Chapter 1 My husband killed himself. All because the "love of his life"—his muse—thought his amputated limbs were disgusting. Before he died, he demanded to be buried in the plot nearest to hers, just so he could watch over her for eternity. And what did I get? The wife who stood by him for years? I got a mountain of debt and a final letter full of venomous gaslighting. "Chloe, if it weren’t for saving you back then, I wouldn’t be a cripple." "If you have a shred of conscience, you’ll take care of my parents and Bella after I’m gone. Send them ten grand a month." My in-laws screamed at me, beating me, cursing me, wishing I had died instead of Ethan. But as the blows landed, the memories of the past sharpened in my mind. Ethan didn’t lose his limbs saving me. He was trying to save Bella. I was the one who dug him out of that pile of corpses with my bare hands. To pay for his surgeries, I liquidated my assets. I took on massive debt. Ten years of selfless devotion, and this was my reward. A heavy blow struck the back of my head. My vision went black. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day of Ethan’s accident. I pretended I knew nothing. I boarded the plane for my overseas business trip. In this life, I wouldn't even spare him a glance. "Ms. Hart, bad news! An earthquake just hit Oakhaven!" "Mr. Pei arrived there yesterday. We can't reach him." As soon as I walked into the airport terminal, my assistant, Sarah, chased after me, phone in hand, looking frantic. That’s when the reality of my rebirth truly hit me. Just like in my previous life, right as I was about to leave for London to close a transnational deal, disaster struck Ethan. Last time, I abandoned the trip without a second thought to find him. That decision pissed off our investors. The hundred-million-dollar project was scrapped. My company took a fatal hit. I had focused all my energy on Ethan, watching the business I built from scratch spiral into bankruptcy. Now, the executives behind me were watching me nervously. They knew I was obsessed with Ethan. They knew that even though he treated me like cold leftovers, I was the pathetic simp who would drop everything for him. Someone whispered, "Ms. Hart, the contract..." "Let's go," I said, walking toward the gate. I paused and turned back, my voice ice cold. "In the future, don't bother me with anything regarding Ethan Pei." The team stood there, stunned, before scrambling to catch up. The shock on their faces was priceless. Everyone knew I loved Ethan to the point of madness. But that woman died in her previous life. Until the plane took off, I didn't look back. The negotiations lasted seven days. We hammered out every detail and secured the partnership. The team returned to the States in high spirits. As soon as we landed, I turned on my personal phone which had been off for a week. Notifications exploded. Everyone in Ethan’s circle had been blowing up my phone. I glanced at the messages with a detached laziness, then hailed a cab to the hospital. Chapter 2 Ethan was lying in a hospital bed, wrapped like a mummy. One arm and one leg were gone. In my past life, because I got to him quickly, he only lost a hand. When he woke up back then, he screamed like a maniac. He couldn't accept his "imperfect" body. I wondered if he could handle the reality of his injuries now that they were ten times worse. His mother, Linda, was sitting by the bed, weeping tears of exhaustion. "He’s been in a coma for seven days. He hasn't woken up." "The doctor said he was crushed under the rubble for too long. His internal organs are damaged." "The amputation area is too high... he can't even use prosthetics. What are we going to do?" "He was fine! How did he end up like this?" Linda cursed through her teeth, "Who the hell did this to my son?" It was the same script as my last life. “My son is going to be a famous painter! How can he live without his right hand?” “If I find out which little slut caused this, I’ll kill her!” Back then, Ethan’s injuries weren’t life-threatening, and he was awake. Hearing his mother, and unable to accept the loss of his painting hand, he had shouted: “I got hurt saving Chloe!” I was dumbfounded back then. Why would he say that? He was saving Bella. But Linda had found her scapegoat. She slapped me across the face. “You bitch! My son doesn’t even like you, why are you so toxic? Are you trying to kill him?” I couldn't explain. I just stared at Ethan. I thought he was delirious from the pain. But then, he had looked at his mother, then grabbed my hand. “Mom, I want to marry Chloe.” “Look at me. She’s the only one who won’t be disgusted by me now.” Linda had sneered but agreed. “Since she ruined you, she has to take responsibility. She can take care of you for the rest of your life.” After Linda left, Ethan had hugged me, crying. “Chloe, don’t be mad. I only said that so my parents would agree to the wedding.” “If they knew I did this for Bella, they’d force me to marry her. But I don’t love her anymore. You saved my life. I only want you.” I was so stupid. I believed every word. I ignored my company. I spent my fortune on his treatments and custom prosthetics. He said he wanted to paint, so I found the best doctors. I traveled the world for his rehab. He cried about not being able to support his parents, so I bought them a villa and luxury cars. Even when I ended up broke and drowning in debt, I never let the Pei family suffer. And Ethan? Ten years of rehab later, the moment he could hold a brush, he went to Bella. He wanted to rekindle their romance. But she looked at his stump and called it gross. He couldn't take the rejection. He killed himself. And on his way out, he blamed me. “If you hadn’t been so late, I wouldn’t be like this!” “You ruined me thinking I’d stay with you? Dream on. I’d rather die than give you that satisfaction.” He died, leaving me the debt and a request to support his parents and his lover. He probably didn't expect his parents to beat me to death in their grief. I opened my eyes, staring at the unconscious man. This time, you won’t get what you want. Chapter 3 Just then, Ethan struggled to open his eyes. "Where... where am I?" "What happened to me?" His face was wrapped in gauze. He