The Villain's Original Wife

For five years, the woman who hijacked my body played house. In the fifth year, she finally got bored.

She and her System bailed, leaving this world without a backward glance.

What they left me was a son spoiled into a tyrant and a husband who was a stranger in his own home.

Before I could even begin to process the temporal whiplash, a stream of text, like a live comment feed, scrolled across my vision.

What a dumpster fire of a starting point. Ive never seen a dumber transmigrator. She gets a five-year head start and just makes a bigger mess for the original to clean up.

Seriously. Her mission was to straighten out the mini-villain and warm up the big villain so the family wouldnt bother the main characters. Instead, besides dodging her own death plot point, she just spent five years maxing out a credit card.

The kids a nightmare, the husbands been pushed away. Im so sick of this family. Honestly, they should all just die.

So. It turned out I was the disposable side character, the one who dies early in the novel. And my husband and my son? They were the villains.

1

The ghostly commentary continued to scroll, listing the sins of my son, the "mini-villain."

No manners, bad temper, selfish, a bully.

Before I could organize the chaos in my mind, a thudding sound echoed from the grand staircase. A little boy, round as a beach ball, was thundering his way down.

A strange, primal instinct flared to life. I knew, instantly, that this was my child.

He saw me sitting in the living room but looked right through me, making a beeline for the kitchen, for the stainless-steel refrigerator.

The nanny hurried after him.

Oh, Leo, my sweet boy, youve already had three ice cream bars today! If you get a tummy ache, your father will have my head when he gets back.

The little boyLeopaid her no mind.

The nanny shot a helpless, pleading look in my direction.

Whats the point of looking at her? Shes the biological mom, sure, but shes been gone for five years. Shell just spoil him more out of guilt.

Honestly, did anyone else think the transmigrator was a total phony? Her idea of motherly love was just endless indulgence. The kid is worse off now than he was in the original story. Hes so overweight hes lost the one thing he had going for himhis looks.

You can see his whole future from here. Hell grow up to be a degenerate who gambles and blows his inheritance, probably curses out his parents too.

If that little butterball dropped dead, I wouldn't shed a tear.

That was it. I couldnt take any more.

Leo Harrison. Put the ice cream down.

I remembered settling on that name with Cole when I was eight months pregnant. Leo. For a boy or a girl. A name full of light and strength.

Leo shot me a look of pure disdain.

Youre so annoying. You cant tell me what to do!

Then, as if to challenge me, he shoved a huge bite of vanilla ice cream into his mouth. The white cream smeared around his lips, and his eyes, already narrowed by his chubby cheeks, squeezed into happy little slits.

He saw me still staring, and with a defiant glare, he raised a small, pudgy hand and flipped me two middle fingers.

In that instant, a switch flipped inside me. A cold, quiet rage.

Spoil him?

Not on my watch.

I shot up from the sofa and clamped a hand down on his shoulder. My little wild boar.

Who taught you to do that? Hmm? Where did you learn it?

Let go of me! Let go! If you dont let go, youll be sorry when my dad gets home.

Hah.

After letting our son turn into this, Cole would be lucky if he didnt get a piece of my mind himself when he got home.

2

I directed the stunned-looking nanny to fetch me a roll of packing tape.

Then I took Leos hand, singled out his middle finger, and began to wrap the tape around his fist, leaving only that one digit standing at attention.

He liked giving the finger so much? Fine. He could hold the pose for a while.

To his credit, he didnt cry. He just stood there, his two taped-up fists held out like a tiny crab, glaring daggers at me.

When Dad gets back, Im gonna tell him you bullied me! You wont get your allowance this month! You wont be able to buy any more of your tacky jewelry.

When is your father coming home?

Leo jutted out his lower lip, refusing to answer.

I glanced at the nanny.

Mr. Harrison is on a business trip in Chicago. He should be back in about a week.

Is he always like this? I asked quietly.

The nanny looked uncomfortable. Hes a little better when his father is around.

I nodded. I told her not to remove the tape for any reason, then turned and walked upstairs.

I was surprised to find that, after all these years, the decor of the house hadnt changed at all. Even the little ceramic horse statue, the one Id chipped an ear off of during a clumsy moment, was still in its place on the console table.

3

Five years ago, Id lost consciousness right after giving birth.

What followed was the sensation of being trapped in a dream I couldnt wake from. I could feel my body moving, speaking, living a life, but it was all through a hazy, third-person fog.

I thought Id just been asleep for a long, long time.

It wasnt until I saw the spectral commentary that I realized five years had passed.

I walked from memory toward the master bedroom. A sleek, digital keypad lock Id never seen before blocked the door.

LOL, the OG has no idea. That lock was installed specifically to keep herwell, the transmigratorout.

