My older sister and I married on the same day, each wedding a biological brother from the Marquis of Dingguo's household.
Less than a month later, my husband was killed in battle at the border.
I begged my brother-in-law, Ye Xiao, to give me a letter divorcing me on his younger brother's behalf, but he refused and instead made life difficult for me at every turn.
My sister was heartbroken and wept, accusing me of seducing her husband.
Unable to defend myself, I placed my child in my sister's care and served the couple as a maid. The toil drained me until I was spent.
As I lay dying, Ye Xiao held my sister and soothed her. "If you hadn't been born unable to conceive and needed her to bear your legitimate firstborn son, why would I have made things difficult for her?"
"She aged prematurely and became ugly, while you're still as beautiful as a flower. Ling'er loathes her."
"Once she's dead, I'll ask for Ling'er to be named heir and get rid of the bad luck in the marquis's household."
Only then did I understand that my sister had been the one who told Ye Xiao to mistreat me.
Overcome with shock and fury, I vomited blood and died. When I opened my eyes again, I had been reborn on the day news of my husband's death arrived.
