Chapter 1

At my sister's engagement party, her fiancé's drink was spiked, and he stumbled into my dressing room by mistake.

To cover up the scandal, our two families brokered a deal: we would swap places. I would marry her fiancé, and my sister would take my place in the arranged marriage to the Sterling family.

Rumor had it that the Sterling patriarch was on his deathbed, and this marriage was nothing more than a contract to keep a dying old man company in his final days.

On the day of the wedding, my sister Vanessa swallowed a bottle of pills. Sebastian, her fiancé, blamed me, convinced I had manipulated the entire situation out of jealousy.

For thirty years of marriage, I endured his coldness and humiliation.

Right before I died alone in a hospital bed, his final words to me were delivered as a message: "Nora, stay away from me in the next life."

When I opened my eyes again, I was back at the engagement banquet.

Sebastian stood a few feet away. The moment our eyes met, I knew he had been reborn too.

He spoke up before anyone else could.

"The wedding is being moved up. I am marrying Vanessa. Nora will fulfill the marriage contract with the Sterling family."

The banquet hall fell dead silent. Every pair of eyes turned to me.

I lifted my chin, meeting the mocking, pitying stares of the crowd.

"Fine. I'll marry him."

The moment the words left my mouth, the room went completely still.

I didn't agree to play the martyr for their grand love story. I agreed because I wanted to cut ties with this toxic family once and for all.

My biological mother, Diane, was the first to recover. She reached out, her fingers gently covering the back of my hand.

"Nora, you're a smart girl. You always know the right thing to do."

I lowered my eyes. In my past life, I played the "understanding daughter" countless times. But when I was dying in a hospital bed, not a single one of them bothered to show up to handle my affairs.

Vanessa stepped out from behind Sebastian, her eyes rimmed with red.

"Nora, I'm so sorry..." Before she could even finish her sentence, the tears began to fall.

A bitter laugh almost escaped my lips.

Three years ago, the Bennett family tracked me down in a rundown town in Appalachia and brought me back. The only reason they bothered to find me was because Vanessa, the daughter they actually raised, refused to accept the arranged marriage with the Sterling family. They desperately needed a stand-in.

Yet in my past life, everyone acted like I was the villain who stole Vanessa's life. Not once did anyone ask what I actually wanted.

Sebastian pulled Vanessa into his arms, his voice dropping into a comforting murmur.

"Vanessa, this isn't your fault. Nora agreed to it herself."

He looked up, his gaze locking onto mine.

"Nora, this is your own choice. Don't regret it."

My father, Richard, quickly raised his glass, eager to smooth over the awkward tension.

"This couldn't be better. We'll hold both weddings early next month."

"Isn't that a bit rushed?" Diane asked.

Richard waved her off impatiently. "The sooner this is settled, the better. The Sterlings won't mistreat Nora. The sooner she moves over there, the sooner she can settle down."

Around us, the extended family and guests began to whisper.

"I heard the head of the Sterling family is so sick he can't even make public appearances anymore."

"Sending a girl in her early twenties over there... they're basically throwing her into hell."

"Well, Vanessa is the daughter they actually raised. Of course they couldn't bear to see her suffer."

If this were my past life, I would have already fled to the restroom, curled up in a stall, and cried until my eyes swelled shut.

But now, I simply picked up my teacup and took a quiet sip.

The banquet ended.

Vanessa walked out arm-in-arm with Sebastian, leading the way. Richard and Diane flanked them closely. They looked like the picture-perfect family of four.

I was left trailing far behind.

Outside the hotel, Sebastian personally opened the passenger door of his car for Vanessa, carefully shielding her head with his hand.

Vanessa looked up at him with a sickeningly sweet smile, and Sebastian leaned down to press a kiss to her lips.

Diane stood nearby, beaming with pride. "Look at Sebastian. He knows exactly how to take care of her."

Richard nodded in agreement. "He's a solid man."

Not a single one of them looked at me standing in the corner.

Sebastian closed the car door. He caught sight of me out of the corner of his eye and paused.

"Nora," he said, lowering his voice. "The Sterlings won't mistreat you. Just follow their rules over there. From here on out... take good care of yourself."

"Understood."

Sebastian frowned slightly, turned, and got into the car.

The vehicle disappeared down the street in seconds.

I stood there alone. My phone buzzed.

It was a text from Vanessa.

A photo of her and Sebastian's hands tightly intertwined, showing off a massive pair of matching diamond engagement rings.

The caption read: Thank you for letting us be together.

I didn't reply.

I slipped the phone away and raised my hand to hail a cab.

"Where to, Miss?" the driver asked.

"Westchester. The Bennett estate."

I leaned back against the rear seat and slowly closed my eyes.

In this life, I was going to walk out of their world completely.