l'm not a villain

One: I Have Become a Villain Chapter One: I Have Become a Villain The sound of a clock ticking filled the small room. It was not luxurious, but it was comfortable enough to live in. At exactly 8:00 a.m., the loud alarm clock began ringing, waking the girl sleeping on the bed. She tried covering her ears with her hands to block the noise, but it was useless. Annoyed, she sat up and turned off the alarm with a frown on her face. She glanced at the time, screamed, looked at it again to confirm, then jumped out of bed and rushed into the bathroom. A few minutes later, she came out looking refreshed. She quickly prepared for work without even thinking about breakfast and ran out of the house toward the bus stop. She was already late for work… as usual. Okay, Author, enough with the boring explanation. Let me introduce myself. My name is Mary Clayton. I am 23 years old. My height is average—not too tall and not too short. I have deep brown hair and fair skin. I work at one of the most popular television stations in the city. But my work? It is nothing more than being an errand girl. I carry messages from one person to another, complete projects that are not even mine, buy breakfast and lunch for my coworkers, and work late almost every day. I hardly ever get a moment to rest. I leave work late and wake up early, which is extremely hard for me. Still, I endure it because the salary is enough to take care of my needs. I am an orphan with no family to rely on. Maybe that is why everyone looks down on me. I lost my parents in a car accident when I was five years old. Since then, I lived in an orphanage until I was able to fend for myself. My life has never been easy, but I believe that one day I will succeed. At least, that is what I keep telling myself. Well, that is all for now. You will get to know more about me along the way. POV: Mary Standing inside the elevator with several cups of coffee in my hands, I waited impatiently for it to reach the 14th floor. The elevator doors finally opened, and I hurried out toward my department. Why did they have to send me for coffee now when I’m already late? Now I’m super late. Damn it, I cursed inwardly. When I reached the department, I took a deep breath before pushing the door open. The moment I entered, everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to look at me. I swallowed nervously. Only God knew what they were thinking. Then I heard the most annoying voice ever. “Mary, my coffee. Drop it on my table,” Mrs. Jean Norris, the assistant director, ordered. I forced a smile onto my face. “Yes, Mrs. Norris.” I placed the coffee on her desk. “Mary, my coffee!” Isabella, one of my seniors, shouted. “Here it is, ma’am,” I replied politely. She collected it, took a sip, then suddenly splashed the coffee onto my face. “What the heck is this?! How dare you give me cold coffee?!” she screamed. I stood there in shock. Cold? How is it cold? “I-I don’t know. Maybe it turned cold on the way,” I defended myself weakly. “You don’t know? Of course you don’t,” she snapped before pouring the remaining coffee on me. I gasped. “Since Bella’s coffee is cold, then the rest must be cold too,” Susan said with a wicked smile. She was one of Isabella’s closest friends. “You’re right. What about Mrs. Norris’s coffee?” Kara added mockingly. “You heard them,” Isabella said, glaring at me. “They’re all cold. Go buy another round for everyone, and this time, be fast about it.” “Yes, ma’am,” I mumbled in embarrassment. As I turned to leave, Mrs. Norris suddenly called out. “Mary, do you even have money to buy coffee?” I shook my head silently. “Why bother?” Isabella scoffed. “She already wasted our money buying cold coffee. Let her use her own money to replace it.” “No, I doubt she even has any,” Mrs. Norris added cruelly. “Just look at what she’s wearing. Everything from head to toe is outdated.” Everyone stared at me with disgust, while only a few looked at me with pity. “Here.” Mrs. Norris handed me her card dramatically. “Use this to buy coffee for everyone.” The others cheered as if she had done something kind. I took the card quietly and rushed out of the office. I entered the nearest restroom and stared at myself in the mirror. Tears gathered in my eyes as shame washed over me. “I kept telling myself I could endure this… that I could survive it,” I whispered. “But every single day, I’m breaking down completely. I can’t take it anymore.” I wiped my tears. “I’ll hold on until I get my paycheck… then I’ll quit.” As I washed my face, the restroom door opened. A woman walked in carrying a handbag. She approached the sink beside me and began taking things out of her bag. Suddenly, a book fell out. I bent down and picked it up. My eyes widened when I saw the title. The Wolf by Christaina. I smiled immediately. It was one of my favorite novels. I loved every single character, from the main characters to the extras. Whenever I read it, it felt as if I had entered the world of the novel itself. “You read this kind of novel?” I asked curiously. “Who doesn’t?” the woman replied casually. She looked me up and down before speaking again. “You look like a mess, you know.” I glanced at my stained clothes and sighed internally. Right… the coffee stains. I don’t even have spare clothes. “It looks like you don’t have a change of clothes,” she said. “You’re lucky. I have an extra set. Hopefully, it fits you.” She handed me the