My cousin Chloe had a wild and restless spirit, especially when it came to men. The night before her wedding to Julian Blackwood, heir to a powerful family, she ran off with her lover. I had loved Julian since we were children. So when my cousin fled, I took her place at the wedding. But at the altar, Julian turned and walked away without a word. He abandoned me there, and from that day on, never looked my way again. The Blackwood staff took their cues from Julian’s contempt. My meals dwindled to moldy scraps. His mistress seasoned my wine with poison and slipped a viper into my room. My life was worse than a stray dog’s. Years later, Chloe came back, her wild days behind her. “It was Evie,” she sobbed to Julian. “She’s the one who turned us against each other.” Julian’s heart shattered for Chloe. He believed every word. He took her back and ended every other affair. Then, to comfort her, he had me tortured until my body was a canvas of wounds. “But Evie is still your legal wife, isn’t she, Julian? She’s the rightful Mrs. Blackwood. How can I…” “Then kill her.” Those three words were all it took. His men forced the poison down my throat. As I lay dying, Chloe whispered a secret into my ear. My eyes widened in utter shock, and then, in a wave of agonizing despair, I died. But my spirit refused to fade. The bitterness of my end was so profound that Death grand me a second chance. A voice echoed in the void: “Remake the past, and you will be granted a new beginning.” A flash of white light, and I was back to six years ago, the day Chloe ran away from her wedding. …
The God of Death told me I had three days. If I could change my fate of marrying Julian in someone else’s place, if I could ensure Chloe married Julian, then I could alter my tragic end and set everything back on its destined path. “Evie, you can finally be my Julian’s wife.” Staring at the outstretched hand before me, my blood ran cold, and a shiver of icy dread swept through me. That God of Death was truly unreliable! Couldn’t they have sent me back just one day earlier? Then I could have stopped Chloe Dawson from running off. But there was no time to ponder. If I entered the Blackwood estate, my fate would be sealed again. I took a step back, tearing off the veil that obscured my face. I looked at a stunned Julian. “Julian, I’m Evelyn Reed. Not Chloe Dawson.” Julian’s eyes narrowed. He lunged forward and kicked me hard in the stomach. “It’s you! Where’s Chloe? What kind of trick are you pulling now? Did you hide your cousin away?” “Today is my wedding to Chloe! Are you trying to die by doing this?” The kick knocked the wind right out of me. It felt like my insides had been scrambled. I coughed, spitting out a mouthful of blood. “Chloe… she’s gone. I… I love you, so I thought of impersonating her. I didn’t hide her.” I knelt on the ground, my voice small and pleading. I didn’t dare reveal that Chloe had run off with someone else. For one, I knew he wouldn’t believe me easily. For another, I was terrified Julian might snap, and I’d still end up dead. “Then why are you telling me now? What game are you playing?” “Even though I love you, Chloe is still my family. What if she was kidnapped by someone bad? Wouldn’t I be selfish for hiding it, and harming her?” “Guards! Search the entire house!” Julian snapped, his eyes cold as he glared at me. “If I find out this is some elaborate scheme of yours, I swear I won’t let you get away with it.” The bodyguards surged in and out, turning the villa upside down. I clutched my chest, kneeling on the floor, not daring to move an inch. It was because whenever Chloe and Julian had a disagreement, she would always push the blame onto me afterward, claiming I was the one who provoked them. So, Julian’s attitude towards me was always terrible. Because I admired him, he assumed I was jealous of Chloe and wanted to break them up to take her place, making him despise me even more. “Sir, Miss Dawson is not in the villa.” “I know where she is.” Julian’s eyes narrowed, cold and scrutinizing. “What trick are you pulling now?” It was because of what Chloe herself had told me in my previous life, just before I died. “Evie, do you know? I intentionally ran away from my wedding to let you take my place. I just wanted you to see that the man you love only has eyes for me. Even if you married him, he would only despise you.” “On our wedding day, I was actually having a wild time with Landon at his estate. I’ve had my fun these past few years, and look! As soon as I came back and shed a few tears, he loved me like his life again. And you? You were nothing.” Landon Thorne, he was one of Chloe’s usual admirers. He owned a place called The Orchard Retreat outside of town. She’d even taken me there once to use the hot springs, just to flaunt how she was the undisputed center of attention, adored by so many men. “I’ve seen Landon lurking around suspiciously near here these past few days. He once drunkenly confessed his admiration for Chloe.” “I thought… perhaps he kidnapped her?” “If you don’t believe me, you can have someone go to the Thorne estate and check if Landon is home.” A short while later, Julian’s assistant reported that Landon hadn’t been home since yesterday. Julian’s cold gaze fixed on me. “Tell me, what else do you know?” “I only know Landon has The Orchard Retreat outside of town. He took Chloe and me there once. Maybe you can check there for clues?” Julian ordered his men to tie me up and take me with them. “If I find out this has anything to do with you, I won’t let you off.” He immediately had his bodyguards surround The Orchard Retreat. When we burst into the villa, Chloe was partially dressed, with Landon pressing down on her. Julian’s eyes instantly blazed red. He grabbed a knife from a nearby table, ready to strike. “Landon, I’ll carve you up!” Landon looked back, his face going ashen with fear as he tumbled from the bed. The long blade sliced across his back, leaving a bloody gash, and he cried out in pain. Chloe, on the bed, trembled with fright. Her eyes red, she immediately rushed forward, clutching Julian and sobbing, “Julian, you finally came to save me! He almost… he almost succeeded!” “Landon, he…” Seeing Chloe’s distraught state, Julian grew even more furious. He lunged with the blade again. Landon looked at Chloe in disbelief, his mouth agape. “How could you say that? Didn’t you say you didn’t want to marry Julian, that you didn’t want to be tied down? You asked me to take you away!” Julian froze, looking at Chloe suspiciously. “Is that true? You didn’t want to marry me?” Chloe shook her head, her face innocent. She spoke with feigned indignation. “Julian, you believe him over me? Then I’ll just have to prove my innocence with my death!” With that, she made a show of trying to run headfirst into a pillar. Julian grabbed her, pulling her into his embrace, his eyes filled with guilt. “I’m sorry, I believe you. Don’t do anything foolish.” Chloe cried even harder, as if she would pass out from grief. “You bitch! You clearly told me you loved me! How could you—” But before he could finish, Julian’s blade plunged into Landon’s chest. Landon gasped, then went limp. Seeing that he was dead, Chloe let out a sigh of relief. “Julian, thank you for saving me and believing me. If you hadn’t come, I would have had to die to preserve my honor.” “It’s all thanks to your cousin, Evie. If she hadn’t pointed the way, I would never have found this place.” Chloe suddenly pulled away from Julian’s embrace. To everyone’s shock, she lunged at me and slapped me a dozen times.
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