I Was Told That My Fiance Returned To The Past

My long-lost older sister, Natalia, was pregnant when she was brought home. The moment my fiance, Duncan, saw her, he let go of my hand and strode to her side. He then confessed, “I’m sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Jacklin. The baby in Lia’s belly is mine. I will call off the wedding with Felicity.” I stood frozen in place. Then, a barrage of words floated before my eyes. Apparently, Duncan was the male lead, I was the villainess, and Natalia was still my sister. [Duncan returned to the past, didn’t he? He and Natalia were secretly seeing each other back then, but they never came clean because they didn’t want to hurt Felicity’s feelings. So, he got forced into marrying Felicity instead.] [After they got married, Felicity found out about their affair. She forced her parents to send Natalia overseas. Then, at the airport, she had a baggage cart crash into Natalia. The impact caused uterine rupture and severe hemorrhaging, and she died.] [Duncan despises Felicity. To get revenge for Natalia, he killed Felicity by letting her bleed out.] I bled out? I shot a glance at the man I had loved since childhood. Chapter 1 The sound of a slap echoed in the living room. I had not slapped Duncan Ferris; my mother had. “Duncan, how could you ruin both my daughters?!” The force of the slap had caused him to turn his head. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. He tried to speak, but my mother cut him off sharply. “Why didn’t you say anything when you got engaged to Lissy?” He fell silent. My father’s face turned ashen as he pointed at him and said, “If Lia weren’t our daughter, were you planning to keep a mistress on the side after you and Lissy got married?” Duncan seemed to choke on his words. My mother covered her face and wept. “We cannot let anyone else know this. Lia, you’re getting rid of the baby. As for you, Duncan, you’re still marrying Lissy.” Natalia Jacklin’s face went pale. She clutched Duncan’s arm tightly. I watched as Duncan comforted her by holding her hand. I remembered a month ago when I had a fever. He sat by my bedside and held my hand just like that. My chest tightened. Duncan said firmly, “No. The baby stays.” He paused, then softened as he said, “We’ll say that our families always intended for Lia and me to marry. After she went missing, that plan fell to Felicity by default. Now that Lia’s returned, the plan is back on, and I’ll marry her.” Father paused. His resolve was clearly wavering. I then laughed until tears rolled down my face. [That’s a really creepy laugh. She’s going to lose it.] [Duncan better protect the sister!] I clapped and said, “How thoughtful of you. You get to save Natalia’s reputation, keep the family name clean, and I get to be the clown.” Duncan lowered his head, unable to look at me. My mother came over, took my hand, and looked troubled. “Felicity, honey, I know this isn’t fair to you, but Lia is pregnant.” Duncan tried to explain himself. He said, “I’ve always thought of you as a little sister. Even if we went through with the marriage, you’d never be happy.” My father also tried to persuade me, saying, “Just be the bigger person for this family. I’ll find you someone even better.” I scanned each of them with my fists clenched. Natalia said with teary eyes, “Lissy, I never wanted any of this. But I can already feel the baby moving inside me. “It’d be cruel to end it now. Please... just think about the baby...” Duncan pulled her into his arms protectively and yelled at me, “She’s your biological sister, and she’s carrying a baby! How can you stand there and watch her beg you on her knees?” My heart turned cold when I saw how furious he looked. I pursed my lips and said, “Fine. The wedding is off.” [Wait, she agreed? Did she get possessed or something?] Duncan was just as shocked. I stepped closer to him, looked him straight in the eye, and said, “But on one condition. I want your family’s shares in Jacklin Group. Otherwise, nobody walks away clean.” [The Ferris family’s shares in Jacklin Group are at least fifteen percent! It’s worth over a hundred million dollars! Even if Duncan agrees, there’s no way his family will ever go along with it.] [Oh, I see what she’s doing. She’s still trying to force him to marry her. The shares are just a bluff.] [Yikes. Duncan is going to bleed her dry!] Chapter 2 Duncan looked stunned. A calculating look crossed my father’s face as he turned to Duncan. “Dunc, the plan you said earlier could save both our family’s reputations, but it doesn’t undo what you did to Lissy.” Duncan said through gritted teeth, “That’s too many shares. I can’t make that call alone.” “I want your final answer by 8 p.m.,” I said before going upstairs. I closed my bedroom door, slid down against it, and sat on the floor. My hands were still shaking. I was able to piece together the truth through the words floating before my eyes. Natalia went missing and ended up in foster care. In her sophomore year, her foster mom got sick, so she started working at a bar to pay the bills. One night, a drunk guy was bothering her when Duncan showed up. He rescued her and ended up paying for her entire college education. For the next five years, he financially supported her