Chapter 1

On the day I married Noah Sullivan, his first love hanged herself.

For thirty years of marriage, the words we exchanged most were: "Go to hell!"

The day came after our most vicious fight yet. As he slammed the door, rage clenched my heart - I drunk the tea he prepared for me but spat blood instead.

When the burning spread through my veins, I knew the murderer must be him.

With dying strength, I tried my best, stabbed him with a knife, and we descended together into damnation.

But in my final moments, I heard him stop his men from trying to kill me, using his last breath to order them:

"Give her... the antidote I found..."

"After I'm gone... keep investigating... who's been poisoning her all this time..."

"And... when she wakes up... don't tell this fool woman... that I found the antidote for her..."

I shed a tear with my eyes closed. I realized I was wrong.

…

When I opened my eyes again, someone was feeding me a spoonful of chicken soup.

Finding I was nestled in his warm embrace, I turned sharply, meeting Noah's bloodshot eyes.

For a moment, we both froze.

This was the day after I had stood in the pouring rain all night to force him to marry me.

Noah clearly hadn't slept, with stubble now darkening his jaw.

"Drink it yourself," he said.

Seeing I was awake, the concern in his eyes vanished, replaced by the familiar tension between us from my previous life.

"Noah..." I called, my voice hoarse.

"What?"

"Hold me just a little longer..."

He got up to leave without saying a word.

But the next second, I hugged him from behind.

I could feel his muscles tense beneath my palms.

"Lily..." he gripped my hands tightly.

"A forced relationship never lasts."

"I know," I replied.

I pressed against his back, savoring his warmth one last time:

"I understand now."

"You understand..."

His derisive laugh was heavy with exhaustion.

"How many times have you said that before?"

He forcefully pried my hands away, pushed me onto the bed, and left without looking back.

That retreating figure, slamming the door as he left, seemed like an echo of our final moment in my previous life.

I looked down at my palm s which still held his warmth.

But he didn't know.

This time, I truly understood.

I was his childhood friend, the daughter of his late benefactor, the annoying girl next door...

But I was never meant to be his wife...

I closed my eyes briefly.

This time, I would let him go.

My phone vibrated—a call from my assistant:

"Miss Sullivan, we've checked out Lake Erie. Didn't you always want to hold your wedding there? Should we move the venue?"

"Go and ask Rebecca White if she'd like that. She loves the water too. If she's willing, make the change."

"But…"

My assistant thought she'd misheard.

"But you're the bride, aren't you?"

"Not anymore, starting today."

I hung up and called my doctoral advisor.

"You've decided? No wedding? Ready to join my research project abroad?" he confirmed repeatedly.

I nodded firmly.

"I've decided. No turning back."

Chapter 2

My advisor exhaled with relief, quickly signing the paperwork before I could change my mind.

"Look, even though you're about to graduate, the Paris team always wanted to keep you on. I'm so glad you’ve come around—no one else can take your place."

"Marriage can wait until you get back in three years. What's the rush, right?"

I felt a pang of guilt.

Originally, the Paris project had specifically requested me by name.

But I'd been so fixated on Noah that I'd repeatedly blown off my advisor's invitations.

My advisor had reluctantly sought others.

Yet not a single qualified candidate emerged, ultimately screwed up the entire project timeline.

I finished processing the final documents in the office and was about to leave when I heard a familiar crying voice outside:

I instinctively gripped the door handle tightly.

"I tried so hard, but I never expected Lily to suddenly take my spot. All my efforts this past month have been wasted..."

It was Rebecca—Noah's first love—The woman who had kept us at each other's throats for thirty years in my previous life.

Opening the door, I faced a familiar scene.

Noah stood imperiously, with an intimidating presence I'd never seen before:

"Lily, give back the position."

I shook my head:

"No way."

"Lily..."

Noah's face showed unprecedented incredulity.

"I've already said yes to marrying you. You seriously think I don't know you've already booked the venue? You're not actually going abroad. You're just doing this to mess with Becky!"

Rebecca stepped forward with tear-reddened eyes:

"Lily, I worked so hard for this position. Once I'm gone, I swear I'll get out of your way for good..."

"Come on. We both know you barely lifted a finger for this project. You'll never make the cut and you know it."

Rebecca froze, her eyes getting even puffier and redder.

She'd originally planned on dragging Noah abroad with her, thinking that would keep me from getting in her way.

But after I "accidentally" hurt myself a few times, Noah remembered the favor he owed my parents and reluctantly agreed to put a ring on my finger.

Rebecca threw a fit and decided to go solo.