Hey, has anyone figured out the password? The transmigrator tried to sneak in once for a surprise attack, but she failed every time.

Nope. She tried the kids birthday, her birthday, Coles birthday. She tried so many wrong codes she triggered the entire house alarm system. The look on her face was priceless, I almost died laughing.

Forget the transmigrator, even weve never seen inside Coles room.

Reading this, I raised an eyebrow. My fingers moved automatically, typing in a sequence of numbers I knew as well as my own name.

Ignoring the flood of shocked comments scrolling past my eyes, I pushed the handle down. The door clicked open.

Sure enough, the bedroom was unchanged. Even the color of the duvet cover was the same slate gray it had been the day I left for the hospital.

The only difference was a small stack of locked journals on the nightstand.

It seemed that in the last few years, Cole had gotten into the habit of locking away anything important.

I picked one up. The pages of a few of the journals were warped and wrinkled, as if theyd been soaked through with water and then left to dry.

The comment-feed was buzzing, begging me to pick the locks, to uncover Coles secrets.

I ignored it. I placed the journal back exactly where I found it.

4

At dinner, the nanny was about to prepare a meal based on Leos usual demands when I stopped her.

Dont go to the trouble. Starting today, hes on a diet.

I glanced at his still-taped fists. Lets start with a veggie sandwich for tonight.

Why! Just because I flipped you off, youre going to abuse me? Leo protested loudly.

I shook my head and met his angry gaze. See? Even you know that flipping someone off is a bad thing to do, especially to your own mother. But you havent apologized to me. And the diet isnt a punishment. Its for your health.

Leos cheeks puffed out. He didnt argue for a long moment, then just mumbled something under his breath.

Youre not my

The rest was too quiet to hear, but I could guess it wasnt a compliment.

When it was time to eat, Leo gestured for me to take the tape off.

Are you going to do it again?

He wouldn't look at me, his little lip pushed out. No.

He was quiet for another moment. Im sorry

Okay, I have to admit, the original knows how to handle a brat.

This is killing me. If the mini-villain didnt apologize, his fingers wouldve gone numb. LMAO.

More of this, please. I love it.

Wait, is she not thinking about the consequences? This isnt five years ago. The transmigrator completely eroded Coles feelings for her. He could genuinely flip out when he gets back If my favorite tragic romance turns into a bitter divorce, I swear Im gonna riot.

Cole, flipping out at me?

I had to admit, a small part of me was looking forward to it.

5

Whether Cole would lose his temper remained to be seen.

Leo, however, was the first to lose it at the dinner table. His eyes went red as he pointed at the sandwich, which contained only lettuce and a fried egg.

This is all I get to eat?

I nodded. Id even allowed the egg to be fried instead of boiled, as a small concession.

Im not eating this! I want sweet and sour ribs!

Then dont eat.

Leos eyes darted around. With a huff, he hopped off his chair and ran out of the room.

I sighed. I hadnt wanted to go scorched-earth, but the kid was pushing his luck.

I put down my fork, called the nanny, and grabbed a trash bag. It was time to raid Leos hidden snack stashes.

We caught him red-handed, crouched by his bed, butt in the air, happily munching on a bag of potato chips.

As he watched his precious snacks disappear one by one into the black trash bag, his little hands trembled. Youre fighting dirty!

I ignored him.

Seeing that resistance was futile, Leo frantically shoved the last of the chips in his hand into his mouth, chewing for dear life.

He breathed a sigh of relief when I left his room. He didnt expect me to head straight for the media room and his small study.

The kid was clever, Ill give him that. He knew not to keep all his eggs in one basket.

But Id pulled the same tricks when I was his age.

This time, Leo completely fell apart.

Waaaah, spare my snacks, Im begging you!

My limited-edition snack box! I saved my allowance for so long to buy it, I hadn't even opened it yet!

Take my life, but don't take my snacks!

My snacks! How will I live without you, my snacks!

The tears were real now. He wiped his eyes, his cries turning into small, hitching sobs.

Hahahaha, watching the little fatty cry is kind of fun. Hes actually cute.

I usually hate it when kids cry, but Leos sobs are quiet, not like those ear-splitting shrieks other kids do. I would have bailed by now otherwise.

Replying to the above: Kids wail like that to get sympathy from adults. Is it possible that Leo subconsciously knows the transmigrator wasnt his real mom

Whoa, upstairs. Thats dark when you think about it.

I knelt and pulled him into a hug, patting his back gently. I explained that I was just confiscating the snacks for safekeeping, not throwing them away. If he ate his meals properly, he could have them back eventually.

He instantly stopped crying. He leaned his head against my shoulder, his little hand clutching the hem of my shirt. In a tiny voice, he whispered, Mommy?

I felt my heart squeeze. I answered him softly.

Yes. Im here, baby.

