Chapter 1 Chapter 1

The cold, salty seawater engulfed me, and I knew exactly what was about to happen. I used all my strength to swim toward the surface. The moment my head broke through the water, a sharp, paralyzing pain shot through my calf, instantly robbing me of all strength. My body started sinking again. Not far away, Mason Jacobs was speeding toward the shore on a jet ski, racing against time. The pain in my leg persisted, but I held back the urge to call out for Mason. While I was on the brink of life and death, a strange sense of calm washed over me. I scanned my surroundings, searching for anything that could save me. Suddenly, a jet ski surged toward me. On it was Mason's colleague—he had attended our wedding. He was also Mason's best friend, George Madden. "Help! My leg is cramping!" I shouted. George circled me on his jet ski, rubbing his chin with a dismissive smirk. "Come on, Felicity. Don't try to fool me. You don't look like someone with a leg cramp. Are you just trying to stop Mason from saving that person? That's not right. Mason is a coach—it's his job to rescue people. You shouldn't be acting so unreasonable," he said. My body was growing weaker, and half of my face was sinking into the seawater. While clenching my teeth to endure the pain, I forced my head up and shouted, my voice shrill with panic, "Rescuing people is not just his job—it's yours too! I said I have a cramp, now pull me up!" He chuckled lightly. "Felicity, stop messing around. Maybe you can fool Mason with this act, but not me. He just asked me to keep an eye on you while you're diving, not to watch you put on a show. It's obvious you never studied properly. Real leg cramps in the water don't look like this." Tears welled up in my eyes and streamed down my cheeks. No matter what I said, this man refused to believe me. Yes, I hated how Mason always put Millie Quirke before me. There were times I threw tantrums, refusing to let Mason see her. But I had never faked drowning to deceive anyone. I had already died once. Was I about to experience the suffocating terror of drowning all over again? I bit down hard on my lip, and the taste of blood spread through my mouth, jolting my fading consciousness. Fueled by sheer survival instinct, I reached out and grabbed the edge of the jet ski. I didn't know what I had grabbed, but a sharp metal edge sliced my palm open, blood spilling freely. Yet, I still refused to let go. A flicker of panic finally crossed George's face. He scowled, telling me to stop pretending. Just then, a speedboat appeared behind him. The people on the boat ignored the still-hesitating George and worked together to pull me aboard. The moment I was lifted out of the water, my body finally relaxed. My calf twitched uncontrollably. I looked up at the coach helping me and was momentarily stunned. It was the manager of Mason's diving club, John Hart. John piloted the boat back to shore, helping me sit down before calling for a doctor to treat my wounds. Maybe it was because I had nearly died, but John couldn't hold back his fury. Right there on the beach, he grabbed George and unleashed a furious tirade, drawing the attention of everyone around. The bystanders pieced together the story from John's yelling and started showing concern for me. "Are you okay, miss? Next time, make sure you find a reliable coach! You're lucky to be alive this time.""This diving club's coaches are so irresponsible, huh? Good thing I didn't choose them. I need to warn my friends to stay away!""Someone like that should've been fired ages ago! Watching a student struggle and refusing to help—what kind of monster does that?" After surviving the ordeal, I finally felt the weight of being alive as I listened to the chatter. I took a deep breath of fresh air, and suddenly, tears streamed down my face. Everyone was pointing fingers at George, condemning him. But I knew the person most deserving of blame wasn't him—it was my husband. We had been together for eight years and were newly married, and yet, he kept risking everything for the unattainable love of his—even at the cost of my life. All these years of genuine love were wasted on a man who never truly valued me. John saw me on the verge of breaking down and helped me up. He escorted me to a car and took me to the hospital. Once I had calmed down, he handed me my clothes and phone, asking if I wanted to call my family. Family? Could Mason still be considered my family? I shook my head and refused. Just then, my phone rang. It was Mason, calling me first.

