The Villianess story: A 100 ways to kill your husband Chapter 1: I became the Villainess

The morning sun was radiant, painting a perfect picture that was soon shattered by the escape attempt of Abrielle Nightshade, the sole heir to the holy Lord of Darconia.

Abrielle gripped the horse's reins tighter, urging her steed onward through the vast, unending grassland. Her sole aim was to reach the Dead Creek Forest ahead, beyond which she believed her pursuers would be unable to follow.

"Faster, Thunder, we must not let them catch me," she commanded, spurring the horse onward. It galloped, cutting through the wind. She closed her eyes against the bracing chill, which raised goosebumps on her skin. Despite never having ridden before, she found herself surprisingly adept.

The rhythmic pounding of hooves and the horse's spirited neighing filled the air as Abrielle closed in on her perceived freedom.

A radiant smile bloomed on her face as the foreboding Dead Creek Forest came into view. However, her moment of joy was cut short by a whistling sound as an arrow whizzed past her ear, grazing her skin.

The horse bolted as the arrow embedded itself in the ground before it. Abrielle's heart pounded as she glanced back, finding her pursuers alarmingly close.

Royal guards – how had they caught up so quickly? "Thunder, please run! I cannot go back," she cried. The horse, sensing its mistress's desperation, surged forward.

Abrielle forced herself not to look back, refusing to acknowledge the royal guard's presence. Yet, the thunderous gallop of their horses across the plain made it impossible to ignore.

"Halt, my lady! Stop running!" a guard shouted. But his words fell on deaf ears; she was never going back.

Unfortunately, the royal guards' steeds were expertly trained and were rapidly closing the distance. Abrielle tightened her grip on the reins. The forest loomed just ahead; escape into its depths meant crossing into Darconia's territory and securing her freedom.

She would no longer face death. Abrielle focused on her objective, blocking out the shouts, the whistling arrows, and the thundering pursuit. "We are almost there," she whispered, her breath catching in her throat as adrenaline coursed through her veins.

Mere meters from the forest, an arrow found its mark in Thunder's flank, eliciting a pained cry and a jump. "Oh no, Thunder, we can still make it," she cried, but the horse, crippled by pain, could go no further. Abrielle lost her balance, tumbling onto the grass as her beloved horse bolted away.

Undeterred, she ignored the sting of her fall and struggled to her feet. But before she could take a few steps, her pursuers surrounded her. "I am sorry, Lady Nightshade, but you have a wedding to attend."

Abrielle stared blankly at the guard, her hands clenched at her sides. She wondered how she had ended up in this predicament. Just yesterday, she had been overjoyed when her crush had finally asked her out.

****

It was the final day of the semester, and an air of excited anticipation filled the campus as the last exams concluded, ushering in the holiday break.

"Will you be able to come to Jeff's party tonight?" Kimberly asked her friend Hazel Walters, who seemed lost in thought. They had just exited their faculty building.

"I don't think so, I'm swamped with my part-time job," Hazel replied instantly. Even if she had wanted to attend, her looming deadline to submit over 100,000 words across her remaining chapters, with only three days left, left her no room for leisure.

"That's a shame," Kimberly sighed, then a new thought struck her. "By the way, did you know the movie adaptation of the popular novel, 'The Dragons and the Priestess,' is now in theaters?" Kim shared excitedly. Unbeknownst to her friend, Hazel was the acclaimed author, Midnight Queen, of that very bestseller, making her one of the most successful writers in the industry.

Her novel garnered a massive following, alongside a considerable number of detractors, primarily due to its captivating plot but brutal character development for the female lead. Hazel had even received death threats over the book, leading her to keep her authorship a closely guarded secret from the fandom.

"No, I..." Hazel began to respond, but a deafening roar of motorcycles interrupted her. Both friends' attention was immediately drawn to the approaching group of bikers. More specifically, their gaze fixed upon one individual – Lucian, the campus heartthrob.

