In my past life, on the day I married Ethan Vance, the love of his life, Sarah James, jumped off a building. From that moment on, he hated me to his core. He locked me in our home, humiliated me, and made my life a living hell. I endured it until I couldn't anymore. I took my own life to escape. My soul drifted through the world, watching the aftermath. I discovered that Sarah’s suicide attempt was nothing but a manipulative act. Meanwhile, Ethan’s sworn enemy, Lucas Cole—the untouchable heir of New York's elite—grieved for me until his hair turned white overnight. Now, I’ve been given a second chance. Reborn, I swore to chase my own happiness. But when Ethan found out I was marrying a good man, he fell to his knees, begging me to come back like a madman. 1 Lucas Cole, the ruthless "Prince of New York," didn't waste a second. When he heard I was willing to marry him, he froze for exactly three seconds. Thirty minutes later, everything was done. When he handed me the marriage certificate, his face was calm, but the tips of his ears were burning red. "I'll handle the wedding. Don't worry about a thing. Just wait for me to come get you." He practically fled the scene, using work as an excuse, terrified I might change my mind. I smiled, clutching the red booklet, and headed home to break the news to my family. The moment I stepped through the door, a bucket of ice water hit me squarely in the face. Before I could react, Ethan’s entourage started pelting me with cake. My carefully done hair and makeup were ruined instantly. I stood there, soaked and sticky, looking like a drowned rat. The group erupted in laughter, phones out, recording my humiliation. "Surprise! It's an engagement party for you and Ethan! Just helping you loosen up!" "Everyone knows you threw away your dignity to marry Ethan. Can't take a little joke? Better get used to it. You'll be swallowing a lot more than this in the future." I shivered in the cold draft, water dripping down my neck. Ethan looked at me with a smirk. "Don't be a buzzkill, Riley." "Just because our parents pressured me into this doesn't mean I have to like it. Being Mrs. Vance isn't going to be easy." Even though I had lived this before, hearing these words from the man I had loved for twenty years still made my chest ache. Ethan and I grew up together. I loved him with a desperate, blinding devotion. Ten years of being his shadow, giving him everything. And all I got in return was cold ridicule. Well, not this time. I wasn't going to waste my second life on a man who didn't love me. I wiped the frosting from my face and spoke calmly. "I don't plan on being Mrs. Vance." Ethan froze. His friends laughed even harder. "Ethan, you lucky bastard! She's playing hard to get before she's even through the door. This little wife of yours is something else!" "Who cares? Everyone knows Riley is just a dog following Ethan around. Since when does a dog get a say in its owner's business?" Ethan’s disdain deepened. "Cut the act, Riley. No matter what you do, I won't love you. You can have my name, but you'll never have my heart." "After the wedding, Sarah is moving in. You can pretend to be the wife, but remember—in that house, you're lower than the help." "And I've already had the lawyers draft a prenup. You won't get a dime of my money." I was stunned. In my past life, after Sarah jumped, Ethan tortured me because he blamed me for her death. But before that, he had always treated me decently. When we were kids and my parents were busy, he was the one who read me bedtime stories. When I was bullied in school, he defended me and took me for rides on his motorcycle. Twenty years of friendship. Even if he didn't love me, he had always been like a big brother. His sudden cruelty made me suspicious. Had something changed that I didn't know about? Seeing my silence, Ethan assumed he had hurt me. He cleared his throat, seemingly feeling a twinge of guilt. "Look, Sarah has suffered more than you. You need to make sacrifices to balance things out." "As long as you don't give Sarah a hard time, I won't mistreat you in public." Before I could respond, Sarah started sobbing. "Ethan... are you going soft on her? If she hadn't been so jealous and interfered, we wouldn't have been forced apart!" "Forget it. I know Miss High-and-Mighty looks down on someone like me. I didn't realize you were ashamed of me too, Ethan. I... I should