Right Here Waiting

"Cassandra, I've never had any feelings for you. We should break up."

"We're meant to be together, Cassandra. I'll have as you as my wife for the rest of my life."

"Cassandra! She's your sister! How dare you hurt her like this? Get out of my sight! You are no longer my daughter!"

"She was worthless. Her death means nothing to me."

Cassandra Yan was having a headache.

Recalling all those times from her past tore her up into a million pieces. She groaned as she curled up into a ball.

There was no one inside the room except for her. She gazed at the handcuff around her wrist that was attached to the bedpost. She roughly wiggled her hand, but it only left an angry red mark around her wrist. The skin on her wrist began to bleed.

A cold sweat began to form on her forehead, and the air in the room felt freezing cold.

She didn't know how long it was until she opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was a bedroom decorated with red ornaments.

Her eyes widened and her body felt stiff. The familiar scene overwhelmed her.

How could this be? Wasn't it the night before her wedding? What was going on?

She didn't want to be a substitute and marry that vile man. The only thing she wanted was to be with the man she loved. Her parents locked her up inside the bedroom because of it.

'I thought I was dead. What's going on?'

She tried every means to run away from the vile man. She thought she was going to meet her beloved, but she was wrong.

Her sister, whom she trusted the most, was standing by the vile man's side. And the man she loved most planned everything.

In her parents' eyes, she was just a pawn.

Realizing that, she had no will to live. When that vile man brought her home, she knew she would have to live the rest of her life as a prisoner, with no hope of escape.

The last thing she could remember was falling into the sea and struggling to stay afloat for a while. When she opened her eyes again, she was back in the night from five years ago. Tomorrow, she was going to replace her sister, Susan Yan, and marry Martin Lu, the vile man.

Everything in front of her looked so real, and she was sure she wasn't in a dream.

'What happened? Am I reborn?

But why? Why am I back in the time where my nightmares would begin?'

Her parents abandoned her, the love of her life was taken away by her sister, and the man she loved betrayed her. They all forced her to marry Martin Lu.

'Do I have to go through all of that again?

Why would they treat me that way?'

It was wintertime, and the wind and snow softly danced around each other.

She covered her chest and shivered in the cold. Her heart pounded so fast it could explode at any time.

She lay on the white bed sheets, panting. Despite the cold, her body was drenched in sweat. After some time, the door clicked open.

She struggled to raise her head and looked over to the door. She could tell that Roger Gu was the one who opened it.

He was the son of Gu Group's CEO and was the only man she'd ever loved. She would do anything for him.

Wearing a tailored black suit, Roger stepped inside the room.

Her body tensed at the sight of him, and she clenched her fists tightly. Her eyes were glued to his figure as he walked towards her.

"Casey, I'm sorry, but I'm in love with Susan. Please, I'm begging you. Please marry Martin for her sake. Would you do me this favor?"

In her previous life, she stopped struggling after she heard his words, and married Martin.

She believed that since she loved Roger, she would do anything for him. As long as he was happy, she would have no regrets.

It was at that moment that she chose to marry Martin. She was convinced that she did it out of love.

She thought that way until the day that Roger revealed his monstrous side to her. He had been using her this entire time. The so-called love he had for her was all a lie.

She was wrong about him, and it cost Cassandra her life.

After marring Martin, she felt like she had died inside. She provoked Martin again and again, hoping that he would divorce her, but it never ended well for her.

She sighed to herself.

Everything in her previous life was a joke.

Now that she had the chance to be reborn, she wouldn't choose the same path. She would no longer sacrifice herself for anyone.

The reason why Roger could use her was that she loved him deeply.

What if she stopped loving him? Then he was no longer able to manipulate her.

How could they live happily after doing those horrible things?

'I will fight back this time,' she thought to herself.

"Okay. I will marry Martin in place of my sister." Cassandra looked straight into Roger's eyes. Her eyes were no longer full of affection.

"Really? You would do that for me?" A bright smile appeared on his face. He didn't expect this foolish woman to agree so quickly.

Roger expected her to put up a fight. She claimed that she loved him, and he didn't expect it to be so easy for her to agree to marry Martin.

A cold sweat developed on her body as she lay on the massive bed. Her thin clothes clung close to her body, and her curves were so inviting.

