Chapter 1 Chapter 1

In my previous life, after marrying Lucas Ashton, I caught the flu while I was pregnant, and my fever rose to 107.6 Fahrenheit. However, all he did was toss me an ibuprofen before rushing out the door. While I was being rushed to the emergency room, he was busy posting vacation photos with his first love, Emily Lane, on social media. I was given a second chance at life. I woke up on the day we were supposed to make our relationship public. And just like last time, Lucas leaned in and whispered one of his cruel little jokes in my ear, "I've grown tired of you. Honestly, I don't even want to keep this going. How about we forget going public with our relationship?""Sure." I smiled and nodded without missing a beat. In my previous life, I broke down in tears, ruined my makeup, and begged him not to leave. Only then did he reluctantly announce our relationship to the world. Lucas was caught off guard by how calm I was. He narrowed his eyes and repeated himself. "I'm serious. I'm really going to call it off. I hope you don't come clinging to me like you always do!""Don't worry. I won't." His brows knitted together as he stared at me in confusion. Just then, his older brother, Charles Ashton, strolled over with a teasing grin. "Weren't you planning to bring your girlfriend home today, Lucas? Don't tell me it's Jessica?""Yes!""No!" Lucas and I answered at the exact same time. The tension in the air was thick. All of a sudden, a commotion broke out in the corner of the ballroom. Emily was throwing a tantrum. Before Lucas could react, I walked straight over to her and flashed a bright smile at everyone in the room. "Everyone, allow me to introduce Lucas' girlfriend, Emily Lane!" Lucas and Emily both froze in shock. "Is that true?" Charles asked, eyeing the three of us skeptically. Lucas shot me a death glare before stepping forward and taking Emily's hand. "Jessica is telling the truth. Emily and I have been together for years. Things are great between us. We're actually planning to get married soon." With that, he leaned down and gave Emily a gentle kiss on the lips. Then, he turned to look at me, gauging my reaction with a smug smile. But I simply smiled sweetly and turned to the crowd. "Lucas and I have been friends for years. I've had the honor of watching their love blossom. Honestly, they're perfect for each other." A few people, recalling Lucas' past actions, couldn't help but remark, "No wonder Lucas gave Emily that executive position even when everyone else was against it.""Also, when that client harassed Emily last year, Lucas cut ties with him right then and there. Now that's true love." For a moment, a flicker of panic flashed in Lucas' eyes. He fumbled for words. "Actually, my girlfriend is—" I cut him off, enthusiastically saying, "Lucas, when you two get married, I want to be your bridesmaid! I wish you both all the happiness in the world!""Of course," he muttered through gritted teeth.

Chapter 2 Chapter 2

Not long after, Lucas, who rarely posted on social media, suddenly uploaded a photo. The photo showed him holding hands with Emily, and the ring on her finger was the one Lucas had custom-designed for me. The caption read, "The ring has finally found its rightful owner." The comments section was flooded with congratulatory messages. "Congratulations!""Now that's true love!""Can't wait for the wedding!" Lucas and I were together for five years, and not once did he ever post about me on social media. I used to think that he was just a private person and didn't want people looking into his personal life. As it turned out, he just didn't want to leave any trace of me on his accounts. I liked the post, but when I refreshed the page, it was already gone. Right then, Emily walked toward me with a skip in her step, proudly flashing the ring in my face. "It's so beautiful," she beamed. "I heard you're the one who designed it. Thank you, Jessica! "Lucas told me the only reason we couldn't be together before was because you kept clinging to him. So, thank you for finally stepping aside today. Lucas and I will be together forever." I replied flatly, "Good to hear." Lucas, who was hovering just behind her, immediately panicked. My lack of reaction clearly rattled him. "What were you thinking, Jessica Miller? You've ruined everything!" "I thought everything went perfectly. You went public with your relationship, and everyone's thrilled." "That wasn't the plan!" he snapped. "We were supposed to announce our relationship. But you went and said Emily was my girlfriend. Now everyone's gotten the wrong idea!" I scoffed, "You said you were tired of me and didn't want to make things public anymore. So, I helped you out and told everyone Emily's your girlfriend. Besides, you've already posted a photo of her with the ring on social media. Of course, people are going to think she's your girlfriend." "I was just joking! I didn't think you'd actually take it seriously. You're the one who ruined everything by playing along. I had to say that Emily was my girlfriend because you left me no choice! "I only let her try the ring on. Go clear up the misunderstanding right now, and I'll forgive you." Now that I had a second chance at life, I would never beg for love again. I learned the hard way that chasing after someone like that would only lead to pain. "I don't think your little jokes are funny, Lucas. And I don't see any reason for us to continue whatever we had going on between us," I said firmly. Lucas stared me down, his voice low and threatening. "If you don't do what I say, I'll end the collaboration between our families. Now, go clear things up." I was conflicted. Our families' companies had a strong relationship. It would be a real shame if things fell apart because of me. Emily's face drained of all color. She bit her lip as she tried to keep the tears from falling. "Why do we need to clear this up, Lucas? Don't you love me?" Lucas cupped her face gently and comforted her. "This is all for the sake of my family business.""But Jessica has always been horrible to me. She's jealous of the way you treat me. She even sends me threatening messages all the time!""Stop lying, Emily!"

