Housing prices collapsed. My parents ran a real estate business. They and their long-time family friend, the Goodwin family, went into bankruptcy.

My parents had me and my younger sister draw lots to decide who would marry into the Goodwin family to fulfill an old engagement.

In my previous life, I drew the short stick. From that moment, I became a slave to both families.

During the day, I needed to work to pay off the Goodwin family’s debt. At night, I needed to deliver food to cover my parents’ financial losses.

I survived on scraps and slept in the cold. I continued to work even when I coughed up blood.

That day, I went all out and finally secured a multimillion-dollar business deal. My heart burst with excitement. I was eager to tell them the good news.

Across the street, I saw my parents get off a Rolls-Royce with wide grins. They dressed up in luxury brands from head to toe.

Then, I saw my husband, Alfred, gently wrap one of his arms around my glamorous sister’s shoulder.

I wanted to rush over and question them. But a speeding truck slammed into me and sent me flying away.

I lay in a pool of blood while staring at them indignantly.

I heard them chuckle softly. “What a pity… She was so close to enjoying a good life.”

When I opened my eyes again, I returned to the day I drew the lots.

Since they liked to pretend to be broke, I would make it a reality!

“Stella, Nancy, you two need to draw lots.

“Even though the Goodwin family has gone bankrupt, we still need to fulfill the marriage arrangement set in the past.”

George was my father. His voice was so familiar that it almost hurt to hear it.

I lowered my head and stared at my soft, unblemished hands. They did not have calluses from years of hard labor or scars from frostbite.

The date on the calendar hanging on the wall showed a time from two years ago. I had returned to the past. I had returned to the very day when the lot would decide my fate!

“Stella, I’ll draw first.” My younger sister, Nancy, interrupted my thoughts with her sweet and gentle voice.

She flashed me an innocent-looking smile. She reached for the sticks in George’s hand.

That was exactly how it happened in my previous life. She had feigned innocence despite already knowing which one was the long stick.

“Hold on. Let me draw first.” I grabbed her wrist so firmly that her eyes widened in shock.

My mother, Catherine, instantly frowned. “Stella, how can you be so rude? Nancy is your younger sister! Shouldn’t you let her draw first?”

I snorted. I ignored Catherine’s rebuke. Without hesitation, I pulled out a stick from George’s hand.

“It’s a long stick,” I announced calmly. I held the stick up and showed it to everyone.

The living hall fell into a terrifying silence.

Nancy’s face turned as white as a ghost. She anxiously turned to George. “Dad… Dad…”

“I…” George cleared his throat. He turned to me and said, “Stella, you’re the older sister. You should let Nancy draw first. How about you two redraw the sticks?”

“Why do we need to draw them again?” I feigned innocence. “Rules are rules. Or could it be that…

“Someone already knew which one was the short stick?”

Nancy widened her eyes in shock.

When Catherine saw this, she quickly tried to smooth things over. “Stella, how can you think that way about Nancy? She’s still young. She can’t handle that kind of hardship.

“The Goodwin family is already bankrupt. Marrying into that household means a hard life. As her older sister, shouldn’t you protect her?”

“Protect her?” I almost laughed. “Who’s supposed to protect me, then?”

George abruptly exploded into a fit of rage. He slammed his palm on the coffee table. “Stella, you’re the older sister! Why can’t you accommodate Nancy? She can never survive that kind of hardship. You’ve been handing down everything to her since young, so why can’t you do the same now? Why are you making things difficult now?”

I looked into George’s enraged eyes. “Haven’t I given her enough ever since I was young? She has a bigger room than mine. She wears more expensive clothes. She went to a private school while I studied in a government school. How could you even want me to give up my marriage for her?!”

“You’re out of line!” George roared. He raised his hand and motioned to slap me.

I did not flinch. I did not prepare to evade his attack. I stared at him coldly.

In the end, he did not slap me. His hand trembled in midair before he slowly lowered it.

He turned to Catherine. “Lock her up. She’ll stay there until she comes to her senses.”

I knew he was not worried about hurting me. He was worried about ruining my face and affecting the wedding next month.

Catherine hurriedly came over and grabbed my arm.

When she dragged me to the staircase, I heard Nancy say with a sob, “Dad, I don’t want to marry into that family! They can’t even afford servants these days. I’ll die over there!”

“Nancy, don’t you worry.” George’s voice was sickeningly gentle.

“I won’t let you suffer,” he said.

They locked me in a storeroom on the second floor.

Through the small window, I saw George’s car leave the main entrance. He headed to the Goodwin’s family mansion.

I curled up in the corner. Images of Alfred holding Nancy in his arms from my previous life flashed across my mind.

