Chapter 2

At my best friend's wedding, I had just stepped off the stage in my bridesmaid dress when my parents dragged me to a table.

"Nina," my mom scolded, "you don't answer our calls, you ignore our texts—were you planning to cut us out of your life forever if we hadn't come to this wedding?"

Her eyes were red, tears threatening to fall.

"Mom, I already told you—I'm not marrying him."

Three years ago, I ran away because I refused to marry Jack Shaw again.

In my previous life, when Chloe returned from overseas, Jack blamed me for everything that had gone wrong in his life. He claimed I was the reason he couldn't be with her, the reason his freedom was gone, the reason his life was ruined.

So, when I slapped Chloe for provoking me, Jack retaliated by locking me in the basement.

For three days and nights, I was consumed by darkness, hunger, and the feeling of ants crawling all over my skin.

That cold, helpless despair haunted me, even after I was reborn.

For three years, I stayed away from my family, unable to face them or the memories of that life.

The only reason I came back was because my childhood best friend begged me to be her bridesmaid.

In this life, Jack hadn't taken over his family's business. Instead, he had entered the entertainment industry and become a mid-tier director—successful enough to be envied by others.

Chloe sat beside him, her designer dress radiating sophistication, her brightly colored hair giving her a bold, carefree look straight out of a Western fashion magazine.

Their fingers were intertwined, and Chloe's eyes were full of disdain as she glanced at me.

Compared to her, I was nothing.

I wore a cheap, ill-fitting bridesmaid dress, my makeup hurriedly applied by the stylist.

I didn't need to look around to know what people were thinking—the judgment and scorn in their eyes were loud enough.

"Wow, Mr. Carter," one of the guests said with a smirk, "you must be so proud. Look at Jack—he's made it as a director without relying on his family. And Nina's been in the big city for three years now, hasn't she? Surely she's accomplished something too… right?"

Another chimed in, shaking their head with a tut:

"Nina, you're being so stubborn. What's wrong with Jack? The Shaw family has so much money. Marrying him would mean a life of luxury, and your parents could even get a nice dowry out of it. What's there to complain about?"

A woman across the table laughed and added, "Jack's not even the type to mess around. He only has eyes for Chloe. So what if he likes to keep her around? You're not as good as Chloe in any way, but at least you'd get to be Mrs. Shaw. Isn't that enough?"