Chapter 1
Bennett Group invited media outlets and business partners from across the city to the grand opening ceremony for its new headquarters.
Sophie Bennett stood on the red-carpeted stage, delivering a speech in a custom white gown.
She had trained as a dancer since childhood. Her long, graceful lines and natural ease in front of a camera made her the obvious choice for Bennett Group's newest brand ambassador.
I was their biological daughter and had been back in the family for less than 2 years, yet all I was good for was standing in a corner and handing Sophie water.
A heartbeat later, a harsh metallic snap rang out overhead.
Someone screamed, "Run! The steel frame is falling!"
Sophie froze in terror.
Marcus Bennett shoved through the crowd and charged toward the stage without a second thought.
This was exactly how it had happened in my previous life.
Back then, I had thrown myself at him and dragged him away with all my strength. I had seen how massive the steel frame was and knew it would crush him too if he ran beneath it.
The steel frame crushed Sophie's legs beyond repair.
When she woke and learned that she would never walk again, she fell into a deep depression. On a rainy night, she swallowed an entire bottle of sleeping pills and took her own life.
At Sophie's funeral, my mom sobbed until she passed out. The moment she regained consciousness, she turned on me and started screaming.
"Why did you stop Marcus from saving her? You ungrateful brat! We never should have brought you home!"
My dad broke my legs with a baseball bat and dragged me to Sophie's grave.
"You were so afraid Marcus might die," he snarled. "Why didn't you die in Sophie's place instead?"
Later, they dumped me back in the rough neighborhood where I had lived after getting lost as a child.
The moment they shoved me out of the car, a gang of street thugs spotted me. They beat me with clubs, concentrating on my already broken legs, until I was barely alive.
My parents and Marcus watched without lifting a finger. Then they shut the car doors and drove away.
With my last breath, I was still wondering what I had done wrong.
When I opened my eyes again, I was back at the opening ceremony.
The steel frame was already giving way, and Marcus had started running toward Sophie.
This time, I didn't stop him.
I only managed to call out, my voice trembling, "Marcus, watch out!"
He didn't even glance back.
Marcus reached the stage and shoved Sophie aside. She tumbled down the steps and escaped with nothing more than a scrape on her forehead.
But Marcus didn't make it out in time.
The massive steel frame came crashing down on both of his legs.
It pinned him facedown to the floor, and all the color vanished from his face.
The entire hall fell silent for a stunned second.
Then my mom shrieked and rushed toward him.
"Marcus!"
Sophie stared at Marcus in shock, her lips trembling. She was too stunned even to cry.
I watched Marcus writhe beneath the steel frame without a trace of emotion.
You hated me for holding you back in my previous life. This time, I let you be the hero. Are you happy now?