while he was engaged to me. Everyone in our circle saw us as the picture-perfect couple. ... At 7:43 p.m., my phone screen lit up. Duncan had sent me a text through WhatsApp. Duncan: Five percent. That’s the Ferris family’s final offer. [Duncan got whipped over twenty times just to marry Natalia. His back is destroyed. I feel so bad for him.] [How could Felicity be so shameless?! Duncan already told her he sees her as a sister.] My heart ached when I saw those words. He was willing to go to such great lengths to marry Natalia. Me: Eight percent. Or I’m calling a press conference tomorrow. Half an hour later, Duncan texted again. His words sounded tired and defeated. Duncan: I’ll have the contract ready for you tomorrow. I stared at his message as I chuckled inwardly. I gave him twelve years of my youth and my dignity for the rest of my life. In return, I got eight percent of the shares. Just then, someone knocked at my door. It was my mother. She walked in with a fruit platter. She sat for a long while before finally speaking. She said, “What happened today was unfair to you. Don’t hold it against Lia. It’s a cruel fate. She’s been through so much all these years.” I stayed quiet. She wiped the tears at the corners of her eyes and said, “To pay for her foster mom’s medical bills, Lia took a job at a bar. She was almost assaulted. If it weren’t for Dunc, her whole life would have been ruined.” I was only three years old when Natalia went missing. I did not even remember that I had an older sister. Growing up, all I ever saw was my mother crying over old photographs for days on end. I had always looked forward to finding Natalia and imagined how we would get along as sisters. However, I never expected it would come to this. “I don’t blame her. From the very beginning, the only one in the wrong here is Duncan.” My mother smiled, feeling relieved, before saying, “Lissy, could you switch rooms with Lia?” I was stunned. “That guest room is musty and cramped. Lia just got back, and I don’t want her to feel uncomfortable. This room has a balcony and gets better airflow. It’s better for her, especially with the baby coming.” My chest tightened. When I looked at her, she had that pleading expression. I used to look at her the same way whenever I got into trouble and needed her to keep it from Dad. After a moment of silence, I gave in. “Fine...” My mother beamed and pulled me into her arms. She sounded relieved as she said, “I knew that even though you act tough sometimes, you actually have the biggest heart. You’ve always been the sensible one.” Just then, someone knocked on the door again. It was Natalia. She stood awkwardly in the doorway. She handed me a handmade charm bracelet. “Lissy, thank you for giving Dunc and me your blessing. I don’t have anything expensive to give you. This bracelet is handmade. I hope you’ll accept it.” Mom looked at me eagerly, hoping I would bury the hatchet with her. When I took the charm bracelet, Natalia let out a breath of relief and smiled. [This is actually wholesome. It would be nice if they didn’t turn into enemies later.] [Am I the only one who thinks Duncan is trash?] [Don’t forget how evil Felicity actually is. In the past, she deliberately killed Natalia. She just hasn’t done it yet.] My mother then spoke again. She was visibly in a better mood. “Your father and I decided to have one party to celebrate both Natalia’s return and the engagement. We’ll go dress shopping tomorrow.” Chapter 3 “Lissy, you’ve got a good eye. When we get there, you can help Lia pick out something nice.” The next day, after breakfast, my father went to the office. My mother, Natalia, and I went to shop for gowns. When we got downstairs, I saw Duncan standing there with his car parked behind him. [Haha! Even after Duncan got whipped over twenty times, he still shows up to protect Natalia. He really doesn’t trust Felicity at all, does he?] Duncan avoided my gaze. When he saw Natalia, he quickly walked up to her and gently helped her down the steps. Even though his voice was soft, I could still hear him say, “After I left yesterday, she didn’t give you any trouble, did she?” I sneered, opened the door to the back seat, and got in the car. As my mother and I sat in the back, Duncan helped Natalia into the passenger seat, then started the car engine. Due to his injuries, he had to sit upright and could not lean back against his car seat. The whole way there, he kept checking on Natalia. “Is the temperature okay? “Do you feel car sick? “Should I roll down the window?” I recalled the times when I rode in his car. Whenever I put my feet up on the dashboard, he would scold me. He would say, “Felicity, get your feet off my dashboard! If I have to slam on the brakes and that airbag goes off, you’ll be in a wheelchair for life!” I would always retort, saying, “My long legs aren’t for just anybody to see. You’re getting a front-row seat. Count yourself lucky!” Tears welled up in my eyes as I reminisced. My mother was smiling broadly. However, when she noticed me, she stopped smiling and took my hand. ... When we reached the boutique, the saleswoman habitually handed the gowns to me. Duncan and I used to come here often. We had bought my engagement dress here. When Duncan saw that Natalia