Theater: NovelMaster | Language: English | NEW
Synopsis
The campus golden boy was kneeling at my feet when the floating comments flashed across my eyes.
[This psycho villainess kidnapped the male lead. She’s dead meat.]
[Seriously. He’s going to lock her in a basement for the rest of her life.]
[She totally has it coming.]
The comments kept scrolling, glowing in mid-air.
I didn't lower the riding crop in my hand.
Pressing the tip against his chin, I tilted his face up.
"So, Julian. Are you going to love me, or not?"
The chat blew up with fury.
[As if! In your wildest dreams!]
[Julian will only ever love our pure, sweet angel Elena!]
I glanced at the glowing text and said nothing. But right then, he looked up at me with a lazy, mocking smirk.
"Sure. Why not?"
[Wait... WHAT? That’s not in the script!]
My hand trembled on the whip. Honestly, I had no clue what was happening either.
A dark, damp basement.
The novel’s golden boy was on his knees, hands and feet bound tight.
From the comments floating in front of me, I finally knew the truth: I was the evil, obsessed female rival in this book.
I was madly, self-destructively in love with him.
Desperate enough to kidnap him just to take his virginity.
And today was supposed to be the turning point.
I wouldn't just fail; I’d trigger his lifelong hatred, ending up trapped in a basement until the day I rotted away.
But even without the spoilers, I’d known for a long time that this world was broken.
Whenever I went more than two days without interacting with him, my entire reality faded into pitch-black nothingness.
I stared at him and delivered my scripted line.
Except he completely went off-script.
The whip slipped from my fingers, clattering onto the concrete floor.
Before I could turn and run, a strong hand shot out and dragged me back.
When had the ropes come undone?
His lips brushed against my ear, his breath burning hot. "Running already? Didn't you just ask me to love you?"
His skin was scolding. The drug had clearly kicked in.
"Julian... don't you love Elena? Why are you—"
He grabbed my jaw, forcing my face toward him.
"You talk too much."
Then his mouth crashed onto mine.
The chat went completely feral.
[THE PLOT BROKE?!]
[Why is Julian kissing the villainess?!]
[What happened to the cold, untouchable golden boy persona?!]
My mind was spinning.
He hauled me straight toward the mattress I had prepared in the corner.
My vision blurred. I couldn't even read the panicked comments flying across my sight anymore.
His palm came down, covering my eyes.
"You claim to want me, yet your mind is somewhere else?"
In total darkness, all I could register was his scorching breath.
And then, a sharp flare of pain.
A gasp slipped past my lips. Overcome with shame, I bit down hard on my lip, but a rough knuckle shoved between my teeth.
"Don't bite yourself."
That was when I felt it.
One of his fingers was missing half a joint.
Julian had flawless, piano-player hands. The only guy I knew with a severed finger was my childhood friend—Cole Adams.
I had kidnapped the wrong guy.
I shoved him back with all my strength.
"Get off me! Back off!"
His grip only tightened, his voice turning vicious. "What? You really love him that much?"
I buried my teeth into his shoulder until the metallic taste of blood flooded my mouth.
With a groan of pain, he finally pulled away.
I opened my eyes.
He reached up, ripped off the hyper-realistic silicone mask, and revealed his true face.
"Is he really that much better than me?"
"Yes," I snapped. "You don't compare to him. Not even close."
He let out a hollow, self-deprecating laugh, grabbed his clothes, and walked out.
I pulled my clothes back on, sitting alone on the edge of the mattress.
The floating text started scrolling again.
[Why did the screen go black? I'm an adult, let me watch!]
[Wait, what just happened?!]
[Why is the villainess alone? Where did Julian go?]
[Julian obviously rejected her and broke out, duh.]
[Wait... why do I feel like she was the one who got overpowered?]
[Same here...]
I was just as lost as the chat. Why on earth was Cole the one in this basement?
The basement door creaked open again.
Cole stood in the doorway, tossing a paper bag at me.
I caught it. Inside were tubes of antiseptic and bruise cream.
Remembering what had just happened, my temper flared. "Cole, you bastard! What the hell were you doing here?!"
The chat erupted again.
