Chapter 1
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Because I was just one of the many “wife blind boxes” he planned to collect.
As long as I was drawn before the wedding, I could become the wife of the richest man alive.
I knew I would be picked.
I had already died once. In my previous life, I was chosen by him and became the bride everyone envied.
On our wedding day, he drank too much and passed out. He missed a phone call from his half–sister, Rachel David- son, and because of that, she died of a heart attack.
The morning after our wedding night, he dragged me to the morgue, forced me to drop to my knees, and smashed my head into the cold floor a thousand times in front of Rachel’s body.
“Why did you rig the draw? You knew I loved Rachel. If I’d drawn a blank, I could’ve married her! She touched your wedding dress before she died, crying her eyes out. The one I should’ve married was her! You were just a pawn to make Rachel jealous. You think you’re worthy of taking her place?” he shouted.
I was forced to watch him pour all his grief and twisted desire for Rachel out right there in the morgue.
He had my fingers crushed because I wore the ring that was meant for Rachel.
He stripped me and tossed me into the river because I had worn Rachel’s wedding dress.
Later, he nailed me alive into a coffin and left me to suffocate to death.
When I opened my eyes again, my body was intact, but the pain had lasted five whole years.
This time, I would change everything.
This time, I swapped the order of the blind boxes, making sure he’d draw a blank.
Whatever storm of love or hate follows between them–it has nothing to do with me anymore.
***
“Mr. Quinn’s number is… it’s a blank!”
All 99 women present knew what that meant. Leroy Quinn had drawn a blank, which meant they had all lost the chance to become the richest man’s wife.
“What the hell!” someone shouted, ripping their number to pieces.
“It’s rigged, isn’t it? The whole blind box thing was just a cover!” Someone tried to yell but was quickly silenced by a hand over their mouth.
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“Do you have a death wish? We all knew we were just extras. Haven’t you seen the way Mr. Quinn looks at Rachel? He’s practically glued to her. If he hadn’t drawn a blank, whoever got picked would be screwed.”
Someone gritted their teeth.
“But Rachel’s his sister…”
“So what? Different moms and dads can still get married. We were just here to fill the slots. If you ask me, the only one who had a real shot of being picked and surviving was number one–Cecilia Barrett.”
I calmly tore up the slip of paper with the number one written on it. The muscle tremble from old pain reminded me it wasn’t all just a dream.
Meanwhile, Leroy’s eyes trembled with excitement. He stood up and threw his arms around Rachel.
“Rachel, this time the one I picked is you. You’re not allowed to run away again.”
Rachel’s face flushed red. She tried to push him away, but he only held her tighter.
“But… I’ve always seen you as a brother, Leroy.”
“That’s okay, you’ll get used to it. This is fate,” he said.
Leroy cupped her face, but his cold eyes swept toward me.
Every hair on my body stood on end, and I instinctively straightened up.
Did Leroy… come back to life too?
Even if he did, I didn’t owe him anything.
This time, I helped him get what he wanted. I was finally free.
Sitting in the most prominent seat was Rachel’s mother and Leroy’s stepmother, Elise Howell. She gave a soft cough, a flicker of panic in her eyes.
“Leroy, I didn’t think you’d actually draw a blank out of all 99 blind boxes. I guess you and Rachel really are meant to be. Still, this wasn’t exactly expected. I’ll need to speak to your father about it.”
Leroy couldn’t hide the smirk tugging at the corners of his lips.
“Sure.” He shot me a challenging look.
* “As for the rest of these women, let them stay at the Quinn’s residence for now. They can leave after Rachel and I get
married. Consider it compensation.”
Leroy probably thought I’d look hurt, maybe even cry.
But I didn’t. I just smiled and clapped along with everyone else.
In my past life, I had cried tears of joy when I was chosen, only to turn around and see Leroy’s face pale as death, his eyes fixed entirely on Rachel, not sparing me even a glance.
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Now that I had a second chance, I wasn’t going to humiliate myself by clinging to him again.
Up on stage, for some reason, he seemed annoyed. Holding Rachel’s hand, he muttered something about “going on a date” and stormed off.
With the leads gone, the remaining 98 women scattered in all directions, like leaves in a sudden gust.
I was just about to go back and pack my things when Elise grabbed me and dragged me into a corner.
Before I could react, a slap landed hard across my cheek.
“You bitch! Didn’t I rig it, so Leroy would draw you? How the hell did it end up being a blank?!” she snapped.
