My husband drowned saving me. After seven years of widowhood, consumed by despair, I took my own life. On the operating table, I struggled to speak: “I’m donating all my assets and organs to anyone named Gu.” The two surgeons in white coats suddenly pulled down their masks. In that instant, my eyes widened, and a mouthful of blood sprayed out. It was my cousin, Tiffany, and my husband, Leo, who was supposed to be dead! “Thank you, big sis. You’ve made the rest of Leo and my lives perfect.” It dawned on me then. Leo had always loved someone else, which was why he’d faked his death and run away. But it was too late. I watched as they ripped out my heart and lungs, dying in excruciating agony. I never expected to open my eyes again— “Have you decided? Which of the four will you choose to be your husband?” That familiar voice made me snap my head up. My father’s face, etched in my memory, reappeared. “Dad!” Dad pulled me into a hug. “My good girl, what’s wrong?” It took me a while, sniffling, to finally reply, “Nothing. I just… missed you.” I had truly been reborn. Reborn at a time when my father was still alive, before I’d made the decision that would haunt me for a lifetime. Dad gently patted my back, sighing. “Your old man isn’t well. My only wish is to see you settled, with someone to take care of you. Only then can I rest easy.” He thought his daughter was lonely because he’d been hospitalized for days. After all, besides the four young men he’d taken in, raised alongside me, with the unspoken understanding one would become my husband, I had no one else I truly confided in. “Dad, do I have to get married?” “What’s wrong? Weren’t you always clamoring to marry Leo before?” Before I could explain, I glanced down at my father’s aged, yellowed hands, covered in countless needle marks. Dad had liver cancer. He didn’t have much time left. Thinking back, it was only about two weeks until my father’s death in my previous life. If this was his only wish, then I would definitely fulfill it. I shook my head. “I just… don’t want to choose him anymore.” Dad sighed. “What made you change your mind? You don’t have to take my words too seriously…” “No!” I cut him off, quickly making my choice. “I choose him.” I quickly pointed to another photo at random. Dad’s eyes crinkled with a smile. “Good, good, good. He’s the one. Honestly, he’s my favorite too.” Taking a closer look, I almost bit my tongue. The man in the photo had a devilishly charming smile, his eyes impossibly deep—it was Kai Sterling! How could I have randomly chosen my arch-rival? In my previous life, we were constantly at each other’s throats; we couldn’t exchange two words without an argument. Taking a deep breath, and seeing my father’s joyous smile, I finally nodded. After all, in my previous life, Dad never liked Leo. Even on his deathbed, he’d muttered: “My child, I won’t oppose who you love, but I’ve always been uneasy about him.” I knew it too. Anyone with eyes could see Leo wasn’t enthusiastic about me. But in my previous life, I was foolishly trapped. Even after we were married, we were polite strangers. Now, with a second chance at life, I was determined to make sure Dad had no regrets and that I wouldn’t carry any more guilt. Dad’s voice rang out again. “So, when do you plan to get engaged?” I took a deep breath. “Three days from now.”
