He Chose Faith. I Chose Freedom

When my father asked me to choose between the two Lewis brothers I had grown up with to get married to, I chose Joseph Lewis.

He was the man I had secretly loved for 13 years.

But on the day of our wedding, his stepsister, Jessica Lewis, leaped off the rooftop of the hotel. She left behind a letter written in blood, blessing Joseph and me with a lifetime of love and happiness.

It was only then that I learned that the two of them had been secretly in love for years.

At the wedding, Joseph lost control in front of everyone, declaring that he would no longer be concerned with any worldly affairs. I was left standing helplessly in place.

For the rest of his life, he lived in guilt, keeping vigil beside Jessica's grave.

I resented his deceit, yet stubbornly clung to our marriage, and we tormented each other for years.

This went on until we were kidnapped one day. To save me, he perished together with the kidnappers.

Before he died, he looked at me and said, "Evelyn, it was wrong of me to keep it from you. But now that both Jessica and I are gone, that should settle the debt, shouldn't it? If there's a next time, don't choose me again."

Then, I reopen my eyes to see that I have returned to the day when my father asked me to choose my fiance.

This time, I will firmly choose his elder brother, Theodore Lewis.

"Eve, I know you've always liked Joseph, but I still think you should consider Theodore. He might be a little boring compared to Joseph, but he's a lot more serious. Most importantly, I can see how good he is to you."

My head throbbed with pain as I slowly lifted my gaze and saw my dad, Horace Pierce, sitting before me, patiently trying to persuade me.

When I looked around, I realized that I had been reborn.

I had been reborn to the time before everything had happened.

In my past life, after Joseph died, I was forced off a cliff into the sea by the kidnapper's accomplices. Even now, I could still feel that suffocating sensation of salt water flooding my lungs.

I fearfully took a deep breath, as if it were the only way I could convince myself I had truly come back to life.

Dad saw how pale I was and asked worriedly, "Eve, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

He then hollered at the butler, "Call Dr. Chase right now!"

At his worried expression, I hurried to reassure him. "Dad, I'm fine, really. I just caught a little cold."

Then, I threw my arms around him as my eyes reddened. "Dad, I missed you so much."

In my previous life, I completely fell apart because of Joseph. I was barely living my life.

Dad's heart ached for me, and he always tried to comfort me. In the end, he died in a car accident on his way to buy me flowers.

It was only after he was gone that I realized how blind I had been.

Now that I was reborn, all I wanted was to be a good daughter to him.

Dad stroked my hair affectionately and asked, "What's wrong, Eve? I'm right here with you."

I shook my head, but tears welled up in my eyes.

My mother had died giving birth to me, and Dad never remarried for the rest of his life.

I was the rose he had raised with his own hands, meant to bloom brightly. Instead, I withered away for a man who had no sense of responsibility.

Had Joseph ever been worth getting married to?

I said with a smile, "Dad, I think you're right. Theodore is the best choice for me. Let's go with him for the engagement."

Dad asked in surprise, "Really? But didn't you say before that you'd only marry Joseph?"

I shook my head, and before I could explain, he asked sharply, "Did he do something to you?"

Dad knew me far too well. He knew that I wouldn't have given up on Joseph if not for a specific reason.

I forced myself to say casually, "No. It's just that I suddenly don't like him anymore. Dad, you're Horace Pierce, the richest man in Arkovia, and I'm your daughter. The one who's worthy of marrying me should be someone responsible and capable like Theodore, not Joseph…"

I didn't finish the last part and only clicked my tongue in disdain.

Dad's face softened with relief. "I see that you've finally grown up and started seeing things clearly. I'll call Mr. Lewis today and get everything sorted as soon as possible."

After saying that, he left the room.

Once he was gone, I received a message from Joseph. He told me to get ready and that he was coming to pick me up.

That was when I remembered that today was Jessica's birthday, and she had invited us to the Grand Royal Hotel to celebrate.

In my past life, I hadn't known anything about their relationship. So, I treated my "future sister-in-law" with all the sincerity I had.

In fact, I spent millions on her gifts every year.

But before she died, she left a note calling me a homewrecker, and I was torn apart by public outrage for months.

Yet, it was they who had deceived me.

In this life, I swore never to have anything to do with them again.

And tonight was the perfect chance to cut off any ties with them.

I stayed home all day and did nothing. By evening, Theodore suddenly gave me a call.

When I answered, his usually calm voice carried an unfamiliar tension. "Did you really choose me?"

I softly hummed in response. "Do you not want me to?"

He fell silent for a moment before he said, "I do. I'm just worried that you're toying with me."

That put a smile on my lips. I wasn't worried that he would reject me at all because in my previous life, he had loved me just as I had loved Joseph.

"I'm serious, Theodore. Don't worry, I wouldn't toy with you like that," I said sincerely.

Theodore let out a sigh of relief, and he said gently, "Alright. I'm almost back. I have a gift for you."

I knew he couldn't wait to see me, and I smiled. "Okay, I'll be waiting."

Just then, I heard a voice behind me. "Who are you waiting for?"

I hung up and turned around to see Joseph standing there, looking at me suspiciously.

I calmly replied, "I'm waiting for my fiance."

To my surprise, his face twisted in disgust. "Evelyn Pierce, I will never marry you. If you have any shame left, tell your father to cancel the engagement."

My heart sank, but it wasn't just because he misunderstood me.

At that moment, I realized that he had been reborn as well.