Cole’s one true love and I were trapped in a burning building. He chose to save me—his pregnant wife—first. But by the time he went back for her, Lila was gone, consumed by the flames. And so, he blamed me. He said my weakness delayed the rescue. He wouldn’t even let our daughter call him “Dad.” Six years later, when time travel was invented, he ignored the pleas of his family and prepared to go back. “Zoe,” he’d said, his voice cold as ice, “if you hadn’t used the baby to threaten me, I never would have saved you first.” Even our daughter had turned against me. “If you hadn’t killed Aunt Lila, Dad wouldn’t hate me!” So, facing their accusations and my own broken heart, I made a choice. I would follow him back. This time, I would save myself. And I would owe Cole Sterling nothing. 1 The dizzying sensation from the time machine faded, immediately replaced by a wave of heat so intense it felt like it could melt steel. I blinked my eyes open and saw him standing before me: Cole Sterling, his jaw clenched tight. He glanced at me, just for a second, before turning without hesitation and running toward Lila, who had crumpled to the floor nearby. Flames licked at my clothes, threatening to swallow me whole. I scrambled, desperate to escape. I was just about to break free, to taste the clean air, when Cole rushed past me, carrying Lila in his arms. In her panic, she thrashed, her hand flying out and shoving me backward, back into the inferno. I hit the ground hard. A heavy cabinet, weakened by the fire, toppled over, crushing my body beneath it. A searing pain exploded through me. Gritting my teeth against the agony and the blistering heat, I managed to shove the cabinet off and crawl, inch by painful inch, out of the fire. When I finally reached the safety of the open air, I collapsed, coughing violently. Cole, who had long since escaped with Lila, walked over and looked down at me, his eyes devoid of warmth. “So, Zoe, you could have gotten out on your own?” he said, his voice dripping with contempt. “You waited in there just to force my hand, to make sure I wouldn't have time to save Lila.” The chill in his eyes was colder than any winter wind, extinguishing the fire’s oppressive heat. He didn't know yet. He didn't know I had come back, too. “You’re already planning how you’ll twist this to Mom and Dad, aren’t you?” he sneered. “Say whatever you want. But if you drag Lila into this, don’t expect me to honor our marriage vows.” Hearing that, I instinctively placed a hand over my stomach. My voice was calm when I spoke. “Cole, let’s get a divorce.” His expression froze. He stared at me for a long moment before his face hardened with impatience. “I’m in no mood for your games.” “I’m not playing. I’m serious. I want a divorce.” In the last lifetime, Cole Sterling had two great regrets: not saving Lila from the fire first, and listening to his parents and marrying me. I had no intention of reliving that miserable life. This time, I would help him erase both regrets. His eyes narrowed, his tone becoming even more frigid. “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to. You’re just using this ‘divorce’ to blow up the fact that I saved Lila, to make my parents hate her even more.” He sighed, a mask of weary tolerance sliding into place. “Marriage isn’t a game, Zoe. Stop being so childish. Come on, I’ll take you to the hospital to get checked out.” He reached a hand down to help me up, a clear warning in his eyes that told me to drop the act. A sharp, cramping pain shot through my lower abdomen. I started to lift my arm, but Lila was faster. She grabbed Cole’s hand first. “Cole,” she whimpered, clutching a small carrier. “Peanut… I think he inhaled too much smoke. He doesn't look good. Can you please take me to the pet hospital?” Tears streamed down her face. Cole didn’t hesitate. “Of course.” Only after he agreed did he seem to remember me. Lila followed his gaze, her expression turning pleading. “Zoe, you don’t seem badly hurt… could you just wait here for a little bit? Peanut means the world to me.” Peanut was the parrot Cole had given her years ago. “I’ll call an ambulance for you,” Cole said to me. “I’ll come to the hospital to be with you after I get Peanut sorted out.” I met his gaze and nodded faintly. “Okay. Go ahead.” A flicker of surprise crossed his face, but seeing Lila’s frantic state, he didn’t press. He just scooped her up and drove away. After they were gone, I forced myself to lift the hem of my oversized coat. My dress beneath was soaked in a horrifying, bright red stain. When the ambulance finally arrived and I was rushed into the operating room, the doctor’s face was grim. “Ms. Sullivan,” he said after the examination, his voice gentle but firm. “You were brought in too late. I’m so sorry, but we couldn’t save your baby.” 2 Last time, because Cole had saved me first, the baby had been fine. But after our daughter was born, he was a father in name only. He paid the bills, but offered nothing else. I remember our daughter once asking me, tears in her eyes, why all the other kids got presents from their dads, while hers had never bought her a single toy. I never understood his coldness, not until the day I overheard him talking to her. “Don’t call me ‘Dad’,” he’d said softly. “I won’t acknowledge you as my daughter. I’ll compensate you in other ways.” He saw the confused tears welling in her eyes and carefully pulled out a single, iridescent feather he’d treasured for years. “The day you were born,” he whispered, more to himself than to her, “everyone was so busy rushing your mother to the hospital that no one noticed Peanut was gone. Lila must have hated me… I not only failed to save her, I couldn't even protect her parrot.” His voice broke. “If I had another chance, I would protect them