I died once before I realized I nearly wasted my entire life on the Carter family. In my previous life, after I married Harrison Carter, my closet lost all its vibrant colors. I couldn't answer my friends' calls freely. If I went out at night, I had to report it in advance. I couldn't even speak a single harsh word in front of the Carter family. Harrison said that as the future Mrs. Carter, I couldn't be as willful as before. He controlled me, suppressed me, taught me to follow the rules, and ultimately tortured me into a decoration who had to read people's expressions even when smiling. When I opened my eyes again, the wedding hadn't happened yet. Downstairs in the dining room, Vincent Reese was discussing wedding procedures with Christine and her mother. Christine sat beside Vincent, saying how happy she was for me, but her eyes kept sneaking glances at the wedding procedure documents on the table. I stood at the top of the stairs, watching her for a while, then suddenly smiled. Good. There's still time. Vincent saw me and frowned. "Come down. You should hear about how the wedding day will go." I didn't sit. I looked at everyone at the table and started with, "I'm not going through with this wedding."
Lydia Reese POV The dining room fell silent. Christine's mother's coffee cup froze mid-air. Christine looked up. The gleam in her eyes was unmistakable before she quickly lowered her head again and said softly, "Lydia, did you not sleep well last night? Don't say things you don't mean about the wedding." I didn't look at her. I only spoke to Vincent. "The Carter family engagement still stands. Let Christine marry instead." Vincent slammed his palm on the table. "Lydia Reese! Have you lost your mind? Do you think this marriage between our families is yours to give away?" I pushed my chair aside. "I'm not giving it away. I just don't want it anymore." Christine bit her lip, her eyes quickly reddening. "Lydia, if you say things like this, Harrison will be heartbroken." Only then did I turn to look at her. "Haven't you always wanted to marry him?" Christine's face stiffened. Vincent's anger stopped halfway. He looked at Christine, then at the wedding procedures on the table. His expression quickly changed. I was too familiar with that look. Full of calculation. The engagement couldn't be broken. The Carter family's benefits couldn't be lost. The Reese family couldn't lose face in New York. If his daughter wouldn't marry, replacing her with an obedient one wasn't out of the question. Vincent coughed and had the butler escort Christine and her mother back to their room. Before leaving, Christine looked back at me. That glance looked like she'd already tried on the wedding dress. I stood there, watching Vincent pick up his phone, lowering his voice as he began testing the Carter family's attitude. He didn't ask me why I wouldn't marry. He didn't ask if I'd been wronged. He was only afraid this engagement would break on the Reese family's end. I turned and went upstairs. I locked the door and opened the safe. Inside were asset ledgers, jewelry, trust account documents, and the inheritance my mother had left for me, item by item. This wasn't the kind of show the Reese family put on to maintain appearances. This was the escape route my mother left me. In my previous life, these things were first taken by Vincent to support the wedding's grandeur, then later picked through by Christine. I never got them back, not until I died. This time, I called my mother's lawyer friend first. "I want to transfer the asset ledgers, account permissions, and the jewelry my mother left specifically for me." The phone was silent for a few seconds before responding quickly. "Are you sure?" "I'm sure." "Does Vincent know?" "Don't let him know." The lawyer quickly agreed, confirming they'd start processing everything in two days at the earliest. I hung up and submitted an application to leave New York, booking the earliest flight out after the wedding. After doing all this, I tossed aside the plain clothes the Reese family had prepared for me and pulled out a vibrant dress from the bottom of my closet. In my previous life, when Harrison first saw this dress, he said it drew too much attention. I never wore it again after that. That evening, I entered a VIP room at a private club. My old friends saw me and were stunned at first, then started teasing with laughter. "Isn't Lydia Reese about to marry into the Carter family? You can still come out tonight?" I took the wine glass without explaining. I just wanted to see if I could still find my way back into the liveliness I once knew. The wine had barely touched my lips when the door was pushed open from outside. Harrison stood in the doorway, his face dark and ugly. The room fell silent. His gaze swept from the dress I wore to the wine glass in my hand, then over the group of friends beside me. "Come out." I didn't move. Harrison walked in, his voice lowered. "Lydia Reese, the wedding hasn't even happened yet and you already want everyone to see the Carter family's embarrassment?" I looked up. "The Carter family's embarrassment. You shouldn't be asking me." Harrison's face grew colder. He reached out and gripped my wrist. "Stop making a scene. Come with me." His hand tightened more and more. No one in the room dared make a sound. My purse vibrated. I looked down and saw the screen light up. My mother's lawyer sent a message: Asset transfer application received. First batch processing begins tomorrow morning. Harrison didn't see it. He just gripped me and pulled me toward the door.
