The Villains Must Win-Chapter 135: Reid Graves 15

Days passed, and everything was going exactly as Tabitha wanted it. Soon, they would be graduating from high school and stepping into the chaotic world of college life.

Roman was still chasing after Gwendolyn, and, to Tabitha’s satisfaction, it seemed that Gwendolyn was beginning to fall for him as well.

Tabitha didn’t care as long as they left her and Reid alone. In fact, this might be the first time since she was an agent of the villain system that the male and female leads weren’t interfering with her personally.

For once, fate was on her side.

One afternoon, after school, Tabitha and Gwendolyn lounged around in the recreational room. The place was mostly empty, save for a few students scattered around, pretending to study while secretly watching anime or scrolling through social media.

Tabitha stretched lazily in her chair and glanced at Gwendolyn, who was uncharacteristically quiet.

"Alright, what now?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Gwendolyn hesitated, fiddling with the hem of her skirt.

"Roman . . . he wants me to attend this . . . party with him."

Tabitha gave her an unimpressed look. "And?"

"I . . . I don’t want to go alone," Gwendolyn admitted. "Can you come with me?"

Tabitha leaned back, dramatically rolling her shoulders before shaking her head. "No can do, babe. Look, I love you, but that’s a Saturday—also known as my sacred rest day. So I will love you far away. I might even light a candle for you if things go terribly wrong."

Gwendolyn sighed. "You’re not being helpful."

"Relax. You got this. I’m sure whatever you wear will look gorgeous on you. And knowing Roman, I’m positive he’ll buy you a fancy dress."

"What? No! Tabitha!"

"What?" Tabitha smirked. "I thought you two were getting close now? He doesn’t bully you anymore, does he? He’s basically courting you now. I heard the rumors."

Gwendolyn’s cheeks flushed a deep red. "Tabitha, stop it! You know I can’t actually say no to him, right? He’s kind of . . ."

"Overbearing? Arrogant? Infuriatingly persistent?" Tabitha finished for her. "Aren’t all bad boys like that? And yet, despite their obvious red flags, girls still fall for them anyway."

"F-fall? Of course not!" Gwendolyn stammered. "I’m just . . . doing this because . . . because I have no choice! I’d never hear the end of it if I didn’t go, and . . . and he always finds a way to get what he wants!"

Before Tabitha could respond, Reid walked into the room, holding a thick textbook and a cup of coffee, looking every bit like a college professor trapped in a high schooler’s body.

"What’s this? A debate over the psychological effects of persistent male attention on female decision-making?" Reid asked, adjusting his glasses as he sat down. "Because I actually have statistical data on that."

Tabitha groaned. "Reid, this is a conversation, not a research paper."

Reid ignored her and opened his book. "Studies have shown that a significant percentage of women tend to develop attraction toward dominant, assertive men—especially those who were initially perceived as antagonistic. There’s an actual name for it: the Stockholm Syndrome effect in romance."

Gwendolyn blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Basically," Reid continued, sipping his coffee, "it’s a social and psychological phenomenon where, despite being bullied or annoyed by a ’bad boy’ figure, some women start developing romantic feelings toward them. This is especially common when said bad boy is both rich and handsome."

Tabitha snorted. "So, you’re saying Roman being an insufferable jerk is actually increasing his chances of winning Gwendolyn’s heart?"

"Statistically speaking—yes," Reid answered. "His persistence, social dominance, and attractive appearance override any initial dislike. The brain processes these repeated interactions and, over time, mistakes familiarity for affection."

Gwendolyn looked horrified. "So . . . you’re saying I’m being brainwashed into liking him?"

Reid shrugged. "I wouldn’t use the term ’brainwashed’—but yes."

Tabitha shot Reid a look, the kind that screamed, Shut up before I make you. She wanted to silence him right then and there because, whether he realized it or not, he was making Gwendolyn second-guess her feelings for Roman. And that was not part of the plan.

Wait . . .

Tabitha narrowed her eyes as a realization hit her.

Was this how Reid always messed with Gwendolyn’s head? Every single time she ran to him, seeking comfort, did he sit there spouting scientific theories and logical explanations until she was too confused to think straight?

Was this how he always comforted her?

Not with warmth, not with reassurances, but with cold, hard facts that somehow made her question everything she thought she knew?

Wow.

No wonder the original story never had Gwendolyn develop romantic feelings for him, no matter how much time she spent by his side. It wasn’t just that he was dense—he was actively sabotaging any chance he had by turning every emotional moment into an impromptu TED Talk.

Seriously. This was a man who, when faced with a crying girl, wouldn’t hug her or offer soothing words. No, he’d whip out statistics about the psychological impact of crying on stress levels or, even worse, explain why she was crying in the first place like it was a science experiment.

And Gwendolyn, being the emotional disaster that she was, always ended up more confused and upset after talking to him.

No wonder it took Gwendolyn years to finally say yes to Roman—Reid had unknowingly been making her second-guess her feelings the entire time. Every time she got close to Roman, Reid would hit her with some overly logical analysis or a well-timed fact about bad boys and their psychological impact on unsuspecting girls. It was like he had a built-in defense system, subtly steering her away without even realizing it.

Tabitha nearly smacked her forehead.

This had to be why Roman got the girl in the end. Not because he was the better man, not because he deserved her, but because Reid practically handed her over by default. It was almost impressive. Almost.

And now, looking at him, sitting there completely unbothered after dropping a truth bomb on Gwendolyn’s head, Tabitha realized something else—

This idiot had no idea.