1 Too Late!

The last thing Claire saw before closing her eyes was when Robert, her boyfriend who was caught cheating on her with her own best friend, pushed her off the balcony of her 15th floor apartment. With her heart churning with anger, Claire thought that she would die with a vengeful heart. 

However, she was surprised when she opened her eyes again. It was just the fact that she had transmigrated into a stranger's body that made her anxious at the moment. 

"Where is this?" How could Claire not be surprised when she opened her eyes and saw that the interior around her was completely different from what was in her world. 

From a distance Claire heard the sound of scurrying footsteps coming towards her. 

"Miss! You're finally awake," said a girl who appeared to be wearing a long maid outfit. 

Claire blinked her eyes several times as she couldn't believe what she was seeing at the moment. "It seems like my eyes are getting worse lately. Why is there someone cosplaying as a maid here?" muttered Claire while rubbing her eyes. 

"Miss Shirley, what are you saying? Does your body still hurt?" The maid looked worried as she saw her lady mumbling incoherently after fainting for three days. 

Claire's brain kicked in as she heard the maid call her Shirley, instantly remembering someone with the same name. "What did you call me?" Still feeling incredulous at how the maid called her Claire wanted to confirm. 

"M-miss Shirley?" The maid looked timid as she answered Shirley's question. 

"You mean Shirley Estelle?" Without waiting for the maid's reply Claire got off the bed and ran to find a mirror in the room. 

Claire's knees went weak as she looked at her current appearance in the mirror. Claire knew exactly whose face was reflected in the mirror right now, one thing for sure was that it wasn't hers. "Damn it! I really transmigrated into the body of this damn villain!" Claire roared in her heart as she realised that she had taken over Shirley Winona Estelle's body. 

Before she died, Claire was happily reading online novels in her spare time when her boyfriend suddenly cancelled their appointment. And Shirley was one of the villainess of her favourite fantasy romance novel called The Curse of Love. 

Now Claire remembered that the maid from before was Ivy, the maid who served Shirley all this time. Right now in the reflection of the mirror Claire could see that Shirley was very beautiful with seductive red hair, not to forget her pale white skin that contrasted with the colour of her hair which added to Shirley's beauty.

For a moment Claire was transfixed while looking at her face in the mirror. Until she didn't realise that Ivy was already rushing at her with a frightened look. 

"Oh my, Miss! It looks like you really hurt your head this time, I'll call a doctor!" Ivy was very scared at the moment as she saw Shirley's increasingly strange behaviour. 

Instantly Shirley came to her senses and immediately stopped Ivy, "No need! I'm fine, just a little tired," Shirley said quickly while holding back Ivy's arm that was about to leave.

"Are you sure about that, Miss?" Still not believing Shirley's words, Ivy tried to confirm them. 

Shirley sighed softly and slowly stood back up, she didn't realise she had fallen down in front of the mirror, it was only fitting that Ivy was surprised like that because the real Shirley wouldn't do something like that. 

It seemed like Claire had to start acting like the real Shirley so that she wouldn't be suspected by the others. 

"You better prepare some water for me," Shirley said flatly as she waved her hand to shoo Ivy out of her room. 

Not wanting to make Shirley angry, Ivy quickly nodded and waltzed away from Shirley's room to prepare her lady's needs, it would be very serious if she made Shirley angry, the consequences would be very severe if she made Shirley angry. 

For a moment Shirley could see a glimpse of fear in Ivy's gaze at her, it seemed that the real Shirley often acted maliciously and treated the people around her as she pleased as described in the novel. 

"Looks like from now on my life is going to be complicated," muttered Shirley while holding her head which was starting to get dizzy at the thought that she was currently in the world of the novel. 

Shirley chose to lie back down on her soft bed as she waited for Ivy to call her again.

"I don't have time to relax. Shirley will eventually die in the novel, if I want to continue living, then I have to think of a way to survive!" Shirley clenched her fists, determined to save the tragic fate she had gotten in the novel. 

Somehow it felt like Shirley had forgotten something very important, but she couldn't remember what it was. And just then Shirley saw that Ivy had returned to help her clean up. 

. . . 

While soaking in the bathtub Shirley realised that it seemed like there was nothing wrong with her enjoying the good life like this, before she had to work all week to support herself and her sister. 

"At least let me enjoy this luxurious life for a moment," Shirley muttered as she closed her eyes, enjoying her soak time. 

However, as if not wanting to let Shirley enjoy her luxurious life, Shirley heard the sound of footsteps hurriedly entering the bathroom, which bothered her greatly. 

"Why did you come in here without my permission, Ivy?" Shirley said still with her eyes closed, already knowing that the only person who dared to disturb her was Ivy. 

"I-I'm sorry, Miss. But, it's an emergency," Ivy's reply began to tremble. She didn't really want to disturb Shirley either, but the current situation was an emergency.

"Emergency? What kind of emergency is it until you choose to upset me like this?" Shirley finally opened her eyes and looked at Ivy sharply, asking her maid to explain what she had just said. 

"One of the knights told me that the young man you placed in the lodge was causing trouble." With one breath Ivy explained what had happened to Shirley, prepared for Shirley to yell at her. 

Just then Shirley's face turned to horror, finally remembering something important that she had forgotten before. It seemed like the real Shirley had done that forbidden thing. 

Yes, the real Shirley had kidnapped the Janice family's youngest son Noah to threaten Thalia – the female lead in the original novel – who had usurped the love of her fiancé Victor – the male lead in the original novel – which is how Shirley would end up dying a horrible death at the hands of the two leads. 

Shirley froze in place, "It's too late..." Shirley thought as she realised that she had kidnapped Noah.