When I found out my parents were giving me a villa as part of my dowry, my newlywed sister-in-law, Regina Hawkins, completely lost it.

She drank an entire bottle of pesticide in a fit of rage.

It was a total mess, but the weirdest part?

My brother Shane didn’t blame me. In fact, he handed me a rare-colored toy dog as my engagement gift.

The night before the engagement, I put on the heirloom bracelet my fiancé, Oliver Anderson, had given me.

And that’s when everything went sideways.

Somehow, I swapped bodies with the toy dog.

At first, I tried to prove who I really was, but instead of getting help, they tied me up and sent me to a dog meat restaurant.

Their plan was to cook me.

I died.

And then, to make things worse, I saw myself gnawing on dog bones, smirking like she’d won some twisted game.

She looked up and said, "Family wealth, men—everything you had? It’s mine now. What right do you have to compete with me?"

And Shane? He was ecstatic.

"Great, Regina’s finally back! As long as you’re back, even if we can only be siblings, I’ll take it," he said.

Meanwhile, Oliver looked at me with this overly sweet, almost pitying expression and said, "I don’t care about the body. It’s your soul I love."

That’s when it hit me.

Regina wasn’t just my brother’s wife, and she wasn’t just Oliver’s fiancée. She was their greatest love. After drinking the pesticide, her soul had attached itself to the toy dog. They had planned the whole thing, swapping bodies with the dog, so that they could bring her back.

I died knowing the truth, completely betrayed.

But then, when I opened my eyes again, I was back to the day my brother gave me a toy dog.

This time, though?

I wasn’t going to make the same mistake again. That dog was getting sent to be bred, and there was no way I was going to fall for their trick.

...

"Clarisse, you're about to get engaged," Shane said casually, holding a gift box out to me. "Here’s an engagement gift from your brother. Let’s see if you like it."

I blinked as he pulled out a little dog dressed in a lace dress.

And then Oliver, always the show-off, marched in behind Shane carrying a fancy doghouse and set it down in my bedroom like it was the most normal thing in the world.

"Clarisse, I know you’ve always wanted a rare-colored dog, so Shane went all out to get you Cici. You’ve got to take good care of it, okay?"

I was still staring at the dog, Cici, in confusion when Shane, thinking I was just overwhelmed with happiness, moved to place Cici in my arms. That was when my reflexes kicked in. I shot up from the chair, nearly knocking it over, and instinctively shoved the dog away.

I almost fell flat on my face.

But Shane didn’t even blink. Instead, he stepped in to protect the dog, his body shielding it like it was some kind of sacred object.

On the other hand, Oliver let out a sigh of relief and snapped at me, "Clarisse, what’s wrong with you? You almost knocked over Cici!"

'The nerve of him.' I was grinding my teeth, flashes of my past life flooding my mind.

Back then, when my parents had decided to give me a villa as part of my dowry, my sister-in-law went ballistic. Regina drank that pesticide in a fit of rage and ended up in a coma. Instead of blaming me, Shane didn’t even bat an eye. He handed me the rare-colored toy dog I’d wanted for so long. I loved it so much I even slept with it at night.

But then things got weird.

The dog, which had been sweet and docile, suddenly snapped and bit me.

Hard.

I had to rush to the clinic for a rabies shot, and when I returned, the whole room was a disaster. Poop and pee everywhere, my clothes chewed up, and worst of all? My wedding photos with Oliver—ruined.

When I opened the door, there it was: the dog, lying on the bed like it had won, showing off a row of sharp teeth, smirking like it was in control.

I froze. Cold sweat dripped down my back.

Then I screamed.

Shane rushed in, but when I tried to explain what I’d seen, he didn’t believe me.

Even Oliver stood there, speechless, shaking his head. "Cici is so well-behaved. There’s no way it could destroy the house. You must be mistaken or just trying to make it look bad."

I tried to argue, but Shane cut me off, saying, "If you don’t like it, I’ll send Cici away after the engagement."

That night, just before the engagement, Oliver helped me put on his family’s heirloom bracelet.

And then, casually, he placed my old bracelet on the dog’s paw.

That’s when everything went black.

When I woke up, I was in the body of a dog, bound and tied up in a dog meat restaurant, about to be cooked.