both. Even if it meant losing my own child.” The memory brought a familiar heat to my eyes. From the moment I came back, I knew I couldn’t keep this child. I accepted the doctor’s news with a strange sense of peace. My friend had just dropped off the divorce papers when Cole walked into the hospital room. He was carrying a bag of toys. “I saw these on the way here and thought they were cute,” he said, a rare, lighthearted smile touching the corners of his eyes. “A little gift for the baby.” He started arranging them on the table next to me. “Did you find Peanut?” I asked. His movements paused. Then he nodded. “We found him. So, I hope you won’t tell my parents what happened today. I don’t want them to misunderstand Lila. If you can help me keep this quiet, I’ll agree to anything you want.” Ah. So that was it. The toys, the smile—it was all for Lila. My eyes drifted to the toys on the table. On the tag of a small plastic ladder, I saw the words: “For Parrots.” My heart felt like it had been plugged with concrete. Even these little tokens meant to appease me were just afterthoughts, purchased while he was out shopping for Lila’s pet. “Anything?” I asked, forcing the tears back, forcing a light, playful tone into my voice. He nodded. I took out the divorce agreement I’d prepared, covering the text so only the signature line was visible. “Then sign this promise for me.” He frowned in confusion. “What kind of promise?” “A promise that you’ll never change your heart, of course.” I used to do childish things like this all the time, so he didn’t seem to suspect anything. He simply took the pen and signed his name. Once the signed paper was safely in my bag, a wave of relief washed over me. In the last life, Cole Sterling was my savior. This time, I would be his freedom. We’d known each other since we were kids. My family wasn't poor, but after my parents divorced and I was sent to live with my remarried father, I became the unwanted baggage in a new family. When our class ordered uniforms, I was the only one wearing a cheap knockoff my stepmother had bought. As the other kids laughed, Cole had deliberately ripped his own uniform, stood by my side, and salvaged my shattered dignity. “Is buying a knockoff by accident that funny?” he’d challenged them. “Not everyone cares about this stuff. Our clothes are the same.” Later, when my stepmother got pregnant, my father decided to get rid of me for good. He locked me in the house when a fire accidentally broke out. As I was on the verge of death, it was Cole who charged into the flames, risking his own life to pull me out. After my father was jailed and my stepmother disappeared with the money, it was Cole who paid for my education, saving me from dropping out. 3 He had appeared at my lowest moments, again and again, a constant rescuer. I had mistaken his compassion for something more, something special, meant only for me. It was time to wake up. “Mom and Dad want us to come over for dinner tonight,” Cole said. “If you’re feeling okay, we can head over now.” We had just arrived at his parents’ house when his phone rang. It was Lila. “Lila was terrified by what happened today,” he explained after hanging up. “She’s afraid to cook, so I’m going to go make something for her.” After I finished eating with Cole’s parents and was getting ready to leave, his mother’s face suddenly darkened as she stared at her phone. “Cole went to see Lila again!” she exclaimed. Seeing my lack of surprise, she shoved the phone in my face. “Zoe, didn’t you say Cole had a work emergency? You knew he was going to see her, didn’t you? You know that woman is… ugh! What kind of spell is he under?” Lila had posted a photo to her Instagram story: a shot of Cole, looking focused and handsome as he cooked dinner for her. “That Lila,” Mrs. Sterling fumed, “she’s already married, but she has no shame, constantly clinging to Cole. And he’s so naive, he’s never suspected a thing.” That’s right. The reason Cole’s parents were so vehemently against his relationship with Lila was because she was already married. She’d hidden it well, and they had only found out by chance. Her marriage was unhappy, so they were afraid to tell Cole, fearing he would impulsively confront Lila’s husband and cause a scene. I had learned this from them, and it was the main reason I’d never considered divorcing Cole. I thought I was protecting him. I never imagined that ‘protection’ would earn me eight years of his hatred. This time, I wouldn’t get involved. His relationship with Lila was his own choice to make. “Zoe, I’m so sorry you have to go through this,” Mrs. Sterling sighed. “I really thought that after you two got married, he’d let go of Lila. After all, he used to be so… so good to you…” I smiled gently at her. “Cole only ever helped me out of pity, out of the kindness of his heart. I was the one who misunderstood. If forcing us together only brings us pain, it’s better to end it now.” “End it?” Mr. and Mrs. Sterling looked at me, stunned. “Cole and I have already signed the divorce agreement. I’ll be leaving in a few days. I hope you can keep this from him for now. I don’t want him to make another choice he’ll regret for the rest of his life because of this.” Thinking of the cold, indifferent look he’d given me in the time machine, my heart ached. After more than a decade together, that was the first time he had ever looked like a complete stranger. After explaining everything to his parents, I went home alone. I was just drifting off to sleep when my bedroom door was kicked open with a loud bang. I jolted awake, met by a pair of eyes blazing with fury. “Zoe Sullivan! You promised you wouldn’t go crying to my parents! Are you not happy until you’ve completely destroyed Lila?”
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