My sister was targeted by the ruthless syndicate boss Damien Blackwood, but she loved her boyfriend. When Damien came for her, she knocked me out—her identical twin—and sent me in her place before fleeing the country. Forced to marry Damien, I never showed him kindness. He treated me as a substitute, rewarding or punishing me on a whim. Ten years later, my sister returned. She lied to Damien, claiming I had pushed her into a river out of jealousy, causing her to lose her memory. Enraged, Damien threw me into the cellar. During a visit, my sister wrapped an iron chain around my neck. "If you don’t die, my lies will be exposed," she hissed, strangling me. I reopened my eyes back on the day Damien first noticed my sister. This time, I volunteered: "Victoria, you go. I’ll marry Damien." This time, I would be the one he cherished. 1 "Mom, Dad, please, save me! I don't want to marry Damien Blackwood!" My sister Victoria’s sobs were so close they snapped me back to reality. I was alive. I had been reborn. "They say he's a ruthless killer," she wailed, "that he's tortured women to death! If I marry him, it's a death sentence! Besides, I swore I'd only ever marry Caleb. If I can't be with him, I'd rather die!" My mother's voice was thick with tears. "But we can't afford to cross a man like Damien! If you don't go, he'll destroy our whole family!" My father wiped his eyes. "It's my fault. I'm useless, I can't even protect my own daughter. Let them kill me instead. If there's a body, surely they'll have to back down." "Are you insane?" my mother shrieked. "This is Damien Blackwood, the head of the Syndicate! What does your life mean to him?" Before Victoria could speak again, I stepped forward. "Victoria," I said, my voice clear and steady, "you and Caleb go. I'll marry Damien in your place." My family stared at me in stunned silence. Victoria’s eyes looked as if they were about to pop out of her head. "We're identical twins," I continued calmly. "He'll never know the difference." My mother hesitated. "It's a solution, yes, but Damien is an incredibly powerful man. Can we really fool him forever? What if he finds out? He won't spare any of us." But my father had made up his mind. "Victoria, you should go. I'll give you the fifty thousand dollars I've saved up. You and Caleb can go to Australia. The Blackwood family’s reach shouldn't extend that far." Not once did they express any concern for me. Their hearts and minds were filled with their precious elder daughter. As for me, the younger one, I had always been expendable. Victoria thought for a long moment. "Mom, Dad… why don't we stage a funeral? Tell everyone that Ava fell into the river and drowned. That way, it won't seem so suspicious when our family is suddenly one person short." Once the plan was settled, they hurriedly packed a small bag for me and put me in the car that had come to collect Damien Blackwood's bride. 2 In my past life, I had woken up in that car terrified and confused, and my marriage to Damien was poisoned with hostility from the start. Ten years of pure, cold hatred. But setting aside the rumors, Damien was handsome, powerful, and fiercely protective of his own. Marrying him was, without a doubt, a huge step up in the world. The first thing Damien said to me was, "I have only one rule for you: Obey." I immediately took his hand, my eyes wide and earnest. "My husband, you can count on me. I'll be the most obedient wife. Tell me to go east, and I'll never even look west." Damien paused, taken aback. Then he beckoned his assistant over. "Get my wife everything she needs. The wife of Damien Blackwood will not look so… plain." And just like that, I was showered with a tidal wave of luxury goods. An entire wall of custom cabinetry was installed just for the diamond watches. During the day, while Damien attended to his business, I would be in the kitchen, creating elaborate meals for him. I personally prepared every breakfast, lunch, and dinner, right down to the dessert. At night, I transformed into a gentle, affectionate kitten, catering to his every need until he was utterly content. Gradually, Damien's demeanor toward me softened. He began to take me with him to public events. One day, my mother called, telling me my father was gravely ill. When I walked through the door, I found my father sprawled on the sofa, picking his teeth, the clean-picked bones of a pork knuckle on the table in front of him. "Dad? You're not sick?" "Would you have come back if your mother hadn't used that excuse?" he grumbled. My mother jabbed a finger into my temple. "You ungrateful child! You're living the high life at the Blackwood estate while your parents are left to fend for themselves, is that it?" "Mom, Dad, if I recall correctly, the day I married into the Blackwood family, you sent me a text. You said that from that day on, my life was no longer your concern. You told me never to contact you again, no matter what happened. You did say that, didn't you? I still have the message." My mother’s eyes blazed. "Have you no heart? We only did that because we were afraid of being a burden to you! And now that you're comfortable, you've forgotten all about your family!" "Hasn't Damien been sending you money? I know for a fact he gives you a generous allowance every month. And this mansion? He bought it for you! Isn't that enough? What more do you want?" Her anger flared hotter. "Have you forgotten you have a sister?" "Mother, I suggest you choose your words carefully. I don't have a sister. I had a younger twin, but she tragically drowned." "Don't you play games with me, not in our house! Let me be blunt. Give your sister one million dollars, and we will never bother you again." "A million dollars? Where am I supposed to get that kind of money?" My father shot up, roaring at me. "Damien Blackwood is worth billions! We're only asking for a million! If you can't even manage that, then maybe you shouldn't be Mrs. Blackwood at all!" I let out a cold laugh. "I don't have the money. And whether I remain Mrs. Blackwood is not for you to decide." 