I let out a panicked scream, only to realize I couldn’t make any noise except for barking.

It was like some twisted joke.

Then, when I was knocked out and thrown into a soup pot, the truth finally hit me. It was like a ton of bricks crashing down.

Regina wasn’t just my brother’s wife. She wasn’t just my fiancé’s only love.

No, she was both of theirs.

After drinking the pesticide, her soul had attached itself to that toy dog. Shane and Oliver orchestrated the whole thing, making me swap lives with the dog just to bring Regina back.

One was my biological brother, the other my fiancé.

How had I been so blind? How had I not seen this coming?

A rush of anger surged through me, but I pushed it down.

"If you like it so much, you can take care of it yourselves. I’m done with this," I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

Shane didn’t push back. He simply nodded, but then added, "The dog has to stay at your place for a few more days until the engagement’s over. After that, we’ll send it to a new owner."

I rolled my eyes. 'Classic Shane.'

Even in this new life, he was still trying to make me the sacrificial pawn for Regina.

But in this life? I wouldn't play along.

His plan was bound to fail, and I’d make sure of it.

Even though I’d been reborn, I still didn’t have all the pieces to the puzzle.

'What was the key to the body swap? Was it Oliver’s family bracelet? The timing of the engagement? Or was it living and sleeping together that triggered it?'

Until I figured that out, I had to tread carefully. If I made the wrong move, they’d just find another way to trap me.

But this time, Regina, in the form of the toy dog, wasn’t exactly calming down. Despite my locking every door and window in the house, she somehow managed to sneak into my bedroom. She didn’t just make a mess like last time. No, this time she dug up my cherished old family photos and, without hesitation, urinated on them.

I could feel my blood boiling. Those photos were heirlooms from my grandmother.

I’d spent my whole life protecting them, and now this?

I knew exactly why Regina was doing it. She was throwing a tantrum over the villa my parents had given me as part of my dowry. The thing was, when Regina married into the Maxwell family, her dowry was worth several times more than mine. My parents even gave her a monthly allowance—six figures.

And yet, here she was, throwing a fit over a villa?

I didn’t get it.

But this time, I wasn’t going to scream or cower like I did in my past life. Instead, I smirked.

When Regina wasn’t paying attention, I grabbed her ear and yanked her up, holding her off the ground like a misbehaving child. She immediately barked in fear, her tiny body squirming in my grip. Just as I was about to give her a piece of my mind, Shane heard the noise and came rushing in.

Without hesitation, he snatched Regina from my hands and cradled her like she was the most fragile thing in the world.

His face hardened, and he shot me a cold glare. "Didn’t I tell you? I’ll send her away in a few days. You can’t even stand it for this long?"

Oliver, seeing Regina curled up in Shane’s arms and acting all pitiful, didn’t even ask what had happened.

Instead, he turned on me. "Clarisse, what’s wrong with you? How can you be so cruel and bully a small animal? What’s it ever done to you?"

Then, without missing a beat, he went over to Regina, his face full of sympathy. “Look at her. She’s trembling in fear!”

I could feel the frustration bubbling up inside me.

In my previous life, Shane and Oliver had always blindly protected Regina, even when she turned into a dog.

Same old, same old. Nothing ever changed with them.

Regina, hiding in Shane’s arms, was wearing that smug look again.

It practically screamed, 'I’ve won.'

I couldn’t take it anymore. Anger and frustration surged through me. I grabbed the ruined old photos and threw them right in front of them. Then, I pointed to the mess in the room.

“Which one of you saw me bullying it? It’s the one that ruined the heirlooms my grandmother gave me and is peeing all over my room!”

Shane’s face twisted in disbelief, but I wasn’t done yet. “It’s obviously in heat. If you’re so fond of it, why don’t you just send it to a doghouse to breed? Maybe that’ll calm it down.”

I knew they’d never let Regina go to the doghouse. That was just my way of getting under their skin.

And honestly? It felt pretty good to say it.

Sure enough, as soon as the words left my mouth, Regina visibly shivered in fear, and Shane looked at me like I’d completely lost it.

“Clarisse, where did you even hear that nonsense? You’ve let me down." Shane shook his head.

Oliver was furious.

