Chapter 3

Liam had a reserved yet mature demeanor. He was dependable and meticulous in everything he did, which drew the admiration of many women.

Ever since they were teenagers, Samuel had always fallen short of Liam in both academic rankings and popularity. He'd mirror Liam's mannerisms on purpose, but it'd often make him look ridiculous instead.

In my previous life, Samuel hated Liam. Because of this, I had always kept my distance from him as well.

If it weren't for my rebirth, I doubt we'd even become acquainted at all. However, now that he was my new fiance, I couldn't help but wonder about a few things.

Why had he agreed to marry me? It was unlike him to attend something as ridiculous as this party. In my last life, he had devoted all of his time and energy to work. He was never married, and he would never take part in this kind of social gathering.

Unable to suppress my curiosity, I eventually decided to ask him about it.

Liam took off his jacket and poured me a cup of tea. Instead of answering me, he asked, "Are you happy about marrying me?"

His question caught me by surprise. After a brief pause, I replied, "Yes."

I was happy to be rid of Samuel once and for all.

Liam's eyes flickered.

"Tomorrow, our parents will come to the hotel to discuss the wedding arrangements," he said calmly. "I'll go pick them up in the morning."

"Alright."

After that, we didn't speak again.

…

Later in the night, my phone suddenly lit up.

Summer had sent me a video.

In the video, a drunken Samuel was kissing her repeatedly while he professed his love for her. He had never been so affectionate with me before.

Shortly after, I received multiple text messages from her as well.

"I actually can't stand that self-righteous attitude of yours, Catherine. So what if you're a capable and successful woman? The man you're supposed to marry is still completely obsessed with me!"

"I've already found a better person to back me. I don't need your financial support anymore. From now on, we're done."

Upon reading her messages, I let out a scoff.

I had misjudged Summer's character and ended up offering aid to an ungrateful woman. But despite that, I couldn't help but wonder about something else.

If she found out that her backer was an adopted son who had no claim to the family inheritance, how would she react?

…

When I woke up the next morning, Liam was nowhere to be seen. After changing into a fresh set of clothes, I left the room and headed toward the dining hall.

From the entrance, I could already hear Samuel laughing with the rest of the group.

"Did Catherine really bring you condoms last night, Samuel?" someone asked.

Samuel let out a cold snort. "She didn't. I don't know what's gotten into her these past couple of days. It didn't stop me from getting things done, though."

The group responded with knowing laughs while Summer blushed profusely.

When I entered the room, the room fell silent, and all eyes turned to me.

When Samuel noticed I was alone, he asked, "Where's Liam?"

He looked slightly displeased. He probably hadn't expected me to actually share a room with Liam last night.

"That's none of your business," I replied without looking at him.

"Trouble getting out of bed this morning?" one of Samuel's socially oblivious friends joked. "Did he have too much fun last night?"

As everyone burst into laughter, Samuel's expression darkened.

"That's impossible!" he snapped. "Liam would never be interested in a woman like her. Besides, everyone's aware of who Catherine actually likes."

"It's not entirely impossible," someone teased. "What if Liam wants to try something different?"

"Yeah. You were having the time of your life last night. Catherine was probably devastated. Maybe she lost her mind and started eyeing your brother instead."

Samuel looked visibly annoyed. He shot me a cold look as he began to grow even more irritated.

He could tell that I hadn't done anything. But despite that, he still chose to give me an icy warning.

"I will never marry a woman who's been with another man, Catherine—especially if that man is Liam. You should know your limits!"

Summer let out a soft "oh my" and placed her hand on Samuel's arm.

"Catherine just wants your attention, Sam. Stop wasting your energy on her," she said.

Then, she pulled out her phone and showed everyone a picture. "Look, guys. This is a picture of my dog. Isn't he adorable?"