Chapter one

Liora

“You… stupid… brat. No one wants you here. You're nothing but a worthless, filthy, pathetic fool.” Kate’s voice cracked, trembling with rage as she lifted the machete and brought it down on my body with a sickening force, like she was splitting a log of wood without mercy.

Life wasn't exactly the best thing that had happened to me since I was born, so I wasn't shocked by the scene of my stepmother macheting me to death when all I ever did was worship her and did everything she asked of me.

I will always tell myself that I was the reason why her home was broken because my mother was nothing but a mistress who came in between her and her husband.

“Please stop, I can't take it anymore.” My voice was barely audible, like the rustle of leaves in a dying breeze. Tears streamed out of my eyes in sync with the blood that flowed from my nose and ears.

“What? You want me to stop?” she asked with oblivious eyes as if she had no idea what I was talking about before her lips curled into a smirk that didn’t reach her eyes.

“You imbecile, you really think you could get all the inheritance of your grandfather? After suffering with your imbecile of a father for years, and this is how I get repaid?”

“Never… It should have been mine in the first place; you were never to be considered. You were the crack in my perfect plan.” Her eyes blazed with fire as she yelled maniacally; I could literally feel the heat melting my skin.

“You should stop struggling and die already, bitch.” A voice behind Kate echoed as she stomped her foot on the ground, signaling her impatience.

My eyes shifted weakly from Kate, whose body was drenched in my blood, to the figure standing just behind her. Her daughter, Dawn's lips curled into a slow, satisfied smile, like she was savoring every second of my suffering. She didn’t flinch but watched with enthusiasm. I've always suspected she was a psychopath. Now I knew I was right.

My father was a man born into a wealthy family, but the problem was he had a disability that withheld him from acting like a normal person. He was special and was treated specifically. He was arranged to marry Kate Henson, who pretended to be the sweetest person on earth.

However, she was the devil herself. She killed my father in cold blood in order to get his inheritance. But because of my existence, her plan took a drastic turn.

Her plans for permanent luxury and power shattered further when my grandfather revealed on his deathbed that I was to receive 99% of the Langford properties, leaving her and Dawn with only 1%.

She felt insulted and degraded. But she had another plan: killing me. And since I had no children, the property would automatically go to her.

“The next time you come into this life, you should avoid this family. You should come to a family of your own, not into a stolen one.”

I wanted to tell her that she wouldn't go scot-free. That somebody would look for me. However, I couldn't because my husband Ethan was probably buried in the legs of another woman while I was being massacred.

“And… tell your disabled father I said hi, in heaven or maybe hell.” Those were the last words I heard, and her eyes devoid of warmth were the last thing I saw.

My horror was followed by the intense pain of the machete coming in contact with my body again. Finally, my voice reverberated, and I screamed so hard I could hear my voice echo miles away, and the darkness that followed finally relieved me of my pain.

******

Grrrrr. The shrill sound of the phone pierced through the silence of the room, yanking me from the depths of sleep. At first, it blended with the remnants of a dream, a distant trill that grew louder and more insistent.

But soon enough, I realized it wasn't a dream. My heart started pounding as I wondered if what I had just experienced was an illusion of my own thoughts. I continued to speculate, not until I took my phone and saw the date.

January 1st, 2023. This was the day I got married to that cheating bastard arranged by my stepmother. The day my problems began. Have I been given a second chance at life?

A chance to battle the witch who would stop at nothing to gain power? This couldn't be true; it's impossible for me to go back in time. Those were my thoughts until…

Knock!! A knock on the door revealed my personal maid. “Wake up, young mistress!” Her teeth shined with excitement. “Today is the day you get married to the love of your life.” Those words sounded like déjà vu.

I scrunched my nose up at her sentence, “love of my life.” Hell no, he wasn't. Or maybe he was in my past life; I was literally obsessed with the he-goat.

My breath caught in my throat, chest tightening while my heart pounded wildly and erratically as I realized that I had gone back in time and I knew exactly what was going to happen next.

I jumped out of bed and frantically got into the bathroom to take my bath, and in a few minutes, I was done. Dressed in white and looking all good; however, an idea flew to me. This isn't a wedding; it's a mourning. The day I mourn the end of my problems and take control of my life.

I smiled at myself in the mirror when I looked at the black wedding gown I had changed into. I was a cloth freak, so it wasn't hard finding a new wedding dress in my closet.

“It's time, ma’am.” Helen, my personal maid, came to call me, but her jaw dropped from what she had just seen. However, I scoffed because that was the exact impression I wanted to leave on others. Good thing Kate wouldn't be coming to check on me. She made it clear to just show up at the wedding. Stupid me in my past life would literally rushed to her orders.

“You can't wear…” Her lips trembled, trying to balance the fear and the exact order Kate must have given her.

“Don't worry, Helen,” I walked past her before she could debate and made my way to Dawn's room, who was my stepsister. With this knowledge that I had acquired from my past life, I could tell that Dawn was having the best time of her life with my soon-to-be, good-for-nothing husband.

“Yes, yes, Ethan, drill it in me just like that.” Her breathing grew heavy, ragged with every passing second.

“You are so sweet, Dawn. I've never tasted anyone better than you,not even that bitch of a sister you have.” His groan was rough and uneven, like each breath had to be dragged from somewhere deep inside him.

“Fuck! Dawn, you are so good at riding me, I feel nothing but extreme pleasure.” I heard the fool say, and the excitement in his voice radiated through the door.

I scrunched my nose and clenched my teeth, my hands forming into a fist as I thought of how gullible I was before. Despite all of the red flags, I still married him. I had to put up with his endless cheating and maltreatment.

“I feel so good having you this way at my sister's wedding. Does it feel good to have me wrapped around your waist when, in a few minutes, you will be walking down the aisle with my sister?” Dawn commented sultrily, like the slut she was.

See! Told you she was a psychopath.

“Hell yeah,” Ethan gasped, as he seemed to have entered another level of climax.

I smiled, not in happiness but in sadness at how miserable my life was because of Ethan. I took my phone, placing it between my breasts, before I barged in, interrupting their enjoyment.

“Sorry to spoil your time together. Mind if I join in on the fun, like a threesome or something?” I cooed, my smirk widening as if my pain were a punchline to my favorite joke.

And the unbelievable expression on their faces literally made my day. Well, they should be,because technically they were never meant to be caught.

“Fun?” They both said in sync, their voices dripping with confusion.