My mom is the heroine of a novel, but my dad isn't the male lead. He's the villain. They all say my dad was a terrible man who forced himself upon the heroine, which resulted in me being forced into existence. But after my mom had me, she was "redeemed" by the male lead. She didn't take care of me for a single day. She viewed me as a stain on her life and wished I would disappear from the face of the earth. Meanwhile, my villain dad changed my diapers, fed me formula, and drove me to school. Despite being subjected to daily mental and financial attacks by the "hero and heroine," he took care of me day in and day out for decades. One day, I asked him: "Dad, why does everyone say you're the villain?" He replied: "Because they're out of their damn minds. Stop overthinking. It's 8 PM. Time to drink your milk." Chapter 1 After he spoke, my villain dad poured me another glass of hot milk. He stared at me until I drank every last drop. Honestly, I absolutely hate milk, but my dad always said, "Eat your meat, eggs, and dairy. That's the only way you'll be strong enough to beat the crap out of people later." I was shocked by his educational philosophy at the time, but I always drank the slightly sour milk under his unwavering, intense gaze. Sigh. I'm a grown woman now, and I'm still being forced to drink milk. Once I finished, he went back to being busy. His company literally couldn't function for a day without him. According to the plot of the book, in about three years, we would lose this massive estate. We'd have to move into a cramped apartment and live like ordinary people. I suddenly started to panic about the future. My big, bad villain dad was going to end up in a tiny rental because of me? How could I let that happen? "Dad, why don't you just hand me over to Vanessa? Didn't she say that as long as you give me to her, she'll stop shorting the Sterling Group's stock?" Vanessa Hayes is my biological mother, though I've never called her that. She abandoned me the moment I was born. She doesn't deserve to be my mother. Chapter 2 My villain dad, Arthur Sterling, didn't even look up. His fingers continued flying across his keyboard. "What kind of nonsense are you spouting? You drank your milk, now go to bed." I muttered, "I'm not spouting nonsense. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have to work this hard." I wasn't a clueless kid anymore. I knew everything about their past grievances and tangled history. Right now, Vanessa and her devoted male lead, Carter Hayes, were going crazy, recklessly attacking the Sterling Group. My dad slammed his laptop shut and poked me hard in the forehead. "Nora, what goes on in that head of yours all day? Your mother already has her true-love daughter. Why would you go back there? To be the fake heiress? Or to be their punching bag?" I pouted. "I'm not that brain-dead." "Seems to me you've forgotten the pain now that the scar has healed. You have a perfectly good life as a billionaire's daughter, but you want to go over there and suffer? Has there ever been a time you ran into Chloe and weren't mocked?" "If you're bored, take the black card and go shopping. Go travel. If all else fails, go read a book or practice your kickboxing. You just have too much free time on your hands." I mumbled an "Oh." I silently took my dad's Amex Centurion card. He was right. In the eyes of the outside world, I couldn't even compare to Vanessa's precious true-love daughter, Chloe Hayes. Every time we appeared at the same event, I'd end up humiliated, whispered about by the media and the other rich socialites. Plus, I used to be too weak. My dad blamed it on me not eating enough meat and dairy. "Who does she think she is?" my dad would say. "Has there ever been a single thing I haven't given you the absolute best of since you were born? The fact that you don't hit them back when they talk trash makes me furious. If you hit them and cause a scene, I've got your back. I'll clean up the mess." They talked about me like that, and I didn't fight back. I was useless. Chapter 3 When it rains, it pours. I was in the middle of a massive shopping spree at a luxury boutique when I saw Vanessa bring Chloe in to pick out clothes. The two of them walked in. Chloe was clinging to Vanessa's arm. "Mom, you don't need to spend so much. It's not even an important occasion." "Of course it's important! It's my precious daughter's birthday. You have to be the most dazzling girl in the room. Whatever you want, Mom will buy it for you." Chloe acted all cutesy. "I wonder if I can sit down for a bit. My feet are sore~" Vanessa totally bought into it. "I'll have them model the clothes for you. You just sit over there and pick." That was when they finally noticed me. I was sitting in the boutique's VIP lounge, enjoying the personal service from the sales associates. Beside me was a mountain of luxury goods and shopping bags I had already paid for. They were scattered all over the floor. Chloe's face turned pale when she saw it. Usually, Vanessa and Carter strictly controlled her spending. If she wanted designer goods, she had to wait for Vanessa to offer. She could never be as carefree as me—swiping a card whenever I wanted, buying whatever I desired. The sales associates looked a bit awkward. My stuff was everywhere, and I was sprawled out comfortably. There wasn't a single place left for the mother-daughter duo to sit. "Ladies, please wait just a moment," an associate said. I couldn't care less, but Chloe's expression was ugly. She timidly pulled on Vanessa. "Mom, why don't we go to a different store? I didn't know my sister was here." Vanessa immediately stepped forward and tried to grab my arm. "Nora, get up." I didn't move an inch. My dad just told me not to suffer any