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.

"What's she doing here?"

The group of socialites visibly stiffened when they saw me.

Everyone in high society knew about my reputation.

I was known for being arrogant, unhinged, and untouchable.

I didn't spare them a glance.

Instead, I looked down at Vivian, who was soaked from head to toe.

The floating comments began racing across my vision.

[The villainess is about to lose it! Vivian, run!]

[It's over! Quinn saw the male lead trying to save Vivian. She's definitely going to make Vivian's life a living hell!]

A smile tugged at my lips as I splashed the champagne in my glass straight into the lead socialite's face.

"Since when did any of you earn the right to bully someone under my protection?"

The women's faces turned green with embarrassment and anger, yet not one of them dared to say a word.

The floating comments exploded.

[Holy crap? Since when did the villainess start acting like a CEO from a romance novel? Why is this so satisfying?!]

[Our girl finally has someone standing up for her! I'm crying! Her family's been a mess since she was little.

[Her father abandoned her and her mother, her mom died after a long illness, and she worked three jobs to put herself through college. She's suffered so much!]

[Her good days are coming! Once Nathan falls in love with her, nobody will ever dare bully her again!]

[No! If Quinn protects her, what happens to the female lead's story? Villainess, get out of here!]

Vivian looked up at me.

Her eyes were slightly red, and drops of wine still clung to her lashes, yet her gaze remained clear and bright.

"Thank you, Ms. Hart."

Something stirred faintly in my chest.

No wonder she was the female lead.

Even I found her adorable.

Someone like her didn't deserve to have her life ruined by a scumbag like Nathan.

"Honey?"

A stiff voice sounded behind me.

I turned around.

Nathan stood a few steps away, his face drained of color.

He was terrified that I'd discovered he had lied to me.

"Honey, what are you doing here? I... there was a last-minute business dinner. The client insisted on meeting here..."

I watched him stumble through the excuse, and felt nothing but emptiness.

The old Quinn would have caused a scene big enough to turn the entire hotel upside down.

But not anymore.

"Alright. Then get back to work."

He probably never imagined that I'd let him off so easily.

Even so, he wasted no time making his escape.

Vivian remained where she was, quietly wiping the wine from her arm with a napkin.

I walked over and handed her my business card.

"Vivian, I didn't come here tonight by accident."

She looked up at me, confusion flickering in her eyes.

"Nathan betrayed me. He's been sleeping around, and he contracted HIV.

"I came because he's set his sights on you."

It was a small lie.

Vivian's eyes widened instantly.

"So, if he approaches you again, no matter what he says, don't believe him."

After a few seconds of silence, Vivian nodded seriously.

"Ms. Hart, I know you and Mr. Carter are married. It's not my place to comment on your relationship."

Her voice was calm, but firm.

"But don't worry. I would never get involved with a married man. That's a line I won't cross."

The floating comments went wild.

[AHHH! That's our girl! Her values are absolutely perfect!]

[Wait, how did the plot go this far off track? Where's the male lead? At this rate, the female lead is going to fall for the villainess instead!]

[But Nathan sleeping around is a fact. Am I the only one who thinks it'd be fun to watch these two girls team up and destroy a cheating scumbag?]

After parting ways with Vivian, I didn't leave the hotel.

Instead, following the directions provided by the floating comments, I headed for Nathan's private suite on the third floor.

I quietly made my way to the door. It hadn't been fully closed, leaving a narrow gap.

Inside the private suite, glasses clinked, laughter flowed freely, and cigarette smoke hung thick in the air.

One of the rich young men grinned and said, "Nathan, how'd you manage to get out tonight? Don't tell me Ms. Hart skipped her usual check-in routine for once."

Nathan let out a cold laugh, his voice dripping with disdain.

"Keep it down. I ran into her at the door earlier.

"If it weren't for the Hart family's connections and resources, who'd want to spend every day catering to that crazy woman?"

The room erupted in laughter.

The tone of the floating comments began to shift.

[Uh... Quinn can be a lot, but that's a pretty awful thing for the male lead to say.]

[Seriously. He acts one way to her face and another behind her back. That's disgusting.]

[Quinn's recording this!! This scumbag is finished!!]

After returning home, I backed up the recording and finished speaking with my divorce lawyer.

