Chapter 2

I had no idea how long I'd been out.

Suddenly, my dad burst into my room, looking frantic.

"Amber, why are you still sleeping? Charles got into a car accident." he said.

I shot up in bed, wide awake.

On the way to the hospital, my mind was a mess.

If in this life I stayed away from the Foster Family, would Charles still end up dead?

Would Charles still end up dead?

Does that mean my fate is doomed to stay the same?

I stood outside the hospital room, my heart pounding with anxiety.

I couldn't bring myself to open the door.

I was terrified of what I might see, the gruesome sight of two broken bodies inside.

Suddenly, the door swung open from the inside.

I stumbled and bumped right into someone's chest.

"Who are you?" The voice from above was cold as ice.

I looked up, startled and afraid.

The man in front of me, refined and aristocratic, hesitated for a moment when he saw me.

But almost instantly, his expression turned icy cold.

I knew that look all too well.

I couldn't stop myself from trembling.

Edward came back too.

Honestly, things between me and Edward weren't that bad at first.

Back then, Charles was a total rebel.

He smoked, drank, got into fights, raced cars, he was up to all kinds of trouble. Edward was so fed up that he kicked him out of the house.

Charles almost got beaten to death right there on the street.

I happened to be helping my dad with a delivery, and I drove up in our van, scaring those guys off.

After that, Charles cleaned up his act and started following me everywhere, like he couldn't leave me alone.

A few days later, an elegant, gentlemanly man showed up at our door.

Charles' face lit up and he called him "Edward."

Thanks to Edward, our bakery business was booming overnight.

All the big companies nearby started ordering from us like crazy.

My dad was so busy he barely had time to catch his breath.

Whenever I was home from college on the weekends and my dad didn't have time to cook, Charles would drag me over to Edward's place for a free meal.

Back then, Edward was like the big brother next door, always warm and helpful.

Sometimes, my dad would run into some jealous thugs or petty gangsters trying to mess with our business.

Edward could handle it all with one phone call.

So every time I saw him, I'd always call him "Edward" and act all cute around him.

And every now and then, I'd bring him some quirky little gifts to show my thanks.

None of us saw it coming.

Who would've thought our relationship would end up the way it did?

After Sophia Quinn and Charles died in my previous life, Edward made it his mission to humiliate me at every turn.

He never let a single chance to embarrass me slip by.

He did it in the office, at banquets, in the fitting room, by the pool...

I had to endure his humiliations, shaking uncontrollably, again and again.

With my voice barely audible from all the crying, I was forced to confess that I had tried to seduce him.

Only then would he finally set me free.

Those memories crashed into me, making my head ring.

I could barely stand.

"Amber." Charles said.

He was sitting there with his foot wrapped in thick bandages.

When he saw me, his face lit up with joy.

I barely managed to hold myself together, forcing out the words despite feeling like I could collapse at any moment. "Charles, it's over between us. Don't ever call my dad again."

After saying that, I turned and walked away, desperate to escape.

"Amber. Don't. Don't go." Charles called out, his voice desperate.

In his panic, he fell right off the hospital bed.

I couldn't walk away, so I stopped.

But before I could do anything, Edward beat me to it, grabbing Charles and pulling him back onto the bed.

Edward snapped coldly, "She's a worthless woman. Why are you making such a scene over her?"

Charles stared at Edward, totally shocked. "Edward, what the hell are you saying? Apologize to Amber right now."

Sophia, who had walked in, stood there, stunned.

"Edward, didn't you always say Charles found an amazing girlfriend? Why are you acting so different all of a sudden?" Sophia asked, clearly confused.