After refusing to marry into a rich family, I became a female CEO
Chapter 1
My mom saved Mrs. Peterson, and the Peterson family promised her one of their sons in marriage.
My sister, Ashley, jumped at the chance, only to discover her husband was an unfavored illegitimate son. Two days later, she was out on the streets.
After I graduated from a top university, the real head of the Peterson family, Ethan Peterson, proposed to me.
At the press conference announcing our engagement, Ashley rushed up and pushed me off the stage. She fell too.
Reborn, she pretended to be magnanimous, letting me have this “good fortune,” but whispered in my ear with pure venom, “Enjoy this immense wealth for me, dear sister.”
1
When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the day the Petersons came to propose.
Mrs. Peterson was helped out of a luxury car, the suited bodyguards around her dazzling my dad.
Behind her stood the youngest Peterson son, Derek. He was handsome and refined, a Patek Philippe watch on his wrist and a tailored suit accentuating his elegance.
The Petersons were the wealthiest family in Seabrook, and leaders in the national cosmetics industry, worth hundreds of millions. This top-tier family, whom we usually only saw in magazines and on TV, was now standing in front of us, wanting to become in-laws.
My mom was ecstatic, quickly pushing my prettier sister forward.
But Ashley, surprisingly, didn’t step up.
She frowned and, under everyone’s gaze, declared righteously, “Mom, I don’t want to take shortcuts. I want to succeed through my own efforts!”
“Marriage and happiness are not things to be traded. But since I’m the only one who thinks so, let Chloe go.”
Everyone was surprised.
My parents were especially puzzled. Ashley was always competitive, trying to outdo me in everything. Why was she acting so different, so yielding?
But I knew why.
I packed my bags expressionlessly, taking only a single duffle bag, and got into the Peterson’s car.
My parents’ confusion was justified.
In my past life, Ashley, eager to marry into the Peterson family, dressed herself up and, with my parents’ help, stole the show in front of the Petersons.
Not only that, but to prevent any unforeseen circumstances, she spread rumors about me, slandering my character and turning me into a laughingstock. By comparison, she became a noble, elegant, and untainted lily.
She thought marrying into wealth meant a comfortable life and high social status, a Cinderella-esque love story with a handsome, rich prince like Derek.
But what awaited her was the untold dirt and grime beneath the surface of the wealthy family.
Mrs. Peterson allowed a common girl like her to marry Derek because he was an illegitimate son with no power or status. Ashley wouldn’t get any of the Peterson fortune and would be tormented and humiliated by the other Peterson children.
“Trash like you deserves to be in the Peterson family?”
“A gutter rat and a bastard, a perfect match!”
Unable to bear the torment, she blamed Derek, treating him cruelly and even trying to seduce other Peterson sons.
But a girl like her, with nothing but looks, only became a plaything for the rich young men, discarded when they were bored.
After Derek’s older brother, Ethan, became the head of the family, she and Derek were kicked out.
She begged Ethan for mercy, offering her body in exchange for wealth.
But what she got was even deeper humiliation.
“Touching a dirty, gold-digging slut like you? I’d be disgusted.”
“Don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to. I’m not as stupid as Derek. Not every woman deserves to be in my bed.”
Meanwhile, I endured the dark days, burying myself in my studies at University of A, eventually graduating with honors as the only student with a perfect GPA that year. I received countless job offers.
Then, at a career fair, I caught Ethan’s eye. He pursued me relentlessly, culminating in a nationwide, sensational wedding.
Ashley, left with nothing, finally snapped. She rushed onto the stage, pushed me off, and fell with me.
Reborn, she decisively dumped Derek, choosing the path I took in my past life.
Although it meant years of obscurity, as long as she met Ethan, she could rise to the top.
Watching me leave, Ashley had a mocking, triumphant smile on her face.
“This life, you enjoy this immense wealth for me, dear sister.”
“And I will take back everything that should have been mine!”
2
I was prepared for the ostracization and torment.
So, when the Peterson children poured hot soup on me and made me kneel in the courtyard, I went without a word.
It had snowed all night. Kneeling on the icy marble, my knees went from stinging to numb, finally losing all feeling.
“I’ve seen plenty of social climbers like you,” sneered Amelia, the second Peterson daughter, arms crossed. “A chicken is a chicken. Even if it flies up a tree, it won’t become a phoenix.”
I was starving, even the house servants looked at me with amusement.
Amelia tossed a plate of leftovers at me, as if feeding a dog. “Here, eat. It’s a reward.”
Laughter erupted around me, countless gazes filled with malice.
I looked at the cold food on the ground, silent.
Someone shouted, “Ethan’s here!” and the Peterson siblings scattered.
A pair of shiny, handmade leather shoes appeared in front of me.
I looked up. Ethan’s strong, handsome face came into view.
Those eyes, filled with tenderness in my past life, were now cold as the ice beneath my knees, looking at me without emotion.
But after a single glance, he looked away as if I were garbage.
Those spotless leather shoes mercilessly crushed the food in front of me.
My life at the Peterson’s was worse than a servant’s. No wonder Ashley refused to marry Derek in this life.
But I was still nominally a Peterson daughter-in-law, so they had to keep up appearances.
I followed the Peterson family into the auditorium, watching them take their seats in the VIP section under the guidance of the organizers, while I was relegated to the furthest corner.
This university innovation and entrepreneurship competition was jointly organized by several large companies in the city, with Peterson Corp. at the helm. Sitting in the back, I listened listlessly. For a chemistry genius like me, the students’ ideas were too naive, almost putting me to sleep.
Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out.
