After the new transfer student arrived, mysterious injuries started appearing on my body. First, ligature marks on my neck. Then, bruises like fingerprints on my chest. It all came to a head during the National Scholar Championship when a wave of nausea and pain became unbearable. Just before I fainted, a stream of text floated before my eyes: [Good thing our girl is smart, seducing the male lead on purpose so the villainess screws up the competition.] [Serves that evil side character right for chasing after the male lead. This is her karma. When he gets rough and loses control, she’ll pass out and miss the whole thing. lol.] I dragged a shard of glass across my finger. The next day, the transfer student showed up with a bandage on her finger, staring at me with pure venom in her eyes. 1 Suppressed by a tidal wave of agony, I gritted my teeth and forced myself to work on the final essay question. My handwriting was a jagged scrawl. The pain in my abdomen was a relentless storm, each wave threatening to break me. The proctor noticed my distress and offered a quiet word of concern. I just shook my head, lacking the strength to even speak. I had to focus, to push through and finish the question. Another brutal cramp seized me, and I nearly dropped my pen. [Hehe, the male lead is really going for it now. The villainess still thinks she can finish the test? She’s about to pass out.] [Thank god this evil side character can absorb the damage. Otherwise, how could our girl handle this level of… intensity. ;)] [That’s why he likes our girl so much. They’re perfectly compatible. Other girls can’t handle him, but our girl can take it from start to finish.] [If it’s this wild now, imagine the ‘study session’ they’ll have before the final exams! It’s gonna be epic!] [Here it comes, here it comes—] The pen slipped from my convulsing fingers, leaving a long, black gash across the paper. A sharp cry escaped my throat before my mind went completely blank. I fainted. When I opened my eyes again, I finally understood the bizarre, floating comments. 2 The world I had lived in for eighteen years was nothing more than a trashy, erotic webnovel. The female lead they were talking about was the transfer student, Seraphina Jones. Blessed with a unique tolerance for pain, she was perfectly "compatible" with the oversized male lead, Caleb Thorne. The plot had already arranged for them to be intimately involved. And I was the villainous side character, created by the author for one purpose: to act as a pain sponge for the female lead, a tool to heighten their twisted pleasure. Suddenly, all the mysterious injuries made sense. The ligature marks on my neck last week? I’d dismissed them as my pajama strings getting tangled in my sleep. The whip-like marks on my back the other day? I’d convinced myself I’d scraped against the carved headboard. And the tearing pain in my lower body yesterday… I had been terrified I’d contracted some horrible disease. It was only now, with the explosive agony during the competition and the floating comments, that the horrifying truth dawned on me. I looked at the fresh bruises on my wrist and the red marks on my chest—they looked exactly like fingerprints, left by someone’s forceful grip. The realization of where these marks came from sent a wave of nausea through me. God, it was disgusting. I stumbled to the trash can and threw up until my stomach was empty. According to the comments, Sera and Caleb were going to ramp things up before the final college entrance exams, causing me so much pain that I’d collapse and miss them entirely. Sera would get into a top university, starting a new chapter with Caleb. My ending? I would believe I had some strange, incurable illness, and unable to bear the gossip and shame, I would commit suicide, conveniently no longer "bothering" the male lead. Perfect. Just perfect. Except… who ever said I liked the male lead? My gaze fell on the fruit knife on my nightstand. I ran my thumb along the blade. The moment the steel broke my skin, a single bead of blood, warm and crimson, rolled onto the sheet. Tomorrow, I would have my answer. 3 The next day, I was in my seat long before the first bell. Sera and Caleb strolled in late. As her almond-shaped eyes scanned the room, I caught it: a small bandage on her finger. The cut was in the exact same spot as mine. The moment Sera walked in, she launched into a tirade. "Elara, what is wrong with you? Didn't I tell you to take care of yourself? I told you not to get hurt!" Her shouting immediately drew the attention of the entire class. And my face, which had gone cold as ice. 4 Sera was always like this. She’d boss me around and yell at me over the smallest things, but she always claimed it was because she cared, because it pained her to see me hurt. If I accidentally bumped into a desk corner, she’d curse me out for not watching where I was going, then turn around and stick a protective foam strip on it. When I’d get upset by her attitude, she’d cling to my arm and whine, "Elara, I’m just worried about