Lydia Reese POV When Harrison shoved me into the car, his face was still cold. The driver raised the partition. Only the two of us remained in the car. I rubbed my reddened wrist, not yet settled when I heard him ask, "Why did you go to that kind of place tonight?" I looked up. "What kind of place?" Harrison stared at the dress I wore. "Drinking, hanging around private rooms, letting a bunch of people watch you make a fool of yourself. Lydia Reese, have you forgotten you're about to marry into the Carter family?" I laughed. "I haven't forgotten." "Then remember it clearly. Don't make scenes before the wedding. After the wedding, I definitely won't let you act like this." After the wedding, those words made a chill rise in my stomach. In my previous life, he was the same. Little by little, he took away my clothes, my friends, my temper, and my voice. He said it was for my own good. He said I should understand the rules. In the end, I almost forgot who I was. I turned to look out the window, my voice soft. "I'm not marrying you." The car went silent for a moment. Harrison whipped his head around to look at me. "What did you say?" "I said, I'm not marrying you." Harrison's expression grew darker and darker. "Because you fought with Vincent during the day?" I didn't answer. Harrison seemed to have already decided I was guilty. "Using the engagement to threaten your family. Lydia Reese, when did you learn these kinds of tactics?" I leaned back against the seat without explaining. The engagement was already being replaced. Vincent would soon go to the Carter family to discuss it. But I deliberately wouldn't tell him. I wanted to watch Harrison control me with his fiancé status, right up until the wedding day when he'd see with his own eyes that the bride had become Christine. Harrison saw I wouldn't speak and grew angrier. "Take that back." "No." The car suddenly turned. I glanced at the road. We weren't heading back to the Reese house. "Where are we going?" "The suburban vacation house." Harrison said coldly, "To let you cool down." We quickly arrived at the Carter family's suburban villa. An assistant delivered a pre-wedding behavior manual and placed it on the table. The booklet was thick. The cover was clean, but inside it was filled with the Carter family's rules for the future Mrs. Carter. How to dress for public appearances. How to speak when meeting Carter family members. Which friends could no longer be associated with. No entering places where photos could be taken before the wedding. After marriage, coming home late required advance notice. In my previous life, I followed every single rule. I replaced my wardrobe, cut off friends' gatherings. Even attending a friend's birthday required asking Harrison's permission first. But the more I followed the rules, the more he felt I still wasn't enough. This time, with the manual placed before me, I didn't even flip through it. Harrison stood by the table, watching my actions, his patience completely gone. "Copy out the key points tomorrow." I looked up. He continued, "At tomorrow's afternoon tea gathering between the families, apologize to Christine." "Why should I apologize to her?" "She helped clean up the situation for you in front of Vincent today. You shouldn't have taken your anger out on her." I looked at him and suddenly found it laughable. Christine sat downstairs waiting for the engagement to fall into her lap, yet he thought Christine was wronged. Harrison took my silence as agreement. His tone softened slightly but became more commanding. "Don't say things about breaking off the engagement again. Before the wedding, whoever makes trouble will only look bad." I didn't respond. When Harrison sent me back to the Reese house, it was already very late. Vincent hadn't slept yet. He sat in the living room waiting for me. Seeing me enter, his first words weren't asking where I'd been or why I looked so terrible. He said, "Tomorrow at the afternoon tea gathering between the families, you must be present." Harrison's footsteps stopped. Vincent glanced at him and quickly swallowed his words back. "The Carter family is willing to hear about replacing the bride, but before officially bringing it up, you need to be there. We can't let outsiders see that the Reese and Carter families have fallen out." Harrison frowned. "Replace what?" Vincent's face stiffened. I was already walking upstairs. Vincent immediately shouted, "Lydia Reese! I'm warning you, don't lose your mind tomorrow and don't ruin Christine's opportunity!" Harrison stood in the living room, his gaze following my retreating figure. I didn't look back. Back in my room, my phone already had a message from my mother's lawyer. The asset ledgers and account permissions could be transferred first. Physical items would be handled in batches, with the first batch processed tomorrow morning. I sat on the edge of the bed, staring at that line of text. Outside the door, servants walked back and forth in the hallway, speaking in low voices about the clothes to prepare for tomorrow's gathering. Those clothes weren't meant to maintain my dignity. They were to make Christine look more like the bride. Before long, there was a knock on the door. A servant brought in a plain outfit and said carefully, "Vincent said to have you wear this tomorrow." I took the clothes. My other hand still clutched my phone. On the screen, the asset transfer confirmation was still lit.
