Chapter 2: The Ribbon and the Rival

2

My sister pulled me and my stepmom into a room, dismissed the housekeeper, and took a deep breath before speaking slowly.

She said she’d been reborn.

In her previous life—

At a charity gala, I tripped and fell right into Ethan Carter’s arms.

Just imagine: Ethan, elegant and striking, like something out of a magazine.

He instinctively caught me, and we spun around, then toppled over together—me on top, him underneath.

Ethan wasn’t moved.

I wasn’t moved either.

But Ethan’s mom was.

She saw how I knocked Ethan to the ground, looking so sturdy.

I was chubby and round, with a big face and generous hips—built for big family dinners and backyard games, as Grandma would say.

The Carter family only has one direct bloodline and doesn’t allow side branches, so descendants are few.

So, against everyone’s objections, she proposed marriage to my family.

Seven years into the marriage—

Ethan handed me divorce papers.

He said, "There was never any love between us."

I nodded. "That’s to be expected."

Honestly, Ethan and I never seemed like a match.

Stepmom suddenly asked, "Annie, did you have any kids?"

My sister paused, then said, "Yes, three."

"All left with the Carter family."

Shocked, I dropped my pork rib right onto my sister’s skirt.

Her new skirt instantly became greasy and smelled like barbecue.

But my sister didn’t blame me. Instead, she cradled my not-so-small head with a look of pity.

"Three little pork chops... best not to mention them."

Finally—

Under the stern gaze of my stepmom and sister, I dropped to my knees on the living room rug, right in front of the TV, and declared, "I’d rather marry a Golden Retriever than Ethan Carter."

I’d rather be the crazy aunt with a dozen cats than end up with three Carter kids again.

My stepmom snapped a quick picture on her iPhone for evidence—"just in case you get ideas later," she said, only half joking. The room smelled like barbecue sauce, new fabric, and a little bit of hope.

3

In the months that followed—

My sister took me everywhere with her, avoiding any event where Ethan Carter might show up.

She was overly cautious.

There’s a world of difference between Ethan and me.

The Carter family’s golden boy—a favorite of the mayor, a real local celebrity.

And me?

Just the overlooked daughter of the Chen family, plain-looking, food-loving, and lazy.

At past galas, when we crossed paths—

He was always the center of attention, never glancing at me tucked away in a corner.

Besides—

It’s been seven years, and Ethan made it clear he doesn’t like me.

Even if we meet, so what?

My sister said meaningfully, "You’re still young, you don’t get it."

"Even if he didn’t like you, it didn’t stop him from sharing a bed with you for seven years."

At that, her nostrils flared, her disgust for Ethan even more obvious.

"If he’s also been reborn, who knows if he’ll come after you again."

But being reborn isn’t like gaining a few pounds—you can’t just get it whenever you want. Not everyone has that luck.

I rolled my eyes at her worries.

On the way, we bumped into some girls I didn’t get along with.

Uncharacteristically, my sister was all smiles and friendliness.

After those girls left, she sighed, "A lifetime’s dream, yet all are pitiful women."

But when she heard a Carter family cousin had sent their daughter to Maple Heights, her expression darkened.

That branch of the family lived far away in Savannah and had fallen on hard times. With a lot of nerve, they sent their daughter to Maple Heights, hoping for a good marriage.

The girl, Grace Shen, looked delicate and frail, but her posture was upright, giving her a particularly pitiable air.

Ethan’s mom was kind-hearted and took her in.

My sister rolled her eyes but said nothing.

I wasn’t interested enough to ask further.

Spring lingered, the scenery bright and lively.

Good days passed quickly.

In the blink of an eye, the day my sister had guarded against so carefully arrived—

The mayor’s wife’s birthday gala.

My sister had me on a literal leash—a bright pink ribbon cinched around my waist like I was a runaway toddler at the mall. The other end was firmly in her hand.

She watched the clock, calculating the time I’d supposedly bumped into Ethan Carter in the previous life.

After a while, she let out a long breath.

It seemed the critical moment had passed.

I could finally breathe.

The ribbon around my waist was untied.

I went to the restroom, but turned a corner and bumped into someone.

A guy as refined as a movie star—so handsome it took my breath away.

The moment he saw me, his gaze froze for a second.

As I walked past him, he called out, "Annie Chen."

"Seriously, Annie? You’re just gonna pretend I don’t exist now?"

My heart did a weird little hop—half panic, half something else. I kept my eyes on my shoes, but his voice tugged at me.

I could still hear the soft hum of the jazz band playing in the main hall, laughter drifting from the open bar. My hand brushed against the cool, marbled wall, and I realized I was holding my breath. My shoes squeaked slightly on the polished floor, grounding me in the present.