I'm notoriously known for being a vile heiress in this city's elite circle.

I do whatever I want just because my family is rich and powerful. If I don't like someone, I won't hesitate to slap them on the spot.

If any family dares to offend me, I'll have my family terminate all contracts with that family's business.

Everyone is terrified whenever they bring me up.

But everything changes when my dad brings Gwen Herman, the low-income student he's been sponsoring, home with him.

Suddenly, I can hear her inner thoughts. Gwen tells me that this world is actually a novel with a plot where everyone adores and dotes on the main character.

Apparently, Gwen is the kind-hearted female lead loved by everyone, whereas I'm the evil side character who's destined to be humiliated at every turn.

What a coincidence. I already found out about this fact ten years ago.

I watch as Gwen cowers at the side delicately like some wounded angel who looks eerily similar to my dad. Meanwhile, my dad is awfully protective of her and goes as far as to be extremely mean to me to my face.

That's when I begin chortling loudly.

"Just because I call you 'Dad' doesn't mean you're really my father, my dear stepdad."

On the first day I returned to the country, I noticed that there was a new face in the house—a pale, delicate girl around my age.

But the moment we met, she timidly lowered her head, looking as though I'd bullied her.

I frowned and called for my housekeeper, Maureen Morris.

"Is the job market really that tough this year that you're letting just any riffraff in through the door now? Fire her immediately. She looks so miserable—she'll jinx my luck."

Maureen awkwardly wiped the sweat off her forehead.

"Ms. Slater, she's not the new maid. She's a guest brought home by Mr. Atwood."

I gave the pale, delicate girl a once-over, my disdain growing even more pronounced.

"Has his taste really sunk this low that he'll stoop to anything now?"

When those words left my mouth, my stepfather, Bernard Atwood, happened to be coming down the stairs.

His expression immediately darkened, and he snapped at me in embarrassment and anger.

"Lucille Slater, what's gotten into you? How dare you speak of me like that? This is Gwen Herman, an orphan our family used to sponsor. She got into college in Clamdale, so she's staying here for a while.

"She's hardworking and driven. I've officially adopted her. From now on, you're her older sister. So, you'd better treat her well, do you hear me?"

I flashed a smile at him. "Does Mom know about this?"

A flicker of discomfort crossed his face. "There's no need to bother your mother with such a small matter. I'll tell her when she gets back from her business trip."

I couldn't be bothered to deal with them, so I gave a noncommittal hum. But just as I turned to go upstairs, Gwen grabbed my wrist.

She timidly met my gaze, her lashes fluttering.

"Lucille, I know you probably don't like me, but I hope we can get along in the days ahead. Please don't give Dad a hard time."

I didn't say anything, because the moment we touched, I suddenly heard her inner thoughts.

"How dare this stupid, villainess side character call me a maid? Just wait until I unlock my protagonist arc and become the family's sweetheart. Then, I'll slap that smug look right off your face. I'll ruin your family and make you homeless! Let's see if you can still be so arrogant then."

I looked at her face, which bore a 70% resemblance to Bernard's, and smiled.

Where did an illegitimate daughter like her get the audacity to act so arrogantly?

The next second, I raised my hand and slapped her hard across the face.

Everyone froze.

Bernard was the first to snap out of it. He rushed over and tried to hit me.

"You ungrateful brat! You really think you can do whatever you want?"

His raised hand hadn't even come down when I reached out and seized his wrist.

When I met his hate-filled gaze, I couldn't help but smirk indifferently.

"Just because I call you 'Dad', you actually think you're my father? How cute, my dear stepdad."

Everyone said I was the most vicious heiress in the city's elite circle because I was ruthless and would stop at nothing to get whatever I set my sights on.

If I hated someone, I made sure they didn't have it easy.

But ten years ago, I was just a timid little girl.

Back then, right after my eighth birthday, I got into a terrible car accident with my biological father, Gordon Slater.

In that critical moment, he shielded me with his body, and that was how I survived.

It was just that, from that day on, I no longer had a father.

My mother, Sheila Plummer, was a career-driven powerhouse. After the accident, she sat silently by my father's grave for three days. Then, she single-handedly took on the entire family business.

My stepfather, Bernard, came into our lives shortly after.

In front of Mom, he acted gentle and patient with me. He'd pat my head and buy me the stuffed toys I liked.

"Lucille, how about I become your father from now on and protect you?"

But once, when Mom was away on a business trip and I had a high fever with convulsions in the middle of the night, I overheard him talking on the phone with someone by the door.

"Can you find out how to make someone get brain damage from a fever?"

In that instant, a chill seized my heart.

And it was also then that I suddenly regained my memories of being a villainess.

I realized that everything I'd suffered was just the backstory the author had set up to make me turn evil.

The real female lead was Gwen, the biological daughter of Bernard and his first love.

When I turned 18, Gwen would move into my home and win over other male leads to become the darling of Clamdale's elite circle.

In the end, she'd scheme to kill me and Mom, allowing Bernard to become the true head of the Slater family. And she'd take my place as the real heiress, enjoying a happy life as everyone's sweetheart.

But why?

Why did I have to play second fiddle to someone?

Why did Dad have to die just so Bernard could join my family?

