The Villainess's Reckoning

"What's she doing here?"

The group of socialites visibly stiffened when they saw me.

Everyone in high society knew about my reputation.

I was known for being arrogant, unhinged, and untouchable.

I didn't spare them a glance.

Instead, I looked down at Vivian, who was soaked from head to toe.

The floating comments began racing across my vision.

[The villainess is about to lose it! Vivian, run!]

[It's over! Quinn saw the male lead trying to save Vivian. She's definitely going to make Vivian's life a living hell!]

A smile tugged at my lips as I splashed the champagne in my glass straight into the lead socialite's face.

"Since when did any of you earn the right to bully someone under my protection?"

The women's faces turned green with embarrassment and anger, yet not one of them dared to say a word.

The floating comments exploded.

[Holy crap? Since when did the villainess start acting like a CEO from a romance novel? Why is this so satisfying?!]

[Our girl finally has someone standing up for her! I'm crying! Her family's been a mess since she was little.

[Her father abandoned her and her mother, her mom died after a long illness, and she worked three jobs to put herself through college. She's suffered so much!]

[Her good days are coming! Once Nathan falls in love with her, nobody will ever dare bully her again!]

[No! If Quinn protects her, what happens to the female lead's story? Villainess, get out of here!]

Vivian looked up at me.

Her eyes were slightly red, and drops of wine still clung to her lashes, yet her gaze remained clear and bright.

"Thank you, Ms. Hart."

Something stirred faintly in my chest.

No wonder she was the female lead.

Even I found her adorable.

Someone like her didn't deserve to have her life ruined by a scumbag like Nathan.

"Honey?"

A stiff voice sounded behind me.

I turned around.

Nathan stood a few steps away, his face drained of color.

He was terrified that I'd discovered he had lied to me.

"Honey, what are you doing here? I... there was a last-minute business dinner. The client insisted on meeting here..."

I watched him stumble through the excuse, and felt nothing but emptiness.

The old Quinn would have caused a scene big enough to turn the entire hotel upside down.

But not anymore.

"Alright. Then get back to work."

He probably never imagined that I'd let him off so easily.

Even so, he wasted no time making his escape.

Vivian remained where she was, quietly wiping the wine from her arm with a napkin.

I walked over and handed her my business card.

"Vivian, I didn't come here tonight by accident."

She looked up at me, confusion flickering in her eyes.

"Nathan betrayed me. He's been sleeping around, and he contracted HIV.

"I came because he's set his sights on you."

It was a small lie.

Vivian's eyes widened instantly.

"So, if he approaches you again, no matter what he says, don't believe him."

After a few seconds of silence, Vivian nodded seriously.

"Ms. Hart, I know you and Mr. Carter are married. It's not my place to comment on your relationship."

Her voice was calm, but firm.

"But don't worry. I would never get involved with a married man. That's a line I won't cross."

The floating comments went wild.

[AHHH! That's our girl! Her values are absolutely perfect!]

[Wait, how did the plot go this far off track? Where's the male lead? At this rate, the female lead is going to fall for the villainess instead!]

[But Nathan sleeping around is a fact. Am I the only one who thinks it'd be fun to watch these two girls team up and destroy a cheating scumbag?]

After parting ways with Vivian, I didn't leave the hotel.

Instead, following the directions provided by the floating comments, I headed for Nathan's private suite on the third floor.

I quietly made my way to the door. It hadn't been fully closed, leaving a narrow gap.

Inside the private suite, glasses clinked, laughter flowed freely, and cigarette smoke hung thick in the air.

One of the rich young men grinned and said, "Nathan, how'd you manage to get out tonight? Don't tell me Ms. Hart skipped her usual check-in routine for once."

Nathan let out a cold laugh, his voice dripping with disdain.

"Keep it down. I ran into her at the door earlier.

"If it weren't for the Hart family's connections and resources, who'd want to spend every day catering to that crazy woman?"

The room erupted in laughter.

The tone of the floating comments began to shift.

[Uh... Quinn can be a lot, but that's a pretty awful thing for the male lead to say.]

[Seriously. He acts one way to her face and another behind her back. That's disgusting.]

[Quinn's recording this!! This scumbag is finished!!]

After returning home, I backed up the recording and finished speaking with my divorce lawyer.

Just then, my phone vibrated.

A message from Vivian popped up on the screen.

"Ms. Hart, he really did contact me."