It was an ominous day.

Dark clouds blanketed the sky, making the world feel even gloomier. Rain poured endlessly, and the freezing wind sent chills through the air. Winter seemed to have arrived early.

Veronica cried silently.

In her trembling hands was a photo album, carefully arranged with pictures of her precious son—from the day he was born to his childhood, his youth, and the successful life he had built. Every precious memory had been preserved with love.

She loved her son more than anything.

She had never imagined she would one day hear the news of his death.

Her proud son—the mighty chairman of his own company, the man who had climbed out of poverty and built an empire with his own hands—was gone.

Her greatest pride had been shattered.

He had died while trying to escape from the police, jumping off a cliff in a desperate attempt to flee.

"Why did this happen?" she sobbed. "Why my son? Why is it all my fault? Why didn't I stop you? Why...?"

Holding the photo album tightly against her chest, she cried until she could barely breathe.

Then her eyes fell upon a single photograph.

She gently picked it up.

In the picture, her little son smiled brightly, his innocent face filled with happiness.

He was her precious child.

For his sake, she had even abandoned her own family. They never wanted the boy, so she chose him over everyone else.

After all, his origin was unknown.

He had been born after a one-night stand, and she never knew who his father truly was.

Tears streamed down her face.

Exhausted from grief, her vision slowly blurred, and she drifted into a deep sleep.

...

In her dream, countless mountains and endless valleys stretched before her.

She walked across them as though she were floating, guided by an invisible force.

At the end of her journey stood an enormous banyan tree.

Its presence was ancient, sacred, and strangely peaceful.

Drawn toward it, Veronica reached out and placed her hand upon its rough bark.

The moment she touched it, a sense of calm washed over her.

She sat beneath the tree, hoping to rest.

Suddenly, a single leaf drifted down from the branches.

She caught it in her hand.

The leaf crumbled into ash.

The ash glowed with a brilliant golden light before flowing into her body.

At that instant, countless memories flooded her mind.

She finally understood.

She was the mother of the villain.

No...

She had been reincarnated into the world of a novel.

And her son was destined to become its greatest villain.

She was the mother who had spoiled him beyond redemption.

From childhood, he had grown up without empathy or mercy.

But none of it had happened by chance.

She was the reason.

She had taught him that wealth was everything.

She encouraged his greed, praised his arrogance, and ignored his cruelty.

She never taught him kindness.

She never taught him compassion.

Instead, she raised him to become selfish, ruthless, and hungry for power.

Yes...

She was the reason the villain became a villain.

And she was also the reason for his tragic downfall.

Because she was the arrogant mother who had turned her beloved son into a monster.

"Why did this happen?" she whispered.

Why was her son a villain?

Why was she considered a terrible mother?

They had never deliberately harmed innocent people. They had only wanted to earn money and live a comfortable life.

Although they never reached out to help others, they never believed they were truly hurting anyone.

Her son only wanted to become rich, even if it meant using dishonest methods. He never kidnapped people, sold drugs, or committed cruel crimes. He simply seized opportunities and resources through unethical means, believing that money was all that mattered.

Then Veronica froze.

A painful realization struck her.

She had been wrong.

No, they had not become villains because they enjoyed hurting people.

They had become villains because they had lost their humanity.

She had never taught her son kindness.

She had never taught him compassion.

She had taught him that wealth was more important than people.

She had taught him that as long as he benefited, nothing else mattered.

And in the end, that selfish path had led him to a lonely death at the bottom of a cliff.

She broke down in tears inside the empty house her son had bought for her.

In the novel, her son had fought alone against the male lead, the female lead, the second female lead, and eventually even the second male lead.

He stood alone against everyone.

In the end...

He lost.

"I don't want you to fight anymore," she sobbed.

"I don't care if you're rich or poor. I don't need you to build an empire. I only want you to live a happy life."

"I want you to have a happy childhood."

"I want you to finish school, graduate from college, find a good job, marry someone you love, have children, and grow old peacefully."

"I just... want to see your smile again."

The thought pierced her heart like a knife.

If only she had one more chance...

Just one.

She folded her hands and prayed through her tears.

"Dear God... please have mercy on me. Give me one chance. Just one chance. I don't ask for wealth or happiness. I only ask for the chance to correct my mistake."

Suddenly, a faint golden light appeared before her.

It rushed toward her.

Before she could react, it entered her body and disappeared.