Chapter 2 Chapter 2

On the other end of the line, Mason's low and hoarse voice was laced with anger. "Felicity, where did you go? I turned around to save a person, and suddenly you were gone! "Can't you just be a little more understanding and stop causing trouble for me? Do you have any idea that Millie almost jumped into the ocean today? If it weren't for me, she'd be dead by now! "When will you finally learn to be considerate?" In the background, I could hear Millie softly soothing Mason, trying to calm his emotions. While listening to his completely unjustified rage, my heart filled with unbearable grievance. My hands trembled uncontrollably from the overwhelming emotions, and it took all my strength just to call out his name. I spoke softly. "Mason, do you know that I almost died too?" Mason scoffed. "Quit the act, Felicity. You're just upset that I care about Millie so you're trying every trick in the book to get my attention. Let me tell you—it won't work! I'm not coming home tonight, so go back by yourself." And just like that, he hung up. We had been together for eight years—I had always thought that even if Mason didn't love me deeply, at least there was still some warmth between us. But he could so ruthlessly push me down into the water over and over again. Tears welled in my eyes instantly, and the lingering suffocation from swallowing seawater surged back up my throat. I couldn't help but cough violently, and the pain forced me to bend over. However, none of this compared to the utter despair I had felt in my past life when I teetered on the edge of death time and time again. John, seeing my condition, slammed his foot on the gas and sped toward the hospital. He helped me inside once we reached the hospital entrance. Just before the doctor took me away for examinations, he turned to me with a grim expression and asked, "Is your husband Mason?" I remained silent. But he had already recognized Mason's voice over the phone. His expression darkened further as he immediately dialed Mason's number. "Mason, did you bring your wife to learn diving? Do you even know that she almost died today?" Mason sneered. "John, she actually went to you with this? Don't believe her nonsense. Her acting skills could win awards! She's always making a scene just so I won't teach others. I'm beyond sick of it. "She's been driving everyone crazy. Even my friend was nearly forced into the ocean because of her! If Felicity is with you, tell her this—if she keeps this up, I'm divorcing her." On the other end, Millie added fuel to the fire, her voice sounding gentle but perfectly timed. "Mason, this is all my fault. Next time, I'll find somewhere without you to commit suicide. From now on, you and your wife should live happily together." Mason panicked immediately, hanging up in a hurry to comfort Millie. John's face turned ashen with rage. He paced back and forth, unable to contain his fury. I remained silent for a long time before following the doctor into the examination room. As I lay on the examination bed, I answered the doctor's questions in a soft voice, but my mind had drifted away. It was as if I had returned to the night I died in my past life. Back then, Mason's gaze had been filled with tenderness and seemed to overflow with affection. He had asked me to take a walk with him along the beach. I had never expected that the moment we arrived at the shore, that tenderness would turn into a dagger, stabbing straight into my heart. I would never forget the look on his face when he used all his strength to press me down into the ocean. His bloodshot eyes were filled with a hatred so deep it seeped into my bones. I struggled, and as I gasped in between breaths, I pleaded with him and questioned him—why was he doing this to me? I begged him to let me go. But his voice was ruthless, and every word he shouted seemed to drip with agony. "You're asking me why I'm doing this to you? Felicity, if it weren't for you, I would've saved Millie! You killed her! "She was swept away by the waves! Her body was never found! All because of you! Why did you have to call for me? It was just a cramp. Couldn't you have endured it? You survived, but Millie will never come back! "Is the ocean cold? Felicity, stay here forever and atone for your sins with her!" As he finished speaking, he burst into a manic laugh, chilling in the night air where only the waves crashed. And in the next moment, he pressed me down into the ocean with all his might. No matter how I thrashed, I couldn't break free. As my consciousness faded, I felt myself being thrown into the water, left to be swallowed by the waves. I began to sink, deeper and deeper. It was only when my lungs were completely filled with seawater did the agony of dying finally end. … I snapped back to the present and noticed my medical examination was already complete. After I took out my phone, I saw Mason's messages flooding the screen. "Felicity! What the hell did you do? The internet is blowing up!" "Because of you, John wants to fire me!" "Now everyone is cursing at me and Millie! Are you happy now?" "Reply! Are you dead? If not, say something!" Before I could even respond, a video call request popped up on my screen. I picked up, and Mason's furious face appeared. While looking at his face, hatred surged through me—one that spanned two lifetimes. His complexion turned from flushed red with anger to ashen as he gritted his teeth. "Felicity, you just won't stop, will you? Do you really think I'll keep forgiving you, no matter what? "The entire internet is cursing me now, and I lost my job because of you. Are you satisfied? How jealous can you be? Just because I saved someone, you want to ruin me?" I stayed silent. Mason seemed to have vented half of his anger. He exhaled heavily and suddenly pretended to be magnanimous. "Go clear things up now. Say you were just acting. Say George didn't save you because he saw through your performance. Say I was just doing my job. Tell them to stop attacking Millie. She's innocent." I pursed my lips together and coldly spat out one word—"No." Mason tilted his head slightly. "What did you say? No? Felicity, are you insane? "I've put up with you for eight years. Don't push me into divorcing you for real." I dug my nails hard into my palms, and the taste of blood filled my mouth. The sheer force of my hatred kept me standing. I chuckled. "Then do it!" I retorted. Just as he was about to speak, his gaze flickered past me and landed on the disease prevention poster on the hospital wall behind me. In an instant, his sharp tone shifted, and his voice was stiff with begrudging concern. "Why are you in the hospital?"