My Second Chance at Revenge

"Jessica, we've wronged you," my stepmother said, dabbing at the corners of her eyes in mock sorrow. "But there's nothing we can do. We can't afford to offend the Hudsons."Her false tears made my stomach turn.Everyone in Bardou City's upper circles knew about Will Hudson, the heir of the Hudson family. Half a year ago, a car accident left him crippled from the waist down. His once-gentle temperament had twisted into something dark and violent. They called him a living demon.The bride he had named was Carrie Wheaton, the Wheaton family's eldest daughter—beautiful, talented, and perfect in every way.But now, I—the "fake daughter" they had adopted by mistake—was being shoved forward to take her place.A substitute bride. A sacrificial offering.Carrie stood off to the side, her lips curving into a barely hidden smirk of schadenfreude.A lawyer spoke up, "Jessica, once you sign this agreement, you'll become Will's legal wife. As compensation, the Wheaton family will provide yo

"Are you not afraid of me?" Will's voice was quiet, dangerous. I hadn't spoken, hadn't even flinched—just met his gaze, calm and steady. But that calmness only deepened the ice in his eyes.To him, my composure was insolence.How could a disposable pawn—a substitute sent to die in another one's place—dare to stand before him so calmly?A muffled sound broke the silence. The cashmere blanket on his lap slid soundlessly to the floor.His hands gripped the arms of the wheelchair, and the muscles beneath the silk of his robe tightened.Then, with a low scrape that set my teeth on edge, he stood up.The illusion of frailty shattered before my eyes.The "crippled" heir who was said to be broken and helpless was nothing of the sort. Tall, broad-shouldered, and radiating power, he advanced with a quiet, predatory grace. The air in the room thickened—his dominance was suffocating.I took an involuntary step back.And then another.Until my back hit the cold surface of the door. Ther

My "family's" brazen demands made one thing painfully clear to me: in their eyes, I wasn't a daughter or a sister—I was a disposable tool."Fine," I proposed. "If they want a pity play, we'll give them one. The worse we look, the more they'll pin their hopes on Carrie in the countryside and that safe. The less they bother us, the better."Will understood immediately.We needed them to believe I was being driven to the edge—so broken and occupied with survival that the safe never crossed my mind. From that day on, we began our silent collusion.He kept up the role everyone had heard about: the violent, mercurial tyrant. I played the part of the substitute bride—bruised, frightened, crumbling at the seams.I timed my call and dialed my stepmother."Hello… Mom?" My voice trembled and broke with feigned terror."What is this? Crying like a child—enough of that!" she barked, impatient."Mom… I can't take it…" I sobbed. "Will… he's terrifying… he lost his temper again… "He said… th

The night of the auction shimmered with brilliance—crystal chandeliers blazing, champagne bubbling, and every seat filled with the city's most powerful elites.This was the grand event Will himself had orchestrated—a top-tier business auction that drew every major family in the city.The Wheaton family, honored as the evening's symbolic protagonists, were seated in the most prominent row. Nick, cheeks flushed and belly round, chatted boisterously with other magnates, laughter booming like he already owned the night.My stepmother and Carrie wore haute couture gowns, basking in the envious and admiring stares cast their way.When Will and I arrived, the hum of conversation rippled, cresting into a wave of excitement. He sat in his wheelchair, face calm, eyes cool and unreadable.Carrie, champagne glass in hand, swayed over with exaggerated grace. Her painted lips curved in mockery."Jessica, Will, you're finally here." Her gaze swept me with condescension, then slid deliberately t

The entire hall fell into a chilling, almost unnatural silence.Every guest stared at Nick on the stage with the same expression—one reserved for monsters."N–No… I didn't…"Nick finally found his voice amid the shock that had hollowed him out. He collapsed onto the floor, trembling, jabbing a finger toward the giant screen as he shook his head in denial."It's all fake… Will, Jessica… you're both scheming to destroy me!"He looked like a rabid dog, thrashing in his final act of desperation.But no one believed him."Destroy you?"I stepped forward, my voice calm yet cutting through the silence like a blade."Nick, when you orchestrated that car crash and killed Will's parents, did you ever think about this day?"When you stole my mom's inheritance and cast me away like garbage—sending me to die in Carrie's place—did you ever imagine this day would come?"This time, I wasn't speaking from behind Will. I walked past him, step by deliberate step, until I stood right before Nic