Chapter 1 Chapter 1 Woke Up as the Villainess and Got Slapped

Lilah Hart snapped awake from a harsh slap.

Her left cheek burned like fire, and her ears buzzed painfully. She instinctively covered her face with one hand.

"Sign it. Then get the hell out of the Wallace house. From now on, you're no longer Aiden's mother."

Gabriel Wallace's cold, emotionless voice cut through the air like a knife, the divorce papers hitting the floor with a loud thud right next to her.

Lilah blinked hard, her vision struggling to focus. Then she saw him-his face was devastatingly handsome, but all sharp edges, not a shred of warmth.

He stood above her, looking down like she disgusted him. Pure contempt flared in his eyes.

She opened her mouth to speak, but before a word came out, a tidal wave of chaotic memories crashed into her mind.

No way.

She had just been the CEO of a listed company, dominating the financial world with ruthless strategy, and now she'd died in a car crash... only to transmigrate into some cliché CEO romance novel?

The book's title? *After the Divorce, the Tycoon Spoiled Me Silly*.

Gabriel was the male lead, and Verity Nolan, the female lead. And her? She'd landed in the body of his soon-to-be ex-wife-the most hated, irredeemable villainess of the entire damn story.

And this scene now? It was the turning point.

Verity had framed the original Lilah for pushing her down the stairs, and Gabriel had lost all faith in her, demanding a divorce.

Back then, the original Lilah had actually been dying to split up, so she signed the papers without hesitation.

But right after that? Verity sued her for assault.

She went straight to prison and ended up hanging herself in despair.

Her son, Aiden, didn't make it either.

The poor kid was timid to begin with. After she died, he was bullied to death by thugs that Verity *paid*.

Hell no.

She, Lilah, wasn't about to walk the same tragic path.

Pushing the pain in her face aside, she forced herself upright and grabbed Gabriel's arm.

"Wait!" Her voice was raw, but her tone was firm. "I didn't push her. There's security footage. Go check it."

Gabriel paused mid-step and turned his eyes on her-unreadable, heavy.

"Footage?" His lips curled with scorn. "Really, Lilah? Always with the excuses."

She stiffened.

Right... the original version of her had used up every last bit of Gabriel's patience.

Even if she was innocent this time, no one would believe her.

Still, she couldn't just let him go. Not like this. There had to be a way to fix it.

"Sign the papers, and I'll give you half of what I own. That's as generous as I'll be."

With that, Gabriel didn't spare her another look and walked off.

Just as Lilah made a move to go after him, someone stepped out from the shadows at the stairwell.

"Lily! Are you okay? Does it hurt?"

Verity rushed toward her, face full of concern. She looked delicate in her off-white cashmere sweater-like a fragile porcelain doll.

She glanced at the papers on the floor, a flash of satisfaction quickly masked by her teary expression.

"I know you didn't mean to," she said, voice soft but a little too eager. "Don't worry, I forgive you. Gabriel's just still angry..."

She picked up the divorce papers and shoved them back into Lilah's hands.

"Just sign them, Lily. Walk away cleanly and let it go, okay?"

Lilah stared at Verity's flawless, well-manicured hands.

Those hands had framed the original Lilah, ruined her life...

Those same hands had caused Aiden's death.

"Walk away cleanly?"

Lilah slowly lifted her head, eyes icy cold.

The look knocked the innocence right off Verity's face.

Lilah didn't hesitate. She raised her arm and, with every ounce of strength, slapped her across the face.

Smack-!A loud, sharp slap shattered the silence of the living room like thunder.

Verity staggered sideways, clutching her face with wide eyes full of disbelief.

"Who the hell were you saying 'forgive' to?"

Before she could respond, Lilah let out a cold, mocking laugh, her eyes dripping with contempt.

Compared to how the original Lilah ended up, that slap felt way too gentle.

"Ah-!" Verity finally let out a short scream, rage burning in her eyes like wildfire.

"Lilah, have you lost your mind?!"

Ignoring her, Lilah picked up the divorce papers from the floor, not even glancing Verity's way.

Rip-!

She gripped the thick stack of papers and tore them apart with both hands. Tiny white shreds fluttered to the ground like solemn snowflakes.

Under Verity's stunned gaze, Lilah raised a handful of the snowy fragments-then threw them right into her face.

Verity's face twisted in fury. No one had ever humiliated her like this. Her whole body trembled with anger.

"Gabriel's not gonna let you get away with this-"

"Shut it!" Lilah snapped, cutting her off as she stepped forward and yanked Verity's slim wrist hard.

Verity gasped in pain, her eyes flashing from anger to panic.

When did this lunatic start using brute force?!

Sensing danger, Verity struggled to pull free, but Lilah had zero intention of letting go-dragging her like she wasn't even human.

"What are you doing?! Let me go! Lilah, you psycho! Aaah-!"

The maids were frozen with shock. A few of them, who had been peeking from the kitchen, quickly backed away in fear.

"M-Ma'am..." An older maid tried to step forward but hesitated when Lilah's icy glare swept across the room like a knife.

That look sent chills crawling up her spine. She instinctively took a step back.

Clang!

Lilah yanked open the cluttered storage room door. The smell of dust, cleaning chemicals, and damp cardboard drifted out in a wave.

Without holding back, she shoved the still-struggling Verity inside.

"Lilah, you're insane! Let me out!" Verity screamed and banged furiously on the door.

But what she got in return was a crisp metallic click-slam. Locked.

The pounding and shouting quickly dulled into muffled noise behind the door.

Only then did Lilah slowly turn back around.

Her steps were steady as she walked upstairs. No drama or stomping-but the pressure she gave off was suffocating.

Downstairs, the staff exchanged horrified glances. Once they were sure the bedroom door had shut, they frantically ran to unlock the storage room.

Meanwhile, in the bedroom, Lilah stood in front of the mirror and barely recognized herself.

Pale skin, a swollen cheek, messy hair hanging over wrinkled loungewear.

But despite the disheveled look, her sharp, refined features still carried a hint of elegance.

She splashed a handful of cold water on her face and cleaned up quickly.

Walking into the luxurious wardrobe, her eyes scanned the racks before stopping on a cream-colored pantsuit. She changed fast, tied her hair up, and looked in the mirror once more-a polished, composed face stared back.

Lilah opened the bedroom door and walked out with unwavering steps.

Footsteps echoed from the staircase, drawing the attention of every maid who instinctively turned to look.

"Where's Gabriel?" Lilah asked calmly.

In the original storyline, it all spiraled after the original Lilah walked out of the Wallace house.

There's no way she was going down that road again.

She had to talk to Gabriel. Tell him the truth.

She didn't push Verity.

And no-she wasn't signing that divorce.