Chapter 1

My husband's beloved was in a car accident and desperately needed a liver transplant. The only match turned out to be my mother.

The day Knox Whitfield strapped my mother to the operating table, I knelt on the cold hospital floor, sobbing until my forehead bled from hitting the ground, begging him to stop. Instead, he had me locked in solitary confinement.

Three days later, the surgery was successful.

Knox stood before me in his pristine suit, his eyes cold as winter steel. "The surgery went perfectly. I've arranged for someone to look after your mother."

He adjusted his silver cufflinks with practiced indifference. "I'll be staying at the hospital with Vivian for the next few days. Don't wait up."

I stared at this man who once would have walked through fire for me, my tears finally running dry. As he turned to leave, I couldn't stop myself from asking in a broken whisper, "Knox, you loved me so much once. Why did you suddenly stop?"

His footsteps faltered for just a moment. Without turning back, he said, "We were just an arranged marriage. When did I ever love you?"

The door slammed shut, and I slid down the wall to the floor, tears flooding my cheeks like a dam had burst.

Never loved me? How could he say that?

In my previous life, he had loved me desperately.

Yes, I had been reborn.

In my last life, the Whitfield and Montgomery families had arranged a marriage, and I had become Knox's wife. Back then, he would have given me the stars if I'd asked—he would never have settled for the moon. A casual mention of some million-dollar jewelry would see it appear on my vanity the next morning. When I was sick, he'd stay awake all night watching over me...

But I had despised him.

Because the one I loved was my childhood friend, Mason Rivera.

After being forced into marriage with Knox, I rejected everything about our union—I refused to share his bed, wouldn't attend galas with him, and even frequented clubs to find male escorts, deliberately humiliating him in public.

Eventually, I believed Mason's lies and even ran away with him.

But I never realized...

Mason had never loved me at all.

His only goal in winning my heart was revenge. The Rivera and Whitfield families had been enemies for generations, and he'd recognized Knox's feelings for me early on. So he'd planned to use me as a weapon against him all along.

He kidnapped me and used my life to threaten Knox:

"Knox Whitfield, send me one of your fingers every day, or I'll kill her."

Without said a word, Knox just cut off one finger each day and mailed it to Mason.

On the tenth day, when the final finger—still wearing our wedding ring—arrived bloody and raw, I completely broke down.

I couldn't bear to watch Knox destroy himself any longer. I bit through my own tongue and ended it all.

After death, my spirit floated in the air, watching as Knox—always so composed and dignified—lost his mind at the sight of my corpse.

He came for revenge, breaking every bone in Mason's body with his bare hands. The screams meant nothing to him; his eyes held only death.

In the end, he abandoned his billion-dollar empire, left the entire Whitfield Corporation behind, and carried my body into the flames.

As the fire consumed everything, he kissed my lips with religious devotion and whispered, "Celia, if there's a next life... could you love me just once?"

The moment the flames took him, I floated there crying until I thought my soul would shatter.

Only then did I finally see the depth of his love.

When I opened my eyes again, I had been reborn—back to our first year of marriage.

I was ecstatic and heartbroken at the same time.

This time, I swore I would love Knox properly.

So I deleted every trace of Mason from my life, made breakfast for Knox every morning, waited up for him no matter how late he worked, and filled my heart and eyes with only him.

BUT HE HAD CHANGED.

He was no longer gentle with me, no longer came home every night. He became distant and cold, and worse—he kept a mistress.

Now he had even gone so far as to force my mother onto an operating table to save that woman's life.

After Knox left, I collapsed on the cold floor, my tears finally spent.

Fine.

If he didn't love me in this life, then I would let him go. I would set him free completely.

I struggled to my feet and dragged my exhausted body to the hospital.

When I pushed open the door, Mom was still unconscious, her face ghostly pale beneath the oxygen mask, her breathing shallow but steady. I stood by her bed, looking at her frail body wrapped in hospital gowns, and seemed felt something lodge in my throat.

"Celia."

I spun around to see Dad standing windblown in the doorway, his suit wrinkled, tie askew—clearly having rushed back from overseas.

