After blowing through 15 million, which was my wedding gift from the Masons, I turned myself in for marriage fraud.

That was when the housekeeper's daughter, Hannah Castillo, panicked.

On May 5th, Castillo Enterprise and Mason Group were set to unite through marriage. I was meant to be the bride, but instead, I was locked away in a dark storage room.

By the time I fought my way to the ceremony, Hannah had already finished the wedding using my identity.

I went onstage and said I was the Castillos' real daughter, only to be questioned by everyone in the company.

The reason was simple: Hannah had been using my name and status openly inside the company for the past six months.

Hannah kicked me to the ground and sneered, "You're the housekeeper's kid! How dare you make a scene!"

Before I could pull out any proof, the bodyguards Hannah hired dragged me out and dumped me on the road.

A car ran into me, and I died on the spot.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the day before the wedding.

[My wedding's tomorrow. Everyone has to come. No need to bring any gifts. I just want it to be lively.]

When I saw Hannah Castillo's message in the company group chat, my heart jolted.

I never expected to be reborn to the exact day before Hannah used my identity to marry into a powerful family.

[So the rumor is true! Castillo Enterprises and Mason Group really are joining forces!]

[Wow, we actually get to witness a wedding of a century. Ms. Castillo and Mr. Mason must be a perfect match!]

Congratulations flooded the chat.

Maybe realizing I had just joined the group yesterday, Hannah quickly added another message.

[It's not some business alliance. I'm just marrying my childhood sweetheart.]

That only made the chat explode even more.

[Aww, that's adorable. Rich people's love stories really are sweeter than ours!]

My palm was slick with sweat as I gripped my phone.

I was about to ask her directly who she was marrying tomorrow. That was when someone knocked on my door.

Hannah walked in, her face full of apology. "Daphne, I'm getting married tomorrow, too. I'm really sorry I can't attend your wedding. Can I tell them to pick me up from this villa tomorrow?"

In my last life, Hannah had said the exact same thing.

She had grown up living in my house with her mother. She never had a place of her own. We were raised together, and I treated her like a sister.

I let her wear my clothes. I even personally brought her into Castillo Enterprise.

When she said she would be getting married on the same day as me, I didn't doubt her for a second. I even looked at her with envy and congratulated her on marrying for love.

I agreed on the spot to let her leave for her wedding from my family's villa. I even picked out a gold hairpin from the wedding gifts my mom prepared for me and gave it to her.

I never imagined Hannah would still want more.

Her so-called wedding happened while my CEO brother, Nelson Castillo, was away on a business trip. She directly took my identity and married into the Masons.

Because I wasn't happy about the alliance, the wedding between Castillo Enterprises and Mason Group was kept very low-key.

I didn't notify any relatives.

That gave Hannah the perfect opening.

By the time I reached the venue, the ceremony was already over.

I tried desperately to prove I was the real daughter of the Castillos, but to my shock, every employee only recognized Hannah.

Hannah looked at me with tears in her eyes and said, "Even though you're the housekeeper's daughter, I've always treated you like my real sister. Why would you ruin my wedding? What has my family ever done to wrong you?"

Security dragged me out and threw me onto the street. I grabbed my phone, trying to call Nelson.

Before I could, a speeding car hit me and killed me instantly.

As I looked straight at Hannah, I clenched my fists so hard that my nails dug into my skin.

"Of course not."

Hannah clearly hadn't expected me to refuse. Her face darkened immediately.

"Daphne, did you see the group chat and misunderstand something? I've already explained it. I'm marrying my childhood sweetheart."

"She's not misunderstanding anything," the maid sneered, rolling her eyes at me. "She's just jealous you're prettier and afraid you'll steal the spotlight."

She put on an elder's tone and lectured me.

"Daphne, two weddings on the same day is a good thing. Don't be so petty. You'll both be wearing veils, anyway. Hannah won't outshine you by much."

I put on a look of sudden realization.

"Yes, you're right.

"But if we're both wearing veils tomorrow and leaving from the same house, what if the groom picks up the wrong bride? That'd be a disaster!

"You definitely can't leave from my place. If you head out now and book a hotel to set things up, there should still be time."

Hannah panicked immediately. "We grew up together. Do you really have to ruin my wedding?"

Some of the other household staff immediately joined in.

"Ms. Daphne, Hannah's always been the one giving in to you since you were kids. She and her mother have worked for the Castillos for 20 years just to take care of you. How can you be so heartless?"

"Exactly! A wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime event. If you don't want to help, fine, but why are you making things difficult? Do you even have a conscience?"

"I think she's just afraid Hannah's future husband is better!"

Someone didn't even bother hiding it anymore and turned to comfort Hannah directly.

"Why do we even need her permission? In a bit, we'll help you set up a beautiful bridal suite. It'll be a hundred times nicer than hers."

Hannah lowered her head and sniffled, clearly moved.

I sneered inwardly and swept my gaze coldly across the room.

I had been far too easygoing in the past, easy enough for them to forget who actually owned this house.

I grabbed a glass and smashed it onto the floor. The sharp sound instantly drew every pair of wary eyes to me.

"What are you doing, breaking things?"

"Do you have any idea how hard it is to clean that up?"

"You don't know how to care about people at all! You can't compare to Hannah! If it weren't for your wealthy family, no man would want you."

I walked straight up and slapped the speaker across the face.

"So you do know I come from money?" I said coldly. "You do know this is the Castillos' house? Let me make this clear. Every dollar you earn comes from my family. If you don't want this job, get out. Right now."

I never expected what happened next.

