I Became the Villainess So I Struck First Chapter 03

I Became the Villainess So I Struck First Chapter 03

I spent three hours gathering all necessary supplies.

A tactical jacket, hiking boots, quick-dry clothes, gloves, knee pads—I put on everything I could, stuffing the rest into my hiking bag. Various blades took up most of the space, leaving only a small corner for food.

Last life I had no superpower, and I doubted I’d get one this time. To kill Elena, I needed to be fully prepared.

An hour before the earthquake, I drove east toward the city’s stadium. Last life, it had been the city’s main shelter.

The car radio blared reports of sudden disasters across the region. Amid the numbing numbers, I suddenly recalled how I’d been trapped under rubble for six hours after the earthquake last life. When rescuers pulled me out, my left leg was broken, useless. Someone carried me to the stadium and dumped me in a corner, ignoring me entirely.

I lay there, staring at the flickering lights above, listening to the cries and moans around me, feeling utterly hopeless.

Then Ethan came.

By then, he’d just awakened his wind ability. He’d killed countless zombies and saved many lives, a hero in the shelter.

“Lila!” He helped me up, his eyes red. “You scared me to death. I thought you were…”

I clung to him, sobbing. Back then, I’d thought he’d come to save me.

Later, I learned he’d just been passing by.

Behind him stood a girl in a white dress—pale skin, big eyes, looking delicate and helpless. She huddled behind Ethan, staring at me timidly.

“This is Elena, the girl I rescued,” Ethan said. “Funny enough, she’s your junior at school.”

Elena gave me a sweet smile.

A knot formed in my chest, but I said nothing.

After that, she was always by Ethan’s side.

When Ethan distributed food, she was there. When he stood watch at night, she was there too. When he talked to others, she would listen nearby, chiming in now and then to steer the conversation toward herself.

“Ethan, you’re amazing.”

“Ethan, you’re so kind to me.”

“Ethan, I’d be dead without you……”

Ethan listened, a smile playing on his lips.

I watched, silent.

Until that night.

I came down with a high fever and drifted off. In my dream, my mother stood at the door of our old house, waving at me, the family heirloom pendant around her neck.

“Lila, keep the pendant safe—never lose it.”

I jolted awake, instinctively touching my neck. It was empty.

I scrambled on the floor, rummaging through the crowd, frantic.

Ethan was woken by my movements. He frowned, asking what was wrong.

“The pendant! My mom’s pendant—it’s gone!”

“It’s just a pendant, Lila. It’s the middle of the night—let it go if it’s lost.”

“It was my mom’s!”

“I know, but this is the apocalypse. Your life matters most.”

Gritting my teeth, I kept searching.

Then I saw it—in Elena’s hand.

She held the pendant, twisting it to catch the light.

“Give it back,” I rushed over, reaching for it.

She stepped back, looking innocent. “What’s wrong?”

“That’s my mom’s pendant!”

“Yours?” She blinked. “I found it on the floor. Do you have proof it’s yours?”

“I’ve worn it for eighteen years! There’s a chip on the bottom right—it broke when I dropped it as a kid.”

“That still doesn’t prove it’s yours.”

I trembled with rage, lunging for the pendant.

She screamed, stepping back and slamming into a pillar. The pendant slipped from her hand, hitting the concrete floor with a crack, leaving a white mark.

“What are you doing!” Ethan rushed over, shoving me hard.

I fell to the ground, my head hitting the corner of the wall. Stars exploded in my vision.

“Have you lost your mind, Lila?” He shielded Elena, his voice as cold as ice. “It’s just a pendant. Was that really necessary?”

“It was my mom’s!”

“She said she found it! Elena didn’t do it on purpose! She’d give it back if you asked nicely—why did you attack her?”

Elena huddled in his arms, eyes glistening with tears as she looked at me. “I’m sorry, Lila. I didn’t know it was yours…… I’ll give it back now……”

She held out the pendant, her hand shaking violently.

Ethan covered her hand. “Don’t. With her temper, she’ll only hurt you once she has it.”

I froze.

“Ethan……”

“That’s enough.” He didn’t even glance at me. “Go back to sleep. We’ll talk about the pendant tomorrow.”

My fever broke that night, but I never fell asleep again.

The next day, Elena came down with a high fever.

It was severe—she slipped into a coma. Ethan stayed by her side, never leaving.

Elena had been helping treat the sick and distribute food at the shelter, earning great respect. Speculation that she’d been “harmed” grew louder and louder.

Ethan slapped me for the first time, accusing me of intentionally infecting Elena.

Everyone around me stared with open hostility, shouting that someone as malicious as me should be thrown out to keep me from harming others. And I had no way to defend myself.