The Villainess is a Cat: The Billionaire's Purrfect Stand-in

I got bound to the Villainess System. The problem? I’m a cat. Widget: "Whatever. The starting stats are already a mess.

Just go seduce Carter." By day, his face is stone. "It's just a cat." But the second the doors close?

He drops to his knees. "My sweet, sweet Hazel!!!" Widget had laid out the endgame.

I had to leave, securing my status as the ultimate "one who got away." I’d wait in the shadows until Carter settled for Elise, the rebound, before making my grand return.

Three years later, my claws are sharp. Holy meow. Let’s see what this standin is all about. Chapter 1 "Meow." I dropped to the concrete, exposing my soft belly.

Look down at me, human. I dare you to keep those eyes empty. Gasps rippled through the crowd. "Oh my god! Look at her! Hazel is such an angel. The best girl.

A distinguished lady!" It didn't stop there. I let out a single trill, and a chorus of college students meowed right back at me.

Cole, standing next to Carter, stared at me with pure envy. "Carter, what the hell did you do?

Hazel is obsessed with you." Anyone else would have been paralyzed by now, squatting on the pavement, entirely lost in a photoshoot. But Carter?

He shrank back from the crowd, his expression unreadable. "No idea. I don't have time for her. I'm out." He pivoted on his heel. He actually walked away.

The crisp autumn wind ruffled his dark jacket, carrying away the faint scent of cheap coffee and laundry detergent.

I froze, staring at his retreating back. "Excuse me?" "He just… left?!" This wasn't how the grift was supposed to go.

Morgan hooked me up with this sweet gig—scamming naive college students for premium kibble. They named me Hazel because my feline manners were toptier. A straightA campus cat.

Honestly, I only had one minor complaint about this place. Since I arrived, I hadn't heard a single normal human voice. It was all baby talk. All the time.

Plus, the constant meowing got annoying. And it wasn’t even coming from my kind. Just a bunch of humans cooing, "Meow meow, who’s a good kitty?

Hehe, sweet kitty~" Still, it was a solid life. I fully intended to stay here forever, becoming the beloved senior cat of countless students.

Until the guy calling himself "Widget"—the supposed Villainess System—latched onto me. A second later, his voice glitched in my head. "Wait. Hold up.

Why the hell are you a cat?" "I ran a search for the most famous girl on campus!

By all logic, I should be bound to the IT girl!" I flicked my tail. "What a boomer system." These days, the campus cat had way more clout than some random influencer.

After a beat, Widget’s voice softened, practically tiptoeing around me. "Hey, Hazel… you want a job? The benefits are crazy good." I blinked slowly. I knew what a swat was.

I knew what a nap was. What the hell was a job? Realizing he was permanently stuck with me, Widget broke down.

He started sobbing, muttering something about "wrong host" and "just a system trying his best." Then, he started singing, "Oh life, can you let me off the hook just this once." I took pity on the pathetic guy.

I let him pet me in my mindscape, hoping it would shut him up. So, he stroked my fur while crying.

Loud, annoying, and totally out of swatting range. "Enough," I snapped, my patience wearing paperthin. "What do you want me to do?

And what’s in it for me?" Widget pivoted smoothly. "If we pull this off, I can turn you into a human!" "So… you’re currently useless," I scoffed. "Stupid system.

And why would I want to be human?" I was killing it as a cat. He scrambled to explain. "Uh, humans get to eat way more stuff! And you live longer.

Like, eighty or ninety years!" I rolled my eyes. Eat more stuff? Like, eat dirt? No thanks. Don't bite the hand that feeds you, system. Just tell me the plan.

Widget went dead silent. Then, he finally dropped the bomb. "Okay, hear me out. I have a brilliant idea. The base plot is already ruined.

So… go seduce Carter." Chapter 2 Widget tensed up, terrified I’d quit on the spot. I just blinked. That’s it? I strutted over, tail held high. He didn't even glance my way.

Well played, human. You had officially piqued my interest. On his way back to the dorms, his keys slipped straight down a storm grate.

A sharp metallic clink echoed in the damp alley, followed by the sickening splash of heavy keys hitting stagnant puddle water far below.

He squatted by the curb, staring down into the dark grate with a heavy sigh, running a frustrated hand through his hair. "Where the hell am I going to find a magnet…" Perfect opening.

I trotted up beside him. Next thing I knew, he scooped me up by the scruff.

Carter gave a halfsmile. "Cats like to rubberneck, too?" I let out a sharp hiss, thrashing until he got the message.