His eyes narrowed and he swallowed hard. Cassandra was a conservative woman who treated her virginity as her most cherished possession.

If it weren't for this, she could easily manipulate any man with her body.

"I knew you're in love with my sister, but I refused to admit it. I will do this for you since that's what you want. Roger, did you ever even love me? Even for a minute?" she asked, her eyes filled with sorrow.

Roger's face softened upon hearing her question. He was overwhelmed with pity.

The woman in front of him was the one he once vowed to marry. Even when his family abandoned him, she never gave up on him. She was always by his side. When he was at his lowest, she comforted him.

After a long pause, Roger bent over towards her and stroked her long hair with his slender fingers. "Casey, I did. I'm sorry I let you down," he said with a gentle smile.

When she looked him in the eye, scenes of her previous life flashed through her mind and vanished as quickly as it came, like a phantom.

If she hadn't been reborn, she would never have realized the cruelty behind this man.

"That's enough. Roger, please tell my parents to come and see me. I won't make a scene. I'm willing to marry Martin," she smiled.

Roger couldn't believe his ears. "Really? Casey, are you willing to marry Martin?"

"I'm willing to do anything for you, no matter how much it pains me, Roger," she replied with a gentle smile.

Her devotion baffled him. "You've suffered a lot, Casey. Even if they say Martin is an unattractive man and not favored by his family, he's still a member of Lu Clan. Even if he isn't able to inherit his family's fortune, he will still be able to give you a well-off life."

Upon hearing that, Cassandra sneered inwardly. It was because of this rumor that Susan refused to marry Martin.

No one knew that Martin was a handsome man who would soon become the head of the Lu Clan.

Susan, her sister, tried her best to seduce Martin after meeting him at their wedding. She even attempted to get him to sleep with her.

"Maybe this is my fate. Please tell my parents to come in," Cassandra said.

Roger didn't say another word and called in Cassandra's parents.

As soon as they heard that Cassandra agreed to marry Martin, Evan Yan and his wife were overjoyed and they rushed to her room.

When Evan saw Cassandra handcuffed to the bedpost, he was swept over with guilt. He coughed and demanded, "Take off her handcuffs!"

The butler behind him rushed forward to free her.

Cassandra messaged her wrist, and then slowly got out of bed. She came over to them and got down on her knees.

Evan and Jane were taken aback at the sight of her kneeling. Tears streamed down Jane's face, and her heart was filled with sympathy. She grabbed Cassandra's hands and asked, "What are you doing? Get up! This is all our fault. I'm so sorry."

Cassandra continued to kneel with a blank expression on her face.

'Thank you for bringing me into this world and caring for me.

Thank you for all the love and care you've given me.

From now on, I'll live a life of my own,' she quietly thought to herself.

"Dad, Mom, I'd like to say my goodbyes tonight. From now on, I'll be a member of Lu Clan. I can't take care of you anymore. I'll be praying for your safety and happiness," Cassandra said in a calm voice as she looked up at them.

Jane held her tightly and looked at her with sympathetic eyes. She was unable to do anything to help her daughter.

Evan sighed heavily. "Casey, I hope you understand that we made a promise to the Lu Clan. We're not powerful enough to offend them. You know Roger is in love with your sister. I'm sorry but you need to marry Martin for your sister's sake. The Yan Clan will always support you, do you understand?"

"I understand. It's all my fault. I acted recklessly and brought trouble to our family. I won't do it again. I will help Yan Clan in the future," Cassandra nodded.

A look of disbelief crossed Evan's face. He didn't expect her to agree to marry Martin and promised to help Yan Clan in the future.

'I wonder what Roger said to make her agree,' he thought to himself.

Evan didn't give it much thought. He was only grateful for the change in Cassandra's attitude.

Yan Clan was a noveau-riche family and couldn't afford to offend Lu Clan. Even if Martin was unloved by his family, the others in the capital city didn't dare to piss him off.

Evan beamed at Cassandra and helped her off the floor. "Casey, I'm relieved that you think this way. I'm sorry if I was hard on you in the past."

"It was my fault," Cassandra said.

Evan continued to shower her with compliments, and then left the room with a satisfied smile.

After Evan left her room, Cassandra slowly sat down on the couch. 'Everything is real. I've been reborn!'

