Chapter 1 Chapter 1

Eric Nottingham, the head of my department, was surprised after he heard my declaration. It wasn't the answer he had been expecting. "Summer, this expedition will last close to two years. It will be a long and difficult assignment. Aren't you about to get married soon? Are you sure you want to join us? What does Luke think?" I looked at myself in the mirror—at the version of myself who hadn't yet been beaten down by the cruel passage of time. Conviction laced my voice as I said, "His opinion doesn't matter." Eric was stunned for a few moments before a knowing expression crossed his features. "Understood. You have great potential when it comes to understanding the Glacian creatures. Since you've made up your mind, the expedition team welcomes you with open arms. Make your preparations. We leave next week." The expedition team was scheduled to depart on the same day as my wedding. Luke didn't take too long in the bathroom. Steam billowed out from behind him as he exited. The fog of intoxication had cleared from his head after he took a shower. He sat down next to me before pulling me into his arms. "What's with that blank look? You're still daydreaming?" My senses were assaulted by the scent of gardenias that clung to his damp skin. It was so overwhelming that I could feel a headache building. Luke smiled when he noticed that my eyebrows were pulled together. "I was only joking earlier because I was drunk. Don't tell me you thought I was being serious? I admit that it's my fault. I'll learn what I don't know, I won't let you or the baby suffer any hardships." I couldn't help but think about how the source of all my hardships in my past life could be traced back to Luke. He angled his body toward me as he spoke before leaning in to kiss me. In my past life, Luke stopped being affectionate with me after Riley underwent treatment and successfully got pregnant again. I dodged his kiss. The movement accidentally messed up his bathrobe and exposed a tattoo of a set of teeth marks. Luke told me once before that it was just a regular tattoo. He didn't get rid of it because he was afraid of the pain. But I discovered the truth in my past life. The teeth marks belonged to Riley and the tattoo served as proof of the wonderful first love they shared. Luke was visibly displeased when he noticed I wasn't receptive to his advances. "Summer, we've been together for six years. Are you going to be difficult just because of something I said on a whim?" I shook my head and said, "You're overthinking things. I don't feel so good because the baby's been moving around." Luke picked me up and gently laid me down on the bed. "Don't worry. I'm here." His dark eyes were like bottomless pools. I'd lost count of the amount of times that I was pulled in and drowned by them. My parents were good friends with Luke's parents. When my parents passed away from an accident, Luke had gazed at me with the same dark eyes. "Don't worry. I'm here. I'll protect you," he had told me. The storm raged outside, accompanied by deafening claps of thunder. A shrill ringing broke through my thoughts and pulled me back to the present. When Luke answered his phone, Riley's sobbing came echoing through the receiver. "Luke, my stomach hurts so much. Can you come over and take me to the hospital?" Luke's tone was filled with anxiety when he said, "Something happened to the secretary I just hired. As her superior, I'm worried about her." In my past life, I didn't know that the secretary Luke spoke of was Riley, his first love. I had only been worried about his safety since he had to travel through the storm. There were already police and doctors on the scene, so I tried to stop Luke from leaving. I tried to reason with him that there was nothing he could do even if he showed up. When Luke finally rushed to Riley's side, it was already too late. Riley had suffered a miscarriage. The effects were severe and Riley could no longer get pregnant. After that incident, Luke started to loathe me. Now that I had a chance to relive this life once more, I wasn't going to stop him. This time, I would be the one to throw him aside. I pretended to be worried and said, "You're a good boss. Hurry and go help her. Time is of the essence." Guilt flickered across Luke's features. As he was about to leave, I called his name and stopped him.

