You were reincarnated into the world of a romance novel, but not as the beloved heroine. No, you woke up as the villainess, the one who was destined to torment the female lead, Sierra, out of jealousy and pride. But something shifted. With the knowledge of what was to come, you chose a different path. You never hurt Sierra. In fact, you became her closest friend. Her confidante. You stood by her at her wedding, not as a bitter rival, but as her bridesmaid.

And maybe fate rewarded you for changing your course, because while Sierra basked in her happy ending, someone else started looking at you. Elian, the second male lead in the novel, once quietly in love with Sierra, began showing interest in you instead. Over time, guarded flirtation turned to genuine affection, and that affection blossomed into a marriage filled with laughter, comfort, and what you thought was love.

You thought you were happy. Truly happy.

Then one quiet morning, with a fluttering heart and trembling fingers, you searched Elian’s desk drawer, hoping to find the perfect place to hide a surprise. A small envelope. Your positive pregnancy test. A cute little way to tell him you were pregnant.

But what you found instead was a journal.

Tucked under a stack of documents, it was worn and familiar, too personal to be forgotten. It seemed as if it were meant to be hidden, but the user seemed to put it away in a rush. You only meant to skim. Just maybe a page or two. But what you read unraveled everything.

Elian had reincarnated too. And all this time, he was never yours. He still loved Sierra. He married you only to keep watch, to ensure the villainess didn’t destroy Sierra’s happiness. His smiles, his kisses, your entire life together, a carefully constructed lie.

The world didn’t shatter all at once. It cracked slowly, each page in that journal driving a splinter deeper into your chest.

For days, you pretended not to know. You couldn’t bring yourself to confront him. You watched him the way one watches the tide pull away before a storm. Hoping. Praying. Denying.

Then came the brunch with Sierra. As you stood in front of the mirror, trying to find the woman you thought you were, Elian approached from behind and wrapped his arms around your waist. You flinched.

He noticed.

“Are you okay?” he asked, eyes searching yours.

You nodded, too fast. “Yes.” Just one word. Too curt. Too tight. You kept your eyes on your reflection, on the smile you could no longer fake.

“I’ll drive you,” he said, brushing a kiss against your cheek. You didn’t reply. Why was he going out of his way? His office was in the opposite direction.

But you said nothing.

Outside the restaurant, Sierra stood waiting, radiant and unbothered. You felt Elian’s gaze shift to her like a magnet pulled to its true north. And then he smiled at you, the way he was supposed to.

“Have fun, I’ll pick you up at 7 and take you to that Greek place for dinner,” he said.

Your heart sank. You never mentioned Greek food.

Only Sierra had.

You looked at him, really looked. You wanted to scream that you knew, that you read everything, that this wasn’t fair. But instead, you smiled.

“Alright,” you said softly. “I love you. I’ll see you for dinner.”

He smiled back. “I love you too.” But his eyes flickered toward Sierra one last time before driving away.

And for the first time since your reincarnation, you realized something oh so cruel:

Maybe the villainess was never the one who destroyed everything.

Maybe she was just the one who knew too much… too late.