When did they start hooking up with each other?

Was it while I was working myself to the bone day and night, or was it even earlier?

Someone suddenly opened the storeroom door. Catherine came in with a plate of pasta. Her face was plastered with an expression of fake concern. “Stella, eat something.”

I did not take the food from her. Instead, I asked, “Did Dad go to the Goodwin’s family mansion?”

Catherine’s expression froze for a moment. “He has a business deal with them.”

“A business deal on how to sell me for the best price, I think?” I snorted.

Catherine flared up. “How could you say that about your father?!

“Even though the Goodwin family is in trouble, Alfred is handsome and smart. If not for the fact that they have gone bankrupt, you would have never had your turn to marry him!”

I looked up at the woman who had given birth to me and raised me. Her expression was filled with disgusting schemes.

I wondered why I had not noticed this in my previous life.

“You need to marry Alfred, whether you want it or not!” Catherine’s face instantly darkened as she stood up. “The Goodwin family has already agreed to hold the wedding ceremony next month.”

It was the seventh day since I was locked up inside the storeroom. My lips cracked and bled. My stomach burned like it was on fire.

They left half a plate of spoiled pasta at the door every day. Not even dogs would eat it. Even so, they expected me to give in to them like some pathetic, obedient creature.

“Hahaha!”

I heard Nancy’s laughter downstairs. I also heard the loud chatter from the talk show on the television.

The three of them were enjoying steak together. I could not even get a sip of clean water.

I dug my nails into my palms and stared at the sliver of light seeping through the crack under the door.

This was exactly how they had pushed me to my death in my previous life.

I worked to the bone and starved like an animal. I even ended up crushed under a truck until there was nothing left of me.

“No way!” I licked my cracked lips. I muttered to myself, “God didn’t send me back to my past to let me die miserably all over again!”

I staggered to my feet and threw myself at the door with the last bit of strength I had.

“Fine! I’ll marry him! Is that what you want?”

The door was yanked open. I fell straight on top of George’s polished leather shoes. I inevitably met the unabashed pride in his gaze.

Catherine stood behind him with a bowl of bird’s nest soup meant for Nancy.

“Wouldn’t it have been easier if you’d behaved from the start?”

My father bent down and patted my head the way one would pet a dog. “That’s my good girl.”

Even Catherine, for once, gave me that bowl of bird’s nest soup.

“Thanks, Mom,” I said hoarsely. My hands trembled so badly I could barely hold the bowl.

Meanwhile, Nancy lounged against the railing and watched the drama.

To my surprise, she did not attempt to snatch the bird’s nest soup from me. Instead, she looked downright delighted.

“So you finally came around.” She tilted her head with feigned innocence. “The Goodwin family may be dead broke, but Alfred is dashing.”

I gulped the bird’s nest soup. It was sickeningly sweet.

Still, I needed to finish it. I needed the strength to take my revenge.

I handed the empty bowl back to Catherine while flashing a perfectly obedient smile. “I’m full. I’d like to take a shower.”

When the hot water hit my skin, I realized just how much weight I had lost. My ribs jut out sharply, and my wrists were so thin they looked like they might snap with a touch.

When I looked into the mirror, my gaze looked terrifyingly cold. I looked nothing like a bride-to-be.

But I did not care.

After drying off, I quietly reached into the back of my closet and took out an old laptop.

I had bought it with my scholarship money and hid it so that Nancy would not “borrow” it.

The moment the screen lit up, my fingers flew across the keys as I typed in a familiar URL to Faber’s Corporation recruitment page.

In my previous life, this was where it all began. I started as a low-level employee and worked my way up to management. I eventually secured the multimillion-dollar business deal that changed everything.

I typed rapidly and poured every bit of experience from my previous life into my resume.

When I finally hit “send”, my heart pounded so hard it hurt.

I needed to move on faster in my career than I had in my previous life.

In the following month, I behaved exceptionally obediently.

George told me to try on the wedding dresses. I obeyed. Catherine wanted me to learn etiquette. I learned them. Even when Nancy purposely spilled her coffee on my dress, I simply smiled and said, “It’s okay.”

They thought I had accepted my fate.

They had no idea that every night, I hid under my blanket and refreshed my mailbox until my eyelids could barely stay open.

The day before the wedding, the email inviting me to an interview finally arrived.

I bit my bottom lip to keep myself from screaming. But tears inevitably splattered onto the screen.

The next day was my wedding day.

Truly, even God was on my side.

The wedding dress was so tight that I could barely breathe.

I stood in front of the mirror and looked at my reflection. I was wrapped in a snow-white gown. I looked exactly like a lamb waiting to be slaughtered.

