Everyone said he only married me to spite my sister. But when he died in a horrific car crash, he left his entire estate to me. Along with a single voice recorder. When I clicked play, his deep, raspy voice filled the room. He said: "Harper... is it possible that you liked me too, even just a little?" Years too late, I finally saw the overwhelming, passionate love he had hidden beneath his icy exterior. When I opened my eyes again, I had been reborn. My adoptive mother was gripping my hands tightly, sobbing. "Harper, please. Will you go to prison in your sister's place? Please?" 1 Before I turned sixteen, I was the pampered princess of the Sterling family. I had loving parents, an older brother who spoiled me, and a carefree life. But when Chloe showed up at our door with a DNA test, I learned the truth. The nurses had switched us at birth. She was the biological daughter. I was just the cuckoo who had stolen her rightful place in the nest. I wanted to leave. But my biological parents had already passed away, and Mrs. Sterling couldn't bear to see me become an orphan. So, they officially adopted me. My adoptive parents treated me well. My brother didn't give me the cold shoulder, and Chloe never made things difficult for me. I was incredibly grateful. But years later, Chloe got into a physical altercation backstage with a co-star, Mia Thorne. During the struggle, Mia fell down a flight of stairs and slipped into a coma. There were no security cameras in that stairwell. But someone had to take the fall. And I just happened to be there, witnessing the whole thing. My adoptive mother came to me in tears, begging me to take the blame for Chloe. Chloe knelt in front of me, sobbing, slapping her own face, and apologizing profusely. The whole family wept as if their hearts were breaking. So, I nodded. I took the fall. I went to prison. I suffered through unimaginable hell. At first, the Sterlings came to visit me. They would cry, looking at me with guilt and apologies. But slowly, the visits stopped. No one came anymore. Once, the warden organized an activity asking us to write down our plans for when we got out. I thought about it for a long time before carefully writing: [When I get out, I want to see my mom and dad.] My cellmate saw it and laughed at how simple my wish was. "Of course your mom and dad will come pick you up! Why wouldn't you be able to see them?" I just smiled and didn't argue. But when the day of my release finally came, there was no one. Only Mr. Sterling's assistant, who drove me to the airport and handed me a large check. He didn't say a word. But I understood everything. I didn't have a mom and dad anymore. The Sterling family had abandoned me. 2 I didn't take the money. Not because I was trying to act noble or proud. I just didn't want to owe the Sterlings anything ever again. They raised me for twenty years. I spent five years in prison for their daughter. We were even. I rented a tiny, run-down apartment and ran my feet ragged until I finally found a job that didn't care about my criminal record. But just two weeks in, I was fired. I begged for an explanation. The manager finally stammered out, "You messed with someone you shouldn't have." I froze. I couldn't say a single word. Someone I shouldn't have messed with. Other than the Sterlings, who else could it be? That day, I walked through the city with my bag clutched to my chest. A cold, misty rain fell, the wind blowing it directly into my face. As I passed the downtown plaza, the giant jumbotron was broadcasting Chloe's live award ceremony. I stopped and looked up. On stage, she was glamorous, radiating beauty and success. The camera panned, and I saw Mr. and Mrs. Sterling looking up at her with tears in their eyes. They looked at her like she was their most precious treasure, their eyes brimming with love. For some reason, I suddenly remembered my adoptive mother's promise during her first prison visit. Looking at how dangerously thin I had become, she cried and swore to me, "Harper, when you get out, Mom will take care of you for the rest of your life. Mom loves you." But the last time I saw her, two years ago, her face held nothing but faint guilt. She said, "Harper, Chloe is engaged to Roman Vance now. She really loves him. When you get out, please leave the state. We can't risk the Vance family finding out about the past." Roman Vance. The untouchable heir to the Vance empire. We had a TV in the prison common room. I had heard all about the epic, fairy-tale romance between Chloe and Roman. Everyone said Roman was a notorious playboy, but Chloe had tamed him. He stepped into the entertainment industry—a world he usually despised—just to pave the way for her. He fed her endless resources, produced her movies, and personally handed her awards. Sometimes, I envied Chloe. I envied that she had parents who loved her and a boyfriend who favored her above all else. In just her twenties, she had everything: a soaring career and perfect love. Not like me. No parents, no career, no lover. Nobody loved me. 3 