Chapter 1
When my mother asked who I wanted to marry for our family‘ s alliance, I didn‘ t hesitate–but this time, I didn’t choose Kendra Jewett.
Instead, I chose Rosie Jewett, her dear
aunt.
My mother was utterly baffled. Everyone in Cavendale knew Kendra and I had grown up together. I had spent a decade chasing her, convinced she was the only one I could ever love. I had once declared, with unwavering certainty, that I would marry no one but her in this lifetime.
A bitter smile tugged at my lips as the memories flooded back–memories of promises and love that seemed so unbreakable.
A bitter smile tugged at my lips as the memories of my past life came flooding back. After marrying Kendra, she never
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once allowed me to touch her. I had convinced myself it was some deep–seated trauma, a secret wound she was too afraid to confront. I thought I could fix it, that
love would heal her.
But everything shattered on our golden wedding anniversary. I accidentally
stumbled into the one room she had locked away from everyone. The walls were lined with photos of my cousin.
That moment cut through me like a knife- she wasn‘ t indifferent to intimacy. She simply didn’t love me.
With the sting of that realization still raw, I promised myself that I would rewrite the ending in this life. I would give her the love she wanted, the love I couldn’t give her before.
But as I walked toward Rosie, dressed in my wedding suit, Kendra‘ s face drained of color, her eyes wide with shock. And then, it happened. She broke. Her mind slipped into madness before my eyes.
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Three days after the alliance was sealed, I crossed paths with Kendra at a gathering. The moment her friends laid eyes on me, they burst into mocking laughter, their voices dripping with ridicule.
“Kendra, your little lapdog‘ s here to find you again!”
“Mr. Fiancé, aren’t you already bound to the Jewett family? Why are you still clinging to her like this? Can t even let her attend a gathering without trailing behind! Pathetic!”
The scorn in Kendra‘ s eyes burned like a knife as she spotted me.
“Wyatt, are you really this desperate to marry me? You didn’t even bother to get my consent before your families arranged our engagement. Now, the whole of Cavendale knows we re tied together.
You’ve really outdone yourself this time!”
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Her words stung, but I kept my composure, my voice calm and steady.
“No need for your consent. The one I’m marrying isn’t you.”
The moment the words left my mouth, the room erupted with laughter. Kendra‘ s friends laughed so hard they could barely stay on their feet.
“Kendra, you better keep an eye on your little fiancé! Who knows what he might do next to grab your attention!”
Kendra‘ s frown deepened, her gaze sharpening as she turned to me.
“Wyatt, are you trying to play hard–to–get now?” she scoffed.
“If you’re not marrying me in this family alliance, then who? Don’t forget, you‘ ve been shouting since we were kids that you‘ d marry me. Everyone in Cavendale knows you’ve got eyes for no one else but me.”
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She leaned in, her voice dropping to a whisper.
“I won’t hold the engagement against you, but listen carefully–I can give you a grand wedding…But the marriage
certificate? That will only go to the person I truly want to marry.”
Her words hit me like a thunderclap. In my past life, she’d followed her family‘ s wishes without question and registered the marriage with me almost immediately. Was it possible… had she been reborn too?
Before I could decipher Kendra‘ s expression any further, my cousin Elliot Paige walked into the gathering.
The moment he saw me with Kendra, his eyes turned red, and it looked like he might explode.
“Brother Wyatt, Sister Kendra, I heard… you two are getting married soon. I didn’t bring a gift, but I wish you both nothing but happiness…”
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Before he could finish, Elliot dashed out of the room, tears streaming down his face..
“Look at what you’ve done!”
Kendra’s glare was sharp, filled with fury before she bolted after him without a
second glance.
When they finally returned, their fingers. were entwined tightly as if they belonged together.
Elliot’s lips were bruised, and a bold hickey marked Kendra‘ s neck.
The room fell silent, eyes darting back and forth, waiting for me to react.
In the past, whenever another man came near Kendra, I couldn’t help but lose control–throwing a tantrum, demanding her attention as if she were mine to
command.
