No More Doormat: Dump The Fiancé, Snag The Underworld Emperor

"Clara, I hate you!" Emily Jones screamed.

Pain slammed into Clara Jones.

"Why..." Struggling to breathe, Clara forced her head up. Her voice trembled as she stared at Emily through the haze.

Years ago, Ramona Jones, her stepmother, had joined the Jones family with her daughter, Emily.

Over the years, Clara had treated Emily like real family and had given her the kind of care she would have given a younger sister.

Never once had she imagined that Emily would be so cruel.

Shock crashed into Clara and tangled with rage and hurt, and the betrayal from someone she had called family cut deeper.

Emily rested one hand on her flat stomach, and triumph flickered in her eyes.

She stared down at Clara and said, her tone sharp with spite, "If you're still here, how are Robert and I supposed to tell people about our baby?"

A baby?

What baby?

A car door opened nearby before Clara could gather her thoughts, and a tall figure stepped out and walked toward them. It was Robert Cooper, the fiance she had chased for ten years.

Only then did Clara grasp that he had been secretly involved with Emily, watching the whole thing.

She fixed her eyes on him as he drew closer, searching his face for any sign of remorse.

He did not bother to look at her. Sliding an arm around Emily's waist, he said, "Stop wasting time on her. Get it over with. Send her to join her useless grandmother, comatose father, and foolish brother."

Rage and disbelief hit Clara like a physical blow. "It was you. My grandmother, my father, and my brother...? You horrible people. Emily, Robert, I will make you pay!"

Fallen at first, Clara forced herself upright and felt a fierce, sudden strength surge through her.

Fueled by the determination to take Emily down with her, Clara threw herself at her stepsister with every ounce of strength left.

Caught off guard, Emily jumped back, but Clara's nail still managed to scrape her cheek.

Fury twisted Emily's features, and the woman who worshipped her own reflection let out a wild snarl. "Get the share transfer contract. Make her sign it!"

Emily snatched up Clara's limp hand, and pressed a scarlet fingerprint onto the official paper.

Vision fading, Clara could just make out the twisted smile on Emily's face as her laughter echoed in the dark.

Bitterness and regret twisted inside her.

If only there was a way to start over...

A moment later, Clara's world faded to black.

...

Lightning flashed across the sky as rain hammered down in sheets.

Without warning, Clara's eyes snapped open. She found herself sitting in the far corner of a school auditorium, surrounded by rows of students.

Her first instinct was to look down. In the reflection of a tiny mirror on the table, she saw herself wearing a wedding dress, but her face was smeared with clownish, ugly makeup.

Sneering voices rang out from the crowd.

"Who even knows how many times Clara's begged Robert to marry her? Look at her-she just won't quit. Still desperate, even as the school's laughingstock."

"That's right! Who else would even bother with her if she didn't keep begging? I heard she's hoping to tie the knot with her so-called dream man, Robert, on her twentieth birthday!"

Every taunt jabbed at Clara like tiny daggers, but something even more startling hit her-she'd come back to life.

She found herself reliving the moment of her ninety-ninth proposal to Robert.

Disbelief crashed over her in waves.

She checked her face repeatedly in the mirror-no scars, her skin flawless.

This wasn't just a fantasy.

Somehow, she had returned to the day before her twentieth birthday. All of her losses and heartbreak hadn't happened yet.

For the first time in ages, hope sparked inside her.

She shot to her feet, determined to walk out and start over.

But chaos erupted by the auditorium doors, and students scrambled to clear a path.

Clara turned at the commotion and spotted Robert striding into the hall, crisp in a white shirt and surrounded by classmates.

He looked every bit the heartthrob, tall and striking, but Clara now caught the impatience lurking behind his charming smile.

The Cooper family and the Jones family had long planned a marriage between their families, and when Clara was brought back from the countryside by the Jones family, she replaced Emily to be the one who was supposed to marry Robert.

In her last life, that marriage agreement tied her from the moment she returned, and everyone blamed her for taking Emily's place and her man.

This time around, she refused to let the same mistake happen again.

"Clara, I'm sorry, but I can't accept your proposal once more," Robert muttered as he reached her, a polite smile on his face while his voice carried a coldness only she could feel.

Robert had promised her in private that if she proposed a hundred times in public, he would finally believe her and agree to marry her.

Yet in her previous life, when she reached that hundredth public plea, he betrayed her and accused her of forcing him.

Hatred sparked behind Clara's eyes like a match struck in the dark.

Seizing the bouquet of yellow roses she had prepared for Robert, she flung it straight at his head and spat, "You liar!"

The bouquet struck Robert directly in the face, making him stagger, his vision blurring from the surprise attack.

