When my father asked me to choose a husband from the Sterling brothers I grew up with, I chose the dazzling Caleb Sterling, the family heir.
He was the man I had adored for thirteen years.
But at our engagement party, his stepsister, Hailey Vance, played a montage of their private moments from over the years in front of all our guests.
It was only then that I discovered they had been secretly involved behind my back for years.
At the party, Caleb was publicly humiliated. He then exiled himself to a remote region to do charity work, cutting all ties with his past. I was left to face the fallout alone, becoming the laughingstock of New York.
He spent the rest of his life in self-torment, using atonement as an excuse to escape from everything.
I resented his deceit, yet I stubbornly clung to that ridiculous engagement. We hated each other for many years.
Until a fiery explosion, an act of revenge by a business rival, where he sacrificed himself to save me, dragging the attacker into the flames with him.
Before he died, he gazed at me and said, "Charlotte, I should have told you the truth. But now... we're even. If you get another chance, don't choose me again."
Then, I opened my eyes. I had returned to the day my father asked me to make that choice.
This time, without a second thought, I chose his younger brother, Rhys Sterling.
————————
1
"Char, I know you've always had a soft spot for Caleb, but I really think you should consider Rhys. He might be more reserved, but he's far steadier. Most importantly, I see the way he treats you."
A sharp pain throbbed in my head. I slowly lifted my eyes. My dad, Julian Archer, sat across from me, his expression patient as he tried to reason with me.
A glance around the room confirmed it. I was back.
I had been sent back to a time before the tragedy had even begun.
In my past life, after Caleb died, our enemies dragged me from the rubble of the explosion and threw me into the cold Hudson River. I could still feel the suffocating burn of brackish water filling my lungs.
I took a deep, shuddering breath—the only thing that could convince me I was truly alive.
"Char, what's wrong?" my dad asked, his voice laced with concern. "You're as pale as a ghost. Are you feeling unwell?"
He called toward the doorway, "Someone, get Dr. Chase on the line, now!"
Seeing his worried expression, I quickly reassured him, "Dad, I'm fine, really. Just a little dizzy."
I threw myself into his arms, tears instantly welling in my eyes. "Dad, I missed you so much."
In my previous life, Caleb had shattered me, leaving me a hollow shell of the woman I once was.
Worry over me had worn him down to the bone, causing the company's stock to plummet. In the end, exhaustion claimed him in a car accident on his way to Long Island to find me a psychiatrist.
It wasn't until he was gone that I realized how blind I had been.
Now that I have a second chance, I'll be the daughter he deserves.
My dad stroked my hair gently and asked, "What's wrong, Char? I'm right here."
I shook my head, unable to stop the tears from streaming down my face.
My mother died from complications while giving birth to me, and my father never remarried for my sake.
I was supposed to be the pride he poured his heart and soul into raising, the most dazzling girl on the Upper East Side, yet I had withered away for a cowardly, hypocritical man.
How was Caleb ever worthy of my devotion?
I smiled and said, "Dad, I think you're right. Rhys is the best choice for me. Let's arrange the engagement with him."
My dad asked in surprise, "Really? Didn't you always say you wouldn't marry anyone but Caleb?"
I shook my head, and before I could explain, he asked sharply, "Did he do something to you?"
My dad knew me too well. He knew that unless something drastic had happened, I would never give up on Caleb.
I feigned nonchalance. "No. I just suddenly lost interest. Dad, you're Julian Archer, the real estate tycoon of New York, and I'm your daughter. The man who deserves me should be someone of substance and ambition like Rhys, not someone like Caleb…"
I let the sentence hang, pursing my lips in disdain.
His face softened with relief. "It seems you've finally grown up and are seeing things clearly. I'll call Arthur Sterling today and get this settled as soon as possible."
With that, he left the study.
The moment he was gone, my phone screen lit up with a text from Caleb: I'm on my way to pick you up. Be ready.
Only then did I remember that today was Hailey's birthday, and she had invited us to celebrate at a rooftop bar in SoHo.
In my past life, I knew nothing about their relationship. So, I treated my "future sister-in-law" with genuine warmth.
In fact, I spent millions on luxuries for her every year.
But she used that montage of them to publicly humiliate me at my own engagement party, leaving me to be torn apart by New York's gossip mill for months.
And they were the ones who had deceived me all along.
This time, I swore to have nothing more to do with them.
And tonight was the perfect opportunity to cut them out of my life for good.
I spent the day holed up in my apartment. Toward evening, my phone buzzed with an unexpected call from Rhys.
As soon as I answered, his usually calm voice held a trace of tension. "Did you really choose me?"
"Mm-hm," I affirmed softly. "Are you saying you don't want me to?"
He was silent for a moment. "I do. I was just worried you were joking."
That made me laugh. I wasn't worried he would reject me. In my past life, I learned he had loved me just as fiercely as I had once loved Caleb.
"I'm serious, Rhys. Don't worry, I wouldn't joke about this," I said sincerely.
Rhys let out a sigh of relief, his voice turning gentle. "Okay. I'll be back soon. I have a gift for you."
I smiled, knowing he couldn't wait to see me. "Okay, I'll be waiting."
Just then, a voice came from behind me. "Who are you waiting for?"
I hung up and turned to find Caleb standing there, his gaze sharp with suspicion.
I answered calmly, "I'm waiting for my fiancé."
His face twisted in disgust. "Charlotte Archer, I will never marry you. If you have any self-respect, tell your father to cancel the engagement."
A chill went through me, but not because he had misunderstood.
And in that moment, it hit me. He had been reborn, too.
