My Guard Husband Married Four Wives After I Died

With trembling hands, I grabbed the phone from the nightstand and lit up the screen. The date displayed on the screen was—ten years ago! I had traveled back in time! I was back to the days before I married that trash, Carter Miller! Just then, there was a knock on the bedroom door. Maria, our housekeeper, called out from outside: "Miss Serena, are you awake? Mr. Miller is downstairs. He's causing quite a scene, saying he needs to see you urgently." Mr. Miller? Carter Miller! The warmth in my eyes vanished instantly. "I got it. Tell him to wait." I turned around, walked into my walk-in closet, and leisurely picked out a silk slip dress. Then, I spent my time applying a cold, sharp makeup look. After dragging my feet for over an hour, I finally stepped into my heels and walked out of the bedroom. Descending the spiral staircase, I saw Carter sitting on the velvet sofa. Hearing the click of my heels, Carter looked up abruptly. When he saw me coming down, a flash of awe crossed his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by impatience. "What took you so long?!" Carter stood up, complaining to me with zero respect. "I've been waiting for you for over an hour, Serena!" Hearing his whining tone made me want to throw up. In my past life, he had used this exact persona—"I may be poor, but I don't care about your money, and I'm not afraid of you"—to make me fall head over heels for him. I didn't run up to hug him like I used to. Instead, I crossed my arms and looked down at him coldly. "What do you want?" Carter choked on my icy attitude. His arrogant demeanor weakened a bit, but he quickly put on a show of having his pride wounded. "Serena, did you pay my mother's $300,000 hospital bill behind my back?!" Carter looked as if he had suffered a great humiliation. "How many times do I have to tell you? I will earn the money to treat my mother myself! I don't need your charity!" Watching his righteous performance, I sneered inwardly. In my past life, when I heard this, I would immediately apologize to him, telling him I only did it because it broke my heart to see him working three part-time jobs after his guard shifts. To protect his fragile, ridiculous ego, I had even secretly upgraded his mother to the best VIP suite under his name. And what did he do? He enjoyed everything my money bought while playing the victim of my "wealthy arrogance." What a natural-born actor. "Oh? Really?" I glanced at him coldly, a mocking smirk playing on my lips. "In that case, fine. I'll call my assistant in a minute and tell him to claw back that $300,000 from the hospital." The moment those words left my mouth, the fake anger on Carter's face froze. He never expected me to play along! Carter panicked, but he quickly forced himself to stay calm and yelled at me. "Serena! What do you take me for?!" He looked like he was about to burst with rage. "Do you think you can do whatever you want to me just because you have money?! I won't buy into your rich-girl games!" Looking at his hypocritical face, I couldn't help but laugh out loud. "What are you laughing at?!" Carter's face flushed bright red, stung by my laughter.

Right then, my phone buzzed inside my bag. It was my dad. I raised my hand and gestured for Carter to shut up. Carter gritted his teeth, forcing himself to swallow his words. From the other end of the line, my father's helpless voice came through: "Serena, I know you've been close with that security guard lately. But you two belong to different worlds. He can't give you a good life. Stop being so stubborn. I've arranged a match for you. He's Julian Sterling, the heir of the Sterling family. He's handsome and highly respected. Just listen to me, meet him, and see how it goes, okay?" In my past life, when I heard this, I had a massive fight with my dad. I had screamed that I would marry no one but Carter, even threatening to starve myself, breaking my dad's heart. But in this life... I looked at the ungrateful man in front of me with a half-smile. "An arranged match? Sure, Dad. Send me the address. I'll be there on time this afternoon." Hearing me agree so easily, my dad was thrilled. He quickly said some sweet words and sent the address to my phone. After I hung up, Carter stared at me, his face turning pale and green. "Serena, have you had enough of this drama?" "Do you think going on a date with some random guy will make me jealous? You don't have to play hard to get just to get my attention!" "Carter!" I snapped. "You've been thinking way too highly of yourself lately. Remember your place." "You!" Carter gritted his teeth. "Fine! Don't regret this!" He threw a tantrum, turned around, and stormed out of my house. Watching his back, I smiled with pure disdain. Regret? The only thing I regretted was being blind enough to love a piece of trash like you in my past life! That afternoon, I arrived at the high-end cafe my dad had texted me. In my past life, due to Carter's brainwashing, I absolutely despised business marriages. I hadn't even given the Sterling heir a single glance. But this time, when I walked into the reserved lounge and saw the man sitting there, I couldn't help but