A Childhood Sweetheart's Crocodile Tears

When news of my arranged fiancee's death arrived, I didn't cry or make a scene. Instead, I quickly reclaimed her shares and had the death certificate issued.

I did it because I've been reborn.

In my past life, Dad was worried that women would eye my fortune as the heir to the wealthiest family. So, he arranged for me to marry one of three women he personally picked.

I chose the most outstanding one, Monica Harris, and married her. However, just three days after our wedding, she died suddenly.

Heartbroken, I was persuaded by the remaining two women to give up on marriage and remain single for life.

At 80 years old, when I returned to our special place in Sunmere Valley to reminisce, I saw Monica. She should have been dead for 60 years!

She stood beside Liam Rogers, my driver who'd gone missing decades ago, surrounded by their children and grandchildren, living a picture-perfect life.

I realized I'd been deceived my entire life. The shock sent my blood pressure soaring, and I died of a stroke on the spot.

When I opened my eyes again, I was transported back to the day I died.

This time, I'm going to find out exactly how someone who's supposedly dead keeps on living.

"Orlando, Monica spent her entire short life by your side. She even climbed that mountain in the rain to conduct field research for you. Now that she's gone, you must never remarry, or Monica will be heartbroken."

"Oh, and Monica's shares should be transferred to the two of us. We'll work together with you to protect everything Monica left behind."

Hearing those familiar voices, I sat bolt upright in bed. I had been reborn on the very day Monica faked her death and ran away with her lover!

"Where is Liam Rogers?" I demanded.

At my questioning, the two women—Clarissa Harris and Jocelyn Harris—froze.

"Monica just died, and you're more concerned about some driver? Are we really worth so little to you?" they accused.

Watching their faces twist in anger, I chuckled instead of panicking. "If Monica's dead, then I'm reclaiming all the shares transferred to her."

Then, I turned to my assistant, Eric James, and ordered, "Eric, come with me to the courthouse. We're removing her legal status and filing the death certificate."

Eric rushed to follow, while Clarissa and Jocelyn stood there, stunned.

They shouted, "Orlando, she just passed, and you're already this coldhearted? Shouldn't we get a share of what she left behind?"

Seeing their bloodshot eyes, I didn't slow my pace one bit. In my last life, when I heard Monica had died, I cried until I passed out and swore to stay loyal to her forever. As for her shares, I handed them over to Clarissa and Jocelyn under their subtle suggestions.

However, I knew something was wrong when I saw Monica in Sunmere Valley with our long-lost driver Liam, living happily as a family.

I had my people urgently audit the accounts and discovered that these two women had been using the shares I gave them to send Monica five million dollars monthly in living expenses, allowing her to live luxuriously abroad with Liam.

I had been played for a fool in my previous life, but not this time. This time, her "death" was the perfect opportunity.

The car had just arrived at the courthouse when news came back from the company that Monica's 30% stake had been completely recovered and was now mine. I nodded with satisfaction and handed the documents to the clerk.

"These are all my late wife Monica's documents. Please help me process her death certificate."

The clerk glanced at Monica's photo with a twinge of sympathy. "She was young, graduated from a prestigious university, and married into the Bryant family, too. Such a shame..."

She efficiently entered the information and pulled out her official stamp to seal the documents. Just then, Clarissa and Jocelyn burst in.

"Stop! Don't stamp it!" Sweat was dripping down their foreheads as they rushed in.

For a second, my heart clenched. I did choose Monica as my wife, but I had never treated these two women unfairly. Except for the shares, they had everything Monica had.

Yet, they had conspired to deceive me from the very beginning, fooling me for a full 60 years. While they were transferring money to Monica so she could take good care of Liam abroad, I was constantly investing in them, hoping they would live good lives.

While they soothed their longings with photos and video calls, I, the richest man in our country, was cooking and preparing meals for them. While they used fake business trips as excuses to visit Monica, I was secretly acquiring their favorite beauty brands to surprise them.

I treated them as family, but they played me for a fool. Now, it was time to show them clearly that without the Bryant family propping them up, they were nothing more than two orphans I rescued from the foster system.

"Clarissa, Jocelyn, when you speak to me, use respectful language," I commanded coldly.

Clarissa's mouth gaped open, her eyes filled with fury. "We always treated you like family. What gives you the right to order us around like this?"

Jocelyn scowled. "Orlando, what's wrong with you today? Is Monica's death hitting you too hard?"

A cold smile tugged at my lips as I stripped away the last bit of gentleness and stepped back into the role of the Bryant heir. "Do I owe you an explanation for how I feel?"

The look on their faces was pure disbelief. Fingernails digging into their palms, they finally lowered their heads in defeat.

"Yes, Mr. Bryant, we just heard the news of Monica's death and got emotional for a moment..."

I was not interested in hearing their excuses and waved my hand dismissively. "Proceed with the stamp."