Just then, my phone vibrated.

A message from Vivian popped up on the screen.

"Ms. Hart, he really did contact me."

The location Vivian sent me led to a private restaurant in the city center.

By the time I arrived, the door to the private dining room was slightly ajar.

Voices drifted out from inside.

"Vivian, who would've thought we studied under the same professor? What a small world."

Nathan's tone was warm and friendly, completely different from the man who had called me a crazy woman in front of his friends the night before.

"I've been working on a new university project lately, and we're looking for promising young talent. Would you like to hear more about it?"

Vivian's voice remained calm.

"Tell me more about it, Nathan."

A flicker of satisfaction crossed Nathan's eyes as he began describing the project's prospects and resources in detail.

Vivian nodded along politely the entire time.

A few minutes later, once the discussion was over, she picked up her bag and stood.

"Nathan, I'll think about the project and get back to you."

Nathan clearly hadn't expected her to leave so soon.

"The food hasn't even arrived yet. I said I'd treat you to dinner. Why don't you stay and eat first?"

Vivian slowly shook her head.

"You and Ms. Hart are married. It wouldn't be appropriate for me to spend so much time alone with you."

Nathan's expression stiffened for a brief moment.

Then he let out a long sigh.

"Vivian, it's not what you think."

His voice turned bitter, as though years of suppressed frustration had finally found an outlet.

"My marriage to Quinn was arranged by our families from the very beginning. I never had a choice."

He paused, as if gathering his courage.

"She's... an extremely controlling person. Unreasonable. She flies off the handle over the smallest things. Everyone thinks we're happily married, but the truth is, I haven't had a single peaceful day since the day we got married."

I leaned against the wall and tightened my grip on the recorder in my hand.

The floating comments completely lost their minds.

[Okay, the male lead really is kind of a jerk. Yesterday he was trash-talking Quinn to his friends, and today he's playing the victim in front of Vivian.]

[Hold on. The villainess already derailed the original plot. Since he couldn't save the damsel in distress, he's trying a different way to win the female lead over.]

As he spoke, Nathan slowly rolled up the sleeve of his left arm.

Several shocking red marks on the inside of his forearm were exposed beneath the light.

"Her moods change without warning. In her eyes, everyone around her is just an outlet for her anger."

I stared at the marks on his arm and almost laughed.

Those injuries came from him getting drunk and crashing into a glass liquor cabinet the week before.

I was the one who treated them.

Vivian fell silent for a moment before slowly sitting back down.

Nathan's eyes lit up.

He thought his sob story had worked.

The floating comments exploded.

[The male lead is seriously disgusting. He blames everything on the villainess! Those injuries were obviously his own fault!]

[Forget the romance. I just want to watch these two women team up and destroy this scumbag.]

[+1! I'd watch a hundred episodes of two girls taking down a cheating loser together!]

I took a deep breath and pushed the door open.

The atmosphere in the room instantly froze.

Nathan shot to his feet.

His legs nearly gave out beneath him, and he looked seconds away from dropping to his knees.

"H-Honey... what are you doing here?"

I didn't answer.

I simply looked at him in silence.

Vivian spoke before I could.

"Ms. Hart, please don't misunderstand. Nathan was telling me about a project at the university. Since we studied under the same professor, we ended up talking a little longer than expected."

A flash of delight crossed Nathan's eyes.

He probably thought Vivian had genuinely been moved by his story and was now helping him cover his tracks.

"That's right. We were just talking about the project. Vivian's my junior from school, and I thought she'd be a great fit, so I recommended her."

The words tumbled out of his mouth as he plastered an eager, ingratiating smile across his face and looked at me.

I looked at his smug, two-faced expression and suddenly smiled.

"If you're discussing a project, then by all means, keep talking.

"I'll head home first. I'll make something nourishing for dinner tonight."

With that, I turned and walked out without looking back.

Behind me, Nathan let out a long breath of relief.

Maybe he was too busy celebrating his narrow escape to notice.

With her back still turned to him, Vivian gave me a small nod.

The floating comments flooded my vision.

[THEY MADE EYE CONTACT!!! IT'S OFFICIAL—THEY'VE JOINED FORCES!!!]

[I've only got one question now: when does this jerk finally get taken down???]