The day I sat down to fill out my college application was the same day my adoptive parents went bankrupt.

To make matters worse, my older sister, Caitlin West, who'd randomly taken her college entrance exam and planned to go overseas, suggested we draw lots.

One slip said 'college,' and the other said 'marriage alliance.'

I pulled the one that said college.

Later that day, Caitlin killed herself in the backseat of her wedding car.

My adoptive parents turned pale overnight, blaming me for being cold and heartless.

Even my boyfriend, Dean Hudson, who had just returned from overseas, chose to believe that I'd bullied sweet, delicate Caitlin.

In his eyes, I was just the adopted girl who didn't deserve to compete with her.

As payback, he bribed classmates to isolate me and make my life hell.

By the thirtieth time they shoved me into the school lake, I died.

But that time was different.

They didn't just push me.

They tied a rock to me. I drowned—alive.

I still remember standing at the lake's edge, Dean watching from the shore, sneering like I was nothing.

"If I didn't have to watch over you to make sure you kept away from Caitlin, I wouldn't bother with someone like you. You're just a homeless mutt, Sienna. What gives you the right to fight with Caitlin over anything?"

When I opened my eyes again, I was right back at the moment we were drawing lots.

——

The little thrill I'd felt from scoring tenth in the whole state was already gone from my face as I stared at the jar in front of me.

My adoptive parents looked visibly uncomfortable as they turned to Caitlin.

"Sweetheart, we're sorry. We really are. But we just can't afford to send you abroad anymore."

Caitlin's eyes filled with tears.

Since she could walk, Mr. and Mrs. West had spoiled her, pampering her like royalty and giving her the stars and moon without any effort. She had no understanding of what it truly meant to face hardship.

Naturally, school was never a priority for her. She'd practically doodled her way through the entrance exam.

Anytime someone asked, she'd laugh and say, "Only broke people grind for domestic college exams. I'm just here to vibe. After all, I'm going abroad."

But the results were in, and she hadn't even hit the bare minimum to get into a community college.

And the Wests? Totally broke.

"There's only one path left," our adoptive parents said. "One of you will need to marry the Sterling family heir."

The Sterlings. Old money. Serious power.

If the Sterling heir didn't have a reputation for being dangerously moody and volatile, the Wests never would have even had a chance at something like this.

My adoptive parents looked my way and sighed.

"Sienna, your score was outstanding. But Caitlin's our biological daughter. So, to be fair, we'll let the two of you draw lots."

Same as last time, one said 'college,' the other 'marriage.'

"Who wants to go first?"

Caitlin clenched her jaw, her eyes locking with mine.

I held her gaze, calm.

"No need to draw," I said. "I'll marry."

They all froze.

For a second, there was this flicker of relief—joy, even—in Caitlin's eyes.

"Sienna, haven't you always dreamed of getting into Southridge Tech University?" Caitlin asked. "Are you really gonna give up your score… and let me use it to get in instead?"

"Yeah," Mrs. West chimed in, brows furrowed. "You're sure about this?"

Southridge Tech has been my dream for as long as I can remember. But if chasing that dream meant ending up dead like before, it wasn't worth it.

All I wanted now was to cut off every tie I had with the West family.

"I'm sure," I said. "Just consider it my way of paying you back for raising me."

None of them hesitated.

That very day, they pulled strings and switched out my test results for Caitlin's.

My adoptive parents quickly reached out to the Sterling family to finalize the wedding, and the date was scheduled for three days later.

That night, I scrolled to the very bottom of my contacts list and made a call.

Dean's gentle voice came through. "Sienna, I'm really swamped right now. Can we talk later?"

But as I passed by Caitlin's bedroom, I heard noises coming from inside.

"Dean, guess what? That idiot Sienna actually agreed to it on her own."

It was Caitlin's voice.

My boyfriend, Dean, who had just told me minutes ago that he was too busy to talk, was now on a call with her.

Dean laughed, sounding completely relaxed as if they were sharing a private joke.

"Caitlin, she's just an orphan. What right does she have to compete with you? Without the West family, she'd be nothing. At least she finally figured out where she stands. But she's marrying the Sterling family's eldest son in three days. As her boyfriend, doesn't that bother you even a little?"

