Chapter 1

After ten years of marriage, I died in a hospital bed.

He held my hand and cried like his heart was breaking.

I thought that was love.

Not until I heard him say this: the biggest regret of his life was not marrying my sister.

So I was only ever his second choice.

Fine.

In this life, I'll give you exactly what you want.

*****

I was dead.

Not dreaming, not imagining things, and not the kind where someone suddenly drops from a heart attack. I mean the kind with a doctor's signature, a death certificate, and an official seal.

I was lying in a refrigerated drawer at the funeral home, listening to the clack of the sliding door on its metal track.

But I could still hear the crying outside.

"Charlie, don't blame me. I really did try to live a good life with you. You were the one who left first. I was all alone. I really…"

It was Daniel Grant, my husband.

We'd been married for ten years, and he had never cried in front of me once.

Now that I was dead, he was crying harder than anyone, and I was almost touched.

The next second, he wiped his tears and choked out, "What I regret most is not marrying your sister.

"If I'd just held on back then and stayed with her, neither of us would"ve ended up like this."

It felt like my soul had been torn open.

Everything in front of me instantly blurred into a haze of red.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back to two days before the engagement party.

I sat in the hotel's dressing room in front of a mirror, wearing a custom white dress.

The door opened.

Daniel walked in with a cup of coffee and smiled as he handed it to me. "I had them add an extra spoon of sugar. Just how you like it."

I took it, lowered my eyes to the cup, and said calmly, "Daniel, you do know I'm allergic to coffee, right?"

He froze for a second. "Didn't you order it yourself last time…"

"You remembered wrong." I smiled faintly. "My sister's the one who likes it. Did you grab the wrong one again?"

The smile on his face stiffened.

After a few seconds of silence, he finally said, "Why are you acting so weird today?"

"Weird?" I tilted my head.

I stood up slowly, set the coffee on the table, and looked straight at him. "Then let me tell you something even weirder. I'm not marrying you."

Daniel's expression changed on the spot. "What did you say?"

I picked up the ring, placed it in his palm, and met his eyes evenly. "What we have isn't love.

You never said you loved me, and I never asked. But today, I got my answer.

The person you love is my sister, isn't it?"

Daniel's whole face locked up. He"d gone so pale it was almost scary.

I turned and walked out.

Behind me, his voice came slow and confused. "Charlie, did you get the wrong idea about something?

Don't do anything rash. Both families already agreed to this marriage…"

Without looking back, I said, "Then they can all stand around and laugh at us together.

"Either way, I'm done being your second choice in this life."

News of the broken engagement spread fast.

I'd barely left the hotel before my mom started blowing up my phone. She was furious.