He dropped me back onto the concrete. "Absolute menace." You were the menace. I ignored him.

I shoved my paw through the iron grate, hooked a single claw through the keyring, and yanked it out. Carter stared, dumbfounded. "Are cats really this smart?" I puffed out my chest.

How about that, human! Time to obsess over me. A soft chuckle slipped out of him. "Smug little thing." His fingers brushed the top of my head, just a quick rub. "Thanks.

But I can't get too close to you." He pulled his hand back. "If you scratch me, I'll need a rabies shot. And I… can't afford that." I tilted my head. "Meow?" Was he stupid?

I was a cat. Why would he need a dogdisease shot?

Once Carter disappeared down the sidewalk, I tapped into Widget. "Widget, what gives?" "Carter is just a broke college kid right now," Widget explained. "He grinds away at parttime jobs just to survive.

He won't see real money until he launches his startup." "Who cares about his bank account?" I snapped back. "I’m asking about the rabies shot!" Widget sighed. "…Right.

Forgot you're literally a cat. Rabies shots are mandatory vaccines if an animal bites or scratches you." I rolled my eyes. Pathetic male lead. Couldn't even handle a tiny scratch.

Humans were so damn fragile. So, bottom line: no scratching, no biting. Got it. Widget confirmed. The game was on. From then on, I staked out his route every single day.

Carter’s icy exterior started to thaw. The progression went exactly like this: Stay away. Don't come closer. Come closer. Come here. Here.

Three months later, the dynamic shifted entirely.

In broad daylight, surrounded by people, Carter kept his poker face. "It's just a cat." But the second the sun went down and the crowd cleared? The man completely cracked.

He’d drop to his knees, letting out a feral, desperate growl. "Hazel!!!" I didn't even need to perform anymore. No more sprinting in circles. No more strategic meowing.

I literally just breathed. And Carter? He acted like I had him under some sort of spell. Widget watched the whole spectacle, speechless. He flipped faster than a damn light switch.

I lounged across Carter’s lap, flicking my tail in absolute triumph. Wait, didn't everyone have this kind of raw talent? "Honestly," Widget muttered.

I was starting to think the original succubus didn't even need a human body. She probably locked down her victims as a literal fox.

Carter watched a group of girls feed me premium wet food one afternoon. Later, he actually apologized for offering me his cheap, generic kibble. I just licked my paws. Hell yeah.

Two dinners. Chapter 3 Today, he brought me a squeeze treat. I obsessed over the flavor, burying my face in the pouch and inhaling the whole thing.

Carter, ever the pennypincher, gripped the end of the empty wrapper.

He pushed the remaining paste forward like he was wringing out the last drop of toothpaste, refusing to waste a single lick. Then his hand slipped.

He accidentally punched me right in the face. It wasn't a hard hit, but I froze. Did he really just hit me? Carter froze, too.

He hesitated for a split second, then suddenly slapped the empty plastic wrapper. "Bad wrapper. I hit it for you." I eyed him suspiciously and leaned back in. Boom.

His hand slipped again, catching me with two more accidental jabs. What didn't kill me just kept punching me in the face. Was this his master plan?

A threehit combo to take out a cat? Furious, I gave him a few solid whacks. Don't underestimate me. I bite back. It was the first time I actually hit him.

He blinked, staring at me in shock before muttering, "When a cat slaps you, the first thing you feel is the toe beans." Excuse me?

I hissed at him, spun around on my paws, and stalked off. Afterward, a tiny spike of guilt hit me. I kept my claws retracted, but humans were practically made of glass.

Did I actually break him? The next day, he completely ghosted our usual spot. By day three, I staked out his dorm building.

Guys were filing out for class in twos and threes, but Carter was nowhere to be seen. Panic flared in my chest.

Widget, did I actually beat him to death?! …The statistical probability of death by cat slaps isn't zero, Widget replied flatly. But I highly doubt it.

I locked onto his scent and tracked him straight to his dorm. Slipping through a gap in the window screen, I finally spotted Carter sprawled on his mattress. Oh, whatever.

He was just sleeping. I hopped onto the bed and nudged his shoulder with my paw. Hey. My bad for slapping you. Get up, pet me, and accept my apology. He didn't move.

I crept up to his pillow, leaning in close to his face. I gave him a quick sniff. Why was he so warm today? And he smelled… bitter. "Oh, honey.

You can't just lay here burning up like this. It'll fry your brain." Nancy, the dorm manager, pressed the back of her hand against his forehead.