[Who the hell is that guy? Where’s my male lead?!]
[That’s the second lead! He doesn’t get much screen time early on, but later he’s the ultimate catalyst for the main couple.]
[Oh right, he’s also her childhood best friend.]
[Is nobody gonna mention he’s literally wearing Julian’s clothes?]
Cole leaned against the doorframe, a cocky smirk tugging at his lips.
"Who’s the real freak here? You’re the one who dragged me down here tied up."
"Then why were you wearing his face?!"
"Thought it’d be fun," he said without an ounce of shame. "Besides, you’re the one who drugged my drink."I choked on my words. Guilt crept in. "Fine. Let's just pretend none of this ever happened."
He arched an eyebrow playfully.
"Don't you want to know where I got the mask? Or how I knew where your little rendezvous was?"
I ignored him, but deep down, I already knew the answer.
Later that evening, at the campus lounge bar.
"Hey, I lost something here last night. Mind if I check the security footage?"
On the monitor, Julian took the spiked cocktail I had handed him. Instead of drinking it, he scribbled a note and handed the glass to the bartender.
Minutes later, Cole walked in. He read the note, crumpled it up with a scowl, slammed the cocktail down in one gulp, and stormed out.
I walked over to the counter and pieced the shredded paper back together.
Give this drink to the next sucker. If you’re interested, meet in the basement level.
—Chloe Vance.
I stared at the paper, ice creeping into my veins.
The chat exploded once again.
[Did Julian’s character just completely derail?]
[That’s sick! What if Cole hadn't intercepted it? What if a random stranger went down there?!]
[Uh, she literally drugged the drink first, you guys.]
[Still, passing it off to a stranger is messed up!]
The comments were at each other's throats.
This note was ammunition. I folded it up and slipped it into my pocket.
The next morning, I went to Julian’s lecture hall as usual.
He was sitting there, looking as icy and untouchable as ever.
"Julian. Why are you giving me the cold shoulder?"
I leaned across his desk, looking right at him.
He just turned his shoulder, ignoring me.
I softened my voice, dripping with fake sweetness. "Julian, you were so passionate yesterday. Why the sudden freeze?"
Elena Rossi, the female lead, was walking down the aisle behind us. She froze in her tracks.
Julian raised his voice, loud and clear. "I didn't see you yesterday. Stop flattering yourself."
The lecture hall was packed today.
At the sound of his voice, dozens of heads snapped up.
Elena looked straight at me, a glimmer of smug triumph in her eyes.
I smiled. "Come on, Julian. That’s not fair. I was with you the whole time yesterday. Are you sure your memory isn't playing tricks on you?"
Before he could answer, I slapped the torn note right on his open notebook.
The handwriting was unmistakable.
Julian choked on his words, his eyes widening in pure shock.
I tilted my head, smiling innocently. "Did you remember now, Julian?"
His jaw clenched. Under his breath, he forced out a stiff, "Yes."
Whispers rippled across the room instantly.
"Wait, did she actually land the campus king?"
"What about Elena?"
"Why would he fall for someone like her? Turns out Julian has trash taste too."
Elena’s face turned an ugly shade of pale. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she fled the room.
The chat went wild.
[NOOO! Poor baby Elena!]
[The villainess is so vile! She’s literally blackmailing him!]
[Don’t hate me... but is anyone else finding this kind of satisfying?]
[Lowkey, yeah.]
[Same here, honestly.]
Watching the comments scroll, I almost laughed out loud.
Julian grabbed my wrist, his grip bruising.
"Outside. Now."
Once we reached the empty hallway, his polite mask shattered.
"What the hell do you want, Chloe?"
I took a step closer. "I want you to be my boyfriend."
He recoiled. "Never."
I waved the paper note in front of his face.
"Imagine the campus idol’s reputation if everyone found out what you did. Quite the scandal, wouldn't you say?"
His brow furrowed, his voice cold and confident. "You wouldn't dare."
I waggled a finger. "Try me. I have nothing left to lose."
Realizing threats wouldn't shake me, he swallowed his disgust. "Pick something else."
I pretended to think it over. "Fine. Buy me lunch every two days."
