Chapter 1

1.

When my sister and I came of age, our parents gave us a life-altering choice. One of us would inherit the family business, and the other would marry into the prestigious Sterling family of New York.

My sister, Wanda, was blinded by greed. She chose the company without a second thought.

But she was lazy and only cared about partying. She spent her days traveling and neglected the business entirely.

In just one year, she blew through the entire family fortune and ended up with nothing.

Meanwhile, I married into the Sterling family. I gave them two sons and secured my position as the most powerful socialite in the city.

Wanda went insane with jealousy. During a family reunion, she snapped and stabbed me to death in a fit of rage.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day we had to choose our fates.

Wanda spoke up before I could even open my mouth.

"I want to marry into the Sterling family. Let my sister have the family business."

I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing. My foolish sister had no idea that the Sterling household was a literal living hell.

......

"I fell in love with Silas Sterling at first sight! I have to be with him!"

"Chloe is much smarter than me anyway. I'm sure she can manage the company perfectly!"

Wanda's face was flushed with desperation. She saw our parents leaning toward letting me marry Silas and panicked.

She wanted to marry Silas right this second just to secure her spot as a billionaire's wife.

A few days ago, she was bragging about being a modern-day girl boss. Today, she acted like a completely different person.

Our parents were stunned. They couldn't understand why she had suddenly changed her mind so drastically.

I sat quietly on the sofa, looking over the company's financial reports. I was cold and calculating on the inside.

In this new life, Wanda still couldn't control her impulsive nature.

My mother didn't say much, but my father had some reservations.

"Wanda, honey, it's always better to rely on yourself than a man. He might like you now, but what if he changes his mind later?"

"I've heard Silas's reputation isn't exactly great. Think about this carefully. I don't want to see you suffer."

Betraying your own future for a man is the stupidest thing a woman can do.

My father had seen too many men abandon their wives in the business world.

He didn't want us to end up like those women who built a life with a man only to be left with nothing.

But Wanda was obsessed.

She had seen how luxurious my life was in the previous timeline. I had private chauffeurs and a bank balance with nine zeros.

My two adorable sons were the envy of everyone.

She firmly believed that marrying Silas was the golden ticket. She thought it was much better than going bankrupt.

She ignored our father's advice and picked at her ear in annoyance.

"Oh, Dad! Those women were just incompetent! Your daughter is beautiful and charming. Silas will cherish me! Why would he ever leave me?"

"Besides, you've met him. He's a total gentleman. Those rumors are just lies!"

Her eyes were sparkling with greed. She truly believed she had won.

To her, this was a path paved with roses.

She wasn't built to be a businesswoman traveling and working late nights.

Being a trophy wife who listened to music and attended parties suited her much better.

I kept my head down so they wouldn't see the smirk on my face.

Silas Sterling acted like a gentleman in public, but only I knew he was a complete psychopath.

He was an illegitimate son who fought his way to the top. You don't do that without getting your hands dirty.

In my past life, he forced me to socialize and build connections for him. He didn't care when I drank until my stomach bled.

If anything annoyed him, he would hit me. I had to wear long sleeves in the middle of summer to hide the bruises.

The Sterling family was a shark tank. Every day was a battle for survival.

How could that be better than inheriting a stable family business?

Seeing that her mind was made up, our parents gave up.

They sighed and retreated to their room.

Before leaving, Wanda gave me a smug, arrogant look.

"Chloe, when the company goes bust, give me a call. I might let you be my personal assistant."

I smiled thinly at her.

"We'll see who ends up begging whom."

I almost felt jealous. She was so excited to be beaten by her dear husband and bullied by her in-laws.

Unlike her, I would be stuck in a multi-million dollar office, crying into my silk handkerchiefs.

Oh, and maybe I'd hire a few hot male models to cheer me up.