Chapter 1

The night my husband swallowed pills to kill himself, I held him and sat there all night with a broken heart.

Before he died, I asked him if he had any last wishes.

He tried hard to move his lips and murmured, "I left all my assets to her child. I failed you. I wish I could make it up..."

Only then did I realize that after years of marriage, Vivian Lane was still on Henry Carter's mind.

Vivian was the one who'd always picked on me since we were kids. She killed herself out of fear after causing my child's death.

Maybe Henry's last wish had come true. When I woke up, I'd traveled back through time.

*****

"Mom, Dad, if you're going to adopt a girl, pick her. She looks like she can handle anything, and you'll have a qualified heir," Henry said.

When I heard that, I realized Henry had traveled through time too.

Thinking about his last wish after he tried to end his life, I let out a quiet laugh. Guess he really meant what he said.

In my previous life, I was ambitious, sick of being poor and powerless, always praying for a miracle that never came. All I ever dreamed of was getting adopted by some rich family.

I pulled every trick I could think of and finally got noticed by Alvin and Briana, Henry's parents.

Alvin and Briana were satisfied with me, and I was about to break free from that nightmare. But before my dream came true, Henry showed up with Vivian in tow.

Vivian accused me of bullying her, spread rumors that I was flirting with teachers, and said I was a scheming actress. Henry believed every word she said.

That was the day my world fell apart. As Henry left with Vivian, he stood in front of everyone at the orphanage and said, "Coraline Matthews is a jinx. She'll bring you misery. Better stay away."

Since then, I felt like I'd been living in hell. I had to endure five more years of misery.

Meanwhile, Vivian was adopted by the Carter family. She was treated like royalty and cherished by every member of the family.

Now, standing in front of Alvin and Briana, I heard Henry say, "This time, I want you to be my sister. I'll look out for you, and you won't have to envy others anymore.

"At least I won't let you go through another five years of hell as a kid."

I could tell he pitied me for what I'd been through in my previous life.

He had eventually found out that Vivian had lied to him. He'd spent decades regretting leaving me at the orphanage to suffer for five more years.

Alvin and Briana nodded, and just like last time, they liked me the moment they saw me.

But I wanted nothing to do with Henry anymore, and I don't want to owe him anything.

I was just about to say no, but Vivian ran into the room, crying. Her clothes were ripped, and a fresh cut was bleeding on her arm.

"Vivian, are you okay?" I asked.

Vivian shot me a guarded glance and said to Alvin and Briana, sobbing, "Mr. and Mrs. Carter, are you here to save me? Please. I don't want to die."

She was imitating me.

The director of the orphanage was a real scumbag, and I'd once used this trick to save myself. But Vivian was always lucky. She'd never suffered like I did and never had to deal with that scumbag.

In my previous life, seeing her pull that stunt made me completely lose it. I grabbed her and asked her why she did that, and Alvin and Briana started disliking me because of it.

Now, even though Henry was fully aware that Vivian was lying, he still couldn't stop himself from feeling protective toward her.

"Whoever bullies you, I make them pay," Henry said.

Vivian didn't dare gamble on it. She was scared that if she didn't get adopted, she'd get on the director's bad side.

I blinked, stepped forward, and said calmly, "It's the director. He always tortures us, and Vivian got harmed pretty badly."

"What? That bastard," Alvin said and clenched his fists.

"Don't cry, sweetheart. Here, wipe your tears," Briana said, her voice full of sympathy.

Henry stood off to the side, pressed his lips tightly, and narrowed his eyes slightly. Knowing him well, I could tell he was having a second thought.

"Mom, Dad, let's adopt Vivian," Henry said.

"Please, Mr. and Mrs. Carter, adopt Vivian," I said.

We almost spoke in unison.

"Coraline, why..." Henry murmured, looking at me in disbelief.

He knew all too well that in my previous life, I was desperate for someone to save me, aching to escape this place.

But now, everything was different.

I ignored Henry's conflicted, guilty gaze and replied calmly, "Mr. and Mrs. Carter, I'd like to see what it's like to be the only child in my adoptive family, so I think I'll pass. But thank you for considering me."

Alvin and Briana were taken aback. Disappointment was written all over their faces.

When Vivian was told she was about to be taken away, she came to me.

She lifted her chin, wearing a cocky smirk. "See? I told you, Coraline. You never stand a chance against me. I'm about to become some rich family's princess.

"You're just gonna rot away in this dump. If you want to blame someone, blame yourself for being stupid. You could have exposed my lies."

Vivian strutted off with that smug smile.