Chapter 2 Chapter 2

Luke had a look of impatience on his face when he turned his head. "I don't have much time. Whatever it is, you can tell me after I come back." I grabbed a coat and pressed it into his hands. "It gets chilly when it rains. I don't want you to catch a cold." Luke was frozen for a moment before he hurriedly pressed a kiss to my forehead. He stroked my stomach gently as he murmured, "Take care of Mommy, okay? Wait for Daddy to come home." I let out a heavy sigh as I watched his silhouette disappear. I rubbed circles on my stomach. "I'm afraid you won't be able to see Daddy again." Sunlight had broken through the layers of thick clouds when I woke up the next morning. I made an appointment for an abortion. When I passed by the gynecology department, I overheard the nurses talking amongst themselves with envy written all over their faces. "Mr. Logan treats Mrs. Logan so well. He bought so many different types of supplements and luxury goods to comfort her after her miscarriage. He even fed her and wiped her face himself. He was so worried that she would overexert herself.""You're right. Not only that, but I also saw Mr. Logan put on an emerald-studded bracelet for Mrs. Logan just now.""I'm so envious! Where can I find a man as wonderful as Mr. Logan?" I had thought that after experiencing death once, I would be able to put my feelings behind me. But my heart still clenched painfully after hearing the nurses gossip amongst themselves. In my past life, despite how Luke took his anger out on me, I married Luke, according to his mother, Rose's wishes. But Luke changed after we got married. He never showed me even an ounce of affection. For the months that I was pregnant, he never once accompanied me for my check-ups. Instead, he was glued to Riley's side as if he were her personal guardian angel. He would immediately rush Riley to the hospital if she so much as scraped the skin of her hand. When I had complications when giving birth to Jesse, the doctors and nurses took turns calling Luke. He never once picked up their calls. He had been having a romantic candlelit dinner with Riley at the time and didn't want to be disturbed. I practically raised Jesse by myself. When I taught Jesse to speak his first words, Luke brought Riley to a concert to enjoy themselves. When Jesse took his first steps, Luke was ice-skating with Riley. When Jesse had a high fever that refused to break, I took care of him day and night, while Luke was busy bringing Riley everywhere in search of a cure for her infertility. When Luke returned home, he pinned the blame on me. He berated me fiercely for failing to take care of Jesse and causing him to fall ill. One day, Luke suggested that he would personally pick up Jesse from school. Hope had sprouted in me then. I thought that he wanted to mend our broken family. I had no way of knowing that Luke's actions harbored malicious intentions. Jesse loved eating sweets and to stop him from getting rotten teeth, I monitored his sugar intake very closely. But once, when I was teaching him about the importance of dental hygiene, his eyes grew to the size of saucers and started to fill with tears. Furiously, Jesse swiped my hand away. "You're a bad mom! I don't want you to be my mom! Ms. Richards is the kindest and most generous person in the world, I want her to be my mom! Get out! This is my house!" It was at that moment I realized that in their hearts, I was the outsider. Later on, I was involved in a car accident. As I was lying in a pool of blood, I saw Luke drive by with Jesse in the backseat. Luke and Jesse had similar facial features and they wore the same icy expression. "How unlucky. Don't look, Jesse. You might bring the bad luck home with you and spread it to the baby in Riley's stomach." The two of them left the scene without a single glance back at me. I was sent to the hospital by a passerby and operated on by all the senior doctors on duty. My operating room was separated from Riley's by a single floor. I died of blood loss in my operating room while the birth of a new life was joyously celebrated with lightsticks in her operating room. I was nearly overwhelmed by the immense pain of recalling my death. Face as white as a sheet, I turned around and left as quickly as I could. When I turned the corner, I ran into Luke and Riley. When he noticed me, panic flashed across Luke's face and he dropped the arm he had wrapped around Riley's waist. In the next second, it was as if all the strength in Riley's body had drained from her. She nearly collapsed to the floor before a flustered Luke swiftly supported her and kept her upright on her feet. "Ms. Richards is injured," Luke explained. "I stayed behind to take care of her. Don't overthink this, Summer." Riley intentionally bent forward, causing her rumpled collar to open up and expose the skin hiding beneath the fabric. She had the same teeth mark tattoo that Luke had at the exact same spot. The person I was before would have exposed his lie right there and then and forced them into a difficult corner. However, I was no longer affected by these despicable actions that would have deeply hurt me in the past. Smiling, I said, "I wouldn't misunderstand. I know that everything you do is for the sake of the company. It's been hard on you." Luke let out a relieved sigh and nodded. Riley, on the other hand, looked greatly displeased. In the blink of an eye, her displeased expression switched to one of weakness and frailty. She tugged on Luke's sleeve lightly. "I'm feeling a little cold. Could you get my shawl for me, Luke?" After Luke left, Riley dropped the act and arched her eyebrow at me. "Pretending to be a saint to win Luke's favor? Did you think that would make him fall in love with you? Don't do useless things, Summer. "Did you really think I was just Luke's secretary?" Riley said as she stepped closer to me and yanked her shirt collar down to expose her collarbone. "Take a good look. Luke and I were each other's first loves. "He has never forgotten me. You're nothing but a poor substitute for me when I wasn't around. Did you really believe that Luke would willingly marry you if it weren't for Rose forcing him?" When I saw how green with envy Riley was, I pitied her. "According to what you're saying, Luke is madly in love with you. But why didn't he stand up against Rose? Why didn't he give up everything to marry you? I don't think he loves you as much as you think he does." Panic filled Riley's eyes. "Stop talking nonsense!" She grabbed my arm and yanked herself forward. Her sudden action sent her hurtling toward the stairwell like a wilted leaf being buffeted by a strong wind. From a distance away, a scream reverberated around the hallway as the sound of footsteps thundered toward us.

