Reborn and Returned, I Make You Kneel in Submission

In my previous life, at my wedding, my younger sister Jessica stole the spotlight. In her wedding gown, she grabbed my fiancé Larry's hand and poured her heart out.

Jessica said, "I know this is terribly unfair to Yvette, but I just can't stand here and watch you marry her, Larry. I'm head over heels for you. Love isn't about who comes first. The one left out is the third wheel. I love you."

Larry was all eyes for Jessica, totally moved. They shared a smile and bolted from the church. He didn't even give me a second look.

I turned into the biggest joke of my own wedding, just a bystander in their love story.

Finally, lost and devastated, I was struck and killed by a speeding truck.

And now, I was reborn.

1

"Yvette, meet Larry Campbell, my good buddy. Oh, and he's still single," my younger sister Jessica Gilbert told me.

I looked at Larry and Jessica sitting across from me, feeling a surge of hatred.

In my previous life, it started just like this when Jessica introduced me to Larry, kicking off our doomed romance.

Larry was ruggedly handsome, like a college athlete, with a bright smile and two prominent dimples that added to his upbeat vibe.

It was his upbeat vibe that I fell for, so we naturally drifted into a relationship.

Then everything followed suit smoothly: dating, engagement, wedding.

Until it all ended in a surprise, revealing it was nothing but a cruel bet between Larry and Jessica. I had believed our love was a fairy tale, only to discover it was a game to them.

But this time around, reborn, I was not going to let them off the hook.

I sipped my coffee, poker-faced, just watching Larry across the table, silent.

The mood chilled in an instant.

Jessica's smile faltered, then she pushed on, "Larry's also the hottest guy on campus. Yvette, you feeling shy or something?"

Then, she playfully winked at me.

I scoffed internally. Then I gave Larry a look. He seemed uncomfortable, just enduring the awkwardness.

"Cool, let's just swap WhatsApp info. I gotta run," I said, waving my phone a bit before turning to leave without looking back.

2

As soon as I got back to my dorm, Jessica pinged me Larry's WhatsApp info. Her text popped up: [Larry's got a crush on you. I think you guys would be cute together.]

I smirked, quietly staring at the message on my screen. The game was about to begin.

I added Larry on WhatsApp but kept my messages on ice, waiting. Sure enough, he soon started spamming my phone, trying to get chummy real quick.

Swallowing my disgust, I started chatting him up often, playing into his belief that I was into him.

Three weeks flew by, and Larry and I made it official.

I posted a cozy selfie with Larry on Instagram, setting it to be visible only to Jessica.

Jessica bit the bait and commented almost instantly: [Wishing you two forever.]

"Jessica's really flexing her acting skills. What a champ at playing it cool," I mused.

Larry was pushing hard. We hadn't even been together a month before he was dying to meet my parents. His excuse? He was crazy about me and couldn't wait to tie the knot.

In my previous life, I fell for his act, thrilled by his eagerness to marry. I naively thought we'd be together forever.

When Larry mentioned meeting my parents for the third time, I agreed.

That day, I masked my revulsion and walked into the house hand in hand with Larry, feigning sweetness.

"Look at you two, so in love," Jessica said.

It came off as playful, but I caught a flash of envy on Jessica's face. I tightened my grip on Larry's hand, which he was trying to pull away, and smiled. "We're practically inseparable now, aren't we, Larry?"

Larry looked visibly uncomfortable and guilty as he exchanged glances with Jessica.

Jessica shot Larry a subtle glare, then forced a smile my way.

3

"Yvette, you're back. Wow, this guy is handsome," came a woman's voice.

I looked up to see Freya Gilbert on the stairs, dressed to kill in a form-fitting dress. Despite her age, she was still quite a knockout. I just offered a smile.

Freya was my dad's personal secretary. He had hit it big during the boom times and started his own business. It went well, and his company became a local household name.

My mom had barely been gone two weeks due to illness when Freya moved into our house with her daughter, Jessica, from a previous marriage. Jessica quickly became a part of the Gilbert family.

When Jessica first arrived, she was a total mess, like she'd just crawled out of a dumpster. Although I wasn't fond of Freya, seeing Jessica, who was around my age, I felt a pang of sympathy.

I was icy towards Freya but looked out for Jessica. Over the years, we actually got pretty close.

Freya was a master at stirring the pot. She'd whisper in my dad's ear, and he'd swallow every tall tale. My relationship with my dad had gotten rocky, bickering more often than not.

Tonight, dinner started off well enough, but then I noticed Larry, sitting beside me, breathing heavily, his face turning red. Sneaking a peek under the table, I spotted a pair of bare feet.

I glanced at Jessica sitting opposite. She looked unfazed, but there was a flirty sparkle in her eyes she couldn't hide.

Disgust bubbled up inside me. Like mother, like daughter. Jessica was using cheap tricks to snag a man.

I set down my fork and looked at Larry with fake concern. "Larry, are you okay? You're sweating like crazy."

Everyone turned to Larry. His face, already red, was now etched with panic. He gave a slight shake of his head and muttered that he was fine.

I grabbed a napkin to wipe his brow, then 'accidentally' elbowed the hot soup that our maid Wendy had just brought. It spilled right into the crotch of Larry's pants.

Larry groaned, and at the same moment, Jessica let out a sharp scream. Looked like the soup had splashed onto her too.

I fought back a laugh and pretended to be confused. "Jessica, what happened? Sorry, that was all me. I'm so clumsy. Larry, are you okay? Did that burn you?"

Larry, still red-faced, glanced worriedly at Jessica but didn't say a word.

As the drama unfolded, my dad slammed his hand down on the table. "Enough! It was a nice meal, and now it's ruined."

