The Villainess Read The Comments Chapter 07

The Villainess Read The Comments Chapter 07

I dragged myself back to the Sterling house around noon. Mrs. Sterling had texted asking where I’d gone, and I told her I was at my parents‘ place. 

She asked if I’d be back for lunch. I’d assumed Mom would at least feed me before kicking me out, so I told her I’d be back for dinner. Mom kicked me out before I even had a chance to 

sit down. 

I texted Mrs. Sterling on the way back, but she didn’t reply. The kitchen always made extra for lunch anyway, so at least I wouldn’t starve. 

I pushed the door open and froze. The house was full of people – Arthur’s grandfather, his aunts, basically the whole 

extended family. 

But the thing that stopped me cold was the girl sitting on the couch. She was dressed simply – nothing flashy – but she radiated warmth, the kind of effortless brightness that lit up a 

room. 

And she’d already had Arthur’s grandfather laughing like I’d never seen him laugh. 

So this was the legendary FL. 

Arthur’s grandfather had never smiled like that around me 

the man could barely stand me. Every time I visited, he threw 

thinly veiled jabs about how I was too wild, too loud, too 

much. 

Mrs. Sterling always shut him down – she’d been close with Arthur’s late grandmother, and that gave her leverage. 

Especially after the old man tried to marry a woman thirty years younger and Mrs. Sterling tore him apart so badly he never brought it up again. 

Whenever the old man went after me, Arthur used to take my hand under the table, lead me back to our room, and let me hide out in there while he went out on his own. 

I used to think that was his way of protecting me. Now I figured he’d probably agreed with every word. 

(FINALLY the FL is here!! The ML was actually smiling when he talked to her just now – like, genuinely gentle?? But why is the side character suddenly being all mature and talking to her parents about the breakup? Is this supposed to be a 

redemption arc or something?] 

[Probably just playing hard to get. Thank God Grandpa’s team FL- because with Mrs. Sterling being so biased toward the side character, how else would the ML ever end up with the right girl?] 

[Honestly, Mrs. Sterling’s kind of annoying too. How did the ML’s dad end up marrying someone like her?] 

Mrs. Sterling had been nothing but good to me – that was a fact. These commenters dragging her name through the mud were crossing a line. She was genuinely kind – even the staff adored her. The commenters were trash. 

“Are you kidding me?!” I snapped–out loud, at the comments, like an idiot – before I remembered the entire living room was full of people. I slapped a hand over my 

mouth. 

Too late. Every head in the room turned toward me. But Mrs. 

Sterling just broke into a smile and waved. 

“Chloe! Get over here I’ve been waiting forever. Good thing I told the kitchen to make extra, or you’d be going hungry.” 

Arthur’s grandfather scoffed. “Some people are always gallivanting around. My grandson deserves better than that. Now Harper here – she’s a real lady. Wouldn’t you say so, 

Arthur?” 

I looked at Arthur. He and Harper Hayes were the only two on 

the long couch – but he was sitting as far away from her as possible, a careful gap between them. Being a gentleman, probably. 

His eyes found mine across the room, and my chest tightened. What was he going to say? Would he side with his grandfather – like I now suspected he secretly always had? 

Nobody else in that room knew it, but Arthur and I both 

understood – this engagement was over. He didn’t answer his grandfather. He just stood up and walked toward me.