Reborn, I Married the "Dying" Tycoon

After I accidentally slept with my future brother-in-law, our families hastily arranged a bride swap to cover up the scandal. I married Ethan Hale, the man my sister loved, while she was sent to wed a gravely ill Ashford elder in the hope that the marriage would help him recover. Feeling humiliated, my sister took her own life on her wedding day. From that day on, Ethan despised me. Throughout our 30-year marriage, he shut me out, humiliated me, and acted as though I didn't exist. When I finally died after decades of misery, he had someone deliver one final message. "Evelyn Reed, stay the hell away from me in your next life." When I opened my eyes again, I was back at the banquet where everything had gone wrong. Before I could do anything, Ethan hurled his wineglass to the floor. Shards skittered to my feet, and he fixed me with a look of pure hatred. I knew then that he had traveled back through time too. This time, he got his wish and cut all ties with me. In front of both families, he announced, "Let's move up the wedding dates. I want to marry Isabella as soon as possible. As for Evelyn, she was supposed to marry into the Ashford family anyway." The room fell silent, and everyone turned to stare at me. I simply looked up and said, “Fine. I'll marry him.” Evelyn's POV: The banquet hall fell into an even deeper silence after I spoke. My mother was the first to recover. She plastered on a smile and patted the back of my hand. "That's more like it, Evelyn. I knew you would be sensible about this." 'They expect me to be obedient and sensible. That's all they ever want from me.' In my last life, I had bent over backward to be both, only to die alone in a hospital with no one even willing to claim my body. Isabella Reed, my adopted sister, peeked out from behind Ethan Hale, her eyes already red. "I'm sorry, Evelyn. This is all my fault. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't be forced into this marriage." She bit her lip and let the rest trail off as tears spilled down her cheeks. Looking at her, I almost laughed. If the Reed family hadn't needed someone to take her place and marry the Ashford elder, why would they ever have bothered to bring home their biological daughter? Yet in my last life, everyone had acted as though I was the one who had wronged her. Not one person had ever asked how I felt. Ethan wrapped an arm around Isabella and murmured, "Izzy, this isn't your fault. She agreed to it herself." Then he looked at me with open contempt. "Evelyn, you agreed to this yourself. Don't regret it later." I said nothing. My father cleared his throat and raised his glass, eager to smooth things over. "All right, then. This works out for everyone. Evelyn and Isabella, you'll both be married on the same day next month." "Does Evelyn have to marry so soon too?" my mother asked, feigning concern. "For a marriage meant to help an ailing man recover, sooner is better. Evelyn will live in luxury once she joins the Ashford family, so why make her wait?" Several relatives seated nearby laughed along. I knew exactly what they were laughing at. "I heard the Ashford elder is over 60 and has been bedridden for years. Sending a young woman to marry him is practically throwing her into a living hell." "Well, she only came back a few years ago. Isabella is the daughter the Reeds raised and cherished. Of course they wouldn't treat the two girls the same." Their whispers needled at me from every direction. In my last life, I would have fled to the restroom with tears in my eyes. But this time, I picked up my coffee and took a slow sip. When the banquet ended, Isabella walked ahead with her arm linked with Ethan's. My parents walked beside them, chatting and laughing like a happy family. I trailed behind alone. Outside the hotel, Ethan's car was waiting at the entrance, a brand-new black Mercedes-Benz. He walked around to the passenger side and opened the door for Isabella, shielding her head with one hand so she wouldn't hit the frame. Isabella tipped her face up and smiled sweetly at him. She said something, and Ethan bent down to kiss her forehead. My mother watched with a broad smile. "Look at him. He really knows how to take care of her." My father smiled too. "Ethan is a dependable young man." No one looked at me. I stood on the steps as the wind stirred the hem of my dress. After closing Isabella's door, Ethan turned to leave. Then he caught sight of me from the corner of his eye. He paused, walked over, and stopped in front of me. "Evelyn," he said quietly. He lowered his voice. "The Ashford elder may be old, but his family won't mistreat you. Take good care of him after the wedding." After a brief hesitation, he added, "When the time comes, I won't abandon you." "That's none of your concern." Ethan frowned, probably because he hadn't expected me to sound so indifferent. I was nothing like the Evelyn he remembered. Still, he said nothing else and turned away. The black Mercedes-Benz sped off. My parents got into another car. My mother lowered the window and called out, "Evelyn, take a cab home. See you later." They drove off without waiting for a reply. I stood outside the hotel as my phone vibrated. Isabella had sent me a photo of her and Ethan with their fingers intertwined, matching diamond rings gleaming on their ring fingers. Isabella: Evelyn, thank you for letting us be together. Ethan says marrying me is the luckiest thing that will ever happen to him. I didn't reply. I slipped my phone into my pocket and hailed a cab. Once I got in, the driver asked, "Where to, miss?" "The Reed residence." The cab pulled away at once. Once the hotel was far behind us, I finally closed my eyes. This time, I would give them the marriage they wanted and step out of Ethan's life for good.