Chapter 1

Jacob Smith and his parents, Andrea and Merlin Smith, came to the orphanage to adopt a girl.

All the kids flocked to the activity room, their eyes shining with hope that the wealthy-looking Jacob might pick them.

I was the only one hiding up in the old oak out back.

This time, I didn't want to be adopted by Andrea and Merlin again, only to end up as Jacob's wife, trapped in that fancy cage, struggling to breathe my whole life.

This time, I just wanted to live a simple, free life.

But as I dropped down from the tree, I found Jacob casually leaning against the trunk, his posture easy and confident.

He tilted his head up at me, a hint of amusement curling on his lips. "Did you have fun up there, Emily?"

*****

The moment I saw Jacob, I almost thought my nightmare was starting all over again.

But then the orphanage director, Grace Walsh, came jogging over, with worry and a hint of scolding all over her face. She called out, "Emily, what are you doing out here? Mr. Smith's been searching for you everywhere!"

In that instant, reality crashed back—this wasn't some twisted dream. It was a second chance at life, standing right at a crossroads, and everything was about to change.

I froze right where I stood, unable to move.

Grace helped me down from the tree, brushed the dirt off my clothes, straightened my collar, and gently steered me over to Jacob.

"She's usually such a sweet kid. I'm not sure what's gotten into her today," Grace said quietly, trying to laugh it off.

Jacob just watched me, his gaze holding an unreadable depth I couldn't begin to guess.

With a soft smile, Jacob reached out his hand to me. "Emily, nice meeting you."

His words sent an unsettling, bone-deep chill through me—a twisted sense of familiarity that gave me goosebumps.

Without thinking, I stepped back, putting distance between us, refusing to meet his eyes.

Every warning bell in my head went off at once.

Why?

Why me, again? I tried to stay hidden, so how did he find me again? Did I have to be adopted by Andrea and Merlin?

"Why... me?" I could barely recognize my own dry, shaky voice.

Grace knelt down beside me, her tone soft and caring. "Em, Mr. Smith wants you to be part of his family. You'll have a home now—a dad and a mom, and..." She shot a glance over at Jacob. "You'll even have a big brother."

She smiled with genuine, heartfelt happiness.

In her eyes, this was the best possible future any orphan could ever wish for.

But she didn't know what was waiting for me. Only I did, and I'd lived that future once before.

"Em, will you come home with me?" Jacob's voice was softer than the boy I remembered—gentle, almost tempting, like he was luring me in.

This was all too familiar. The memories of my previous life surged up, nearly drowning me.

Strict etiquette drills, endless hours at the piano, being forced to imitate every move his dearly missed sister, Sophie Smith, ever made... Then the setup on the night of his engagement party, and all the years that followed—just the two of us stuck in a loveless marriage, wearing each other down, unable to escape.

"No." My voice came out sharp and unyielding. I lifted my chin, locking eyes with Grace. "Please, Ms. Walsh, I really don't want to be adopted."

It went awkwardly silent in an instant like everyone just forgot how to breathe.

Jacob was too shocked to hide the surprise flashing across his face.

He drew his brows together in a subtle frown, with no hint of anger, just leaning in, his voice steady. "Why?"

"Because I refuse to be your sister," I said firmly, my voice leaving no room for doubt.

I locked eyes with him, determined to spot even a single crack in his perfect façade.

He didn't get angry. Instead, he smiled, but the smile never reached his eyes.

His tone softened even more, with a strange kind of gentleness that felt out of place. "Then you don't have to be my sister. Just come and live with me, will you?"

Grace tugged at my sleeve, but I shook my head again. "No."

I thought with how firmly I refused, he'd finally back off.

But when Grace hesitantly asked Andrea and Merlin if they'd like to see any of the other children, Jacob spoke up, cold and unshakable, "Dad, Mom, I only want her to be my sister."

He locked eyes with me, his gaze dark and intense, and added in a tone hauntingly familiar from my previous life, "Only she reminds me of Soph."

In my previous life, Jacob chose me because my features reminded him of his late sister Sophie, who'd died unexpectedly.

At the time, I thought I was lucky as if life was finally showing me some mercy.

I was adopted by Andrea and Merlin, renamed Emily Smith, and settled into a room that was beautifully decorated but never truly felt like my own.

Andrea said, "Children from the orphanage often have habits that need correcting. We'll have to fix those."

So I forced myself to shed every "bad habit," trying to act proper and refined. Bit by bit, I stopped being myself and turned into Sophie whom they missed terribly.

Andrea was relentless with her expectations for me.

I had to practice piano for at least six hours every single day. Even when my teacher gently mentioned I didn't have much talent, Andrea was always there, making sure I kept at it.

"It's okay, Em. Hard work makes up for everything. Soph worked herself to the bone too," Andrea would say, soft but firm.

It hit me later—playing piano was never for me. It was always Sophie's thing.

All their hopes and memories, everything they missed about Sophie—they poured it into me, trying to turn me into her, never letting me just be myself.

I didn't really care, not anymore.

A fish gasping its last wouldn't mind if the water was murky. It'd do anything just to keep breathing.

For me, love was no different. As long as I could survive, I didn't care what shape it took.

I pushed myself harder, trying to fit the mold of the daughter they wanted—hoping to win over Andrea, and quietly, still longing for Jacob to look my way.

It almost felt like we were a real family, at least for a little while.

But then came the night of Jacob's engagement party with that perfect heiress from a family that matched ours. He was drugged and lost all self-control, and I wandered right into his room at the worst possible moment.

Merlin was so enraged that his heart nearly gave out right there. He had a heart attack on the spot.

Andrea smacked me hard across the face, her eyes colder than ice. "If I'd known it'd come to this, I never would've adopted you!"

Jacob just stood silent, staring at me with eyes full of complicated emotions that I could never hope to read.

I bet he was regretting it too. Wishing he'd never chosen me—never dragged this disaster into his life.

"I didn't expect this. I didn't know what happened..." I kept trying to explain, my voice trembling, but my words just faded into nothing.

No one believed me.