Chapter 1

I was born with a curse—whoever I doom dies exactly as I say.

When I was five, the trafficker who kidnapped me beat me half to death because I wouldn't stop crying.

I stared at him through the blood streaming down my face and whispered, "You'll be crushed into meat paste by a truck."

The words barely left my lips when a runaway semi barreled through the gate and flattened him so thoroughly.

Later, at the orphanage, the director embezzled our food and locked me in the punishment closet for days.

I told him he'd choke to death on his own greed.

That very noon, he died at the dinner table, a chunk of expensive steak lodged in his throat.

After that, I became the monster everyone feared, so I learned to shut my mouth and play mute.

Until the day the Sterling family found me and brought me home.

My parents enrolled me in the family company, saying it was time I learned the business.

But I'd only been there one day when I pushed open the front door and saw Lydia—the adopted sister—sobbing in my fiancé's arms.

"Julian, does Evelyn hate me now?" she whimpered.

"She's been spreading rumors at the office, claiming I slept with Mr. Harrington to secure the Westside Development deal—and that I caught syphilis from him."

My mother stormed over and slapped me hard across the face.

"Your sister is innocent! How dare you spread such vile lies about her!"

My father's voice was even worse—cold and filled with disgust as he pointed at me.

"I knew it—you grew up poor and bitter, and now you're rotting from jealousy! Get to your room and don't come out until I say so!"

I covered my face, saw the smug look in Lydia's eyes, and sneered.

You think I'm spreading rumors?

Fine—then you'd better be ready to live with the consequences when I open my mouth.

"Mom, Dad, look—Evelyn's laughing."

Lydia buried her face in Julian's shoulder, clutching his hand and trembling.

My mother's chest heaved with fury, and she grabbed the teacup from the table and hurled the scalding liquid straight into my face.

"You cursed brat! I should never have brought you back!"

"We gave you everything—food, clothes, a home—and this is how you repay us? Slandering your own sister at the company!"

"How can you be so vicious?!"

I bit down hard on my tongue until I tasted iron.

Julian gently rubbed Lydia's back, then shot me a look of pure disgust.

"Evelyn, I told you from the start—you don't belong in the Sterling family, and you sure as hell don't deserve to be my fiancée."

"If Lydia hadn't begged me to give you a chance, I would've called off this engagement ages ago."

"Now get on your knees and apologize to her, or I'm ending this farce right now."

I lowered my head, staring at the puddle of tea soaking into the marble floor, and said nothing.

My curse has always been absolute—once I speak, fate obeys without fail.

In the six months since they brought me home, the Sterlings gave me something I'd never had before: warmth.

When I had a fever, my mother stayed up all night changing cold compresses on my forehead.

My father, who never cooked, clumsily made me pork chops and gave me the first piece.

Even my brother—who swore he'd never accept me—started sneaking pastries into my bag.

My mother would stroke my face with tears in her eyes and whisper that she was sorry for the years I'd suffered alone.

My father even drove me to the office himself, saying I needed to start building connections because one day, the entire Sterling empire would be mine.

To protect this fragile sliver of warmth I'd finally found, I sealed my lips shut.

Because I knew the moment I spoke, I might kill them all.

Seeing my silence, Lydia's sobs grew louder.

"Does Evelyn think she can just play dumb and get away with this?"

"She's been spreading those disgusting lies about me all over the company—everyone's looking at me like I'm dirty now! How am I supposed to show my face in this industry again?!"

Julian's face twisted in rage, and he stormed over and grabbed the fine chain around my neck, yanking hard.

Pain seared across my skin as the gemstone necklace—the heirloom of the family’s successor—snapped off.

Six months ago, my mother had recognized me because of this necklace.

She said she'd put it on me the day I was born, a mark of my identity as the sole legitimate heir.

"Give it back!" I lunged forward, trying to grab it.

Julian sidestepped with a sneer, letting me crash to the floor."Don't touch me! If you come near me again, I'll call the cops and tell them you assaulted me!"

Then, right in front of me, he placed the necklace around Lydia's neck.

"A treasure this priceless should only be worn by someone pure and kind like Lydia."

"A vicious, foul-mouthed nobody like you would only taint it."

Before I could get back on my feet, my brother came charging down the stairs and grabbed me by the collar.

"I knew we shouldn't have brought you back, you filthy charity case!"

"It was Lydia who begged me to be kind to you! She even gave up her own bedroom to you!"

"And for the past six months, she's handed you every good thing she's ever had—and this is how you repay her?! You ungrateful snake!"

He shoved me to the ground and turned to scream at the staff.

"Butler! Lock this trash in her room right now!"

"No one gives her a single drop of water without my permission—understood?!"

Two security guards rushed forward, dragged me upstairs.