Chapter 3. I Have To Leave (1)

Translator: Lili

Fortunately, the reflection in the mirror was indeed Han Jia herself. Seeing her smooth, unscathed forehead, she let out a sigh of relief.

“Haah, thank goodness. It was just a crazy dream…”

“…Are you out of your mind?”

“What do you mean, out of my mind? I’m not crazy, I just—”

“Shin Sera!”

Suddenly, the door burst open.

“Who—wait, hold on… Madam Song?”

As if Lee Rowoon wasn’t enough, another person appeared—Madam Song, Shin Sera’s mother, eyes burning with fury. Jia vaguely remembered the drama’s plot, but she couldn’t recall the characters’ appearances. And yet, the moment she saw them, their names surfaced in her mind.

‘What the hell is going on?’

“Agh… ugh…”

The pounding in her head intensified. Overwhelmed by the pain, Jia crumpled to the floor.

Madam Song shouted furiously at her curled-up figure.

“Why are you throwing a tantrum again? You were just whining about being made vice president the other day, and now you’re sulking in your room? Have you lost your mind?”

For a mere dream, the headache was too agonizingly real. Jia, face paling, shook her head and stammered weakly,

“I… I’m not Shin Sera. I-I swear… I’m really not…”

Dizziness suddenly overtook her. Her consciousness blurred, and she lost balance, collapsing to the ground.

“Shin Sera? Sera!”

“Shin Sera!”

‘I don’t know what kind of insane dream this is… but I really hope I wake up soon.’

That was Jia’s last thought before everything went black.

***

“It’s temporary memory loss due to a concussion. And… her impulse control issues seem to be just as severe as before.”

She had finally bought her own home, only to suffer a heart attack and, on top of that, wake up as Shin Sera—the villain doomed to destruction.

‘What kind of absolute bullshit was this?’

The situation was too ridiculous to accept, so at first, Jia completely denied it. She was so dazed that she wasted several days in a stupor, tried everything to wake up from this ‘dream’, and even attempted all sorts of desperate measures to return to reality—almost dying in the process.

Acting like a lunatic eventually got her dragged to the hospital.

“So, Professor, what will happen to our Sera now?”

Madam Song asked the attending physician, Professor Kim, with a worried expression.

“Her memories should naturally return with time, so there’s no need to worry too much. Just make sure she avoids stress for the time being.”

“That’s a relief.”

‘Memory loss, my ass.’

Jia grumbled internally as she watched Madam Song visibly relax.

“You heard that, right? I’ll arrange for your sick leave, so stay home for now. Professor Kim, take Sera home.”

“Yes, madam. I’ll look after the vice president.”

“Shin Sera, aren’t you going to answer?”

“…Yes—no, I mean, okay. Got it.”

Jia reluctantly got up. She had no energy left to throw a fit, let alone resist.

‘Still… of all people, why did I have to become Shin Sera?’

Fate had played a cruel joke on her. Every single character in this drama was insane, but Shin Sera—who suffered the worst bombardment from these lunatics—was, without a doubt, the worst possible choice.

Remembering all of Shin Sera’s misdeeds and the disastrous fate that awaited her sent a cold shiver down Jia’s spine. The only small mercy was that she had possessed her before she went completely off the rails.

“So, I really have become that damned Shin Sera.”

Back home, Jia stared intensely at her reflection.

She still had her original face, but not everything was the same. Following the ‘only daughter of a powerful family’ setting, her body had transformed accordingly. From head to toe, she was perfectly maintained, exuding an air of wealth and elegance.

She still had her original face, but not everything was the same. Following the ‘only daughter of a powerful family’ setting, her body had transformed accordingly. From head to toe, she was perfectly maintained, exuding an air of wealth and elegance.

It was unbelievable, yet the undeniable truth settled in as Shin Sera’s memories gradually seeped into her mind. Like fragmented flashbacks, most of them were filled with cruelty, humiliation, rage, and chaos.

“I really don’t want to die again…”

Gripped by fear, Jia clutched her head. Even amid the confusion, her survival instincts were stronger than ever, which was strangely amusing.

In all likelihood, the real Han Jia was dead. But if, by some miracle, she was still alive… then she had to find a way back to her own body at all costs. She had to reclaim her life.

Thankfully, the drama hadn’t reached the point of no return yet. The true soup opera chaos started when Shin Sera got married. That meant there might still be a chance for a happy ending.

If she wanted to return to reality, she had to survive as Shin Sera.

Or… completely exit this godforsaken drama.

If Shin Sera disappeared, wouldn’t someone else take over as the villain? In a trashy soup opera like this, it hardly mattered who played the role of the troublemaker.

“I have to leave. That’s the only answer.”

Determination flickered in Jia’s eyes. For the first time since falling into this ridiculous drama, she felt a sense of purpose.

***