Leaving my father’s hospital room, my mind was still a jumble. In my hand was the will my father had written in advance, and my heart bled. Around the corner, I pressed the elevator button. The doors opened, revealing my four childhood friends. “Chloe, we heard! Who did you choose?” The liveliest of them, Finn, practically bounced up to me, hooking his arm through mine, practically bursting with curiosity. Owen, beside him, pulled him back. “It’s not like she’d pick you, why even bother?” His confident tone made me momentarily disoriented. Owen was usually the peacemaker, never speaking like that before. Today, he seemed like he’d swallowed a hot coal. Finn pouted, mumbled, “You’re right,” and looked at the other two behind him. Leo, usually so gentle and refined, now looked utterly impatient. Kai leaned lazily against the wall, his gaze on me holding an inexplicable emotion. Finn shrugged off Owen, then put his arm around my shoulder again. “So, Chloe, who did you pick? If you didn’t pick me, I’m totally going to start dating!” I couldn’t help but laugh, ruffling his hair. “You just turned eighteen, what dating? Go focus on your studies first.” Owen scoffed. “Chloe, just tell us. Stop playing games. Don’t let this kid waste his time daydreaming.” I nodded, about to speak, when Leo suddenly stepped forward, bending slightly. “Please forgive me, but I can’t marry you.” In an instant, my heart gave a violent jolt. In my previous life, I had taken my father’s will to Leo, telling him I wanted to marry him, and he had simply smiled and agreed. Now, he was refusing me first. Meeting Leo’s resolute gaze, I understood in a flash: he had also been reborn. So this time, he wasn’t even willing to fake his death; he was rejecting me from the very start. Even though I’d already decided to give up on him, a small, uncontrollable pain still spread through my heart. I forced myself to speak calmly. “How do you know I would have chosen you?” Leo averted his gaze, scoffing. Finn, sensing the tension, laughed nervously. “Who doesn’t know you two were practically joined at the hip back in high school? Leo, stop pretending, you’re going to overdo it and Chloe might actually not marry you.” His intention was to lighten the mood and break the awkward silence, but it backfired spectacularly. Leo stood his ground, instead stating firmly: “I’d rather leave the Sterling family than be forced into a marriage.” Everyone froze at his words. Owen frowned deeply. “All four of us were raised by Mr. Sterling. His kindness is heavier than a mountain. What do you mean by this?” Kai, who had been leaning against the wall, finally spoke, his voice dripping with disdain. “What does he mean? Obviously, he already has someone else in mind, and that person isn’t Miss Sterling.” Looking at Leo’s pained expression, I laughed, furious. Was being with me really so unbearable? I was on the verge of blurting out: I didn’t pick you.
The words caught in my throat. In my previous life, I was depressed for seven years because of him. This time, I at least deserved to make him suffer for a few days. I curved my lips before speaking. “There’s no definite answer yet as to who I’ll marry. I’ll announce it at my birthday party three days from now.” The four men exchanged glances. Finn pouted. “Chloe, you’re being so boring. Everyone knows who you want to marry, right?” Kai leaned against the wall, a cold smirk on his face. “Honestly, he’s already made it clear, and you’re still clinging to him?” Leo’s back was ramrod straight, his gaze towards me filled only with displeasure. Owen, seeing the situation escalating, sighed. “We’ll all be there. We won’t miss your birthday.” “Of course not. Who dares to miss it? I’ll make sure they can’t set foot in this city again!” I said the last sentence with a smile, and everyone’s faces changed. Leo looked at me in disbelief, shouting, “You!” I pushed past them and entered the elevator. Before the elevator doors closed, I caught a glimpse of a dark, brooding gaze. It was Kai. I curved my lips. Actually, this was good. Killing two birds with one stone. I didn’t mind making everyone I disliked squirm this lifetime. Stepping out of the hospital, the sun was bright, cicadas chirped in the summer heat. Everything felt right. But as I reached my parking spot, I saw the person I hated most leaning against my pink Maserati—Tiffany. The woman stood with her neck stiff, clad in a white dress, the epitome of affected innocence. I walked past her, coldly saying, “Move.” Her eyes immediately reddened. “Chloe, I just wanted to ask how Uncle is doing.” I curved my lips. “You want to see my dad? You’re not worthy.” Tiffany was just a distant relative of my father’s, the illegitimate daughter of some obscure cousin. He’d taken her in, but she always clung to me. Back then, I was so naive, I thought I’d found a true friend. It wasn’t until much later that I realized what a fool I’d been. She only ever got close to me because of Leo. Hearing my sarcasm, tears streamed down her face. “Chloe, are you still mad because Leo took me to the hospital the other day? He was just so worried about me, please don’t be angry with him.” At her words, I frowned, racking my brain to remember. Indeed, something like that had happened in my previous life. My father had been hospitalized for days. I hadn’t visited, not because I didn’t miss him, but because I had a severe cold. That night, I suddenly developed a high fever. Struggling, I called Leo, and he promised to pick me up. But by morning, there was no sign of him. Fortunately, Mr. Jenkins found me and rushed me to the emergency room. The doctor said another hour and I might have suffered permanent brain damage from the fever. While I was on an IV drip, I heard a nurse say: “The patient in the next room is so lucky. Her boyfriend was so frantic, rushing her to the hospital in the middle of the night, all because she scraped her leg a little.” “I know, right? And I heard he’s from the Sterling Group. What a catch!” Just then, Leo appeared at the doorway. The two young nurses exchanged glances, whispering: “That’s him.” What was my reaction then? I couldn’t remember. Probably jealousy. But at that time, I hadn’t realized Leo had already been secretly involved with her. Now, facing Tiffany’s provocation, I simply curved my lips. “Whether I’m mad at him or not is none of your business.” My words implied she wasn’t important enough to intercede. Tiffany’s face changed. She suddenly grabbed my sleeve, her expression twisted. “Leo’s heart only belongs to me!” I impatiently shook off her hand. But then, as if struck by a powerful force, I suddenly fell to the ground with a loud “thud.” “What are you doing?!” A furious shout rang out behind me.
