The moment Ara fell-Everything shifted.
Han Jiheon's expression darkened instantly.
Before Sera could even react-
His hand shot out-Grabbing her arm.
Hard.
But he didn't listen.
"...Hey-!" Didn't say a word.
Didn't look at her.
He dragged her out of the ward.
The Hallway
The door shut behind them.
The silence outside felt suffocating.
Jiheon finally stopped.
But his grip-Didn't loosen.
Sera frowned, trying to pull her arm back.
"...Let go."
He didn't.
Instead-
He turned toward her.
And the look in his eyes-
Was cold. Furious.
"...What do you think you were doing?" his voice came out low, controlled-but barely.
Sera scoffed.
"...What do you think I was doing? Because I'm pretty sure we saw two different scenes."
"You pushed her."
"I did not."
"She fell because of you."
"She fell because she wanted to," Sera shot back, her tone sharpening.
His grip tightened.
Painfully.
"...Stop lying."
Sera laughed.
Short.
Dry.
Unbelieving.
"...Wow," she said slowly, looking at him like he had just disappointed her on a personal level. "You're actually blind."
His eyes darkened dangerously.
"That girl is not sick," she continued, her voice steady now, cutting through the tension. "She's acting. I don't know what game she's playing, but-"
SLAP.
The sound echoed.
Sharp.
Loud.
Final.
Silence.
Sera's head turned slightly from the impact.
Her cheek burned.
Her mind-
Blank.
For a moment-
She didn't move.
Didn't speak.
Didn't even breathe properly.
"...You," Jiheon's voice came out colder than ever, his patience completely gone, "don't get to say that."
Sera slowly turned her face back toward him.
Her expression-
Empty.
Before she could respond-
His hand grabbed her jaw.
Firm.
Unforgiving.
"For years," he said, his voice low, each word heavy with anger, "she's been suffering."
His grip tightened slightly.
"And all of it-" his eyes burned into hers, "is because of you."
Sera blinked.
"...Excuse me?"
"Your jealousy," he continued, his tone filled with quiet rage, "your obsession-do you have any idea what you've done?"
Sera stared at him.
Completely still.
"...You're insane," she said softly.
Before he could respond-
Suddenly-
Footsteps.
Fast.
Urgent.
"Doctor! Hurry-!" "She fainted again-!"
Both of them froze.
Jiheon's grip loosened instantly.
He turned-And ran.
Sera stood there for a second.
Then-
"... Of course," she muttered.
And followed.
Back in the Ward
The scene was chaotic.
Nurses rushing.
Machines beeping.
Ara-
On the floor.
Unconscious.
Jiheon reached her first.
"...Ara."
He knelt down, lifting her carefully into his arms, his expression filled with something Sera hadn't seen before.
Worry.
Real. Deep.
Sera stood near the door.
Watching.
Her eyes scanned everything.
"...Breathing steady." "...Pulse stable." "...No visible trauma."
Her gaze shifted to Ara's face.
Peaceful.
Too peaceful.
"...You're good," Sera thought, her lips pressing into a thin line. "...I'll give you that."
The Diagnosis
The doctor rushed in, quickly checking Ara.
A moment passed.
Then-
"...She needs blood," he said.
Silence.
Jiheon didn't hesitate.
Not even for a second.
He turned-
Looking directly at Sera.
"...Take her blood."
Sera blinked. "...Excuse me?"
"Do it," he said coldly.
For a moment-
She almost refused.
The word was right there.
On her lips.
But then-
"...One million per bag."
Silence.
Her expression shifted.
"...Right," she muttered.
..Business."
A Few Minutes Later
Sera lay on a hospital bed.
Arm extended.
Needle inserted.
She stared at the ceiling.
"...This day took a turn."
Her mind spun.
Questions.
Confusion.
Fragments.
"...System."
[System online.]
"What the hell is going on?" she asked, her voice low.
A pause.
Then-
[Host did not review full novel content?]
Sera smiled.
Innocently.
"...I've read too many novels," she said casually. "They all blur together. Don't expect me to
remember every tragic backstory."
The system paused.
Then-
Almost sighed.
The Truth Revealed
[Original Villainess: Kang Sera]
Images flashed through her mind.
Fragments of a story she didn't remember reading.
[Deeply in love with Han Jiheon.]
"...Oh," she murmured.
[Upon discovering his feelings for Yoo Ara, the villainess arranged an accident.]
Sera's eyes narrowed slightly.
[Yoo Ara was hit by a car and fell into a coma.]
Silence.
"...That escalated quickly."
↓ [Male lead was unaware of the villainess' involvement.]
[Later discovered Yoo Ara required rare blood type.]
Sera glanced at her arm.
"...She negotiated her way into marriage?"
A pause.
Then-
A small grin.
"...Respect."
[However, villainess later refused to donate consistently.]
[Yoo Ara awakened from coma.]
[Revealed truth to male lead.]
Sera's expression slowly stilled.
"...Ah."
[Male lead forced villainess to donate blood.]
[After recovery, villainess was divorced.]
[Attempted kidnapping of Yoo Ara.]
"...Girl..." Sera whispered.
[Villainess imprisoned.]
[Death in custody.]
Silence.
Long. Heavy.
Sera stared at the ceiling.
Processing. Connecting.
Understanding.
"...So," she said slowly,
"I'm the crazy ex-wife who ruined everything, got exposed, and died miserably."
[Confirmed.]
She exhaled.
"...And now I have to fix this?"
[Stage 1: Survival.]
A pause.
Then-
Sera smiled.
Not soft.
Not amused.
Sharp.
Cold.
Interested.
"...Alright."
Her eyes shifted slightly-
Toward the ward.
Toward Ara.
"...Game on."
End Scene
In another room-
Jiheon stood beside Ara. Watching over her.
Protecting her.
And in this room-
Sera lay still.
Blood being taken.
But her mind-
Was already moving.
Because now-
She finally understood the story.
And more importantly-
Where it could break.