“Never judge a book by its cover. Having a coworker like her is seriously the biggest stain on my life.”

I ignored everyone’s mocking comments and simply smiled as I escorted Elijah and his group out. After everything I went through in my previous life, words like these meant nothing to me anymore.

After that, I took a day off work and went to handle the paperwork for the house transfer and pick up the car. By the time everything was done, it was already evening. So, I drove back to the apartment I once shared with Cole, planning to pack my things and move out for good; this time, I was completely done with him.

The moment I opened the door, I saw Cassie and Cole sitting closely together on the couch, looking disgustingly affectionate. Cassie was smiling sweetly as she fed him grapes, their eyes filled with affection. Yet, in my past life, I had been too blind to notice any of it. They had fooled me completely, toyed with me behind my back, and eventually even caused my death. Thinking back on it now, I really had been stupid.

Sensing my gaze, Cole looked toward the door. The moment he saw me, panic flashed in his eyes, and he immediately put some distance between himself and Cassie.

Then, he asked, “Why are you back, Sadie? We broke up. What are you doing at my place?”

I laughed in disbelief. “Your place? Don’t forget I paid half the rent here, too. This is my home just as much as yours. If an outsider like Cassie is here, why can’t I?”

Cassie’s expression stiffened for a moment, but she quickly forced out a fake smile and said, “Sadie, please don’t misunderstand. Cole’s been in a bad mood, so I came to help talk things out between the two of you. Cole, stop giving her the cold shoulder. Sadie came all the way back here to ask for your forgiveness.”

Listening to Cassie’s usual manipulative nonsense, I found it ridiculous. In my previous life, every time Cole and I argued, she would play the peacemaker, acting as if she were trying to help us reconcile. Yet somehow, after every single one of her “mediations,” our fights only got worse, and now I understood why. She was never trying to help; she was deliberately stirring the pot while getting closer to Cole behind my back.

Seeing me smile, Cole mistakenly thought I believed Cassie’s act. He lifted his chin and snorted.

“Sadie, since Cassie’s been saying good things about you, I’ll give you one last chance. As long as you return those gifts, I can overlook everything and forgive you, I guess,” he said.

I was speechless for a moment. “Cole, stop being so full of yourself. I don’t care about your forgiveness. I meant it when I agreed to break up with you at the office earlier. We’re over. I only came back to pack my things before moving into my new home.”

The moment I snapped back at him, Cole’s face turned pale. At the mention of the mansion, both his and Cassie’s eyes turned green with envy, and they gritted their teeth in frustration. Suddenly, as if she thought of something, Cassie leaned toward Cole and whispered a few words into his ear.

I couldn’t be bothered to care, so I went straight into the bedroom to pack. I took the wooden doll Cole had once hand-carved for me—a keepsake I had kept in the drawer—and smashed it in half. Then, I tore down every cute photo strip we had hanging on the wall and threw the shredded pieces into the trash.

I had no idea what Cassie had said to Cole, but when I walked back out after packing my things, he immediately stood in my way.

He looked at me with his scheming eyes and said, “Sadie, since we’ve broken up, we should settle things once and for all. You wasted five years of my youth. For that, you need to make up for the breakup and emotional damage I’ve suffered. I’m not asking for much. Just transfer that mansion under your name to me to make up for it. Besides, what use does a woman have for a house anyway?”

I nearly laughed from sheer anger at his shamelessness. So this was what they had been secretly plotting earlier.

When I didn’t respond, Cole grabbed my wrist, a vicious look flashing through his eyes.

“Sadie, if you don’t make it up to me, don’t even think about leaving here today.”

Clearly, he had no intention of letting me go unless he managed to scam a mansion out of me.

After a long silence, I smiled.

“You’re right. We should settle everything once and for all.”

Cole’s eyes lit up. He assumed I had backed down, and a triumphant smile spread across his face.

“In that case, let’s go and transfer the ownership of the house right now–”

Before he could finish, I cut him off. “What I mean is this: over the years, you’ve eaten my food, used my money, and even claimed you were saving up for marriage while holding onto my salary. You’ve been managing my income all this time. Now that we’ve broken up, return my salary and repay everything you owe me.”

In my previous life, Cole had used the excuse of “saving for marriage” to control my salary. Yet, every time I needed money, he refused to give it back. Instead, he accused me of being irresponsible with money and made me doubt myself constantly, trapping me in emotional exhaustion.

Only after I died did I realize he had been using my money to buy jewelry and luxury items for Cassie. Not only had they been together behind my back, but they had also used my money. I had been nothing more than their financial support system.

So, in this life, I would not let them take a single cent from me, and I was going to take back everything that belonged to me.

Cole felt embarrassed as he tried to play dumb. “What do you mean, I was holding your salary? Quit talking nonsense.”

Cassie immediately chimed in. “Exactly, Sadie. If you’re saying Cole kept your salary, where’s your proof? Without proof, you’re just trying to extort money from him!”

They tried to twist the situation against me, but I snickered and pulled out years of bank transfer records. I also displayed every expense I had spent on Cole over the years, every cost carefully recorded.

“You want proof? I have plenty. Cole, the total amount you owe me is $129,876.76.”

Thankfully, I had always kept detailed records. Otherwise, I would have been trapped with no way out.