"Dad..." My voice cracked as my knees buckled, sending me to the floor. "I'm sorry... this is all my fault..."

Dad rushed over and pulled me up in two quick strides. "Stop that! The floor's freezing—what are you doing on your knees?"

His hands were rough and warm, but I could feel them trembling. "This isn't your fault. How could it be?"

I kept my head down as tears splashed onto the linoleum.

Saw my reaction, Dad sighed and patted my back gently. "Back then, it was Knox himself who came to us and said he'd been in love with you for years..."

Confusion filled his voice. "How did it suddenly come to this?"

Yes, everyone knew he had loved me.

But why had he changed so completely in this life?

"Dad," I took a deep breath, "I've made up my mind. I want to divorce Knox."

"We've been slowly moving our business overseas anyway, so... maybe it's time for our whole family to leave this place behind."

Dad fell silent.

His gaze moved between me and Mom's motionless form on the bed. After a long moment, he finally spoke: "Are you sure you don't love him anymore?"

My nails dug deep into my palms until blood seeped between my fingers, but I felt no pain.

"After what he did to Mom..." My voice was as fragile as a falling leaf, trembling and breaking in the air. "How could I... keep loving him?"

Dad was quiet again, then let out a heavy sigh that seemed to carry the weight of a final decision. "Then we'll leave."

He squeezed my shoulder. "Go handle the paperwork. I'll take care of things here."

I nodded through my tears and walked out of the hospital room.

The immigration office procedures went smoothly. When I stepped out into the sunlight, it was so bright it made my eyes water.

Standing on the sidewalk, I suddenly felt strangely detached from reality—

It was finally over.

That's when I heard the screech of brakes.

"Look out—!"

Before I could turn around, a massive impact sent me flying through the air.

---

I woke up to sharp, stabbing pain.

The moment I opened my eyes, Knox's stern face was inches from mine.

He looked down at me with undisguised disgust. "Celia, did you do this on purpose?"

"Saw Vivian get hurt in an accident and decided to copy her?" He laughed coldly, his voice like ice. "Let me make this clear—we're just an arranged marriage. No feelings involved. No matter how much you try to imitate her, it's pointless. I don't have time to take care of you."

I opened my mouth to explain, but the hospital room door burst open.

"Mr. Whitfield, here's the porridge you requested." His assistant respectfully handed over a takeout container.

Knox took it without looking and lifted the lid. His brow furrowed immediately. "Why is this seafood porridge?"

His voice carried clear displeasure. "She's allergic to seafood. Go get something else."

Those words hit me like lightning.

Seafood allergy...

In my previous life, it was our second year of marriage when I accidentally ate seafood and nearly went into shock. Only then did he learn about my allergy.

But now...

We'd only been married one year.

Thinking about his recent strange behavior—the sudden coldness toward me, his inexplicable favoritism toward Vivian, and that cutting remark about "never loving you"...

A wild thought crashed into my mind, making my whole body tremble.

"Knox..." My voice was barely a rasp. "Are you... reborn too?"

Chapter 2

Knox frowned. "What do you mean, reborn?"

I stared into his eyes. "Then how did you know I'm allergic to seafood?"

"Your parents came to see me recently," he said evenly, not even a flicker in his expression. "They asked me to treat you better. They gave me a notebook with your preferences and dietary restrictions. I glanced through it before throwing it away."

His explanation was flawless, leaving me with a sharp pain in my chest.

Had I been overthinking?

A nurse suddenly entered. "Mr. Whitfield, Miss Vivian is awake and asking for you."

At those words, Knox left without a backward glance, not even sparing me a second thought.

Later, during my three-day hospital stay, Knox never came to see me once.

The nurses' pitying looks every time they changed my bandages felt like silent mockery of my pathetic situation.

On the fourth morning, I discharged myself.

The immigration paperwork was already complete. Now, to leave, I needed just one final step—

Divorce.

I sat at my desk, carefully writing out the divorce agreement with deliberate strokes.

The pen tip scratched against paper like my heart being torn apart.

The terms were simple: I wanted nothing but my freedom.

At that time, my phone buzzed—Vivian's Instagram had updated.

