The Villainess's Rebirth

"You shameless, fickle vixen—why don't you just die!" "b***h, burn in hell!" All she saw was a spacious marble staircase hall. A woman dressed as a server lunged at her, her face twisted with malice. The second Seraphina Veyra opened her eyes, she found herself here. A blinding white light flashed before her eyes. Before she could react, the woman shoved her hard down the stairs, and she tumbled all the way down. Pain—excruciating pain. When she woke up again, she was in a hospital ward. During her unconsciousness, she had absorbed the entire plot of this book, and realized one horrifying truth: she had transmigrated into a book! She had landed in a big male-lead power fantasy novel, as the stupid, vicious ex-wife of the male lead, Kael Halewood. In the book, the original host was a bottom-feeding, unknown actress, obsessed with nothing but fame. At a gala, she spotted a drunk Kael Halewood, hatched a wicked plan, snuck into his room, and spent the night with him. She even took photos of the two of them and threatened him: if he didn't marry her, she would send the photos to the media and ruin his career. Kael agreed. The original host announced their marriage at lightning speed. After marriage, she kept leeching off the male lead's popularity in the entertainment industry for hype, and soon got endless roles. She took every offer she got, and with her terrible acting skills, she successfully walked the path of being famous for all the wrong reasons. She became the industry's infamous "queen of bad movies." After tasting the fame, the original host started flirting with other male celebrities, pulling all kinds of stunts for hype. She did get famous, but she was also hated even more deeply. Even Kael Halewood became the object of public mockery and pity. Later, to star in an international blockbuster, the original host followed the investor's order and drugged Kael, planning to hand him over to a greasy 50-something man—only to be saved by the female lead. But the male lead's true identity was the heir to the trillion-dollar Halewood Group. He only entered the entertainment industry by accident, and never expected to almost be destroyed by this wicked woman. The original host bore the full fury of the Halewood family. They didn't take her life, but made her wish she was dead. She was locked in a psychiatric hospital, enduring physical and mental t*****e every single day, living a miserable life until the end. "Get up if you're awake." A cold, crisp voice came from the corner, cutting through her thoughts. Seraphina turned to look. An unbelievably handsome man sat in a chair in the corner, wearing a tailored dark gray suit, his dark, sharp hair styled with a light layer of wax. He looked like he had rushed over straight from an event. In terms of looks alone, he was unquestionably the top A-list star in the entire entertainment industry. Even though she had been in the industry for years and thought she had seen plenty of handsome men, none could compare to this man—they all paled in his shadow. Seraphina touched her forehead, which was wrapped in thick gauze, and mumbled, "My head hurts so bad." Kael stood up and walked over. His tall, imposing figure loomed over her, radiating overwhelming pressure. "It's only a mild concussion. The cuts on your head and body have been treated by the nurses." His tone was flat and emotionless, as if she was a complete stranger. Seraphina lifted her small, delicate face to look at him and asked, "Who hurt me?" Kael looked down at her, his voice calm: "Fans of the Xavior & Elara ship. They've been taken into custody for questioning." Xavior Thorne was the rising ancient drama heartthrob in the entertainment industry. He had starred in several costume dramas in the past two years, gained a huge fanbase, and his momentum was unstoppable. Elara Reed had co-starred with him many times in romantic roles, and they had a massive online shipping fandom. Seraphina had met Xavior Thorne on a travel variety show. On the show, she kept interacting with Xavior, creating intimate topics and gestures on purpose, successfully sending herself to the top of the trending searches—for all the hate. That was how she ended up at the gala, pushed down the stairs by "Xavior-Elara" shippers. For the first time, Seraphina felt a little guilty—even though she didn't do the scandal hype. Kael nodded slightly at her. "I'll head back if you're fine. Your assistant will be here soon." Seraphina studied his expression carefully. There was no anger, no irritation, not even a hint of dissatisfaction. Was this how a husband was supposed to react when his wife was cheating? This expression was all wrong! Her stomach growled loudly at that moment. Seraphina looked at him with an innocent expression: "I'm hungry." Kael: "..." "I'll go downstairs and buy you breakfast." A short while later, Kael came back with a food container, spreading a lavish breakfast all over the table. Seraphina sipped warm oatmeal, and ordered him: "Turn on the TV. I want to watch the news." Kael went to turn on the TV. Seraphina was used to watching entertainment news while eating, to keep up with the latest industry trends. The TV played a news anchor's clear, formal report: "Sources confirm that on the night of the 22nd, entertainment media photographed actress Seraphina Veyra having dinner with renowned director Vincent Cole, with intimate behavior—sparked rumors of a romantic relationship." "Director Vincent Cole has already released a statement denying the romance. Seraphina Veyra has not given a direct response as of yet." The screen also showed two high-definition close-up photos, leaving no room for her to claim it wasn't her. Seraphina choked on her oatmeal, then broke into a violent coughing fit. Help! Who understands this level of secondhand embarrassment?! Kael frowned slightly, adjusted his suit—rumpled after not changing for a whole night—and stepped a little further away from her. Seraphina glanced at him. The man still showed no reaction, his stunningly handsome face completely blank. He was only focused on fixing his clothes, as if he hadn't heard the news at all. Seraphina couldn't help but question in her head: Can he even put up with this? Or is marriage this open-minded now? Seraphina tested him: "Did you hear that news just now?" Kael didn't even look up: "I heard it." Seraphina asked sincerely: "Don't you have anything to say about it?" If he showed his displeasure, she could just promise him she would never get involved in scandal rumors with anyone else again. She had no intention of following the original host's path, and she needed an excuse for her change in behavior—Kael's reaction would be the perfect reason. Kael glanced at the screen and said casually: "That restaurant's food is terrible. The ingredients aren't fresh." Seraphina: "???" "I'm going back to wash up and change clothes. Contact your assistant if you need anything." Kael's OCD flared up; he couldn't stand staying in the hospital ward another second. He dropped that sentence and strode out. Seraphina: "..." After eating, she stood by the window looking at the scenery, sorting out her life. Just then, her assistant Lila pushed the door open with a bag: "Ms. Veyra, I brought all your daily necessities." Seraphina washed up quickly, had Lila reapply ointment to her wounds, then asked about her work: "When can I be discharged? Do I have any schedules these days?" If there were schedules, she had to ask the production team for leave and let them find a replacement in advance. If she delayed the shooting schedule, she would either be blacklisted or have to pay huge breach of contract fees. Lila said: "I just asked the doctor. They said it's best to stay for a week of observation." She glanced at Seraphina's face and added carefully: "But Wanderlust Together starts recording the morning after tomorrow. Ms. Hart said you have to be there on time, no exceptions." Seraphina was not happy about this. She pointed at her still gauze-wrapped forehead and complained: "My head wound hasn't even scabbed over, and I still have cuts all over my body. A travel show is nonstop travel—how am I supposed to do it?"