Chapter 3

Xavier looked skinny, but he was surprisingly fit. There was a noticeable bulge between his legs, just like the one I'd seen when I bought him.

My throat went dry. I let out a long sigh. I really knew how to look out for myself.

He slowly lowered his head, leaning in. Just as his lips were about to touch mine, there was a sudden noise at the door.

It was Zara, banging on the door in a panic. "Ms. Lambert, Mr. Zimmerman is here."

I was a bit thrown off.

Then I remembered that Jayson pulled this same stunt in my previous life, too.

Back then, I hadn't caused much trouble yet, so Jayson still felt guilty toward me. He tried to comfort me with sweet words, made me tear up, and then turned around and went straight to Yulianna.

Seriously, Jayson was really good at sweet-talking. It was normal that I was jealous of Yulianna. I was cursing him out in my head, but I still had to play along.

Sure enough, when Jayson saw me, his face was a little sour, but he still kept that soft voice. "Wrenlee, I know you're mad at me today. I'm not holding it against you."

I nodded.

"You're a good girl. If fate hadn't messed things up, maybe we could've made it work," he said.

I said nothing but nod.

"But I met Yulianna first, and she's the one I was meant to marry. Tonight, I have to go to her room," he added.

I said nothing but nod.

My obedient act seemed to soothe Jayson. For once, he reached out and brushed my cheek. "Don't be mad. That guy... if you want to be with him, go ahead. I know you won't, but as long as you're happy, I won't mind."

"Yeah," I replied. Inside, I was seriously thrilled. Since he said these words, there was no way he would be mad at me later.

Jayson was about to say something else when Yulianna made her entrance, all elegant and sweet.

Her cheeks were flushed, and she stumbled right into Jayson's arms. "Jayson, I've been waiting ages for you."

Then she stuck her tongue out at me, all playful. "Sorry. I lost my balance for a second. Don't be mad, Wrenlee."

I was not mad. I wanted them to leave as soon as possible. I had a plan to do.

On the outside, I put on a show of being a little annoyed. "Yulianna, what's that supposed to mean?"

Seeing the tension about to explode, Jayson, who couldn't stand girl fights, quickly wrapped his arm around Yulianna. "Wrenlee, I've already made myself clear. I'm into Yulianna.

"Tonight, go spend your wedding night with your new man. We'll deal with everything else some other time."

With that, Jayson turned around with Yulianna and left without another glance.

Once they were gone, I told Zara, "Hurry up. Bolt the door. Don't let him come back and mess up my plans."

Zara bit her lip, hesitating before finally blurting out, "Miss, are you really going to sleep with Xavier?

"You don't even know if he's got a family, or what his background is, and you're going to jump into bed with him? What if Mr. Zimmerman regrets it and comes after you later?"

I flashed a grin. "Why bother? Life is too short to worry about that stuff."

In my previous life, I spent all my time plotting and scheming, thinking I'd won, but in the end, I was just a tool for making babies, and I didn't even end up with a single kid.

When I finally hanged myself, all I could feel was pure suffering. My whole life had been nothing but pain and regret.

I was always busy fighting and trying to win Jayson's affection, never stopping to figure out what I actually liked, never knowing what love really felt like, or what the world outside was even like.

I was stuck in this little box, wasting all my years chasing after one guy.

So when I got a second chance, I knew I wasn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed, and I didn't have much education either.

I gave up on all that fighting and decided to live for myself. Whatever made me happy, that was what I'd do.

Too bad I came back too late. I was already stuck with the Zimmerman family, and there was no way to call off the wedding.

All I could do was use the wedding to get a fat fortune from the Lambert family, and then do my best to avoid Jayson and Yulianna.

Once I'd made enough money, I'd find a way to get a divorce. Then, with cash in hand and my freedom back, I could finally go out and see the world for myself.

First things first, I had to enjoy some eye candy while I could. With a mischievous grin, I pushed the door open.

Xavier was still sitting at the edge of the bed, half-undressed, and there was something extra tempting about him under the soft candlelight.

He must've heard what happened outside, because when he looked at me, his eyes were deep and serious. "My lady, do you still want me tonight?"

He was a little nagging. Impatiently, I shoved him down onto the bed with one hand. "The door is locked. What do you think?

"Xavier, I bought you and took care of you. Now it's your turn to pay me back. Show me what you can do and don't make it hurt, okay?"