As for marrying Roman Vance, that was a complete accident. After getting fired, I moved to a smaller town and got a job as a waitress at a diner. It was a busy night. I don't know how he found me, but when he walked in, I was serving beers to a table. One of the men had too much to drink and grabbed me inappropriately. I scowled and slapped him across the face. Enraged, the man kicked me hard, sending me crashing to the floor. Glass shattered. Hot food and beer spilled all over me. It burned. The man still wasn't satisfied. He cursed at me and raised his fist to hit me again. But the next second, the diner went dead silent. I opened my eyes and saw a man standing over my attacker. Roman Vance had eyes as bright as stars. He smirked, a lazy, insincere curve of his lips. "Harper, you really are here." I got up, brushing the food scraps off my clothes, nodded at him, and tried to walk past him to leave. But I didn't even make it two steps. His voice rang out behind me. "Seeing as you're a complete mess right now, do you want to marry me?" I whipped around, staring at him in shock. "Have you finally lost your mind?" "I'm dead serious." Roman looked me up and down. His eyes were dark, devoid of emotion, but his tone was steady. "I'll be honest. Your sister dumped me. I'm pissed off. And you've been driven into the dirt by the Sterlings. You could say we're a miserable alliance of victims." The streetlamp outside flickered yellow, buzzed twice, and burned out completely. I couldn't see his face clearly. I could only hear his soft scoff and see the glowing red tip of the cigarette between his lips. "Besides, you have absolutely nothing to your name right now. Marrying me isn't a loss for you. What are you afraid of?" I thought about it. I didn't say a word. He just waited quietly. Until a cold gust of wind blew past, making me shiver instinctively. Roman took off his custom-tailored trench coat and draped it over my shoulders. In that instant, my senses were flooded with his faint, clean scent of tobacco and cedar. I said, "Okay." 4 When the wedding news broke, everyone was shocked. They all said Roman only married me to spite Chloe. At our wedding, when Roman said "I do," I noticed Chloe in the audience. Her eyes were red from crying, and she eventually lost her composure and fled the venue. I glanced at my new husband, but he just smiled. He didn't even spare her a single glance. It was as if he had never loved her. As if he truly didn't care. After we got married, Roman treated me incredibly well. He made me his personal secretary, keeping us tethered together every hour of the day. When I asked him why, he just gave me a flirty smirk. "I can't just leave a gorgeous woman alone at home. What if a thief steals you away? I'd be taking a massive loss." I laughed and called him ridiculous. I didn't bother arguing with him. Those years in prison had taken a severe toll. I had suffered too much. My body couldn't handle any stress. A common cold or cough for a normal person would turn into a severe illness for me. Roman flew in top specialists from all over the world to treat me. When I finally started getting better, he sat by my hospital bed, holding my hand with intense, devout seriousness. "Harper, I bought you. Your life belongs to me now. You are not allowed to die before me." It sounded like a child's demand. But seeing the hidden, bitter fear in his eyes, I nodded. I didn't understand why he looked so heartbroken. But I had long learned not to ask questions, not to pry. "Okay," I promised. "Till we're old and gray." But in the end, the one who broke the promise... Wasn't me. It was Roman. 5 "Mrs. Vance, Mr. Vance was involved in a severe car accident at 3:10 AM. Resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful. "I'm so sorry for your loss." When I pushed open the doors to the morgue, Roman's parents were already weeping uncontrollably. I looked at Roman's pale, bloodless face. In my heart, I could only think: God favored him so much. He gave him wealth, looks, and power that others could only dream of. So why was God so stingy to only give him thirty-four years? What a tragedy. What a tragic waste. I organized Roman's funeral single-handedly. Throughout our five years of marriage, many people had bet against us. Chloe, driven by a twisted mix of love and hate, was always waiting to watch me become a joke. But no one expected Roman to leave every single asset, every share of his company, entirely to me. His parents had no objections. When they left the reading of the will, their backs were hunched. The vibrant energy they once had was gone forever. A week later, Roman's attorney, Mr. Davis, brought me the final estate transfer documents. Before leaving, he handed me a digital voice recorder. "This was among Mr. Vance's personal effects. It was damaged in the crash, but we had it restored. I believe you should hear it, ma'am." 6 "Harper." From the recorder, the man's voice was cool and clear, though mixed with static that made it sound even huskier. "I didn't marry you