I'm about to get married, and yet my boyfriend, Samuel Sutton, whom I've loved for many years, has no idea about my marriage.

He's infatuated with Summer Wright, an underprivileged student whom I've been sponsoring. So, he decides to throw a party for her.

Before leaving for the party, Samuel scoots near me purposefully to murmur into my ear.

"I'll give you the title as my wife, but I intend to give my body to the woman I actually love. Tonight, Summer and I will stay in the same room. As for you, you shall spend the night with that cold-faced bastard!"

Only then do I realize that Samuel has been reborn as well.

After all, in the previous life, I was the woman he had married. On top of that, he also told me that he would only love me and me only.

But when I was on my deathbed, I finally found out that Samuel had been yearning for Summer the whole time. Naturally, he hated my guts for the rest of his life.

That's why the first thing I do after I get reborn is switch my marriage alliance partner to Samuel's older brother, Liam Sutton.

After finalizing my new engagement arrangement with my parents, I attended the party with everyone else.

On the way there, Samuel's friends were all making fun of me.

"How can you agree to let them stay in the same room, Catherine? Aren't you afraid that your fiance's going to run off with another woman?"

"Everyone in our circle knows that Catherine pursued Samuel for ten years. He's got her wrapped around his finger. Once, she even personally delivered a jacket to him despite running a high fever. Even if she's unhappy about his decision, I don't think there's anything she can do about it."

Samuel Sutton, the man in question, was busy shelling nuts for Summer Wright. Upon hearing that statement, a hint of annoyance flickered across his face.

"Catherine desperately wants to marry me. She had our families arrange the engagement without even asking for my consent. Now, everyone in our circle knows our families are about to become in-laws," he said.

He added, "I'm only going to spend one night with Summer. If you get in my way or snitch on me, I'll make you pay."

His contemptuous glare made my chest tighten. After a brief moment, I replied calmly, "I'm not going to get in your way. After all, you're not the man I'm marrying."

Upon hearing this, everyone around me burst into laughter.

"You can't just say something like that out of jealousy, Catherine. If Samuel takes your word seriously, you'll end up heartbroken."

"Come on, Samuel. Do something to cheer her up. Otherwise, she's going to come up with even more ways to get your attention."

Samuel frowned at me. "You were the one who shamelessly begged for this arranged marriage. Why are you trying to play hard-to-get now?"

He continued, "You've been chasing after me for a decade. Everyone knows that you're obsessed with me. Who else would you marry if you're not marrying me?"

He was right. In my previous life, I pursued him romantically for years.

Samuel was a son of the Sutton family. Despite knowing that he would never get caught in the rain, I still brought him an umbrella whenever it started to pour.

I knew that he had plenty of people around to take care of him. But whenever he fell sick, I still stayed by his side and nursed him back to health.

He always thought my actions were meaningless, but I was more than happy to do those things for him.

"My love for you makes everything feel worthwhile," I used to say.

In our previous life, Samuel became much gentler and a lot more loving toward me after our wedding. When I caught a cold, he'd even set aside his work and stay by my side to take care of me.

Initially, I thought my devotion had finally won him over. Hence, I foolishly let myself get carried away by what turned out to be an illusion.

One day, while I was on my way to deliver documents to him, Summer video-called me.

In the call, Summer was kissing a man passionately. To my dismay, the man she was kissing was none other than Samuel, my husband.

As I was overwhelmed by grief and heartbreak, my car collided head-on with an oncoming truck, and I died on the spot.

Before my death, I finally understood something. Regardless of how hard I tried, some things were never going to work out.

I wasn't the one Samuel's heart belonged to. So this time, I changed my fiance.

Soon, I would become someone else's bride.

At that moment, Summer gently tugged on Samuel's sleeve. Then she said softly, "Don't be so harsh, Sam. Kate is just trying to get your attention. Why don't you humor her a little and cheer her up?"

Samuel's gaze softened as he turned to look at her.

"I'm not going to humor her," he declared. "I'm only marrying her to satisfy my parents. She's not worth my time."