But these last few months? She'd been all about nursing her bruised ego—she hadn't done any actual prep work.

In my previous life, she never even came close to qualifying.

But Noah's face darkened:

"How would you even know if you never gave her a chance? Who made you the judge here?"

I waved the documents in his face.

"Because Professor Davidson already signed off on my application. It's done."

"Lily Mogan..."

Noah clenched his fists, looking at me with a level of disappointment I'd never seen before.

"I thought you were just impulsive sometimes, but wow—I never pegged you as this petty.

"You don't even need this opportunity, but Rebecca has been grinding for months to get where she is!

"I can't believe you'd deliberately snatch Professor Davidson's position just to mess with her!"

His breathing got shakier as he glared at me with cold eyes:

"Listen up—you might have twisted my arm into agreeing to marry you, but after this stunt? I will never, ever treat you like a real wife."

"I know," I nodded calmly.

Because I'd already lived through that nightmare in my previous life.

Noah turned and walked away, putting his arm around Rebecca's shoulders to comfort her:

"It's okay, I'll help you find something else. Don't stress about it."

That gentle look on his face was something I'd dreamed about countless times in my previous life.

But I couldn't have it then, and I definitely wouldn't get it now.

It was really time for me to walk away, Noah.

And yet, despite everything that just happened, I figured Noah would avoid me until the wedding.

But when I got back to the apartment I'd picked out for our married life, I opened the door and came face to face with him.

Before I could say anything, he brushed past me and left.

At that moment, I noticed a bowl of lukewarm chicken soup sitting on the table.

For a second, a storm of mixed feelings hit me all at once.

I had flashes of my previous life, when he'd take care of me despite clearly hating every minute of it.

Only because my parents had made him promise to look after me before they died.

So no matter how nasty our fights got, he didn't think twice about donating blood when I ended up in the hospital.

Even when we'd just sworn to never speak again, he jumped in front of a car to push me out of the way.

I get it—he was just paying back a debt with his life.

While I'd been stupid enough to demand his heart too.

Sipping what was probably the last chicken soup he'd ever make for me, something suddenly clicked in my brain.

I checked the date and my heart dropped.

I put down the bowl, scrambled to get my shoes on, and called my assistant:

"Get to 22nd Avenue, NOW!"

Chapter 3

Outside, the rain was coming down hard, but I bolted out without even grabbing an umbrella.

Following the memory burned into my brain, I made it to the alley where Rebecca had been attacked in my previous life.

Sure enough, about a dozen thugs had a young woman cornered:

"Just 'cause your parents kicked it doesn't mean their debt disappears.

I gave you till today.

No cash?

Then you're paying another way!"

"Hey! Back off!" I shouted.

I smashed a beer bottle against the leader's head, grabbed Rebecca's hand, and took off running.

"Ah!"

The rain made everything slick, and Rebecca wiped out hard on the pavement.

I tried pulling her up multiple times but couldn't get her on her feet, while the guys were catching up fast.

With no other options, I pushed her behind me:

"Run! I'll hold them off!"

"I-I can't..."

Rebecca looked completely frozen with fear, shaking like a leaf.

"Just go! Now!"

"I can't keep this up! Go find the cops!"

"I'm... I'm freaking out... I can't move..."

Rebecca's voice was all over the place.

Gritting my teeth, I nailed the guy in front with a kick to the groin to buy some time, then turned to yank her up.

She suddenly screamed and shoved me hard.

A knife sliced into my body.

The shock and pain hit me all at once, like someone had just unplugged my lungs.

"Oh crap—blood?"

The leader hadn't expected me to stumble into him.

He clearly wasn't trying to actually kill anyone, and now his hand with the knife was shaking.

I stared at Rebecca with wide eyes.

She hugged herself, trembling: "S-sorry... I was just so scared..."

The men scattered immediately—nobody wanted a murder charge.

I staggered, barely staying upright.

I reached out blindly for support, but someone violently shoved me against the wall.

Randy cradled the trembling Beth in his arms, his face twisted with rage:

"I already agreed to marry you! Why do you have to destroy her life?!"

The wound tore with searing pain. I clutched my chest, swallowing blood:

"Randy, listen—"

"Shut up! I'll never believe another word out of your mouth."

"Randy... I... I..."

Beth trembled against his chest. Randy immediately softened, his eyes full of concern:

"It's okay. You're safe now. I'm taking you to the hospital."

"Randy..."

I tried to speak but collapsed onto the wet pavement.

Blood pooled around me. Through my fading vision, I only saw Randy's back as he walked away.

Before losing consciousness, I glimpsed my assistant's car and flashing police lights in the distance.