Chapter 1

I know my boss is the villainous second lead.

She is conceited, she is malicious, and she is a total bully.

But I still can't bring myself to leave her.

Simply put, she pays me way too much.

1

After waking up inside a novel, I found myself as the secretary to the resident villainess.

In the original story, she was a nightmare who did nothing but torment the innocent, sweet-but-clueless female lead. When I first read the book, I wanted to jump into the pages and strangle her.

But now that I'm actually here, staring at the six-figure monthly salary hitting my bank account, I've decided to be the most dedicated employee in history.

The villainess―no, the secondary lead―no, my most respected boss, was currently pacing and muttering to herself.

"What should I donate to the charity gala next month? Garrison better not bring that Serenity girl again."

"Zoe, help me out here. I need to make a grand entrance that will leave everyone speechless."

Zoe is me.

Garrison Miller is the CEO and the male lead of this over-the-top romance.

Serenity Rivers is the female lead.

In the original plot, my respected boss donated a third of her company's capital just to get that arrogant CEO's attention.

To her surprise, Garrison only mocked her, calling her a superficial spendthrift and telling her to learn some humility from Serenity.

My boss, Vivienne Sterling, blew a fuse and ordered her assistant―me―to teach that little brat a lesson.

That led to Garrison's retaliation, the company's bankruptcy, and Vivienne ending up homeless on the streets.

This charity gala was the exact point where her life started spiraling down the drain.

I bit my lip and walked a slow circle around Vivienne.

She came from an elite family, grew up with piano and ballet, had a killer figure, porcelain skin, and hair that looked like it belonged in a shampoo commercial.

Thinking about such a gorgeous, high-maintenance woman becoming a street person made my heart ache, so I instinctively gave her a hug.

"What are you doing?"

Vivienne pushed me away, looking confused. "I asked for an idea, why are you hugging me?"

Oops. I got too caught up in my thoughts and lost control for a second.

I quickly made up an excuse. "I was just... checking how soft you were, boss. What if Mr. Miller gets overwhelmed with emotion and wants to hug you?"

Vivienne's face turned bright red. "What on earth are you talking about?"

An employee earning a hundred grand a month needs to earn her keep.

I stepped into my role as a professional strategist. "Come on, boss. Let's head to the conference room and draft a real business proposal."

Vivienne looked stunned. "..."

Even though I used to be a fan of the original couple in the real world, my life motto is strictly 'look out for number one.' Wherever I am, I have to survive first.

Right now, that means keeping Vivienne's company afloat so I don't lose my meal ticket.

I dragged Vivienne to the planning office.

"What are you doing?"

Vivienne was getting annoyed. "I told you to help me get Garrison's attention, not to make me pull overtime."

"You don't get it, do you?" My brain was working at high speed. "Think about it. What does Serenity have that you don't? Is she richer? More beautiful? Why is he obsessed with her?"

"Because she's... different from every other girl he knows."

"Exactly, boss! So at the charity gala, you need to be different too. While everyone else is just throwing money or jewelry at the problem, you're going to present a unique, sustainable charity project. When the media starts praising your brilliance, Garrison won't be able to ignore you even if he tries."

In the original book, she wore the most expensive dress and donated a fortune, only to be mocked by Garrison for being "out of touch with reality."

Vivienne hesitated. "Will that really work?"

"We won't know until we try, right?"

Money talks.

With one order from Vivienne, hundreds of professional charity proposals landed on her desk like a blizzard.

When she actually focused, Vivienne looked like a completely different person―a sharp, elite girlboss.

"Exquisite! Absolutely high-class!"

I pulled a folder from the mountain of paperwork. "This is the one."

We went over the details and polished the plan together.

As we finalized it, she looked skeptical. "This feels... kind of cheap."

"Boss, think about it. Winning a standing ovation without spending a dime is the ultimate power move. It's unique, it's bold, it's bright."

I kept coaxing her. "How much have you spent on Garrison already? Has it worked? No. So let's try the free approach for once."

She nodded, half-convinced, and we headed out to a high-end steakhouse for dinner.

As the server approached our table, she suddenly let out a small "Ah!"

The girl was in a standard waitress uniform, hair in a ponytail, clutching a menu.

Her face was pale, her lips pressed together, and she stared at Vivienne as if she'd been horribly wronged, yet was stubbornly holding back tears.

Before I could even process what was happening, the girl was pulled into a broad, protective embrace.

"Vivienne Sterling! Is Serenity working a part-time job as a waitress offensive to you now?"

Hearing that name made my whole body stiffen.

Good lord. Serenity Rivers. Even her name sounded like a typical romance heroine.

And the blind, biased man jumping to conclusions... that had to be the male lead, Garrison Miller.