In my previous life, it was on the day of our wedding.

Upon learning that we were getting married, Femma couldn’t accept it and jumped into the sea to end her life.

She left behind only a letter and a short video.

“Jude, I have no choice but to consider you my brother-in-law, but I love you. I truly can't bring myself to say it out loud.”

“I really envy my sister. She can win your heart without even trying, while my luck always seems to fall just a little short.”

“Jude, if there really is a next life, let me be the one to marry you.”

But because Deyna couldn’t stand her fake, manipulative behavior, she thought Femma was being overly dramatic and attention-seeking.

So she stopped Jude from responding and insisted on going ahead with the wedding.

No one would have thought that Femma really did jump into the sea.

By the time the wedding was over, her body had already been pulled from the water, cold and lifeless.

But this time...

Jude couldn't bear to watch her die with his own eyes.

The moment he received the video from Femma, his eyes turned bloodshot and he rushed out without hesitation.

If this had been in my previous life, perhaps I would’ve felt wronged and heartbroken.

But after living through two lifetimes, not only was I calm, I even let out a long sigh of relief.

This time, I would choose the groom I wanted to marry.

“Yosef, if you want to marry me too, then come up here. Today, this wedding belongs to the two of us.”

Yosef smiled and held my hand tightly. He said, “Alright.”

The whole venue instantly erupted.

Jude’s group of close friends exchanged glances from below the stage, unable to hold back from texting him.

[Bro, I think you’ve really messed up this time. Your bride’s about to marry someone else.]

“Wasn’t it said that Leona was hopelessly obsessed with Jude? That she was head over heels and insisted on marrying him no matter what? How come the groom just changed?”

“And of all people, she picked that notorious playboy crown prince, Yosef.”

“Could it be that Jude ditching the wedding made her mad, so she randomly grabbed some guy to get revenge?”

As they watched Yosef and me, hand in hand, walking toward the wedding altar, whispers spread like wildfire among the guests.

Yosef’s hand trembled slightly as he held mine, his head lowered a bit.

I knew why they were talking.

Yosef had always carried a bad reputation—not only did he frequent all kinds of exclusive clubs, he was constantly involved in scandals with actresses and female celebrities.

His reputation had long been tarnished in the social circles.

Even the most prominent socialites refused to marry him.

There were even rumors that his chaotic private life had led him to contract HIV.

But I knew that wasn’t the real him.

“Leona, are you acting on impulse?”

The man beside me suddenly withdrew his hand.

Yosef lowered his voice and asked me, “If you’re using me to regain face, I’ll help you. But... don’t destroy your own happiness for the sake of anger.”

I looked at him with a twinge of pain, about to offer some comforting words when suddenly, someone rushed in.

With one powerful kick, the hotel door was flung open.

“Leona, stop fooling around! You can’t just change the groom like that! Hurry up and come over here!”

My dad must have heard the news and rushed over in a hurry.

When the guests saw my dad, they all stood up in respect, some even stepping forward to flatter him.

But his face was filled with anger, his gaze stern as he fixed it on me.

“What are you standing there for? Didn’t you hear what I said?”

Yosef furrowed his brows slightly, even softly urging me.

“Go on, don’t make your dad uncomfortable.”

I stood still, unmoving.

When I was younger, I had always been afraid of this expression on his face. Every time he showed it, I would instinctively become obedient.

He asked me to give my favorite toy to Femma and I would obediently comply.

He told me to give up the room with the best lighting for Femma to live in and I would quietly pack my things and move out.

Even when he told me to marry Jude, I would accept without hesitation and try on the wedding dress.

I even studied various management skills, preparing myself to be a suitable Mrs. Zeller.

But now, I wanted to rebel for once.

“Dad, I want to marry Yosef.”

I heard my voice rise calmly, surprising even myself.

"You can say whatever you want, but this time, I want to choose my partner for life."

Suddenly, a heavy slap landed on my face, the sound echoing throughout the wedding hall.

The entire room went silent.

"You unfilial daughter! If you dare marry Yosef today, I’ll pretend I don’t have a daughter!"

I calmly raised my head to look at him and suddenly smiled. "Fine, let’s sever our father-daughter relationship."

No one expected it.

The well-behaved Johnson Family’s daughter would actually say such reckless words.

My dad’s face turned pale with anger, his chest rising and falling violently.

"Leona, you would rather sever ties with your father for this good-for-nothing? It seems I’ve spoiled you too much, letting you become so reckless!"

Since my mother passed away, my father remarried and they had the precious Femma. It had become quite normal for him to hit me.

His hand raised in anger again, ready to strike my face. But before it could reach me, a strong, knuckled hand grabbed his wrist.

Yosef stood there, his face cold, not a word spoken as he shielded me behind him.

"If you dare hit her again, try it."

He gritted out through clenched teeth and I felt my eyes redden.