Chapter 3 Chapter 3

"Let me see what she sent you," Lucas demanded, his voice tight with restrained fury. Emily pulled out her phone and showed him the messages. The sender was apparently me. Her screen was filled with gruesome, graphic images, along with lengthy paragraphs filled with insults. The more Lucas scrolled, the darker his expression became. Emily shrank back and hesitantly said, "I wasn't going to tell you… I didn't want you and Jessica to fight because of me. But now that everyone thinks I'm your girlfriend, if you dump me, I don't even want to imagine what Jessica might do to me!" Lucas snapped, "I spent a long time thinking this through before finally deciding to announce our relationship. But I never imagined you would be so cruel as to hurt Emily!" Emily gently tugged at his sleeve to calm him down. "I'm okay—really! Please don't be mad.""You're too kind, Emily. How would you even survive in this world without me here to protect you?" Lucas then turned to me, shaking his head in disappointment. "You don't need to clear anything up anymore. I no longer want you as my girlfriend. "Take some time to reflect on what you've done, and don't contact me. I'll let you know when I'm ready to see you again." In my previous life, whenever I upset Lucas, he would give me the silent treatment until he decided he wasn't mad anymore. Only then would I be allowed to see him again. But that tactic had absolutely no effect on me now. I immediately fired back, "So you're just going to believe whatever she says? If you're so gullible, you might as well step down and make Emily the company's CEO instead!" As soon as my words fell, Lucas slapped me across the face, hard. My head snapped to the side, and pain spread through my cheek. The loud crack of the slap drew everyone's attention. People started gathering around to watch the commotion. Charles rushed over to help me up, fury etched across his face. "Have you lost your mind, Lucas?" With all eyes on him, Lucas sneered. "Jessica's been meddling in my relationship with Emily and attempting to tear us apart. That slap was well deserved. Now apologize to Emily, Jessica!" The humiliation threatened to drown me. It took everything I had to calm down. "Fine, I'll apologize to both of you right now. Are you ready?" Lucas and Emily stood with their hands on their hips, smiling, waiting for my apology. My hands sliced through the air with force and precision, landing two clean slaps across both their faces. Their cheeks instantly became swollen. For a second, the entire room froze. "How dare you?" Lucas' rage boiled over as he raised his hand to strike me again. "That's enough!" Charles stepped in, grabbing Lucas' wrist. "We're in public. Don't make a scene." Before Lucas could respond, Charles led me out of the ballroom, shielding me from the chaos behind us.

