My father hired Ivy League twins to be assistants for me and my sister, Blair. The younger twin, Leo, was everything. He was brilliant and a star athlete. He fell for the perfect Blair on sight. And me? I was 220-pound Riley Sterling. I got Alex, the older twin, the one who had lost an arm in an accident. Alex, to his credit, was always kind. He never made me feel ashamed of my body. In the end, Blair got the family empire. I thought I got love. But I was wrong. When the building collapsed, Alex ran past me. He used his one arm to shield Blair. “I’m sorry, Riley. I have to save Blair.” It turned out Alex had always loved Blair. I was buried beneath the rubble. Then I opened my eyes. I was back. Back to the day it all began. I stood frozen, trapped in the familiar scene. Then Blair’s voice echoed from my past life. “Let Alex be my assistant. Riley’s so quiet. She needs someone more outgoing like Leo.” But Leo, the Harvard football star, wanted no part of it. He only had eyes for Blair, the cheer captain. She was repeating her lines from our past life, word for word. Back then, I believed she genuinely cared. Now I recognized her manipulation. In my past life, when the building crumbled, both men rushed towards Blair, leaving me buried in the rubble. Blair, pretending to be concerned, declared she wouldn’t leave without me, even as she willingly let them whisk her to safety. Leo had already gotten her to the doorway, but she feigned fainting. This prompted Alex to recklessly push himself out of his wheelchair, throwing caution to the wind. And just like that, I was crushed beneath the debris, dead. After that, Blair not only solidified her position as heir, but also had two handsome, capable men managing the company for her. This time, I didn’t refuse Blair. “Fine, then I choose Leo!” With that, I looped my arm through his before anyone could object, ignoring the way he stiffened at my touch. Blair’s smile wavered, a flicker of unease in her eyes. “Riley, are you sure?” “Absolutely!” I affirmed. Just then, my stepmom chimed in. “Blair, Alex is far more gentle and considerate. He’d suit you better.” I glanced at Alex, leaning on his cane. A cold smirk played on my lips. My stepmom would use any excuse to favor Blair. “Besides,” my stepmother added, “Blair is the cheer captain. She and Leo simply…match.” Just then, Alex rolled up his sleeve. Light glinted off the polished surface of his mechanical arm as he stared directly at her. “Mrs. Sterling, I’ve actually had the most advanced prosthetic arm installed. I’ve also joined the football team.” My attention had been so fixed on Leo that I’d completely overlooked Alex. Unlike my previous life, he now had a mechanical arm! He wasn’t slender anymore. His chest muscles now strained against his shirt fabric. It hit me then. Alex had been reborn too. In our last life, he never married Blair, so this time, he’d prepared. He got a mechanical arm and sculpted himself into a formidable athlete! I scoffed, a bitter curve to my lips. In my past life, I’d sacrificed everything to boost his self-esteem, refusing parties and spending my youth in his lab, working on research projects. I’d freely given him all my findings. All so he wouldn’t feel inferior to Leo. I even turned down proposals from many incredible men before marrying him. Yet, even after all that, even after he was reborn, he still chose Blair. My stepmom pressed Alex. “Are you truly willing to protect Blair for life?” Alex’s voice was firm. “I am.” A flicker of approval crossed my stepmother’s face. Blair, too, seemed moved by Alex’s quiet determination. Sure, Leo was the kind of athlete every girl dreamed of. But with that new arm, Alex looked undeniably compelling. My stepmom nodded. “Alright, then Leo will be Riley’s assistant.” But Leo quickly jumped in. “No! Riley and I would be a terrible match!”
My stepmom’s face hardened. There was no way she didn’t see through Leo’s intentions. But she remained silent, deep in thought. Leo pleaded with her. “Mrs. Sterling, I’d rather work as a regular employee at a branch office.” My stepmom looked down at him. “Are you really so unwilling to be Riley’s assistant?” “Yes.” Blair pressed him further. “Leo, why are you so disgusted by Riley?” Leo shot her a quick glance, his voice tinged with youthful frustration. “Blair, don’t you know why I’m doing this?!” Blair’s expression softened with feigned concern. “How can I let you go to a branch office?” I quietly watched the twin brothers openly declare their devotion to Blair, then spoke up. “Blair, why don’t you just have both of them as your assistants?” Blair looked at Leo with a hint of greed. From their looks, their physique, to their intelligence, both brothers were undeniably impressive. “This… I don’t know.” My stepmom turned to me. “You know they’re meant to support you two. Are you really not going to choose either?” “No, I’m not choosing.” My stepmom raised an eyebrow. “Don’t be impulsive. You might regret it.” “I won’t regret it.” My answer was so quick and definite that everyone in the room turned to stare at me, especially Alex. From the moment I spoke, his gaze hadn’t left me. His brows were tightly furrowed, as if trying to understand the drastic change in me. My stepmom asked, “Didn’t you say you wanted to travel to Iceland? Don’t you need Alex to help you with translations?” I slowly shook my head. “I’m not going on a trip. I’m going to the gym.” Last time, I believed my parents loved me, and Blair looked out for me. I thought the inheritance rightly belonged to the more capable Blair. So I devoted myself to our home, making Alex the center of my world. This time, I wouldn’t make that mistake. First, I designed a rigorous fitness plan for myself. In my past life, Alex always said I was beautiful to him, no matter my weight. But even after we married, we never truly shared intimacy. I thought he was just naturally reserved, but in reality, he secretly found me repulsive. After setting up my fitness plan, I called Grandpa Sterling. The true controlling shareholder of our family’s corporation was Grandpa. Though elderly, his business acumen far surpassed my parents’. My parents worried Blair and I lacked the ability to manage