Nancy tilted her head and smiled at me. “Stella, you look beautiful today.”

I stared at her fake smile in the mirror. I returned the same smile and said, “Thank you, Nancy.”

I heard noises coming from downstairs. The wedding convoy had arrived.

I turned around and took the bouquet from the dresser. I brushed my fingers over the metal hidden beneath the white roses.

I had prepared a folding knife last night.

I sucked in a deep breath. Then, I lifted my heavy hem of the gown and headed downstairs.

Alfred stood at the door. A tacky red flower was pinned to his chest.

When he saw me, the corners of his lips curved upward. The next moment, he shot a glance at Nancy, who stood behind me.

At that instant, the memories from my previous life flooded my mind like a tide.

Apparently, they had hooked up with each other a long time ago!

“The bride needs to get in the car now.” Catherine gave me a push.

Alfred reached out to help me. I slapped his hand away.

Before everyone came to their senses, I bolted toward the Rolls-Royce decorated in red ribbons. I yanked the door open and jumped inside.

“Head to Faber’s Corporation now. I said right now!” I took out the folding knife and pressed it against the driver’s neck.

The driver did not start the engine. Instead, he calmly straightened his cuffs.

“Miss, are you sure you want to do this?”

Outside the window, Alfred had already sent his men toward us.

I panicked. I pressed the knife harder against his neck. “I said now!”

A trace of blood slid down his long neck and stained the collar of his crisp white shirt.

The car engine finally roared to life.

The Rolls-Royce shot forward like an arrow. It left the noisy wedding far behind.

I finally let out a sigh of relief. I let go of the folding knife. After that, I took out a tissue from my bag and dabbed the blood on his neck.

“Sorry, I was a little too anxious just now.”

The driver said nothing. He merely glanced at me through the rearview mirror.

There was something in his gaze that made a chill crawl down my spine. He did not look like a frightened driver. Instead, he looked like a predator studying his prey.

After ten minutes, he said in a playful tone, “We’re here.”

Outside the window, Faber’s Corporation towered above us. Its glass facade gleamed under the harsh sunlight.

I thanked him. I got out of the car and rushed to the nearest mall. I bought the cheapest business outfit and changed into it.

Just like in my previous life, the interviewers asked a few routine questions, and I answered each one flawlessly.

The experience I accumulated in my previous life was my greatest weapon.

Strangely enough, right after the interview session ended, the human resource director personally walked in to inform me that I had been hired.

“You can start tomorrow,” she said with a smile. “Our CEO admires your ‘courage’.”

I froze in place. Even after I walked out of the building, I still found the whole situation surreal.

Suddenly, a high-pitched scream split through the crowd.

“Stella!”

Before I returned to my senses, I felt a searing pain tear across my scalp.

Catherine had grabbed a fistful of my hair and dragged me down the steps.

“You shameless trash!”

Her hysterical shout drew the crowd’s attention. “The Goodwin family had hundreds of guests waiting for you, and you dared to run away from your wedding?! Are you keeping a man on the side?!”

George slapped me across my face so hard that I stumbled into a lamppost.

Blood filled my mouth, and stars burst in my vision.

Through my messy hair, I saw Alfred and Nancy standing side by side. The corners of their lips curved into evil smiles.

Nancy raised her voice. Her eyes instantly misted over. “Everyone, judge this for yourselves! My sister despises the Goodwin family for being broke. She literally ran off from the wedding!”

The crowd began to whisper among themselves.

Some of them recognized Alfred. “Isn’t he the young master of Goodwin’s Corporation? Rumor has it that they’re facing a cash flow issue…”

“Young ladies these days are so materialistic…”

“She has a pretty face. Why did she have to be such a shallow-minded gold-digger…?”

Every stare felt like blades cutting into me.

George violently dragged me into the car. “Is Faber’s Corporation a place you can simply set foot in? Get in the car and stop embarrassing us!”

Alfred took the chance and slid an arm around my waist. He squeezed cruelly at my ribs. “Honey, stop making a scene. Let’s go home.”

“I’m not your wife! We haven’t even—”

He abruptly covered my mouth. His nails dug into my cheeks.

He took the opportunity and shoved me into the car.

Nancy turned around from the front seat. “Stella, stop wasting your effort—”

Before she finished her sentence, a violent crash slammed us all forward.

A familiar-looking Rolls-Royce had rammed into our car.

Alfred got out of the car furiously. “Trash, are you blind?! Do you know whose car this is?!”

The Rolls-Royce door opened slowly, and the driver I had previously “taken hostage” got out of it.

He straightened his cuffs again. The glint of his Patek Philippe caught the light.

Alfred’s fury instantly subsided. “Mr. Faber?”