Chapter 2

Alfonso's mother, Isabella Castaneda, always said Yasmin was the daughter-in-law she truly wanted, gentle, understanding, and obedient. Not like me, too much of a businesswoman for her taste.

Alfonso himself admitted he and Yasmin were truly in love. He only married me for the Gordon family's wealth and influence.

They locked me away in the back courtyard, treating me like an invalid, as if I was nothing but discarded.

If not for Oliver, I might have ended it all already.

Oliver was my only hope, the only thing holding me together.

But now, I had lost him too.

It was Alfonso. He killed Oliver.

"Katherine? Katherine, what's wrong?" My mother's voice pulled me back.

Seeing my troubled expression, she gently shook my shoulder, worry written all over her face.

I snapped back to reality, meeting her concerned gaze, and a wave of sorrow washed over me.

In my previous life, after I died, Alfonso set up the Gordon family. My parents were implicated as well, and in the end, they were banished thousands of miles from home.

This time, there was no way I would let that tragedy happen again.

I took a deep breath, suppressing the hatred surging inside me, and flashed my mother a cold smile.

"Mom, I'm calling off this marriage," I said.

Jennifer's smile stiffened.

She stared at me in disbelief, as if she'd misheard.

"Katherine, what are you saying?" she asked. "Today is your engagement to the Castaneda family. Everyone in Eldoraville knows about it. How can you just back out now?"

I stood up from the dressing table and walked over, settling into a seat at the table.

I poured myself some coffee that had gone cold ages ago and took a slow sip.

The cold water slid down my throat, and my scattered thoughts finally cleared.

"Mom, I mean it. This engagement is off," I said, my voice steady.

My tone was calm, but it left no room for doubt.

Jennifer finally realized I wasn't joking.

She hurried over and grabbed my hand, saying, "My dear, are you still half-asleep? You can't just say things like that!

"The Castaneda family is a noble family, and Alfonso is a young general with a bright future ahead of him. You won't find a match like this anywhere. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! What are you so upset about?"

I couldn't help but let out a cold laugh in my heart.

Yeah, in my previous life, everyone thought I was marrying way above my station by becoming Alfonso's wife.

As a merchant's daughter, marrying into the Castaneda family as the official wife was the kind of fortune people dream of for generations.

So I was expected to be grateful, to accept whatever came my way without question, even if he preferred to indulge his mistress, destroy his wife, and even if he humiliated me, deceived me, and shattered my family.

I quietly met my mother's eyes, my gaze unwavering.

"Mom, do you honestly think this marriage is a good idea?" I asked.

She was stunned by my question.

She said, "Of course it is! It's a match made in heaven. Your families are well-matched, and you two look perfect together..."

"A proper match?" I cut her off. "The Gordon family deals in business, while the Castaneda family is all about politics. Merchants have always been looked down on. How could we ever be a real match for a noble house like theirs?"

"Perfect couple?" The sarcasm in my voice deepened. "Mom, did you forget? Six months ago, Alfonso fell off his horse and nearly died. My father spent a fortune on a century-old vital essence to save his life.

"After that, rumors started swirling in Eldoraville that his injuries were so bad, he might never have children. Otherwise, with the Castaneda family's status, why would he stoop so low as to marry a merchant's daughter like me?"

I only learned all this from the servants' gossip, right before I died.

So, from the very start, my marriage to Alfonso was nothing but a calculated scheme.

The Castaneda family needed the Gordon family's wealth to elevate their status, and they sought a "lucky bride" to dispel the rumors that Alfonso was cursed and destined to bring ruin to any wife he married.

Meanwhile, the Gordon family needed the Castaneda family's influence to survive in a world where officials and merchants are always tangled up together.

It was just a deal, nothing more.

And I was the idiot who dove in headfirst, wasting ten years of genuine feelings for nothing.

Jennifer was stunned, her face going red and then pale as she struggled for words.

She knew everything I said was true.

"But... even so, that's just what people are saying. You can't believe every rumor," she insisted. "We had people look into it. Mr. Castaneda's health is fine. And he does care about you! Just a few days ago, he sent you your favorite hostas through someone..."

"Care about me?" I asked.

I couldn't help but laugh inside. Was she serious?

If he really cared about me, how could he have slept with another woman in my own bed the night before our engagement?

Yasmin told me herself, after I married him in my last life.

She said she and Alfonso had been in love for ages. To rebel against their families' plans, they spent the entire night together in the private residence my family paid for him, right before our engagement.