Reborn? Screw the Fake Lover—I'm Snagging My Arch-Rival! - Chapter 1: Chapter 1
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"Stella, your twenty-second birthday is coming up." Mom's voice carried barely contained excitement through the phone. "Five potential fiancés to choose from—have you decided who you want?"
Stella Whitmore stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the frame. Sunlight streamed through the glass, casting patterns on her skin, but it couldn't chase away the coldness in her eyes.
"I've decided," she said softly.
"I knew it!" Mom laughed. "You've been following Chase around since childhood—it's gotta be him, right?"
"No." Stella's voice remained calm. "I won't choose him."
Silence stretched across the line for several seconds.
"Then..." Mom hesitated. "Are you picking from the ones who like you? Marcus, Preston, or Damien?"
"I won't choose any of them either."
Mom gasped. "That only leaves Ryder. But he's your sworn enemy! You definitely wouldn't…"
"That's exactly who I'm choosing." Stella cut her off, her voice impossibly firm. "Mom, I'm marrying Ryder Blackthorne."
"WHAT?!" Mom's voice shot up an octave. "Stella, you and Ryder have been at each other's throats since day one! At five, you pushed him into the pool. At ten, you put hot sauce in his birthday cake. At fifteen, you threw his limited-edition sneakers into the fountain..."
Stella listened to her mother recounting their "glorious history" of warfare, her lips unconsciously curving into a smile.
"A year ago you said you never wanted to see him again," Mom continued. "You literally made him so mad he went abroad. Why suddenly marry him?"
Stella's eyes dropped, her fingertips tightening slightly.
Because being reborn taught her that of all five potential husbands, only he had truly loved her—yet she'd been completely oblivious.
In her past life, she'd stood in this exact spot, telling her mother with pure joy that she wanted to marry Chase Ravenwood.
How could she have known then that the cold, noble heir to the Ravenwood fortune would fake his own death to escape their wedding—all for another woman—leaving her in agony for twenty years?
She was born into Chicago's elite Whitmore family. Her mother and the ladies of the Ravenwood, Steele, Kane, Vale, and Blackthorne families had been best friends since school. When all six got pregnant simultaneously, the other five had sons while only the Whitmores got a daughter.
The day Stella was born, the five mothers were insanely envious, fighting over who got to hold the adorable baby girl. They literally argued over who would become her future mother-in-law.
Mom had no choice but to agree that on Stella's twenty-second birthday, she'd choose one of the five families.
In her past life, she'd picked Chase without hesitation—the man she'd chased through her entire youth, believing she'd find happiness with him.
But the night before their wedding, his plane crashed with no survivors.
She went crazy searching for his remains for twenty years, never giving up.
Marcus Steele, Preston Kane, and Damien Vale stayed by her side the whole time—gentle, caring, declaring their love, hoping to pull her from the darkness.
She was grateful for their devotion, but she just couldn't forget Chase.
Until that rainy night—
She saw dead Chase pressing Sophia Montgomery against a wall, kissing her on a London street.
The scholarship girl she'd sponsored was now wrapped in her fiancé's arms, while Marcus, Preston, and Damien stood nearby.
When the kiss ended, they immediately draped a coat over Sophia, handed her tissues, looking at her swollen lips with concern: "Kissing that long—your lips are all puffy."
"Sophia, don't worry," they said tenderly. "Just stay abroad with Chase and live your best life. We'll keep Stella distracted so she never finds you."
That's when she understood—Chase had fallen for Sophia long ago, even faking his death to elope with her.
And the other three? They were actually in love with Sophia too. Pretending to love Stella was just a way to keep her busy, preventing her from ruining their darling's happiness.
After discovering the truth, she fled in panic but got hit by a car. Those four men stood across the street, coldly watching her die.
In the end, it was Ryder Blackthorne—her childhood nemesis, the man she'd always treated like garbage—who collected her body and cried at her grave.
"Stella?" Mom's voice pulled her back to reality. "You still there?"
Stella took a deep breath, her fingertips trembling slightly. "Mom, I've made up my mind. At my twenty-second birthday party, I'll announce that I'm choosing Ryder Blackthorne as my fiancé."
"Please tell him to come back ASAP." She paused, her voice soft but determined. "Actually... you and Dad should go personally. Otherwise, he probably won't believe it."
Though Mom didn't understand, she doted on her daughter enough to sigh and give in: "Fine, if you insist, we're flying to Switzerland tomorrow!"
After hanging up, Stella immediately felt relief and headed upstairs.
She opened a hidden compartment in her walk-in closet, revealing four pristine gift boxes arranged perfectly—Chase's diamond necklace, Marcus's limited edition watch, Preston's auction-grade painting, Damien's custom perfume—each worth a fortune, each carrying lies from her past life.
She gathered the gifts and walked out without looking back.
