Chapter 1
The morning I lost the scholarship for the umpteenth time, I suddenly woke up.
I realized I was just a cannon fodder side character in a novel, existing only to make the female lead look good.
No matter how hard I worked, anything I achieved could be easily snatched away by her if she wanted it.
She'd take my spot to get admitted to Capital University.
The project I painstakingly built would end up on her resume.
She'd also steal the job offer I fought tooth and nail for.
Even the company I poured my heart and soul into founding would ultimately fall into her hands.
Driven by resentment, I'd turn into the villainess, opposing her at every turn.
In the end, the male lead, who adored her, would punish me severely. I'd lose everything and die in a fire.
How ridiculous.
Since I was destined to turn evil anyway, might as well start now.
*****
My cousin, Sophie Evans, was the female lead of this novel.
She acted all humble and unassuming, like she didn't compete for anything, yet all the good things just fell into her lap.
My parents favored her. My boyfriend fell for her.
And no matter how hard I strived, everything I achieved in the end just became a stepping stone for her.
Like this time: I studied my butt off, got first in the whole school, and the scholarship that was practically in my hand inexplicably went to Sophie instead.
The reason was, my boyfriend, Ryan Foster, who was also the class monitor, thought Sophie "showed great improvement" by going from failing to scoring a seventy, so she "deserved encouragement."
The most laughable part was that neither our homeroom teacher nor my classmates saw anything wrong with it.
They all sincerely congratulated Sophie.
Now, awake and aware, I was furious. I shot up from my seat. "I object.
"The scholarship rules are clear. Only students ranked in the top ten of the school are eligible. While Sophie has improved, that's not a valid reason to give her the scholarship."
The moment I finished speaking, the whole class stared at me.
My boyfriend, Ryan, frowned deeply, "Joanne, how can you be so selfish?
"You don't need the money. Sophie lost both her parents. Can't you just let her have this one thing?"
I was speechless.
The side characters in this novel world truly lacked independent thought.
Their brainless comments were delivered with such confidence, without a hint of shame.
I looked at him with a sarcastic smile. "Easy for you to be generous with what isn't yours. How about next time you score in the top ten and give your spot to her?
"Or, since you feel so bad she's 'broke,' why don't you pay for her tuition?"
This was the first time I'd ever talked back to Ryan. He looked shocked and flustered.
The old me used to hang on his every word, treating even his nonsense like gospel.
All because I felt neglected at home and saw him as my only lifeline.
The irony was that my very lifeline actually had feelings for my cousin, Sophie.
But, controlled by the plot, I never saw it.
Instead, I was willingly Ryan's lapdog, while I watched him fawn over Sophie.
"Never mind, I don't want the scholarship anymore," Sophie spoke up, her eyes red as she glanced at me.
"It's fine. I can just work part-time to earn my tuition money," she added, putting on a brave face.
What an act.
Her tuition was paid by my parents.
Her allowance was ten times mine.
Just because of her "orphaned" backstory, she got to play the poor, pitiful card.
And everyone believed her, pitied her, and went out of their way to help her.
"Joanne, you've gone too far!" Ryan pulled Sophie behind him, shielding her.
"Sophie is your cousin. Can't you be a little kinder?" Ryan asked.
I was baffled. "How is fighting for what I rightfully earned 'going too far'? What does that have to do with kindness?
"She's my cousin. My mom gives her over a thousand dollars a month. Does she really need to work a part-time job?
"Can't you see she's head-to-toe in name brands? Are you blind?"
It was only then that the class seemed to regain their eyesight and looked at Sophie properly.
Her jacket clearly had an LV logo.
"Hey, why does Sophie get financial aid every year but wear designer clothes and use the latest iPhone?" my deskmate asked, voicing the obvious.
Sophie's face instantly turned pale. Tears streamed down. "This... This was something Auntie bought for Joanne, but Joanne didn't like it, so Auntie let me wear it instead."
"I'm sorry, Joanne. I'll give the jacket back to you right now." She sobbed, taking off the jacket to hand it to me.
Ryan grabbed her hand, glaring at me as if I were his mortal enemy. "Joanne, are you deliberately trying to humiliate Sophie?
"She lost her parents, she's living under someone else's roof, and you still bully her? How can you be so awful?"
The other students immediately looked at me with accusing eyes.
"Joanne is terrible," someone whispered.
"Sophie is so pitiful. How can she have no sympathy at all?" another shot out.
Sophie just stood there, red-eyed, sniffling as if she'd suffered a great injustice.
The homeroom teacher rapped on the desk. "Alright, that's enough.
"I've decided. The scholarship goes to Sophie.
"Joanne, I want your parents to come in. I need to talk to them about your upbringing."
Sophie looked surprised, then bowed tearfully to the teacher. "Thank you. Thank you, everyone. I really... I really don't know what to say.
"You're all so good to me. Each one of you is an angel."
Ryan tenderly wiped Sophie's tears. "Silly, it's because you're the angel that we're all so good to you.
"This is what you deserve. Be happy now."
The whole class, for some inexplicable reason, started clapping and chanting, "Sophie is an angel!"
I cringed so hard my scalp went numb. A wave of indescribable nausea washed over me.
Maybe this was the power of the female lead's halo.