Chapter 1
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After his beloved crush fell off the building, my foster brother resented me deeply for a decade.
It wasn’t until I left the country in anger and got caught in a violent riot that he once again shielded me without hesita- tion–and took a bullet for it,
As he lay dying in my embrace, he whispered, “This is my fault. I spoiled you too much.
“I truly wish I had never become your brother.”
Everyone says I’m insane.
They said I ruined my brother, the man who had always lived with honesty and pride.
So, I spent 50 years kneeling on those long stone steps, begging for a chance to turn back time.
This time around, I’ll make sure he gets the life he deserves.
All I want is for him to have a safe and joyful life.
***
“Stella Garrett, don’t you feel disgusted reading what you wrote?
“I can’t believe you. You actually… have those kinds of feelings for me, your own brother?!”
A familiar voice echoed in my ear.
When I opened my eyes, I saw my foster brother, Nathan Garrett, clutching my diary, his face flushed with rage.
That diary was filled with my forbidden love for him.
But instead of feeling embarrassed that he’d found out, tears of relief streamed down my face. I had truly been reborn.
I was reborn at the moment Nathan and I first argued, and he learned about the twisted feelings I had for him. The sight of him standing there felt so real that it made me almost shake with emotion.
I whispered to myself happily, “He’s alive. Thank God!”
Nathan realized something was off about me, and his rage started to fade. He gestured at the floor and told me, “Get rid of all of this… burn it.”
Last time, hearing him say that made me lose control completely. I grabbed his collar and kissed him right then and there.
Nathan was shocked. He ran away from me and slowly began to avoid me. That impulsive kiss unleashed all the mad- ness I kept inside.
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Chapter 1
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My hatred for Rachel Torres, the girl who took Nathan away, grew even stronger, leading to the tragedy that fol- lowed.
So this time, I wiped my tears, picked up the box full of diaries, and nodded.
“Okay.
“I’ll burn them.”
Those diaries held memories of the decade Nathan and I spent growing up together.
My mother and Nathan’s mother were best friends. When I was five, my father beat my mother so badly that she died, even though the doctors tried to save her. My father was an alcoholic and died too–he fell into a ditch on his way to turn himself in.
Nathan’s mother took me in and raised me as her own. But she passed away when Nathan and I were in middle school. After that, only Nathan and I lived in the big house, along with a few servants.
Actually, Nathan was only a few months older than I. But I was always causing problems, and he acted like a mature adult. Since we were young, he was constantly helping me fix the chaos I created.
When I had gastroenteritis, he sat beside me the whole night during my IV treatment. When I got into fights, he de- fended me. When I was terrified of thunderstorms, he’d brought his blanket and pillow and cuddled with me. Even when Rachel died because of me, Nathan’s hatred for me ran deep.
But when the riot broke out, he still stepped forward to shield me without a second thought.
Nathan is amazing in every respect. But his feelings for me are those of a sibling’s care. I love him deeply, but I can’t shake the guilt inside me.
I recalled Nathan’s final words to me, “This is my fault. I spoiled you too much.
“I truly wish I had never become your brother.”
He was filled with regret, and honestly, I felt the same way.
There’s a monastery in the northern part of the city that people say grants wishes. I went there to pray that Nathan and I would never cross paths again in another lifetime. But maybe because of all the wrongs I’ve committed, the abbot re- fused to see me.
So I kept praying and kneeling year after year. The worn, bloodstained steps bore the marks of my knees as my hair slowly turned from black to gray. At last, when I was old and frail, the abbot finally agreed to meet with me.
He told me, “What’s done can’t be undone, but maybe a new beginning is still possible.
“You are his destined downfall. If it isn’t resolved, everything you’ve done will be for nothing.”
Then, he pressed a small silk pouch into my old, shaky hand.
“It will lead you toward a new life.”
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Chapter 1
When I opened my eyes once more, the silk pouch in my grip proved that it was not a dream.
This time, I won’t make the same mistakes again.
I’m willing to sacrifice anything if it means Nathan stays unharmed and well.
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