Bankruptcy Choice, The Sister’s Regret

My family went bankrupt right after my sister and I graduated from college.

My father gave us two choices. Either marry the heir of the White family to secure an alliance, or take over the company and clean up the mess.

In my previous life, my sister, Chloe, wanted the life of a wealthy socialite. She chose to marry Byron White.

She ended up being tortured by him until she was barely alive. She eventually became disfigured and disabled.

Meanwhile, I used my business talent to bring the company back from the dead. For a while, I was at the top of the world.

Chloe was driven mad with jealousy. During the company's IPO launch, she stormed in with a canister of gasoline and burned me alive.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back at the moment my father gave us the choice.

This time, Chloe stepped in front of me before I could speak.

"Let Nina marry the White heir. She's always been pampered and can't handle a hard life. I want to stay and fight alongside Dad."

I couldn't help but laugh. My foolish sister. Staying at the company is going to be far worse than marrying into the White family.

...

"Dad, Mom, I'm the youngest. I shouldn't just think about my own happiness and abandon you when the company is in trouble."

The familiar voice dragged me back from the terrifying darkness. I opened my eyes to a scene I knew all too well.

Chloe was pulling on my father's sleeve, her voice thick with fake tears. My parents had looks of pity on their faces.

I had been reborn! And Chloe had made a different choice than in our previous life. She had been reborn too!

In my last life, after we graduated, the family went belly up. My father called us home with an emergency.

He was blunt. He gave us two options. The first was to marry the crown prince of the city's elite, Byron White.

Our families had arranged a marriage back when the Sullivans were still thriving. If one daughter married in, the White family would save us from ruin.

The second option was to stay and deal with the creditors. Back then, Chloe didn't hesitate. She scrambled to be the one to marry Byron.

In reality, I was the one originally promised to the White family. But my parents couldn't bear to see their favorite younger daughter suffer.

They used the excuse of letting us choose to pressure me into stepping down. I always valued family, and they knew it.

After they guilt-tripped me, I gave the golden ticket to Chloe. But after Chloe married Byron, she turned her back on us.

When I brought my parents to his door to ask about the funding, she blocked us. She was decked out in gold and diamonds.

She looked at me with pure contempt. "Nina, your grades were always better. You're the capable one. You can save the company on your own."

"The White family looks rich, but things are tight for us too. You wouldn't want to drag your own sister down, would you?"

I thought my parents would be furious. Instead, they turned to me with pleading eyes that brooked no argument.

They said, "Nina, your sister and brother-in-law have it hard too. The Whites kept their word by marrying her. Let's not be a burden."

"She has to live with them, after all. We don't want them looking down on her." Blood boiled in my chest.

In this family, it seemed I was the only villain. To keep my sister's head high, I slaved away at the company alone.

I once drank until my stomach bled just to secure a tiny contract. I even ripped out an IV drip in the hospital to run to a client's call.

Hard work paid off. The company finally rose from the ashes. But Chloe was being broken by that playboy Byron.

On the day of the IPO, she stormed the stage with gasoline and set me on fire. Through the flames, I saw her twisted, hateful eyes.

"Nina Sullivan, why do you get to be a successful woman while I live like a maggot in a gutter? Come to hell with me!"

The fire licked every inch of my skin. But I saw it clearlyDmy parents ignored me and rushed into the fire to save Chloe.

My heart turned to ash. I closed my eyes.

2.

"Chloe, think about this carefully. The Sullivan family isn't what it used to be. Staying here means you'll only suffer..."

My mother's voice pulled me back from the painful memories. I saw her holding Chloe's hand, her eyes filled with heartache.

I remembered clearly that in my last life, when Chloe chose the easy path, my parents looked satisfied. They didn't even try to comfort me.

In their minds, I was a year older than Chloe. I was supposed to give her everything. I was meant to endure the hardship.

It had been that way since we were kids. Chloe acted all heroic and self-sacrificing.

"Mom, I know you love me. But I've grown up. Nina has never been able to handle stress, but I..."

She choked up mid-sentence. She gave me a timid, fearful look as if I were threatening her. She let the rest of the sentence hang in the air.

I sneered internally. How did I not see through her fake, manipulative act in my last life?

As Chloe covered her face and sobbed, my mother's gaze toward me turned cold. Chloe shot me a small, triumphant smile.

"Nina, what do you think? Chloe really can't handle this kind of struggle..." My father looked at me with desperation.

He was waiting for me to say something different. They never told me their true feelings directly. They just knew I was soft-hearted.

They knew I wouldn't want Chloe to lose out. This "democratic" question was actually a threat to make me stay in my place.

"I respect Chloe's decision," I said, lowering my eyes to hide the coldness. I pretended not to understand my father's hidden meaning.

