Chapter 1 Reincarnate As The Substitute Bride

It was still early morning when Gabrielle Simmons opened her eyes to the piercing sunlight streaming through the window, her gaze dazed. After a brief moment, she abruptly sat up, her eyes landing on the calendar hanging on the wall. A cold smile crept onto her lips. She was back, reincarnated on the day she had been forced to be a substitute bride—the same day she had died in her previous life, at the hands of this family. The hatred surging within her was overwhelming, nearly suffocating, but she quickly regained her composure. The emotions that once consumed her had been buried with her past life. Now, she was alive again. She vowed to make everyone pay for what they had done. Just as she gathered her thoughts, heavy footsteps echoed outside her door. Bang! Bang! Bang! A series of knocks rattled the door. Before she could respond, the door was kicked open. A tall figure stormed in, grabbing her arm and yanking her up. “Gabrielle, are you deaf?” Zachary Seavers' furious voice boomed. Gabrielle's expression turned icy in an instant. She twisted her arm free from his grip, throwing his hand off with a firm motion. On instinct, she pressed the record button on her phone for self-protection. As his hand was flung away by her, Zachary stood frozen, staring at her in disbelief. The obedient little sister he had always known was now standing up to him. The anger in him flared instantly. “You know the Zechman family is coming today, and you're still lazing around in bed! If they take Chloe away, you'd be pleased, right?” Gabrielle raised her eyes and shot her eldest brother a cold glance. That one look sent a chill down Zachary's spine, as if a cold wind had swept through the room. “Oh? So the Zechman family can't take her? She's the one with the marriage agreement, isn't she? Now that their son is on the verge of death, you want me to take her place? You're afraid she'll be widowed but don't care if I become one?” Gabrielle sneered. Her words left Zachary stunned. He averted his gaze guiltily, gritting his teeth as he muttered, “You and Chloe are different! If people find out she's been married, her reputation will be ruined for life.” Gabrielle burst into laughter. Her laughter only served to make Zachary angry out of embarrassment, but before he could explode, a frail figure entered the room. Chloe Seavers' eyes brimmed with tears as she spoke in a choked voice, “Zach, stop pressuring her! I'll marry him. I'll marry him, okay? If he dies... I...” Before she could finish, tears streamed down her face. Her sickly appearance made her seem as though she might faint at any moment. “Enough! Gabrielle, as her elder sister, you must marry into the Zechman family today in her place.” Their mother, Marilyn Welch's authoritative voice rang out. Gabrielle turned her head to see her biological mother, along with her second and third brothers blocking the doorway. Their eyes brimmed with anger, as if she had committed some heinous crime. “Gabrielle, how could you be so heartless? Chloe is your sister! Do you really want to force her to her death?” her second brother Felix Seavers said, clenching his fists. Her third brother, Benjamin Seavers chimed in, “Exactly! It's not like you're being asked to die. Just substitute for her. Once the guy's dead, you can come back, right?” Their righteous indignation made Gabrielle laugh in disbelief. In her previous life, she had argued with them in vain. They had drugged her, stripped her, taken photos and videos, and used them to blackmail her. Either she agreed to the marriage, or they would ruin her by leaking everything online. In her desperation, she had leaped to her death to escape their humiliation. The memory made Gabrielle take a deep breath. “Fine. I never said I wouldn't marry him,” Gabrielle replied with a faint smile. She walked over to her desk. After picking up a piece of paper and a pen, she opened the camera on her phone to record a video. Her calm demeanor baffled everyone. Moments later, Gabrielle held up a severance agreement and said, “As long as you sign this severing all ties with me and have it notarized, I'll marry him.” Her words left everyone stunned. Their contempt for her was almost palpable. “You? Sever ties with us? Tell me, how much money do you want?” Benjamin sneered, taking the agreement from her. Zachary's gaze was dark as he pulled out a bank card and held it out. “Take a hundred thousand and stop making a scene. It's just a marriage. Why make it such a big deal?” Chloe's eyes lit up at the sight of the agreement but quickly filled with tears as she shook her head. “Gabrielle, don't do this! I'll marry him. Please don't fight with Mom and the others because of me. It's all my fault. I shouldn't have stayed in this house. If I'd known you cared this much, I should've left the day you returned,” she added, turning to leave. However, it seemed as if she was overwhelmed with sorrow. Her body swayed dramatically before collapsing into Zachary's arms. “Chloe!” Zachary caught her, wrapping an arm around her waist. Glaring at Gabrielle, he roared, “Are you determined to tear this family apart?” “I'm not causing trouble. Just sign the papers, notarize them, and I'll marry him,” Gabrielle said with a faint smile. Looking at their livid expressions, she felt utterly indifferent. How could she have been so desperate to please them in her past life? Did these people even deserve her love? When she was lost as a child, the Seavers family adopted Chloe to replace her. Gabrielle had wandered the streets. If it hadn't been for her master taking her in, she would have fallen prey to stray dogs long ago. The resentment she carried had led to her death at their hands. Having been given a second chance at life, the first thing she wanted to do was to break free from them. “Don't regret this,” Marilyn said coldly. She then turned to order the servants, “Get the lawyer!” It seemed Marilyn wanted to sever ties with her right then and now. She didn't want her to regret her decision. The expressions of the three brothers shifted slightly, yet they dared not contradict their mother. “Ah? Yes.” The servant looked a bit stunned, but after Marilyn shot them a cold glance, they quickly turned and headed downstairs. Zachary was taken aback, not expecting his mother to sign so decisively. His lips moved as if he wanted to speak, but a choked sob from Chloe diverted his attention. Benjamin and Felix were also dumbfounded. They hurried forward, pulling on Marilyn as they said, “Mom, there's no need to notarize this. After all, she's still our sister.” “An ungrateful thing like her? I was kind enough to her, wasn't I? And now she dares to cause a fuss about cutting ties? Without the Seavers family backing her, I'd like to see how she survives.” Marilyn sneered coldly. The lawyer soon came upstairs, and Marilyn handed the agreement over for immediate online notarization. Gabrielle took the signed agreement, snapped a photo for her records, and then placed it in her bag. “Move. You're blocking my way,” she said, striding past them with large steps. She didn't look back as she walked out. Marilyn stood there, watching Gabrielle's retreating figure. Her anger flared as she grabbed her phone and hurled it in Gabrielle's direction, yelling, “You unfilial daughter! Are you trying to drive me to my grave?” Just as the words left her mouth, she looked as if she might faint. Then Gabrielle's voice drifted up from downstairs. “Are all these the bride price from the Zechman family?” “Yes,” someone replied. Everyone was stunned and instinctively moved downstairs. There, they saw Gabrielle standing, surveying the items arranged before the door. She glanced over the contents of each box, each one filled with valuables worth a fortune. She quickly pulled out her ID card and handed it over, saying, “Go to the bank and open a safety deposit box for me. Store all these gifts in there.” As soon as she spoke, the person froze, as though they had misheard her. Gabrielle stood there, a small smile appearing on her delicate face. She raised an eyebrow slightly and asked, “What's wrong? Isn't the bride price meant for me?” “They are,” the person replied hastily. Hearing this, Gabrielle lifted her chin arrogantly and said, “Since they're for me, take them all away.” With that one command, the bodyguards immediately surged forward, carrying every box they had just unloaded from the car back out again. The area in front of the Seavers residence bustled with activity. “Gabrielle, what are you doing?” Marilyn demanded angrily, almost spitting out blood from sheer rage.