Chapter 1

My mother asked me who I planned to marry.

This time, I didn't pick Nathan Hayes. Instead, I chose his uncle, Alexander Hayes.

The shock on her face was immediate - she stared at me as if I'd lost my mind. Everyone in San Francisco society knew Nathan and I had been joined at the hip since we were kids. I'd spent the last decade making it crystal clear that Nathan was the only one for me.

But that was the old Olivia. That version of me didn't exist anymore.

A wry smile crossed my lips as memories from my past life - before my rebirth - washed over me.

In that life, after Nathan and I got married, I discovered a painful truth.

He never touched me. Not once. Initially, I convinced myself it was just how he was - that maybe intimacy wasn't his thing. I made every excuse in the book and tried to tell myself it didn't matter. Then, on our fiftieth anniversary, I stumbled into a room in our mansion I'd never seen before.

It was hidden away, locked up tight, and filled wall-to-wall with photographs of my cousin Madison.

That's when reality hit me like a ton of bricks. Nathan wasn't asexual. He just didn't love me.

Now, in this second chance at life, I refused to waste another moment pining after someone who would never return my feelings. I decided to step aside and let them have their happiness.

But when I walked down the aisle in my wedding dress toward Alexander, Nathan's composure completely shattered.

***

Three days after my engagement to Nathan Hayes became official, we crossed paths at an elite social gathering. His trust fund buddies spotted me first, and predictably, they couldn't help themselves.

They were already snickering, clearly enjoying the drama.

"Well, look who it is, Nathan - your personal stalker has arrived!" one of them called out with a smirk.

Another one jumped in.

"Seriously, Olivia? You've already locked down the engagement - can't you give the poor guy some breathing room before you chain him down for good?"

When Nathan noticed me, the disgust was written all over his face.

"Olivia," he bit out, "are you really this desperate? You went behind my back to arrange this engagement, and now the entire social circle is buzzing about it. You've got some nerve."

His contempt hit me like a physical blow. I took a steadying breath before responding. "I didn't need your permission. And by the way, I'm not marrying you."

His friends erupted in laughter, doubling over as if I'd just told the funniest joke they'd ever heard.

Of course, they even couldn't resist piling on.

"Watch out, Nathan!" one called out between chuckles. "Looks like she's trying to play hard to get now!"

Nathan just shook his head, his irritation growing by the second. "Really, Olivia? Now you're trying reverse psychology?"

I couldn't help but smirk. "If I'm not marrying into the Hayes family through you, who says I can't marry someone else in the family?"

He leaned in close, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Let's be real here - you've been declaring your undying love for me since high school. The entire city thinks you're mine."

Then, he lowered his voice to a whisper, "I'll play along with this engagement charade, but let's get one thing straight - sure, I'll give you the big fancy wedding, but the marriage certificate? That's reserved for someone I actually want to marry."

I froze. In my past life, at this exact moment, Nathan had followed through with his family's plans, and we'd made it official at the courthouse.

Could it be possible... that he'd been reborn too?

Before I could process that thought, Madison appeared at the party. The moment she spotted me standing next to Nathan, her face crumpled in distress, and tears started streaming down her cheeks.

"Olivia, Nathan... I heard about your upcoming wedding. I didn't bring a gift, but I want you both to know..." her voice broke with each word, "I wish you all the happiness in the world..."

Before she could finish, Madison turned and fled, sobbing as she ran.

"Look what you've done now, Olivia," Nathan muttered under his breath, shooting me a venomous glare before chasing after her.

When they returned, their fingers were intertwined. Madison's lips were swollen, and there was a telling mark on Nathan's neck.

The entire room was watching, waiting to see how I'd react.

In my previous life, if another woman getting so close to Nathan, I would inevitably make a big fuss and cling to him to get his attention back on me.

Nathan stepped forward, positioning Madison behind him like a human shield, seems wearing an expectant smirk.

But I didn't give him the reaction he was fishing for.

Minutes ticked by, and his smug expression started to falter.

Chapter 2

Finally, he sneered, "Well, would you look at that. You've actually grown up a little. No dramatic scenes or temper tantrums like the old days."