A few steps away, Leo rushed over to help Tiffany up. “Why did you push me? This has nothing to do with me!” Tiffany leaned into his arms, on the verge of tears. “I just wanted to explain things to Chloe, but I got so angry.” As she spoke, she held up her hand, and the red scratch instantly filled Leo with concern. His voice was agitated as he yelled at me: “You’re always like this, always bullying others by relying on your family background! How could I ever like you?” His words made me stumble back two steps, stunned. Bullying others? The last time I “bullied someone” was when Leo was being harassed and mocked for being an orphan. I had stepped in to help, pelting the bullies with small stones, even breaking one’s head, and was later punished by my father for it. Now, I was being accused of bullying. If that was the case, I said with a cold laugh, “The other day, you abandoned me to go save *her*. Did you receive your punishment?” Both their faces changed. Leo hadn’t expected that I, who loved him desperately and never let a single finger on him be harmed, would punish him out of jealousy. A strange emotion flickered in Leo’s heart. But Tiffany cried out, “It’s all my fault, it has nothing to do with Leo. If someone needs to be punished, punish me.” After she said that, I fainted. Leo’s face drastically changed. He picked me up and walked off, coldly saying: “I’ll go home and accept my punishment.” I watched their retreating backs and only found it amusing. I unlocked my car, stomping on the gas, and sped towards the racetrack. I desperately needed to vent the anger and frustration bubbling inside me. After a few laps, I pulled over, still feeling restless. As I reached the service area and took off my helmet, a voice came from behind me. “I can’t make it to your birthday party; I have to go out of town for work.” Kai’s voice was cold. He walked up to me, frowned at my sweaty appearance. “Didn’t you just get over a cold? How many laps did you do?” I forced a smile. “Weren’t you watching? Coming to warn me now is a bit fake, isn’t it?” When I first got on the track, I’d seen Kai in the distance, looking displeased. As if my presence at the racetrack, which he managed, was some kind of “defilement.” Kai’s body stiffened at my words. He scoffed. “Who was watching you? I was just worried something might happen on my track. And did you hear what I just said?” I nodded. “I heard you.” Kai turned to leave, but I called out again, “But I don’t agree.” He clenched his fists. “What do you mean? If you’re going to publicly announce you’re marrying Leo, why do you need the rest of us there as mere decorations?” I brushed aside a strand of hair and lit a cigarette. “Who said I’m marrying him? What if I’m marrying you?” Annoying my arch-rival was a pleasure I indulged in. As expected, Kai’s face instantly flushed. He gritted his teeth and said: “You should stop making jokes like that.” I smiled brightly. “I’ll joke all I want. Deal with it. I’m the heiress here.” Kai averted his gaze. “Heiress, want to race? If I win, please allow me to be absent that day.” I raised an eyebrow. “Oh, really?” I hadn’t quite gotten my thrill from racing earlier, and a competition was the best way to distract myself and vent my frustration. Still, I hadn’t realized Kai hated me so much. To avoid attending my birthday party, he dared to challenge me to a race.