Lydia Reese POV At the next day's afternoon tea gathering between the two families, I didn't wear that plain outfit. I came downstairs in a vibrant dress. The room full of rigid coffee sets and Carter family faces all looked gray in comparison. Vincent's face darkened immediately. When Harrison entered, his first glance also fell on me. But Christine stood up first, her voice gentle as if shielding me. "Lydia probably didn't rest well last night and didn't have time to change clothes. Everyone, please don't blame her." I sat down without accepting this kindness. If I really accepted it, the next line would be Christine's turn to show how sensible she was. Before the coffee was even served, Harrison asked, "Did you read the behavior manual?" I placed the unopened booklet on the table. The cover was smooth without even a crease. The Carter family members' faces immediately turned ugly. Harrison's gaze also grew cold. Christine seemed to have been waiting for this moment. She immediately pulled out another behavior checklist. "I was worried Lydia would be too busy, so I put together a copy for her. The wedding procedures, gift exchange order, things to note when meeting Carter family members. I've marked everything." She spoke carefully, but her hand steadily pushed the checklist in front of Harrison. Harrison flipped through a few pages. His expression eased somewhat. "Look at Christine." He pushed the checklist in front of me. "She knows to consider the big picture. What about you?" Vincent chimed in. "Christine has always been sensible, more aware of propriety than you." Everyone in the room looked at me. I didn't touch that checklist. This was the first knife Christine thrust at me before stealing my wedding, yet everyone thought this knife was dignified. The gathering continued toward the wedding procedures. The makeup trial, gift exchange, and meeting with Carter family members that should have been mine were pushed to Christine by Vincent with a single sentence. "Since Christine has already organized everything, let her go through it first." Harrison didn't stop it. He only said, "Lydia's state has been unstable lately. It's good for Christine to walk through it once." Christine lowered her head as if she were really just there to help. She sat beside me, taking over one item after another. I watched her take them. The more she took, the worse the wedding day would look. Midway through the gathering, Christine used the excuse of accompanying me to change coffee and brought me to a lounge. As soon as the door closed, the obedience on Christine's face vanished. "Will you tell Harrison in advance?" I looked at her. "Tell him what?" Christine bit her lip. "You know what I'm asking. About the engagement being replaced. Will you say anything?" I smiled. "Don't you want to marry him? Go out right now and tell him you're the bride on the wedding day." Christine's expression changed. I took a step forward. "You don't dare." Christine's fingers clenched. "You're afraid if he knows now, he won't let you take my place." This sentence hit home. The softness in Christine's eyes completely scattered. She lowered her voice and said, "On the wedding day, he'll see clearly who really belongs by his side." When we returned to the living room, Vincent was discussing with the Carter family the trust assets my mother left me. "Lydia's mother prepared those things years ago for the wedding. Since the wedding is still between our two families, it doesn't matter who marries in the end. Those assets should be used to maintain appearances." My hands slowly clenched. Harrison heard this. He glanced at me. Just one glance. He didn't ask if those were things my mother specifically left for me. He didn't try to intercept those words on my behalf. Christine lowered her head to drink coffee, unable to suppress the corner of her mouth. After the gathering dispersed, I returned to my room to check the asset transfer progress. The screen had just lit up when footsteps outside the door crack stopped. When I looked up, the hallway was already empty. The next moment, Christine's voice came from downstairs. "Vincent, I think I just saw that Lydia has already started moving those assets..." Vincent's footsteps quickly headed upstairs.
Lydia Reese POV Vincent blocked my door, his voice suppressed and vicious. "Open the door. Hand over the asset transfer documents." I didn't open the door. "The assets are what my mother left me. No one can touch them." Vincent laughed coldly in anger. "You've already given up the engagement and you're still clinging to those assets? Lydia Reese, how can you be so selfish!" I listened to him curse from outside. "The marriage between the two families isn't finalized yet. Keeping the assets in the Reese family will at least prevent us from losing face." Christine's voice came from the stairs. "Vincent, don't let your anger harm your health. There's still a pre-wedding party tonight. If Lydia makes another scene, the Carter family will look very bad." With one sentence, she temporarily suppressed Vincent's fury. "You must attend tonight." Vincent slammed down those words before leaving with his people. That evening, the pre-wedding party was held at a club owned by the Carter family. When I arrived, Christine had already changed into an evening gown. Her hair and makeup were done according to the wedding trial. Guests whispered praise about how gracious and proper she was. I entered in my vibrant dress. Those gazes immediately shifted from praise to watching a spectacle. Harrison stood beside the Carter family members. When he saw me, his brow furrowed. The party procedures began. The host invited the future bride to accompany Harrison in toasting the guests. I was about to stand when Harrison first looked at Christine. "Lydia isn't quite suitable today. Let Christine familiarize herself with it first." Vincent responded faster than anyone. "Christine knows propriety. Having her go through it first is safer." Christine declined twice, her eyes reddening slightly. Harrison