No one had ever protected me like this before.

Everyone wondered why I would marry Yosef, the good-for-nothing playboy.

But only I knew.

In my past life, the day I was in labor, it just happened to be Femma’s memorial day.

Both my husband and father, too absorbed in their own grief, rushed to the cemetery to be with the ones they cared about most.

No one paid any attention to whether I lived or died. Even the doctors issued a critical condition notice.

I made dozens of phone calls, but each was met with impatient rejections.

Only Yosef went mad, pulling medical resources from the next city and miraculously saving my life, pulling me back from the brink of death.

Later, when Jude made enemies in the business world, they set fire to the Zeller Family villa.

I woke up in the middle of the night, choking on smoke, my leg trapped under a burning cupboard.

I held my two crying children, desperately pleading with Jude to save us. But he ignored me completely, rushing into the study to save Femma’s memorial portrait.

It was Yosef who rushed over like a madman again.

He charged into the sea of fire without hesitation, carrying my children out one by one, then came back for me.

Just as the roof beam was about to collapse, I screamed at him, "Yosef, get out—now!"

But it was too late. The fire engulfed him. The last thing he left me with was a reassuring smile, as if telling me not to be afraid.

From that moment on, I had my own “first love.” too.

He gave his life for me.

It was only after his death that I realized just how deeply he had hidden his love for me.

So this time, I wanted to protect him too and choose only him without hesitation.

My father was so furious that sparks seemed to fly from his eyes. “Leona, I’m asking you one last time. Are you sure you want to choose this man?”

"Yes." I nodded.

My father let out a cold laugh. "Good, good, very bold of you. I just hope you won't regret it later!"

He threw those words at me and stormed off.

Many guests who usually fawned over him also followed and left.

Deyna sneered with her usual passive-aggressive tone. "Leona, this marriage of yours is bound to be cursed. But if you change your mind and still plan to marry Jude, I’ll still accept you as my daughter-in-law."

I ignored everyone. I simply held Yosef's hand and walked up the stage step by step.

I told the officiant, “The wedding can begin.”

Most of the guests who had ties with the Johnson and Zeller families had already left the venue.

Only a few friends remained seated, but I still smiled with relief as Yosef and I completed the final part of the ceremony.

“From this moment on, I am your wife. Yosef, through sickness and health, through wealth and hardship, we are one.”

Yosef smiled and embraced me. He gazed at me deeply and with utmost sincerity, spoke a single word. “Okay.”

After the wedding, Yosef had me move into a riverside villa registered under his name.

To get our marriage certificate, I needed to return to the Johnson Family home to retrieve my ID card.

Just as I arrived at the building, a red sports car suddenly sped toward me.

Before I could react, Jude yanked my arm and forcefully shoved me to the ground.

“Are you blind?” he snapped, glaring at me coldly with a sneer tugging at his lips. “Didn’t you cut ties with the Johnson Family already? What are you doing back here?”

I replied calmly, “I’m here to get my ID card and register my marriage.”

Jude’s expression froze instantly. He stared at me in disbelief. “What did you say? Are the rumors outside are true? You’re really going to marry that good-for-nothing playboy?”

Before I could respond, Femma, dressed in a bright red dress, came jogging over from the sports car.

“Oh no, I’m so sorry, Leona! I didn’t see you standing there just now and I almost hit you. It’s all my fault. Dad just bought me a new sports car and I got a little too excited to handle it properly. You don’t mind, right?”

Her tone was filled with smugness and flaunting.

I turned to glance at the red Porsche, then looked down and chuckled softly.

"I don't mind."

After all, all these years, living in the Johnson household felt like I was just an outsider taking shelter.

I had long gotten used to the days where my father and stepmother showered all their affection on Femma.

Back then, when I needed to go for an internship and asked for a basic nanny car to get around, my dad flatly refused.

But as long as Femma asked, he gave one luxury sports car after another without even blinking.

It was then that I fully understood a saying. Once there's a stepmother, even your biological father starts acting like a stepfather.

"I'm just here to grab a few things."

Just as I turned to leave, I hadn’t taken more than a few steps when a bucket of cold water came crashing down on me from above.

Jude burst into loud laughter.

Femma covered her mouth, trying to stifle a laugh, but still put on an innocent face.

"Leona, everyone’s saying you're going to marry that playboy Yosef. He has AIDS, doesn’t he? You probably got infected too. I’m just disinfecting you so you don’t bring anything back into our house."

I caught the taunt in her eyes and stared at her coldly.

But she wasn’t done. She took a few steps closer, like she wanted to press her luck.

“Honestly, I really don’t get what you’re thinking,” she sneered. “Jude chose me. Even if he ran away from the wedding, that doesn’t mean you should pick a man at random just for pride’s sake, right? You have no idea how messy the private life of someone like Yosef is.”