to spite Chloe. I married you because I loved you." I froze. But inside, I felt a strange calm. As if I had known all along. Roman let out a soft laugh. "You probably forgot long ago, but we met way before that diner. "Back in college, you were the untouchable straight-A goddess. You were brilliant, the absolute favorite of all the professors. My own mentor used to talk about you constantly. Every time he finished chatting with your professor, he'd come back, puff out his cheeks, and say—" "Roman, I hate you now. Stay away from me." He imitated his mentor's voice. It was incredibly cute. I let out an involuntary laugh. But a second later, the smile faded. Roman continued. "I really hated you back then. But I couldn't stop looking at you. Guess I was just a glutton for punishment, huh? "But then... you went to prison. For intentional assault. "I didn't believe it. I was determined to investigate. But it was a shame... the Sterlings wiped the evidence perfectly clean. So, I targeted Chloe." Oh. The legendary, epic romance between Roman and Chloe that the whole world envied. It was just his excuse to get close to her and find the truth about my imprisonment. But Roman didn't anticipate that Chloe's lips would be sealed tight. Still, he eventually found traces of the truth. I suddenly remembered a day before our wedding. Roman had come to me, looking incredibly excited. "Harper, do you want revenge?" "No," I had shaken my head. "We're even now." Years later, I finally understood. He must have found the truth that day. He investigated for my sake. And for my sake, he buried the truth again. It was all for me. My eyes trembled violently. My whole body shook uncontrollably. Tear after tear fell down my face. 7 "But anyway, my acting skills must have been absolutely stellar. I fooled everyone. I even fooled you. "Do you know how cute your face was when I asked you to marry me outside that diner? Never mind, I'm rambling again. "Actually, there's always been one thing I wanted to ask you—" Roman coughed. He was usually so cold and arrogant, but right now, his voice carried the shy hesitation of a teenage boy. "Harper, is it possible... that you liked me too, even a little bit? "I guess I won't get to hear your answer in this life. Tell me when I come find you in the next one." Through the audio, I heard the piercing screech of tires braking. The screaming of a crowd. And then, his final words, clear as day. He said: "Harper, I really... really... really... loved you." His final syllable even carried a hint of a smile. The emotions I had been suppressing completely collapsed in that moment. In the empty living room, the bouquet of lilies he had brought home a few days ago still sat on the table. I had always loved lilies. He had presented them to me like a treasured prize. "Harper, don't they smell amazing? I picked every single stem myself. "From now on, I'll be the only one to change the flowers in our house." Back then, the soft affection in his eyes was like gentle starlight. How could I say no to him? But the man who made the promise was a liar. He left first. And he took the last trace of life from those lilies with him. The warm sunlight filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows, landing on my shoulders. I reached up to touch it, but I only felt freezing cold. Today, finally, I saw the monumental, secret love Roman had hidden beneath the ice. But... it was a little too late. 8 Attorney Davis saw Mrs. Vance again a week later. He came to pick up the signed estate documents. He had followed Roman for many years, so he had met Mrs. Vance plenty of times. In his memory, she was always dignified, wearing a gentle smile, like a jade statue—coldly observing the chaos of the world. She didn't show extreme joy, or extreme anger, or intense emotion. Even when she learned of Roman's death, she only froze for a moment. Her eyes didn't even turn red. Roman had treated her so perfectly. Yet all he got in return was a single tear. Mr. Davis often felt it wasn't worth it for his boss. But when he stepped into the living room this time, he saw Mrs. Vance clutching a bouquet of withered, dead lilies. Her face was paler than falling snow. Seeing him, she didn't even offer a polite smile. She just stated coldly: "Mr. Davis, donate all his assets to the orphanages. "I don't want his money." There was no room for negotiation. Before he left, Mr. Davis couldn't hold back his question. "Ma'am, did you ever love Mr. Vance?" Mrs. Vance just smiled. She didn't answer. Many years later, Mrs. Vance became a renowned philanthropist, heavily reported on by the media. She sponsored countless orphans. The next time he saw her was on her deathbed. She was only forty-five, but her hair was entirely white. At that moment, she was looking out the window, as if she saw someone waiting for her. Her face carried the innocent, shy sweetness of a young girl. She said: "I loved him. "I've always loved him." 9 "Harper, Mom is begging you, please save your sister! She's so young, how can she go to