Gasps rippled through the auditorium.

Everyone at Pehville University knew about Clara's obsession with Robert-her love for him had always been an open secret.

So no one could have imagined that Clara would lash out at him in front of everyone.

The shock swept through the student body, making it the most explosive scandal on campus all year.

Fury twisted Robert's expression as he jabbed a finger at Clara. "Clara, what's gotten into you? This wild behavior is exactly why I never accepted your proposal!"

A cold, mocking smile played at Clara's lips.

Some things never changed-Robert was still the shameless pretender he had always been.

She remembered how she had bent over backwards for him, lowering herself just to win his approval.

And how he had always called her unstable, reckless, impossible to love.

Predictably, judgmental stares settled on her from every corner of the room.

In the past, the weight of that scorn would have crushed her, and she would have burst into tears, pleading for Robert to forgive her.

This time felt nothing like the others.

"Robert, you think far too highly of yourself!" Clara retorted, laughter cutting cold.

Clara stared down at him, her gaze as sharp as a blade. "You trampled my true feelings, Robert, and you will answer for that betrayal."

Her tone stayed low, but the chill in it made the whole room hush. "Watch me. I will unmask you and make you pay."

She tore the veil from her head and flung it over his face, then turned away without a backward glance.

Clara left the auditorium and walked straight to the underground garage. Sliding into her sports car, she felt hatred flare through her like a live wire.

This was only the opening move. From here on out, she would collect the debt Robert owed her for the life he ruined.

She drew a slow breath to steady the storm inside.

Before the revenge, there were people she now needed to protect.

Clara reached for her phone, planning to call her younger brother, Eric Jones, and suggest they visit their grandmother, Sylvia Jones, at the nursing home. Before she could dial, a notification popped up-Eric had just posted on Facebook.

She tapped open the post, and nine pictures loaded, showing the Jones family posing for photos on a day out.

Eric and Emily appeared side by side in every shot, their faces pressed close together as if they were the perfect siblings. The caption read, "Great day out with my favorite sister!"

A pang shot through Clara's chest as she scrolled through the images.

That familiar ache settled at the back of her throat, sharp and bitter.

In her previous life, false accusations had ruined her. When she finally got out on bail, Eric was already mentally broken.

Yet this time around, though Eric still clung to Emily as if she were family, at least he was healthy-at least he was alive.

"Staying alive... that's all that matters," Clara whispered, blinking fast to fight off the sting in her eyes. Her gaze lingered on the tagged location-Veiled Mountain.

She nearly scrolled away, but the name stopped her cold.

Veiled Mountain.

A memory she'd tried to forget forced its way to the surface.

Just a few days after this outing, someone powerful had showered the Jones family with expensive gifts, all to thank Emily for saving a VIP.

Due to that act, Emily had gained influence and resources beyond anything Clara could have imagined.

That man's words had been brief, but Clara could never forget the way he mentioned "Veiled Mountain."

A jolt of realization shot through her. Was today the very day Emily performed her miraculous rescue and changed her fate?

Clara's mind raced, and a plan came together in an instant.

Emily had always snatched away everything that mattered. This time, she would beat Emily to it.

Without a second thought, she steered her car toward Veiled Mountain, heart pounding.

While driving, she replayed old memories and sifted through every hint she remembered, eliminating the places where someone important could never be hidden.

She parked at the base of Veiled Mountain and made her way up, heading straight for a spot that she thought might be the possible hideout-a place halfway up the slope.

Holding her breath, Clara slowed her steps, searching every shadow and hollow.

After she scoured every likely hiding place, she still hadn't found a soul.

Confusion crept in just as a voice as icy as winter whispered, "Are you looking for trouble?"

Clara's pulse thundered in her ears, eyes going wide with shock before she pulled herself together.

She didn't waste a second. "I'm not here to hurt you!"

A quiet, mocking laugh sounded from behind her.

That cold, commanding tone returned. "Get lost."

Even the cold weight of his words carried authority-only someone important could sound so terrifying.

Drawing a slow breath, Clara slowly turned, and found herself staring at a man with striking, cold features.

Dressed in black, he seemed to merge with the shadows of the cave, but the power radiating off him was unmistakable. His sharp, handsome face could have put any celebrity to shame.

A spark of awe flickered in Clara's eyes, quickly replaced by deeper alarm as recognition set in-this was Oliver Walsh, the underworld king of their country, Vrilgas, a name that even the President feared.

Oliver's gaze met hers, and for a brief moment, surprise flashed in his eyes.

He hadn't expected her to stand her ground.

Her brief flicker of recognition didn't escape him either.

So she knew who he was-and maybe even that he had been poisoned.

