The Villainess Rewrites Her Story

A dream revealed the entire plot of the book to me.

I was merely a malicious side character in the story, while my obsessive brother, with whom I shared no blood, was the true male lead.

I chased after the second male lead, unattainable, and went to extremes, hurting my brother in my reckless pursuit.

Later, the heroine saved my brother, and I realized my true love too late.

Moments ago, I forced my brother to drink a glass of drugged wine.

1

I stood abruptly, the wineglass in my hand shattering on the floor.

In the noisy private room, the small commotion went unnoticed, except by Bruce Clayton, who sat beside me and glanced over warily.

His sharp eyes held a cold detachment, yet his voice dripped with softness. "Emma, what's wrong?"

A shiver ran through me as my teeth chattered, my gaze locking onto the man who would one day discard me like trash.

The thought of him causing my miscarriage and forcing me, fresh from the hospital, to entertain clients snuffed out every trace of affection I once held.

It was as if waking from a dream left me unable to find a single reason to love him.

"My stomach hurts. I need to use the restroom," I muttered, my face twisting in feigned pain.

"Go ahead. I'll wait for you," Bruce replied, his expression unchanged, accepting my excuse.

I nodded obediently and walked slowly out of the room.

The moment the door closed, I bolted upstairs toward the hotel rooms.

I had done something utterly foolish.

I handed my brother Caiden Payne the drugged wine myself.

Caiden' s eyes reddened as he looked at me, asking if he had to drink it.

I cruelly insisted, saying if he refused, I would drink it for him.

Threatening with my own safety left him no choice.

He never could resist my stubbornness.

He took the glass and drank it in one gulp.

I laughed triumphantly, reaching out to touch his earlobe, telling him he was such a good brother and should always be so obedient.

His eyes grew even redder.

I assumed he simply disliked alcohol.

From childhood, Caiden was well-behaved, the pride of everyone around him.

Only after the plot unraveled did I learn he was a paranoid madman.

He had long suspected Bruce and I were scheming against him.

Yet he willingly played along.

The drug took effect quickly, his face flushing, his mind clouding. Bruce had someone take Caiden to a hotel room, ready for the next phase of his plan.

As I left, I heard Caiden call my name, over and over.

"Emma... Emma... I'm in pain... Take me away..."

I didn't look back, giggling as I clung to Bruce, eagerly awaiting his praise.

Like some cheap trinket.

Blinded by infatuation, I failed to see I was just one of Bruce's insignificant pawns, easily discarded.

He only paid me attention because of my brother, whose brilliance he couldn't ignore and whose love for me was my only leverage.

Back then, I was Caiden's sole weakness.

2

The hotel rooms all looked identical.

I had no idea where Bruce's men had taken Caiden, so I searched room by room.

Knocking, barging in, apologizing.

My steps were frantic, my eyes red, but I couldn't stop, terrified of being too late.

Then I stumbled into an unlocked room.

The sound of running water came from the bathroom. I crept closer, pushed the slightly open door, and saw Caiden, disheveled but unharmed, soaking in the bathtub.

Relief washed over me. I turned to lock the door and caught a glimpse of a girl backing out of another room in the hallway.

She muttered to herself, as if talking to someone invisible.

"System, didn't you say the male lead was drugged and locked up nearby? I've knocked on so many wrong doors, security's going to kick me out soon.

Someone didn't beat me to him, did they? No way! If I can't win him over, how am I supposed to get home?"

My eyes burned as I watched the girl approach.

Rosalyn Clayton, the story's heroine.

The one I, trapped in this book, could never outmaneuver.

The one who saved Caiden, unleashed his obsessive nature, and became the center of his world.

She was here.

No one would guess that Rosalyn, fragile as a daisy, was far more cunning than I, the so-called villainess.

The difference between us was that she hid her true self from Caiden.

I, on the other hand, kept making mistake after mistake.

At first, Rosalyn approached Caiden to complete her system's tasks.

But as she tasted the benefits of her system and the lavish life Caiden offered, she abandoned her chance to return to her world, choosing to stay with him forever.

The biggest obstacle between them was me.

Rosalyn targeted me, suppressing me at every turn.

We fought fiercely, but I lost miserably.

I, Emma Payne, the adopted daughter of the Payne family, was erased by the system for my countless misdeeds.

No, I refused to be erased.

I refused to let my brother fall for someone else.

If I was destined to be the villain of this story, then I would embrace it one last time.

The doorbell buzzed.

I opened the door and met the eyes of the girl standing there.

Rosalyn didn't know me yet.

"Can I help you?"

"Is this your room?" Rosalyn's eyes darted past me, probing toward the bathroom.

But I had already locked the door.