3 A month after our argument, my mother called me again. "Ava, darling, I was out of line before. I'm so sorry. Are you free this weekend? I'd love to cook for you, have you over for a meal." It was the first time in the two years since my marriage that my mother had invited me home for dinner. Before I could answer, she started to cry. "Ava, I'm getting old. Your father and I aren't in the best of health. Every chance we have to see you is precious." My heart softened. "Okay, Mom. I'll be there this weekend." When I arrived, my mother was incredibly warm. She led me inside to a table already laden with all my favorite dishes. I had just sat down when someone emerged from the bedroom. "Victoria? What are you doing back?" My heart began to pound in my chest. According to my past life, Victoria wasn't supposed to return for another eight years. "Long time no see, little sister." She sat down next to me, her eyes raking over my clothes. "This whole outfit must be worth a fortune." She pointed to my bracelet. "And that's probably worth a small car. Damien really spoils you." She sighed dramatically. "You're living the good life. You have no idea how hard these past two years have been for me abroad." "Victoria, didn't you say you'd be happy eating scraps as long as you were with Caleb?" "Caleb? There is no Caleb!" she snapped. "Let's be clear. I'm back to reclaim my identity. From now on, you go back to being Ava, and I will be Victoria again." "After dinner, you will take off those clothes and that jewelry and give them to me. I'll go back to the Blackwood estate in your place. We're swapping back." Her audacity was so shocking I had to laugh. "You have a lot of nerve. Do you really think that after two years of working my ass off to earn Damien's favor and secure my position, I would just hand it all over to you?" Victoria slammed her hand on the table. "Damien was supposed to marry me! You've been squatting in my place for two years. Do you really intend to keep it forever?" "You were the one who refused to marry him, nearly getting our entire family killed in the process! I sacrificed myself for you! You should be grateful!" "And the fact that I won Damien's affection and became the lady of the house is due to my own efforts! Do you think you can just waltz back in and take my place?" Victoria shot to her feet. "You have some nerve! I've been more than generous letting you enjoy my life for two years! If you don't switch back with me, I'll go straight to Damien and expose you! I'll tell him you pushed me into the river out of jealousy and that's why I lost my memory! Then we'll see how you die when he finds out you deceived him!" I stood up calmly. "Go ahead. Let's see what happens. We can go down together. I have a recording of the conversation where you all begged me to take your place. We can play it for Damien. If we're going to die, we'll die as a family." My mother rushed over and slapped me across the face. "You will switch with your sister today, or I will kill myself right here!" I clutched my stinging cheek, tears welling in my eyes. "Mom, before I saw Victoria, I really thought you and Dad had a place for me in your hearts. But now I see, you only have one daughter." "I am never switching back with her. Give up." I turned to leave, desperate to escape that toxic house. But as I took my first step, a sharp, explosive pain erupted at the back of my head. 4 I collapsed into a pool of my own blood. The pain was so intense my body trembled uncontrollably. I could feel the warm, slick blood pouring from the wound. Victoria stood over me, holding the weapon: a small ceramic bear I had given her for her birthday years ago. "Victoria, you hit her too hard!" my mother shrieked. "Did you kill her?" Seeing my eyes were still open, Victoria relaxed. "She's still breathing." She knelt and patted my cheek. "Ava, you brought this on yourself. If you had just agreed to switch, none of this would have happened." My vision began to blur, but I bit my lip, forcing myself to stay conscious. "To look more like you, I even lost twenty pounds and got the same haircut," Victoria continued, chattering to herself. "Once I'm in your clothes, not even Mom and Dad will be able to tell us apart, let alone Damien. From now on, you'll be a good little Ava. Otherwise, you'll force my hand." My parents were starting to strip my clothes off when a knock echoed from the front door. The whole family froze. "Who is it?" Victoria called out. "It's me." It was Damien. I was about to scream when my father clamped a hand over my mouth and dragged me into the bedroom. "Victoria, why isn't the door open?" Damien's voice was sharp. My mother quickly pulled a rug over the bloodstain on the floor. Only then did Victoria open the door. "What are you doing here?" she asked, trying to sound casual. "I was nearby, so I came to pick you up." Damien's eyes narrowed. "You weren't wearing that when you left." "I spilled something, so I changed into some old clothes. Since you're here, let's go." I could hear every word from the bedroom. If she left with him, my life would be a repeat of the last. Victoria would never let me live; only the dead can keep secrets. My father glared at me, mouthing a silent warning. I nodded obediently, my left hand fumbling for the leg of a nearby chair. With a sudden jerk, I pulled it over. It crashed to the floor with a loud thud. Enraged, my father grabbed my hair and slapped me hard across the face. "What was that?" Damien asked from the living room. Victoria quickly blocked his path. "Nothing! Probably just the cat." But Damien was already walking toward the bedroom. He bent down and touched the dark stain on the floor just outside the door. "This is blood." He tried the doorknob. It was locked. "It's probably just from the cat, you know, in heat. It's filthy, let me take you to wash your hands," Victoria said, trying to pull him away. "Open the door." "My dad's in there, sleeping one off. We shouldn't disturb him." Seizing my chance while my father was distracted, I slipped the heavy bracelet from my wrist and hurled it at the door. It hit with a loud clang. Damien's frown deepened. He took a step back and kicked the door clean off its hinges. And there he saw me, covered in blood, with my father on top of me, whipping me with a belt.
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