praise my dad's taste. He wore a perfectly tailored dark Italian suit. He was stunning. "Miss Vance, nice to meet you. I'm Julian Sterling." He stood up, politely offering his hand. His voice was deep and magnetic. "Mr. Sterling, the pleasure is mine." I smiled and shook his hand. The date was surprisingly pleasant. Julian was not only incredibly handsome, but he was also elegant, polite, and brilliant. We talked about everything from venture capital to art collection. We clicked perfectly. Over the next few days, Julian asked me out for various reasons. We went to concerts, visited art galleries, and even went horseback riding at a private club. I hadn't thought about the disgusting name "Carter" for days. Until one evening. After a dinner at a Michelin-star restaurant, Julian gentlemanly drove me home. "It's still early. Would you like to come in for some tea?" I stood at the door, smiling as I invited him. "I'd love to." Julian smiled back, his beautiful eyes sparkling with warmth. I scanned my fingerprint to unlock the door, pushed it open, and was about to invite him in. But as soon as I looked up, I saw Carter sitting comfortably on my living room sofa! Seeing me bring another man home, Carter's face turned incredibly dark. He looked at me, his tone accusing: "Serena, it's so late. Why are you bringing another man home?" I frowned, feeling sickened by his tone. "Carter, watch your tongue. I am your employer." Being scolded in front of an outsider, Carter's face flushed bright red instantly. "What are you standing there for?" I ordered him around like any other servant. "Go to the kitchen and brew some black tea for Mr. Sterling." Hearing my words, the resentment in Carter's eyes almost spilled over. But forced by my status, he could only turn and walk toward the kitchen with reluctance. "Mr. Sterling, please have a seat. I'll go change into something more comfortable." I turned to Julian and smiled. "Sure." Julian nodded, giving me a deep, knowing look. I went upstairs and changed into a set of cozy loungewear.

Just as I reached the turn of the stairs on my way down, a loud crash echoed from the living room, followed by Carter's painful scream! I rushed downstairs. I saw Carter clutching his left hand, crouching by the coffee table in pain. Meanwhile, Julian stood nearby, looking completely calm. "What happened?" I walked over, frowning. "Serena! He pushed me!" Seeing me come down, Carter immediately started playing the victim. "I was just trying to serve him tea, but he was jealous that I get to be close to you. He deliberately threw the boiling tea at me!" Julian met my gaze, his voice steady: "Miss Vance, I didn't push him. He tripped." I looked down at Carter's hand. The so-called "burn" was barely the size of a fingernail. It didn't even blister. Looking at Carter's pathetic act, I let out a cold laugh. "Cut the drama, Carter." "It's just a tiny red spot. Why are you whining like a child? Just put a band-aid on it." Hearing me side with an outsider, Carter couldn't hold back his anger anymore. "Serena Vance!" Ignoring his rage, I turned to Julian with an apologetic smile. "Mr. Sterling, I'm so sorry. My servant doesn't know his manners. I apologize for the scene. It's getting late, so why don't you head home and get some rest? Let's hang out another day." Julian glanced at the shaking, furious Carter, and a faint smirk appeared on his face. "Alright. Rest well, Serena. Goodnight." After Julian left, only Carter and I remained in the living room. Carter stared at me with red eyes, his voice filled with disbelief and hurt: "Serena... I feel like you've changed." Looking at his hurt expression, I felt absolutely nothing. "Have I?" With that, I didn't even look at him again. I turned around and walked upstairs. Over the next few days, he didn't dare to act high and dry in front of me anymore. Instead, he started clinging to me like cheap gum, trying desperately to show his worth. Every morning, before I even woke up, he would prepare breakfast. When I left for work, he would open the car door for me. He even learned a few clumsy French pick-up lines to please me. Faced with his groveling behavior, I wasn't touched, nor did I kick him out. I simply enjoyed his service guilt-free. Occasionally, I would answer Julian's calls right in front of him, or dress up beautifully to go on romantic dates with Julian. Every time this happened, Carter would lower himself even more, trying to win me back. I knew he was terrified. He was terrified of losing me—his ticket to a life of luxury. He was terrified that his dream of marrying into wealth would shatter. And when a person is consumed by fear and anxiety, they easily make mistakes. I was quietly waiting for the day he would show his true, ugly colors. Finally, the opportunity came. These days, my company was preparing for a massive international merger. I worked late for several nights in a row, coming home past midnight. Tonight, I was sitting in my study, double-checking the final financial reports on my computer. There was a soft knock on the door, and Carter walked in carrying a tray. "Serena, still working?" Carter walked over and set the tray down. On the tray was a