Chapter 2

After that day, Gabriel changed his engagement with the Rivers family, abandoning my sister and marrying me instead.

My father was so angry he was hospitalized, and my mother's hair turned white overnight at his bedside.

I lay in Gabriel's arms, carelessly laughing as I fed him grapes.

The whole world said I was shameless, but I had no regrets.

I looked at my face in the mirror opposite, so similar to my sister's, and bit my lip hard.

Don't blame me, sister. In my previous life, you were tortured to death by this man. In this life, even if you hate me, I must prevent it all.

The next day, I stood in front of the mirror with exquisite makeup, wearing an expensive haute couture dress.

Downstairs was the birthday party Gabriel threw for me.

Amidst everyone's praise, I took Gabriel's arm, smiling seductively.

"Lily, please give Gabriel back to me, please... I'm begging you! Please!"

Rose somehow burst in, still wearing that ridiculous wedding dress, falling to her knees in front of me.

Disheveled and bloodshot, she had lost all the grace and dignity of the Rivers family's eldest daughter.

"For the sake of our sisterhood, for all these years I've loved and cared for you, can't you let your sister have this..."

Seeing my sister torture herself like this over a man broke my heart.

Better to end it quickly than prolong the pain. I pretended to laugh cruelly, deliberately crouching down to pat Rose's face.

"Sis, men aren't something you can just 'let' someone have. You have to fight for them, understand?"

Catching Gabriel glancing at me from the corner of my eye, I unhesitatingly slapped Rose hard across the face in front of everyone, so hard my palm swelled.

My sister fell to the ground, her cheek bleeding, utterly disheveled.

I gritted my teeth and delivered the cruel words, "Mom slapped me once. Now you're paying it back."