Chapter 1

Everyone knew Liam Harmon was famous for keeping his distance from women, despite having a fiancée.

Throughout all the years I studied abroad, I never heard any rumors or scandals about him.

But when I saw Liam bringing a woman by his side, my heart gave a sudden lurch.

*****

I frowned and finished reading "The Tyrant's Pampered Sweetheart" in one sitting.

Pressing my fingers to my temples, I couldn't tell whether it was a coincidence or intent, but the malicious supporting female character in the novel had my exact name, Kristen Sharp. Even the side characters were people around me.

Every villainess in a romance novel met a miserable end. And in that drama-filled story, I would suffer the same cruel fate.

If the plot went according to script, then tonight, Tiana and Liam were supposed to end up in bed together at the engagement party.

I let out a cold laugh, finding it absurd.

Everyone knew Liam was notorious for avoiding women, even though he had a fiancée he had been engaged to as a kid.

Throughout all the years I studied abroad, I never heard any rumors or scandals about him.

But when I saw Liam walking in with a girl at his side, my heart skipped a beat—worry instantly crept in.

"Who's that chick with Liam?"

"I thought Liam was allergic to women or something."

"This is the Sharp and Harmon families' engagement party, and Liam actually brings a date? Isn't that kinda messed up?"

I stood under the spotlight.

The guests were all eager to watch the show, eyes gleaming with the thrill of gossip and drama.

I thought about the way I ended up in that novel.

Liam, who absolutely despised me, had me hacked to pieces and thrown into the sea as fish food.

My joints throbbed faintly, as if they truly remembered the feeling of being severed.

I forced a polite yet distant smile and reached out my hand to that delicate-looking woman.

"Hi, I'm Liam's fiancée. You're Tiana Patel, right?" I said with a hint of annoyance.

She stood timidly beside Liam, her fingers nervously clutching at her dress.

Compared to me, who radiated confidence and authority, she looked weak and frightened.

To the onlookers, it probably seemed like I was being aggressive.

But I only wanted to confirm whether she was indeed the Tiana from that novel, the one Liam loved so madly he was willing to devour both our families, destroying mine in the process.

She nervously bit her lip, then hesitantly reached out and took my hand.

The moment our fingers met, a fierce hatred flared up in me out of nowhere.

Instantly, my mind conjured up the most vicious ways to crush her spine and shred her dignity.

Even though I knew, deep down, the one I should truly hate was the man beside her.

My heart lurched, and I instinctively jerked my hand back.

The motion drew a flicker of displeasure from Liam.

"Kristen, I merely brought my new secretary to gain some experience," he said.

He added, "She's timid and inexperienced in social situations, so I thought she could learn from you tonight."

"Oh? With all the resources the Harmon family has, you couldn't find a competent secretary?" I raised an eyebrow, feigning puzzlement.

It would've been fine if this were an ordinary business event, but this was our engagement party.

Who could honestly put up with someone else coming between them at their own engagement party?

Even if it was just a strategic marriage, basic respect was required.

"Kristen, everyone deserves a chance. No one knows everything from the start," Liam said.

"So you're gonna walk all over my pride just to give your newbie some experience, at my own engagement party?" I snapped.

Neither of them saw that coming from me.

Tiana's face turned pale as she panicked, waving her hands wildly.

"M-Ms. Sharp, I swear, nothing is going on between Mr. Harmon and me. We're just colleagues," she stammered.

Liam narrowed his eyes and stared me down, clearly irritated by my words.

The atmosphere felt utterly frozen, heavy, and unmoving.

Both families' parents quickly scrambled to patch things up.

"Kristen, sweetheart, don't take it to heart. Liam must have been nervous. That's why he brought his secretary." Liam's mother, Rosanna Harmon, reached out, gently patting the back of my hand.

"Whatever happens, you're the one who's truly our daughter-in-law," she added warmly.

My mom leaned in and whispered quietly in my ear.

She said, "Kristen, men in high positions always have women around them. But Liam only has this one. Later, find a reason to dismiss her. His mother's already on your side. In the end, everything will be yours anyway."

Surrounded by everyone's flattering smiles, I caught the envy in Tiana's eyes.

I could understand her feelings.

If Tiana really was the heroine in that novel, then her whole life must've been one mess after another.

She grew up side by side with her little brother, scraping by day after day, never once tasting the warmth of a real family.

So even the smallest act of pity from Liam, a love more like one shown to a pet, was enough to make her fall completely.

She let herself drown in it, sweet as honey, unable to ever pull away.

She would willingly live as nothing more than his ornament.

Standing at the center of all that attention, I only made her feel even more wretched and insignificant.

But she didn't see that no one there cared about my feelings.

They only worried about whether the party would proceed smoothly.

Rosanna and my mom just kept telling me to drop it. Nobody even considered making Liam say sorry.

And the two patriarchs, my father and his, simply sat back, watching like spectators.

That alone spoke volumes about my place in their hearts.

I let out a graceful, practiced smile, but my heart felt heavy with sorrow.

"Mom, I understand. Liam must be confused right now. I won't make a fuss," I said softly.

As for Liam, he didn't even realize he was in the wrong. If anything, he just looked even more annoyed and impatient.

He said, "Kristen, I'm very busy. I canceled many appointments just to attend this party."

I kept my face composed, but my tone was edged with irony. "So did I, Liam."

I gave up my studies overseas just to honor our engagement.

His time was precious, but mine wasn't?

His gaze chilled further, but I merely sneered inwardly.

"Since everyone's so busy, let's just end this party quickly," I said.

Swallowing my disgust, I took his arm and walked toward the hall's center.

My smile felt like a mask frozen on my face.

Liam, meanwhile, kept his face icy and emotionless.

He didn't even bother faking a decent expression.

Seeing that, I dropped my own mask too.

I just stood there, stone-faced, staring out at the crowd.

We didn't look anything like a couple celebrating their engagement.

Honestly, we looked more like sworn enemies forced to share the same stage.

Once the party wrapped up, Tiana was nowhere to be seen.

Liam hurriedly left as well.

I asked a waiter for a blanket, draped it over my shoulders, and walked unhurriedly toward the front garden.

As expected, I found Tiana near the rockery, her face flushed an alarming shade of red.

According to the novel's plot, she would have been drugged at this point.

Next, she'd get dragged off and nearly violated.

But then, in some messed-up twist of fate, Liam would end up in bed with her. Their feelings would only grow deeper.

Meanwhile, I'd just be the helpless, innocent fiancée everyone mocked for absolutely no reason.

Liam would even go so far as to accuse me of being the mastermind behind the drugging.

But I wasn't about to let any of that happen.