just go die!" She turned and ran. Ethan’s face filled with panic. He shoved me aside and chased after her. My back slammed into the door handle. Pain shot through me, tears pricking my eyes. The others, having had their fill of the show, left me standing in the mess. I watched them leave and let out a bitter laugh. In my past life, shortly after our wedding, the Vance family business hit a crisis. Their so-called friends vanished. To win Ethan’s heart, I secretly used my entire dowry to bail him out. Billions of dollars, gone. And it didn't buy me a single ounce of his affection. This time, without my money, I wondered if his precious Sarah could save him. 2 I took a shower and changed into clean clothes. When I came out, I found Ethan and Sarah cuddling on the sofa. He was whispering to her with a tenderness I had never received. Seeing me, his face went cold. "This mess is your fault. Apologize to Sarah." "And clean this place up. Clear out your room for her. It's late; it's not safe for her to go home alone." I had been in the shower for maybe thirty minutes. They couldn't even wait that long. Ethan’s shirt had lipstick stains. Sarah’s lipstick was smeared, her dress wrinkled. I didn't care about their sordid affair. I just looked at him. "This is my house." Our families had prepared two houses for us. Ethan liked peace and quiet, so we usually hung out at my place. I used to let them treat me like a maid because I loved him. Not anymore. Ethan scoffed, thinking I was just throwing a jealous tantrum. "If it wasn't for Sarah, do you think I'd be here? If you still want to marry me, do as I say." "You might be my wife in name, but Sarah is the real mistress of the Vance family! You have no right to give her attitude." Sarah smirked, leaning into Ethan’s chest provocatively. I didn't want to argue. I didn't want to stay in this trashed house another second. I grabbed my bag and headed for the door. Ethan blocked my path. "Where are you going this late?" "Home." He stared at me for a moment. "Running home to tattle? Typical spoiled brat. Do you think that scares me?" I pushed past him, ignoring his insults. He stumbled, surprised by my strength. Then he grabbed my wrist, his tone softening slightly. "Alright, stop it." "You've always been so dramatic. If you really want to go, I'll drive you." He reached for my bag and turned to get his car keys. Sarah looked up at him, eyes wide and teary. "Ethan... are you leaving me here alone?" "I'm scared. What if Riley is jealous and hires someone to hurt me?" Ethan’s hand froze in mid-air. His face darkened. "Riley, I underestimated you. You're more manipulative than I thought." "Creating a scene just to get me away so you can hurt Sarah?" He threw my bag back at me. The heavy metal buckle slammed into my forehead. Blood trickled down my face. Dizziness hit me. I swayed. Just as I was about to fall, Ethan caught me. A flash of guilt and confusion crossed his eyes. But before he could speak, Sarah hugged him from behind. Her blouse was unbuttoned enough to be suggestive. "Ethan, don't go..." Ethan’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He let go of me. I looked at the two of them, disgusted. I picked up my bag and walked out without looking back. As soon as I got into the car, a message from Sarah popped up on my phone. 3 It was a one-minute video. Fifty-nine seconds of them entangled on my sofa. Riley, so what if you're a rich heiress? You lost to me in the last life, and you'll lose to me in this one too! Reading her message, realizing why Ethan had been acting so strange today... It hit me. Sarah was reborn too. I didn't know what happened after I died in my past life to make her change her strategy from "playing hard to get" to being this aggressive. And honestly? I didn't care. I blocked her number. In this life, I just wanted to live for myself. When I got home, I told my family I was calling off the engagement with Ethan. They were shocked, staring at the wound on my forehead. My dad’s eyes turned red. "The Vance family has leeched off us for years, and this is how he treats my daughter? If he doesn't cherish you, we won't beg him! Just wait, I'll make them pay!" I stopped my dad. Tears streamed down my face. In my past life, my parents exhausted everything trying to save me. When I was trapped in the Vance house, they offered their entire fortune to get me out. Ethan