I'm done chasing you

"Declan?"

Why was he here?

What was he doing here?

Had Hara forgotten some crucial detail from the story?

She folded her arms and frowned, trying to remember.

Before she could figure it out, the maid spoke again.

"Young Lady, Master Declan is here to pick you up."

The moment Hara heard those words, her eyes widened in realization.

Right.

Every morning in the novel, Declan—the male lead who never wanted the fiancée that had been forced upon him—came to pick Hara up for school.

It was one of the many things that slowly destroyed their relationship.

Hara wasn't happy about seeing those people every single day.

If possible, she wanted to stay as far away from them as she could.

Her plan was simple.

She would keep her distance, secretly observe everything, uncover the truth behind every scheme, expose the real culprit, and clear Hara's name in her father's eyes.

In this world, having someone powerful on her side was necessary.

Even if her father wasn't good at expressing his feelings, without him, life would become much harder.

Despite everyone rejecting the original Hara because of her appearance and body size, her father had never abandoned her.

He had given her a beautiful room.

A comfortable place to live.

At the very least, he hadn't allowed his new wife to drive her into some forgotten basement.

That alone proved he still cared in his own way.

"Tell Master Declan I'll be down after I get dressed. He can wait for me."

Hara could already imagine the annoyed expression on his face.

He probably wouldn't be happy about waiting.

"Yes, Young Lady."

The maid bowed respectfully before leaving the room.

Once she was gone, Hara headed to the bathroom to freshen up before getting dressed for school.

She deliberately took her time.

If waiting for her irritated Declan, then so be it.

When she finally finished dressing, she stood before the mirror.

She wore her school uniform neatly, with a pink cardigan trimmed in pastel white over it.

The color suited her surprisingly well.

She stared at her reflection before gently pinching her own cheeks.

Seriously...

How could anyone hate a face like this?

Declan really didn't know what he was missing.

Chubby girls gave the best hugs.

The thought made Hara laugh softly.

She walked over to the window and peeked outside.

A black SUV was parked in front of the mansion.

Declan stood beside it with his usual cold expression, clearly growing impatient.

The other four Alpha heirs were chatting among themselves as they waited.

"Well..."

A small smile appeared on Hara's lips.

"It's time for this villainess to change her fate."

With that, she left her room and headed downstairs.

Inside the dining room, her father was quietly eating breakfast while her stepmother sat beside him.

"Oh, Hara. You're awake."

Her stepmother smiled warmly and reached for Hara's hand.

To anyone watching, it looked like a loving interaction between a mother and daughter.

Only Hara could feel the woman's fingers tightening around her hand until her skin turned red.

She simply smiled back.

She refused to react.

If she complained now, everyone would believe she was falsely accusing her stepmother again.

Like mother, like daughter.

The mother schemed.

The daughter learned well.

"Good morning, Stepmom."

Instead of pulling away, Hara leaned forward and lightly kissed her on the cheek.

Her stepmother froze.

Her body stiffened as though she had seen a ghost.

Even Hara's father looked over in surprise before smiling.

"Hara, you seem to have woken up on the right side of the bed today."

Hara walked over to him and kissed him on the cheek as well.

"Good morning, Daddy."

The original Hara had stopped showing affection toward her father long ago.

She had convinced herself that he no longer loved her.

But after inheriting Hara's memories, she realized that wasn't entirely true.

Her father wasn't a heartless man.

He was simply awkward when it came to expressing his feelings.

After losing his first mate, he had thrown himself into work and focused on providing Hara with everything she needed.

Money.

A comfortable home.

A good education.

Everything except emotional affection.

That misunderstanding had only grown over the years.

"Sweetheart, have breakfast before you leave."

Hara smiled apologetically.

"No, Daddy. I'll eat at the school cafeteria. Declan is already waiting for me. I shouldn't keep him waiting any longer."

"All right."

Her father reached into his wallet and handed her three hundred dollars.

