His Spoiled Bride Is Back for Revenge

In Windmere.

Lightning cracked across the sky. Within seconds, heavy rain pounded down, fat droplets exploding into the pavement like shattered glass.

Bang!

The car veered violently, tires screeching against the slick road before flipping over-once, twice, again. Metal crunched. Glass shattered. Then came the final, deafening crash.

"Broderick Ackerley!" A sharp, heart-wrenching scream tore through the rain.

Leslie Green unbuckled in a hurry and bolted out of the car.

She had just received word that the Green family wanted to stage a car crash to kill Broderick. She rushed after him immediately, but it was already too late-she could only watch helplessly as his car spun out.

The rain hit her face hard, blurring her vision instantly.

The driver's side window had shattered. Broderick's head was pressed against the ground, blood streaming from his forehead.

His consciousness was slipping.

Was he hallucinating? Could've sworn that was Leslie screaming his name.

Wasn't she the one who had always wanted him gone? Now, at last, he was dying-shouldn't that make her happy?

But then-

"Broderick!"

Not a hallucination. Her desperate cries cut through the pounding rain like knives, jarring him awake.

"Broderick, don't you dare die on me! Stay with me!"

Leslie stumbled over and fell to her knees beside him, crying as she dragged him out of the wreckage. She cradled his head on her lap, tears mixing with rainwater on her cheeks, her whole body shaking with sobs.

"Why... why is this happening?!"

Her hands trembled as she gently cupped his face-once so proud and untouchable, now barely breathing, barely alive.

She leaned down, kissing his bloodied forehead with cold lips.

"Broderick, hang in there. Please don't die on me."

She leaned over him, shielding his face from the relentless rain.

Broderick blinked slowly, one hand trembling as he lifted it and reached up to touch her cheek like she was the most precious thing in the world.

"Leslie... are you crying for me? You don't want me to go? Do you... do you love me now?"

Her mind went blank for a second.

Did she? Was she really in love with Broderick?

She found herself nodding before she even realized it.

A spark flickered in Broderick's eyes, faint but real.

"Really? That makes me so happy, Leslie..."

She shook her head hard. "Broderick, I never wanted you to die. I begged them; they promised they wouldn't hurt you. But they lied. This is all my fault. I'm so sorry..."

"I've got no blame for you. Just knowing you loved me... that's enough. I can go in peace now."

A cold voice suddenly cut through the rain behind them.

"So, you really did fall for him?"

Samuel Green stood there staring, disappointment etched deep in his eyes.

He was dressed to the nines, a black pistol gripped tightly in his hand, aimed straight at them.

Standing beside him, holding an umbrella over his head, was Leslie's second sister-Lydia Green. She wore a bright red dress and had a cruel little smile tugging at her lips.

"Do it, brother," she urged. "Didn't I tell you? After four years by that man's side, you really thought she'd stay clean? Look at her. She's completely fallen for him. And she tried to claim there was nothing between them?"

She wrapped her fingers around the pistol and started to squeeze the trigger along with him.

"Come on, don't tell me you're hesitating. Just look at your dear sister-so heartbroken. Once she finds out you killed her precious Broderick, what then? She'll come running for revenge. Better to be done with it. Take them both out. Nice and clean."

Leslie gawked at them in disbelief, her eyes full of pain.

"Samuel... I'm your sister. You... you really want to kill me?"

Leslie suddenly snatched the gun from Samuel's hand and aimed it right at her. A twisted grin tugged at Lydia's lips, filled with both satisfaction and cruelty.

"Hah! People always said you were just a pretty face, nothing but a decorative doll in the Green family. Looks like they were spot on. You want to know who your real brother is before you die? Let me clear that up-you're not even really one of us. You were just some stray the family picked up. If it weren't for your talent in art and design, do you really think we'd have taken you in? All these years, everyone treated you like the third daughter of the Green family-you stole all the love that should've been mine! I've had it with you."

Something snapped in Leslie's mind, like a wire stretched too tight finally breaking.

She remembered Vivian Green, that graceful and untouchable woman she'd called "Mom" for over twenty years.

*****

"Leslie, I know it's unfair, but you're the one I love most. Sending you to Broderick... we didn't want to, but he forced our hand. If we don't take him down first, he'll destroy the entire Green family. Once the Ackerleys fall, we'll bring you home."

Four years ago, the Greens handed her off to Broderick under the guise of a marriage alliance-she became his wife.

But Leslie couldn't stand him.

Because Vivian had told her Broderick had forced their family into that decision-either hand her over or be ruined. No place in all of Aurelia would have been safe for the Greens.

So Leslie went, dragging all her resentment and thirst for revenge with her.

"The whole family lied to you, made you think you belonged. Made you believe you were cherished. We built you up just to break you down!"

They'd spoiled her into being difficult and reckless-just to turn her into a time bomb ready to detonate next to Broderick.