She was given another shot at life, and she made sure never to repeat the same mistakes.

Because of all she had gone through, she was familiar with the Yan Clan's and Gu Clan's weaknesses. She knew that they did whatever they could to hold onto their power. This time, she wanted to destroy everything they had.

But upon recalling the man she was going to marry, she didn't know what to do. In her previous life,

Martin was obsessed with her, but she was head over heels in love with Roger. She provoked Martin again and again. Even worse, because of Susan's schemes, Cassandra fell into a trap and tried to elope with Roger.

She knew that even if she was reborn, she still didn't have enough power to compete with Martin. What could she do to change her fate? What did she have to do to gain control of her life?

While Cassandra was lost in thought, she drafted a plan for herself. After all, she had gone through hell in her previous life.

Martin had never kept a secret from her in her previous life. She had gathered a lot of information on the Lu Clan's business. She knew many of their secrets that outsiders would never understand.

This knowledge would be the key to her freedom. She would need to gather more information for her plan to succeed.

She must gain more power to claim her freedom back from this monstrous man.

Cassandra stayed out late that evening. She had a general idea of what happened in her previous life. She wrote down everything she had experienced in her past life in a notebook. It surprised her how well she knew Martin.

Time flew by quickly, and the sun soon replaced the moon.

This notebook was Cassandra's most prized possession. She couldn't afford to lose it. When she finished, she hid the notebook back into her drawer. Jane and Susan soon entered her room, followed by several servants.

Everything was the same as what happened in her last life.

Cassandra sat on the sofa and schooled a blank expression on her face. When Susan noticed her pale face and weak condition, a sinister smile made its way onto her lips.

'This woman knows her place.' However, the more obedient Cassandra became, the more she would win Evan's and Roger's hearts. This was the last thing Susan wanted.

Cassandra would be getting married soon, so Susan decided to tolerate her for a bit longer.

'Humph!

What a bitch!' Susan scoffed inwardly.

"Casey, the servants will help you get dressed and do your makeup. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to tell us." Jane's eyes were misty when she saw her daughter in this state.

Susan feigned sadness and walked up to Cassandra to hold her hand. "Jane, I'm so sorry. Don't worry. I'll take good care of our parents. If you get wronged in Lu Clan, please let us know. We wouldn't want to see you suffer."

Cassandra looked at Susan and thought to herself, 'This woman tried to frame me and stole Roger away from me in my last life. It was foolish of me to believe that she cared for me.'

If Susan hadn't stood by Martin's side and accused her of a crime she didn't commit, Cassandra wouldn't have suffered a lot.

They were sisters. Why did Susan treat her this way?

Cassandra struggled to keep her emotions in line. She feigned a look of sadness and looked up at her sister. "Can I talk to you in private?"

Jane and Susan were shocked by her request. They didn't know what Cassandra planned on doing. Since it was her wedding day, they thought that it would be best to grant her wish.

"Mom, you can leave us alone," Susan smiled.

After a brief hesitation, Jane left with their servants. Cassandra and Susan were the only ones left inside the room. There was a tense atmosphere between the two.

"Casey, is there anything you want to say to me? I'll do whatever I can for you," Susan said with a fake smile on her face.

Cassandra turned to look at Susan with a pitiful look and burst into tears. "Susan, I know that Roger has loved you for years. This is all my fault. I shouldn't have forced myself on him. I'm getting married, so I hope that you'll take good care of him. I hope that you'll be happy together."

Cassandra and Roger's past had always been a thorn in Susan's heart. The more Cassandra showed her love for Roger, the deeper the thorn in her heart.

Cassandra had been foolish in the past. She only had eyes for Roger, and Susan took advantage of this to sow discord between them. He became resentful of Cassandra in the end.

In this life, Cassandra wouldn't be this mindless again.

Susan's face paled, and she looked at Cassandra with jealousy. Her slender fingernails dug into her skin. She calmed herself and reached out to wipe the tears from Cassandra's face. "Don't talk like that."

"Don't you blame me?" Cassandra pretended to repent.

"How can I blame you? No matter what happens, you're still my sister," Susan said.

Cassandra gave her a warm hug. "How can you be so kind, Susan?"

'This foolish woman! She deserves all of this!' Susan thought to herself with a vicious look.