Chapter 1 Alive But Dead Inside

"Cassandra, I've never had any feelings for you. We should break up."

"We're meant to be together, Cassandra. I'll have as you as my wife for the rest of my life."

"Cassandra! She's your sister! How dare you hurt her like this? Get out of my sight! You are no longer my daughter!"

"She was worthless. Her death means nothing to me."

Cassandra Yan was having a headache.

Recalling all those times from her past tore her up into a million pieces. She groaned as she curled up into a ball.

There was no one inside the room except for her. She gazed at the handcuff around her wrist that was attached to the bedpost. She roughly wiggled her hand, but it only left an angry red mark around her wrist. The skin on her wrist began to bleed.

A cold sweat began to form on her forehead, and the air in the room felt freezing cold.

She didn't know how long it was until she opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was a bedroom decorated with red ornaments.

Her eyes widened and her body felt stiff. The familiar scene overwhelmed her.

How could this be? Wasn't it the night before her wedding? What was going on?

She didn't want to be a substitute and marry that vile man. The only thing she wanted was to be with the man she loved. Her parents locked her up inside the bedroom because of it.

'I thought I was dead. What's going on?'

She tried every means to run away from the vile man. She thought she was going to meet her beloved, but she was wrong.

Her sister, whom she trusted the most, was standing by the vile man's side. And the man she loved most planned everything.

In her parents' eyes, she was just a pawn.

Realizing that, she had no will to live. When that vile man brought her home, she knew she would have to live the rest of her life as a prisoner, with no hope of escape.

The last thing she could remember was falling into the sea and struggling to stay afloat for a while. When she opened her eyes again, she was back in the night from five years ago. Tomorrow, she was going to replace her sister, Susan Yan, and marry Martin Lu, the vile man.

Everything in front of her looked so real, and she was sure she wasn't in a dream.

'What happened? Am I reborn?

But why? Why am I back in the time where my nightmares would begin?'

Her parents abandoned her, the love of her life was taken away by her sister, and the man she loved betrayed her. They all forced her to marry Martin Lu.

'Do I have to go through all of that again?

Why would they treat me that way?'

It was wintertime, and the wind and snow softly danced around each other.

She covered her chest and shivered in the cold. Her heart pounded so fast it could explode at any time.

She lay on the white bed sheets, panting. Despite the cold, her body was drenched in sweat. After some time, the door clicked open.

She struggled to raise her head and looked over to the door. She could tell that Roger Gu was the one who opened it.

He was the son of Gu Group's CEO and was the only man she'd ever loved. She would do anything for him.

Wearing a tailored black suit, Roger stepped inside the room.

Her body tensed at the sight of him, and she clenched her fists tightly. Her eyes were glued to his figure as he walked towards her.

"Casey, I'm sorry, but I'm in love with Susan. Please, I'm begging you. Please marry Martin for her sake. Would you do me this favor?"

In her previous life, she stopped struggling after she heard his words, and married Martin.

She believed that since she loved Roger, she would do anything for him. As long as he was happy, she would have no regrets.

It was at that moment that she chose to marry Martin. She was convinced that she did it out of love.

She thought that way until the day that Roger revealed his monstrous side to her. He had been using her this entire time. The so-called love he had for her was all a lie.

She was wrong about him, and it cost Cassandra her life.

After marring Martin, she felt like she had died inside. She provoked Martin again and again, hoping that he would divorce her, but it never ended well for her.

She sighed to herself.

Everything in her previous life was a joke.

Now that she had the chance to be reborn, she wouldn't choose the same path. She would no longer sacrifice herself for anyone.

The reason why Roger could use her was that she loved him deeply.

What if she stopped loving him? Then he was no longer able to manipulate her.

How could they live happily after doing those horrible things?

'I will fight back this time,' she thought to herself.