Billionaire Villainess (Unedited)

They Are Actually Not Bad

Judith's POV

I frowned. "Fine. Let's talk somewhere more private."

The four of us walked in silence to a more secluded part of the hallway.

"Okay, now that we've got some privacy, what do you want to talk about?" I asked impatiently.

Hillary, Jennifer, and Miranda exchanged glances, their expressions serious.

Jennifer stepped forward, her eyebrows furrowed. "Judith, we've been hearing rumors that you and Gabriel have broken up. Is it true?"

I scoffed. "Yes, it's true. So what? Why do you even care? You're probably only interested because it's the latest gossip."

Miranda looked shocked. "Judith, how could you say that?! Why would you assume we don't care about you? Sure, we like gossip, but not when it's about one of our friends! This is the first time you're acting so defensive with us, and we've known each other for years! We're just worried about you!"

Her words caught me off guard.

"Wait... you actually care about me? You were all worried about me?" I asked in disbelief.

Hillary spoke next. "Of course we do! What's going on with you lately? Did the breakup mess you up? We thought you needed time alone since you've been avoiding us in the hallways, and we haven't even seen you during lunch anymore. We got tired of waiting for you to stop moping, so we decided to confront you now."

"We saw everything that happened that day," Jennifer added. "You walked right past our table to sit with Gabriel. It made sense since he was—well, was—your fiancé. But what happened next... it was a real shock."

Actually... I hadn't even noticed I passed their table when I walked by.

Miranda nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I'll say! None of us expected Gabriel to slap you in front of everyone in the cafeteria! How could he be such a total jerk?! He totally deserved what you did to him after! That was great payback!"

"Also, was that girl sitting next to him your sister, Verona?" Jennifer inquired.

"Yes, that was my sister," I confirmed hesitantly.

"Well, I think you're prettier than her," Jennifer stated.

"Um... thanks, Jennifer. I'm flattered," I said, surprised.

"So... how do you feel now, Judith? I can't believe Gabriel had the nerve to treat you that way! Who knew he was actually a complete a*shole? Are you still upset about what happened?" Hillary asked cautiously.

"No, I'm alright now. I'm over that piece of sh*t," I replied.

Hillary raised an eyebrow. "Really? That's a surprise because you've been all over him since high school!"

"Yes, I'm so done with him. That incident in the cafeteria showed me his true colors. Whatever love I had for him just vanished that day."

She sighed in relief. "I see, well that's good. We were worried you'd become depressed. But what about the engagement? It was set up by your families."

I shrugged. "Gabriel said he'll ask his father to have it annulled. Honestly, I don't care anymore."

These girls... they're actually not who I thought they were...

They seemed genuinely concerned about me. Now I feel bad for calling them Plastics.

The novel described the original Judith's friends as her followers—always listening to her every word and doing whatever she said. They weren't given much depth in the story, only appearing to verbally insult Verona on Judith's behalf. To me, they just seemed like airheaded bimbos.

But it turns out I was wrong about them.

They're... actually not bad.

I should have realized sooner that the novel only scratched the surface, and reality is way different than expected.

"You guys..." I began, my expression guilt-ridden. "I'm so sorry I've been avoiding you! I've just had a lot on my mind. I should've talked to you all sooner." I apologized sincerely.

"It's fine, Judith, we understand," Hillary said. "If you need us, we're here for you. We're your best friends, after all!"

"Yeah, it's okay, Judith. We've got your back!" Miranda added encouragingly.

"Just please don't avoid us like that again. Talk to us, okay? Promise, Judith?" Jennifer said.

"Always remember your friends, Judith," Hillary reminded me.

I nodded, tearing up. "Yes, I promise! Thank you guys for supporting me!"

"Group hug!" Miranda suddenly shouted.

The three girls attacked me with bone-crushing hugs.

"Oof!" I yelped, but hugged them back.

They released me, and Hillary asked, "Now that everything's fine, what have you been up to, Judith? Anything new?"

"Well... I stumbled upon this club..." I began, explaining how I found myself in the Computer Club after the drama with Gabriel.

The girls listened intently as I shared the "newfound" interest that had brought a ray of positivity into my life.

"It's like a breath of fresh air," I said with a genuine smile. "I've been going there every lunch period and even after school sometimes. They teach you about computers, and you can play video games there too. The people are friendly and fun. So far, I've only been playing video games with the members since they're still deciding on a project. But the club's been a great distraction from everything else."

Jennifer grinned. "That's awesome! A new hobby can be a great way to shift focus and find joy. Plus, you get to learn something new."

"I'm glad you found something to keep you occupied and happy," Miranda added.

"Maybe we should join you at the club sometime," Hillary suggested.

I chuckled. "Now that you mention it, I think that's a great idea!"

The boys will be in for a huge surprise if these girls suddenly show up at the club.