Surprised by the intense heat, her voice was full of worry. "Do you have any meds? I grabbed some ibuprofen for you. Take it right now." Carter looked completely delirious.

He sluggishly swallowed the pill with a sip of lukewarm water, his voice a hoarse rasp. "Thanks, Nancy." "Thank the cat," she huffed. "She kept scratching at my door and leading me down the hall.

God knows how bad your fever would have spiked if I hadn't checked on you." Nancy crossed her arms. "But dorm policy strictly forbids pets.

If she's here during room inspections, I have to write you up." Carter groaned, a thick, congested sound. "A cat?" I jumped back onto the bed. "Meow." It’s me, asshole!

When I realized Carter was delirious earlier, I had sprinted downstairs for backup. Nancy didn't speak cat, obviously.

So I had to completely trash the lobby to get her attention, baiting her into chasing me all the way to Carter's door.

She had no choice but to unlock it, finally finding him sick in bed. Carter forced his eyes open, trying to explain. "She's not—" Nancy waved him off. "I don't care what she is.

Just keep her out of sight during inspections." She asked when his roommate would be back, strictly ordered him not to tough it out, and demanded he go to the campus clinic if his fever didn't break.

Then, she finally walked out. The heavy wooden door clicked shut, abruptly cutting off the bustling hallway noise.

The dorm room plunged into a thick, feverish silence, save for the ragged sound of his uneven breathing. Chapter 4 Finally, it was just the two of us.

I let out a long, scolding meow. If you had just told me you were sick, I would have at least brought you a dead mouse.

Two silent tears suddenly broke loose, hitting the faded quilt with a soft, heavy patter. They instantly soaked into the cheap fabric before he could even stop them.

He hurriedly scrubbed the heel of his palm against his eyes, his shoulders trembling slightly, but it was no use. The tears kept coming and wouldn't stop. What are you doing?

Did you puncture an artery? I paced across his mattress, frantic. I stepped right onto his chest, leaning my face inches from his to inspect the damage. "I'm sorry," he choked out.

His voice cracked, raw and heavy. "I really didn't mean to…" The jagged breaths eventually smoothed out.

Carter stared at the ceiling for a long time. "I have a scar on my head," he whispered. "It's ugly." He swallowed hard. "Do you want to see it?" A scar? You have a car on your head?

Where? His fingers trembled as he pushed back his damp bangs.

A thick, pale line slashed through his hairline. "I fell when I was a kid." His thumb hovered over the raised skin. "I don't even remember how it happened anymore.

Just that it burned. It hurt so much. But I was too scared to tell anyone.

Luckily, nobody noticed." He let out a hollow, selfdeprecating laugh. "By the time the adults finally saw it, it had already scabbed over.

It left this." Neither of us made a sound. "I thought it was going to be exactly like back then," he murmured, his gaze dropping to me. "No one seeing me. No one noticing.

No one caring." So he started crying because his head hurt again? Humans really were fragile things. I shifted forward and gently licked that old, unhealed scar. Hey, human.

You can cry on my majestic cat chest. But here was the twisted part. He never actually offered to take me in. Cole had asked him about it once.

Carter had just stared at the ground. "Would she really have a good life… with someone like me?" Widget chimed in to translate the human baggage. He grew up in the foster system.

He’s desperately starved of real affection. The guy has a massive inferiority complex. What the hell is that? I asked. You mean the foster system? Widget replied. No. Inferiority.

Once Widget broke down the concept of "not feeling good enough," my claws slid out. Oh, hell no. I needed to get this guy under control.

The very next time Carter came to see me, I didn't hesitate. I launched a flurry of rapidfire baps right at his shin. Smack! Love yourself! Smack! Say it! Smack!

Listen to me, human! Serving me is a privilege! Stop wallowing! Carter stumbled back, caught off guard. He frantically scooped me up. "Did I keep you waiting too long?

Are you starving?" He kissed the top of my head. "I'm so sorry, Hazel. Dinner is right here, I promise." Fine. I’ll spare your life for the kibble.

I buried my face in the bowl, crunching loudly. Carter squatted in front of me.

He didn't reach out to pet me. "Hazel," he started softly. "I'm graduating soon." I kept chewing, but my ears swiveled toward him. "I know I have absolutely nothing right now.

I'm a mess." He swallowed, the sound loud in the quiet alley. "But if… I mean, if you want to." He paused, his voice sounding a little tight. "I will buy you the absolute best food I can afford.