He stormed up to me, face as red as a tomato, his fists clenched at his sides. “Clarisse, are you out of your mind? Cici is tiny, and you actually want to send her to breed? Are you even human? Besides, this is your fault for not keeping your stuff in order, and now you’re blaming Cici? Acting like a total shrew! Unlike Regina, who’s sensible and well-behaved, you're...”

I didn’t even let him finish his rant.

I cut him off with a sharp sneer, not bothering to hide the disdain in my voice. “If Regina is so perfect, why are you still trying to marry me? Why don’t you just call off the engagement and be with her?”

I could see the shock on his face.

It was too much to expect him actually to take that step, though.

The Anderson family was barely hanging on financially, and Oliver needed me to secure an investment from the Maxwell family. He couldn’t afford to lose me. Not yet. Sure enough, he was left speechless.

His face got even redder if that was even possible. With a frustrated grunt, he slammed the door behind him, storming out. Shane followed shortly after, cradling the toy dog in his arms like it was the family's crown jewel. His expression was colder than ice.

But I wasn’t fooled.

I knew all this restraint wasn’t about protecting my feelings. It was just part of their plan to bring Regina back. They weren’t trying to spare me—they were buying time.

In my past life, I’d been too blinded by trust to see it.

But not again.

I wasn’t going to make the same mistake. I was going to play along, let them think they had the upper hand, and wait for the perfect moment to turn the tables.

Over the next few days, Regina, still inhabiting the dog’s body, calmed down considerably. She stayed quietly in Shane’s room, not making any more messes. I guess she was genuinely afraid I’d follow through on my threats to send her off to breed.

But why should I let her off that easily?

I wasn’t done yet. I had my own little plan brewing.

I snuck off to the doghouse and bought several packs of special canine hormones. The owner assured me this stuff worked fast, quick enough to make a little dog fatten up and go into heat in no time.

'Perfect.'

After all, I had a special gift planned for Regina. She needed to gain some weight and get healthy enough for what I had in store.

And sure enough, almost immediately, Regina started to pack on the pounds. She was growing round and chubby like a little pig.

It felt... satisfying, to see her like that.

Shane, on the other hand, was watching her like a hawk. He made sure I didn’t do anything suspicious.

One night, while I was feeling snacky, I grabbed a package of chips.

But as soon as I took a bite, I knew something was off. It didn’t taste spoiled, but there was a weird, fishy aftertaste. Even the water in my cup looked off. It was a sickly pale yellow color, and it stank.

I rushed to the bathroom, gagging, trying to rinse my mouth out.

My anger flared. This was Regina’s doing. She was trying to mess with me again, and I wasn’t going to let her get away with it. Just as I was about to storm into her room, I froze when I heard Shane’s voice from inside.

“Regina, just hang in there a little longer. I’ll make the bitch pay. I don’t know what Dad was thinking, giving her that villa as a dowry! It must’ve been that old woman whispering in his ear!”

Shane paused for a moment, then continued, “I know these past few days have been tough on you, but once tomorrow night is over, we’ll swap lives with Clarisse. You’ll be a normal person again. And then... the entire Maxwell family will be ours.”

My heart stopped.

I had always wondered how Shane, my brother, could be so willing to hurt me.

Now, I knew the answer.

He was my half-brother, the illegitimate son of my father. I clenched my fists, fighting the urge to storm into that room and tear them apart. But I knew I couldn’t.

Not yet. I had a plan, and I wasn’t going to let my anger ruin it.

The next evening, I came home to find Shane suddenly acting all sweet and apologetic. He was holding a gift box in his hands, looking like he was trying to butter me up.

“Clarisse, I was too harsh with my words earlier,” Shane said with a fake smile. “You’re getting engaged tomorrow, so I picked out a dress for you. Try it on and see if it fits.”

Oliver followed close behind, eager as ever. “Clarisse looks good in anything. Once you put on the dress and the Anderson family’s heirloom bracelet, you’ll look even more beautiful.”

He opened a sandalwood box and slowly revealed the bracelet inside. My stomach dropped. I had heard those exact words before.

In my past life, I’d been genuinely touched and moved by the gesture. But now, I just felt cold.

What they were really celebrating wasn’t my engagement at all. It was Regina’s rebirth. And deep down, I knew that their plans were about to come to fruition.