personally handed her the wine glass. She stood beside him, accompanying him through the toasts. The guests' murmurs couldn't be suppressed. I sat alone in my seat. The wine glass at my side was never handed to me from beginning to end. After the toasts ended, I got up and went to the hallway. Before long, Christine followed out, still holding the wine glass Harrison had given her. She placed the glass in front of me. "Lydia, look. Harrison is already used to letting me clean up situations for you." I looked at her coldly. Christine smiled again, her voice so soft only the two of us could hear. "Vincent has already agreed. On the wedding day, he'll add your mother's assets to my name to maintain my dignity." My expression grew colder and colder. Christine still didn't stop. "The words your mother wrote to you on the asset ledger will also enter the Carter family with me." The wine glass shattered on the floor. I raised my hand and pushed her against the wall. Christine let herself hit it and immediately cried out. "Lydia, I was just advising you to go back... I wasn't trying to steal your things..." Guests from the other end of the hallway gathered around. Harrison came too. He first checked Christine's wrist, which quickly reddened. Christine clutched her wrist, crying and trembling. "I only mentioned those assets and Lydia couldn't handle it." I didn't deny it. "She touched things she shouldn't have." Harrison cut me off. "Enough." He looked at the shattered glass on the floor, his face ugly. "Apologize to Christine." Vincent pushed through from the back of the crowd and immediately cursed. "Lydia Reese, isn't losing face enough for you? Christine is about to walk through the wedding procedures for you, and you're still being petty over some assets!" I looked up. "When did the things my mother left me become Christine's wedding dignity?" The hallway went quiet. Harrison's eyes darkened. He gripped my wrist and pulled me from the crowd. I was dragged all the way to the club's back courtyard. Outside the door, Harrison coldly instructed the bodyguard. "Watch her." I looked at him. He didn't let go. "When you're willing to go back and apologize, you can come out."
Lydia Reese POV When the back courtyard door of the club was locked from outside, the laughter from the party hall hadn't stopped. I stood behind the door, hearing Harrison say through it, "Think it over. Then come out and apologize." I spoke through the door crack. "I won't apologize." Outside went silent for a few seconds. Harrison's voice grew colder. "Watch her. No one is allowed to let her out." The bodyguard acknowledged. My phone was confiscated. There were no chairs inside. I could only stand against the wall. Night wind drilled in from the corner. There was still undried water on the floor. The hem of my dress quickly became wet. In the party hall, the proceedings continued as usual. Christine's wrist was wrapped in gauze, yet she still forced herself to serve drinks to everyone. Seeing her like that, the guests felt even more sorry for her. Vincent took the opportunity to sigh to the Carter family members. "Lydia has been spoiled since childhood. Christine is the truly sensible one." Harrison didn't say a word on my behalf. The fact that I was locked in the back courtyard was suppressed by the pre-wedding party. At first, I could still stand steady. Later, my lower abdomen cramped heavily. My fingers went numb from the wind. I knocked on the door. The sound was torn apart by the wind. "Get Harrison. I don't feel well." The bodyguard went to ask for instructions. When he returned, he only said through the door, "Mr. Carter's event isn't finished yet. Miss Lydia, please be patient." I looked at that door and didn't knock again. I slowly crouched down against the wall. The damp cold seeped through the hem of my pants up to my knees. Outside the door, people whispered. "Wouldn't it have been better to just apologize?" "Insisting on making such a scene. Who's to blame?" At the same time, Christine found Vincent. Her eyes were red, her voice soft as if afraid, seeming to think of countermeasures. "Vincent, Lydia may have already transferred the assets. I saw a message at her door." Vincent's expression changed drastically. "Are you sure?" "I wouldn't dare speak carelessly." Christine lowered her eyes. "Lydia probably doesn't want me to take that money into marriage." This sentence was more vicious than tattling. Vincent immediately had people return to the Reese house to check the safe and trust accounts, and arranged for people to guard my room. "When she comes back, bring her upstairs immediately." When the party dispersed, the bodyguard finally discovered I had already passed out. When the door opened, cold wind mixed with moisture rushed out. When Harrison arrived at the lounge, the doctor had just helped me onto the bed. My face was pale, my wrist scraped by the door edge, my dress hem still wet. He frowned at the bodyguard. "Why didn't you say something earlier?" The bodyguard lowered his head. "I asked for instructions once." Harrison's expression froze for a moment, quickly suppressing it. "You didn't say it was serious." He had the doctor treat me and instructed his assistant, "Tell everyone she drank too much and felt unwell." When I woke, Harrison sat beside me. His tone lowered somewhat. "Don't be so stubborn in the future." I looked at him without speaking. Harrison continued, "Christine's wrist is badly injured. Tomorrow the two families will continue discussing the wedding. After you go back, don't upset Vincent anymore." My throat was dry, but my voice was steady. "I was locked up until I passed out. Christine's wrist turned red. Harrison Carter, which one matters more to you?" Harrison fell silent. He avoided the question, only having the driver take me back to the Reese house. When the car reached the Reese house entrance, I leaned against the window and saw the people Vincent sent were already waiting at the steps.
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