Lucian was the object of affection for nearly every female student at the university, and Hazel was no exception. She was so captivated by his presence that she hadn't realized he was speeding directly towards her until he stopped right in front of her. He then removed his helmet, revealing his striking strawberry-blonde hair and emerald eyes.

"Hi Hazel," Lucian greeted, a grin stretching across his lips. Hazel was too struck dumb to offer a response until Kim gave her arm a sharp pinch, jolting her out of her stupor. "Are you talking to me?" she stammered, hardly daring to believe Lucian was addressing her. Her heart felt like it might leap from her chest. "You are Hazel, aren't you?" Lucian raised his brows, and a telltale blush crept onto her cheeks. He was indeed speaking to her. She could only offer a slow, hesitant nod. Kimberly rolled her eyes at her friend's flustered state. "What's up, Lucian?" Kimberly inquired, stepping in since Hazel was speechless. "I wanted to ask if you two are planning on attending Jeff's party. I've noticed you haven't been to his recent gatherings," Lucian explained. As they shared the same faculty, he and Kim were at least casual acquaintances. "I'll be there, but Hazel is..." Kimberly was abruptly cut off by Hazel, who had just registered that Lucian would be present. "I will be there," she declared with sudden fervor, earning a knowing smile from Kim. Her best friend was clearly smitten. "Oh, that's great," Lucian responded, placing his helmet back on. He was about to depart when a thought struck him. "Hazel, would you like a ride? I'll be heading down your street." Lucian offered, leaving Hazel utterly dumbfounded. She didn't even have a moment to refuse before Kim practically shoved her towards the motorcycle. Lucian started the engine, and they were off. Hazel instinctively wrapped her arms securely around his waist. All Hazel could manage was a glare directed at her best friend, who waved back with a mischievous grin. What was even happening? She was riding on her crush's motorcycle. She had to inhale his cologne just to confirm she wasn't dreaming. Regrettably, the surreal moment ended far too quickly. They reached her street far sooner than she would have liked, and Hazel had a multitude of silent, bitter complaints about the brevity of the ride. The rain had begun to fall by the time they arrived, and Lucian expressed concern about her getting wet. "I'm sorry you got soaked," he said. However, Hazel dismissed the weather's inconvenience. "Thanks for the ride. The weather isn't your fault; I'll just take a hot bath," she replied shyly after dismounting. "It was nothing. I'll see you tonight, then. We can call it a date," Lucian said with a wink before riding away. My goodness, he was so handsome she felt a nosebleed was imminent. After he had vanished from view, she turned to walk towards her apartment building. Her brow furrowed as she noticed a peculiar girl in a hoodie standing beneath the downpour near the entrance, but she didn't give the figure much thought. The strange girl glanced towards Hazel, but her face remained hidden by the hoodie and a face mask. She then moved away from the entrance, brushing past Hazel and bumping her shoulder. Hazel's annoyance flared, and she turned to scold the girl, only to freeze when she saw a gun pointed directly at her. "This is what you deserve, midnight queen," the girl hissed, uttering her pen name. Before Hazel could even process the threat, a bullet struck her head; she collapsed backward, her consciousness fading into darkness. The assailant stared down at her, her eyes burning with hatred. Just before Hazel's life extinguished, she witnessed a blue screen, appearing as if conjured from thin air, materialize before her. It displayed two options: Extend your life or die? Without a second thought, she yearned to live, to have the chance to go on that date with Lucian tomorrow. Yet, she was already dead, and the world dissolved into cold, black oblivion. Was she truly dead, having perished in the rain? **** The sound of curtains being drawn aside disturbed Hazel, accompanied by the harsh brightness of the sunlight streaming through the window. Her eyelids fluttered open to reveal she was in an unfamiliar, opulent chamber. Before her stood a mannequin draped in a wedding gown. "Good morning, Lady Abrielle; it is time for you to prepare for the wedding," a young woman, attired as a maid from a historical fantasy romance novel, announced after stepping away from the window. "Abrielle..." Hazel whispered. Her eyes widened dramatically; that was the name of the villainess from her own novel, 'The Dragons and the Priestess'.