you. You know I have the best intentions, right?" Because of my family situation, I’d never had many friends. Like an idiot, I saw our toxic friendship as a form of salvation. I thought her harsh words were just her way of showing she cared. It wasn't until I saw those floating comments that I understood. Her so-called sisterly devotion was just a way to manage her personal pain sponge. To say I wasn't furious would be a lie. But I was also morbidly curious. If my injuries appeared on her, how much of the pain did she actually feel? "Sera, you really do care about me, don't you?" I said, drawing out the last word. She didn’t catch the sarcasm in my tone. Her eyelashes fluttered, a flicker of smug superiority in her eyes. "Of course I do. You were the first person who was nice to me when I transferred here." I lowered my gaze, fiddling with the pen in my hand. When she was the new girl and everyone was ignoring her, I had been the one to offer her the seat next to me, to help her fit in. I was really starting to regret being so damn helpful. 5 During the morning assembly, that familiar, unbearable pain flared up again. I scanned the crowd but couldn't find Caleb or Sera anywhere. The floating comments provided a live broadcast: [The male lead is so impatient! He can’t even wait until after morning assembly!] [Well, our girl is like a juicy peach. One taste and he’s hooked. More scenes like this, please! I’m here for it!] [Hahaha, the villainess is supposed to give a speech later. She’s going to scream in front of the whole school and make a total fool of herself—] [Isn’t that a little too harsh? The side character hasn’t really done anything bad yet.] [What do you know? The author created her specifically to take the pain so our girl doesn’t have to suffer. It’s her destiny. Besides, it’s her own fault for liking the male lead.] My heart pounded. Were these people insane? The thought that Sera was causing this, that this agony was a byproduct of her pleasure, made me want to strangle her. I didn't care if this was a novel. I was a real person. A person with flesh and blood, who could laugh and cry, who had parents who loved her. I was not their plaything. I was not a tool. I would break the chains this world had put on me. My eyes fixed on the steps of the stage. It was about a four-foot drop. Not high enough to kill someone. In a move that stunned the entire school, I took a running leap— The comments went wild: [What the hell is this evil side character doing?!] [Is she crazy?!? Because of her jump, our girl just screamed and nearly snapped the male lead’s dick off!] [See? This is why she’s the villainess. Just causing trouble for attention. She’s going to get our girl killed!] [Uh oh, the male lead does not look happy. Do you think it’s actually broken—] 6 I landed hard. A sharp pain shot through my ankle. Probably a sprain. Everyone assumed I was having a breakdown after failing the competition. Even the principal standing beside me was dumbstruck, which conveniently meant I didn't have to explain myself. The comments, however, were tearing me to shreds: [This side character is such a bitch. She almost turned the male lead into a eunuch!] [This is probably going to give him performance anxiety. Does this mean no more spicy scenes for a while?] [Our poor girl’s ankle is all swollen now. My heart breaks for her—] 7 The assembly ended early because of my dramatic exit. I limped back to the classroom, refusing all suggestions to go to the nurse's office. I had more important things to do. A moment later, Sera and Caleb shuffled in through the back door. Sera was limping, her eyes red and puffy. Seeing Caleb looking perfectly fine, I felt a twinge of disappointment. So it wasn’t really broken? Sera’s eyes, like a viper’s, locked onto me. Her ankle was only slightly red and swollen. The comments had made it sound so dramatic, but it was nothing compared to my own ballooning ankle. So that was it. Sera only bore half of the damage I took, maybe even less. Of course. The author’s precious daughter had to have her cheat codes. Sera stormed towards me, her face a mask of fury. 8 "Elara, are you out of your mind? What is this new brand of crazy? Your body is a gift from your parents! Don’t you ever think about how they would feel when you hurt yourself like this?" Listening to her self-righteous rant, you’d think she was my mother. And bizarrely, everyone else seemed to fall for it, whispering about how much Sera cared for me. "What's it to you?" I retorted. "Does your family live in the ocean? Because you're trying to manage the entire sea." Now that I knew the truth, I couldn't pretend for a second longer. Sera froze, shocked by my tone. "What did you just say?" she stammered, clutching her chest as if I’d wounded her. "I'm just trying to show I care, and you think I'm being nosy?" As she spoke, her eyes welled up with tears. [Ugh, this side character needs to die. She’s making our poor girl so upset.] [She’s such a bitch. Someone shows her kindness and she spits on it.] [Don’t