Oliver was furious.
He stormed up to me, face as red as a tomato, his fists clenched at his sides. “Clarisse, are you out of your mind? Cici is tiny, and you actually want to send her to breed? Are you even human? Besides, this is your fault for not keeping your stuff in order, and now you’re blaming Cici? Acting like a total shrew! Unlike Regina, who’s sensible and well-behaved, you're...”
I didn’t even let him finish his rant.
I cut him off with a sharp sneer, not bothering to hide the disdain in my voice. “If Regina is so perfect, why are you still trying to marry me? Why don’t you just call off the engagement and be with her?”
I could see the shock on his face.
It was too much to expect him actually to take that step, though.
The Anderson family was barely hanging on financially, and Oliver needed me to secure an investment from the Maxwell family. He couldn’t afford to lose me. Not yet. Sure enough, he was left speechless.
His face got even redder if that was even possible. With a frustrated grunt, he slammed the door behind him, storming out. Shane followed shortly after, cradling the toy dog in his arms like it was the family's crown jewel. His expression was colder than ice.
But I wasn’t fooled.
I knew all this restraint wasn’t about protecting my feelings. It was just part of their plan to bring Regina back. They weren’t trying to spare me—they were buying time.
In my past life, I’d been too blinded by trust to see it.
But not again.
I wasn’t going to make the same mistake. I was going to play along, let them think they had the upper hand, and wait for the perfect moment to turn the tables.
Over the next few days, Regina, still inhabiting the dog’s body, calmed down considerably. She stayed quietly in Shane’s room, not making any more messes. I guess she was genuinely afraid I’d follow through on my threats to send her off to breed.
But why should I let her off that easily?
I wasn’t done yet. I had my own little plan brewing.
I snuck off to the doghouse and bought several packs of special canine hormones. The owner assured me this stuff worked fast, quick enough to make a little dog fatten up and go into heat in no time.
'Perfect.'
After all, I had a special gift planned for Regina. She needed to gain some weight and get healthy enough for what I had in store.
And sure enough, almost immediately, Regina started to pack on the pounds. She was growing round and chubby like a little pig.
It felt... satisfying, to see her like that.
Shane, on the other hand, was watching her like a hawk. He made sure I didn’t do anything suspicious.
One night, while I was feeling snacky, I grabbed a package of chips.
But as soon as I took a bite, I knew something was off. It didn’t taste spoiled, but there was a weird, fishy aftertaste. Even the water in my cup looked off. It was a sickly pale yellow color, and it stank.
I rushed to the bathroom, gagging, trying to rinse my mouth out.
My anger flared. This was Regina’s doing. She was trying to mess with me again, and I wasn’t going to let her get away with it. Just as I was about to storm into her room, I froze when I heard Shane’s voice from inside.
“Regina, just hang in there a little longer. I’ll make the bitch pay. I don’t know what Dad was thinking, giving her that villa as a dowry! It must’ve been that old woman whispering in his ear!”
Shane paused for a moment, then continued, “I know these past few days have been tough on you, but once tomorrow night is over, we’ll swap lives with Clarisse. You’ll be a normal person again. And then... the entire Maxwell family will be ours.”
My heart stopped.
I had always wondered how Shane, my brother, could be so willing to hurt me.
Now, I knew the answer.
He was my half-brother, the illegitimate son of my father. I clenched my fists, fighting the urge to storm into that room and tear them apart. But I knew I couldn’t.
Not yet. I had a plan, and I wasn’t going to let my anger ruin it.
The next evening, I came home to find Shane suddenly acting all sweet and apologetic. He was holding a gift box in his hands, looking like he was trying to butter me up.
“Clarisse, I was too harsh with my words earlier,” Shane said with a fake smile. “You’re getting engaged tomorrow, so I picked out a dress for you. Try it on and see if it fits.”
Oliver followed close behind, eager as ever. “Clarisse looks good in anything. Once you put on the dress and the Anderson family’s heirloom bracelet, you’ll look even more beautiful.”
He opened a sandalwood box and slowly revealed the bracelet inside. My stomach dropped. I had heard those exact words before.
In my past life, I’d been genuinely touched and moved by the gesture. But now, I just felt cold.
What they were really celebrating wasn’t my engagement at all. It was Regina’s rebirth. And deep down, I knew that their plans were about to come to fruition.
