Chapter 1 Chapter 1

My mind was foggy. I couldn't tell if I was dreaming or if what I saw was reality. The room was dim. However, when I got a good look at the man on top of me, I felt as if I had been hit on the back of my head. Instantly, I regained my lucidity. I surreptitiously glanced at the ashtray on the bedside table. Then, catching the man off-guard, I grabbed it and brought it down on his head. It happened far too quickly for him to react in any other way than to snarl, "What the hell? How dare you attack me?" Before he could strike back at me, I used all the strength I could muster to bash him in the head over and over again. It was only when his blood had stained the white sheets red that I came back to what little senses I had left. My body was trembling, though I didn't know whether it was out of anger or fear—or perhaps the joy of being reborn back in time and getting a do-over. At some point, I started tearing up, and my tears were now dampening my cheeks. I was still consumed by my thoughts. In my previous lifetime, it was on this very day that I lost my dignity and reputation as a woman. While I was unconscious, a group of people stormed into the room and woke me up. Before I could realize what was happening, I heard the voice of my husband, Andrew Stone, ringing out icily. "Ella Turner, is this the birthday surprise you prepared for me?" When I tried to get up, I realized that there was an arm around my waist. A sense of unease crept through me, and I heard the repulsive voice of an unfamiliar man asking me, "Did you enjoy yourself?" At that very moment, I felt as if my blood had gone cold. It was as if I had plunged into an icy abyss. A man I didn't know was lying in bed beside me. It wasn't my husband. I'd been raped. Yet, no matter how hard I tried to explain that I had no idea who the man was and that he had forced himself onto me, no one believed me. A multitude of evidence appeared out of nowhere to make it seem like I had been cheating on Andrew with this man for a while now. During that loneliest and most helpless point in my life, I desperately turned to Andrew. He was the man I had loved the most throughout my entire life. We met in college before we got married, and we'd been together for seven years by then. In those seven years, he cherished me like no other. He doted on me even more than my parents did. I was living the life I had fantasized about as a teenager. Everyone envied me for the way Andrew lavished his love on me. I was an ordinary college student, and yet I was able to end up with someone who was clearly destined for great things. Not only that, but he even adored me so. But alas, from that night onward, everything changed—for good. Choking back my sobs, I had pleaded with him, "This isn't true! You have to believe me, Andrew." He silently came over and hugged me, saying, "Don't cry. I believe you." I clung to him as if he were my savior. From that moment onward, I loved him with every fiber of my being. But at the same time, I started behaving in extreme ways. I was no longer myself. I refused to let any woman get near him. Yet, Andrew indulged in my ways. He even squashed my scandal, though it had already caused a huge commotion. Everyone in our social circle knew that I had cheated on him. Still, he never said a single word about that. He protected me, forgave me, and allowed me to do whatever I wanted. In fact, the online community even started calling him the most pure-hearted and loving man. He was voted as the nation's model husband. Everyone wanted someone as wonderful and devoted as him to fall in love with them. But it was all a lie. Returning to the present, I felt my stomach churning. Something was threatening to spill out of me. I fled to the bathroom and puked my guts out. I was still in the bathroom when I heard the commotion outside. In the heavy silence of the room, the familiar voice rang out with unusual clarity. "My wife prepared a surprise for me. It should be right here in this room."

Chapter 2 Chapter 2

"Since you're all so curious about the surprise, let's all take a look together," Andrew said. However, as soon as the rowdy crowd entered the room, they fell silent. I stepped out of the bathroom, only to find everyone staring at me. It was the same suffocating gaze that made me want to vomit. In my previous lifetime, this feeling loomed over me like a constant shadow. No matter where I went, I was subjected to everyone's criticisms and scathing remarks. They said that I was an unfaithful woman who went looking for other men despite having such a wonderful husband. They said that I deserved to be publicly humiliated. If not for Andrew's generosity, things wouldn't have merely ended in a divorce. Instead, I would probably have been taken to court. I hadn't done anything. I was the victim. That man had forced himself upon me. But no one believed me. "Darling? What's going—" Before Andrew could finish speaking, I cut him off, saying, "I've called the police. We can talk about this once the police get here." Then, I walked past him and took his birthday present out of the cabinet. Back in my previous lifetime, I had spent many days carefully preparing his gift so that I could surprise him on his birthday, for it was also our anniversary. We had spent seven whole years together. During that time, I felt as if I had lived a fairytale life. I ended up forgetting that there was no escaping reality. His love for me had never been real. Smiling at the crowd, I lifted the gift box in the air, saying, "You guys came to see the surprise, right?" I opened the box to reveal a small glass sculpture of a couple. It was Andrew and me. The two tiny figures were huddled close together, cradling a clock in their arms. The hour hand was pointing at the seventh hour. Intrigued by the gift, everyone started discussing it among themselves. "Oh, my! Mrs. Stone really put in a lot of effort. I'm sure it wasn't to make that.""They're such a loving couple. I'm so envious of them!""Didn't any of you realize that today is their seventh anniversary? Look at the clock! It's pointing at the number seven, too.""Whoa! That's so sweet." Andrew's face lit up with joy. Reaching out to take the gift, he said, "Thanks, darling. I love it." However, just as he was about to make contact with the sculpture, it fell to the floor and shattered. The crisp sound plunged the room into silence once more as the two figures now lay apart from each other. "Let's get a divorce, Andrew." Soon, the news went viral. The headlines all claimed that our seemingly fairytale-like marriage was a facade, for I had asked for a divorce on our anniversary. All of the media outlets fought to be the first to publish an article about this situation. We had seemed like the picture-perfect married couple. Why would our marriage end in divorce? Thanks to all of Andrew's high-profile proclamations of his love for me, this situation proved to be even more humiliating than it needed to be. It had been several days since he last came home, and I was more than happy to have my peace and quiet. I busied myself packing my things, but alas, someone came along and disturbed the peace. My mother-in-law, Rose Burton, came barging into the house. She pushed aside the housekeeper and marched up to me. Before I could even say a single word, she slapped me hard on the face. "What did I ever do to deserve this? I never approved of your relationship in the first place. It was Andrew who pleaded with me and promised me that you two would have a happy marriage, but look at what you did!" Rose screeched. "The fact that a country bumpkin like you managed to latch onto a fine young man from a wealthy family like Andrew is something you should be counting your lucky stars for. It's one thing for you to take it for granted. But since Andrew loves you, I can't say much about it as his mother. "You've even been married for four years now without producing a grandchild for the family. Yet, Andrew comes to your defense every time. Still, here you are asking for a divorce!" Rose was red in the face with anger. The more she said, the more furious she became. She even raised her hand to slap me again, but I grabbed her by the wrist before she could. "And?" I questioned icily. "I've already asked Andrew for a divorce. Do you think that I'll be too scared to slap you back?" "How dare you threaten me!" Rose shrieked.