felt awkward, his expression darkened. “Today, we’re buying gowns for Natalia.” The saleswoman quickly apologized and picked out new gowns according to Natalia’s size. As she was over four months pregnant and already showing, Natalia struggled through the fittings. I spotted a new purple gown and reached for it. My mother said to me gently, “Lissy, keep it simple for the engagement party.” My heart hurt. “Then, maybe I shouldn’t go at all.” Mom frowned and scolded me, “Don’t be ridiculous. If you skip it, people will start talking about our family again.” Just then, a saleswoman exclaimed excitedly behind me, “Gosh! This necklace is absolutely stunning.” I turned around and saw Duncan clasping a pink diamond necklace around Natalia’s neck. My chest tightened. After we got engaged, Duncan said he would design a unique diamond necklace for me. He wanted me to show it off to everyone on our wedding day. I had watched him revise that design sketch for over a year. The finished piece was breathtaking. Unfortunately, it would not be mine. Natalia touched the necklace. She was too moved to speak. Her eyes welled up with tears. She turned and tiptoed to kiss Duncan on the lips. “Thank you. I really love it.” I subconsciously cried too. I turned, rushed out of the boutique, and took a cab home by myself. Plenty of floating words appeared, saying how sweet Duncan and Natalie were and that they were the perfect couple. Some also said that I should get lost. I locked myself in my room. Every time I pictured Natalia kissing Duncan, my heart shattered to pieces. I could see through the window that it was getting cloudy. Someone knocked on my door. “Lissy.” It was my father. “Come to the study.” I used my phone screen to check my face and wiped the tear stains from the corners of my eyes before walking out. When I entered the study, my father slid a share transfer agreement toward me. “The Ferris family handed over the shares. What are you planning to do next?” He also thought that asking for the shares was just my way of forcing Duncan’s hand. “Dad, set up some blind dates for me.” My father was stunned. “You’re actually moving on from him?” I ignored his question and walked out. Soon, the day of the party arrived. I wanted to skip it, but my parents made me go and play the role of the loving sister. When I arrived at the banquet hall where the party was held, Duncan pulled me aside and warned me, “Let me make this clear. Don’t pull any stunts today. If you embarrass Lia in any way—” Chapter 4 “Duncan,” I cut him off. “Thanks to you, no one here is more humiliated than me today!” My very presence at the engagement banquet, without me needing to do anything, was already the biggest joke. His gaze flickered with guilt. “As I said, don’t hurt Lia. I don’t want to...” He stopped mid-sentence and gulped. I knew what he wanted to say. He did not want to kill me over this. To this point, I still could not bring myself to believe that he would do that to me. My father chatted and laughed with Duncan’s family. He publicly promised to give the Jacklin family ten percent of the shares as a wedding gift. The floating words went frantic. [Felicity had to burn bridges with the Ferris family just to squeeze out eight percent. Yet her dad’s casual chatting had earned her two percent more than what Felicity got.] [That’s so sweet of the father. He knows Natalia grew up away from home and doesn’t want her in-laws to look down on her.] [Bet that stings, huh, Felicity?] I was already a laughingstock, anyway. This would change nothing. Just then, my mother shouted. Her voice echoed throughout the entire hall. “Lia!” I whipped my head around to see what happened. Natalia was in my mother’s arms. She was breathing rapidly, and her face seemed unusually flushed. I was about to walk over when Duncan rushed past me from behind. He knocked me off balance. I stumbled and fell to the floor. “It’s an allergic reaction,” he claimed. My mother also realized what was happening. “Call 911!” After Duncan called 911, he checked on Natalia’s condition. He frowned, worried sick about her. “I made it clear that no mango products were to be anywhere near this party. So, why is Lia still having a reaction?” He pondered for a while, then turned and glared at me. In the next second, he grabbed my arm and dragged me into the stairwell, ignoring everyone’s stunned stares. He clamped his hand tightly around my throat, choking me. “I warned you. Why do you keep going after Lia? If anything happens to her or that baby, I swear I’ll make your life a living nightmare!” I could barely breathe. The pressure on my throat was too much. I barely managed to speak. “It wasn’t me... I... didn’t even know... she’s allergic to mangoes...” I was gradually losing my vision. Just as I was about to faint, my mother rushed into the stairwell in a panic. She screamed and pried him away with all her might. “Duncan, are you out of your mind? Let her go!” He came back to his senses. He abruptly let go and stumbled back several steps in a daze. I gasped for air, feeling as if I had narrowly escaped death. Yet my chest still felt blocked by something heavy. He shot me a glance and bolted out of the stairwell. ... My mother drove me home. I lay in bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. The floating words continued to appear before my eyes. [I actually... kind of feel bad for Felicity.] [To be dragged away in front of everyone is truly humiliating.] [I’m trying to figure out if she’s the one who caused Natalia’s allergic reaction. I rewound three times and didn’t see her do anything.] [Maybe she’s just that sneaky. Natalia wouldn’t give herself an allergic reaction, would she?] After a long time, I heard my parents’ voices outside my room. “She asked me to set up blind dates for her. I thought she’d really moved on. “Thank goodness Lia is okay. But she can’t stay in the country anymore. Otherwise, something’s bound to happen to Lia. “The Zamara branch just happens to need a manager. I can send her there. “With enough distance, she’ll eventually move on for good.” My mother firmly objected, saying, “No! Zamara is too harsh a place. Let me ask when the Funnell family’s son is coming back. I’ll set him up with Lissy. If it works out, it means she’s truly moved on. If not, we’ll send her to Zamara.” “Fine. Do it as soon as possible.” I leaned against the door and slowly closed my eyes. My heart felt completely cold. It seemed to them that I had already become the villain who would harm Natalia and destroy everyone’s happiness. However, I truly did not do it. Chapter 5 For the next few days, I did not leave my room. Natalia used her pregnancy care as an excuse to directly move into Duncan’s apartment. She never returned home after that. One day, I got a message from Duncan. Duncan: We found the source of Lia’s allergy. Someone sprayed mango-scented perfume nearby. Sorry. I laughed exasperatedly when I saw his message. Duncan: I know a simple sorry isn’t enough. I’ll compensate you. Tell me what you want. I’ll get you anything you want. Duncan: I’m sorry. Duncan: I’m really sorry. My phone kept buzzing. Annoyed by the noise, I finally replied to him. Me: Get lost. I then blocked him immediately. Half an hour later, as if he had finally mustered up the courage, he called me using his other phone. That same afternoon, he knocked on my door again. No matter how much he apologized, I could not forget the humiliation of being dragged out in front of everyone. He stood outside my door for an entire night, but I could not even be bothered to tell him to go away. A few more days passed. My mother came to my door carrying a tray of food. “Lissy, I found a match for you. Do you want to meet him?” Remembering that I might be relocated to Zamara if things did not work out, I nodded. My mother instantly broke into a smile. “I’ll call the Funnell family to set up a time.” The next afternoon, I went to the address my mother gave me and entered a cafe. As soon as I walked in, a man in a smoke-gray trench coat stood up and walked toward me with a smile. “Hello, Ms. Jacklin. I’m Oscar. Great to see you again.” I was stunned. The handsome man in front of me had a calm and reserved demeanor. I could not remember seeing him before. The floating words popped up frantically. [Oh my gosh! Isn’t that Oscar Funnell? His family is one of the wealthiest on the continent!] [Felicity’s luck is absolutely insane!] [Why would Oscar agree to a blind date? I don’t remember this from the past-life plot at all.] [I rewatched the past storyline. Oscar never got married in his entire life. This date is probably going to crash and burn for Felicity.] [Zamara might be rough, but at least Felicity will survive if she ends up there.] After we sat down, I smiled apologetically. “Sorry, I don’t remember where we’ve met before.” “Three years ago, in Bellavista. You and your boyfriend were at the entrance of the Bellavista Cathedral, and you asked me to take a picture of the two of you.” Bits and pieces of the memory fell into place, and it dawned on me. “It’s been that long, and you can still recognize me at a glance?” “That’s because the earrings you were wearing back then were my mother’s keepsake.” I was stunned again. I scratched my head, feeling embarrassed. “I’m so sorry. I don’t even remember the earrings I wore that day. Let me go home and dig through my photos. If I still have them, I’ll definitely return them to you. “But if they were your mother’s keepsake, why didn’t you ask for them back at the time?” He just smiled and did not reply. The rest of the conversation was exceptionally light and comfortable. He did not pry into my personal affairs. When I voluntarily confessed the whole story of breaking off my engagement with Duncan, he simply listened quietly. At the end, I asked hesitantly, “Mr. Funnell, could you do me a favor?” “What is it?” “Pretend to be my boyfriend. If this blind date doesn’t work out, I might get shipped off to Zamara.” Oscar smiled and agreed readily. “Sure. I’m sick of my family setting me up on blind dates too.” I reached out my hand with a delighted smile. “Then, let’s call it a deal.” Oscar drove me to the porch of my house. From a distance, I saw Duncan leaning against his car. He looked like he had been waiting for a long time. When he saw Oscar in the driver’s seat, his expression shifted. After the car came to a stop, I got out and waved goodbye to Oscar. The moment Oscar’s car pulled out of the street, Duncan grabbed my wrist tightly.