the company, which was why they selected these excellent assistants for us. In my past life, after Grandpa died, Blair seized control of our family business. Eventually, even my living expenses and Alex’s required Blair’s signature before the butler would release them. But back then, my insecurity made me believe it was only right for her to manage the family business. When I found Grandpa and expressed my desire to learn corporate management, he hugged me, tears in his eyes. “Riley, I always knew you were smart, but who knew… ” “Never mind, let’s forget the past. From now on, you’ll work hard with me.” “Yes, Grandpa.” Grandpa suggested I start as a manager, but I declined. I chose an entry-level position, starting from the ground up. Blair was busy preparing for a university talent show, with those handsome twin brothers constantly hovering around her. Meanwhile, I closed my first project. I was promoted from a regular employee to a team leader. Grandpa was overjoyed, praising me to everyone he met. One evening after work, Blair was waiting for me at the building entrance, blocking my way. “Working for the company behind my back, Riley?”she said, her voice sharp.”You told me you weren’t interested in inheriting the Sterling Group. When did you become so deceitful? But don’t even think about it. Our family would never allow a fat, clumsy woman to become the heir!” I hadn’t expected Blair to resort to body shaming.
I lowered my gaze, not wanting to engage with her. But she sidestepped, blocking my way again. “Riley, someone like you should just stay home and be pampered. Why bother going out and embarrassing our family?” I met her eyes. “Why I’m this heavy, have you forgotten?” She froze, staring at me in shock. When I was little, Grandpa adored me the most. He’d tell anyone who’d listen how smart and level-headed I was, always saying the Sterling Holdings would be mine one day. But one day, Blair claimed she heard a kitten crying in an old, abandoned well near the property line. She begged me to go with her to rescue it. While trying to save the kitten, I fell in. Blair promised to find help, but she never came. My leg was broken in the well, and I screamed for help, covered in crawling insects. It wasn’t until the next day that she finally returned with our parents to pull me out. Blair said she’d gotten lost, which was why she was so late. But the incident gave me severe PTSD. I woke up struggling to breathe every night. The trauma caused a hormone imbalance, and the medication made me gain weight. “I told you,” Blair stammered, her voice trembling, “I was lost that day! That’s why it took me so long to find you! I was scared too! How can you blame me for that?” Watching her grow pale, Alex frowned, his voice softening with concern. “Riley, what happened when we were kids was a long time ago. You can’t hold a grudge forever.” At that moment, Blair tightly grasped his hand, gently telling Alex, “It’s okay. What can I do? I’m Riley’s older sister. I won’t hold it against her.” Then, Blair feigned distress again and turned to me. “If you’re only trying to claim the inheritance because of what happened back then, I’ll just give it to you.” Just then, Dad returned. “What are you all talking about?” Blair, afraid I’d reveal the truth of that day, quickly interjected. “Riley’s still upset about falling into the well back then. Dad, I don’t want our family to have any discord. Why don’t we just let her- ” Before Blair could finish, Dad cut her off. “Riley, are you still blaming Blair, and even playing dirty tricks to seize power?” My face burned with fury. I was about to explain, but Alex jumped in to defend Blair. “It’s true that Riley started the trouble. She’s been holding a grudge about what happened all these years.” I stared at Alex. I’d known him for two lifetimes, he should have known me best. But to protect Blair, he would slander me. I always thought that even if Alex didn’t love me, he’d at least be grateful for everything I’d done for him in my past life. How utterly laughable, I sneered inwardly. Slam! I slapped Alex across the face. My palm stung, bright red. Alex stared at me, stunned. My father also barked. “Riley! How dare you become so unreasonable!” Then, he turned to two bodyguards. “Take her to the basement and lock her up. She’ll stay there until she learns some manners.” I trembled, looking at my father. Since that incident in my childhood, I dreaded enclosed spaces more than anything. But the bodyguards seized my shoulders, dragging me towards the basement. As I passed Blair, I clearly saw a triumphant smirk on her face. Alex, meanwhile, avoided my gaze. That night, Blair came, with Alex in tow. As soon as she entered, she switched off all the lights. My body reacted to the terror faster than my mind could comprehend. That childhood night’s experience had deeply scarred me. My voice trembled uncontrollably. “Turn on the lights.” “Heh, so big, and you’re still scared of the dark, huh?” “You were so tough just now, weren’t you?” I instinctively reached for the bedside lamp, but Alex was faster. He swept it to the floor and kicked it under the bed. Then he snatched my phone. That suffocating feeling instantly enveloped me. I struggled to open my mouth, but no sound came out. I knew I was having another attack. I frantically fumbled in my pocket for my medication. But the next second, Blair snatched the pill bottle away. “Want your meds? I’ll give them to you.” With that, she emptied the contents of the pill bottle onto the floor. I stumbled to the floor, instinctively fumbling around. But Blair stepped on my hand. “You want your medicine? Fine. Give me the project you just secured.” I struggled to breathe, unable to speak, so I just patted the foot she had on my hand. She shone her phone’s flashlight on my face. “You agree?” I nodded. Throughout this, Alex watched me, his brows tightly furrowed. Finally, when I agreed, he he left me with one parting shot. “You shouldn’t compete with her, Riley. These things inherently belong to her.” I never said word. I had built that project from the ground up. Every detail was mine. I wanted to see if Blair could actually handle this “easy win” that she stole from me.