grievances. Vanessa looked annoyed. I was looking at her like she was invisible, completely ignoring her presence. "What kind of attitude is that?" I smiled at the two of them. "I just dropped tens of millions of dollars in this store today. If I don't sit here, who does? Do you see the staff kicking me out?" Chloe's face grew even paler. Even though Vanessa brought her here to shop today, she would never spend that kind of money on her... Chloe's ankle was apparently a bit chafed from her shoes. Somehow, she dramatically lost her balance and fell to the side. If Vanessa hadn't been standing close by, she would have hit the floor. A crack appeared in Vanessa's flawless facade. "Nora! Apologize to Chloe!" "Not a chance in hell. You want an apology? Wait for your next life. Have all these items delivered to the Sterling Estate. If any new arrivals come in, send them straight over. The air in this store is toxic; I don't like it." Chapter 4 Vanessa's expression turned dark and sinister. "Nora, don't think you can do whatever you want just because Arthur has your back! Once you're married off, we'll see how he protects you then!" "Huh? Just because I get married means my last name won't be Sterling anymore? What kind of medieval, patriarchal garbage is that?" But I didn't care what she thought. I turned on my heel and strutted out. A villain needs to have the self-awareness of a villain: don't constantly shove yourself in front of the main characters. My dad and I never gained anything good from being around her. I still remembered the time my dad snapped at her: "Vanessa, drop the innocent victim act, and don't be a bad influence on my daughter." All she had to do was shed a few tears, and the Sterling Group instantly faced aggressive suppression from Carter. My dad even got attacked once when he went out. If he wasn't tough as nails, he might have died right there. Carter is the adopted son of the Hayes family. He's Vanessa's most loyal attack dog, and an absolute psychopath. If she's unhappy, I genuinely believe Carter would drag the whole world down with her. And right now, the thing that makes Vanessa the most unhappy is me—the stain on her life from before her marriage. Rumor has it that after my dad forced himself on her, she desperately wanted to abort me. But the doctor strongly warned her: "If you abort this child, your chances of ever conceiving again will be extremely low." Because of that, Vanessa held her nose and gave birth to me. The moment I was born, she dumped me at the gates of the Sterling Estate. She didn't want me, and she didn't want to be my mother. And I don't look a thing like her. I look exactly like my dad. We have the classic villain aesthetics—striking, sharp, and flawlessly elegant features, all perfectly replicated on my face. Anyone could tell we were father and daughter. As I grew older, I got more beautiful, and supposedly more "wicked." But besides their verbal and mental attacks, they couldn't actually affect my life in any tangible way. Because for a very long chunk of the plot, my villain dad is the one with the real money. And that is what disgusts Vanessa the most. Chapter 5 Vanessa didn't give up trying to control me. Her control freak tendencies were off the charts. Using the excuse that I was of marriageable age, she claimed she was looking for a suitable match for me and repeatedly sent me resumes and invitations. The previous ones were all ugly losers. I threw them in the trash without a second glance. But when the latest resume was placed in front of me and my villain dad, we were both stunned. "I thought she'd find me some uneducated, trust-fund playboy? Is this a trap?" The owner of this resume was Sebastian Vance, a well-known heir in the city's high society. After studying abroad, he returned to work at his family's corporation. Although he hadn't elevated the Vance family to top-tier billionaire status like his uncle had, he was still a capable and handsome heir. At the very least, in this city, there was a long line of rich girls dying to marry him. My villain dad agreed. "A resume this impressive... what game is she playing? Is this guy secretly gay? Why don't you go check it out? It's just a cocktail party anyway. Treat it like a night out." We exchanged a look. Both of us felt this wasn't as simple as it seemed. I sighed, dressed up, and went to the event. He had successfully piqued my curiosity. Deep down, I knew Vanessa wasn't kind enough to save a good catch for me. I only realized what was going on when I got there. Sebastian was indeed quite a catch. Six-foot-three, articulate, with a face that could rival any Hollywood star. But his eyes were constantly lingering on Chloe. Chloe was wearing a little white dress, her cheeks flushed. "I just received my acceptance letter for a Master's program at Harvard, but it's a bit far from home, so my parents are hesitating..." The people around them gasped in admiration. In this circle of rich kids, there are few who can actually study, and many who just like to show off. Getting an acceptance letter from an Ivy League school was definitely something to brag about. Me: "..." Why is she acting so innocent and helpless again? I remembered that Harvard was also one of the schools listed on Sebastian's resume. Sure enough, Sebastian's eyes lit up. He stepped right past me and walked up to Chloe. "Don't worry about it. I graduated from there too. If you have any questions, you can ask me anytime." Right then, Vanessa appeared out of nowhere and warmly grabbed my hand. "Nora, this is Sebastian. Why don't you introduce yourselves?" "Hmm... what did I tell you back then? I told you to study hard. Now look at you, you can't even join the conversation, can you?" Sebastian finally