“With the growing demand for natural and healthy products, I believe that all-natural ingredients will be the mainstream trend in the cosmetics industry in the future.”
Ashley stood on stage, speaking eloquently. Her long, black hair was tied in a high ponytail, with a few strands deliberately left loose to frame her face.
Her poised speech and compelling content earned unanimous praise.
I glanced at Ethan, sitting in the front row. His eyes were fixed on the girl on stage, a strange light flickering in them.
“Ms. Carter, is the honeysuckle extract you mentioned something you developed independently?”
Ashley turned, nodding shyly. The hem of her white dress swayed gracefully, making her look as pure as a jasmine flower.
“Yes, it took me a year of research.”
If it weren’t for the occasion, I would have laughed out loud.
The technology that made me famous in my past life was the result of almost ten years of research by countless professors and students at University of A. Even though I was the one who finally made it work, I wouldn’t dare take all the credit, claiming years of others’ hard work as my own.
Ashley dared to say she developed it independently in a year? Unless she was a once-in-a-century genius.
But I knew better than anyone that she wasn’t.
But the audience didn’t know. Unsurprisingly, Ashley won first place, securing an internship at Peterson Corp.
Ethan looked down at the girl in front of him, his eyes filled with unconcealed admiration. The two chatted intimately, and Ashley giggled, covering her mouth, looking incredibly pure and delicate.
Everyone present was experienced enough to see through the charade, tacitly ignoring the desire on Ethan’s face, a desire befitting an adult man.
Ashley walked up to me, deliberately smoothing the suit jacket Ethan had draped over her shoulders.
“Chloe, how’s the luxurious life treating you?”
She clearly saw that I was ostracized, after all, this was the treatment she received in her past life.
In my past life, she also came up to me after my press conference, after I was hired by Peterson Corp. with a hefty salary, and said, “No matter how arrogant you are, you’re just an employee. No matter how hard you try, you’ll never be as high-status as me, the Peterson daughter-in-law!”
But this time, she said to me with arrogance, “I don’t want to be a菟丝花 who only relies on others. I want to achieve my dreams through my own abilities.”
She turned and left.
I raised an eyebrow, catching Ethan’s knowing smile from the corner of my eye as he overheard her words.
3
Ashley and Ethan left, one after the other.
But I didn’t care where they went. Instead, I took out my business cards and, based on memories from my past life, sought out those who could help my career.
All the big shots present knew my situation, so few took me seriously.
I wasn’t ashamed or annoyed, nor did I care about the Peterson family’s disdainful looks, looks that suggested they wanted me dead.
After all, I was still a Peterson, and my humble appearance brought them shame.
With Derek absent, I was just a country bumpkin with the title of Mrs. Peterson. The big shots wouldn’t give me the time of day. I was constantly rejected, but I continued to introduce my ideas, unfazed.
In her past life, Ashley thought she could only gain a foothold in the Peterson family by relying on Derek. So, she focused on internal power struggles, only to earn the family’s disgust, seen as someone who couldn’t handle the big stage.
But I knew that to survive in such deep waters, the most important thing was strength.
The kind of strength that proves you are irreplaceable.
On the way home, Amelia deliberately brought up my networking attempts.
“Seems our dear sister-in-law is quite ambitious. How many business cards did you hand out?”
Ignoring the sarcasm, I counted the partners I had in my past life. There were only a few participating college students. In this life, they were just insignificant startups, not even catching the eye of a large corporation like Peterson Corp.
Sure enough, Amelia burst into laughter.
“Chloe, low-class is low-class. No matter how hard you struggle, we won’t accept you. We’ll just think you’re a pathetic clown.”
Pathetic?
I curved my lips into a smile.
I didn’t care if they accepted me.
After all, I didn’t even care about the Peterson family.
Although I was married to Derek, we weren’t intimate.
In the past life, Ashley always complained about her husband. All her memories of Derek revolved around negative words like “loser,” “weak,” “selfish,” and “stupid.”
But I found he wasn’t a bad person.
Knowing I was forced into the Peterson family by my parents, he readily accepted my proposal for a marriage of convenience. Though we lived under the same roof, we were more like friends than husband and wife.
Because of his illegitimate status, he was ostracized, with no dignity or rights within the Peterson family.
But he had money.
“My dad gave my mom a black card, and she gave it to me after she passed away.”
“I know you’ve suffered a lot during my absence. I have no other way to compensate you, except with money. You don’t mind, right?”
How could I mind?
I was thrilled!
Derek’s talent wasn’t in business management, but in computers.
And to the Peterson family, that was useless.
So he had to find his own job, leaving early and returning late every day. Even with the Peterson black card, he feared losing this security one day.
In the past life, Ashley found him useless and treated him cruelly, even joining the other Petersons in ostracizing him.
But my heart ached for him.
“Okay,” I smiled and nodded, taking the card. “Thank you. If you ever need my help, I’ll be there for you!”
I invested a sum of money in the startups of a few of my partners.
No one cared about this small company founded by a group of young people. It was like a speck of dust in the storm created by these large corporations, so small and insignificant that everyone thought this ordinary seedling would soon wither and die.
This money was a drop in the bucket for the Peterson family, so they didn’t notice. But for us, it was crucial.
Because I wanted to recreate the technology that shook the entire industry in my past life.
I rented a lab. Even without the raw data, I had repeated the experiments countless times in my past life. They were etched into my bones. Spending day and night in the library and lab, surviving on cheap instant coffee, I could replicate those experiments perfectly with my eyes closed.
This was why Ashley couldn’t replicate my path.
