Chapter 2

I hadn't even processed why my sister Celeste was here before she'd grabbed my wrist and yanked me into the private room.

She dropped onto the couch right next to Asher and started pounding her small fists against his chest.

"How could you treat my baby sister like that? If she wasn't completely head over heels for you, do you think for a second I would have stepped aside?

"I let her have you, even though it killed me. If you hurt her again, we are through. I mean it!"

She bit her lower lip, tears welling up, making them shine.

Asher's whole demeanor melted. He bent his head, his voice dropping to a low, intimate murmur as he tried to soothe her—the two of them in their own little world, acting like I was invisible.

If I weren't standing right here, they'd probably have fallen into bed together right then and there.

Even consumed with wanting each other, Celeste didn't fully ignore me. She shot me a look, a flicker of awkward guilt in her eyes, watching for my reaction.

"If he's mean to you again, you come tell me," she said gently. "I'll make sure he regrets it."

As she spoke, her slender hand slipped inside Asher's shirt and gave his side a sharp pinch. It was framed as punishment for me, but it was pure, playful flirtation.

My hands clenched into fists so tight my nails bit into my palms. The sharp pain was the only thing that cleared my head.

How had I been so blind in my last life? How did I miss the obvious games these two could barely keep hidden?

It wasn't until miscarriage after miscarriage had wrecked my body that a friend finally forced me to see the truth.

I had the tonic Asher fed me every day tested. Sure enough, it was laced with high doses of abortifacients.

I secretly hacked into his texts, determined to dig up every buried detail.

The truth was more disgusting than anything I could have invented.

He and my sister had been a thing since high school. But they were both players, constantly breaking up and making up.

Then I showed up—naive, trusting, easy to manipulate—the perfect catalyst to keep their toxic game alive.

The thrill of betraying me right under my nose became their addiction. After our wedding, they only got bolder.

That tonic I drank every day? Celeste was the one who sourced the special blend. And every time I lost a baby, she'd play the guilt-ridden sister, seeking "comfort" from Asher.

Together, they kept pushing the line, getting their kicks from the deception.

Until they finally got bored of the game… and decided to discard me for good.

But by then, my body was broken. After so many losses, my health was shattered. All I could do was lie in a hospital bed and wait to die.

Every time I remembered it in this new life, a wave of nausea hit me.

The betrayal of the man I loved. The treachery of my own sister. Each memory was enough to shred my soul.

So in this life, I was done. I would not be their pawn ever again.

I stood up from the sofa, my movements sharp and final, and strode toward the door.

"Asher, we're done. This isn't a joke—it's a notice."

After I left, the room behind me returned to its noisy chaos. I could already imagine his entourage gossiping about me.

But as long as I broke this engagement, my real life could finally begin.

I'd just sunk into the backseat of my car when my phone blew up.

I answered, and Asher's furious roar vibrated through the speaker.

"Vivian, have you lost your mind?! Is this some twisted plot to destroy Celeste's life? Are you happy now?!"