turned his head to look at me. Almost imperceptibly, he furrowed his brow. Chapter 6 The people attending this cocktail party were all invited by the Hayes family, and every single one of them was a shrewd socialite. Instantly, the whispers started: "Isn't that the useless daughter from the Sterling family?" "She probably graduated from some diploma mill, right? Standing there all alone, how embarrassing." "Exactly. Born from the same mother, yet the difference is night and day. It really comes down to education." "What good is money if you're an empty-headed airhead? Sooner or later, she's going to squander the entire Sterling fortune." ... Chloe stood to the side, looking at me timidly. "Sister, why are you here? If I had known, I wouldn't have brought that topic up." Her voice grew quieter. "Even if I talked about it, you wouldn't understand..." The look in Sebastian's eyes changed from initial awe at my appearance to a trace of contempt. There are plenty of beautiful women in the world, and plenty of them are airheads. And guys like him hated airheads the most. I instantly understood what Vanessa was doing. She wanted me to see with my own eyes how outstanding her precious daughter was. More likely, she just sent me Sebastian's resume without ever telling him I was the intended match. She wanted me to witness firsthand how attracted he was to Chloe. And me? Pampered to the extreme by my dad, my public image was that of a brainless, wicked girl. She really knew how to play the comparison game. I looked at the wealthy socialites who had just been gossiping and pointed at them one by one. "The Wangs, the Qians, the Sus. You were the ones talking trash about me just now, right?" I smiled brightly at them. "Your husbands are out getting stolen by mistresses, and your kids are sitting in your basements getting fat off your money, yet you have the free time to gossip about someone else's family?" "And you, my dear sister. Why don't you mention that your dad donated an entire building to the school just to get you admitted?" My words instantly silenced the entire room. Chloe's face turned beet red. "I... I applied on my own merits." Sebastian stepped in to comfort her. "Ms. Sterling, you're being far too aggressive. How could you possibly know those things? Do you have any proof? There's no need to be so hurtful." I shrugged. It was like they were meeting me for the first time. Anyone with half a brain in this city knew exactly what kind of person I was. Plus, as a minor villain who constantly danced around the main characters, what's wrong with having a little inside information? "Lies don't hurt. The truth is the sharpest knife." "My dad wanted to donate a few buildings for me too, but I told him no need. I wasn't going to go gild a hollow brain just for show." This time, Chloe was genuinely so embarrassed she was on the verge of tears. It took Vanessa a long time to smooth things over and get the party back on track. She viciously warned me to keep my mouth shut. Later in the party, I ran into Sebastian again while getting a slice of cake. Hidden by the white tablecloth of the dessert station, I kicked Sebastian's leg with my stiletto. It was supposed to be a subtle, flirtatious gesture, but I kicked him like I was venting my anger. Sebastian hissed in pain. Chapter 7 I was still in a foul mood when my driver dropped me off at home. As soon as I walked through the door, I kicked my heels off. My villain dad was on the couch dealing with company business. He turned to look at me. "What's wrong? Who made my precious daughter angry? Do you want Daddy to handle them for you?" I plopped down next to him. "What 'good man'? His brain is shallower than a puddle. When he gets old, I'm going to track him down and sell him snake oil supplements." "Men are all like that. I've made you watch so many documentaries about scumbags. How do you still have any illusions about men?" I pouted, crossed my legs, and ate the fruit a maid handed me. "Hmph. He looks so proper on the outside, but he's absolute trash." "He was never a good thing to begin with. What, does he look better in person than in his photos?" I nodded. "Sigh, it's just a handsome face. If you like it, grab him and keep him as a pet. If you don't, toss him out. Why get so worked up over a crooked tree?" Sometimes I feel like my villain dad's mindset is way too advanced. What he's suggesting—isn't that basically keeping a harem of male concubines? I was so shocked I almost choked on my fruit. What kind of respectable heiress actually keeps a stable of male models at home? I thought about it for a second. I couldn't just swallow tonight's humiliation for nothing. "No way. How can anyone not like me? He has to like me." "Once he falls for me, I'm going to dump him so hard and make him pay for what happened today." My dad fell silent for a moment. "Forced fruit isn't sweet, Nora. You still need to know where to draw the line." He sank into thought, a dark, gloomy aura radiating from him. Only then did it hit me—didn't my dad force his relationship because he liked someone? Now, this messy web of relationships is still tangled. I wonder if he'd do it all over again if he had the chance. I patted my dad's shoulder. "Dad, it's fine. There are plenty of people in this world who hate us already. I don't mind adding one more. Even if I tie him up, the worst he can do is hate me. What else can he do? We live in a society with laws. He can't kill me." It's just a man. Three-legged frogs are hard to find, but two-legged men? Men are a dime a dozen. "You're right. But Nora, Dad doesn't want to see you get hurt. Play your games, but don't give away your heart." I promised him I wouldn't.
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