A red and a black race car idled on the track. A gunshot rang out, followed by a roar. Every time I was about to pull ahead, Kai would overtake me. I had to focus intently, concentrating on the race. On the last lap, I had a comfortable lead. Just as I was about to cross the finish line, Kai suddenly floored the accelerator, but after passing me, he sharply swerved around. My eyes widened. I slammed on the brakes. The two cars’ fronts gently touched. In that instant, a slight vibration passed through, but it felt like an electric current sweeping through my entire body. It was the “death kiss” of racing, supremely romantic. Then Kai rapidly reversed, crossing the finish line. I stayed frozen for a long time before slowly driving my car over. Stepping out, I strode up to Kai. He’d just taken off his helmet and was about to speak. I slapped him across the face, calling him, “Crazy!” A trickle of blood seeped from the corner of Kai’s mouth, but he smiled devilishly, his eyes curving, his gaze seeming to devour me whole. “I won. I won’t be at your birthday party.” I froze. He’d done something so dangerous just to avoid a birthday party. My heart was still trembling. I couldn’t quite explain what I was feeling. Kai wiped the blood from his mouth and continued, “But Miss Sterling’s gift, I’ll still send it. What do you want?” I sneered. “Anything I want, you can give?” Kai also curved his lips. “Of course. Heaven and earth, the stars and the moon, anything I can do, I’ll give.” I took a step closer, pushing him back. Kai frowned, but I grabbed him. I stood on my tiptoes, leaning in, and Kai’s eyes immediately widened. The next second, I whispered in his ear, “Then I want you. Can you give me that?” The man trembled with rage. Just as he was about to push me away, a loud “bang” suddenly echoed from a distance. Both of us looked over—it was Leo. He walked over, his face dark with displeasure. Kai merely frowned, then asked me again, “What did you mean by what you just said?” I curved my lips. “The birthday gift I want is for you to attend my birthday party.” I smiled slyly, though in my heart, I was thinking: *What a joke. If he doesn’t come, how am I going to marry him?* Kai realized, and was about to speak, but I cut him off. “You said you could do anything.” Kai said in a low voice, “You’re so eager for us to come and watch you be humiliated? Don’t you know about Leo and that Tiffany…” His words were cut short as Leo reached us, his face clouded. “What goes on between Tiffany and me is none of your business. But you, playing such a dangerous game with Chloe, isn’t that against the rules?” I impatiently frowned. “Aren’t you supposed to be watching your Tiffany? Why are you meddling in my affairs?” Leo had just settled Tiffany. When he got home and found I wasn’t there, he guessed I’d come to the racetrack. But seeing me and Kai so intimately close, a sudden surge of anger erupted within him. In my previous life, I only had him, and even after a year of marriage, there were no improper actions. Now, suddenly seeing that scene, he couldn’t help but be angry. Perhaps it was a man’s innate possessiveness, Leo convinced himself, and then spoke. “I was going to take you home so I could accept my punishment, but it seems now there’s one more person who needs to be punished.”
In the vast garden, two men knelt, their backs ramrod straight. Mr. Jenkins stood beside me, speaking, “Miss, your father isn’t here. Perhaps I should administer the punishment instead, to save your hands.” I sat on the chaise lounge, taking a sip of coffee, and said lightly, “Alright.” Leo was the first to take off his shirt. Beneath the white fabric was skin as smooth as jade, his abdominal muscles neatly defined. Though lean, he possessed the graceful air of a young gentleman. In my previous life, I loved how he looked when he took off his clothes. In bed, when he got intense, his abs would flush a deep red. Suddenly, a soft cough. Kai was glaring at me, gritting his teeth. I frowned, then realized. It was my fault for agreeing to the race that landed him in this predicament. Though he was my arch-rival, I wouldn’t stoop to such petty tactics. I’d find a way to get him off the hook later. I shot Kai a rare, reassuring glance. Kai averted his gaze, completely misunderstanding, thinking I was hurrying him. He reached out and pulled off his black t-shirt, revealing incredibly toned muscles, subtly gleaming in the sunlight. “Pfft!” I nearly choked on my coffee, my eyes unable to move away. Leo noticed my gaze and subconsciously pressed his lips together. Just then, Tiffany’s voice suddenly rang out: “Chloe, don’t punish Leo!” I looked over, sighing helplessly. “How did she get in?” Mr. Jenkins bowed. “She said she came to retrieve some old clothes.” I scoffed. I remembered now. Tiffany, relying on some distant family connection, had shamelessly lived in our house for a while. Dad, who valued family above all else, never objected. It wasn’t until Dad was hospitalized that I found an opportunity to kick Tiffany out. I didn’t expect her to have a backup plan. Tiffany sobbed, blocking Leo, looking as if she would die for him. Anyone