Chapter 2

2

I was Bennett Sterling's stepsister.

Ten years ago, my mother brought me and Chelsea Lawson into the Sterling estate. She married the wealthy patriarch, Arthur Sterling, and became the lady of the house.

That day, wearing worn-out clothes, I stood quietly beside my mother and Chelsea. Inside the opulent, golden halls of the Sterling mansion, I looked utterly out of place.

I could feel the subtle, contemptuous gazes from the household staff cutting into me.

Arthur adored my mother because she had been his first love in his youth. Because of that, Chelsea and I were supposed to be the pampered young ladies of high society.

Except only Chelsea received that luxury.

I remained the unwanted burden, the stray baggage.

My mother despised me, treating my very existence with disgust.

Yet, facing her blatant favoritism, I never felt much sorrow.

After all, I was not the original Natalie Vance. I had no desperate craving for a maternal love that never belonged to me.

In my original world, I was an orphan raised in a foster facility, never adopted because of my overly sensitive, quiet nature. After putting myself through college, I finally landed a decent job, only to be struck by a drunk driver and left paralyzed.

I had been so unwilling to accept that miserable fate.

That was when the transmigrations system found me.

It told me that if I successfully conquered Bennett Sterling's heart, I could return to my original world with a completely healed body and endless wealth to live a carefree life.

At first, I treated Bennett purely as a mission target, a non-player character to manipulate.

Until one stormy night, when he quietly slipped into my bedroom simply because I had casually mentioned earlier, "I'm scared of rainy nights."

My dormant heart had fluttered violently that night.

From that moment on, I could no longer stop myself from genuinely falling for Bennett Sterling.

I foolishly believed Bennett harbored real feelings for me, too. That was, until I accidentally overheard him talking to his close friends.

I would never forget that afternoon. Bennett had gone to a private lounge for drinks and left his phone behind, so I drove over to bring it to him.

Just outside the VIP room, I heard one of his friends ask, "You and Natalie have been together behind closed doors for six years. Why haven't you made it public? Is it because she's your stepsister and you're afraid the scandals will hurt her?"

Bennett swirled his crystal glass of scotch, his gaze cold and unreadable.

He sneered dismissively. "Who would fall for a woman who threw herself into my bed? A loose woman like that is only good for temporary entertainment."

"Do you really think I care about rumors hurting her? I'm keeping quiet because I don't want Chelsea to get upset. Keep your mouths shut. Chelsea is coming back from overseas soon. Don't let a single word of this reach her ears."

The moment he mentioned Chelsea's name, his cold demeanor melted into pure tenderness.

Bennett's friends instantly understood his true intentions. If his friends saw through him so clearly, how could I not?

Bennett continued, "All these years, I've been laying the groundwork with my father. I've been planning carefully so that when Chelsea and I get married, nobody in society can call our relationship inappropriate."

Listening to his meticulous plans, my heart sank to the freezing bottom of an ocean, sending violent chills through my spine.

All the foundations Bennett had spent years building were never meant for me. They were for Chelsea, my younger half-sister.

Bennett added softly, "Not that anyone would dare say it to my face, but I still hate the thought of people gossiping about Chelsea behind her back. I can't bear to see her hurt in the slightest."

Staring at the rare tenderness swimming in Bennett's eyes, tears streamed down my face.

During all those years we spent together, he always told me that even though we shared no blood, we were legally siblings in the eyes of the public. He said coming out would draw vicious scrutiny and malice from high society.

It turned out none of that was the reason.

The truth was simple: Bennett never cared about me. His refusal to go public was entirely out of consideration for Chelsea's feelings.

All his calculated schemes were designed solely to protect Chelsea.

I could no longer bear to hear their laughter. Stumbling away in complete humiliation, I walked out into a sudden torrential downpour.

That night, I developed a raging fever. Lying half-dead on the couch, I lacked the strength to lift my arm and dial emergency services.

That was when Bennett came home.

He glanced at me, picked up his car keys from the counter, and turned to rush right back out.

I was certain he saw my flushed, burning face. I was certain he knew I was gravely ill, because as he brushed past me, he covered his nose and mouth, clearly disgusted by the thought of catching whatever I had.

Then, he walked out into the storm without looking back once.

The next morning, after barely surviving the night, I discovered why Bennett had left in such a frantic rush.

Chelsea had landed at the airport.