The highest quality litter. Everything." He took a shaky breath.

His voice tightened, laced with total vulnerability. "So, Hazel… would you…" He forced the words out. "Would you want to live with me?

For the rest of your life?" Chapter 5 A longterm meal ticket sounded solid. But ruling the campus as the resident feline queen? Also a total vibe.

I was still weighing my options when Widget’s voice hijacked my brain. Finally! We hit the checkpoint.

Now comes the part where the villainess dumps the broke male lead and bolts overseas. He’ll find a standin.

Right before they tie the knot, the villainess swoops back in as the ultimate "one who got away" and wrecks their relationship. I paused. Wait, what? I can't live with him?

Widget stammered. Uh… no. Definitely not. So I can't stay here, either? He sounded guilty. Yeah… pretty much. I swung at the empty air, throwing phantom right hooks. Then. Tell. Me.

What. To. Do! I fought it, but his pathetic whining echoed relentlessly in my skull. I finally caved. Dead of night. A full moon hung in the sky.

A lone cat vaulted over the iron gates. Peace out, undergrads. I was hitting the road.

He spent hours drafting her adoption "contract." When it came to the duties a cat should fulfill, his pen hovered. He didn't need Hazel to catch mice.

He didn't need her to do anything. He just wanted her safe. Carter pressed the pen to the paper. He carefully traced down his only wish: Safe and happy.

The next day, he brought a bag of premium dried minnows to their usual alley. He waited from bright sunshine until the sky grew dark.

A gust of wind blew past, the sudden chill perfectly mirroring the hollow ache in his chest. "Hazel?" Silence. Two months later.

A young man stood by a rusted streetlamp, smoothing down a "Missing Cat" flyer. The reward beneath the blurry photo was oddly specific. $412.85. He stared at the picture.

The memory hit him, hard and fast. Hazel was so damn smart. He told her once. I can't get close to you. I can't afford the rabies shot. She never extended a single claw.

She only rubbed against his jeans. She meticulously avoided his bare skin. And he rarely ever pet her. Carter reached out. His fingertips brushed the cheap printer paper.

The freezing metal of the pole seeped through the flyer. It bit into his skin. He stood frozen on the sidewalk. The regret hit him. A crushing, suffocating weight.

I should have touched her more. Lately, I had a serious problem. Was I just imagining it? The local strays were constantly trying to test me.

I pinned the latest challenger to the dirt, raining rapidfire baps on his head. "Think you're tough? Think that sleeve tattoo makes you hard?

Huh?" I beat him into total submission. He tried to slink away, but I hissed, freezing him in his tracks. "Hey.

What's your name?" He shrank back, utterly pathetic. "I didn't say anything!" "I asked for your name, idiot." He puffed out his chest, attempting a shred of dignity. "I'm Bruno!" Right on cue, Zoe walked by.

Her face lit up. "Oh my god, Bruno! You brought a friend today! Hi, sweetie! What's your name?" She popped open a fresh can of wet food and slid it toward me.

I knew the street code. I instantly dropped the toughguy act, purred at Zoe, and buried my face in the gravy. Beside me, Bruno's resourceguarding instincts kicked in.

A low, territorial growl rattled in his throat. I whipped around and smacked him right between the ears. "Put up or shut up, tough guy.

Growl at my food again and I'll launch you into orbit." Chapter 6 Bruno went dead silent. He let out a pathetic, highpitched squeak. "Sorry, boss.

Forgot my place in the pecking order." I kept tearing into the wet food. "A lot of cats have been picking fights with me lately.

Any idea why?" He shot a nervous glance at my claws, then longingly at the gravy. "Someone put a bounty on your head.

They’re paying out big in premium canned food!" I chewed slowly, running the list of suspects. Only one person was unhinged enough to pull something like this. Carter.

Did he seriously put out a mafiastyle hit on me just because I dipped? The guy had zero chill. Right on cue, a familiar static buzzed in my skull.

Widget—who had vanished weeks ago for some supposed "software upgrade"—finally booted back online. "Jackpot!" Widget said. "Carter is loaded now. His tech startup exploded.

He’s officially dating Elise, the rebound. Time for you, the ultimate 'one who got away,' to make your grand reappearance." Networking was a necessary evil.

Carter stood in the dim glow of the ballroom, letting the endless corporate praise wash over him.

Exhausted by the endless brownnosing, he muttered an excuse about needing fresh air, brushed off their offers to join him, and slipped out of the ballroom.