unaware of the situation would think three lashes would kill Leo. At this moment, Leo’s face was filled with tenderness. “Tiffany, this has nothing to do with you.” Then, he turned his anger on me, glaring darkly. Before I could speak, Kai, still kneeling, scoffed mockingly. “By rights, I suppose I should be punished too.” I froze, surprised Kai would speak up for me. Leo sharply turned his head. “What concern is this of yours? Why meddle?” Kai didn’t back down. “We were all raised by the Sterling family, so it naturally concerns me. Are you suggesting you’ll take my punishment too?” I suddenly understood. He wanted Leo to suffer more punishment to get back at him for the racetrack incident. I’d overthought it. But honestly, I was more than happy to watch them butt heads. Sure enough, Leo gritted his teeth and shouted: “Tiffany is innocent. If anyone is to be punished, I’ll take it for her!” Mr. Jenkins spoke softly. “That’s against the rules.” I waved my hand. “Father isn’t here, so my rules are the rules. Since he’s willing, give him a few more lashes.” Leo’s frown deepened at my words. He had expected me to feel sorry for him. In my previous life, I had never punished him, even taking his punishments for him. Why had I changed now? Was it just because he refused to marry me this lifetime? Women truly were the most petty and jealous creatures. Tiffany was pulled aside, and Mr. Jenkins’s whip descended. Leo’s eyes widened. He hadn’t realized how painful this whipping could be. After three lashes, he was already on one hand, staring fixedly at me, waiting for me to call it off. He just couldn’t believe that I wouldn’t feel pity at the sight of him like this. But I merely closed my eyes, resting, listening to the crack of the whip. Until the fourth lash fell, and Tiffany lunged forward. A scream. The tail of the whip snapped across Tiffany’s face, instantly tearing her skin. “No—!” Leo screamed, utterly distraught.
Mr. Jenkins frowned deeply and immediately called for a doctor. A solemn family punishment was interrupted by Tiffany’s accident. I didn’t pay attention to them. I merely looked at Kai, signaling with my eyes that it was over, he didn’t need to be punished. But Kai was stubbornly oblivious. He insisted, “Since the doctor is here, the punishment should continue.” Leo’s furious gaze immediately pierced him. “Have you no heart?! Can’t you see Tiffany’s face is slashed?!” Tiffany, by now, had fainted, her eyes tightly shut. Kai merely raised an eyebrow. “If she threw herself in the way, who’s to blame?” No sooner had he spoken than Leo lunged at him with a punch. Kai dodged but didn’t retaliate. Several bodyguards immediately stepped forward to pull Leo away. He was panting, then looked at me. “Say something! Fine, I’ll marry you, okay?! You did all this, harming Tiffany, just to force me into submission, didn’t you?!” Everyone froze, bowing their heads. I curved my lips, a cold smirk on my face. “Continue the family punishment.” Tiffany had thrown herself in the way; what did that have to do with me? However, this was indeed part of my goal: to make Leo and Tiffany squirm. But seeing them support and comfort each other, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness. Mr. Jenkins complied. This time, he put his full strength into it. He had watched Chloe grow up and had never seen her suffer such humiliation. These young men, all adopted by Mr. Sterling from different orphanages, were given the right to choose their own names, wealth, and a top-tier education, raised to be half-heirs of the Sterling family. But if they disrespected Miss Chloe, then he wouldn’t be lenient. Three more lashes fell. This time, Leo was sprawled on the ground, unable to speak. He stared fixedly at me, but then suddenly remembered the scene many years ago when I had shielded him from a whipping. Entering the Sterling family involved many trials, and in the final test, Leo struggled and couldn’t resist cheating. Mr. Sterling picked up the note, frowned, and shouted, “Who wrote this? You can leave now! The Sterling family doesn’t want people like that!” Leo trembled, knowing this was his only chance to change his destiny. He hung his head, not daring to admit it. Just then, I stepped forward. “I wrote it.” It was just an exam, but I insisted on taking it with them. We were only thirteen then. Though I was the family heiress, Mr. Sterling still disciplined me strictly. Hearing his daughter admit it, he merely frowned and sent me to receive the family punishment. One lash per word, seven lashes in total. I was in pain for a week after being hit and could only sleep on my stomach. Leo’s mind churned with these memories, thinking: *Perhaps I should just marry her this time, give her a year of ‘happiness.’* *It would repay her kindness and keep Tiffany safe.* Leo passed out from the pain. Mr. Jenkins had him and Tiffany carried to a room. Next was Kai. Kai had just knelt down. But I suddenly spoke, “I’ll administer his punishment.” Everyone’s eyes widened. Mr. Jenkins muttered, “Miss, please don’t kill him.” Everyone knew Kai and I had the worst relationship. The next second, Kai scoffed, “Whatever.”