Why did Mom and I have to meet our ends just to pave the way for Gwen?

I refused to accept it!

Thus, I changed completely after that day.

Since the book said I was a villainess, I'd be vicious to the very end.

Take now, for example—I swung my hand back and slapped Bernard right across the face.

I smiled as I looked at the terrified duo and said, "Sorry, my hand was itching. I'm heading upstairs now, Gwen."

Perhaps the slap from our first meeting was too harsh because I barely saw them around the house over the next few days.

One day, I received a phone call.

The moment I answered, a man's amused voice came from the other end.

"Ms. Slater, what's going on with you? Your stepfather and his adopted daughter have been attending all sorts of banquets these past few days. Aren't you worried she'll start building connections with others?"

I examined the lovely, striking face staring back at me in the mirror. Only after confirming that my makeup was flawless for the occasion did I smile.

"Why should I be worried? If she can land those connections, more power to her. You, on the other hand—don't forget what you're supposed to do at Mrs. Strickland's charity gala tonight."

The man on the other end chuckled lightly.

"If you're so worried about me, why not come and see for yourself? Come downstairs. You can't miss tonight's show."

Sure enough, the moment I went downstairs, I saw Logan Kennedy waiting for me on the couch. His features were sharp, with deep-set eyes, and his impeccably tailored black suit only accentuated his tall, graceful frame.

When he saw me, a bright smile spread across his face.

"It's been a while, my master."

After awakening to my memories of being a villainess, the first person I sought out was Logan Kennedy, the novel's primary antagonist. Back then, he was just a scrawny boy covered in bruises.

Even though he was only 12 years old, he was forced to peddle hot dogs outside the school gates by his adoptive father, Melvin Cohen. Each hot dog sold for three dollars, and if he didn't make 300 dollars a day, he'd be viciously beaten in the street.

The first time I met Logan, he had just been beaten by Melvin. He was filthy and lay wounded in the alley. In fact, he looked no different from a stray dog.

In the original story, he'd eventually kill Melvin and use the latter's assets to catapult himself into becoming a rising star in the industry.

Later, when Gwen and the male lead, Quintin Kennedy, were happily entangled in their romance, Logan would discover that he was actually the true heir of the Kennedy family.

With a tragic childhood and parents who favored others over him, poor Logan would completely descend into darkness.

Unfortunately, Gwen and Quintin found the evidence of Melvin's murder later, and the story's greatest antagonist would ultimately end up in prison.

However, none of that would happen now, because I was here.

I looked at the boy curled up on the ground, barely clinging to life, and disdainfully nudged the back of his hand with my foot.

"Hey, do you want to get back at the man who hurt you?"

Logan spat out a mouthful of blood and looked up at me with alarmingly bright eyes.

"Yes."

A vicious smile curled on my lips as I lazily tilted his chin up with the toe of my shoe.

"Then become my lapdog, and I'll give you everything you want."

Logan lowered his head and fell silent.

Just as I grew impatient and was about to turn away, he reached out and grabbed my ankle.

"Woof."

From then on, Logan became my most devoted lapdog.

I hired a lawyer to sue Melvin for trafficking and child abuse, then took Logan along to witness the moment Melvin was arrested.

I didn't keep idle hands around, so I took the initiative to ask Mom to send Logan to the best school in Clamdale.

Mom didn't think much of me bringing home some random child. She simply patted my head and transferred another three million dollars into my account.

"As long as you're happy, you can do whatever you want."

During that time, I kept Logan in one of the villas under my name.

Since I couldn't stand to see him comfortable, I took twisted pleasure in crafting a study plan for him that was even more demanding than my own.

It was a pity he was so messed up that he actually thrived on it.

Nourished by money, Logan no longer bore any trace of the boy he once was. He'd become refined, composed, and unnervingly calm.

Even when I told him about his fate in the original story, his expression remained unchanged as he knelt on the floor, washing my feet.

I disdainfully kicked him in the chest, splashing water at him, leaving his shirt soaked.

"Don't you feel any resentment? That fake heir stole the wealthy life that should've been yours."

The tips of Logan's ears turned red. But instead of getting angry, he lowered his head and reverently pressed a kiss to the top of my foot.

"I'd rather stay here as your lapdog than go back now to fight him to the death."

He could think again, as I had no intention of letting Quintin keep strutting around.

That was why I sent Logan back to the Kennedy family two years ago.

Logan didn't disappoint me.

He was the antagonist in the original story who, despite never having received a higher education, could still hold his own against Quintin in the business world.

Now, after years of careful cultivation on my part, he was already showing signs of surpassing Quintin shortly after returning home.

In fact, Quintin had apparently botched a project a couple of days ago. Rumor had it he was so anxious that he'd started taking medication.

Just thinking about Quintin possibly losing sleep from the stress made me smile.

I tilted Logan's chin up and pressed a kiss to his lips.

"Good boy. Don't let me down."

Emily Kaufman—or rather, Mrs. Strickland—was hosting her charity gala at her beachfront villa.

By the time we arrived, Gwen had already been ushered into the venue by Bernard.

In just a few days, she had acquired some new jewelry. Her makeup was still understated and elegant, but the white gown she wore was clearly a haute couture piece.