Chapter 4 Chapter 4

Neither Charles nor I said a word on the way out. Once it was just the two of us, I hesitated before finally breaking the silence. "Actually, Lucas and I—" Charles cut me off softly, "I know you're Lucas' girlfriend." I stared blankly at the man before me, stunned into silence. Even Lucas' older brother could see that we were dating, and yet Lucas always treated me badly. In the end of my previous life, I even died because of him. "I thought you guys would go public today, get engaged, and then get married. I didn't expect this to happen," Charles said, his gray eyes clouded with a mix of emotions. "Did you break up?" I let out a soft sigh. "Yeah. After everything that happened today, I don't know how our families are supposed to keep working together.""As long as I'm here, the collaboration between our companies won't be affected.""Really?" I looked at him, puzzled. Charles was notorious for being a playboy, spending his days drinking and partying in nightclubs. He was never involved in his family business. Charles seemed to have read my mind. He scratched his head sheepishly. "After what happened earlier, I've realized that Lucas is an idiot. I can't just stand by and watch him destroy our family business. I need to take matters into my own hands.""Well, well, well. It looks like the playboy's finally turning over a new leaf," I teased. He narrowed his eyes, a cold look gleaming in them. "We share the same enemies, after all." The night wind picked up, and I instinctively wrapped my arms around myself. Without a word, he slipped off his jacket and draped it over my shoulders. The gesture made the atmosphere suddenly feel charged and intimate in a way that felt unfamiliar and awkward. I hurriedly said goodbye and got ready to leave. "Here's your jacket," I said before taking it off and handing it back to him. "It's cold out. Give it back to me the next time we meet," he said firmly. His tone left no room for argument. … I returned to the place Lucas and I called home, and all the memories of our past together came rushing back to me. He never let anyone know we were together. He hid me away in this apartment like I was a dirty secret. He only came by when it suited him, always making me feel like a mistress. Most of the things in the apartment were mine. His belongings were few and far between, like he was just a guest. Since things were over between us, I decided to make a clean break and started packing everything up. As I finished packing two large suitcases, the front door opened. It was Lucas.

Chapter 5 Chapter 5

Lucas stumbled through the door, his face flushed and eyes half-lidded, reeking of alcohol. One look at his drunken state, and I knew better than to leave things to chance. I discreetly dialed Charles' number. Lucas' gaze drifted to the packed suitcases by the door. "What do you think you're doing?" Ignoring him, I grabbed the suitcases and started to leave. "Hold it right there!" He grabbed me by my shoulders, pinning me in place. "Lucas," I said calmly. "Let me make this clear—we're done. From now on, we're just business partners." Yet, he gave me a lazy, mocking smile. "Wow, you really pulled out all the stops to get my attention this time. You're breaking up with me? Please. Every time I mentioned it before, you begged me to stay, cooked for me, did my laundry, and—""That was the old me," I cut him off. "Right now, all I want is to end things with you.""And who says you get to call it quits?" His tone was lazy, but the contempt and impatience on his face were unmistakable. "We'll end things when I'm tired of you." I pushed his hand off my shoulder and glared at him. "I'm not in the mood for this. If you ever lay a hand on me or harass me again, I will call the cops!" I threatened. Lucas narrowed his eyes and studied my face skeptically. Then, without warning, he grabbed my jacket. "This jacket is Charles', isn't it? So that explains why you're breaking up with me today. So you're screwing my brother now? Is that it?""Enough!" I snapped. "Charles and I are just friends. Don't twist things and turn our relationship into something it's not." My explanation fell on deaf ears. Lucas' face flushed deeper, and he got more worked up. "I get it now. You couldn't have me, so you went after my brother instead. You're using him as my replacement! "You know what? Fine—I admit I haven't been treating you well lately. I'll change." I looked him dead in the eye and said, "There's nothing left between us. We're done." "You're taking this little game way too far, Jessica. This is your last chance." "Right, so let's break up." Lucas' expression congealed, and with one swift kick, he sent my suitcases tumbling. "You're not going anywhere tonight!" "Let her go, Lucas!" Just as I started to panic, Charles finally showed up. He stepped between Lucas and me, taking my side. The tables turned in an instant. This time, I wasn't alone anymore. "Stay out of this, Charles," Lucas spat. "Jessica's my girlfriend." This was the first time he had ever acknowledged our relationship in front of someone else. But I immediately shook my head. "That's not true. Your girlfriend's Emily!" Lucas stared at me in disbelief. "Jessica, come on, you know I was just messing around. Now that I've admitted we're together, why aren't you happy? Isn't this what you always wanted? I even got the ring back. Here, put it on." However, this time, I turned and bolted. Behind me, Lucas' voice echoed, angry and loud. "Don't come crawling back to me—because when you do, I'll never forgive you!"