prison?!" "Harper, I know I was wrong! I didn't mean to do it! I don't want to go to jail! I'm a massive star—if I go to prison, my whole life is ruined!" As I woke up from the darkness, a cacophony of crying and screaming rang in my ears. My head throbbed violently. I slowly opened my eyes and saw the scene before me. Chloe was kneeling on the floor, sobbing hysterically. Mr. Sterling was holding her, comforting her with a heartbroken expression. And Mrs. Sterling was gripping my hands in a death grip. Her face was covered in tears. Her voice was choked with sobs, but she was entirely serious: "Harper, will you go to prison in your sister's place? Please?" I stared at her in dead silence. She took it as encouragement. Mrs. Sterling gritted her teeth. "Harper, there were no cameras backstage. It was just you and Chloe. The paparazzi only got a blurry photo of someone's back. They can't tell who it is! If you just admit that you accidentally pushed Mia, the police won't dig any deeper. "I promise you, once you're inside, Mom will pay off everyone. I won't let you suffer. And when you get out, the Sterling family will take care of you for the rest of your life." Right. She said the exact same thing in my past life. But her promise only had a shelf life of one year. Once the promise expired, I was kicked out of solitary confinement into general population. Because I was pretty, I attracted the bullying and vengeance of the other inmates. I was beaten, humiliated, and even poisoned. It was a living hell. But no one ever came to see me. It wasn't until I was temporarily released for medical treatment due to sodium nitrite poisoning from the prison food that Mrs. Sterling finally came to my hospital bed. That day, she looked down at me from her high horse, her expression faintly impatient. "It's a prison, Harper, not a resort. Suffering a little is unavoidable. You can't be this dramatic. "Chloe has a business trip overseas soon. I'm worried about her. I probably won't have time to visit you anymore." After that day, I never saw her again. Looking at Mrs. Sterling's tear-stained face now, I believed she meant what she was saying in this exact moment. But genuine feelings change easily. Her guilt and remorse would eventually warp into deep, resentful fear of me as time went on. I gently pulled my hands out of her grip. "No." Mrs. Sterling looked horrified. She probably never imagined that I—obedient, sheep-like Harper—would ever refuse her. But when I spoke again, my voice was serious and unwavering. "Mom, I am grateful that you raised me for twenty years. But I don't want to sacrifice my entire future for it. You can call me selfish, you can call me an ungrateful brat. But I will not take the fall for her." I was reborn. I didn't come back to repeat the same nightmare. In my last life, Roman Vance saved me. In this life, I was going to save myself. And then— I was going to walk to Roman's side with a clean record and my head held high. 10 My refusal threw Mr. Sterling into a rage. He screamed that I was an ungrateful wretch who had leeched off the Sterling family for years but refused to offer a single shred of help when they needed it. Mrs. Sterling and Chloe cried as if the world was ending. When they realized threats and tears wouldn't work, they grew terrified I would run away. So, they locked me in my bedroom. Only my brother, Asher, remained silent from beginning to end. Just like in my past life. Mrs. Sterling confiscated my phone, but she didn't know I had a burner. I turned it on. The news that Mia Thorne was in a coma from a severe injury was already trending at number one. The clues were scarce. The paparazzi only had one blurry photo of a back. The caption read: "Chloe Sterling and her sister were the only ones alone with Mia Thorne for a period of time." The police were probably already on their way to our house. I flipped open my burner phone and instinctively typed out a phone number. Staring at the familiar digits, I froze. But ultimately, I didn't press call. I didn't know why. I was a little scared. Scared that the person on the other end wouldn't be the man I knew. Scared that this was all just a dream, and if I woke up, I'd never see him again. In my past life, after Roman died, I kept paying his phone bill every month. In the dead of night, I would send him text messages. Sometimes mundane things, sometimes complaints. And I would always get the exact same reply: [Harper, I'm here.] It was an auto-reply. He had set it up before he died. Tell me, how could a man be so cruel? So cruel as to grip my heart so tightly that I wouldn't be able to forget him for ten, twenty, thirty years. I stood up and pulled back the curtains. The warm sunlight poured through the glass, wrapping around me, but carrying a hint of chill. I saw the police cruisers pulling up outside. I saw Mr. Sterling's dark, warning glare directed up at my window. My hands shook as I finally typed out a text and hit send. [Roman, can you come save me?]
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