Chapter 1

Before meeting my online boyfriend in real life, my best friend Aleena Walton begged me to think twice.

I had just blocked him and deleted him from my contacts when the live stream comments exploded.

[No wonder she's the villainess in those novels—first thing after turning her luck around, she steals her bestie's billionaire boyfriend!]

[The side character is so dumb. She deleted her multi-billionaire boyfriend with just one nudge from the protagonist. No wonder she's stuck as a side character.]

[The female lead isn't even the original one. What if she slips up and gets exposed?]

[Relax. The protagonist gets looks and brains to spare. She can reel in the pure-hearted male lead in no time.]

I was shocked, and Aleena kept pleading, "Jennifer, you can't trust everyone online. What if you run into someone dangerous? Deleting him was the right choice."

I slowly came back to myself. "Yeah... You're right."

*****

Even though I'd already blocked and deleted the so-called "male lead," my best friend Aleena Walton still wasn't at ease.

She pressed me again, sounding genuinely worried, "Jennifer, you didn't give him any photos, your phone number, or your real identity, right?"

I shook my head with a smile. "I'm not that dumb."

Aleena was secretly pleased, but kept reminding me seriously, "Good. Just remember, always protect your privacy online. Never give out your personal info to strangers."

I nodded eagerly. "Don't worry. I'm not that innocent and clueless college girl anymore. I've been hustling in the real world for over a year now, and I've got some street smarts."

Stifling a laugh, Aleena joked, "Yeah, you're a real old hand. Nobody's slicker than you."

I pretended not to notice the sarcasm and replied proudly, "Obviously!"

Aleena secretly rolled her eyes, let out a yawn, and said, "Jennifer, I've got to work a part-time job tomorrow, so I'm going to sleep. You should turn in early too. Goodnight."

I smiled and nodded. "Goodnight."

[Jennifer is so clueless. It's painful to watch. She gets played by Aleena and doesn't even realize it. She's beyond saving!]

[Still, I'm kinda worried Aleena might blow her cover.]

[Don't stress. Aleena's got mad acting skills and everything planned out. No way she'll slip up.]

[Aleena is a total bombshell—gorgeous, curvy, and dripping with charm. She's way more seductive than that sweet Jennifer. Even if the male lead finds out the truth later, he'll just be glad it was her he met in real life.]

[Good point!]

[Am I the only one who thinks Aleena's actions are kinda immoral?]

[The author already said Aleena is a selfish queen with no moral compass. If you're looking for a goody two-shoes, this isn't your story!]

I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

Ugh, seriously, who actually enjoyed those side chick drama stories?

After Aleena closed her bedroom door, I casually headed back to my own room, feeling pretty relaxed.

Then I grabbed my phone and re-added my online boyfriend on WhatsApp.

Sure, I never gave him my number, but I got his.

[Whoa! Jennifer actually kept a backup plan!]

[Why'd she lie to Aleena? Did she already catch on to what Aleena was plotting?]

[Or maybe not—maybe she just didn't want to deal with it and pretended to delete the male lead to shut Aleena up.]

[Hope that's all it is.]

[Doesn't matter why Jennifer lied. The real kicker is, Aleena still has no clue she's being kept in the dark!]

[Relax, Aleena will figure it out. There's bound to be a big twist coming!]

Wait, another twist?

Well, let's just wait and see.

My boyfriend hadn't messaged me for a while, so he had no clue I'd cut him off.

I threw on the white dress I'd picked out for our big day, then took a bunch of selfies—only showing from my nose down.

After picking the cutest one, I sent it to the guy I was chatting with, Vanni.

And I texted him: [Baby, make sure you don't mix me up with someone else tomorrow, okay?]

He replied almost instantly. [Of course not.]

Vanni: [Damn, you're so hot.]

I said: [Good.]

Vanni said: [Your lips look so kissable. Can I get a kiss tomorrow?]

The comments were right. I got that sweet, innocent look, not like Aleena, who was born to be a flirt and totally irresistible.

But my lips were gorgeous. Even without lipstick, they were still red and seriously sexy. Just seeing them was enough to tempt anyone.

Me: [Not tomorrow. Let's see how you behave first.]

Vanni: [I'll definitely impress you, just wait!]

*****

We chatted for about half an hour before I wrapped things up, saying I needed to get some sleep.

I could tell he was still left wanting more.

But from what the veterans say, I knew I should never let a guy get too much all at once—always leave him wanting more.

[Jennifer actually sent her photo to Vanni? I'm starting to think Aleena might be in hot water.]

[Relax, Aleena will definitely turn things around. Besides, Jennifer only showed just the lower half of her face—Vanni probably won't recognize her.]

[But Jennifer's lips really stand out. If he looks closely, he might still figure it out.]

[No worries, Vanni's a total face-chaser. Aleena's looks will totally win him over!]

I sneered and closed my eyes.

Let's see how Aleena Walton tries to pull off a miracle.

If this so-called male lead really fell for Aleena at first sight, then I couldn't complain.

But even if he was just attracted to her looks, I was going to make sure he knew Aleena was the kind of girl who'd snatch her bestie's man.

No way Aleena got to be his perfect girl.

Aleena and I were college roomies.

Her family didn't have much, and her parents always favored her brother over her. She had to take out student loans for tuition and relied on part-time jobs just to make ends meet.

My family was nothing fancy, but definitely better off than hers. Plus, being an only child, my parents always made sure I never lacked for anything.

When I realized how hard she had it, I started helping her out.

I'd buy her meals all the time, and whenever I went shopping for new clothes, I'd grab a couple extra outfits for her. I even let her use my makeup.

After graduation, we started working at different companies.