Chapter 1
The four of us stared at the shimmering glass slipper in stunned silence.
Every woman in our family had already married the prince once. Who in the world was he actually trying to marry?
Diana repeatedly sought confirmation from the royal steward. "Could there be some mistake? I don't think the prince's love could possibly be a member of the Hart family."
Otherwise, why had there been four marriages, with the prince killing one of us each time?
The steward frowned, his expression grave. "His Highness saw his love run toward the Hart residence after leaving the ball. He said then and there that the slipper belonged to one of the four ladies of your family.
"There can be no mistake."
He held out the glass slipper and lifted his chin. "Come forward one at a time and try it on."
Vanessa, who normally adored jewels, diamonds, and crystals, recoiled. "I'm allergic to glass. If I put it on, I'll drop dead."
Chloe, who never missed a chance to show off her figure, waved both hands frantically. "My feet are too wide. I'll shatter it."
Diana had long dreamed of finding a new husband, but now her smile looked worse than tears. "My heart belongs entirely to my late husband. How could the prince possibly be in love with me?"
At last, everyone turned to me in unison. The steward's face broke into a broad smile as well.
"Miss Evelyn Hart, you attended the ball too, didn't you? You even met His Highness and fell in love at first sight.
"The glass slipper must be yours."
I gave an awkward laugh, not daring to take it from him.
The first time I'd heard those words, I'd been moved beyond belief.
After all, the prince and I really had shared a secret romance. The ball had lasted for 3 nights, and we'd spent all three swept up in a passionate affair. On the third night, as he'd chased after me, I'd hurried away and lost that very slipper.
So when I finally escaped the control of the three women in my family and married the prince, I thought my suffering was over at last. I sat on the wedding bed, excited and shy, waiting for him to arrive.
But the instant he got a clear look at my face, he flew into a rage, drew his sword, and riddled me with wounds.
His face twisted with fury. "How dare you take her place and marry me? You aren't her!"
I bled out in terrible agony. Even after being reborn, I still couldn't make sense of it.
If the woman the prince sought wasn't me, then who else could it possibly be?
When I made no move to take the slipper, the steward smiled. "Marrying His Highness is a serious matter. You ladies deserve some time to prepare yourselves.
"His Highness will come in person tomorrow. You have tonight to think it over.
"I'll leave the glass slipper here for now."
The steward left the slipper behind and departed in a lavish carriage.
We continued staring at its iridescent surface, but none of us dared to be the bride. None of us wanted to die.
For once, the three women who had tormented me at every opportunity over the years sided with me. They pulled me into the sitting room for a family conference.
One after another, they tried sliding their feet into the slipper.
In the end, we confirmed that I was still the only one that fit.
Diana arched a brow, her face full of suspicion. "Are you sure he killed you on your wedding night too?"
I shrugged. "My body came back to the Hart residence looking like a sieve. You all saw it, didn't you?"
Chloe nodded vigorously. "It was brutal. There wasn't an uninjured patch of skin anywhere on you."
Vanessa sighed, "Evelyn and I fought for 10 years, and even I felt sorry for her when I saw that."
The four of us exchanged glances and sighed.
Diana covered her face and screamed in despair, "If we don't hand over a bride tomorrow, will he kill all of us?"
My stepsisters looked stricken.
Then something occurred to me. "We may not be completely out of options. Before my fairy godmother left, she gave me a magic mirror.
"Maybe the mirror can help us find his true love!"