He blinked, utterly confused, before his features relaxed slightly.
"Fine."[What is she playing at? Trying to make him fall for her over food?]
[Ugh, what about Elena? Someone comfort my girl!]
[She’s such a desperate simp. Simps deserve nothing.]
[Wait... does anyone else see Cole standing behind them?]
I caught the comment and glanced back. I didn't see Cole, but I did catch Elena staring from down the hall, tears still wet on her cheeks.
Except her gaze wasn't innocent or fragile anymore. It was chilling.
She was never as pure as the story claimed.
On my way back to the dorms, heavy footsteps followed behind me.
Three guys with dyed hair stepped out, blocking my path.
"Hey, pretty girl. You’ve got the face, so why do you love stealing other girls' men?"
I looked up at him. "Nice dye job, grandpa. Why do you love being a doormat?"
"Who’re you calling grandpa?! You need to be taught some respect."
I shoved my hands into my pockets, waiting for the fist to fly.
Before the punch could land, a shadow darted in.
Cole.
Seeing that I hadn't even bothered to raise my hands, he snapped, "Are you blind? You didn't think to dodge?!"
I grinned. "Why dodge when you’re here?"
[Wait a minute... why is this actually kind of cute?]
[Girl above me, you're not the only one thinking that.]
The punk sneered. "What, you two flirting in front of us?"
Cole turned around, shaking out his wrist. "Sorry, boys. Let me take care of you first."
I sat down on the concrete steps nearby, watching the chat pass the time.
[Damn, Cole knows how to fight. He’s trained.]
[Is she seriously just sitting there watching? That’s so rude.]
[Hey, staying out of the way IS helping, okay?]
I was enjoying the show so much that before I knew it, all three guys were groaning on the pavement.
Cole sat down next to me, a fresh split on his lip and a bruise blooming across his cheek.
"Happy now?" he panted.
I reached over and poked his bruised shoulder. He winced in pain.
I let out a soft laugh.
"Seeing you get beat up a little definitely helped."
"You know who sent them, don't you?"
"Yeah."
He gave me a puzzled look. "And you’re not gonna do anything? That doesn't sound like you."
I shook my head.
"Forget about me. Cole... when did you realize something was wrong with this world?"
He froze, then forced a laugh. "What novel world? Did you hit your head?"
From the moment he showed up at that bar, to the way he looked at me—I knew he knew.
"The ending where I get locked in a dark room forever, left to rot until I die."
He stared at me, his eyes wide.
After a long silence, he let out a defeated sigh. "Yeah. If you already know the ending, why won't you let go? Do you really love him that much?"
"Yeah," I whispered. "I love him."
What I loved wasn't the boy, but the terrifying sense of reality that only existed when I was near him.
This was an unfair world. The supporting characters were only allowed to exist as satellites orbiting the leads.
The moment I stepped out of their storyline, my entire world turned blank.
It was like I didn't exist at all.
And I wanted to exist.
Over the next few days, I showed up like clockwork to eat with Julian.
Most of the time, I was the only one actually eating, while three pairs of eyes burned holes into me.
One was Julian’s. One was Elena’s. And the third belonged to Cole.
I ignored them all, stuffing my face. Unsurprisingly, food tasted so much more real when the male lead was around.
Eventually, Julian couldn't take it anymore.
"Is this really all you want? Just to eat with me?"
I chewed and swallowed before replying, "What else? Were you hoping I’d jump your bones?"
Something about that bruised his ego. Lately, his eyes had begun drifting away from Elena, landing on me instead.
He even started showing expressions when we ate together, occasionally making conversation.
Today was the last day of the semester. Cole and I had agreed to head home together.
If I got home early, maybe I’d get to spend a little more time with my parents before the plot ripped me away.
I finished my meal quickly and stood up to meet Cole by the dining hall doors.
A hand caught my wrist.
Julian’s tone was laced with arrogance. "Stay away from him."
I raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
"Don't you love me?"
I rolled my eyes. "Julian, you're not my boyfriend. You don't get a say in who I hang out with."
I yanked my hand free, but then his voice cut through the air.
"I can be."
Chapters (3)
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Watch & Promotions
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