6

After the Great Snack Confiscation, Leo became surprisingly obedient.

But he couldnt seem to kick the habit of trying to sneak treats. In just two days, we engaged in a silent war of wits that felt like it had three hundred rounds.

Finally, I brought out my secret weapon.

I proposed a new deal to Leo. If he really wanted to eat a snack, he could. But for every calorie he consumed, he had to burn it off.

At first, Leo was unfazed and readily agreed.

That evening, during our walk, I wheeled out a wiggle car.

Leo thought Id bought it for him and excitedly thanked me. His face fell when he saw me sit on it myself. Then he magnanimously declared that it was okay, Mommy could play with it first.

I just smiled, taking a belt and a length of rope and fastening a makeshift harness around his little body.

Leo looked at me, confused.

Today, I said sweetly, you ate two bags of chips, one ice cream bar, a bag of Takis, two pieces of chocolate, and a cupcake. I did the math, and a simple walk isnt going to burn all that off. So, how about we engage in a fun and loving parent-child activity?

Thats right.

The parent-child activity was me, sitting on the wiggle car, while Leo pulled me from the front.

But Im just a kid!

Hmm. Well, its either the fun activity or the snacks. Your choice.

Leo said nothing.

Leo put his head down and started pulling.

Leos face became a living emoji of exhaustion.

7

After the weekend, the nanny took Leo to kindergarten.

With some time to myself, I logged on to check the companys financial status.

It was a tech firm Cole and I had started together. He was the genius behind the code; I handled public relations and marketing. Cole was a classic introvert, never comfortable with networking or schmoozing.

I was surprised to see that in the past five years, he had managed to grow the company exponentially. Even the dividends from my own shares had multiplied several times over.

A wave of relief washed over me. It meant that even if things between us went to the worst-case scenario, I had the capital to start over on my own terms.

I spent the morning catching up on five years of market changes, researching potential investment opportunities.

Just then, my phone rang.

Leo Harrisons parent?

Leo assaulted another child at school. The other parent is already here. Please come to the school immediately.

The comments flared to life.

Here we go, here we go! The classic face-slapping plot point, part one.

Could it be a misunderstanding? After all the work shes put in, would Leo really act out like that again?

No misunderstanding. I saw the whole thing. Leo did it on purpose. Hes just a bad seed.

When is this whole family going to be written out of the story? Theyre so annoying. But I guess having him bully the female leads daughter is one way to get him into real trouble.

That fat little punk thinks his familys money makes him hot stuff. He has no idea the male lead is an heir to a New York fortune. The second he comes looking for his girl, hell bankrupt their little company in a heartbeat.

My eyebrows shot up. I quietly filed that last piece of information away.

8

When I arrived, Leo was standing in a corner, head bowed.

Across the room, a graceful woman was holding a little girl, comforting her in a soft voice.

To prevent any arguments, the teacher immediately played the security footage. Assault was a strong word, but Leo had definitely pushed the girl.

I crouched down in front of my son.

Did this little girl say something mean to you?

Leo looked at me and shook his head.

Did she do something to hurt you where the teachers couldnt see?

He thought for a moment, then shook his head again.

Dont bother asking, lady. The female leads daughter was just playing with her toys. Your fat kid went over to talk to her, she ignored him, so he pushed her. That kind of kid is just ugh.

Does anyone else feel that helpless frustration of wanting to slap someone through the screen?

Kids got a father but no mother to raise him right. If he were my kid, Id give him a couple of smacks right here to let off some steam.

Even though the ghostly commentators were laying out the entire story for me, I insisted on asking him myself. Why did you push her?

Leo turned his head away, refusing to look at me.

I gently stroked his hair and didn't press him further. Instead, I walked over to the other mother. I apologized sincerely and said that we would cover all the medical expenses, any related costs, and compensate her for her missed work.

The woman, who had seemed ready for a fight, visibly relaxed. She probably assumed that a child with his reputation would have an equally difficult parent. My earnest apology seemed to disarm her.

9

I signed Leo out of school for the afternoon. Before we left, the teacher pulled me aside.

Mrs. Harrison, Im not trying to be a tattletale, but this isnt the first time Leo has been aggressive with other children. In the past, it was always with other boys, and you know how they can be. A few bumps and bruises are normal. Youd send the nanny, and Id let it go. But this time hes moved on to bullying a little girl. And as you saw, the poor thing didnt do anything to provoke him.

She sighed, her expression a mix of frustration and pity. I know you parents are busy, but once you have a child, you have to be responsible for them.



When I came out of the office, Leo was waiting for me, his lower lip caught between his teeth. He probably expected me to yell at him, but I said nothing.

Even when we got home, I acted as if nothing had happened.

It was Leo who was a wreck, full of nervous energy. Every few minutes, he would run over to where I was sitting just to look at me.