"Oh Leslie, the plan was perfect. You were supposed to ruin Broderick, and then we were going to toss you to that fat old perv who buys women like wine-aged and disposable. But nope, you screwed it all up by falling for him. Tried to spare his life even. And now, you even chase after him like you're some kind of hero. Too bad you're too late. But hey, maybe I'll be generous-let you two die together."

Lydia's smile turned colder, more mocking, as she pulled the trigger.

Leslie didn't flinch. She just sat there, frozen and hollow.

Bang!

The shot rang out-but it didn't hit her.

No one knew when, but the barely conscious man had thrown himself in front of her, taking the bullet.

As his still-handsome face showed a faint smile, Leslie let out a choked sob.

"Broderick!"

This wasn't supposed to happen. He shouldn't have...

Even in this moment, he was still protecting her.

Jealousy flickered across Lydia's face.

What did Leslie have? Just a pretty face?

Broderick would rather love a spoiled, reckless Leslie than someone like her!

"Run... just go..."

Broderick forced the words out, blood spilling from the gunshot through his chest.

Leslie's trembling hands pressed down on the wound.

"I won't. I dragged you into this. If someone has to die, I'll die with you."

But before she died, she'd take down Samuel and Lydia with her!

She stood up.

Crack.

Lightning split the sky above, casting the world in sharp, blinding white.

Her stunning face turned icy, a fierce rage burning behind her eyes as she moved toward Lydia and Samuel step by step-like an avenging ghost crawling out of hell.

Lydia's throat bobbed nervously as she swallowed, quickly pulling the trigger again, firing two shots right at Leslie.

Leslie's steps froze for a second. But the next moment, she had already sent the gun in Lydia's hand flying with one swift kick. Without hesitation, she grabbed Lydia by the neck and hoisted her up effortlessly.

Leslie was born with freakish strength. Lydia, standing at 1.63 meters tall, might as well have been a rag doll in her hands.

Her eyes turned fierce, and with a sharp twist-crack-the sound echoed before Lydia could even scream, her neck snapping instantly.

Lydia's eyes went wide in horror, dying with shock and disbelief in her stare.

No one would've thought Leslie could pull that off after being shot twice. But there she stood, still strong enough to kill.

She then turned to Samuel.

Samuel was trembling in fear. There was no doubt now-Leslie was a monster. Killing her was the only right choice.

He picked up the gun from the ground and fired again and again.

One bullet hit her in the head.

Leslie was just one step away from him, arm still outstretched, when she finally dropped.

Her eyes... were filled with unwillingness.

Just a bit more. She was so close. She could've taken Samuel down with her.

Damn it... It wasn't supposed to end like this!

Her gaze shifted toward Broderick's direction. She struggled, crawling through the bloodstained ground toward him.

At some point, the rain had stopped. A trail of blood followed her movements. Finally, she reached Broderick and grabbed his lifeless hand.

"Broderick... I'm sorry. I'm giving my life to you now-it's only fair."

Then, her eyes slowly closed. But her lips curled into a faint smile, peaceful and quiet...

*****

"Mmm..."

The person in bed stirred slightly, her head aching a bit.

She rolled over-and promptly fell off the bed.

Thud.

Leslie snapped awake from the impact.

Her eyes flew open, sharp and bright.

She sat up straight. The half-open curtains flapped gently in the breeze coming through the window, light flickering across the room.

Looking around, she quickly realized something that felt both insane and real-she was back.

Or rather... reborn.

Back to four years ago.

Today, four years ago, was the day Broderick came to pick her up.

Leslie jumped up and dashed to the bathroom.

The reflection in the mirror was her twenty-year-old self. She still looked a bit youthful, but her beauty was already blooming.

Her fingers trembled slightly.

She touched the mirror, eyes trailing up to her seductive, almond-shaped eyes glowing with intensity.

She... had actually come back.

No-she'd been reborn. Back in this life!

This time around, she'd make sure every single member of the Green family regret crossing her.

Just thinking of Broderick sent a wave of warmth and anxiousness through her chest.

Once she'd freshened up and changed, there was a knock on the door.

Vivian's voice rang out, "Leslie, sweetie, are you up yet?"

Lydia chimed in from the hallway too, "Why isn't she up yet? Mom, you spoil her way too much."

Vivian replied gently, "Lydia, she's your little sister, the baby of the house. Of course we want to give her extra love. And she's heading to the Ackerleys soon... My heart's already aching a bit. You shouldn't fight with her."

In her last life, hearing these words had moved Leslie so much she was ready to do anything for the Green family.

Even if she hadn't really wanted to go to the Ackerleys, she still agreed in the end.

Leslie pulled open the door. Vivian's eyes were full of warmth and affection.

Leslie stared straight at her, her gaze sharp and unreadable.

Without a smile, she looked distant and cold.

Her mind flashed back to Lydia's final words-everyone in the Green family had been acting.

They had fooled her all along.

She wasn't even a real Green.

Then... who was she?