The room fell silent.
On the floor, Kim and Lana hesitated, neither daring to get up.
What have I done?
One of them was my brother's… no, my foster brother's fiancée. And the other…
No.
What was I thinking?
This had to be a dream.
I had been in a car accident.
I used to keep a cross on my dashboard…about six inches long.
I remember fiddling with it, angrily rehearsing everything I planned to say to Lana, when the ice-cream truck rammed into me.
The next thing I knew, it went straight through my throat.
My hands shook as I hurriedly set the glass down and stood up, making my way into the dressing room to catch my breath.
But what I saw in the mirror made me freeze.
My dress…
I blinked in disbelief, running my hands through it to confirm I was really seeing the right thing.
It was expensive. I was wearing jewelry? My hair and nails were also perfectly done.
Most importantly, I didn't look like I weighed forty-three kilograms. My skin was healthy—unscarred by the burns from when Lana had 'accidentally' poured boiling water on me.
I was still staring at my reflection when a knock sounded on the door.
I hesitated, then reached out and opened it.
A young woman stood outside, smiling politely as she handed me a pink device.
"You have a call, ma'am."
Ma'am?
The last time anyone called me that was two years into my marriage with Jonah Pellard.
I took the phone without realizing my finger had already swiped the answer icon.
A furious voice blasted through the speaker.
"How dare you?!"
"…Mother?"
"You still call me your mother, yet you humiliate your brother's fiancée and your sister?"
I bit down on my lip.
Right.
Around this time, Emilia Brooke had grown increasingly hostile toward me and much closer to Lana.
I hadn't thought much of it back then and convinced myself she was only trying to bond with the daughter she'd lost.
"Listen carefully," she snapped. "Jonah Pellard gave us that card. The only reason you have it is because your father and I believed it was only right that the family's first daughter marry into the Pellard family, as originally agreed."
Liar.
Jonah Pellard was a walking red flag.
He snarled at everyone, never smiled, had a vicious temper, and fired people over the smallest irritation.
Yes, he was a ruthless businessman who made far more money than he spent, but everyone knew he thrived on the misery of both friends and enemies.
The truth was rather simple.
They needed him.
He had loaned them money, and they didn't want to pay it back. So they brokered a marriage arrangement to erase the debt.
That was all.
When Lana arrived at the Brooke residence two weeks ago, they suddenly started emphasizing how important it was that I marry into the Pellard family.
Back then, I believed they cared about me.
So they handed me over to a monster and convinced me I should be grateful for it.
~~~
Just as I expected, Kim and Lana were gone by the time I returned to the store.
If my guess was right, the entire Brooke family would be waiting at home, ready to scold me.
But first things first.
I left the store and flagged down a taxi, only to realize I was already holding a car key.
Right.
This was still the time when I was pampered.
Around the time I owned the latest car model.
After walking around the parking area, I found it and climbed in. I was so used to driving that old fifteen-year-old two-seater before I died that it took me a moment to figure out how to start this one.
Then I drove straight home.
The mansion stood exactly as I remembered it.
Stepping inside, I went down the foyer until I arrived in the living room.
When I didn't see anyone, I continued walking.
"Get down here. Now."
I stopped abruptly, whipping my head toward the voice.
Oh. So everyone was gathered in the second living room.
Lana sat between our parents, while Kim lounged opposite them, resting her chin in her palm with a wide, smug smile.
"Mom. Dad." I greeted, my gaze sweeping between Jude and Emilia Brooke.
"Are you deaf?" Jude snapped. "Your mother called you."
I clenched my jaw, struggling to steady my trembling body.
Maybe it was because I had just died.
If this were the old me, I would've already fallen to my knees, begging them not to be angry.
But now…
"Lana tripped me."
Lana's lips twitched—just slightly, but I saw it.
While our parents focused on me, her eyes flicked toward Kim before she lowered her gaze, hiding her smile.
"We raised you for twenty-seven years," Jude continued. "Everything you own came from us. We paid for your education until you became a lawyer and this is how you repay us? By refusing to be good to your sister?"
"Dad, please," Lana said softly. "Dad, please. Ever since I came back, Diana has been asked to compromise so much for me. I don't feel good watching her suffer because of me."
"You suffered for twenty-seven years because your mother and I made mistakes. We're only asking her to suffer a little now. What's so hard about that?" Emilia scoffed.
Then she leaned back.
"If it's really that hard for her, she can pack her things and leave."