Having not expected this, both Cole’s and Cassie’s faces turned ashen with rage.

Cassie bit her lip hard. “Sadie, you and Cole were together for five years. Do you really have to be so petty about it? Besides, you’re not short on money now. Why bother fighting over such a small amount?”

I replied, “You two were the ones being petty about it, and this is my money. What’s wrong with me taking it back? Don’t try to guilt-trip me. If you’re so kind, then why don’t you pay it back for him?”

Cassie fell silent.

Cole initially refused to pay, but when I threatened to take legal action, he reluctantly transferred the money back. After receiving the transfer, I left, and as I walked away, I didn’t miss the evil glare Cole fixed on my back. I knew he wouldn’t let this go easily, but even so, I had underestimated just how shameless he could be.

That day, as soon as I arrived at my desk, a lavishly dressed woman in a mink coat stormed into the company with a group of bodyguards behind her. While I was still taken aback, she strode up to me and slapped me hard twice across the face. Then, she grabbed her designer handbag and smashed it against my head.

“So you’re the woman who seduced my husband, Elijah Foster? You shameless homewrecker, I’ll kill you!”

Instantly, everyone in the office stopped working as they turned toward me, waiting to watch the show unfold.

I was hit so hard that stars flashed across my eyes, my face burned with pain, and I could taste blood in my mouth. After a moment, I forced myself to steady my breathing.

Confused, I said, “Ma’am, I think there’s been a misunderstanding. I have nothing to do with Mr. Foster–”

Before I could finish, Cassie interrupted me, “Mrs. Foster, I can vouch for this. Sadie has been constantly trying to seduce Mr. Foster behind your back. She’s mentioned more than once that she wants to become his wife.”

Cole also chimed in, supporting her side. “That’s right. Sadie is exactly that kind of woman. She has no shame and is willing to do anything for money. That’s why I broke up with her.”

With their coordinated lies, the woman now looked at me as if she wanted to kill me.

I glared at Cole and Cassie. No wonder they had been unusually quiet over the past few days. As it turned out, they had been waiting for this moment.

“Mrs. Foster, don’t listen to their nonsense. They’re slandering me…” I tried to explain.

However, before I could finish, Cassie flung a stack of photos in front of us.

“You’ve been caught red-handed. What else do you have to say?”

The moment I saw the photos, my eyes widened in shock. In the pictures, a man and a woman standing intimately close were clearly Elijah and me, and behind us was my luxury car.

Instantly, everyone turned to look at me with disdain.

“Tsk. So that’s why Mr. Foster gave her a car and a house. It’s because Sadie has that kind of relationship with him.”

“Homewreckers like her deserve to die!”

Seeing the photos, Mrs. Foster burned with rage. She didn’t even give me a chance to explain before she grabbed my hair tightly, pulling so hard it felt like she was ripping my scalp off. She dragged me out onto the street and slapped me left and right without mercy.

Then, she ordered her bodyguards to smash my car while shouting at the top of her lungs, “Gather around, everyone! This woman destroyed my marriage! Not only did she seduce my husband, but she even made him buy her a car and a house! Who do you think you are? Since you love being a mistress so much, I shall show everyone just what kind of disgusting woman you really are!”

Her voice whipped the crowd into fury. People started cursing me, wishing I would die a horrible death. Some even threw rotten eggs at my head, while others hurled their water bottles at me. In no time, I was battered until my scalp was bleeding. Egg and rotten vegetable scraps clung to my hair, making me look utterly miserable.

Enduring the pain, I pulled out my phone and opened the blank chat history between Elijah and me, trying to prove my innocence.

“Mrs. Foster, I swear I didn’t seduce your husband, and I’m not a mistress. Look, I’ve never even spoken to Mr. Foster. How could I possibly be–”

Cassie cut me off. “And what does that prove? Maybe you deleted the chat logs yourself.”

Cole also chimed in immediately. “Sadie, stop being so stubborn. Just apologize to Mrs. Foster and beg for forgiveness.”

I slapped his hand away. “Cassie, Cole, what exactly did I ever do to you? Why are you slandering me like this over and over again?”

With a smug smile on her face, Cassie replied, “I’m just telling the truth. How is that slander? To be honest, I was the one who called Mrs. Foster here. Don’t blame me. As your best friend, I just can’t stand by and watch you make the same mistakes.”

Cole looked equally pleased with himself. “That’s right. You needed a lesson. Otherwise, you’ll stay so materialistic and vain. We’re doing this for your own good.”

Sure, they sounded sincere, but they were clearly doing this to get revenge on me.

At that moment, Mrs. Foster pointed her sharp nails at my face.

“I’ll tear your face apart! I’d like to see how you seduce men then!”

At that critical moment, something suddenly clicked in my mind.

I shouted, “Stop! Mrs. Foster, the photos are edited. This is all a setup by Cole and Cassie!”

“Sadie, even at a time like this, you’re still trying to twist the truth, huh?”

“That’s right. Are you saying we framed you? Where’s your evidence? If you can’t prove it, I can sue you for defamation!”

I snickered and pulled out my phone, playing the in-car surveillance footage in front of everyone.

“This is the evidence!”

At first, Cassie and Cole didn’t take it seriously at all. However, the moment they saw its contents, their faces turned deathly pale, and they collapsed weakly to the ground.