Part 1Villainess Unredeemed

The news of John Jiang and Aurora White’s engagement went viral, met with a chorus of blessings from the entire internet.

Everyone expected me to have a public meltdown. After all, I’d spent the last ten years chasing John, a pathetic, devoted puppy at his heels.

They all thought I was hopelessly in love with him.

What no one knew was that I had been waiting for this day for a decade.

I wanted them to get married more than anyone.

The wedding was a spectacle, with hundreds of cameras and a live stream hosted by a major influencer.

[I can’t be the only one crying rn. Finally seeing Mr. Jiang and Aurora get their happy ending. That other woman must be absolutely fuming, LOL.]

[It wasn’t an easy road for them. So happy my girl Aurora is finally getting married!]

[If it wasn’t for that toxic witch, Mr. Jiang would have married my goddess years ago. But I guess we have her to thank for making Aurora realize her true feelings.]

[I’m so emotional! Mr. Jiang, you have to treat her like the queen she is!]

[Really hope that crazy woman doesn’t try to ruin things today.]

The comments flew by. After a few, I lost interest. It was all either fawning over the happy couple or trashing me. The old me would have fired back, but ten years of this had built up an immunity to the hate.

I hid in a quiet corner, my eyes scanning the venue. Please, please let this wedding go off without a hitch.

To minimize my presence, I’d chosen an outfit completely out of character for me—tasteful, elegant, understated. For today, I was playing the part of a lady.

The venue was buzzing. I could see John’s parents up front, alongside Aurora’s, and my own father with his new wife. Familiar faces from our social circle dotted the crowd. A massive screen overhead cycled through John and Aurora’s engagement photos, filled with the kind of radiant smiles he’d never once given me, no matter how much I’d begged.

Finally, the officiant took the stage.

The ceremony was beginning.

It’s no exaggeration to say I was more nervous than the bride and groom. My entire future hinged on this. I was so done with being the universally despised, obsessive stalker. Call me toxic, fine, I could live with that. But the obsessive stalker label? Unbearable.

John, impeccably dressed in a tailored suit, stood at the altar, his eyes fixed on his approaching bride with a look of profound adoration.

“Look at the way he’s looking at her. He’s so in love.”

“OMG, that look is killing me.”

“The goddess is so beautiful.”

Aurora White was a beloved, award-winning actress, the nation’s sweetheart. John, in a grand gesture, had given away 100 tickets to her fan club, allowing them to witness the wedding in person. The girls whispering beside me were probably some of them.

“Look, they’re exchanging rings!”

My attention snapped back to the stage. John had just slipped the wedding band onto Aurora’s finger. Now it was her turn.

My breath caught in my throat as I watched her move in slow motion. But just as the ring was about to slide onto his finger, she stopped. Her eyes found mine across the crowded room. She’d spotted me.

I never expected her to let me off the hook, not even on a day as important as this.

Sure enough, she raised the microphone to her lips.