Chapter 1 The Illusion of Love
It was our seventh wedding anniversary, and our family decided to take a yacht trip out to sea. No one could have predicted the sudden, violent typhoon that struck, sweeping both me and my half-sister, Selene Fuller, into the churning ocean.
My husband, Roderick Barton, fought the raging waves with everything he had to drag me back onto the deck. But the moment I was safe, he turned right around and dove back into the abyss, choosing to die with my sister.
"Bianca, it wasn't Selene's fault that you were switched at birth and had to endure twenty years of hardship," he shouted over the storm. "She was just a little girl back then. Yet she carried that guilt every day, constantly giving in to you, even giving me up. Today, I am saving your life on her behalf. Whatever she owes you is paid in full. If there is a next life, please, don't choose me again."
When I opened my eyes again, the roaring wind was gone. I was back in the past, staring at Selene as she slid the marriage agreement with the Barton family across the table to me.
"Bianca, I've done my research," Selene said, her voice dripping with sisterly affection. "The Bartons are old money with centuries of pedigree. Every single heir is famous for how exceptionally well they treat their spouses. If you marry Roderick, you will lead a happy life."
Would I be happy? If I hadn't already died once, perhaps a blissfully ignorant version of me would have believed her.
In my previous life, that was exactly what happened. Moved by her words, I willingly married Roderick.
During our seven years of marriage, Roderick truly never let me suffer a single grievance. He gave me all the respect, status, and material comfort a prominent society wife could ever ask for.
I genuinely believed that such peaceful, quiet respect was what happiness felt like.
Until that fateful anniversary trip, everything changed.
When the truth finally breached the surface, the illusion of my happy marriage sank straight to the bottom of the ocean along with them.
I remembered it vividly. Roderick had secured himself with a rescue rope before jumping into the water to pull me onto the deck.
But when I reached out to grab him, he shoved my hand away without a shred of warmth. "Bianca, it wasn't Selene's fault that you were switched at birth and had to endure twenty years of hardship. She was just a little girl back then."
His expression was twisted in agony as he continued, "Yet she carried that guilt every day, constantly giving in to you, even giving me up. Today, I am saving your life on her behalf. Whatever she owes you is paid in full. From beginning to end, the only woman in my heart has been Selene. If there is a next life, I will compensate you with all the wealth in the world, but I beg you, do not choose me again."
With those final words, he unbuckled his rescue rope and swam frantically toward the exact spot where Selene had gone under.
At the time, I prayed I was just hallucinating. But Roderick's absolute, unhesitating departure proved the cruel reality: the only woman he had ever loved was Selene.
It turned out that from the very beginning, both of them had been holding back the entire time.
One choked down her guilt and kept retreating; the other choked down his love and let her go.
I was the only fool in the dark, a pathetic charity case being 'compensated' and 'sacrificed for'.
Yet not a single soul had ever bothered to ask me if this was what I actually wanted.
After the storm passed, the rescue team recovered two bodies tightly locked in a final embrace.
Roderick had used his absolute last ounce of strength to bind Selene tightly to his chest.
As for me, the sheer shock and grief of Roderick's parting words caused me to cough up blood, leaving me to die alone on that freezing, wet deck.
The suffocating memories of my past life slowly receded like a tide. In front of me stood Selene, her gentle smile perfectly composed as she waited for my eager nod.
"I'm not marrying him."
Hearing my flat, unwavering response, the smile on Selene's lips froze instantly, looking as though it had been nailed to her face.
She pulled the marriage agreement back toward herself, her eyes scanning my face with careful, anxious scrutiny. "Bianca, I would never hurt you. I handpicked Roderick myself out of so many eligible bachelors. I can personally vouch for his character."
I wanted to laugh. Maybe Roderick's character could be vouched for, but the secret devotion in his heart certainly couldn't be.
I had already paid the ultimate price for that lesson once.
"Selene, just because you think someone is a catch doesn't mean I will," I replied coldly. "I want to make my own decisions when it comes to marriage. If you think Roderick is so wonderful, marry him yourself."
Selene's face went pale.
Her lips pressed into a tight line before loosening, and a thin rim of redness quickly flushed around her eyes. Her voice trembled violently. "Bianca... what do you mean by that? My biological parents owed you so much, and I could never repay that debt even if I spent my whole life trying."
She let out a shaky sigh, the tears already spilling over her lashes. "That's exactly why I want to give you the absolute best of everything. Roderick is a good man. Only when you marry him and find true happiness can my conscience finally be at peace."
In my past life, seeing her cry like this would have made my heart soften, and I would have conceded. But now, the only thing I felt was overwhelming, bone-deep exhaustion.
"I'm tired, Selene. Please leave my room."
Faced with such blatant rejection, Selene had no choice but to gather the paperwork and quietly slip out of my room.