Blair took over my project, and I moved out of the Sterling family mansion into my small apartment. I started actively seeing a therapist. Such things would never happen to me again. I was going to slowly wean myself off the medication and conquer all my fears. Meanwhile, the project Blair had stolen from me imploded a month later. After a vengeful rant about how Blair had ruined her life, project manager Ms. Miller kidnapped her and started a dark web live stream, threatening to kill them both. I scoffed. This was Blair’s own doing. She’d spent all her energy on her appearance, a big star at school, but she knew nothing about business. But I hadn’t expected Alex to show up at my apartment. “That project was yours. You were the main lead. Only you can save her.” Alex directly stated his purpose. Bodyguards, who had been hidden in the shadows, swarmed forward, and I was bundled into a car. My mind raced. Alex, sitting beside me, calmly said, “You were reborn too, weren’t you? Withdraw from the heir competition and go live in Europe. For the sake of our past life as husband and wife, I’ll ensure you a lifetime of wealth.” I let out a bitter laugh. “You owe me so much from our past life. Why should I agree to that?” Alex replied, “If you can rescue Blair today, I’ll be at your complete disposal from now on.” Soon, we arrived at the warehouse. I negotiated with Ms. Miller, promising that the company would compensate her for all her losses, reinstate her to her original position, and resume the project. When Ms. Miller demanded a hostage, Alex didn’t hesitate to push me forward. Before leaving, Alex said, “I swear, I’ll come back for you after I take Blair home safely.” I scoffed inwardly. I no longer trusted him. Yet, his cold resolve still stung. “Alex, does nothing I go through matter to you?” He avoided my gaze. “In this life, I’m not your husband. I’m Blair’s husband.” I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. He took two steps, then turned back to me. “I’ll definitely come back. If anything happens to you, I’ll just pay with my life.” I didn’t look at him. Ms. Miller locked me in an enclosed room. There were no windows; the only light source was the phone streaming live. She dragged my almost-broken body in front of the camera. “It’s been a day! Why hasn’t the company done anything?!” “Do you think anyone’s watching this live? If I inflict some pain on her, will they work faster?” With that, she faced the camera and started pulling out my fingernails. In the dim room, blood slowly seeped out. My screams went from loud to soft, until I couldn’t make a sound from the pain. Just then, a comment appeared in the live chat: “Hands $10k, legs $30k, other body parts negotiable. You just want money, right? No one’s going to ransom her. Might as well make some cash.” I stared at the screen name of that comment, a cold laugh bubbling in my heart! I sank into despair. In less than three days, I was already a broken mess. On the third day, while Ms. Miller stepped out to buy more tools to torture me, I tried to use the live-streaming phone to call 911, only to find it had no SIM card. I returned to the live stream. Pleading into the screen again and again. “Alex, I know you’re watching. Please, save me.” “For all the times I saved you in our past life, save me just once.” “You said you’d definitely come back.” “Alex… ” My voice grew hoarser. Finally, I saw Alex’s reply in the public chat. Alex: “He won’t kill you now. Blair takes over as CEO tomorrow. Just get through tomorrow, and I’ll come get you.” Takes over tomorrow… “My grandpa? Alex, what have you done to Grandpa?” Alex: “Grandpa’s old. He can retire now.” After that, no matter how much I called out to Alex, he never said another word. Just then, Ms. Miller returned. She kicked me in the head. “Damn it, trying to play smart with me.” A torrent of punches rained down on my body. The chat was filled with cheers, but Alex remained silent. The next second, Ms. Miller ended the live stream. I lay on the ground, thinking of Alex’s attitude. All my emotions morphed into pure hatred. Ms. Miller quickly helped me up. “Are you hurt?” “I’m fine. You played your part perfectly!” I patted Ms. Miller’s shoulder, a smile playing on my lips. All the camera angles had been set up in advance; they wouldn’t see through the deception. I pushed the door open and paused, casting one lingering look back at the building. I wondered if Alex recognized this place. It was the same building that killed me in my past life. Now, it was the stage I had chosen for this grand performance. “Stick to the plan, Ms. Miller,” I instructed calmly. “When this is over, take the first flight to Europe. Do not return.” The moment after I walked away, a deafening roar filled the air. The building collapsed. Alex must have thought I was buried in the rubble, just like last time.
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