With a glare in my direction, he went upstairs.

4

When my dad stormed off, Freya wasted no time following him upstairs, no doubt ready to stir the pot.

That left just me, Jessica, and Larry at the table.

Jessica forced a smile, looking more pained than cheerful, and said with a shaky voice, "Yvette, I'm gonna head up to my room."

As she limped off, I called after her, "Jessica, wasn't your foot just fine? What's wrong now? Do you need a doctor?"

Her voice spiked. "Don't bother!"

Realizing she'd reacted too strongly, Jessica awkwardly smiled and said, "I just smacked my foot against the table leg. I'll be fine after some rest."

Jessica slowly shuffled away. Larry, unable to just watch, whispered to me, "I'll help her upstairs. I need to change my clothes anyway."

Without waiting for my response, he quickly went over and expertly put his arm around Jessica's shoulder, guiding her upstairs.

I clicked my tongue, thinking, "Great, now they don't even bother hiding their closeness in front of me."

In my previous life, Jessica and Larry were inseparable. Jessica would always greet me sweetly before looping her arm around Larry's neck, looking very cozy.

She'd playfully accuse Larry of favoring me, his girlfriend over her, often teasing him until he blushed. But I didn't read too much into it. Now, reflecting on those moments, I realize it was all Jessica's way of taunting me.

Back then, I was just a love fool, completely missing the subtle games Jessica was playing.

"Yvette, why are you still here? It's late." Larry returned, now in a fresh pair of pants, looking puzzled.

My gaze fixed on his pants. "Where did you get pants that fit you so well here?"

Larry's face froze for a moment. He looked at me carefully and replied, "Yvette, are you upset? Jessica had these ready for me. She thought I might need extra clothes while staying here."

I listened to his weak excuse but didn't expose him. I just thought about how naive I had been before. Larry and Jessica's affair was glaringly obvious, and yet, I had been clueless.

"Jessica sure is thoughtful. I never thought of that. Seems like she's more your girlfriend than I am," I said slowly, standing up. Larry stiffened, remaining silent as I walked past him.

That had to shake Larry up.

Once in my room, I locked the door and checked the surveillance feed on my phone. There was Larry, rushing to Jessica's room.

Jessica's room was right next door. I quietly opened the balcony door and crouched by the wall, overhearing Larry and Jessica's conversation.

"Jessica, do you think Yvette suspects anything? The way she asked about the pants seemed off," Larry said.

"Relax, Larry. Yvette is such an idiot. There's no way for her to catch onto anything between us.

But look at my foot. It's all burned. I wonder if that bitch did it to me on purpose," Jessica replied.

Then I heard Larry's tender voice. "Babe, let me blow on it. It'll stop hurting."

5

"So, Larry, have you ever slept with Yvette? Who's better, me or her?" Jessica cooed, her voice dripping with jealousy. I could picture the pout on her face without even looking.

"Of course not," Larry's voice came through. "No one can compare to you, you little siren. You know it was all just an act with her. You're the one I love."

They went silent after that. All I could hear was the rustle of sheets and the creak of the bed.

I suppressed the urge to vomit and rushed back to my room, afraid I might actually throw up right there from disgust.

In the bathroom, I vomited, my face a mess of tears and snot. I couldn't understand why they would drag me into their charade when they could just be together.

Anger flooded through me. I struggled to contain the rage boiling inside. So, I turned off the light, seeking calm in the darkness.

Eventually, I felt a bit better. Then, I heard the balcony door next door open. "See, I told you. Yvette always hits the hay early," Jessica whispered, her voice thick with smugness.

Under the cover of night, I crept to their balcony door. Through the glass, I saw Jessica and Larry, naked and intertwined. Jessica was gazing seductively at Larry.

I captured it all on my phone. They were practically handing me the evidence on a silver platter, so I took it.

"Keep it down. Don't wake Yvette," Larry cautioned.

"What are you scared of? You've always been mine. She's just part of a bet on our love. Just stick it out until you marry her, then I'll be your bride.

That's the only way to prove your love for me," Jessica said.

Hearing this, I was unfazed. But one question lingered. Why did Jessica insist on Larry marrying me first?

Larry echoed my thoughts. "But I love you. Why do you want me to marry Yvette?"

"Idiot, it's more thrilling this way," Jessica laughed seductively, her voice filled with triumph, as if I were merely a puppet in her game.

6

I thought to myself, "Jessica, you're into thrills? I'll give you a thrill."

So, I purposely opened the balcony door a bit louder than necessary. Silence fell from next door immediately, followed by the sound of scrambling footsteps.

"Jessica, what are you up to? It's late, aren't you asleep yet?" I called out on purpose.

"Well, Yvette, I'm just about to head to bed," Jessica replied.

Looking out at the dim moonlight, I threw in casually, "Why did I hear a man's voice in your room just now?"

Jessica paused before responding, "You must've heard wrong. Maybe my video was too loud."

As I heard more shuffling from her side, I decided to drop it. Teasing them was enough for now. I couldn't risk messing up my ultimate plan.

Currently, I didn't have many cards to play. Jessica was plotting to have Larry ditch me on our wedding day, likely not just to humiliate me but also for the shares I held.

My parents had built the company from the ground up, holding roughly equal shares initially. After I was born, my mom left her job to be a full-time homemaker and had her shares legally transferred to me.

In my previous life, Larry and I had legally married before the wedding ceremony. He had gazed at me, full of love, claiming he couldn't wait another second to marry me. We quickly made it official.

Back then, I truly believed Larry was deeply in love with me, so I didn't think to secure a prenuptial agreement. If I had died, Larry would have been the main beneficiary.

"So, was my death by a truck really just an accident?" I wondered.