Chapter 3 Chapter 3

"Fine. So be it. Since you're so keen to leave, I'll tell him to let you have your way," Rose declared, her eyes flashing briefly with glee. She fell silent and observed my response, but I was about to disappoint her. I didn't show any sign of sadness or regret. None at all. With a look of indifference, I smirked maliciously, "Sure, but I'm afraid that while I'm willing to get a divorce, your son might not be." Rose glowered at me and retorted, "Impossible! A promiscuous woman like you isn't welcomed in our family!" After looking at my suitcase, she continued, "Are you so eager to leave? Well, go on then. The further you go, the better!" While speaking, she started shoving me out of the house. However, right as we reached the front door, a black Maybach pulled up, and Andrew stepped out of the car. Although he was smiling, his expression was icy. "What are you two doing, Mom?" In the end, Andrew brought me back inside. Alas, Rose didn't come with us. Just moments ago, he stood before me and questioned her, "Mom, shouldn't you be on holiday with Dad right now? Why did you come back here?" Rose's smile was a little stiff as she replied, "Since a major scandal broke out in the family, I-I decided to cut the trip short to check on things.""Does Dad know about that?" Andrew asked. It was a simple expression of concern, but that was enough to make Rose's expression stiffen. She immediately rushed off without saying another word. I stood silently beside Andrew throughout that whole exchange as if I were invisible. At last, Andrew turned around and tried to take my hand, saying, "Everything's fine now, darling. I'm sorry that you had to deal with that. It must've been hurtful." However, I avoided his hand and instinctively stepped backward. "Let's get a divorce," I said curtly. "There's nothing more for us to discuss." Andrew didn't immediately try to protest. Instead, he looked thoughtful and even a little aggrieved. Had anyone else seen us, it would've seemed like I was being particularly unreasonable and kicking up a fuss for no reason. Only I knew just how revolting this display of his was. Andrew sighed and seemed to acknowledge his wrongdoing. "Is it because you're jealous, darling? There's really nothing going on between that actress and me." He was referring to Charlotte Sherwood, an award-winning actress who was all the rage right now. The two of them frequently attended the same high-profile events. While it seemed like they were merely the barest of acquaintances, the paparazzi would always publish articles claiming that the two were a match made in heaven. At first, no one cared about such gossip. However, in my previous lifetime, after that incident, more and more people started saying that I wasn't good enough for Andrew and that Charlotte was the best person for him. I might not have even become his wife had it not been because he met me first. Incited by the online discourse, I went wild trying to cause trouble for Charlotte. The more I went after her, the more Andrew defended her. In the end, he even cast me aside for her. "You need to calm down, Ella," he said. That made me lose my mind. I publicly castigated Charlotte for being a homewrecker and ruined her reputation for good, and I paid the price for that. Andrew had me institutionalized in a psychiatric care facility, and he swiftly released a statement. He apologized for my actions before explaining that he and Charlotte only dealt with each other on a professional level. He went on to claim that despite the various problems I was afflicted with, he was willing to stay by my side forever. His performance garnered him much praise, while I became the outcast of society. But it was all a lie. It was all a facade. Back in reality, the sudden ringing of a phone broke the silence. It was Ian Sherwood, Charlotte's brother, who was calling Andrew. He moved to answer the call without hesitation. Alas, I was quicker than him. I immediately grabbed the phone and rejected the call. For the first time ever, Andrew scowled at me and questioned, "What the hell are you doing?"