Then, Dean added, "Caitlin, come on. You're teasing me again. Weren't you the one who told me to go after Sienna in the first place?"

Caitlin cooed, "That was only to test your loyalty to me. I never thought you'd actually do it."

Dean replied, "I did it for you, didn't I? My little princess. Also, I just didn't want a clichéd soap opera scene where the adopted daughter takes everything from the real heiress. You're too pure, Caitlin. You wouldn't survive going head-to-head with someone raised in an orphanage."

Caitlin's voice grew soft and sweet as she said, "Dean, I always knew you were the best."

"I'd walk through fire and blades for you," Dean stated. "Thank God that fool Sienna backed off on her own. Or else, I wouldn't have hesitated to crush her."

I clenched my phone so hard my fingers started to ache. Every word they said dug deeper than the last, lighting a fire in my chest that I could barely contain.

In my past life, I'd loved Dean with everything I had. Truly, madly, stupidly.

Once, just because he casually mentioned he was craving clam chowder from a small spot on the south side of town, I sprinted through a thunderstorm, completely soaked, carrying a takeout bag as if it were sacred, just to ensure it was still hot when he received it.

And that soup? It hadn't even been for him.

It had been for Caitlin.

They'd sat there, side by side, sipping it and laughing at how desperate and gullible I looked, soaked and shivering.

Dean hadn't lied. For Caitlin, he would have done anything.

I remembered it all.

In my last life, after Caitlin drew the 'marriage' lot, she ended her life in the wedding car.

And somehow, everyone turned to me.

Everyone blamed me.

Dean toyed with me like I was some kind of pet until my final breath.

But this time around? I didn't want to be part of their twisted game anymore.

I wanted nothing to do with their twisted drama.

All I wanted was to live for myself.

So when I woke up this time, I sent Dean a message:

[Let's break up.]

He never replied.

I didn't see him again until Caitlin's congratulatory party for 'getting into university.' After I agreed to the marriage alliance with the Sterling heir, the West's fortune underwent a complete transformation, all thanks to the support of the Sterling family.

Caitlin didn't waste any time taking full advantage of the opportunity. She threw such an extravagant school party. It was practically a red-carpet event.

No one except the West family knew about my entrance exam results, so Caitlin had no problem taking my score and enrolling at Southridge Tech University in my place.

Meanwhile, everyone around me, my teachers and my classmates, was left dumbfounded.

To them, I had always been a top student. So when it looked like I'd bombed so badly I couldn't even get into a junior college, the gossip spread like wildfire.

Classmates who showed up to the party whispered to each other in hushed, confused tones while Caitlin soaked in every ounce of praise, glowing as if she'd won the lottery.

"Oh my god, Caitlin! You've been hiding your brilliance all this time. You're like a total dark horse!"

"Yeah, I seriously thought Sienna was the one aiming for Southridge Tech. You completely threw me."

"Didn't you say you were gonna study abroad? Were you secretly grinding for the domestic exams the whole time?"

"But Sienna's score? That's wild. She's never even come close to missing the cutoff for a top-tier university before."

Doubt started to spread among them.

Caitlin, who'd been so confident, suddenly looked cornered, unsure how to respond.

And right then, Dean walked in. He strolled over to Caitlin as if our relationship meant nothing.

Loud enough for everyone to hear, Dean spoke, "That's because Sienna always copied Caitlin's answers. Caitlin just didn't want to embarrass her by calling her out."

The room froze for a second.

Then came the gasps and murmurs. The wide eyes and turned heads.

Dean looked straight at me, wearing that same calm, affectionate smile he'd always used.

"Isn't that right, Sienna?"

He said it as if the truth were obvious as if I was supposed to nod and accept it.

But after living and dying once because of him, I finally saw Dean for what he really was.

A total psychopath.

Dean was the kind of madman who didn't look the part.

He projected an air of calm sophistication, smiling easily and speaking in a gentle tone.

But underneath it all?

He was a walking red flag with a nice face.

Still, I forced myself to swallow the anger. Deep breaths. Keep it down.

It wouldn't be long before I'd finally be free of the Wests for good.

All around me, my classmates jumped in like sharks smelling blood, their voices dripping with judgment and self-righteousness:

"Sienna, how could you pull something like that?"

"Yeah, I heard you're not even the Wests' real daughter. How dare you treat their actual heiress like this?"

