Chapter 1When the Villainess Goes Good

The moment I became aware of my role as the "vicious female supporting character," the male lead—my childhood friend whom I had imprisoned and tortured—was kneeling at my feet, his teeth gritted against the pain, his body trembling.

As I fumbled to untie him, my own hands were shaking.

He let out a cold, sharp laugh. "Weren't you going to kill me, Miss Astor?"

My hands froze.

In the story, I imprison the male lead, Daniel Thorne, torturing him physically and emotionally, subjecting him to every kind of humiliation.

In the end, he has me committed to a psychiatric hospital, where I jump to my death.

I burst into tears.

From my pocket, I pulled out a crumpled, worn-out piece of paper.

I handed it to him.

It was something Daniel had written for me when we were seven.

"A voucher for complete and total forgiveness, no matter what Aria does."

* * *

The moment I became aware of my role as the vicious female supporting character, I was holding a blood-stained whip, frozen to the spot.

The... the vicious female supporting character?

My hand trembled as I pointed to myself.

Me?

A low groan pulled me back to reality.

In front of me, a dark, brooding young man was kneeling on the floor.

His black hair was a mess, his sharp jawline lost in the damp shadows. His arms were suspended by iron chains, his hands hanging limply. His breathing was shallow, faint.

Daniel.

The male lead of this redemption story.

And the boy I had grown up with. My childhood friend.

In the story, I had a secret crush on Daniel for ten years.

I was supposed to be the pure, beautiful, innocent girl who followed him around like a shadow.

Until the female lead appeared. Then, my "villainy" meter shot through the roof.

I didn't just frame the female lead time and time again; I also kidnapped the male lead, imprisoned him, and subjected him to a litany of cruelties.

Daniel became completely disillusioned with me, his disgust absolute.

He personally had me committed to a psychiatric hospital.

Not long after, I lost my mind and jumped from a window, ending my own life.

And right now, Daniel, not yet the powerful tycoon he would become, was kneeling at my feet.

The collar of his white shirt was torn open.

The horrifying lash marks on his chest were a stark, bloody red.

His pale face was slick with a cold sweat, his lips trembling.

The moment our eyes met, I knew.

My life was probably over.

His eyes, like those of a cornered animal, were practically bursting with a raw, feral hatred, fixed on me.

I wanted to cry.

I, Aria Astor, had lived my life trying to be good, to be kind. I was a coward. I didn't know how to be a villain.

But it wasn't too late to fix this.

My hands shook as I reached for the iron shackles on Daniel's wrists.

My gaze fell on the raw, red marks there.

A flash of memory seared through my mind.

When I locked him up, I had traced every inch of his skin with a sick fascination, my sharp nails leaving red scratches on his pale face.

"Daniel, I'm going to lock you up by my side forever," I had said.

"You can only look at me."

A shiver ran down my spine.

The Astor and Thorne families were old friends, our houses practically next door to each other. Our parents had even joked about arranging a marriage for us when we were kids.

Daniel was a year older than me.

In my memories, I was always trailing behind him, my voice a sweet, soft "Daniel..."

He was a cool, reserved person, but he always treated me like a real little sister, spoiling me rotten.

But as I grew older, my feelings changed.

I was no longer content with being his "sister."

And when the male and female leads started getting closer, I was consumed by jealousy.

That's when I kidnapped him and tried to force him to love me.

Clink—

The shackle opened, the iron chain falling to the floor, the sound echoing in the dark, empty basement.

I forced a placating smile, though I was on the verge of tears.

"Dan-Daniel."

"If I told you... I was possessed... would you believe me?"