Chapter 1

My family went bankrupt right after my sister and I graduated from college.

My father gave us two choices. Either marry the heir of the White family to secure an alliance, or take over the company and clean up the mess.

In my previous life, my sister, Chloe, wanted the life of a wealthy socialite. She chose to marry Byron White.

She ended up being tortured by him until she was barely alive. She eventually became disfigured and disabled.

Meanwhile, I used my business talent to bring the company back from the dead. For a while, I was at the top of the world.

Chloe was driven mad with jealousy. During the company's IPO launch, she stormed in with a canister of gasoline and burned me alive.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back at the moment my father gave us the choice.

This time, Chloe stepped in front of me before I could speak.

"Let Nina marry the White heir. She's always been pampered and can't handle a hard life. I want to stay and fight alongside Dad."

I couldn't help but laugh. My foolish sister. Staying at the company is going to be far worse than marrying into the White family.

...

"Dad, Mom, I'm the youngest. I shouldn't just think about my own happiness and abandon you when the company is in trouble."

The familiar voice dragged me back from the terrifying darkness. I opened my eyes to a scene I knew all too well.

Chloe was pulling on my father's sleeve, her voice thick with fake tears. My parents had looks of pity on their faces.

I had been reborn! And Chloe had made a different choice than in our previous life. She had been reborn too!

In my last life, after we graduated, the family went belly up. My father called us home with an emergency.

He was blunt. He gave us two options. The first was to marry the crown prince of the city's elite, Byron White.

Our families had arranged a marriage back when the Sullivans were still thriving. If one daughter married in, the White family would save us from ruin.

The second option was to stay and deal with the creditors. Back then, Chloe didn't hesitate. She scrambled to be the one to marry Byron.

In reality, I was the one originally promised to the White family. But my parents couldn't bear to see their favorite younger daughter suffer.

They used the excuse of letting us choose to pressure me into stepping down. I always valued family, and they knew it.

After they guilt-tripped me, I gave the golden ticket to Chloe. But after Chloe married Byron, she turned her back on us.

When I brought my parents to his door to ask about the funding, she blocked us. She was decked out in gold and diamonds.

She looked at me with pure contempt. "Nina, your grades were always better. You're the capable one. You can save the company on your own."

"The White family looks rich, but things are tight for us too. You wouldn't want to drag your own sister down, would you?"

I thought my parents would be furious. Instead, they turned to me with pleading eyes that brooked no argument.

They said, "Nina, your sister and brother-in-law have it hard too. The Whites kept their word by marrying her. Let's not be a burden."

"She has to live with them, after all. We don't want them looking down on her." Blood boiled in my chest.

In this family, it seemed I was the only villain. To keep my sister's head high, I slaved away at the company alone.

I once drank until my stomach bled just to secure a tiny contract. I even ripped out an IV drip in the hospital to run to a client's call.

Hard work paid off. The company finally rose from the ashes. But Chloe was being broken by that playboy Byron.

On the day of the IPO, she stormed the stage with gasoline and set me on fire. Through the flames, I saw her twisted, hateful eyes.

"Nina Sullivan, why do you get to be a successful woman while I live like a maggot in a gutter? Come to hell with me!"

The fire licked every inch of my skin. But I saw it clearly―my parents ignored me and rushed into the fire to save Chloe.

My heart turned to ash. I closed my eyes.