1 - Cry

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.

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