"Good thing Caitlin's such a sweetheart. She's not even mad at you."

"Exactly! One was raised in comfort, the other came from the bottom. Sienna just got lucky to end up in paradise, and now she believes she's someone important?"

Then Caitlin stepped forward, putting on a show like she'd been rehearsing it all her life. She reached out to me, faking a hug like we were close.

"Oh, come on, guys! Don't blame Sienna like that," Caitlin said, syrupy-sweet. Every girl has her pride. Didn't she even agree to marry the Sterling heir in my place?"

Gasps rippled through the crowd like someone had dropped a bomb in the middle of the room.

Oh my god. The Sterling family? Aren't they, like, top-tier elites? But isn't their heir supposed to be… intense? Everyone's terrified of him.

"Maybe it's all for show. Maybe Sienna just wants the title of being called the heiress of the West family."

Come on, guys! An orphan's still an orphan, no matter how fancy she dresses. And Caitlin's mom? She comes from a family of scholars. Do you really think she'd let someone who couldn't even get into a junior college marry into the Sterling family?

"Wow, so clinging to Dean Hudson wasn't enough. Now, she's aiming for the heir of the Sterling family, too?"

Then Caitlin pulled out her best mock outrage, her voice almost scolding.

"Alright, that's enough! Don't talk about my sister like that," she said. "Her agreeing to marry into the Sterling family really helped me out. I owe her."

Right then, Dean finally looked at his phone and saw the breakup text I'd sent him.

His eyes flicked toward me, and he started walking over like nothing had happened.

His voice was all soft and coaxing again like he could reel me back in with just a whisper.

"You really thought this through?"

He leaned in a little that smug tone slipping through every word.

"If you beg me, maybe I'll still—"

I didn't even let him finish.

I smiled. "Still, what? Marry me?"

That wiped the smug right off his face.

"Whatever! You're not good enough for me, anyway," Dean coldly said.

His tone grew sharp and mocking as he continued, "Do you really think I'll marry you? Dream on! Being married to a Sterling heir, Sienna? It's a once-in-a-lifetime shot. It's an opportunity the Wests gave you. You should be thanking Caitlin."

With that, he spun around, walked over to Caitlin, and dropped to one knee like we were in some soap opera.

"Caitlin," Dean said, looking solemn, "I can finally propose to you out in the open."

Gasps echoed across the room again, louder this time. All eyes were on them now.

Caitlin blushed like she'd just won prom queen. Her voice was the perfect mix of surprise and fake modesty.

"Dean, but what if people get the wrong idea? What if they think you weren't honest with Sienna?"

Dean turned toward the crowd, making sure everyone could hear him loud and clear.

"I never had any feelings for Sienna. Dating her was just a bet I lost to Caitlin. I'm sure Miss Sienna knows her place and didn't take it seriously… right?"

Laughter bursts out around me.

People remembered. Back in high school, I'd trailed after Dean like he hung the moon. I was young and dumb, head over heels, thinking it was love. Thinking I mattered.

And now, all of that? Just a joke.

My heart twisted with sharp pain, but before I could let it crush me, a commotion erupted near the entrance of the banquet hall.

"Sir, ma'am! The Sterling family just sent over the engagement gifts!"

Heads snapped toward the noise.

The attendants started filing in, one after another, their arms laden with ornate gift boxes and shimmering displays that continued to arrive.

The procession felt never-ending, like a royal parade.

"This is the Sterling family's betrothal gift for Miss West," the lead attendant announced. "$30 million in cash, ten luxury cars, twenty residential properties, and 10% ownership in Sterling Enterprises."

The room went dead silent.

Then, like someone had flipped a switch, it exploded.

"Oh my god! This is their bride price? Are you serious?!"

"$30 million?! 10% of Sterling Enterprises?! That's not a wedding. That's a corporate merger!"

The mood shifted so fast that it gave me whiplash.

Just minutes ago, Caitlin had been the center of everything. All the praise and all the admiration were hers.

But now?

The spotlight had moved. And it landed squarely on me.

The sheer scale of the Sterling family's wealth shut down every whisper, replaced by wide eyes and open mouths. Shock. Respect. Maybe even a little fear.

The guests, there to celebrate her supposedly fake academic achievement, could only murmur and gape.