when he was trying to calm me down.

But now, as I stared at the endless stream of floating comments scrolling before my eyes, a chill spread through my entire body.

[Wait, this isn't right. If this crazy woman pushes the male lead away, how is she supposed to get HIV?]

[I'm still waiting to see the villainess get sick, lose her baby, and die a miserable death. The plot isn't going off the rails, is it?]

[Relax. The male lead hasn't even met the love of his life yet! Once he does, he'd give up everything, even his life, to save her. Does a psycho like this woman really deserve him?]

"Honey?"

I pulled my hands away.

Instead of throwing one of my usual hysterical fits, I spoke softly.

"I'm tired. I want to take a shower."

Nathan looked up at me.

In that instant, his eyes widened with even greater surprise.

I knew exactly what he was thinking.

Since the age of fifteen, when had Quinn Hart ever been this reasonable?

But he didn't ask any questions. He simply continued in a gentle, soothing tone.

"Then get some rest. If you get sleepy, go ahead and sleep. I'll bring you a late-night snack when I get back."

Soon, the sound of running water echoed through the bathroom.

The water cascaded over my body, yet it couldn't wash away the turmoil surging inside me.

The memory of those floating comments made me lower the water temperature even further.

Why was it that he could sleep around, contract HIV, and yet I was the one destined to die?

Why was it that after infecting the so-called female lead, he could still bankrupt himself developing treatments for her and then live happily ever after by her side?

I took a deep breath and forced myself to calm down.

I had always been someone who lacked a sense of security.

As the heiress of one of the most influential families in the city, I had seen far too many men lose themselves to power and temptation.

That was why I treated Nathan as my personal possession, using the most extreme methods possible to tame him and keep him under my control.

He proposed to me seven times, and I turned him down seven times.

It wasn't until the eighth proposal that he stood before both of our families and produced a notarized agreement.

"If I ever betray you one day, I'll walk away with nothing. I’ll give every share and property to you."

I was moved by his sincerity and finally said yes.

The more I thought about it, the more ridiculous I felt.

In his eyes, I was exhausting, irrational, and impossibly controlling.

Someone who never gave him room to breathe.

So, he went out looking for excitement elsewhere, and ended up contracting HIV.

That agreement was still locked inside my safe.

I wasn't just going to divorce him; I was going to make him lose everything.

By the time I finished showering and stepped out, Nathan had already changed into a perfectly tailored suit.

"Honey, the office keeps calling. I'll come straight back and spend time with you as soon as the meeting's over."

The floating comments appeared again.

[Here it comes! In the original plot, this is the banquet where the male lead meets the female lead, Vivian Reed!]

[The classic damsel-in-distress scene! Vivian gets pressured into drinking by a group of rich girls, and the male lead steps in to protect her. So cool!]

[That idiot Quinn still has no idea her husband is about to meet the love of his life tonight.]

My heart pounded as I read the comments.

The moment Nathan left, I headed out and flagged down a taxi.

"Bluewater Bay Hotel."

The floating comments instantly exploded.

[How does she know where the male lead is going?!]

[No way! Can the villainess actually see our comments?!]

[Impossible. She's a character in a book. There's no way she can see them.]

I watched the lines of text drift across my vision one after another and curled my lips into a faint smile.

So, what if I could see them?

My fate had always been mine to decide.

The taxi pulled up in front of the hotel.

I stepped out in my heels, entered the lobby, and followed the floating comments' real-time updates all the way to the elevator.

[Look, look! Vivian just got shoved onto the floor! Wine's all over her dress. Poor thing!]

[Nathan's already at the door. He's about to walk in!]

The elevator doors opened.

I immediately spotted the girl in the white dress.

Several heavily made-up socialites had her surrounded.

Red wine dripped from her hair, making her look both pitiful and heartbreakingly vulnerable.

Nathan, standing off to one side, had just started to step forward.

I picked up a glass of champagne from the bar and walked straight toward Vivian.