She felt herself becoming lighter and lighter.

Her body floated into the air, as if it were dissolving into countless tiny particles.

Everything around her faded.

Her vision became hazy.

Then...

Darkness.

...

A few moments later, she heard birds chirping outside.

Her eyelashes fluttered.

Slowly, she opened her eyes.

She found herself inside an old apartment, with warm sunlight pouring through an open window.

Beside her, a little boy was sleeping peacefully.

Her son.

Her eyes widened.

"A miracle..."

Tears filled her eyes once again.

"Thank You, God... Thank You... Thank You so much."

With trembling hands, she gently reached out and stroked his soft black hair, its slight waves framing his adorable face.

His chubby cheeks were rosy and warm.

His long eyelashes rested peacefully against his skin.

He looked so small.

So innocent.

So precious.

This time...

She would protect that smile.

No matter what.

His tiny, chubby hands suddenly clenched into little fists, and his soft lips parted slightly.

Still lost in his dreams, he frowned, let out a tiny whimper, puffed out his cheeks, and licked his lips.

Veronica couldn't help but laugh softly.

How could her son be this adorable?

It had been so long since she had seen him like this.

As he grew older, he had become quiet, distant, and cold.

With eyes full of love, Veronica gently cupped his chubby little face.

She gently pinched his chubby cheeks.

He looked so adorable while sleeping.

How could this sweet little boy grow up to become a villain?

Her determination grew even stronger.

If she wanted to change her son, she had to change herself first.

She slowly got to her feet and looked around the apartment.

The room was small, and clothes were scattered all over the floor. The kitchen was nearly empty, with barely any nutritious food left. Although she knew how to cook, she had never enjoyed doing it. She was a lazy mother.

Yes, she loved her son with all her heart.

She spoiled him, protected him, and gave him everything he wanted.

But she had also been lazy, careless, and irresponsible.

That had to change.

From today onward, she would become a better version of herself.

She glanced at her sleeping son and smiled.

"First," she murmured, "I'll make a schedule."

Step one: clean and tidy the house.

Step two: go to the market and buy groceries and other household necessities.

Step three: prepare a healthy, delicious breakfast for my precious son.

"This is the beginning," she whispered. "This time... I'll raise you the right way."

She took one last look at her sleeping son before quietly leaving the bedroom.

He was so cute.

So adorable.

Then again, she had always found him adorable, no matter what.

Shaking her head with a smile, she hurried to begin her work.

First, she cleaned the clothes scattered across the floor. She separated the dirty laundry into a basket and neatly folded the clean clothes before putting them away.

Next, she dusted the furniture, swept the floor, and vacuumed every corner of the room. Finally, she mopped the entire apartment until it was spotless.

Within a few hours, the place that had once looked abandoned and neglected was transformed into a warm and cozy home.

After all, the apartment wasn't very large. It only had a bedroom, a small living area, a tiny kitchen, and an attached bathroom, so it didn't take her long to clean everything.

She worked with all her heart.

By the time she finished, about three and a half hours had passed, and her son was still sleeping peacefully.

Satisfied with her work, Veronica took a shower.

The warm water washed away the dust, and she felt refreshed.

Then her stomach growled.

"I'm hungry..."

Only then did she remember that the kitchen was almost empty.

Of course it was.

She had always been lazy.

Most of the time, she and her son simply ate outside instead of cooking at home.

But that would change from today onward.

She wanted her son to grow up eating warm, homemade meals prepared with love.

Since he was still asleep, she decided to hurry to the market before he woke up.

He was an energetic and mischievous child. Whenever she took him shopping, he always managed to get into trouble, whether by arguing with shopkeepers, bothering salespeople, or accidentally annoying the neighborhood aunties.

Smiling to herself, she grabbed her purse, quietly locked the apartment, and double-checked that the door was secure.

Before leaving, she asked her neighbor to keep an eye on the apartment while she was at the market.

At the market, she carefully chose fresh spinach, radishes, carrots, eggplants, broccoli, and mushrooms. She also bought cheese and a few snacks that children usually enjoyed.

She picked up oats, rice, eggs, and a few basic seasonings as well.

When she checked her purse, she realized she had almost run out of money.

She sighed.

She still had to work part-time to support herself and her son.

Because of that, she forced herself to buy only the necessities.

With the grocery bags in her hands, Veronica hurried back home, eager to prepare her son's very first homemade meal.