clothes. I thanked her and entered one of the stalls to change. When I came out, the woman was already gone. I sighed softly. “Well, it looks like my fairy godmother paid me a visit. But instead of a glass slipper and a pumpkin carriage, she only gave me clothes. What a Cinderella story.” I chuckled lightly and checked the time on my phone. My eyes widened. “Crap! I still haven’t bought the coffee! I’m dead!” I hurried toward the door before noticing the novel lying on the counter. “She forgot her novel,” I murmured, picking it up. Then I smiled. “Well, I guess it’s mine now… especially since Isabella destroyed my own copy.” As I reached the door, my foot suddenly slipped. I fell hard, smashing my head against the floor. Pain exploded through my body. Everything around me became blurry and distorted. It felt as though my soul was leaving my body. “Is… this how I’m going to die?” I whispered weakly. “Without achieving any of my dreams?” Tears rolled down my cheeks as I noticed blood spreading across the floor beside me. I laughed bitterly. Then my eyes landed on the novel beside me. The Wolf. At that moment, a strange thought crossed my mind. “I wish I could become one of the characters in the novel. Maybe then… I wouldn’t have to suffer like this.” With a faint smile, I slowly closed my eyes. Before darkness completely consumed me, I heard people screaming in panic. The sound of birds chirping echoed in my ears. A cool breeze brushed against my skin. Where am I? Am I not dead already? Are there birds in heaven? Gosh, they’re noisy… The chirping only grew louder until I could no longer ignore it. Slowly, I opened my eyes. To my surprise, I was staring at a pink ceiling. “Heaven has pink ceilings?” I muttered in confusion. “Or… is this a hospital?” I sat up and looked around the room. Everything screamed luxury and elegance. The room was huge—at least twice the size of my apartment. It looked exactly like the type of dream room I had always wanted. I got out of bed and walked toward the open window. Outside, I could see a massive grassy field with strangely dressed people walking around. “Okay… where am I?” I whispered in confusion. “What is this place?” Just then, the door opened. A young maid rushed inside. “My Lady! You’re finally awake!” she cried happily. “You scared everyone to death!” I frowned. “My Lady?” “Have I been asleep for that long?” I asked. “Yes, My Lady. You were in a coma for an entire week.” “A week?!” I exclaimed. “Wait… is it because I fell in the restroom?” The maid blinked in confusion. “Restroom? My Lady, you fell into the river and nearly drowned while trying to get the Crown Prince’s attention.” I stared at her blankly. “What?” “You almost drowned because of the Crown Prince,” she repeated carefully. “Who the heck is the Crown Prince?” The maid looked horrified. “My Lady… you don’t know who the Crown Prince is?” “No, I don’t!” She rushed toward me and placed a hand on my forehead. I stared at her strangely. “Your fever is gone,” she muttered nervously. “But… what is going on? Did you lose your memory?” “Okay, let me ask you this instead,” I said slowly. “Where am I?” The maid gasped dramatically. “You really lost your memory!” “Who are you?” I asked. “You don’t remember me?!” “No.” “I’m Tiffany, your personal maid!” “Personal maid?” I repeated in shock. “I have a personal maid?” Tiffany placed a hand on her chest as if she were about to faint. “Fine,” she sighed. “You may not remember me, but surely you remember who you are, right?” “Of course I do,” I replied proudly. “I’m Mary Clayton, the orphan girl who lost her parents at five years old and now works at a television station—” Tiffany’s expression turned pale. “What?” I asked nervously. “Are you okay?” “Do I look okay to you, My Lady?” “…No.” “How did this happen?” she muttered. “Is there still water in your brain?” She suddenly turned toward the door. “I need to inform the Duke and Young Master before this gets worse!” “Wait!” I called out. “Who are the Duke and Young Master?” Tiffany stopped. “You haven’t explained anything!” “I’m sorry, My Lady, but I must inform them immediately.” “But I’m fine!” “You are clearly not fine, because you can’t even remember your own identity!” “I told you already! I’m Mary Clayto—” “That is not who you are, My Lady!” Tiffany interrupted firmly. I froze. “…Then who am I?” Tiffany hesitated for a moment before answering quietly. “You are Melissa Miller. The first daughter of Duke Miller.” I stared at her in disbelief. “Melissa… Miller?” That name sounded painfully familiar. Then suddenly, it clicked. My eyes widened in horror. “Mirror,” I whispered. “I need a mirror. Where’s the mirror?” Tiffany pointed toward the corner of the room before leaving hurriedly. I ran toward the mirror and looked at my reflection. What stared back at me was not my face. Red hair. Silver eyes. Dark skin. A beautiful face that did not belong to me. My breathing stopped. “No way…” Everything suddenly made sense. I had transmigrated into the world of The Wolf. And not just as any character. I had become Melissa Miller—the villainess who was destined to die at the hands of the man she loved obsessively. “Oh no…” I grabbed my head in panic. “I’m going to die!” I stared at my reflection in horror before screaming loudly. “AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” “I HAVE BECOME A VILLAIN!” Thanks for reading ❤ This is my first novel. Please like and comment!