At dinner, there was no more fighting. He dutifully ate his food in the proper order: vegetables, protein, then carbs.

During our evening walk, he offered meekly to pull the wiggle car again.

I refused. I told him his calorie intake for the day wasnt over the limit, so no strenuous exercise was needed.

He just hung his head and mumbled, Oh.

Seeing him like this, I felt a sense of relief.

It proved that my son was not a lost cause.

10

Sure enough, a little while later, he came over and tugged on my sleeve.

You youre not going to yell at me? About today.

I looked at him and spoke softly. I believe in my son. I dont want to wrongly accuse you before I know the reason. Even if everyone else says it was your fault, I still want to hear your side of the story. With me, at least, you will always have the first right to explain.

The moment the words left my mouth, Leo burst into tears.

He threw himself into my arms, sobbing apologies. He told me he really didnt mean to do it, that he just wanted the little girl, Lily, to notice him and play with him.

He confessed that the other kids at school all called him names. They said he was fat and mean, like Dudley Dursley from Harry Potter. Only Lily never called him that.

Through his tears, Leo choked out the story.

Im not Dudley. I didnt hit anyone. They started it by calling me names. I just wanted them to stop, so I tried to act tough. I just wanted to play with Lily, I didnt know she would fall I was wrong. Im sorry, Im sorry to Lily.

The comments reappeared.

Just like the heroines daughter! So sweet and kind! A true little angel!

Hahahaha, Dudley! Thats perfect. His classmates are brutal.

You think thats funny? Calling names is bullying. People who havent been through it just dont get that feeling of powerlessness, where the more you tell them to stop, the more they do it.

I actually get it. This is like that broken plate test. The moment Leo got provoked, he confirmed their narrative that he was just a fat bully. Sometimes, little kids are the cruelest people of all.

11

A dull ache spread through my chest.

I waited until Leos sobs subsided before I started to reason with him. I explained that whether Lily wanted to play with him or not was her choice, her freedom. He shouldnt have tried to get her attention by pushing her after she ignored him.

Seeing his confused expression, I tried a different approach. Its like when the other kids call you Dudley. You told them you dont like it, but they didnt listen. They even turned it into a joke and tried to force you to accept it. That made you unhappy. It made you feel like they were being mean, right?

I continued, Thats the feeling of not being respected.

Did you, without meaning to, do the same thing to Lily today that those kids did to you?

Leo was quiet for a long time, thinking. A sad, guilty look crossed his face as he nodded. He promised he wouldnt do it again.

I gently pushed on. So, what should you do tomorrow?

Ill go apologize to Lily.

And what if she doesnt accept your apology?

He looked up at me, his expression certain. Its her choice not to accept my apology. I wont bother her anymore. Ill just try my best to be better, and wait for her to forgive me.

As I stroked his head, he bit his lip and added in a small voice, Mommy, I feel really bad about what I did to Lily. I want to make it up to her. Can I?

12

The next day, for the first time ever, I agreed to let Leo take his limited-edition snack box to kindergarten.

Just as he was about to leave, I called him back.

I told him that if anyone called him Dudley again, he needed to tell them, clearly and seriously, that he didnt like it. And then he needed to tell the teacher that their words were hurting his feelings.

He looked down at his shoes. What if they dont listen to me?

You will have done everything you needed to do. The rest is their problem. Their parents problem. Dont ever look for fault in yourself because of someone elses bad behavior. Thats a fools game.

The commentary feed approved.

YES! Thats exactly it. You call me a name, I tell you I dont like it, you do it again? That means youre the one whos stupid and has no manners. It has nothing to do with me.

What a great way to separate the issues. No internalizing. I love it.

Im kind of jealous of the mini-villain. The original is such a gentle mom

Am I the only one who thinks Leo is just scamming her for snacks?



As Leo walked into his classroom, he kept looking back at me over his shoulder. I gave him an encouraging smile.

I watched him hand the snack box to Lily, then take two steps back and offer a formal, little bow of apology.

Then, I turned and walked toward the administrative office.

My son had done his part.

The rest was up to his mother.



In the weeks that followed, the smiles on Leos face became much more frequent. Even his temper seemed to have mellowed.

He told me the teacher had spoken sternly to the children who were calling names. Now, no one in the class did it anymore.

Lily had forgiven him. She even gave him a small bag of homemade cookies as a thank-you gift.

13

Before I knew it, the day of Coles return arrived.

That night, I was asleep in my roomour room. In the deep darkness, a pair of hands suddenly clamped around my throat.

A low, furious voice hissed in my ear.

How did you get in here? Did your System crack the code? Didnt I tell you never to come near my room?

I recognized Coles voice instantly.

Without thinking, my hand flew up and I slapped him across the face.

The sharp crack echoed in the silent room.

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