Chapter 1

On my twentieth birthday, my parents confessed they'd gone bankrupt and owed millions to loan sharks.

Then they knelt in front of my sister and me and laid out a bet.

"You're both of marrying age now. Whoever gets engaged first won't have to marry Mr. Finch to clear the debt."

I'd been the pretty one since childhood, and even I hesitated. But my plain-looking sister agreed without a blink.

Seeing me falter, my parents coaxed and cajoled.

"You're the beautiful one, so this bet already tips in your favor. Your sister isn't even arguing. What are you hesitating for?"

My sister joined in, spitting the word at me. Cold-blooded.

"I don't have an ungrateful little snake for a sister!"

In my last life, that was exactly how they cornered me. I gave in to the bet.

But I knew Mr. Finch was a pervert past eighty, so I scrambled to get my boyfriend to come propose.

Except the boyfriend I'd loved for three years took one look at my sister and swore he'd marry no one else.

They forced me into old Mr. Finch's bed, where I was abused until I died.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back at the moment my parents laid out their little multiple-choice question.

1

"Vicky, if you have any decency left, you'll save your mom and dad!"

"You've grown up prettier than your sister since you were small. If anyone should be scared, it's her, and she didn't even hesitate!"

"If I'd known I carried a viper like you for ten months, I never would've had you!"

My parents fired at me from both sides, back and forth, without stopping.

As if refusing the bet made me lower than a dog.

My sister stood off to the side, sniveling.

"I'm willing to marry Mr. Finch, to repay Mom and Dad for raising us."

"But you know Mom and Dad have always cared about fairness. That's the only reason they set up this bet."

Right. Mom and Dad had always cared about keeping things even.

From the first moment they saw me, they decided I'd come out prettier than my sister.

And to be fair, they had to make it up to their plainer daughter, over and over.

"Vicky's a natural beauty. She doesn't need to fuss over her looks."

"Evie's ordinary. We can't let her feel inferior. She has to have the best."

From the day I was born, everything I ate and wore and used was whatever my sister didn't want, had outgrown, or looked down on.

In my last life, I believed in their fairness.

That's how I ended up abused to death on my wedding night.

"I don't agree!"

Remembering how that life ended, I was absolutely firm.

"Mr. Finch is a pervert! He's already gone through eight wives—"

"Crack!"

My father's eyes bulged and he slapped me across the face.

"Don't be so ungrateful!"

"That man's over eighty. What could he possibly do to you?"

"Marry him, wait a few years for him to die, and you'll have money. Then you can do whatever you want."

"Is marrying Mr. Finch to pay off the debt really the only way?"

The pain made me suck in a sharp breath. I clutched my cheek and screamed.

"We can go to the police, we can take it to court! Loan sharking is illegal!"

"Shut up!" my father roared.

"Crack!"

Another slap landed on my face.

"You wretched girl, you want to get us killed!" My mother rushed over and pinched me hard.

"If we get beaten to death, what happens to your sister?"

"This is decided, and that's final!"

My father's voice left no room for argument.

I was about to fire back when the doorbell rang.

"Enough! We don't air family shame in front of outsiders."

Hearing someone at the door, my mother shot my sister a look.

My sister, black eyeliner running down her face with her tears, went back to her room.

The door opened.

"Sir, ma'am."

"Vicky!"

The person at the door was my boyfriend, Joel Chavez.

"What are you doing here?"

Last life, to lock in a fiancé before my sister could, I'd taken the bet and called him at once to come and propose.

He was an upperclassman I'd met on my first day of college.

Three years together, and he'd found ninety-nine different ways to confess to me, until everyone around us was envious.

"Vicky, when you turn twenty, we'll get our marriage license."

"I want to take care of you for the rest of my life!"

I thought that bet was mine to win.

But the boyfriend who'd loved me for three years took my call, rushed straight over to propose,

and lost himself the instant he laid eyes on my sister, Evie.

So this time, I never called him at all.

"Your sister was the one who called me." He smiled and stroked my head.

"I've never met her, but she told me over the phone it was your birthday today, Vicky, and asked me to come celebrate with you."

"I knew today was your twentieth birthday! I've finally waited long enough for this day."

"Vicky, will you—"

"You must be Vicky's boyfriend!" My sister, freshly made up again, came sweeping out.

She cut right through his heartfelt proposal.

"So this is your—your sister!"

Joel's eyes lit up with delight, completely forgetting he'd been in the middle of proposing to me a second ago.

"I've never seen a girl so lovely."

"Will you—" I clapped my hand over his mouth and dragged him out the door!