The Villainess' Husband For Hire

Nicholas Hawthorne. The cold Northern Duke...

The Selena whose body she now inhabited had loved him. She was obsessed with him. She wouldn't leave any woman who talked to him or dared to dance with him. She was a hateful villainess indeed.

As Ming Yue sifted through these memories, a wave of anger rose in her chest. Not just at Nicholas, but at Selena as well.

Why did she put up with this? Ming Yue thought, clenching her fists. Why did she keep chasing after someone who treated her like garbage?

The answer was painfully obvious. Selena had been blinded by the idea of love, just as Ming Yue herself had been in her past life.

Maybe she was brought here for a reason... She felt like she was slowly trying to understand.

Ming Yue's thoughts drifted back to her old life, to the person she used to be. She had been a doormat, someone who let others walk all over her without complaint.

Her boyfriend, her best friend—they had taken advantage of her kindness, her inability to say no. And in the end, they had betrayed her in the cruellest way possible.

Her last moments had been filled with regret. She regretted wasting her time on people who didn't value her and regretted bending over backwards to make others happy while neglecting herself.

And now, here she was, in a new body, a new life, with a new chance.

Ming Yue clenched her fists, her resolve hardening.

"No," She muttered under her breath. "I'm not doing this again. I won't be that person again."

Selena's memories might still linger, but Ming Yue was in control now. And she wasn't about to let herself be mistreated... Not by Nicholas, not by anyone.

She was going to write her own story. 

She felt a surge of determination as she stood, her head spinning slightly but her resolve steady.

She had no intention of following the plot of the novel. Selena's story ended in humiliation, and Ming Yue refused to let that be her fate.

He doesn't owe Selena his affection, she thought, thinking of Nicholas. But I don't owe him my dignity either.

Her lips curled into a small, defiant smile. If Nicholas wanted to end their engagement, she'd give him exactly what he wanted. But it wouldn't be on his terms.

The ball was in three days. It was supposed to be the event where Nicholas would announce his feelings for Clara, publicly humiliating Selena in the process. She decided that she wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

Instead, she would take control of the narrative.

From now on. She was Selena. Ming Yue is no more. She didn't want to hear that name again. It only reminded her of the painful memories associated with that life.

Standing in front of the vanity she took a good look at herself. Beautiful white hair as white as snow. And blue eyes... That looked like the ocean. She looked so... Beautiful. She looked like an angel or a fairy. She didn't look human at all.

She felt like she was taller than normal. With an appearance like this, why would she need to go after anyone?! Wouldn't men line up after her?!

She sat down and gently combed through her hair. It was soft and long. Clearly well maintained. These things were possible when you are rich, she thought to herself. She could have never afforded any of this in her past life.

She checked the drawers and found jewellery carelessly strewn across like it was some common item. Just how rich was the Whitlock family?!

Just then, the door opened slowly.

The tension in the air was thick as two shivering maids crept into Selena's lavish bedroom, their footsteps barely audible against the polished marble floor.

Their eyes darted nervously between each other, trying to maintain a safe distance while still fulfilling their duties. They moved as though Selena might lash out at any moment, their fear was palpable.

At first, Selena couldn't understand why they seemed so terrified. She frowned slightly, watching them as they approached hesitantly. Then it dawned on her, this wasn't because of her. It was because of the old Selena, the one whose body she now inhabited.

From the fragments of Selena's memories, she recalled how the previous Selena treated her staff. She had been aggressive, quick to snap at the smallest mistakes, and verbally abusive when things didn't go her way.

While she hadn't been physically violent, her sharp tongue and demanding nature had been enough to keep everyone on edge. Of all the things she did... At least she wasn't physically abusive. 

She tried to reason with herself by saying that, but even that thought felt hollow and wrong. The reality was plain: the situation was bad. There was no excusing or sugarcoating it.

Selent shook her head in a mocking way. Just how was she supposed to go about with this kind of a reputation? 

The two maids stood frozen near the doorway, their heads bowed and hands trembling slightly. One of them clutched a hairbrush so tightly that her knuckles had turned white. She realised they were waiting for her to speak first, afraid to act without explicit instruction.

"I..." She hesitated for a moment, searching for the right words. She pointed at the vanity where an array of ornate combs, brushes, and ribbons lay scattered. "I need my hair tied up," she said, her tone softer than they expected. "It's getting in the way."

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