Regret, Too Late! I’m Marrying Your Rival

So when someone slipped him an aphrodisiac, I willingly became his cure. A month later, I got pregnant, and my grandfather decided he had to marry me.

But Julian already had his first love, Chloe, in his heart. In a fit of drunken despair, he threw himself into the freezing river.

I swam in those icy waters for what felt like an eternity just to save him.

I didn’t just lose our baby in a miscarriage; the freezing water permanently damaged my hearing, leaving me deaf. Grandpa made Julian kneel on the cold floor all night.

At dawn, with bloodshot eyes, Julian finally agreed to the marriage. But after we married, he resented me for saving his life and hated me for ruining his romance.

He abused me daily, eventually caused Grandpa’s death, and even sold me to a shady underground club as an escort.

Refusing to be degraded, I gathered every ounce of my remaining strength and dragged Julian with me into the path of oncoming traffic.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the very night Julian had been drugged. The heavy weight pressing down on me was almost suffocating.

I opened my eyes in a daze, meeting Julian’s bloodshot gaze.

Those eyes, usually so cold and detached, were now swirling with an uncontrollable, wild desire, as if he wanted to consume me alive. "Help me..." his voice was hoarse, his burning forehead resting against my collarbone. "Chloe." The moment I heard that name, the blood in my veins turned to ice.

Chloe Sterling. His first love. The obsession he would rather drown for than marry me.

In my past life, carrying a secret crush and a desperate kind of bravery, I had willingly offered myself to be his cure.

But now, feeling his burning palms frantically tearing at my collar, I felt no flutter of a young girl’s heart.

Only a bonedeep terror and disgust. "Get off me!" I slammed my knee upward, aiming straight for his most vulnerable spot with all my might. "Ugh!" Julian groaned, his movements freezing instantly.

A brief flash of sanity returned to his eyes. I took the chance to scramble out from under him, rolling onto the carpet in a disheveled heap, my heart pounding wildly.

It wasn't a dream. I was really back.

Back to the night where all the tragedies began. "Fiona, how dare you!" Once Julian realized it was me, the disgust in his voice was completely undisguised. "Did you drug me?

Are you really that desperate and cheap?" "I didn't drug you," my voice shook with the relief of surviving, yet it was crystal clear. "Don't you love Chloe?

I’ll go get her for you!" Julian panted heavily, sweat soaking his forehead. He stared at me, his eyes full of intense scrutiny. "How do you know about Chloe?" I didn't answer.

I just looked at him quietly. The drug surged again, finally breaking his last shred of sanity. He gasped out an address—a luxury suburban apartment. "Thirty minutes...

I want to see her." He leaned back on the bed, his veins bulging on his arms as he used his last bit of willpower to restrain himself. "Fine." I picked up my jacket that he had ripped off, turned around, and walked out without a second thought.

As I drove out of the villa, tears streamed down my face without warning. It wasn't from sadness. It was from pure hatred—and regret for my past stupidity.

Chloe was my college classmate. She was a scholarship student who always wore faded dresses and looked fragile and pitiable. I had genuinely treated her as a friend.

I helped her get financial aid, brought her home for dinners, and gave her my unworn clothes. Yet, behind my back, she told Julian: "Fiona doesn't really care about me.

She’s just pitying me.

How could a rich heiress like her ever be a real friend to someone like me?" Later, she "accidentally" let slip my feelings for Julian right in front of him, and then cried on her knees, begging for my forgiveness.

That was exactly when Julian started turning completely against me. My past life played back in my head like a sick joke.

I slammed on the gas, speeding through the night, and quickly located the apartment.

When Chloe opened the door, she was wearing a silk nightgown that perfectly showed off her curves. A look of practiced surprise washed over her face. "Fiona?

What are you doing here?" I didn't feel like playing her games. I cut straight to the chase. "Julian was drugged with an aphrodisiac. He wants you.

Now." Chloe’s face flushed red instantly, a mix of shyness and worry coloring her expression. "Is Julian okay? I...

I’ll come with you right away." When I delivered Chloe to Julian’s door, it had been exactly thirty minutes. Julian was still in the same position, but he was clearly at his limit.

The moment he saw Chloe, a desperate light flared in his eyes. He stumbled forward, pulling her tightly into his arms. "Chloe..." "Julian, what’s wrong?

