Chapter 2

2

The wedding was in the courtyard of a five-star hotel. White floral arrangements hung from the ceiling to the floor. There were twenty tables full of guests.

Caleb stood on the altar in a tailored black suit. His eyes were bright, looking as if he truly anticipated this marriage.

I had seen this scene in my past life. Back then, I cried. He chose the dress. He chose the officiant. I thought I was the luckiest woman in the world.

This time, I saw things more clearly.

In the front row sat a woman wearing pearl earrings. Skylar Reed.

She was wearing a pale lavender bridesmaid dress.

In my past life, she was also a bridesmaid. Caleb had said she was a junior from college, a sweet girl, and suggested she should be in the wedding party.

I had smiled and agreed, thinking the more friends, the merrier.

Now, I watched Skylar. She was busy adjusting the floral corsage on her wrist.

Occasionally, she glanced up. She wasn't looking at me. She was looking at Caleb.

I knew that look all too well.

In my past life, she looked at Caleb with that same gaze as he pushed me off the building.

“Lydia Vance,” the officiant called my name. “Do you take Caleb Sterling to be your husband, in poverty or wealth, in sickness or in health―”

“I do.”

I meant those words.

Because I was going to marry him. And then, step by step, I would take back everything he stole from me, with interest.

When we exchanged rings, I noticed his fingers were trembling slightly. It wasn't nerves. It was his phone vibrating in his pocket.

Once. Twice. Probably text alerts from the bank.

I hadn't noticed this in my past life.

Later, I found out he had taken out three payday loans on the day of the wedding. All to pay for this “luxury wedding.” The hotel, the suit, the limo fleet―all of it was financed.

He needed a perfect wedding because it was the bait to lure more money out of me.

“You may kiss the bride,” the officiant smiled.

Caleb leaned in. When his lips touched my forehead, I smelled a faint perfume.

It wasn't his usual scent.

It was Skylar’s perfume.

After the ceremony, Mr. Ward pulled me aside.

“Ms. Vance, the pre-marital agreement is ready. But you said you wanted to sign it at the wedding―I’ve been waiting the whole time.”

“Thank you for your hard work.” I took the documents.

Mr. Ward hesitated. “According to this agreement, the two hundred thousand from your house sale is a loan for his startup. Not a gift. It must be repaid within five years with six percent interest. Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.”

“And the equity―you’re demanding forty-nine percent. This is calculated based on your initial capital―”

“That’s right.”

“But he hasn't signed his part yet,” Ward whispered. “Mr. Sterling said he’d sign it tonight. Should I―”

“Don’t rush him.” I tucked the agreement into my bag. “He’ll sign it.”

Mr. Ward didn't understand.

He didn't know why Caleb refused to sign an equity agreement in my past life―because he planned to sideline me from the start.

But this life was different.

I had added a clause to the prenup.

If he refused to sign the equity agreement, the bride had the right to withdraw the entire loan. Deadline: seven days after the wedding.

He only had two choices. Sign and give me forty-nine percent. Or don’t sign and lose the two hundred thousand in seven days―money he had already spent on registration and office rent.

I had done the math. For him, if he didn't sign, the company would die instantly.