Chapter 2

Old Mr. Brandi stood on the platform, his eyes and brows radiating joy.

"Today is not only Annie's twenty-second birthday, but also the day she chooses her fiancé."

"The Brandi family and the Andrews family have been friends for generations. We've watched both Carter and Lace grow up since they were children."

"Annie, tell us—who do you choose?"

Mrs. Brandi smiled gently beside him. "I'm guessing our daughter will choose Carter. This boy has been steady and responsible since childhood, and he's helped Annie so much."

Whether in academics or ability, I was far superior to Lace.

Everyone in the Brandi family had already privately decided it would be me.

In my previous life, it was also today.

Annie chose Lace without hesitation.

I suppressed the love in my heart and planned to apply to the farthest university possible and never come back.

But that very night, Annie was in a serious car accident. Both her legs were crushed in a compound fracture.

Lace coldly tore up the engagement agreement at the hospital and ran away that same night.

Annie clenched her fists but silently accepted it.

Everyone's eyes turned to me.

Under invisible pressure, to repay the Brandi family's kindness in raising me, and for my own pathetic secret crush—

I gave up my guaranteed admission to Harvard and married her, crippled as she was.

I took care of her for ten full years.

In return, after she stood up again, she brought Lace back and kicked me out.

She even forged psychiatric evaluation documents and drove me to jump to my death.

The memories receded like a tide.

While I was lost in thought, Annie had already grabbed Lace's arm without hesitation.

"Dad, Mom, I choose Lace."

The whole room erupted.

Mrs. Brandi froze. "Annie, did you misspeak? Carter, he..."

"I didn't misspeak!" Annie cut her mother off sharply. "In this life and the next, I could never choose Carter!"

Annie clutched Lace's arm tightly, a triumphant smile curling at her lips as she continued, "Dad, since I've already chosen Lace, it's not appropriate for Carter to stay with the Brandi family anymore."

"Give him some money and have him move out today."

"From now on, he has nothing to do with the Brandi family or the Andrews family assets!"

"I never want to see his face again for as long as I live!"

The words were utterly heartless.

Old Mr. Brandi frowned deeply. "Annie! What are you thinking? We raised Carter too. How can we just throw him out?"

"If we don't throw him out, who knows what vicious things he'll do behind our backs?" Annie sneered. "I'm doing this for the Brandi family's peace."

I raised my head and met Annie's gaze.

In the depths of her eyes lurked deep disgust, wariness, and even a trace of hatred.

I understood immediately.

She had been reborn too.

In the previous life, after she stood up again, she'd listened to Lace's manipulation.

She became convinced that I'd deliberately bribed the driver to cause that car accident to get her, that I'd destroyed her legs.

She also became convinced that I'd used underhanded methods to drive Lace away and stolen what should have been his.

So she hated me to the bone.

Seeing her now, looking at me like I was a snake, the weight that had been hanging in my chest suddenly lifted.

I'd been struggling with whether to stop tonight's horrific car accident.

Since she was so determined, believing that staying away from me would set everything right—

Then I would grant her wish.

"Fine."

Annie was clearly stunned, her brow furrowing tightly.

I stepped forward, standing tall, my voice calm.

"Mr. Brandi, Mrs. Brandi."

"Annie's right. Since she's made her choice, it really isn't appropriate for me to stay."

Without acknowledging the shocked looks around me, I turned and headed upstairs.

I pushed open my bedroom door, feeling a liberating sense of relief.

I packed a few changes of clothes and the belongings my birth parents had left me.

As for the luxury watches and sports car keys the Brandi family had bought me over the years—I didn't touch a single thing.