worry, the male lead will get revenge for our girl!] Her acting was flawless. She deserved an Oscar. The other students started chiming in. "Elara, Sera is just worried about you." "Don't bite the hand that feeds you!" "If you ask me, Elara is just an ungrateful brat." Buoyed by the support, Sera’s expression softened into a familiar, pitiful look. My eyes shifted to Caleb, standing behind her. So he was going to avenge her, was he? I couldn't wait. Meeting Sera’s gaze again, I lifted my chin defiantly. "Who needs your fake concern? Don't think I don't know what you were up to. You were with Caleb during the assembly, weren't you?" I needed a reason to burn this bridge anyway. Weren’t the comments always saying I was jealous over Caleb? I put on a heartbroken expression. "Caleb, are you going to deny it?" 9 They both looked guilty and didn't answer right away. For everyone else, that was an answer in itself. Someone spoke up. "Wait, did Sera only become friends with Elara to get close to Caleb?" The tide of opinion suddenly turned in my favor. Caleb didn’t confirm or deny it, which just made me lose whatever respect I had for him. Everyone had always assumed Caleb and I, childhood friends, would get together after our exams. In reality, I knew he was a player and had zero interest in him. I only let the rumors slide because they kept other annoying suitors away. Whispers broke out. People started calling Sera a backstabber, a manipulative snake. She panicked. "That's not it, Elara, don't misunderstand—" She reached for me. I dodged her hand, and in a move that seemed both accidental and intentional, she stumbled and slammed her body into the corner of a desk with a loud cry. But, goddammit, I was the one who felt the pain! An explosion of agony in my abdomen. I instinctively clutched my stomach, beads of sweat popping on my forehead. All my years of refined education couldn't stop me from wanting to scream bitch! She had done that on purpose. It was revenge. A triumphant, provocative glint flashed in her eyes before she burst into dramatic, crocodile tears. "Elara, why did you push me? I was just trying to help…" Caleb’s face turned black. The comments were frantic: [Our girl is so clever! Create a diversion so no one notices she and the male lead were stumbling out of the bathroom together.] [She went through all this humiliation for the male lead. He must be so moved.] [He would never make her keep their relationship a secret if he wasn't worried about the evil side character causing trouble. She's the treasure of his heart.] 10 The bathroom? My vision darkened for a second. Sera had just tried to touch my hand. I wondered if she’d even washed them. In a flash, Caleb had her in his arms, cradling her protectively. He turned to me, his voice dripping with condemnation. "Elara, you are a heartless snake. Sera was only trying to help you, and you physically assaulted her?" The pain in my stomach was so intense I couldn't speak. To everyone else, my silence looked like a confession of guilt. Their gazes turned from sympathy to contempt. The next moment, Caleb raised his arm, his hand flying towards my face. But just before it connected, Sera pushed me aside, taking the full force of the slap herself. My own cheek burned with a phantom sting. I was officially seeing red. My eyes, locked on Sera, were practically shooting flames. "Sera, are you insane!" She held her reddening cheek and looked at Caleb with noble defiance. "She's just angry with me, Caleb. I can't let you hurt my best friend!" Her performance moved the entire class. "Wow, even after Elara treated her like that, Sera is still protecting her. That's so touching." Then, Sera turned her head slightly, her voice a venomous whisper only I could hear. "You know, don't you, Elara? But what can you do? You were born to be my tool." The last thread of my sanity snapped. I scrambled to my feet and began slapping myself across the face, hard. "You're right, you're right, it's all my fault!" I wailed. "I never should have tried to compete with you for Caleb, even if we did grow up together!" Smack! Smack! Smack! I put all my strength into each blow. My face instantly swelled and turned a blotchy red. I’m just a tool, right? Fine. I'll claw my way out of this with my bare hands, and I'll drag the author's precious daughter down with me. A wildness entered my eyes that clearly terrified Sera. "Stop! Stop hitting yourself!" she shrieked. "I said stop!" No one else noticed, but Sera's own cheeks were beginning to swell. The other students were just staring, completely bewildered. "Uh, Elara, you don't have to do this… I mean, Sera isn't entirely innocent either…" The comments were equally stunned: [Okay, what is happening? Why is the side character hitting herself?] [I think she figured out the pain-sharing thing. But isn't this like… cutting off your nose to spite your face?] [LMAO, this side character has a certain unhinged energy I kind of respect.] [This is pathetic.]
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