Chapter 1

On his deathbed, my husband, Edward Sterling, gripped my hand and pleaded earnestly, "If there were another choice, please spare me. Don't marry me again."

I, Isabelle Hartwell, nodded through my tears, but in my heart, I was already plotting how to torment him for another time.

Who would have thought that I would wake up one day to find myself back before the marriage?

Looking at the room full of gifts Edward had sent, I couldn't help but laugh with delight.

Now, not only did I not have to marry him, but I could also keep the money. What a perfect situation.

Without hesitation, I packed everything up and, in a grand gesture, married the Duke, Alexander Blackwood, the very person Edward feared the most.

This time around, I was the Duke's wife, someone Edward couldn't afford to provoke. Let's see how this played out.

*****

Edward was dying. He lay in bed, his once-handsome face now nothing but a gaunt, yellowish mask stretched tight over his bones. The whole room reeked of medicine, so thick one could almost taste it.

I sat by his bedside, cradling a cup of medicine, my face full of sorrow. But inside, I was perfectly calm. He was finally going to die.

I was married to him for ten years, from sixteen to twenty-six, living like a joke throughout that time. I once believed he was my true love. So I gave him everything and helped him rise from an obscure official to the position of minister.

But after he achieved success, what he brought back was my sister, Charlotte Hartwell.

He said he'd always loved Charlotte, and the only reason he married me was for my status as the Hartwell family's daughter and the generous property my mother left me.

He called me overbearing and jealous, and said I could never compare to Charlotte. He said she was gentle and understanding. Then he handed me a divorce letter and kicked me out of the Sterling Manor. I became the laughingstock of all Amiston.

But he didn't know that I had gotten another chance. In the previous life, after being kicked out, I ended up on the streets and eventually died of illness in an abandoned church.

As for him, his embezzlement of a large sum of money had offended the Duke, Alexander, leading to his family's confiscation and imprisonment. He met a terrible end as well.

When I came back, the very first thing I did was ruin their so-called true love. I pulled every trick in the book to make him marry me again. And then, I started making his life a living hell.

I made him watch as his precious Charlotte was married off to a butcher, suffering abuse day after day. I made him watch as I took down his colleagues one by one, leaving him with no one left to stand by his side.

I made him watch his power and wealth slip away, piece by piece. Then a slow poison. He suffered every day until he died in despair.

Right now, his cloudy eyes were locked onto mine, his breath barely hanging on. He reached out with his dry, bony hand and gripped me tight.

He gasped, tears of regret streaming down his face. "Isabelle, if there were another choice, please spare me. Don't marry me again."

I looked at him, tears streaming down my face, crying like my heart was breaking. I choked out a nod. "Don't worry, Edward. I promise I won't marry you. So you can finally get what you want and live the life you always dreamed of."

He seemed to believe me, a look of relief crossing his face. His hand went limp, and he was gone for good.

I lay across him, crying so hard it felt like my insides were being torn apart. But deep down, I was sneering. Let you go? Not a chance. One lifetime of torment wasn't nearly enough. I'd make sure you live in my shadow for eternity.

As I wept, the world spun, darkness swallowed me, and I lost consciousness.

*****

When I woke up again, it was the noise that dragged me back to reality. I snapped my eyes open, and instead of the funeral at Sterling Manor, I was in my old room, the one I'd lived in before I got married.

Sunlight streamed through the window, and my maid, Emily, was bustling around, directing the servants as they hauled out those big chests, each one decorated with wedding stickers.

I froze. I looked down at my hands, smooth and unmarked by any sign of toil. They were exactly as they had been when I was sixteen. Was I back before I had married Edward?

Emily saw I was awake and hurried over, grinning from ear to ear. "Miss Hartwell, you're up. Come on, let's get you ready.

"The Sterling family's wedding gifts are all at the door, one hundred and twenty-eight chests, packed to the brim. Every girl in Amiston is green with envy."

The Sterling family's wedding gifts? I glanced around at all those chests. The gift list was sitting on the table, thick as a book.

All of it was actually the gift my mother left me, but my father handed it over to the Sterling family to show off and save face.

Last time, I married into the Sterling family with all this stuff, basking in all the pomp and glory. But in the end, I lost both my fortune and myself, left with nothing.

But now, as I looked around at all those betrothal gifts, I couldn't help but laugh. Looked like God had handed me another chance.

Why not live a little differently this time? I didn't have to marry him, and I still got to keep all these gifts. What a perfect situation.

I was so excited that I jumped right out of bed. "Emily."

"Yes, Miss," she replied.

"Stop moving those boxes." I waved my hand with confidence. "Open every single one and count everything inside, then pack them all up again for me."

Emily looked confused. "Miss Hartwell, what's going on? It's almost time for the ceremony."

I walked up to her, pinched her cheek, and grinned like a fox who'd stolen the chicken. "Of course I'm taking my gift with me. But we're picking a new groom."

"A new one?" Emily's eyes went wide as saucers.

I nodded, my eyes sparkling with excitement. I was going to marry the person whom Edward feared the most, the powerful and ruthless man, Alexander.

In the previous life, Edward met his end at Alexander's hands. This time, I was going to be the Duke's wife; he couldn't afford to provoke. Our game had only begun.

I turned around and addressed the servants in the room loudly. "Listen up. Pack all the gifts beautifully and prepare to accompany me to the Blackwood Manor.

"Tell them that I, the Hartwell family's daughter, am willingly bringing a substantial amount of money to seek marriage with the Duke."