chapter 2

"Erin, I heard the Hendricks family only brought the simplest, cheapest gifts when they came to discuss the wedding. I feel so guilty, it's all because of me."

Watching Esme put on that little act, I couldn't help but laugh.

Go on, enjoy it while it lasted.

The higher you jumped, the harder you would crash later.

The Hendricks family had sent people over, apparently to question my parents about why the bride had suddenly been switched.

They were clearly furious, but with the Juarez family holding great influence in high society, no one dared to challenge them. The Hendricks had no choice but to swallow their anger.

When Mr. and Mrs. Hendricks came to see me, their eyes were full of pity.

"Erin, do you really want to marry my son?"

I nodded.

"I do."

People said a woman's happiest ending was marrying money, hitting the jackpot, or inheriting it all when her husband dropped dead.

A man who would never wake up was as good as dead, and with him, I'd be set for life.

Mrs. Hendricks's eyes reddened. She took out an old diamond brooch, and placed it in my hand.

"Keep this safe. From now on, you're part of our family."

In my last life, Esme had never once worn this brooch.

But just one look told me it was worth a fortune.

"Thank you, Mrs. Hendricks."

For the next few days, my parents acted as if I didn't exist. Not that I had ever felt much love for this family anyway.

The night before the wedding, my mother called both me and Esme into the Chambers' secret room.

It was where, since childhood, we had been drilled on how to behave, how to serve as the kind of wives the family expected us to be.

I remembered that in my last life, my mother had put me through hell to make sure I knew how to satisfy Jake.

She starved me for three days, letting me chew only on raw leaves, claiming meat would make me smell bad.

And on top of that, she forced me to practice backbends again and again, until my body nearly gave out.

Back then, Esme had hated me so much that she sprinkled powder into my wedding dress, and I broke out in rashes all over.

On my wedding night, when Jake saw the red marks on my skin, he nearly broke me.

This time, my mother didn't even look my way. Her eyes were fixed on Esme, full of expectation.

"Esme, I've always believed in you. Pay attention and learn carefully these next few days."

Even when Esme was so weak from hunger she could barely stand, her eyes never stopped mocking me.

"Erin, are you looking at me like that because you're jealous?"

Of course I was. I was just dying of jealousy.

The wedding was tomorrow, and I slept soundly for once.

Both families arrived for the weddings. The Juarez flaunted their wealth, their every move screaming excess, and Esme couldn't have looked more smug.

My side was the opposite. The Hendricks kept things understated. They were old money, valuing tradition over spectacle, and everything was carried out with quiet elegance.

When the ceremonies were finally over and we left the hotel, I caught sight of Esme clinging to Jake's arm, practically melting into his embrace. I couldn't wait to see him make her his next shattered doll.

Esme had only twelve hours left before her hell began.

The Hendricks took me back with them. Mrs. Hendricks explained softly that her son still hadn't woken up and that someone needed to care for him each day, to wipe him down and keep him clean.

I nodded, accepting it without complaint.

Her eyes softened with pity. Everyone knew I was marrying into this family only to end up a widow in all but name.

Our bedroom was on the third floor.

When I opened the door, I expected the room to be cold and clinical. Instead, it had been done up like a bridal suite. Even the man lying motionless in bed had been dressed in a suit.

The Hendricks had gone to great lengths.

I stepped closer to the bed. In my last life, I had never had any contact with Allan.

Up close, I finally saw just how striking he was—the sharp cut of his jaw, the bold brows, the clear eyes beneath his lashes, the proud line of his nose. In every way, he outshone Jake.

I still couldn't understand why Esme would throw away a man like Allan for a monster like that.

Following Mrs. Hendricks's instructions, I soaked a towel in warm water, ready to wipe him down from head to toe.