The photo showed Knox at his office desk with Vivian leaning against his shoulder, making a peace sign.

The caption read: [Someone who never allows non-employees in his office made an exception for me today~]

My finger hovered over the screen for a long moment.

In my past life, Knox had broken countless rules for me too—eating spicy food that sent him to the hospital despite hating it, carrying my drunk self home despite his germaphobia, doing magazine interviews despite loathing publicity...

I took a deep breath, banishing those memories, and grabbed the divorce papers.

The Whitfield Corporation building was as imposing as ever. As the elevator rose, I was still thinking about how to bring up the divorce when I passed the executive floor and saw Knox's assistant approaching with documents.

"Mrs. Whitfield?" The assistant looked startled. "Are you here to see Mr. Whitfield?"

"Yes." I clutched the document envelope. "I need him to sign something."

The assistant's gaze lingered on my pale face. "I was just heading in. I can take it with me."

I hesitated, then handed over the divorce agreement. "Thank you."

The assistant tucked my papers into his stack of documents and knocked gently on the door.

When it opened, my blood froze.

Knox was kneeling on one knee, tenderly massaging Vivian's feet as she reclined on the sofa.

Vivian wore a short dress, her pale legs draped across his knee, a sweet smile playing on her lips.

"Mr. Whitfield, these documents need your signature." The assistant's voice made Knox look up.

Too focused on Vivian's massage, he signed the papers without even glancing at them.

I stood in the doorway, nails digging into my palms.

In my previous life, when I'd sprained my ankle playing tennis, Knox had knelt just like this, carefully tending to my injury.

That day his brow was furrowed, afraid to even touch me too firmly.

Soon, the assistant returned and handed me back the divorce agreement. "Mrs. Whitfield, all signed."

I stared at Knox's bold signature sprawled across the page, my eyes misting over.

I murmured my thanks and turned to leave.

While waiting for the elevator, I called my lawyer. "We've both signed. How long until we can get the divorce certificate?"

"Mrs. Whitfield, after the one-month cooling-off period, you'll be all set."

I had just hung up the phone when Vivian's voice rang out behind me. "Celia? What brings you here?"

I spun around to see Knox release Vivian's hand, his face darkening as he approached me. "Who gave you permission to come to the office?"

He grabbed my wrist roughly. "I've told you countless times—we're just an arranged marriage! I don't interfere with your life, so don't interfere with mine!"

"Got it. Won't happen again." I pulled free of his grip.

Seeing the tension escalate, Vivian quickly took Knox's arm, her voice soft and pleading. "Knox, don't be like this. She is your wife, after all."

Then she turned to me with apparent concern. "Celia, since you're here, why don't you join us at the auction? I still haven't properly thanked your mother for saving my life."

"That's not necessary," I cut her off. "My mother doesn't need your thanks."

Hearing that, Vivian's eyes immediately welled up with tears. "But if you don't come, I'll feel terrible about it..."

"Celia," Knox said coldly, "when someone invites you, you go. Don't be ungrateful."

His eyes were ice-cold daggers, nothing like the warmth he'd once shown me.

I suddenly felt exhausted—too tired to even argue.

Chapter 3

In the end, I was forced to accompany them to the auction.

I sat in the auction hall listening to the constant stream of bids around me.

Knox's bidding gestures were elegant and confident, each raise of his paddle drawing gasps of admiration from the crowd.

"Fifty million! Mr. Whitfield bids fifty million!" the auctioneer called excitedly. "The sapphire necklace goes to Mr. Whitfield!"

Vivian leaned against Knox's shoulder with a victorious smile. "Knox, this necklace is gorgeous."

"As long as you like it." Knox gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Mr. Whitfield sure spoils his little mistress," someone behind us whispered. "Completely wrapped around her finger."

"You should see what he did last month," another voice chimed in. "Miss Vivian mentioned liking some Pacific island—worth over a hundred million—and the next day he'd transferred the deed to her name."

I gripped my bidding paddle until my knuckles went white.

In my previous life, Knox had spoiled me exactly the same way.

But now that same tenderness belonged to another woman.

"Celia," Vivian suddenly leaned over, "which piece do you like? I'll have Knox bid on it for you."

