Chapter 1

"I fell for Mike Spencer the second I saw him! I wanna be with him! Demi's way smarter—she'll totally crush it running the company!"

Our parents looked ready to hand me over to the Spencers, but Cecilia freaked. Her face turned bright red, like she was about to combust.

Girl was desperate to snag Mike and seal her spot as the wife of some rich heir.

Funny thing? Just a few days ago, she was out here flexing about being a boss babe. Now she'd flipped the script completely.

Mom and Dad were too stunned to say anything, totally thrown off by how fast she switched up.

Me? I stayed quiet on the couch, flipping through the company's financials with a smirk. Even with a second shot at life, Cecilia couldn't help crashing headfirst into the same mess.

Mom kept quiet, but Dad had thoughts—as usual.

"Cecilia, it's better to count on yourself. Sure, he might like you now, but people change. I've heard things about Mike... not exactly glowing. Just think about it. I don't want you getting hurt."

He wasn't wrong. Banking your whole life on some guy? Dumbest move ever.

Dad had seen it too many times—men ditching their day-one wives the second they got rich. The women who stuck around got left in the dust.

No surprise he didn't want that fate for us.

But Cecilia wasn't having it.

Maybe she remembered how good I had it in my last life—chauffeured in luxury cars, stacked bank account, and two picture-perfect sons everyone envied.

She clung to the idea that marrying Mike beat running the company and watching it crash.

Dad's warning went in one ear, out the other. She even poked her ear, annoyed.

"Oh, Dad! That's just 'cause those women were useless! I'm gorgeous and charming—he'd be lucky to have me! Why would he leave? You've met him. He's a total gentleman. Those rumors are trash!"

She looked like she already had the trophy in hand, eyes glowing with pure delusion.

To her, this was a dream path.

Why hustle through endless meetings and travel when you could sip wine and hit parties as a pampered housewife?

I dropped my head, biting back a laugh.

Mike might play the polished prince in public, but behind closed doors? Full-on monster.

He clawed his way up as an illegitimate son in the Spencer fam, and trust me—whatever it took to get there wasn't pretty.

He made me schmooze nonstop, forced drinks down my throat till I puked blood, and couldn't care less.

If something didn't go his way? He'd hit me. I was rocking long sleeves in the middle of July just to hide the bruises.

And the Spencers? Total snake pit—power games, fake smiles, nonstop backstabbing.

That house didn't just ruin you. It swallowed you whole.

How could that even compare to peacefully running the family business?

But she was set. Our parents just sighed and retreated to their room, done arguing.

On her way out, Cecilia tossed me a smug little smirk.

"Demi, when the company crashes and you're broke, hit me up. Maybe I'll let you carry my purse."

I grinned. "We'll see who ends up begging."

Poor thing—so lucky she gets to be smacked around by her doting husband and trashed by her lovely in-laws.

Meanwhile, I'm stuck crying in my billion-dollar office.

Oh, and occasionally hiring a few hot guys for fun.