Blinding sunlight filtered through the curtains, spilling into the room and making Margaret instinctively squint. She opened her eyes tiredly, her entire body feeling heavy.
"Finally awake, are you?"
A familiar voice sounded from above, causing Margaret to tilt her head hazily. She immediately saw the handsome face of her brother, Cole Walker, frowning down at her.
Cole?
Hadn't Cole died a year ago in a car accident?
And... hadn't she already died?
What is going on?
Margaret looked around in confusion and soon realized she was in her own room at home, the pink room she loved.
Not at Hawthorne Hall, nor in the master bedroom of that mansion.
"What's wrong? Spaced out?"
"Say something. Still mad?"
With a light tap, Cole knocked gently against Margaret's forehead, snapping her out of her daze.
"Cole, you're still alive?"
Margaret's words instantly darkened Cole's expression.
"What do you mean, Margaret? I'm your brother. Just because I don't support your engagement to that bastard Henry, you're cursing me to death?"
"Since when were you this cruel?"
Cole muttered angrily, leaving Margaret even more bewildered.
Engagement? She and Henry had clearly been married for three years!
"What..."
"What year is it now, Cole?"
Margaret quickly grabbed his hand, asking anxiously. Though confused, Cole still answered seriously.
"May 12th, 2020."
Five years ago!
She had returned five years ago!
The realization struck Margaret, making her tremble with excitement. She had never expected that her final wish before death would truly come true. She had been reborn, sent back to the past!
Back to one week before her engagement to that bastard, Henry.
Everything could still be saved.
"That's great... so great..."
Margaret murmured in delight, making Cole look at her as if she had gone mad.
"Margaret, are you okay? I support your engagement to Henry."
"From now on, I won't put him down or look down on him anymore, alright?"
Cole sighed and relented. Margaret quickly shook her head at him, as if she had just heard something horrifying.
"No, my dear brother, don't say something so disgusting."
"I'm no longer that foolish girl, blindly in love with Henry. To me, he's nothing more than a bastard."
Cole looked Margaret up and down, then reached out to touch her forehead.
"You don't have a fever, so why are you talking like you do?"
"Cole! I'm serious!"
Margaret puffed her cheeks in annoyance. Cole shrugged.
"Fine. Then how do you explain your engagement to Henry next week?"
"Are you canceling it?"
Margaret shook her head, the corners of her lips curling into a smug smile.
"Of course not. I'm going to give him a very special engagement ceremony."
...
That evening, Henry came to pick Margaret up to go to a bar and meet his best friends. Though she felt disgust toward that man to her very core, Margaret still showed up and went with him, careful not to reveal anything.
When they arrived, everything was exactly the same as in her previous life. The private room was filled mostly with men, with only one woman present.
Rose Carter, Henry's ex-girlfriend.
The same woman who had killed her in her past life.
Hatred made Margaret clench her fists until they turned pale, yet on the surface she maintained a cheerful, sociable demeanor as she greeted everyone.
"Henry, you finally brought your fiancée for us to meet."
"Margaret is so beautiful, no wonder you've been hiding her like a treasure."
Rose whistled, looking at Margaret with apparent friendliness as she offered her praise. In her past life, Margaret had mistaken it for kindness and fallen for it, even developing a favorable impression of Rose.
She had never expected it to be nothing more than deception, meant to lower her guard.
This time, Margaret simply smiled without responding and sat beside Henry. He then introduced her to everyone in the room, and they all greeted her warmly.
"Hey, come on, let's play a game."
"Margaret, you should join too. Consider it a way to get acquainted."
"It's a simple game, truth or dare."
Rose smiled sweetly, holding an empty wine bottle in her hand as she spoke excitedly.
"The rules today will be a bit more thrilling than usual. Each of us will take turns spinning the bottle. Whoever the bottle lands on is the loser."
"And they have to choose between truth or dare."
She raised her brows slightly, her gaze seemingly drifting toward Margaret.
"And the one who spins the bottle is the winner. They get to decide the question or the dare."
The atmosphere instantly grew lively.
With these new rules, everyone was clearly excited. Margaret gave Rose a faint smile, quickly understanding her intention.
In her previous life, Rose had taken advantage of this game to kiss Henry or to make intimate gestures with him when she lost. Then, she smugly looked at Margaret and said it was just a game, hoping Margaret wouldn't be upset.
Back then, Margaret had felt both jealous and hurt, yet Henry had blamed her for being petty.
His friends had chimed in, saying it was completely normal.
It's just a game, no need to take it seriously.
Clenching her fists, Margaret thought coldly that this time, she would show them exactly how this game should be played.
In the first round, one of Henry's friends, Edward, spun the bottle, and Rose lost.
"Nice play, Edward!"
Cheers rang out, followed by eager urging for Edward to announce the punishment.
"Truth or Dare, Rose?"
Edward asked cheerfully, raising his brows with a grin. Rose pretended to be shy, biting her lip.
"Dare. Since it's the opening, it should be a bit more exciting."
She emphasized the word "exciting" as she licked her lips. Edward immediately caught on, his eyes lighting up.
"Then, kiss someone of the opposite sex here."
The room instantly erupted.
"That's exciting, Edward. Great punishment!"
"What a fun start..."
Amid the applause and cheers, voices urged Rose to carry out the dare. Margaret simply watched their performance calmly, finding it utterly ridiculous.
They really were perfectly in sync. No wonder they had been such close friends for so long.
A bunch of degenerates!
"Come on, Rose, who do you want to kiss?"
Jonathan, who was sitting beside Rose, nudged her shoulder, urging her on. The crowd burst into cheers, their gazes subtly shifting toward Henry.
"Henry..."
Rose glanced around nervously, then pressed her lips together, her face flushing red as she looked at him with feigned shyness. She stammered, her voice hesitant.
"Well, can you help me?"
Her tone was sweet and coquettish, stirring even more excitement among the others. Someone started clapping, and soon the whole group joined in.
"Henry, kiss her!"
"Kiss her! Kiss her!"
Even Henry seemed flustered at that moment. He quickly took a sip of his drink to conceal the pleasure rising within him. Meanwhile, Rose even looked toward me, blinking expectantly.
"Margaret, if Henry and I kiss, you won't be mad, right?"
"We're just close friends, that's all. I'm the same with my other close friends.:
"If we could have been together, you and Henry wouldn't be getting engaged, right?"
Rose cleared her throat lightly.
"It's just a game anyway, don't be so petty."