Chapter 3 Chapter 3

Luke's face was ghostly pale as he sprinted toward us. He grabbed Riley just before she tumbled down the staircase. I kept an iron grip on my emotions as I watched the two of them. The worry that Luke harbored for Riley was so palpable that I could nearly see it manifest in a tangible form. Riley's eyes were filled with tears as she stared at me. "Summer, I admit it was my fault. I shouldn't have kept Mr. Logan by my side, and I've already apologized to you. But no matter how angry you are at me, you still shouldn't push me down the stairs!" Luke picked Riley up after hearing her words. His gaze burned with fury when he glared at me. "Why did you try to hurt her, Summer? You know that she was injured recently. She would lose her life if she fell down the stairs! Since when did you turn into such a horrible person?" With Riley cradled securely in his arms, Luke shoved past me and hurriedly left the scene. My stomach collided with the railing and the excruciating pain that came after made me break out in a cold sweat all over my body. I felt like I was once again on the brink of death. I let out a bloodcurdling scream but Luke didn't spare me even a single glance. Although Riley's miscarriage did not make Luke angry at me in this life, he still did not choose me. Blood trickled down slowly from between my legs. When the nurses noticed my condition, they rushed me into the operating room. With a frown, the doctor said, "It doesn't look good. It'll be extremely difficult to save the baby." I handed my abortion appointment to him and told him hoarsely, "Don't worry about it, doctor." In my past life, I sacrificed everything that I had for Jesse's sake. But instead of being grateful, Jesse had stabbed me in the back for someone else. Since he didn't want me to be his mother, he could be born as someone else's son in this life. My heart was too battered to hold any love for him anymore. The anesthesia felt chilly as it was injected into my veins, matching the glacial cold I felt in my heart. When I woke up, my body felt hollow, like a letterbox that had a missing door. The wind blew in and rattled the empty space as it pleased. I knew at that moment that my last connection to Jesse had been severed. My phone chimed. When I looked at the screen, I noticed it was a notification from a number I didn't know. In the message was a picture of two intertwined hands. Luke's and Riley's matching tattoos on their collarbones were also in full view. After what had transpired, Riley no longer wanted to keep her relationship with Luke in the dark. As for me, I no longer wanted to fight with her for anything. I didn't reply and blocked her number. Three days later, I returned home. The Logan residence that I had lived in for close to a decade looked no different from when I left it. The walls were covered in photographs that detailed Luke's and my history. I was younger than him by two years. When I was five years old, Luke and I were actors in our preschool's reenactment of a fairytale. We got married on stage for that performance. When I was 12 years old, I had my period for the first time. Luke thought I had been gravely injured and had hugged me tightly as he cried his head off. When I was 15 years old, my parents passed away. Luke had patted my shoulder and whispered, "Don't worry. I'm here." When I was 21 years old, Luke graduated from an overseas university and returned home. He had gotten drunk and kissed me for the first time. My heart was trapped in the abyss known as Luke Logan. It was being torn apart over and over again in a vicious cycle. … I took down all the photographs just as Luke arrived. His back was to the light as he approached me, making it difficult to discern his emotions as his face was cast in shadow. "Why did you take down the photos?" I wanted to leave as quickly as possible, so I simply said, "I'm thinking of renovating the place." Silence was his response. He sat down and helped with organizing the photographs. After a moment passed, he said, "I know you care about me. I understand that you only did something so reckless because you were angry that day. Riley is alright, and she has agreed to forgive you. She won't bring up this matter anymore. But she does have a request." I raised my head to look at him, waiting patiently for him to speak. After a pause, he said, "The wedding clothes that Mom prepared for us looked amazing in our wedding photos. Riley has never worn a wedding dress. She wants to try wearing one.""The dress was tailored to my body," I retorted coldly. "The two of you are around the same size," he countered quickly. I laughed darkly. "How do you know her measurements?" Luke's face hardened. His embarrassment quickly morphed into frustration. "Summer, I'm talking to you nicely right now. Stop behaving like you're some sort of princess. You're the one who hurt her first. "She was only willing to forgive you after I convinced her. Don't make things worse. She'll return the dress to you for the wedding." "Fine." I brought out the magnificent wedding dress. Rose had hastily designed the dress after she found out Luke and I were together. She had already been diagnosed with cancer by then. Only after the dress was completed was she willing to close her eyes and fall into an eternal slumber. In my past life, I looked after the Logan family for Rose's sake. I was going to live for myself in this life. Luke's face was filled with glee after he got his hands on the wedding dress, and he left quickly after obtaining it. An hour later, I received a message from Riley, who had switched to another number. "The wedding dress is mine, and so is Luke." Riley looked like a flower in full bloom with the wedding dress on. There was nothing but adoration on Luke's face as he held her hand. At that moment, I noticed that the hem of the wedding dress had been stained by an unidentifiable liquid. Disgust churned in my stomach. "You can have both of them," I replied.