Subsequently, he turned toward me and continued, "I know you're thrilled that you finally get to marry me. I won't hold your past behavior against you, but…"

He leaned in close to my ear and growled, "Consider this a warning. Summer is the woman I love the most. I'm not just spending one night with her. I'm planning to stay with her even after we get married. When that time comes, you'll cover for me and make sure my parents never give me trouble over it."

Afterward, Samuel turned his attention back to Summer and began to act openly affectionate toward her.

If this had happened in the past, I would've gotten incredibly jealous and demanded that he choose between us. But now, I simply sat in my seat in silence. Instead of responding, I rested my chin on the palm of my hand and looked out of the window.

For some reason, Samuel's expression darkened slightly when he noticed my lack of reaction.

Soon, we arrived at our destination.

Samuel opened the car door and helped Summer out of the vehicle like a gentleman. I walked behind the group and entered the hotel last.

In the lobby, Liam Sutton, the eldest son of the Sutton family, was sitting on the sofa, watching a show. In contrast to his sharp, capable demeanor, he looked refined and handsome, and his personality was cold and aloof.

Samuel had complained about Liam on multiple occasions. He claimed that he couldn't stand Liam's pretentious attitude. But I knew it was simply because the latter overshadowed him, and it bruised his pride and ego.

Pressing his lips together, Samuel greeted Liam reluctantly.

"Hello, Liam."

Liam nodded in response before his gaze fell on me.

There were only five key cards. Samuel took one from the hotel manager and turned to look at me.

"You'll share a room with my brother tonight. Don't worry—he has high standards. He wouldn't be interested in you. Once we settle in, get a few condoms from the receptionist and send them over to my room."

Feeling amused, the crowd eagerly watched the conversation unfold.

Summer blushed and buried her face in Samuel's chest. "There are people here, Sam…"

Samuel didn't seem to care. Glancing at me deliberately, he replied, "It's fine. She's aware of what's going on. Besides, she knows that she won't be my only partner. Did you hear what I said, Catherine?"

In the past, I was almost always at Samuel's beck and call. Even when I had a fever, I rushed to his company to deliver a blanket to him as soon as he called me.

It was pouring that afternoon. After I arrived at his office, soaked and disheveled, he gently draped the blanket over a sleeping Summer without sparing me a single glance.

In hindsight, perhaps my unconditional love for him caused him to take my devotion for granted. I couldn't believe that he felt comfortable enough to give me such an obnoxious instruction, but I wasn't going to let him have his way anymore.

Looking him in the eye, I responded, "I heard you, but all your limbs are working just fine. If you want something, you should go get it yourself."

"I know you're jealous, Catherine, but Samuel likes me," Summer said in a sweet, insincere tone. "There's nothing wrong with liking someone. You're being too harsh on him."

"You'd better stop talking, or I might start asking you to pay me back," I declared coldly.

Summer was an underprivileged student I supported financially. She came from a poor background. Without my help, she would've been forced into a marriage before she could even enter college.

Despite her background, she still dared to get involved with my husband and send me videos to gloat about it.

These events happened in my previous life. But even now, the memory of her betrayal still stung just as sharply.

Summer immediately teared up. She bit her lip and ran out of the room.

"Catherine Lowe!" Samuel barked at me. "How dare you pick on Summer?"

"Do you think you can act so arrogantly just because you're about to marry me? I hate that jealous expression of yours. Apologize to Summer right now!" he demanded.

When I didn't move, he raised his hand and tried to strike me. But before he could touch me, someone abruptly grabbed his wrist.

Liam positioned himself in front of me to shield me from harm. I couldn't help but glance at him, but I wasn't able to see his face.

Samuel's expression instantly hardened even further. He broke free from Liam's hold and shot me a vicious glare.

"I'll deal with you next time."

With that, he hastily stormed off to look for Summer.

Upon seeing this, the rest of the group quickly grabbed their key cards and left in a hurry.

At that moment, Liam picked up the last key card before making his way toward me. Staring at me with an emotionless expression, he said, "Let's go, Ms. Lowe."

I hummed in response and followed him to our room.

Even if Samuel hadn't said anything, Liam and I were supposed to share a room anyway.

In my past life, I never really interacted with Liam.