I shook my head coldly. "I don't need anything."

"Well, let's see the next item then." Vivian wouldn't let it go. "Maybe there'll be something you fancy."

The auctioneer tapped his gavel. "Our next lot is rather... unique. Ladies and gentlemen, please observe—"

When the large screen lit up, the entire venue erupted in shocked murmurs.

The photos showed Vivian completely naked in various explicit poses.

The high-definition, uncensored close-ups left nothing to the imagination.

"Damn, look at that skin..."

"Check out those poses—so hot..."

"Wonder how much she charges per night..."

Crude comments filled the auction hall as Vivian's face went from red to white to ashen gray.

"Turn it off! Turn it off!" she shrieked, standing and trembling. "That's not me! It's not me!"

She whirled on me, tears streaming down her face. "Celia! Do you hate me this much? Did you have to humiliate me like this? Are you trying to drive me to suicide?"

After said that, she covered her face and ran from the room.

Then I saw—Knox's thunderous expression. "I'm buying all these photos. Remove them in three seconds or I'll shut down this entire auction house!"

His sharp gaze swept the room. "If anyone breathes a word about today, there will be consequences!"

Finally, he looked at me, his voice cold as death. "You just wait!"

I sat there in shock, my mind completely blank, blood turning to ice in my veins.

I had no idea how those photos had ended up at the auction.

To be honest, I didn't like Vivian. I was proud and stubborn, yes. But I would never humiliate someone this way—

And I didn't even have those photos to begin with.

But Knox would never believe me.

He'd just think I was making excuses.

I spent the entire night sitting anxiously on the sofa, waiting. Until dawn broke, the front door was violently kicked open.

Knox stormed in, radiating fury, his eyes bloodshot. "Celia!"

He grabbed my chin with crushing force, as if he wanted to break my jaw. "Do you know Vivian tried to drown herself?!"

His voice was hoarse with rage. "If I hadn't gotten there in time, she'd be dead right now!"

"It wasn't me..." I managed to say through the pain. "I didn't release those photos..."

"Wasn't you?" He laughed bitterly and released me so abruptly I staggered. "What, are you going to tell me she posted her own nude photos?"

I was speechless.

Before I could respond, Knox said coldly, "We may just be in an arranged marriage, staying out of each other's business. But you've hurt the person I love most again and again. You have to pay for it!"

His words were like a blade through my heart.

In my previous life, when others had hurt me, he'd protected me the same way.

Back then he'd said: "Anyone who touches Celia will watch their whole family burn!"

But now? He was protecting someone else.

"Celia, go to the hospital right now to apologize to Vivian!"

My eyes burned with unshed tears, but I remained defiant. "I did nothing wrong. I don't know what I'd be apologizing for!"

Knox laughed coldly and snapped his fingers.

In the next second, two bodyguards immediately entered and grabbed me.

"Take her to the shock room," Knox said without looking back as he headed for the door. "When she admits her mistake, let her out."

Shock room?!

I stared at him in disbelief.

To make me apologize to Vivian, he was going to have me electrocuted?!

Before I could react, I was dragged into the cold basement and strapped to the electric chair.

The guards efficiently bound my arms and legs with leather straps that cut into my skin.

The moment the guard hit the switch—

"AHHH—!"

Electricity coursed through my body, making me arch like a fish out of water before the restraints slammed me back down.

I bit through my lip, the taste of blood filling my mouth.

"Ready to apologize?" The guard reached for the button to increase the voltage.

It felt like millions of needles threading through my veins, stabbing from my fingertips straight to my heart. I heard inhuman sounds clawing from my throat as I bit my lower lip to bloody shreds.

I shook my head, hair plastered to my face with cold sweat.

I'd done nothing wrong. Why should I apologize?

The current hit again, stronger this time.

My vision blurred and my muscles spasmed uncontrollably.

"Ah... ugh..."

A third time.

Fourth.

Fifth.

Tenth.

"Stop... please stop..."

I finally broke down crying, tears mixing with blood as they ran down my face:

"I was wrong... I'll apologize... I'll go apologize..."

"I'll apologize!"