bowl of dark, pungent medicinal herbal tea. "I saw how tired you've been lately. You look pale. I brewed this special organic herbal tea for you." Carter looked at me, his eyes filled with warmth and care. "Drink it while it's hot, then get some sleep." Smelling that familiar, slightly bitter scent, my hand holding the pen froze. In my past life, he had looked at me with this exact loving expression, serving me this toxic tea every single night. I had drunk it for ten years until my body completely fell apart, and I died in agony. I took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to kill him right then and there. I picked up the bowl, slowly bringing it to my lips. Carter stood by, his eyes shining with a hidden, desperate anticipation. Just as the rim of the bowl was about to touch my lips... I stopped. I slowly lowered the bowl and pushed it right in front of Carter. "Serena? What's wrong?" Carter was stunned. I leaned back in my chair, staring at him. "I just remembered a rule in the Vance family." "What rule?" Carter asked, confused. "Any untried food must be tasted by a servant first." "You drink it." The moment I said this, Carter's face turned pale. "Serena... what... what do you mean by that?" He looked at me in disbelief. "Are you doubting me? Do you think I'd poison you?!" His eyes turned red instantly, and he cried out in hurt: "I might be poor, but my love for you is pure! How can you treat me like some shady criminal?!" I said nothing. Seeing my cold face, Carter gritted his teeth. "Fine! If you don't trust me, I'll show you!" He grabbed the bowl, tilted his head, and gulped down the dark tea in seconds! Then, he slammed the empty bowl back onto the tray. "Are you satisfied now?!" He stormed out of the study. I sneered. So what if he drank it? It was a slow, chronic poison. Drinking it once or twice wouldn't do any harm. Once he left, I opened a hidden folder on my computer and pulled up the mansion's security cameras. My dad had installed these tiny, discreet cameras for my safety when the estate was built. Carter knew nothing about them. On the screen, Carter hadn't left the mansion. He walked downstairs, made sure no one was around, and slipped into the first-floor utility room. On the camera, all the warmth on Carter's face was replaced by a deadly chill. He pulled out his phone and dialed a number. As soon as the call connected, he whispered angrily: "The plan has to change! That bitch Serena suspects something's wrong with the tea!" Though his voice was low, the high-definition mic in the utility room picked up every single word. The person on the other end said something, making Carter's expression look even more vicious. "I know! We can't wait anymore. We need a faster method. Just make sure everything on your end is ready." Hanging up, Carter paced around the room for a bit before walking out as if nothing had happened. I knew he was finally panicking and getting desperate.

I dialed a private investigator's number. I ordered them to dig up everything on Carter. At the next high-profile charity gala, I made sure to arrive arm-in-arm with Julian. When reporters asked about our relationship, I leaned against Julian's shoulder and announced with a smile: "I've accepted Mr. Sterling's proposal. The date of our engagement party will be announced soon." Julian was slightly surprised, but he played along perfectly, planting a tender kiss on my forehead. Not only that, but I also paid off several major New York gossip outlets. The next morning, the headlines flooded the city. #Heiress Serena Vance to Marry Sterling Heir! Poor Guard's Billionaire Dream Shattered!# #A Guard Trying to Climb the Social Ladder? Serena Vance Announces Engagement, Making Carter Miller the Laughingstock of NYC!# I expected Carter to confront me after such humiliation. But to my surprise, he held it in. He still showed up at my house every day, acting even more submissive and attentive. It was as if he could swallow any insult just to stay by my side. His behavior only made me more alert. A silent dog bites the hardest. Three days later, the private investigator sent me the report. The file showed that over the past week, Carter had been meeting with Leo, our family's private chauffeur. Leo's son had piled up massive gambling debts and was being chased by dangerous loan sharks. Carter had offered Leo five million dollars to cut the brakes of my red Porsche and stage an accident! Once I died, Carter would use a forged will to claim my entire estate. But what shocked me the most was the last page of the report. The PI found out that the person pulling the strings behind Carter was actually someone inside my own family! However, the mastermind was extremely cautious, and the PI couldn't pin down their exact identity yet. Cold sweat soaked my back as I read the report. It turned out that the person who wanted me dead wasn't just Carter, but also a "dear relative" of mine! I forced myself to calm down. Since I couldn't find the mastermind, I had to lure them out. Leaning back in my chair, a brilliant plan took shape in my mind. Since they wanted me dead so badly... Fine. I would give them exactly what they wanted and "die" once!