Chapter 1
Chloe Lancaster kicked the bucket.
She was out celebrating her son’s eighth birthday when a car came zooming by. Pushing her kid out of the way, she got hit and sent flying.
Next thing she knew, she woke up in some fancy party hall.
Blinding crystal chandeliers, dudes in suits, ladies dripping in glitz… everything around her felt so alien, even her own limbs felt foreign. This body? Not hers!
People were giving her the side–eye.
“Is this Miss Lancaster?”
“Yeah, she’s the daughter of Mr. Lancaster and his ex. Spent eighteen years on the farm, only came back to Erord City two months ago.
Chloe’s head was pounding, like someone was force–feeding her memories.
Though hard to believe, she’d time–traveled from the 1940s to 70 years later.
Her soul had taken over this eighteen–year–old high schooler’s body.
And she was no longer Professor Lancaster.
Now she was the eldest daughter of the Lancaster family, raised by her mom, only to be mom passed.
e brought
her dad’s place two months after her
“Sis, there you are.”
Hearing this, Chloe looked up to see her half–sister, Erin Lancaster.
Since coming back to the Lancaster family, the original owner of the body had been bullied left and right by Erin, plus the stepmom’s snipes, dad’s neglect, classmates‘ mockery… in just two months, she’d sunk into severe depression.
Erin sashayed over, her voice sickly sweet. “Sis, so you like red wine, but you’re holding the glass wrong.”
Chloe swirled her glass, smirking, “Am I?”
“Yeah.” Erin cooed, “Red wine’s best at under 64 degrees. Touching the glass affects the taste. Sis, let me show you how-”
But before she could finish, Chloe suddenly raised her hand and dumped the entire glass of red wine all over Erin’s face.
The dark red liquid dripped down her perfectly made–up face, staining her pricey dress.
Erin looked utterly shocked. “You… you’re crazy!”
Chloe set the empty glass down, asking leisurely, “Now, how’s the taste?”
Instantly, the onlookers gasped, covering their mouths while gossiping.
“OMG, she’s so rude!”
“Brute! How did Mr. Lancaster end up with such a daughter?”
Chloe scanned the room, her gaze sharp. “You bunch of ‘well–mannered‘ folks, hiding in the corner, pointing fingers, gossiping about me… not rude, huh?”
Everyone got shut down.
Meanwhile, Erin was a total hot mess–hand clamped over her face, sobbing as she bolted like the
place was on fire.
Chloe finally got a moment to sort out her thoughts.
She fished out her phone from her bag, studied it a bit based on her borrowed memories, and figured o
how
to check the news.
1/3
Seventy years had passed in the blink of an eye.
Vecraland’s humiliations were now history.
The great motherland stood at the pinnacle of the world.
As Chloe scrolled through her phone, a commotion suddenly erupted in the party hall.
A tall figure walked in, silhouetted against the light. He wore a perfectly tailored black suit, his shoulders sharp, his figure long and elegant.
Every move exuded an innate nobility. The crystal chandelier’s light glinted off his angular profile, making him stand out among the crowd.
Chloe looked up and saw that face.
Her breath caught.
This man, from his build to his features, even his subtle expressions, was exactly like her husband.
But!
Her husband had already sacrificed himself heroically on the battlefield.
“It’s Mr. Rhodes!”
“Mr. Rhodes actually came to this party.”
“Quick, go say hello.”
Surrounding gasps erupted, and the crowd surged toward the man.
‘His surname was Rhodes?‘ Chloe’s eyes widened as something hit her hard.
She quickly stepped forward, pushing through the crowd to the front.
Up close, damn, the resemblance hit even harder.
She suppressed her emotions and asked, “Who’s Tristan Rhodes to you?”
The second those words dropped, the whole room went dead silent. `
Then, a wave of uproar followed.
“Whoa there, young thing–got the nerve to bark out Mr. Rhodes’s name? Of all people!”
“This is the Lancaster family’s daughter, just brought back from the farm. So rude and ill–mannered, no upbringing at all.”
Sergio Lancaster was also in the crowd, startled when he heard this.
“Mr. Rhodes, my daughter grew up on the farm. She’s ignorant. Please, please don’t take it to heart.” With that, he whispered harshly to Chloe, “Quick, apologize to Mr. Rhodes right now.”
Chloe’s head was full–on blown circuits buzzing like a busted beehive as she wondered, ‘Tristan was my s
my… great–grandson?
‘My great–grandson’s already so grown up…
‘Right, on a normal timeline, I’d be close to a hundred, and my son would be 78.
Just a moment ago, she was still holding her son’s hand.
So this young guy here is
Blink once, and her baby boy was an old man. Seventy Christmases had gone missing between them. Just like that.
Chloe struggled to speak. “Is Tristan… still alive?”
Sergio quickly covered her mouth.
2/3
‘Calling Mr. Rhodes by name was bad enough–but now she’s wishing death on him? Hell, I should’ve never let her crash the party!‘ He regretted inwardly.
“The old man is in good health, of course, he’s still alive.” Michael’s stern lips curved into a smirk. “Mr. Lancaster, what a bold daughter you’ve got.”
Sergio was sweating bullets, hesitating, “Mr. Rhodes, my daughter, she…”
Before he could finish, Michael strode away.
Chloe instinctively chased after him.
If her son were still alive, she gotta meet him no matter what.
Just as she took a step, Sergio grabbed her wrist. “How the hell did your mom raise you like this? Zero manners! You’re goddamn dragging the Lancasters‘ name through the dirt!”
Chloe shook him off, smiling. “First time I’ve heard someone scold themselves like that.”
The veins on Sergio’s forehead throbbed.
He raised his hand, ready to slap her hard.
Chloe was about to block it.
Suddenly, her brain felt like it was being pierced by thousands of arrows, about to explode, the pain unbearable, her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed straight backward.
The onlookers chimed in instantly.
“Mr. Lancaster, she’s still a kid. Take it slow with the teaching.”
“How could you knock her out, Mr. Lancaster, a bit too harsh, ain’t it?”
“Didn’t see she offended the Rhodes family? A slap’s light…”
Sergio felt a lump of blood stuck in his chest.
He didn’t even hit her; this girl was faking it.
But then he looked down! Chloe’s face was ghastly pale and didn’t seem fake.
