Choosing Someone Better

During a family gathering, my mother produces a few photos of different men. She asks me which one I want to get into an arranged marriage with.

I don't choose Bradley Garvin again in this lifetime. Instead, I pull out a photo of my own and give it to my mother. It's of Terrence Garvin, the Garvin family's true leader.

My mother is surprised. I've pursued Bradley for many years, after all.

What she doesn't know is that I married him in my past life. However, he rarely came home. I always thought it was because he was too busy. Whenever anyone asked me about it, I took all the blame.

I only discovered the truth on our 20th wedding anniversary after accidentally breaking a box he kept locked in his closet.

It turned out my sister was the one he'd always loved. He never returned home because he didn't want to see me.

Unexpectedly, Bradley loses his mind when I'm about to put a diamond ring on Terrence's finger on our wedding day.

I ran into Bradley Garvin on the second day after the news of the marriage was announced. His friends spotted me and called out to Bradley, who was talking to someone else.

"Bradley, your fiancée is here!"

For a moment, all eyes were on us. Bradley's brows arched as he shot me a glance impatiently.

"Julia Sanderson, you had the nerve to show your face here. You had them announce the union between the Sandersons and the Garvins without my permission! Do you not value your own dignity?"

I was momentarily stunned.

"Oh, right! I forgot that Bradley's uncle has the same last name as him," I thought.

Although I had prepared myself mentally, I instinctively held my breath upon receiving the scornful look from Bradley. Then, I took a deep breath to calm myself down.

"The person I'm marrying isn't you."

Bradley's friends burst into fits of laughter before I could finish. They patted Bradley's shoulders.

"Bradley, your fiancée is hilarious!"

"You should tell her not to use such a lame excuse. She'll only make a fool of herself."

Bradley felt extremely humiliated. His expression darkened.

"Julia, that's enough! You've been saying almost every single day that you want to marry me. Now, you're trying to get my attention by claiming that you're marrying someone else. How repulsive!"

He looked down at me condescendingly. Suddenly, Bradley snickered, leaned forward, and whispered next to my ear.

"Julia Sanderson, I'll give you the status that you want. However, I won't ever proceed with the marriage registration with you, and I will never acknowledge you as my spouse."

A look of surprise flashed in my eyes. In my previous life, Bradley had never expressed these thoughts before.

"Could it be…" I pondered.

Before I could process everything, I noticed how Bradley's eyes shone with excitement. I followed his gaze and spotted my younger sister, Jenna Sanderson.

Jenna's eyes turned red when she saw me and Bradley standing side by side. "Bradley, I've heard of the news… I… I wish the two of you happiness…"

She trailed off, buried her face in her hands, and cried miserably.

Bradley shot me a glare. "Julia, this is all your fault! You disgust me!"

As I came to my senses, Bradley hurried over and threw his arms around Jenna.