Chapter 1: The Carter Curse

The most eligible and handsome young man in the Carter family of Maple Heights.

He was the kind of guy whose life would never cross paths with mine.

But then, out of nowhere, he grabbed my sleeve, his eyes rimmed red.

"There’s still time. We haven’t signed the divorce papers yet..."

"Let’s start over in this life."

I was busy gnawing on a barbecued pork rib when I froze, a smear of sauce painting my cheek. Suddenly, I was way too aware of the sticky mess on my fingers and the curious glances from my family.

"Um, but I never planned to marry you in the first place," I replied, heat crawling up my neck.

The sharp snap of a screen door, the sizzle of burgers on the grill, and the sweet smell of corn on the cob filled the air, making the whole scene feel both ordinary and totally unreal. Laughter from my family’s Sunday cookout drifted across the yard, as if the world hadn’t just tilted beneath my feet.

1

Ethan Carter.

As flawless as a marble statue—everyone envied him.

He was the dream husband of countless girls in town.

My actual older sister, Natalie Chen, was no exception.

She declared, "Ethan Carter’s going places, and I’m not missing that train."

But Ethan, with his cool, elegant face, never showed warmth to anyone.

Then one day, my sister accidentally fell into the lake.

After she woke up, she suddenly slapped me hard. My cheek stung, but what hurt more was the look in her eyes—like she was scared for me, not mad. "You lovesick idiot, you’re not allowed to like Ethan Carter. You can’t marry him."

I stared at her, totally confused.

It’s one thing to yell at yourself, but why hit me?

Besides, it’s not like I could marry Ethan Carter just because I wanted to.

The Carter family is old money, with a hundred years of prestige.

Even senators’ daughters might not be able to marry in.

Before I could react, my stepmom had already dragged my sister away.

"How dare you hit your younger sister? Are you out of your mind?"

"Your sister isn’t even married yet."

My sister suddenly burst out laughing.

"Good, good, very good."

She laughed so hard she was nearly in tears.

She stood up, clothes still dripping, and pulled me into a tight hug.

"Thank God. My Annie isn’t married yet."

"This time, I won’t let you marry that jerk again."

As she held me, I could smell the lake water on her clothes, cold and muddy, and the warmth of her arms around me somehow made the world feel a little less crazy. My stepmom muttered about needing to wash those jeans twice, but I couldn’t help feeling a strange mix of comfort and confusion at my sister’s words.