refused. He said he'd rather drag us all to hell. After they died, he hung Sarah’s photo above our bed. Whenever he missed her, he would choke me, forcing me to look up at her picture. "You drove Sarah to death for the title of Mrs. Vance. Now you'll wear that title in agony for the rest of your life to atone for her!" He crushed my dignity and my love, piece by piece. Until death was my only escape. Remembering my parents' heartbroken cries after my death, my heart shattered all over again. I took a deep breath and pulled out the marriage certificate with Lucas. "Mom, Dad... I'm sorry. I'll handle the Vance family. I promise I won't make you worry about me ever again." They stared at the name Lucas Cole. Shock turned to joy. Lucas was in a league of his own. The Cole family was royalty compared to us and the Vances. Ethan was proud. He couldn't stand that Lucas was better than him, that the Vance family had to bow to the Coles to survive. He hated Lucas. I slept soundly in my own bed for the first time in two lifetimes. The next morning, I went back to my apartment to pack and sell the place. But the passcode didn't work. I had a bad feeling. I used the spare key. The apartment was a wreck. Used condoms littered the living room floor. Moans drifted from my bedroom. I walked over. Sarah was wearing my silk pajamas, wrapped around Ethan. "Riley..." Seeing me, she pretended to be scared and pushed Ethan away. Ethan looked flustered for a second, then shielded Sarah behind him. I ignored the hickeys covering Sarah’s neck and looked around. My belongings were destroyed. My couture dresses shredded. My Hermès bags covered in graffiti. Even the jade love-lock my grandmother got for me and Ethan on her deathbed was smashed on the floor. "Ethan said you upset me yesterday, so you needed a lesson." "Tell you what. Kneel and apologize to me, and I'll ask him not to cancel the wedding!" I didn't hear a word she said. I picked up the pieces of the jade lock. I remembered my grandmother holding our hands, refusing to close her eyes until we promised to be happy. "I saw the wedding designs in the safe. Not bad. Sarah’s birthday is coming up. Refine the plans and use them for her birthday party." "As for our wedding... we'll see when you learn to behave." Once, I would have trampled my own pride to please him. But after living through hell? Never again. I put the broken jade in my pocket. I picked up the scattered design sketches one by one. "No need. My wedding will happen, with or without you." The man I loved was trash. But my love wasn't. I had been working on these designs since I was eighteen. They were my heart and soul. I wouldn't let anyone defile them. Ethan frowned, trying to snatch the drawings. But when he saw the tears streaming down my face, he froze. 4 These weren't the tears of a bratty girl throwing a tantrum. They were the tears of a woman whose heart had finally turned to ash. Ethan looked away, guilty. He pulled out a credit card and shoved it into my hand. "Stop crying. It's just clothes. Buy new ones." "Sarah didn't mean it. You have plenty of money, can't you just let it go?" Sarah kissed his cheek, beaming. I threw the card in his face and walked out. Ethan was stunned. "Riley? You're not jealous? You're not mad?" I didn't answer. I texted Lucas to come get the designs. Just as I hit send, Sarah screamed. "Ethan! Our video... it's online! Riley, why did you do this? Do you want me dead?!" She ran to the window, threatening to jump. Ethan grabbed her, looked at his phone, and turned pale. "Riley! You are more vicious than I thought!" "You'd ruin us to force me to marry you? I won't let you get away with this!" He slapped me. Hard. My ears rang. Before I could recover, he grabbed me by the throat and dragged me toward the bed. "You like filming videos? Fine! Let's make you the star of one!" He started tearing at my clothes. Sarah stood by, phone recording, smiling. The terror of my past life crashed into the present. As my jacket ripped, I screamed, shaking uncontrollably. "Ethan! I didn't do it! You can't do this to me!" Just like before. He didn't believe me. He didn't care. Fear turned to rage. I bit my lip until it bled, my hand grasping for the scissors on the nightstand. If I was going to die, I was taking him with me. BANG. The front door was kicked off its hinges.
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