Chapter 1 Second Chance

• Slap!
• The sharp sound of a slap echoed loudly in the silent room.
• "Demi, how could you have possibly married into the Snows if I hadn't stepped aside and given you the chance? Just because you're married to Mr. Eric now, do you think you're suddenly above me? You'll always be nothing but a dog of mine—lowly and insignificant!"
• Demi slowly opened her eyes. The stinging pain on her right cheek made her frown. She blinked in confusion.
• Didn't I die in that lab explosion?
• Before she could make sense of it, a flood of foreign memories rushed into her mind.
• She was Demi Hart, the beloved daughter of the prestigious Hart family, or at least she had been. Everything changed after her mother passed away.
• Not long after her death, her father, Conrad Hart, hastily married Karen Hart and brought along a girl named Alanna Hart.
• Conrad publicly claimed to have adopted Alanna into the family and given her their family name.
• In reality, Conrad had been involved with Karen long before her mother's death, and Alanna was actually his biological daughter.
• Fearful of Demi's mother, he'd kept Karen and Alanna hidden away until now.
• One day, Demi accidentally uncovered the truth. In a fit of anger, she confronted Alanna at the top of the stairs. Alanna took advantage of Demi's distraction and pushed her down the stairs.
• She tumbled from the third floor, hitting her head, which left her brain damaged. After that, she became a family embarrassment, being discarded by her father to live in a rundown house in the countryside. Only Judy Patton, the housekeeper, treated her like her own daughter. Judy took care of her, allowing her to survive.
• Meanwhile, Alanna took over her place in society. She became the elegant, well-loved heiress of the Harts, enjoying everything that should have belonged to Demi.
• Everyone forgot that the Harts had another daughter. That was the situation until the Snows arrived, seeking a bride to make amends for the misfortune they had suffered.
• The Snows were a powerful family that was practically untouchable in Phora. They had a well-known business genius, Eric Snow, who had expanded their wealth and influence with ruthless decisiveness.
• Eric was a handsome man who had women all over the city swooning for him.
• But fate had other plans. A serious car accident left him barely clinging to life, and now he was in a coma.
• Alanna, horrified at the thought of marrying a comatose man, threw fits and refused to go through with it.
• Yet, the marriage arrangement between the Snows and Harts was a promise made by the previous generation—there was no escaping it.
• Unable to bring himself to send Alanna to the Snows, Conrad suddenly remembered Demi, the daughter he had left to rot in the countryside. He brought her back, forcing her to marry Eric in Alanna's place.
• But what no one knew was that Eric had never been in an accident. Nor had he become a vegetable. It was all a clever ruse.
• After years of internal power struggles within the Snows, Eric strategically used the car accident to expose and eliminate the ambitious members of the second branch. When the time was right, he launched a surprise attack, completely crushing them to regain full control of the Snow Empire.
• With the company firmly back under his control, people feared him even more after witnessing his ruthless methods.
• Upon learning this, Alanna was filled with regret. Her hatred for Demi deepened. She believed Demi had stolen her rightful place as Eric's wife. Under the guise of visiting, she often came to her house to insult and physically abuse Demi.
• Tsk tsk!
• The original Demi really is pitiful.
• Her cheek still stung sharply. Demi shifted her head slightly, her teeth grinding in frustration as a cold glint flickered in her eyes.
• However, she was now inhabiting this body. There was no way she was going to tolerate this kind of treatment.
• Quick as lightning, she shook off Alanna's grip. Caught off guard, Alanna couldn't hold her down and was swiftly shoved aside.
• Once Demi was free, she stood up straight and slapped Alanna hard across the face.
• Alanna was completely unprepared and took the full force of the blow.
• Slap!
• Demi didn't hold back, and Alanna's cheek immediately swelled up.
• She sneered and looked down at Alanna with disdain. If this body weren't so weak, that slap would have made her cough up blood.
• Alanna was stunned. She couldn't believe what had just happened. This idiot—this fool—had actually hit her!
• She had always been the one to abuse Demi without consequence, but this fool dared to fight back?
• It took her a moment to process, Alanna's eyes widening in fury as she glared at Demi.
• "You ... you stupid fool! How dare you hit me?"
• Before Alanna could finish her insult, Demi let out a soft chuckle and raised her hand again, delivering another harsh slap to Alanna's face.