I didn't dignify his jab with a response.

As the party wound down and people started heading out, Nathan caught up with me at the entrance.

"It's late, and this isn't the safest neighborhood. Let me give you a ride," he offered.

Since it was a free ride and I wasn't about to call an Uber, I didn't argue. I headed for the back seat, but Nathan moved faster than me. He blocked the passenger door and said, "You're sitting in the back."

With that, he helped Madison into the front seat as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"I'm so sorry, Olivia," Madison said with feigned concern. "Nathan's just being protective. He knows I get carsick in the back..."

I didn't bother responding. I just slid into the back seat - exactly where I'd planned to sit anyway.

The entire drive home was just Nathan and Madison chatting and laughing like they were in their own private bubble. At a red light, Madison playfully asked Nathan to help her apply some lip balm.

They exchanged a look that made the air in the car thick with tension.

Suddenly, Nathan's eyes darted to the rearview mirror, as if he'd just remembered I was there. When his gaze met mine in the reflection, and he saw me pointedly staring out the window, his expression flickered for a moment.

I caught a flash of raw anger cross his face before he slammed his foot on the accelerator.

When we pulled up to my place, Nathan did something unexpected. He grabbed my arm again.

"Drop the act," he said dismissively. "Stop pretending you don't care. It's beneath you."

With that, he shoved a bracelet into my hand. "Consider this your engagement gift," he added condescendingly. "As long as you play by the rules, you'll get your big society wedding. On paper, everyone will think you're Mrs. Hayes."

I looked him straight in the eye. "And who's going to be the real Mrs. Hayes? Madison?"

Nathan's face twisted with rage, but there was an underlying smugness, as if he was enjoying this twisted game.

"I knew it. You've been faking this whole time," he sneered. "Let me make something crystal clear - don't breathe a word of this to either family. What's between Madison and me is none of your business. She's genuine and delicate - nothing like your calculating schemes." His voice dropped to a threatening whisper. "If you ever hurt her, you can kiss this wedding goodbye."

I couldn't help but laugh. He was too much of a coward to be honest with the Hayes family, yet somehow I was being painted as the villain.

Without another word, I turned and walked into my apartment building, the weight of everything settling on my shoulders.

The moment I stepped into my penthouse, my phone buzzed. A video from Madison.

I hesitated before opening it, but when I did, there they were - Nathan tenderly fastening a necklace around Madison's throat. The brand was unmistakable.

Then it hit me: the bracelet Nathan had just given me was the free gift that came with that very necklace.

They were practically touching, faces inches apart. Then, as the camera zoomed in, they kissed.

The sound of their kiss cut through the silence - sharp, intrusive, like a knife to my chest.

[Olivia, Nathan must have told you by now, right? After the wedding, he's going to make me his legal wife.]

[Just so you know, without a legal marriage, there are no inheritance rights. Looks like I'll be the one becoming San Francisco's most eligible socialite!]

Madison... she'd been reborn too?!

No wonder even though Nathan and Madison had no connection in our past life, this time, mere days into it, they were already acting like lovers. Doing all the things couples do.

It was as if they had some unspoken understanding, like they were trying to pick up exactly where they left off.

I lowered my phone, memories of my past life flooding back. I thought about when I first married into the Hayes family. Right after the wedding, everything changed. The company started receiving an influx of high-profile partnership offers, landing lucrative contracts left and right.

Hayes Enterprises' value skyrocketed, and before long, they had become the most powerful corporation on the West Coast.

The Hayes family patriarch was convinced I was their lucky charm, bringing unprecedented success to their business empire.

Strangely enough, the family seemed to warm up to me more and more as time went on. They treated me like one of their own, like I truly belonged. Despite Nathan's cold indifference, I honestly thought I was content. That was until I discovered those photographs...

That night when I returned home, my mother barged into my home office with some unexpected news.

"Alexander, Nathan's uncle, is flying back from Europe in five days," she announced.

I froze, caught off guard.

Alexander had remained single in my past life, and I certainly hadn't expected our arranged marriage to progress this rapidly.

