Reborn, I Married Ashford Heir

My parents brought me, who had been lost outside, back home, only to make me marry into another family in my sister’s place. Unexpectedly, I was set up, and I accidentally had an affair with Caleb Hart. For the sake of the family’s reputation, I had no choice but to marry Caleb Hart, the man who loved my sister. My sister Vivian, on the other hand, was sent to marry into the Ashford family and take care of that seriously ill old master who had not shown himself for years. On the day of the wedding, Vivian, unable to bear the humiliation, eloped with another man. From then on, Caleb hated me to the bone. Over decades of marriage, I was neglected, humiliated, and ignored. No matter how much I explained that I was also a victim, it was of no use.   When I finally breathed my last, worn down by years of misery, all he did was send someone to deliver a message—"Mara, get the hell away from me in your next life."   When I opened my eyes again, I was back at the very banquet where the whole mess had begun.   Before I could even react, Caleb slammed his wineglass onto the floor.   The shards skittered straight to my feet. When I looked up and met his gaze, his eyes were cold enough to freeze me to the bone.   I knew immediately. He had been reborn too.   This time, he was determined to cut all ties with me. Right in front of both families' elders, he laid out his proposal.   "Let's move up the wedding. I want to marry Vivian as soon as possible. As for Mara... she was supposed to take Vivian's place and fulfill the marriage contract with the Ashford family anyway."   The entire room fell silent.   Every pair of eyes turned toward me.   I simply raised my eyes, completely calm.   "Fine. I'll marry him."   The moment those words left my lips, the silence in the banquet hall grew even heavier.   My stepmother, Sara Ellis, was the first to recover. She plastered a smile across her face and gently patted the back of my hand.   "That's my girl. You've always been so sensible."   Sensible.   In my last life, I'd bent over backward to be the "sensible" one.   In the end, I died alone in a hospital bed, with no one around to even claim my body.   Vivian peeked out from behind Caleb, her eyes red and swollen.   "Mara, I'm so sorry... This is all my fault. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have to..."   Her voice faded halfway through the sentence. She bit her lip as if she were too heartbroken to continue, and tears rolled down her cheeks one after another.   Watching Vivian put on that performance, I almost laughed.   If the Ellis family hadn't needed someone to take Vivian's place in the Ashford marriage alliance, would they ever have bothered tracking down their biological daughter?   But in my last life, everyone had acted as if I were the one who owed Vivian.   Not a single person had ever bothered to hear my side of the story.   Caleb pulled her into his arms and gently soothed her, "Vivian, this isn't your fault. She's the one who agreed to it."   Then he looked up and shot me an icy glare.   "Don't regret it later, Mara. You said it yourself."   I didn't bother answering.   My father, Jonathan Ellis, coughed and raised his wineglass, trying to smooth things over.   "All right. This works out for everyone. You two sisters will both be getting married next month on the same day."   "Mara's wedding has to be rushed too?" Sara asked, laying on the fake concern.   Jonathan answered flatly, "The Ashfords are pushing for it. Mara's marrying into a good family, isn't she? The sooner she goes, the sooner she can start enjoying her new life."   A few relatives nearby chuckled politely, their smiles carrying a hint of mockery.   I knew exactly what they were laughing about.   "I heard Mr. Ashford Sr. is already in his 60s. He's been bedridden for years. They just need someone to take care of him, right? That's sending Mara straight into hell."   "What did you expect? Mara was only brought back into the family halfway through her life. Vivian's the Ellis family's real darling. They raised her themselves. There's no comparison."   Their whispered comments pricked at my skin like a thousand tiny needles.   In my last life, I would've run to the bathroom and cried my heart out.   This time, I simply picked up the teacup and took a sip.   When the banquet ended, Vivian walked arm in arm with Caleb at the front. Jonathan and Sara followed right behind them.   The four of them chatted and laughed together like a perfect family.   I stayed far behind, walking alone.   As soon as we stepped out of the hotel, Caleb's brand-new black Mercedes was waiting by the entrance.   He walked around to the passenger side and opened the door for Vivian. Then he raised a hand over the doorframe so she wouldn't bump her head.   Vivian tilted her face up with a bright smile and murmured something sweet to him.   Caleb leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.   Sara watched them with a delighted smile, her eyes crinkling at the corners.   "Look at that! He's so thoughtful."   Jonathan chuckled.   "Caleb's a good kid. Solid and reliable."   Not one of them even looked my way.   I stood on the hotel steps, the wind tugging at the hem of my dress.   Caleb gently closed Vivian's door and was about to walk away when he caught sight of me from the corner of his eye.   He paused for a moment before walking over.   "Mara," he said quietly, "Mr. Ashford Sr. might be old, but they won't mistreat you. Once you marry into the family, take good care of him, and when..." He trailed off. "When things settle down later, I won't leave you high and dry."   "That's none of your business."   Caleb frowned.   My icy response had clearly caught him off guard. It was nothing like the Mara he'd known all those years.   But he didn't press the issue. He simply turned around and walked away.   The black Mercedes roared down the street and disappeared from sight.   Jonathan and Sara got into their own car. Sara rolled down the window and shouted at me, "Mara, get a cab! We're leaving !"   Their car pulled away too.   I was still standing outside the hotel when my phone buzzed in my pocket.   Vivian sent me a text with a photo attached.   Her fingers were intertwined with Caleb's, and matching diamond rings glittered on their ring fingers.   Vivian: Thanks for letting us be happy, Mara! Caleb says the luckiest thing that's ever happened to him is getting to marry me.   I didn't bother replying.   I slipped my phone back and hailed a cab.   Once I got inside, the driver asked, "Where to, Miss?"   "The Ellis residence."   I closed my eyes.   This time, I'd give them exactly what they wanted.   I'd let our marriages settle back into their intended places.