My father was stunned for a moment. Finally, he let out a long sigh. "Then it's settled. Nina, you prepare to marry into the White family."

"Chloe will stay and help me." He paused, then added, "Nina, once you're there, don't forget to help Chloe out. Keep an eye on the investment."

In my last life, when Chloe chose Byron, my father just held her hand and told her to live her life well.

He told her not to worry about the Sullivans. He said our bankruptcy shouldn't burden her or make her lose face with the Whites.

But when it came to me, I was expected to support the family at every turn. Such blatant favoritism.

It didn't matter. I had seen their true faces after I died. The pain was there, but my heart was incredibly calm.

I didn't answer. I just went upstairs to pack a few simple clothes. Chloe leaned against my doorframe, looking at me with disdain.

"Nina, the White estate isn't a bed of roses. Have fun enjoying the love of that freak."

I just gave her a blank look. This time, I'm the one deciding the rules of the game!

3.

The White family's car was already waiting outside. I grabbed my suitcase and looked back at the happy family of three.

My father was rubbing his temples tiredly. My mother was coddling Chloe. Chloe flashed me a victory smirk when they weren't looking.

I watched the show with cold eyes. You idiot, I thought. You think stealing my old path will give you a happy ending?

In this life, I'm going to let you experience exactly what it feels like to be trapped in a living hell.

The White mansion was even more magnificent than I remembered. In my past life, Chloe used to brag about its luxury.

Back then, I was too busy worrying about the company's cash flow to care. Now that I was here, her descriptions didn't do it justice.

"Miss Sullivan, we have arrived." The driver opened the door respectfully.

I stepped out and looked up at the building. It looked like a modern European castle.

The Whites were the true kings of the city's elite. Their reach was global. Even politicians had to show them respect.

If our grandfathers hadn't been war buddies, the Sullivans would never have been considered for an alliance.

"So, you're Nina Sullivan?" A lazy male voice came from the side.

I turned and saw a tall man leaning against a marble pillar. His white shirt was unbuttoned at the top, revealing a sharp collarbone.

He held a cigarette between his fingers. Through the smoke, his narrow eyes studied me. This was Byron White.

The demon who had tortured Chloe to the brink of death in my past life. "Hello, Mr. White."

I nodded slightly. I let a strand of hair fall over my ear. Chloe had said Byron hated women who tried too hard.

Surprisingly, Byron stood up straight and crushed his cigarette. He walked over and stopped right in front of me.

Then, he reached out and tucked that strand of hair behind my ear. "You can just call me husband."

His voice was deep, carrying a hint of a smile that was hard to read. "My fiance doesn't need to be so formal."

I froze. This was completely different from the cold, heartless monster Chloe had described.

"What? Did I scare you?" Byron smirked and leaned closer to my ear.

"Don't worry. I'm very... gentle with women." His warm breath hit my ear.

I stepped back instinctively. He immediately caught my wrist. "My cute fiance, shouldn't we work on our relationship?"

I knew Byron wasn't as harmless as he looked. I pulled my hand away, feeling awkward. "Where is my room?"

Byron's lips curved into a strange arc. He led me into the villa. "Your room is right next to mine."

He pushed open a carved wooden door. "Tell the butler if you need anything." The room was three times the size of my old bedroom.

It was decorated in low-key blues and grays. There was a private balcony. I walked to the window and saw it overlooked a rose garden.

"Do you like it?" Byron leaned against the doorframe. "I had it prepared specifically for you."

I turned to him, more surprised than anything. "Mr. White... Byron, when is the wedding date set for?"

"What's the rush?" He chuckled. "Is my fiance that eager to marry me?" My heart skipped a beat.

He gave me one last meaningful look and turned to leave. Only when his footsteps faded did I let out a long breath.

Something was wrong. Everything was wrong. Byron's attitude toward me was nothing like how he treated Chloe.

Did my choice trigger a butterfly effect? I checked my phone. I had over a dozen missed calls, all from Chloe.

I sneered and ignored them. When I was slaving for the company in my last life, she never showed this much "concern."

A text popped up. "Nina, why aren't you picking up? I'm worried. Is the White family being mean? Is Byron scary? Do you want me to visit?"

I replied: "Everything is fine. Byron is a gentleman. You should worry about the company. I heard creditors showed up today?"

The phone rang less than ten seconds after I sent the message. I smiled and picked up.

"Nina Sullivan, what are you bragging about? Byron being nice? You're just trying to make me jealous!"

I stayed silent. Chloe probably thought she had called my bluff and grew even more arrogant.

"Stop pretending. When you start crying, don't you dare come back begging for a job at my company!"

I just gave a faint smile. "Worry about your debt collectors first." I hung up and laughed silently.

Chloe, enjoy the first big gift of your rebirth.