"Who sent you?" Oliver's eyes were as cold as winter rain, his voice slicing through the silence. "Why are you following me?"

Years of medical study let Clara see right through him. The telltale flush on his skin and tension in his jaw gave away that he was fighting the effects of a potent drug-and losing.

Now was her chance to seize the opportunity Emily had once had, so she tried to keep things civil. "I want to help you..." Her plan was to say she could cure him.

She didn't get the chance to finish. "Help me? What's your game?"

A surge of frustration shot through Clara.

With fire in her eyes, Clara seized his sharply defined jaw and pressed her lips fiercely against his, stealing a deep, unexpected kiss.

Oliver couldn't believe what he was seeing; Clara's boldness caught him completely off guard.

He pressed forward, while she didn't retreat. Instead, she accepted his challenge.

Clara locked eyes with Oliver's dangerous glare. Her voice rang with a frosty pride as she declared, "If I truly intended to have my way with you, you'd be powerless to resist."

Oliver locked eyes with her, the air thick with tension.

Clara held his gaze, her voice steady and cool. "Don't forget it. My name is Clara Jones, and you owe your life to me."

Before he could do a thing, Clara struck him sharply on the side of the neck.

After confirming that he was unconscious, she tore open his shirt to treat him.

After making sure the bandage was secure, she pulled out her phone and called the police before walking away.

Unbeknownst to her, just ten minutes after she vanished, a team of ten bodyguards in black suits tracked Oliver down and quietly removed him from Veiled Mountain.

The moment he was back in the car, Oliver snapped awake.

As soon as he realized what had happened, his expression hardened. "Find out everything there is to know about a woman named Clara Jones."

Josh James, Oliver's right-hand man, turned in surprise at the command, instantly noticing the swelling of Oliver's lip. His eyes went wide in shock.

What could have possibly happened?

Most of the time, Oliver never allowed women to get anywhere near him, so it was unthinkable that he'd not only let someone close but also kiss them.

Did this mean Oliver actually had some interest in this Clara girl?

Oliver shot Josh a freezing glare.

That look made Josh freeze up immediately; he shoved aside all distractions and quickly pulled out his phone to start the investigation.

While this was happening, Clara made her way back to Jones Manor.

She reached the front gate just in time to spot Emily and Eric getting out of a car, chatting and laughing together.

Stopping for a moment, Clara then headed straight toward Eric.

Their attention shifted when they heard footsteps behind them.

The moment he realized it was Clara, Eric hurriedly moved away from Emily.

He considered going over to explain their outing, hoping Clara wouldn't be upset.

But as soon as he remembered that Clara had proposed to Robert today, he bit back his explanation and said nothing.

Frustration flared, and Eric turned away, pretending not to notice Clara at all.

Emily felt a sting of resentment when Eric put distance between them so abruptly.

No matter how hard she worked to win Eric over and act like a devoted sister, the truth remained that, deep down, he saw only Clara as his sister.

What an ungrateful little thing!

And Clara, this troublesome girl, was just a nobody brought back from the countryside. Still, being the only biological daughter of their father meant she overshadowed Emily at every turn.

Emily couldn't stand it.

The jealousy ate away at her, but she covered it up with a sweet, innocent smile.

She hurried over, putting on a bright face as she said, "Clara, we went hiking today! You should have seen the mountain view, absolutely stunning!"

Clara answered with a cold stare.

In the past, she might have actually thought Emily was genuinely trying to share something with her.

But things were different now; Clara understood that Emily was only bragging, hoping to create trouble between her and the rest of the family.

"Clara, aren't you going to say anything? Please don't be upset. Eric didn't mean it..." Emily, noticing Clara's composure, felt annoyed and tried to provoke her even more.

While Emily waited expectantly for Clara to lose her temper and start yelling, Clara paid no attention to the bait. Instead, she walked directly up to Eric, her gaze filled with longing.

Bathed in the warm glow of dusk, Eric's face still carried traces of boyhood.

A light breeze played with his hair, revealing a smooth forehead and eyes that sparkled with life.

She felt a rush of gratitude just seeing her brother alive and well.

Eric grew uncomfortable under her stare and snapped, "What are you looking at?" He glared at her. "Clara, have some dignity, will you? Don't bring those habits into our home. You're always picking on Emily, and it's disgusting!"

His harsh voice echoed through the yard, loud enough for the maids to peek out from inside the villa.

Clara caught the way Eric tried to push her away. Her soft features turned hard in an instant.

She met his eyes and replied in a cold, steady tone, "Eric, is this really how you treat your own sister?"

"Sister? Don't make me laugh! You're just some nobody. I..." Eric said, his voice thick with scorn.

Clara's eyes hardened. "Shut up!"