Don't scare me." Chloe clung to him, her voice trembling with tears, but her eyes shot a triumphant look at me over his shoulder. I looked at her expressionlessly.

She had calculated the drug’s timing perfectly to force his hand into a shotgun marriage with the Forbes family, but she hadn't expected Julian to go home early.

In my last life, I was foolish enough to be her scapegoat.

This time, I decided to let them have each other. "Bang!" The door slammed shut in my face, cutting off whatever was about to happen inside. My heart felt strangely peaceful.

Julian, the love you wanted so badly—I’ve given it back to you.

After my parents passed away, I moved into the family manor. Grandpa was always busy.

Aside from the butler and the maid, my only constant companion was Julian, who was seven years older than me.

When I was little, he held my hand to teach me how to write, telling me that a person’s character should be as straight as their brushstrokes.

As I grew older, I hated when he smoked, so I would hide his cigarettes. He was never angry when he found them.

He would just pinch my cheek and say, "If you don't like it, just tell me.

I’ll quit." On my eighteenth birthday, he took me up to the roof of our old house, pointed at the stars, and said, "Every star has its own orbit." But I was busy staring at his moonlit profile, secretly wishing our orbits would cross.

Love comes from nowhere, yet it runs incredibly deep. I didn't go back to the Forbes manor. Instead, I drove to the riverbank.

The early winter wind was bitingly cold, slashing against my face like knives. In my past life, this was where Julian had jumped.

I had jumped in after him, swimming desperately in the freezing water to save his life. The baby was lost, my ears were ruined, and all I got in return was his deeper hatred.

He had screamed at me, "Fiona, why didn't you just let me die?

You and your grandfather are exactly the same—you both just want to control my life!" Later, when he took over the Forbes estate, he drove Grandpa to a stroke, sending him to the worst nursing home to die in misery.

And me? He sold me to an underground club, leaving me to suffer endless humiliation. Before I died, I dragged my broken body and shoved him right into the path of a speeding truck.

The sensation of that bloody collision still felt fresh at my fingertips. I sat in my car all night, returning to the Forbes manor only when the first light of dawn broke.

The living room lights were still on. Grandpa was leaning on the sofa, clutching his old pocket watch. Hearing the door open, he jolted awake.

He let out a sigh of relief when he saw me. "Fiona! You’re finally back! Where is that rascal Julian? Why hasn't there been any news from either of you all night?

He isn't answering his phone!" Looking at Grandpa’s white hair and worried eyes, my own eyes welled with tears.

I threw myself into his arms, my voice cracking. "Grandpa, my phone died.

Julian probably got busy with something." Grandpa gently patted my back. "As long as you're safe, as long as you're safe. Why are your eyes so red?

Did that brat bully you again?" I shook my head, forcing a smile. "No, I just stayed up late reading." I coaxed Grandpa back to his room to rest, but I couldn't sleep at all.

Standing in my familiar bedroom, looking at my young but exhausted face in the mirror, I took a deep breath. "Fiona, this time, you’re going to live for yourself." The next morning, when I went downstairs for breakfast, I was surprised to see both Julian and Chloe.

Chloe was wearing a highneck sweater, but it still couldn't hide the red marks on her neck. She sat next to Julian, sipping her milk with a sweet, obedient look.

Grandpa’s face was incredibly dark, his hands tightly gripping the morning paper. "Julian, care to explain?" Grandpa’s voice carried a dangerous, suppressed rage.

Julian glanced at me, his eyes unreadable. "Dad, Chloe and I are truly in love.

Last night was an accident, but I will take responsibility for her." "Responsibility?" Grandpa’s voice raised. "How?

Are you planning to marry her?" "Yes." The dining room fell into a suffocating silence.

After a long pause, Grandpa waved his hand tiredly. "I don't care about your personal life anymore." "But don't dream of throwing a grand wedding.

The Forbes family cannot afford to be embarrassed like this!" Chloe’s nails dug deep into her palms, but she still nodded submissively. "I understand, sir." "You aren't qualified to call me that!" Grandpa snapped without hesitation.

The breakfast ended in an incredibly tense atmosphere.

As soon as Grandpa left, Julian blocked my path. "Fiona, we need to talk." "We have nothing to talk about." I tried to walk past him, but he grabbed my wrist.