Once, when I was hospitalized with a fever, Samuel was too busy with work to care about me. To my surprise, Liam came to visit me with some gifts.

Before he'd left my hospital room, he'd said something vague.

"I hope you come to your senses soon."

When the door to our hotel room closed behind us, I turned to study Liam's face. He looked just as cold and distant as he had in my previous life.

Liam had a reserved yet mature demeanor. He was dependable and meticulous in everything he did, which drew the admiration of many women.

Ever since they were teenagers, Samuel had always fallen short of Liam in both academic rankings and popularity. He'd mirror Liam's mannerisms on purpose, but it'd often make him look ridiculous instead.

In my previous life, Samuel hated Liam. Because of this, I had always kept my distance from him as well.

If it weren't for my rebirth, I doubt we'd even become acquainted at all. However, now that he was my new fiance, I couldn't help but wonder about a few things.

Why had he agreed to marry me? It was unlike him to attend something as ridiculous as this party. In my last life, he had devoted all of his time and energy to work. He was never married, and he would never take part in this kind of social gathering.

Unable to suppress my curiosity, I eventually decided to ask him about it.

Liam took off his jacket and poured me a cup of tea. Instead of answering me, he asked, "Are you happy about marrying me?"

His question caught me by surprise. After a brief pause, I replied, "Yes."

I was happy to be rid of Samuel once and for all.

Liam's eyes flickered.

"Tomorrow, our parents will come to the hotel to discuss the wedding arrangements," he said calmly. "I'll go pick them up in the morning."

"Alright."

After that, we didn't speak again.

…

Later in the night, my phone suddenly lit up.

Summer had sent me a video.

In the video, a drunken Samuel was kissing her repeatedly while he professed his love for her. He had never been so affectionate with me before.

Shortly after, I received multiple text messages from her as well.

"I actually can't stand that self-righteous attitude of yours, Catherine. So what if you're a capable and successful woman? The man you're supposed to marry is still completely obsessed with me!"

"I've already found a better person to back me. I don't need your financial support anymore. From now on, we're done."

Upon reading her messages, I let out a scoff.

I had misjudged Summer's character and ended up offering aid to an ungrateful woman. But despite that, I couldn't help but wonder about something else.

If she found out that her backer was an adopted son who had no claim to the family inheritance, how would she react?

…

When I woke up the next morning, Liam was nowhere to be seen. After changing into a fresh set of clothes, I left the room and headed toward the dining hall.

From the entrance, I could already hear Samuel laughing with the rest of the group.

"Did Catherine really bring you condoms last night, Samuel?" someone asked.

Samuel let out a cold snort. "She didn't. I don't know what's gotten into her these past couple of days. It didn't stop me from getting things done, though."

The group responded with knowing laughs while Summer blushed profusely.

When I entered the room, the room fell silent, and all eyes turned to me.

When Samuel noticed I was alone, he asked, "Where's Liam?"

He looked slightly displeased. He probably hadn't expected me to actually share a room with Liam last night.

"That's none of your business," I replied without looking at him.

"Trouble getting out of bed this morning?" one of Samuel's socially oblivious friends joked. "Did he have too much fun last night?"

As everyone burst into laughter, Samuel's expression darkened.

"That's impossible!" he snapped. "Liam would never be interested in a woman like her. Besides, everyone's aware of who Catherine actually likes."

"It's not entirely impossible," someone teased. "What if Liam wants to try something different?"

"Yeah. You were having the time of your life last night. Catherine was probably devastated. Maybe she lost her mind and started eyeing your brother instead."

Samuel looked visibly annoyed. He shot me a cold look as he began to grow even more irritated.

He could tell that I hadn't done anything. But despite that, he still chose to give me an icy warning.

"I will never marry a woman who's been with another man, Catherine—especially if that man is Liam. You should know your limits!"

Summer let out a soft "oh my" and placed her hand on Samuel's arm.

"Catherine just wants your attention, Sam. Stop wasting your energy on her," she said.

Then, she pulled out her phone and showed everyone a picture. "Look, guys. This is a picture of my dog. Isn't he adorable?"