"Take this. Buy whatever you want."

"Thank you, Dad."

Hara smiled brightly and wrapped him in a quick hug.

No one had ever casually handed her three hundred dollars before.

This man really was generous.

He might not be good at showing affection...

But he cared.

After saying goodbye, Hara walked toward the front door.

As she left, she caught the brief frown that crossed her stepmother's face before it disappeared beneath another gentle smile.

Outside, the black SUV was already waiting.

Declan stood beside the driver's door with his usual cold expression. The other four Alpha heirs were already inside, chatting among themselves.

Hara walked toward the SUV.

Out of habit, she reached for the front passenger door.

Then she paused.

That seat...

It had always belonged to the original Hara.

She no longer intended to act like the lovestruck fiancée who chased after Declan every chance she got.

Without another thought, she opened the rear door instead and climbed into the back seat.

The spacious interior instantly fell silent.

Declan looked at her through the rearview mirror, surprise flashing across his eyes before his expression turned cold again.

"What kept you?" he asked. "You made all of us wait."

Hara met his gaze calmly.

"Declan, we're only going to school, not on our honeymoon."

She shrugged lightly.

"And since I seem to be causing everyone trouble, I'll stop riding with you from now on."

She leaned back comfortably against her seat.

"Today will be the last day I ride to school with you."

The moment those words left her mouth, the entire car fell silent.

No one expected that answer.

After a few moments, Declan finally looked away without saying another word.

The SUV slowly pulled away from the mansion.

Hara could feel several pairs of eyes fixed on her.

Who was staring?

She didn't care.

They could look all they wanted.

From today onward, she wasn't going to revolve her life around Declan anymore.

The ride to Silvercrest Academy wasn't very long.

During the journey, no one spoke.

The silence inside the SUV was almost suffocating.

Hara simply looked out the window, quietly organizing everything she knew about the story.

The original Hara had spent years trying to win Declan's affection.

She followed him everywhere.

She always insisted on sitting beside him.

She constantly looked for chances to talk to him.

None of it had changed his feelings.

If anything, it had only pushed him further away.

Hara wasn't interested in repeating the same mistakes.

She had no intention of chasing after a man who clearly didn't want her.

Survival came first.

Everything else could wait.

A few minutes later, the SUV rolled through the academy gates before coming to a smooth stop.

The driver stepped out and opened the rear door.

Before Hara could move, another hand reached the handle from outside.

The door swung open.

Ryan stood there with one hand resting on the door.

His sharp eyes were fixed directly on her.

The intensity of his gaze sent goosebumps across Hara's skin.

Among the five Alpha heirs, Ryan was the biggest flirt.

He was also one of the star players on Silvercrest Academy's hockey team.

The original Hara had always believed he hated her.

He loved teasing her.

He often pinched her cheeks, pulled at them, and laughed whenever she became flustered.

Thanks to years of misunderstanding, Hara had accepted it as bullying.

Even after reading the novel, that was exactly what she had believed too.

Without saying anything, Hara stepped out of the SUV.

The moment all five Alpha heirs appeared, the academy entrance erupted into cheers.

"It's Declan!"

"Ryan is here!"

"The hockey team!"

Students immediately gathered around them, excitedly calling out their names.

Hara ignored the commotion and started walking toward the academy building.

Suddenly—

Someone ran straight toward her.

Long golden hair fluttered behind the girl as she closed the distance.

Viana.

She threw her arms around Hara in an enthusiastic hug.

"Big Sister!"

The moment Viana's arms wrapped around her, every hair on Hara's body stood on end.

Her smile almost cracked.

This wasn't affection.

This wasn't a loving embrace.

This...

...was the beginning of another scheme.

A chill ran down her spine.

The novel.

She remembered this scene.

Every time Viana acted especially affectionate in public...

Hara always ended up taking the blame for something she hadn't done.

Hara slowly looked down at the girl clinging to her.

What are you planning this time, Viana?