I had vague memories of Alexander. One thing stood out though - he'd always been good to me, almost like a protective older brother.

Marrying him now felt... better than any other one, somehow.

Chapter 3

The next morning, I was up early in my design studio, working on sketches for my wedding dress. I'd been designing my dream wedding gown since my days at Parsons School of Design, where I studied fashion.

But every design I'd created back then had to conform to Nathan's tastes. He wouldn't let me incorporate any elements I actually loved - everything had to meet his approval.

But now?

Now, I was free.

Free to design the dress I truly wanted, the one I'd actually love wearing - while marrying someone else.

A few days later, I'd just put the finishing touches on my dress design when I decided to grab a coffee from the break room.

That's when I saw Madison's Instagram post.

In the photo, she was wearing my wedding dress design. But it wasn't the elegant gown I'd envisioned. The dress had been butchered, cut down into something barely appropriate for a nightclub. To make matters worse, she was grinding against Nathan, their bodies pressed together as they danced.

[Nathan knew I needed something to wear, so he surprised me with this!The feeling of being cherished feels so wonderful! ]

I could hardly process what I was seeing. My heart pounded as rage coursed through my veins. Without thinking, I stormed toward the penthouse ballroom, fury driving every step.

There they were - Madison and Nathan - wrapped up in each other on the dance floor like they were at some downtown club rather than the Hayes family's private venue. Their bodies were pressed together, swaying to the music as if they were the only two people in the room.

"That's MY wedding dress design!" I shouted, unable to contain my fury any longer. "How dare you give it to her?! And destroy it like this?!"

Madison immediately switched into victim mode, her eyes welling up with perfectly timed tears, her voice quivering with practiced innocence.

"Nathan, did I do something wrong? Why is she so angry?" she whimpered, playing up her fragility.

Nathan, predictably, stepped in front of her like I was some kind of threat. "Olivia, it's just a dress!" he sneered. "You'll end up wearing it for me to see anyway, so what's wrong with letting Madison wear it now to dance?"

"Besides, I didn't like this style in the first place. If it matters that much to you, why not just design another one?"

My blood boiled. "Who said I'm wearing it for you?" I shot back, my voice ice cold. "This is the dress I'm wearing to MY wedding."

Nathan scoffed and shook his head like I was some naive debutante. "Come on, Olivia, stop playing games. You know as well as I do that your wedding is our wedding. I already agreed to marry you. Drop the act."

That was the last straw.

I spotted a pair of scissors on a nearby styling table, grabbed them, and walked straight toward Madison's bastardized version of my dress. Without hesitation, I sliced through the fabric near her leg.

"Nathan," I said, my voice sharp as a razor, every word deliberate, "since you're so sure of yourself, watch closely. I don't accept hand-me-downs. And I won't wear something that's been tainted."

Nathan froze, his eyes wide with shock. In all our years together - through all my supposed tantrums and drama - he'd never seen this side of me. Never seen me so coldly determined.

His protective instincts kicked in, and he reached for me, but before he could make a move, Madison's shrill voice cut through the tension.

"Nathan, my leg! I think I got cut. It hurts so much, but don't worry about me. Take care of her first. This is all my fault..."

Nathan hesitated, visibly torn between me and Madison. He looked from my retreating form to her, then back at me. After a long, suffocating pause, he sneered, his voice dripping with contempt.

"Don't waste your sympathy on her. Someone this insecure needs to learn her lesson. Maybe this will give her time to reflect on her behavior."

I couldn't respond. My body went numb, and my heart felt like it had dropped into a void.

I just stood there, watching as my wedding dress design - the one I'd poured my soul into - began to fall apart in my hands. The exquisite fabric unraveled, just like everything else in my life.

I quietly wiped my eyes, trying to hold myself together, but the weight of everything I'd lost hit me like a tidal wave.

All that work, all that hope... destroyed in an instant.

If a single wedding dress could reveal someone's true character, then perhaps I should consider myself lucky.

At least now I was finally seeing Nathan for who he really was - no illusions left.