In the garden, familiar voices drifted over—
"Chase..." Sophia's eyes were red with tears, her voice choked. "Miss Whitmore's twenty-second birthday is coming up. She loves you so much—she'll definitely choose you. You'll be a married man soon. I can't be with you anymore. Miss Whitmore paid for my education, and I've been secretly enjoying your love behind her back... I've already betrayed her enough."
She looked down, her voice getting smaller. "You're the high and mighty Ravenwood heir, I'm just a poor student surviving on the Whitmore family's charity... Please just... forget about our time together..."
Stella froze.
Not far away, four men surrounded Sophia.
Chase's face was stormy as he grabbed her wrist: "Who gave you permission to leave? Even if she chooses me, you're the only one I love."
"Don't worry, I've got it handled," he continued. "If she picks me, I'll stage a plane crash the day before the wedding and take you away from all this."
"Sophia, don't stress," Marcus gently offered her a tissue. "After you two run off, we three will keep Stella busy so she never finds you."
Preston added with a light laugh: "Exactly. Just enjoy your life with Chase."
"Sophia, with us here, you've got nothing to fear," Damien said adoringly.
"But..." Sophia bit her lip, tears threatening to fall. "If Miss Whitmore finds out, she'll be heartbroken."
The four men spoke in unison: "We only care about you. Whether Stella lives or dies is none of our business!"
Stella stood behind the trees, her heart feeling like it was being crushed by an invisible hand.
Right—her life or death meant nothing to them.
In her past life, they'd done exactly this.
She walked forward expressionlessly, her heels clicking against the cobblestones.
"Miss?" Sophia's face went white as she rushed over. "You... how did you get here..."
Stella didn't even glance at her: "Taking out the trash."
"Let me help!" Sophia reached for the boxes. "The Whitmores paid for my college—I promised I'd do anything to repay you!"
"No need."
"Miss, don't be polite..."
As they struggled over the boxes, Sophia suddenly twisted her ankle.
"Ah!"
She screamed, grabbing Stella's arm, and both tumbled into the nearby pool.
Ice-cold water swallowed them instantly.
Stella couldn't swim and flailed desperately as she surfaced: "Help..."
All four men jumped in simultaneously.
But not for her.
She watched in horror as they rushed toward Sophia while she slowly sank.
As water filled her lungs, she glimpsed Chase lifting Sophia to safety, Marcus wrapping his jacket around her, Preston doing chest compressions, Damien calling an ambulance...
Finally, Chase cupped Sophia's face and kissed her hard.
Stella Whitmore stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the frame. Sunlight streamed through the glass, casting patterns on her skin, but it couldn't chase away the coldness in her eyes.
"I've decided," she said softly.
"I knew it!" Mom laughed. "You've been following Chase around since childhood—it's gotta be him, right?"
"No." Stella's voice remained calm. "I won't choose him."
Silence stretched across the line for several seconds.
"Then..." Mom hesitated. "Are you picking from the ones who like you? Marcus, Preston, or Damien?"
"I won't choose any of them either."
Mom gasped. "That only leaves Ryder. But he's your sworn enemy! You definitely wouldn't…"
"That's exactly who I'm choosing." Stella cut her off, her voice impossibly firm. "Mom, I'm marrying Ryder Blackthorne."
"WHAT?!" Mom's voice shot up an octave. "Stella, you and Ryder have been at each other's throats since day one! At five, you pushed him into the pool. At ten, you put hot sauce in his birthday cake. At fifteen, you threw his limited-edition sneakers into the fountain..."
Stella listened to her mother recounting their "glorious history" of warfare, her lips unconsciously curving into a smile.
"A year ago you said you never wanted to see him again," Mom continued. "You literally made him so mad he went abroad. Why suddenly marry him?"
Stella's eyes dropped, her fingertips tightening slightly.
Because being reborn taught her that of all five potential husbands, only he had truly loved her—yet she'd been completely oblivious.
In her past life, she'd stood in this exact spot, telling her mother with pure joy that she wanted to marry Chase Ravenwood.
How could she have known then that the cold, noble heir to the Ravenwood fortune would fake his own death to escape their wedding—all for another woman—leaving her in agony for twenty years?
She was born into Chicago's elite Whitmore family. Her mother and the ladies of the Ravenwood, Steele, Kane, Vale, and Blackthorne families had been best friends since school. When all six got pregnant simultaneously, the other five had sons while only the Whitmores got a daughter.
The day Stella was born, the five mothers were insanely envious, fighting over who got to hold the adorable baby girl. They literally argued over who would become her future mother-in-law.
Mom had no choice but to agree that on Stella's twenty-second birthday, she'd choose one of the five families.
In her past life, she'd picked Chase without hesitation—the man she'd chased through her entire youth, believing she'd find happiness with him.
But the night before their wedding, his plane crashed with no survivors.
She went crazy searching for his remains for twenty years, never giving up.