Rounding a marble pillar, hushed voices caught his attention.

Hayes and another suit were huddled in the alcove. "Still no luck?" "Do you have any idea how many strays are in this city? There’s half a dozen in my gated community alone.

How the hell am I supposed to know which one he wants?" Hayes hissed, slapping a hand onto the guy's shoulder. "Keep your voice down! This is insider intel.

If someone else beats us to it, we lose our leverage with Carter. And I told you, out in public, use the code word.

She’s his 'one who got away'." The other man rolled his eyes. "Fine.

So where exactly do we find Carter's precious 'one who got away'?" He leaned hard into the phrase, dripping with sarcasm. "Look, if we can't find the original, we just source a lookalike.

Find a smart one and gift it to him. Honestly… they’re all the same anyway." Carter didn't stay to hear the rest. He pushed through the heavy glass doors into the biting night air.

The phrase echoed in his head. The one who got away. He couldn't help but let out a little laugh. It was insane that rival executives were deploying search parties for a stray cat.

But then again, he couldn't judge. He was the lunatic who literally bribed street cats with premium tuna to track Hazel down. They're all the same anyway.

His fingers drifted upward. He traced the jagged edge of the old scar hidden beneath his hairline. How could they ever be the same?

He didn't give a damn about pedigree, intelligence, or obedience. Only one living creature had ever truly seen him.

Only one had kept him company and comforted him through all those memories. Hazel. It was only ever Hazel.

But if he could never see Hazel again… A gust of wind blew past, bringing a trace of chill. A rustle shattered the silence.

Near the edge of the manicured flowerbed, a small shape slinked out from the dark hedges. Carter's breath hitched, and his heartbeat skipped a beat before accelerating wildly.

He closed the distance. His knees hit the damp concrete. Hands shaking uncontrollably, he scooped the tiny weight into his palms. "Hazel?" His voice was completely wrecked.

The cat stared up at him with wide, obedient eyes. It let out a soft, sweet purr. "Meow." The blood drained from his face. It wasn't Hazel.

The frantic hammering in his chest slowed to a dull, heavy thud. It was just a random stray. A flawless, affectionate replica.

The brief spark of hope died, leaving an empty, aching hole in his chest. For a split second, he was almost brought to tears. Chapter 7 A sharp rustle in the hedges.

The dead leaves crunched under a deliberate weight, the sound deafening in the otherwise silent, manicured garden. Carter’s head snapped up.

A terrifyingly familiar silhouette froze halfway out of the bushes. She stared dead at him. Then, she stared at the identical imposter cradled in his arms.

A sickening wave of pure guilt slammed into Carter.

If she could speak, she’d definitely hit him with the crying cat meme: "You awe a twotal baswawd." Cold sweat pricked the back of his neck. "Wait.

Hazel, it's not what it looks like." Meanwhile, I stared at the fluffy knockoff.

I had followed Widget's chaotic GPS coordinates for miles just to track this guy down. "Is this the standin you were talking about?" Widget bluescreened. "…Hold up.

Who the hell is that?!" I pushed through the branches, strutting right up to Carter. Yeah. You. The guy sweating bullets.

I dropped to the concrete, exposing my belly with practiced precision. Pet me.

Now. "Aren't you pissed?" Widget asked. "You leave, and he immediately replaces you." The imposter cat glared at me. "Uh, excuse me? Ever heard of calling dibs?

I was here first." "Why would I be mad?" I replied. "I’m claiming him. And I’m claiming his little knockoff, too." I shot a lethal glare at the lookalike. "Don't just stand there.

Go catch me a mouse, newbie." Warm hands slid under my ribs. Carter pulled me into his lap. His thumbs trembled as he mapped the familiar contours of my face. "Where did you go?

Do you have any idea how long I’ve been looking for you?" How long? You put a mafia hit out on me with a gang of stray thugs, you psycho!

But his eyes were rimmed with brutal, exhausted red. I sighed, stretching my neck to drag my rough tongue across the jagged scar on his hairline. Crying again? So fragile.

I wanted to slap him, but I held back. Humans shattered too easily. He hitched a breath. He pulled me flush against his chest.

His grip was desperate, yet painfully gentle, terrified of breaking me. "Don't ever leave again. Please." The tender moment snapped.

High heels clicked furiously against the pavement. "Carter!" A woman stormed out of the shadows. "You still have 'the one who got away'?

And you've been searching for her this whole time?! Fine! Go live with your precious 'one who got away'! We are done!" Then, she actually looked down