"I will never return to that shitty job again. How much were they even paying me?"
"Shitty boss, shitty workers! Fucking shitty job!"
"F*ck them all, as if I begged them for a job!"
Aysel's chest heaved with anger, her eyes bloodshot, and her breath hitched as she caught her reflection in the glass door of the coffee shop. Her face was pale, and dark bags hung beneath her eyes like a zombie's. Who would believe her if she told them she was only twenty-two and not forty-two?!
That goddamn boss of hers only knew how to overwork people—big job, little pay!
She took a deep breath, trying to regulate her breathing in an attempt to look calm, while swearing repeatedly in her heart that she wouldn't regret her choice.
It was only 10 in the morning, and instead of staying home and lashing out at no one but the furniture, a cup of Caramel Macchiato would suffice to help her think clearly and plan her next steps.
A few seconds passed, and just as she was finally ready to enter the coffee shop, she suddenly noticed a little girl and her kitten about to cross the road.
Her heart skipped a beat, and her eyes dilated. Her feet moved on their own as she dashed forward. "Pay attentionnnnnn!"
Before she could reach them, a car screeched around the corner. It was too fast. Aysel's body flew through the air, tossed like a rag doll, and finally landed hard on the pavement.
Screams filled the street as people rushed toward her. Blood pooled around her, and the last thing she saw before everything went dark was the blur of strangers gathering around her broken body.
*****
When Aysel's eyes snapped open, her mind was blank for about ten seconds. The white ceiling grew clearer the more she stared at it. Suddenly, she held her head and frantically looked around. "Wh-where am I?"
She thought she was dead!
[Transmigration completed.]
[Mission Board uploading.]
[3.]
[2.]
[1.]
[Successful!]
[Mission Board updated!]
[Welcome to life again, Host!]
Aysel's eyes went blank as a mechanical voice echoed in her head.
"Have I gone crazy?" She touched the soft gauze wrapped around her head and muttered softly, "I think I'm hearing voices in my head... I didn't damage my brain, did I?"
[No, Host, you are not crazy!]
Aysel jumped back in shock. "Yo-you can reply to me?"
[Of course, Host. I am currently integrated with you. I am a Survival System that will guide you to survive in this novel world.]
"Wait... As in, I am currently inside a novel?" Aysel was in doubt and disbelief.
Is transmigration really possible? It's something that only happens in Novels.
[Yes. You were fatally injured in the accident, but due to your noble act of saving the child, we resurrected you in a novel titled Step Back, Everyone, The Male Lead Is Mine and you are currently in the body of a character with the same name as you, Aysel Swift.]
"Step Back, Everyone, The Male Lead Is Mine?" Aysel repeated the name and found it familiar.
"It sounds like something I've read before," she pondered aloud, and the system replied, [Indeed, you have.]
"I remember now." Aysel snapped her fingers, her eyes lighting up but immediately dimming again. "It was that stupid novel where the cannon fodder bears my name, right?"
[Correct.]
The system's affirmation made Aysel turn forlorn. She had read the novel because her colleagues had mentioned that this Aysel shared her name, Aysel Swift.
However, she had been filled with nothing but anger after reading it. The female lead should have been the villainess, actually. With her cruelty and how she took revenge for the tiniest things, she was still the heroine.
The Aysel in the novel was a passive character, infamous for being a bitch who spent 24/7 at clubs. For an ordinary person, it was worse enough, and mind you, she was a celebrity who should have kept her reputation in check—and she was doing the opposite.
Aysel was the female lead's twin sister, and while the female lead was the nation's first love, Aysel was the evil sister, constantly sabotaging her. However, one thing made Aysel envy the original Aysel: the Swift family in this world was wealthy.
"Well, I suddenly feel rich. I don't have to work anymore. I can spend my family's fortune," Aysel murmured, a faint smile on her lips. She had always dreamed of a beautiful, rich life where she didn't have to work much but could still earn a lot, buy designer clothes, and so on. And what could be better than the life of a rich heiress?
[Hm, Host, please don't get excited too early,] the system warned dryly.
"Why? Should I be tearing up?"
[Probably...] The system replied weakly, unsure of how to warn its host.
"Bad system! You should be the one tearing up. Haaa, I forgot—you can't cry." She mocked, and the system fell silent, knowing she would understand the situation soon enough.
Nothing could dampen Aysel's happiness as she began to plan. "Since I'm a celebrity too, I must have quite a lot in my account. I just need to retire from the industry, buy an island, and spend the rest of my life relaxing! This is perfect."
As if to answer her thoughts, the phone beside her chimed.
Aysel's eyes lit up as she admired the diamond-encrusted case. "Ooooh, fancy!" She tapped on the screen, excitement bubbling up. But as her eyes scanned the text, her smile faded.
"Dear Aysel Swift,
You have an overdue payment of $10,000 on your personal loan account. The payment was due on October 1, 2024. Please settle this amount immediately to avoid late fees and negative credit reporting.
Sincerely,
Winter Bank."
"Aren't I a wealthy heiress?! Why the heck do I owe the bank money?!" Aysel yelled in disbelief.
Is this what the system meant for her to not get happy too soon?
So she had been planning all along for nothing?
Her island gone before she could even have it?
What the hell?!!!
The system sounded a little guilty. [Host, there is a way to actually make it.]
"What? Why didn't you say so earlier?!"
[I'm sorry, Host.]
"Whatever." Aysel didn't care about the system's insincere apology and urged, "So tell me, what way?"
[Marry Nathaniel Hero Grant.]