I smiled faintly. "Yes. Who are you looking for?"

"Sorry, my mistake." Rosalyn stuck out her tongue and hurried off, muttering complaints to her system as she went.

I shut the door and called the front desk.

I reported a suspicious girl knocking on doors in the hallway, urging them to take it seriously.

After hanging up, I sat on the bed, lost in thought. A loud thud came from the bathroom.

I rushed inside. "Caiden..."

3

Caiden had woken and climbed out of the tub, only to collapse on the floor, too weak to stand.

This was Bruce's plan, to drug Caiden and limit his strength.

Next, he would send men to record compromising videos, then lead others to "accidentally" witness Caiden's disgrace, ruining him publicly.

Once the scandal broke, no company would produce Caiden's inventions, no one would work with his company, and his rise would be crushed forever.

Bruce nearly succeeded.

But Rosalyn, with her system, changed everything.

She found Caiden early, took him from the room, and helped him through the drug's effects with her body.

Bruce's scheme failed, and Rosalyn and Caiden's bond began.

This time, I wouldn't let anyone else have that chance.

I would rewrite my fate.

Even as a doomed side character, I refused to die pathetically.

"Caiden, I'm getting you out of here." I grabbed his arm, trying to pull him up, but my strength failed me, and his weight dragged me down instead.

"Emma." His breathing was ragged, his bloodshot eyes wet as they fixed on me, his voice tinged with a faint, hidden grievance.

"Didn't you abandon me? If you don't want me, why come back?"

His sulky words carried a choked-back sob.

Yet his eyes betrayed a restrained joy.

My heart clenched.

How could I, the old me, have hurt this man who loved me so dearly for someone who treated me like garbage?

"I could never abandon you. You're my most important brother!" I said earnestly.

As a child abandoned at an orphanage, I was overlooked by the Paynes, who wanted another girl, but Caiden insisted on me.

When our foster parents were often away for work, Caiden raised me, cooked my meals, helped with homework.

He even bought my first sanitary pad, blushing as he followed instructions to show me how to use it.

Caiden and I were always close, so close I couldn't bear anyone speaking ill of him or harming him.

But at some point, I changed. I grew to resent Caiden's attention, his involvement in my life, his disapproval of Bruce.

The resentment came out of nowhere, just like my sudden obsession with Bruce, a notorious playboy.

He was never my type.

The book's plot forced me down this path, made me hate Caiden, and turned me into a stranger to myself.

Caiden's eyes dimmed at my words, showing no trace of joy.

I suddenly recalled how I had used the same sweet talk to deceive him before, coaxing him softly to show me his product designs, only to steal them and offer them to Bruce.

Two tech products launched one after the other.

Caiden's came second, earning him accusations of plagiarism that nearly bankrupted his fledgling company.

His company's reputation now suffered, largely because of my actions.

"Emma, leave. Get out of here. I don't want to hurt you." Caiden's breathing grew rapid, his face flushed a deep red, like a shrimp just pulled from boiling water.

The drug Bruce used was potent, and Caiden had reached his limit holding on.

I knew he couldn't wait any longer.

As I reached for my phone, loud banging erupted at the door.

"Caiden, are you in there? Open the door! If you don't, you'll die!"

It was Rosalyn.

She had returned, likely guided by her system to Caiden's exact location.

With her powerful advantage, mere security couldn't stop her.

I touched Caiden's trembling face and pulled a towel to wrap around his soaked, nearly transparent clothes, tying it securely.

No one else could see my brother like this. Only me.

I stood to open the door.

Caiden grabbed my arm urgently.

His eyes were painfully red.

His voice broke. "Are you leaving me again?"

His mind was slipping.

His reactions were instinctive.

I knew exactly how to soothe him.

Better than anyone.

I leaned down gently, pressing a kiss to his cool lips. "Caiden, I'll never leave you. I'm just opening the door."

A spark seemed to flicker in his eyes.

He hesitated, then released my hand.

4

When I opened the door for Rosalyn, I was on the phone with a doctor from the city hospital.

As the lock nearly gave way under her force, I calmly unlatched the door.

Rosalyn stood outside, holding a fire extinguisher mid-swing, freezing when I gestured for her to wait.

"Yes, at the Grand Hotel. It's accidental poisoning from food. Can an ambulance arrive in ten minutes? Good, I'll bring the patient down."

I hung up and looked at Rosalyn sincerely. "Are you a friend of my brother? He accidentally got food poisoning. Can you help me get him to the hotel lobby downstairs? The ambulance is almost here."

Rosalyn didn't reply.

Her expression shifted.

This wasn't what she expected.

But she couldn't figure out what had gone wrong.