Instead of being scared, they laughed.

"You put on that big-shot act every day! Do you really think you're that impressive?"

"We're not leaving! Let's see what you can actually do. We're sending Hannah off in style tomorrow."

"You seriously think anyone in this house listens to you? You're just shouting into the void."

"Once Hannah's married, we'll all go work for her. You can stay here alone in this empty house. I hope a ghost haunts you and gives you a heart attack!"

Now I understood why they were so bold.

They had already decided to abandon the Castillos and latch onto Hannah instead.

That made sense. Without their cooperation in my previous life, Hannah never could have successfully taken my place and married into the Masons.

I clenched my teeth hard.

Hannah's mother, Jenny Castillo, shot me a vicious look. "What are you staring at? We gave you a chance, and you didn't want it. Just wait till the Masons kick you to the curb!"

"Mom, stop arguing with her," Hannah said softly. "The wedding tomorrow is what matters."

She turned to me with an apologetic expression. "Daphne, I didn't want things to get this ugly, but you're being too petty today. It's honestly disappointing."

"Hannah, don't waste your breath on her," someone said. "I'm going to help you set up your bridal suite right now."

They surrounded Hannah and left my room.

Before disappearing, Hannah turned back and shot me a provocative look.

I clenched my fists.

Even if I called Nelson now, it would be useless. His trusted people were overseas with him, and the company staff had probably already pledged loyalty to Hannah.

My phone vibrated.

A notification popped up. I had received 15 million.

It was a wedding gift from the Masons.

An idea formed instantly.

I turned and left the house, heading straight for the mall.

First, I bought a property. Then, I picked up a car.

After making sure I had spent every last dollar of the three million, I went straight to the police station.

The officer stared at me in disbelief. "Say that again. What are you here for?"

"I committed marriage fraud," I said calmly. "I'm turning myself in."

The officer frowned deeply. "If you don't want to marry him anymore, can't you just talk it out and call off the engagement?"

"The wedding's tomorrow," I continued calmly. "I've already spent all the money they gave me. And I don't want to get married."

"How much did you spend?" the officer asked. "You can negotiate and return it."

"Fifteen million."

The room went quiet.

At that point, it wasn't just a generous wedding gift. It was an outrageous one.

The officer insisted that I contact the groom's family directly.

I had heard long ago that my intended husband wasn't exactly known for his patience.

With shaking hands, I took the phone the officer handed me. To my surprise, the man on the other end didn't sound angry at all.

That made sense. This was a business arrangement. We hadn't even met.

Besides, the wedding hadn't been publicly announced, so the impact on Mason Group would be minimal.

"You're certain you don't want to marry me?" the man asked evenly.

I answered quietly, "Yeah."

"Then we'll call it off."

Through police mediation, I was required to return the 15 million dollars to the Masons' account by noon the next day. Otherwise, they would file charges.

I nodded happily.

That night, instead of scrambling to raise money, I spent the entire evening drinking at a bar.

The next morning, I returned home.

The entire villa was buzzing with celebration. The yard was crowded with people coming and going.

Not only were employees from Castillo Enterprises there, but even classmates Hannah and I once knew had shown up.

They gathered around Hannah, showering her with praise.

"Hannah, you just keep getting prettier! Out of our whole class, you're the one who really made it."

"Yeah, we'll all be counting on you to keep us fed in the future."

The employees chimed in, too.

"They say the Mason Group CEO doesn't care for women, but look at our Ms. Castillo. She's got him wrapped around her finger!"

"We'd better stick close to her from now on."

I let out a cold laugh.

Good luck marrying into the Masons. They were still waiting for the 15 million refund.

As they were busy flattering her, someone suddenly noticed me at the door.

"Daphne, what's with the dark circles? Where did you go messing around last night? Today is Hannah's wedding. Even if you're just the housekeeper's daughter, you can't show up looking this sloppy."

My gaze settled on Hannah.

She met my eyes directly and said, "Daphne, you don't seriously think you're the Castillos' real daughter, do you? On my wedding day, you're hanging around like a stray. If you screw things up, who do you think's going to take the blame?"

"What do you mean I'm pretending?" I shot back. "This is my home."

The moment the words left my mouth, laughter erupted.

The guy who had followed Hannah around like a shadow since college sneered openly.

"Daphne, have you no shame?

"Your mom works here as a housekeeper. That's the only reason you get to live in this place. Hannah's been kind enough to give you everything, and now you're trying to impersonate her?

"We've known Hannah for years. Everyone knows she's Mr. Castillo's only sister."

People from Castillo Enterprises joined in, saying they had never even seen me at the company.

One of Hannah's followers laughed knowingly.

"So Hannah arranged jobs for most of her classmates, and you didn't get one. That's why you're barking here like a stray. You're loud, sure, but Hannah only gave you a job paying three grand a month."

Before I could respond, the woman slapped me across the face in a fit of rage.

My cheek burned instantly. I clenched my teeth and glared at her.

"I'm warning you. I'm supposed to be getting married today. Now that you hit me, Mason Group won't let this slide."

"Are you still dreaming?" someone scoffed. "Drank too much last night and haven't sobered up yet? Want us to wake you up with some cold water?"

As they spoke, someone brought over a bucket of icy water. I tried to dodge, but two people grabbed my arms.

The freezing water poured over my head, sending a violent shiver through my body.

Before I could even recover, another slap landed across my face.

Hannah stepped forward and pinched my chin between her fingers. "Feeling awake now? If not, we can add some props."

She smiled faintly.

"Knives, whips, hot tongs. Which one do you like?"