I frowned. My original intention was to go easy on him, so Kai wouldn’t get hurt and use it against me later. But it seemed everyone had misunderstood. Looking at Kai’s stubborn gaze, I found it somewhat amusing. I took the whip. Standing behind him, I froze. The man’s back had many whip marks. I couldn’t remember when or who had punished him. His back muscles, glistening with sweat under the sun, didn’t look dirty; instead, they added a touch of raw sex appeal. I averted my gaze, thinking, *Had I been without a man for too long?* I shook my head, and the whip descended. The sound was loud, but I knew the lash wouldn’t hurt. Yet, Kai let out a muffled groan, his body instantly stiffening. I scoffed. *He looks strong, but he’s so delicate.* *He’s probably been hit too many times, and now he’s scared.* For the next two lashes, I perfectly controlled the force. It was less a punishment and more like teasing a cat. Yet Kai reacted as if he were suffering immense torture, hands braced on the ground, sweat pouring down him, his whole body flushed. Finally, he collapsed to the ground, unwilling to get up. I threw down the whip and couldn’t resist nudging him with my foot, whispering, “Are you still faking it?” “Heiress, the punishment is over. You can leave now, can’t you? Or do you want to stay and watch me get dressed?” He truly was my arch-rival; he never missed an opportunity to mock me. I turned and walked away. Everyone present exchanged glances, thinking Miss Chloe was truly ruthless. Only Mr. Jenkins frowned, staring at Kai. After a long moment, he finally spoke, “Young Master Kai, Miss Chloe has left.” Only then did Kai get up, grab his shirt, and leave, his strides so quick he didn’t look injured at all. Everyone was stunned again. But no one expected that shortly after he left, the mansion suddenly caught fire. I, having just had some milk, was napping in my room. It wasn’t until Mr. Jenkins pried open the door that I woke up with a start. “Miss, hurry and get out!” No sooner had he spoken than the door frame suddenly fell, crashing heavily onto Mr. Jenkins. I screamed, not having time to wonder why the fire started, only able to carry the unconscious Mr. Jenkins downstairs. Mr. Jenkins rushed into the fire to save me; I couldn’t let anything happen to him! As I reached the ground floor, I saw Tiffany slumped in front of the sofa. I froze for a second, but still went over to push her. “Wake up! There’s a fire!” Tiffany was limp on the floor, seemingly overcome by the smoke. Just then, someone rushed in. It was Leo. His face was pale, and he still looked very weak. Their eyes met, and Leo froze for a second. Until he saw Tiffany on the ground, his eyes instantly widening. Just then, an explosion erupted from the kitchen not far away. “Boom!” A blast of air rushed towards them, and Leo instinctively shielded Tiffany. Everyone was knocked over. I struggled to get up, but my ankle was twisted, and I fell back to the ground. At that moment, Leo suddenly picked up Tiffany and rushed out, only saying: “I’m sorry. I’ll marry you then, as an apology.” I looked at his resolute back, feeling only sarcasm. If I survived this, I would definitely let Leo know that I would never choose him. The fire spread everywhere. Before I lost consciousness, I vaguely saw someone running towards me. Who was it? I opened my eyes groggily, my whole body aching, but the scene before I lost consciousness kept replaying in my mind. Kai, looking frantic, held me tightly, shouting, “Wake up, don’t sleep!” His eyes were bloodshot, his hands trembling, as if I were his dearest kin.
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