In the hotel lobby, Caiden leaned against me, his lips pressed tight, his long lashes trembling. His furrowed brow held a fragile beauty, as the book described him-a rare handsomeness that outshone even the hottest celebrities.

I used to take Caiden's looks for granted, thinking he was meant to be this way.

Now, awakened, I gazed at him in my arms, my quiet heart pounding like a drum.

He was ridiculously good-looking.

Only a blind fool would overlook him.

Caiden's head drifted unconsciously toward Rosalyn, and I quickly pulled him back, flashing her a subtle, provocative smile, as if to say, "Sorry, my man's making a fool of himself."

Rosalyn's gaze grew colder.

Messing with the heroine felt thrilling.

When the ambulance arrived, medics loaded Caiden onto a stretcher. I climbed in, then turned to Rosalyn, who was about to follow. "Thanks for your help, but there's clearly not enough room. This is where we part."

Rosalyn opened her mouth.

She must have found my behavior odd.

Bruce's devoted follower suddenly caring about Caiden's life?

But I gave her no time to process, ignoring her darkening expression.

I slammed the door shut.

At the hospital, I explained Caiden's condition to the doctors.

I said he drank an unknown liquid.

They diagnosed poisoning and rushed him to the ER for a stomach pump.

Half an hour later, he was wheeled back to a ward.

He was still asleep. I went to the hospital shop to buy a clean towel and water to wipe his face.

On my way back, I saw Rosalyn standing by his bed, slowly leaning down, about to kiss him.

"Caiden!" I shouted.

Rosalyn sprang back, her face flashing with embarrassment.

I strode to the bedside, glaring at Caiden's lips.

Did she kiss him or not?

5

Caiden finally stirred. Before I could accuse her, Rosalyn pushed past me, leaning in with concern. "Caiden, are you okay? When you called me, I rushed over as fast as I could, but I was still a step behind Miss Payne."

She glanced at me pointedly.

Her look suggested she knew I was responsible for his poisoning.

I froze.

What? Rosalyn knew Caiden?

But in the book's plot, his poisoning was their first meeting.

How could...

Caiden's clear voice cut through my thoughts. "I'm fine now. Thanks, Rosalyn. Sorry for the trouble."

"No problem. I'm just glad you're okay." Rosalyn smiled faintly.

The harmonious scene left me uneasy. Was the plot still barreling toward its fixed course?

Even though I stopped Rosalyn from saving Caiden with her body, I couldn't prevent their meeting.

Caiden must trust her deeply to call her for help during his poisoning.

I admitted it-I was jealous.

"Caiden, you two know each other?"

"Yes, Rosalyn is my business partner." Caiden's gaze settled on me, his eyes brewing with emotions I couldn't decipher.

The plot seemed to be accelerating.

In the novel, Rosalyn joined Caiden's company as a partner when their relationship was already warming.

Soon, she would move into our home, treated like a future daughter-in-law by our parents.

Meanwhile, I, through my constant scheming, would be kicked out, reduced to a pathetic clown before Rosalyn's heroine aura.

Terrifying.

Was I doomed to lose everything and die miserably?

No, if I stopped scheming, there had to be a way out.

"Caiden." I gripped his hand tightly. "The poisoning was a mistake. I'll take care of you from now on. I'll behave."

"Okay." Caiden stared at me, his response flat, his expression unreadable.

He told Rosalyn to leave and asked me to stay while he settled the bill for discharge.

He remained calm all the way home, showing no sign of holding me accountable.

That only made me more anxious.

My brother was a paranoid man at heart. After what I did to him, he couldn't possibly be this composed.

That night, I cracked first.

Caiden usually cooked our meals, but when he was upset, he didn't, which was normal. Still, I was starving.

Never one for pride, I slipped out to grab some takeout from a street vendor.

Beef skewers, grilled oysters, roasted eggplant with garlic.

The aroma was intoxicating.

I hurried home, eager to dig in.

Suddenly, a click, and the living room lights went dark. I jumped, dropping my food.

Before I could mourn the loss, a tall figure loomed in the darkness, pinning me against the door.

It was Caiden.

His clothes carried the familiar scent of the detergent I bought.

He was impossibly close.

Caiden's arm circled my waist, locking the door behind me.

What was he planning?

Some kind of captivity game?

Wild thoughts raced through my mind. I swallowed hard and stammered, "Caiden..."

He cut me off, his voice thick with suppressed anger. "Where were you? Off to see Bruce again, weren't you? Emma, you're still not behaving."

Caiden pulled out his belt and bound my wrists.

Finally, he could no longer restrain his possessiveness over me.

Perfect. Just as I wanted.

"Caiden, you want to tie me up?" I raised my bound hands, placing them before him.