His grip was incredibly tight, causing a sharp pain. "Was the drug last night really not your doing?" he whispered, his eyes sharp.

I shook off his grip with all my strength. "Julian, aren't you overestimating your charm?

I have absolutely no interest in you." I glanced over at Chloe, who was standing not far away, practically straining her ears to listen. "Your beloved put in quite a lot of effort to get into your bed.

Why don't you ask her where the drug came from?" Chloe’s face turned pale instantly. "Fiona, how can you lie like that!

I know you’ve always loved Julian, but you can't slander me!" "I loved him?" I laughed, as if I had just heard the funniest joke in the world. "That was back when I was blind." I looked at Julian, pronouncing every single word clearly: "Julian, looking back at my feelings for you makes me feel absolutely disgusted." His pupils shrank, and all the color drained from his face.

Without another look, I turned and walked away.

I thought that would be the end of it. But a few days later, nasty rumors started spreading like wildfire at school. "Did you hear? Fiona Forbes is obsessed with her stepuncle.

She even drugged him to try and force his hand!" "Oh my god, that is so gross! Isn't that practically incest?" "No wonder Chloe said Fiona had been bullying her behind closed doors.

You really can't judge a book by its cover!" As I walked through the campus, I could feel the judgmental stares coming from every direction.

Right outside my classroom, a group of girls blocked my way. It was Chloe’s little clique.

The girl leading them crossed her arms, looking down her nose at me. "Fiona, have you no shame? Trying to seduce your own uncle?" I looked at her coldly. "Slander is a crime.

Do you want to get sued?" She sneered. "Who’s slandering you? There are photos on the school forum to prove it!" I opened my phone and indeed saw a hot thread on the campus forum.

The title read: "Rich Heiress Seduces StepUncle with Drugs, Gets Rejected and Dumped." Inside were a few blurry photos—screenshots from the security camera outside Julian’s apartment that night.

They clearly showed a flushed Julian grabbing my arm. The poster had carefully selected the angles, making it look like I was throwing myself at him.

Meanwhile, there wasn't a single photo of Chloe arriving later.

Before I could read further, Julian’s call came through. "Get to the parking lot," his voice was cold as ice. "Right now." When I reached the parking lot, his car was already waiting.

The window rolled down, revealing Julian’s tense jawline. "Get in." I pulled the door open and sat down.

Before he could speak, I said, "I didn't post that." "Who else could it be?" He whipped his head around to glare at me, his eyes bloodshot. "Do you have any idea how many people are laughing at me right now?" "Fiona, do you hate me that much?

You’d drag your own name through the mud just to ruin me?" "Hate you?" I laughed softly. "You're not worth it." Right in front of him, I logged into the school forum on my phone. "The ID is anonymous, but the IP address shows it was posted from a café in the north side of the city." I looked up at him. "Yesterday, from 3:00 to 5:00 PM, Chloe was right there." Julian’s brow furrowed tightly. "What are you trying to say?" "It’s very simple," I turned my screen toward him. "Your precious angel is happily playing the role of the future Mrs.

Forbes while stabbing you in the back." "Of course, she probably just wanted to target me and didn't realize it would ruin your social standing as well." On the screen was a selfie Chloe and a few other girls had taken in a private room at that exact café.

The time and location matched perfectly.

Julian’s expression turned incredibly ugly. "Chloe... wouldn't do something like this." "Really?" I put my phone away. "Then feel free to keep believing your perfect first love." I reached for the door handle, but he slammed his hand over it, pinning it shut. "Find a way to get the post down," he commanded. "I’ll have people handle the rest of the rumors." "Why should I?" I sneered. "I wasn't the one who did anything wrong." "Because your last name is Forbes!" he practically roared. "The Forbes family reputation cannot be ruined by your petty drama!" My heart felt a sharp prick.

So, in his mind, the Forbes family reputation was still more important than the truth.

Or rather, he just refused to believe Chloe could be so malicious. "Fine," I agreed, catching him off guard. "I’ll have it taken down." Right in front of him, I contacted the forum administrator, using the Forbes name to pressure them into deleting the thread.

Then, I proceeded to block him across all platforms. SnapChat, phone calls, emails... even our old childhood gaming accounts. I deleted everything.

Watching my fingers fly across the screen, Julian’s face darkened further. "Fiona, what kind of game are you playing now?" I raised my head, looking at him with utter calmness. "From today on, you are no longer my uncle.