Marcus Steele, Preston Kane, and Damien Vale stayed by her side the whole time—gentle, caring, declaring their love, hoping to pull her from the darkness.
She was grateful for their devotion, but she just couldn't forget Chase.
Until that rainy night—
She saw dead Chase pressing Sophia Montgomery against a wall, kissing her on a London street.
The scholarship girl she'd sponsored was now wrapped in her fiancé's arms, while Marcus, Preston, and Damien stood nearby.
When the kiss ended, they immediately draped a coat over Sophia, handed her tissues, looking at her swollen lips with concern: "Kissing that long—your lips are all puffy."
"Sophia, don't worry," they said tenderly. "Just stay abroad with Chase and live your best life. We'll keep Stella distracted so she never finds you."
That's when she understood—Chase had fallen for Sophia long ago, even faking his death to elope with her.
And the other three? They were actually in love with Sophia too. Pretending to love Stella was just a way to keep her busy, preventing her from ruining their darling's happiness.
After discovering the truth, she fled in panic but got hit by a car. Those four men stood across the street, coldly watching her die.
In the end, it was Ryder Blackthorne—her childhood nemesis, the man she'd always treated like garbage—who collected her body and cried at her grave.
"Stella?" Mom's voice pulled her back to reality. "You still there?"
Stella took a deep breath, her fingertips trembling slightly. "Mom, I've made up my mind. At my twenty-second birthday party, I'll announce that I'm choosing Ryder Blackthorne as my fiancé."
"Please tell him to come back ASAP." She paused, her voice soft but determined. "Actually... you and Dad should go personally. Otherwise, he probably won't believe it."
Though Mom didn't understand, she doted on her daughter enough to sigh and give in: "Fine, if you insist, we're flying to Switzerland tomorrow!"
After hanging up, Stella immediately felt relief and headed upstairs.
She opened a hidden compartment in her walk-in closet, revealing four pristine gift boxes arranged perfectly—Chase's diamond necklace, Marcus's limited edition watch, Preston's auction-grade painting, Damien's custom perfume—each worth a fortune, each carrying lies from her past life.
She gathered the gifts and walked out without looking back.
In the garden, familiar voices drifted over—
"Chase..." Sophia's eyes were red with tears, her voice choked. "Miss Whitmore's twenty-second birthday is coming up. She loves you so much—she'll definitely choose you. You'll be a married man soon. I can't be with you anymore. Miss Whitmore paid for my education, and I've been secretly enjoying your love behind her back... I've already betrayed her enough."
She looked down, her voice getting smaller. "You're the high and mighty Ravenwood heir, I'm just a poor student surviving on the Whitmore family's charity... Please just... forget about our time together..."
Stella froze.
Not far away, four men surrounded Sophia.
Chase's face was stormy as he grabbed her wrist: "Who gave you permission to leave? Even if she chooses me, you're the only one I love."
"Don't worry, I've got it handled," he continued. "If she picks me, I'll stage a plane crash the day before the wedding and take you away from all this."
"Sophia, don't stress," Marcus gently offered her a tissue. "After you two run off, we three will keep Stella busy so she never finds you."
Preston added with a light laugh: "Exactly. Just enjoy your life with Chase."
"Sophia, with us here, you've got nothing to fear," Damien said adoringly.
"But..." Sophia bit her lip, tears threatening to fall. "If Miss Whitmore finds out, she'll be heartbroken."
The four men spoke in unison: "We only care about you. Whether Stella lives or dies is none of our business!"
Stella stood behind the trees, her heart feeling like it was being crushed by an invisible hand.
Right—her life or death meant nothing to them.
In her past life, they'd done exactly this.
She walked forward expressionlessly, her heels clicking against the cobblestones.
"Miss?" Sophia's face went white as she rushed over. "You... how did you get here..."
Stella didn't even glance at her: "Taking out the trash."
"Let me help!" Sophia reached for the boxes. "The Whitmores paid for my college—I promised I'd do anything to repay you!"
"No need."
"Miss, don't be polite..."
As they struggled over the boxes, Sophia suddenly twisted her ankle.
"Ah!"
She screamed, grabbing Stella's arm, and both tumbled into the nearby pool.
Ice-cold water swallowed them instantly.
Stella couldn't swim and flailed desperately as she surfaced: "Help..."
All four men jumped in simultaneously.
But not for her.
She watched in horror as they rushed toward Sophia while she slowly sank.
As water filled her lungs, she glimpsed Chase lifting Sophia to safety, Marcus wrapping his jacket around her, Preston doing chest compressions, Damien calling an ambulance...
Finally, Chase cupped Sophia's face and kissed her hard.
End of Reborn? Screw the Fake Lover—I'm Snagging My Arch-Rival! Chapter 1. Continue reading Chapter 2 or return to Reborn? Screw the Fake Lover—I'm Snagging My Arch-Rival! book page.