Chapter 4 Chapter 4

I cut myself out of the photographs before throwing the cut out images of me into a brazier and setting them on fire. I also found someone to sell off all the presents that Luke had ever gifted me. After my expedition qualifications application was approved, I dropped by the research institute to process the necessary paperwork. Eric reminded me once more, "Although we will do our best to ensure the safety of all members of the expedition team, the weather conditions in Glacia are unforgiving. There will always be risk involved no matter what precautions we take. Remember, safety always comes first." Considering the uncertainty that surrounded the expedition, I stopped by the Heathers' residence after leaving the research institute. When Mom passed away, she left an important item for me. She was afraid that it would stir up melancholy feelings of nostalgia within me, so she had me leave the item in the Heathers' residence. The Heathers' residence seemed to be stuck in the past, looking exactly how it did when my parents were still alive. It gave me the illusion that they were still by my side. My nose stung and a wave of despair crashed over me. After drying my tears, I found the safe that was the reason for my visit. However, when I opened the safe, I was frozen in place. There was nothing in it. I searched every nook and cranny of the house but there wasn't even a shadow of the item. Just as I was about to spiral into a pit of depression, the nurses' voices from the hospital rang out in my thoughts. "You're right. Not only that, but I also saw Mr. Logan put on an emerald-studded bracelet for Mrs. Logan just now." The person who took the bracelet must be Luke! I dialed his number over and over again, but just like in my past life, my calls were ignored. I wasn't going to wait around this time and decided to rush over to Logan Corporation. Surprise flashed over the receptionist's face when she spotted me, and she stopped me from entering the office. I batted away her hand that was grabbing my arm. "I'm a stockholder of Logan Corporation. Are you still going to deny me entry?" A troubled expression appeared on the receptionist's face. She looked like she had something to say. I used her moment of hesitation to grab the baseball bat and rush inside. Luke's office was empty when I entered, but there was a crack in the door that led to the inner room. Riley's coy voice came floating through the crack. "Luke, are you really going to marry Summer? Didn't you say you love me the most? Your mom has already passed away. You don't need to care about her." Kissing sounds were coming from the inner room. Luke's voice was tinged with desire when he said, "Give me some time, Riley. Your body's weak after your miscarriage, and the doctor said it would be difficult for you to get pregnant again. "Summer is pregnant with my child now, and that child could possibly be the only heir I have. I can't just leave her alone. "Once Summer has raised the child to an age where they can attend school, I'll divorce her. I'll belong to you, and so will the child. Can you wait for me for a few more years?" White-hot fury burned through my body like wildfire. I was angered to the point of dizziness and nearly lost my balance. I never would have thought that Luke had everything planned from the start. The door to the inner room suddenly opened. Luke froze in his steps when his gaze fell upon me. He looked visibly panicked. "Summer, what are you doing here?" Riley followed close behind him. She was hiding behind Luke like a coward as she made a show of adjusting her collar. Since the situation had escalated to this point, I wasn't in the mood to talk to them more than I needed to. I raised the baseball bat and brandished it at Luke. "Where is my mom's bracelet? Hand it over!" Luke assumed I hadn't heard what he said earlier and internally sighed in relief. But after he registered what I was saying, his brows knitted together. "Why do you want the bracelet all of a sudden?""Hand it over," I repeated. My voice rose in pitch. Luke's voice was full of authority as he said, "Summer, this is the office. It's not a place for you to act in such an uncivilized manner." Riley poked her head out from behind Luke and shook her wrist at me. "Are you talking about this? It's just a bracelet. Why are you making such a big deal out of it? "I didn't know you were such a stingy person, Summer. I just thought that the color looked nice, so I wanted to borrow it for a little while. Don't be angry." I glared at her and repeated again, "Hand it over." Riley pouted as she unwillingly took off the bracelet. But as she was handing it over, she let the bracelet slip through her fingers. The emerald-studded bracelet collided with the floor, and the inlaid gems shattered into a million pieces. It was as if the entire world had gone silent. Tears ran down my face as I kneeled down to salvage what was left of the emeralds. When I got back to my feet, I slapped Riley across the face with all the strength I could muster before hurrying out of the office. Luke wanted to chase after me, but he was stopped in his tracks when he heard how pathetically Riley was begging him to stay. The next day, I threw away every single thing that had any relation to me in the Logan residence. I boarded the ship that would bring me to South Point. I had left my abortion report and a farewell letter behind for Luke to find. I hoped that he would enjoy the surprise I left for him.