couldn't see anything. Linda lunged forward, grabbing his remaining hand. "There was an earthquake in Oakhaven. You were buried for three days before they dug you out. Your right arm and left leg... they're gone." "Your organs are damaged too. Why did you run off to Oakhaven?" Ethan’s body went rigid. But a second later, a burst of adrenaline made him roar, sitting up. "Impossible! How could I be a cripple?" "Mom, are you crazy? I'm your only son! How can you curse me like that?" His father walked in, looking away in pain. "Why would your mother lie? Tell us, how did you get hurt like this?" "No... No! I will not be useless!" Ethan screamed, struggling. Suddenly, he ripped the gauze off his face. Fresh blood poured from the unhealed wounds. It was grotesque. But he didn't seem to feel the pain. He just kept repeating that he wasn't a cripple. Then, he saw me. Pure hatred flashed in his eyes. He pointed a shaking finger at me. "Chloe Hart! Did you orchestrate this?" He laughed, a manic, broken sound. "You think I'd believe this lie?" "You think if I believe I'm crippled, I'll finally agree to be with you? Keep dreaming!" "You bitch, you will never have me." Confidence is a hell of a drug. I chuckled. "Whether your leg and arm are there or not... why don't you look for yourself?" Ethan’s cursing stopped abruptly. Like a rusted machine, he slowly lowered his head. He saw the empty pant leg. The reality hit him like a lightning strike. He tried to move his right arm. A sharp, phantom pain shot through his shoulder, but there was nothing there. The sleeve of his hospital gown was flat. He finally realized his parents weren't lying. "No... this can't be..." "How can I be crippled? I'm going to be a painter!" "Bella is waiting for me to paint with her... I can't be like this!" Linda grabbed his shoulders, shaking him. "Son, tell me! Was it that fox Bella who did this to you? I will kill her!" Ethan froze. The name Bella was like a bucket of ice water. He spoke quickly. "It was Chloe. I got hurt saving Chloe." Chapter 4 "So it was you, you bitch! My son is ruined because of you, and you only show up now?" Linda went feral. She lunged at me, claws out. I laughed. It was genuinely funny. What did this have to do with me? I did absolutely nothing, yet they still tried to pin this on me? Before the slap could land, I caught Linda's wrist and shoved her back. Our families were neighbors. I was raised to respect my elders. But the torture they put me through in my last life had ground my politeness into dust. They didn't deserve it. I spoke coldly. "I was in the city the whole time. A week ago, I flew to London for business. When exactly was I in Oakhaven?" "There are limits to lying, you know." "If it wasn't you, who else could it be?" Linda refused to listen. She screamed, "Besides a shameless stalker like you, who else would he risk his life for?" "Tha—" "Shut up!" Ethan cut me off. He turned to his parents. "Mom, Dad, get out. I need to talk to Chloe alone." The old couple left, reluctant and angry. Ethan looked at me. The hatred was still there, but now mixed with arrogance. "Chloe, as long as you admit I got hurt saving you... I'll agree." A look of martyrdom crossed his face, as if he were making a massive sacrifice. "I'll agree to marry you." "HAHAHAHA!" I threw my head back and laughed. I laughed until I saw the rage building in his eyes. "Ethan, do you actually think you're a prize?" "Why would I take the blame for this?" "You think you can just invent a narrative where you're my savior and guilt-trip me for life?" "And honestly... do you think I want you like this?" "I'm not running a charity for the disabled. Why would I marry a cripple?" I turned on my heel and walked out. Venting felt amazing. "Chloe! How dare you speak to me like that?" Behind me, Ethan screamed in impotent rage. "You're the one who begged to marry me! I'm finally saying yes, how dare you refuse?" "Chloe! Get back here!" He screamed until his voice cracked. I didn't look back. Chapter 5 For the next few days, I was busy hosting the partners from London. If this deal went through, the company would level up. IPO within two years, guaranteed. My assistant rushed in, looking stressed. "Ms. Hart, bad news. There's a scene downstairs." I walked out of the building. Ethan was sitting in a wheelchair. His parents were standing next to him, wailing about injustice. Behind them, people were holding banners. When Linda saw me, she lit up. "That's her! That heartless bitch!" "My son lost an arm and a leg for her, and she won't even admit it!" "They've been together for years, and now that he's hurt, she dumps him!" "Who would do business with a woman like that? She'll scam you!" I scanned the crowd coldly. My eyes locked with Bella, who was hiding in the throng. Ethan was useless to her now. She probably wanted to use him one last time to extort money from me. But I wasn't the soft touch I used to be. Ethan’s voice rasped out, "Chloe, I can forgive you for trying to abandon me." "But I promised to marry you. That hasn't changed. Let's get married." I finally understood why the Pei family was so bold. Ethan was convinced I still loved him. He thought all he had to do was snap his fingers, and I'd come running. I guess I played the role of the loyal dog for so long, they forgot I was actually a human being. "Uncles, Aunties, everyone listening," I announced, stepping forward, voice projecting clearly. "It is true that someone has been dating their son for years and abandoned him after the accident." "And it is true he became disabled saving a woman. But that woman isn't me." "If the rule is 'you must marry the person who saved you,' then you should be talking to Bella." I pointed directly at Bella. "I have evidence of their years-long affair. I have proof that during the earthquake, Ethan Pei was buried under rubble trying to save Bella." "And I have proof that Bella ran away to save her own skin, leaving him to die." The crowd gasped. I smiled at Ethan's parents. "You're barking up the wrong tree." "No! It wasn't me!" Bella shrieked, looking like a cornered rat. I didn't give her a chance. I tossed a handful of photos into the air.
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