We have absolutely nothing to do with each other."

My conversation with Julian ended on a terrible note. Once I got home, I approached Grandpa and brought up the marriage alliance with the Vance family.

Grandpa was surprised. "What made you change your mind so suddenly?" I wrapped my arm around his, keeping my tone light. "I was young and foolish before, always chasing after some fantasy of 'true love.'" "Now I realize that a socially compatible alliance with someone we know well is the best choice.

Plus, I trust your judgment, Grandpa." Grandpa patted my hand, looking relieved. "I'm glad you’ve grown up." "Damian Vance might seem a bit cold, but he’s incredibly capable and has outstanding character.

He’s someone you can rely on." My interactions with Damian Vance went much smoother than I expected. He was a busy man, but he always made time for me.

We went out for dinners, visited art galleries, and attended concerts. Our dates were always perfectly organized, yet they catered exactly to my interests.

Slowly, I realized that beneath his cold exterior lay a deeply attentive and gentle man.

He would remember books I casually mentioned wanting to read and bring them to our next meeting. During my period, he would silently order me a warm drink instead of iced water.

He never crossed any lines, always maintaining a respectful distance, yet he made sure I felt his care. A month later, I decided to bring Damian home to meet Grandpa.

I specifically asked Grandpa not to tell Julian about my relationship with Damian yet. Damian kept a very low profile, and few people in the business world knew his face.

Julian had only seen him from a distance a few times at events and had never interacted with him personally.

Sure enough, when Julian brought Chloe back that evening and saw Damian sitting in the living room, his face darkened instantly.

His eyes practically turned to ice when he saw my hand naturally resting in Damian’s.

Damian’s manners were absolutely flawless, and the gifts he brought were exactly to Grandpa’s liking. Grandpa was thrilled with him, the smile never leaving his face.

Only Julian and Chloe sat there like awkward outsiders. Chloe kept glancing at Damian, a flash of admiration and a hint of jealousy flickering in her eyes.

After dinner, Grandpa called us all into the study.

He took out a document from the safe, his expression serious. "I originally planned to reveal this after I passed away." "But now that Fiona has found a reliable partner to spend her life with, it’s better to give this to you both early." Chloe’s eyes lit up, assuming it was the inheritance.

She couldn't wait to pipe up: "Don't worry, Grandpa.

Once Julian takes over the family business, we will make sure Fiona is well taken care of." She hadn't even married into the family yet, and she was already counting the Forbes fortune.

Too bad her little plan was about to fall apart.

Grandpa shot her a cold glare. "When did I ever say Julian was inheriting the Forbes estate?" "Who else would?" Chloe’s voice turned shrill. "Are you going to let a younger generation like Fiona split the inheritance equally with her elder?

That’s not fair!" Julian also looked at Damian and me, his tone frosty. "I think Chloe makes a fair point." "Fiona never cared about these things before.

Her sudden interest now... is it her own idea, or is she being influenced by someone else?" He shot a pointed look at Damian. "Besides, since my brother and sisterinlaw are gone, I am the only male heir of the Forbes family.

I should be the one taking charge." His message was clear: he wanted the entire Forbes estate for himself.

Grandpa slammed his hand on the desk, rattling the teacups. "I am not dead yet!" "Let me tell you something, Julian. Forget about splitting the inheritance.

When I pass, everything under the Forbes name goes to Fiona!" Julian snapped his head up. "Dad, have you lost your mind?" "Grandpa hasn't lost his mind," I said coldly. "Like I said, you are no longer my uncle.

Naturally, you no longer have any right to the Forbes inheritance." His pupils contracted sharply. "What do you mean?" "Exactly what I said." I stepped forward to take the document from Grandpa, but Julian suddenly grabbed my arm. "Explain yourself!" He gripped my wrist so tightly I felt like my bones were going to shatter. "There's nothing to explain." I forcefully yanked my hand away. "Grandpa legally removed you from the inheritance list a long time ago." Julian’s face turned deathly pale. "What?" "Years ago, when Grandpa mentioned we weren't bloodrelated, did you assume my father was the one who was adopted?" Looking at his shocked face, a wave of vengeful satisfaction washed over me. "My dear stepuncle, you are the orphan Grandpa took in."