I knew perfectly well that people from the Emirates do not eat pork.

Yet this time, I watched in silence as my husband's childhood sweetheart insisted on placing a pork dish on the table. In fact, I even supported her decision.

In my past life, when our company hosted a welcome banquet for powerful investors from the Emirates, she had been desperate to flaunt her cooking. Against all reason, she forced a pork dish onto the menu.

I stopped her then. I explained that pork was forbidden by religious belief, and that offending the investors could cost us everything. If they withdrew their funding, the company's finances would collapse overnight.

She took my warning as jealousy. In a fit of rage, she ran out of the banquet hall and was struck by a car, leaving her in a permanent vegetative state.

I thought my husband would break down. Instead, he remained calm, stayed through the dinner, and secured the investment in surprisingly calmness.

The truth revealed itself later. After the company went public, he brought me abroad under the guise of business, only to drag me onto a medical ship in international waters.

As my kidney was cut from my body, I cried and asked him why.

His answer came with a slap.

"If you hadn't been jealous back then... If you hadn't tried to sabotage her, she wouldn't have ended up like that."

I died in agony on the operating table.

After my death, he used the money from selling my organs to cure his beloved childhood sweetheart, and the two of them went on to live rich, comfortable lives together.

And then I opened my eyes again, back to the very day she decided to serve pork to the clients.

Emily Larson's shrill voice echoed through the banquet hall.

"This meatball dish is something I paid a fortune to learn from a master chef at a five-star hotel. It's a perfect harmony between meat and vegetables. The broth is rich and fragrant, and its plating exquisite. How could the clients possibly be unhappy?"

Hearing that familiar voice of my nemesis, I snapped fully awake and realized that I had been reborn.

Her voice drew the other colleagues, who quickly gathered around.

Emily's eyes instantly reddened, her tone filled with grievance.

"Everyone, please judge for yourselves. I paid out of my own pocket and spent a lot of money learning this cooking just to entertain our guests properly, but Ms. Hardings refuses to let me do it. I only want to make the clients happy. How is that wrong?"

She turned to me and continued, "I know you've always been jealous and held a grudge because I grew up with Kenneth, but that's all in the past. You're his wife now. I'm just a humble intern hoping to pass my probation and get a permanent position. Can't you just be merciful to me?"

The looks my colleagues gave me immediately turned hostile, and they–one after another–began criticizing me.

"Ms. Hardings, you're one of the senior executives. Don't tell me you lack even this much tolerance."

"Exactly. We understand that you're being strict with the sales team as it's for the company's performance, but bullying a young woman is a bit much, don't you think?"

My husband, Kenneth Septon, rushed over as well, quickly pulling Emily behind him. He glared at me with clear displeasure.

"Are you done yet? You keep digging up ancient grudges to make things difficult for her every single day. Don't you have anything better to do? At least Emily knows how to worry about me and help me keep the clients happy.

"What about you? Not only are you slacking off, but now you're even trying to sabotage her, too."

Even though I had already prepared myself and knew he would side with her, his attitude still felt like a sharp blade driven straight through my heart.

It was then that my past memories flooded my mind.

...

In my past life, when the company's capital chain was on the verge of collapse, I reached out to a close friend who helped introduce a wealthy investor from the Emirates.

However, at the welcome banquet, Emily insisted on adding a pork dish. I explained to her that the Islamic holy book, the Qur'an, explicitly classified pork as an 'unclean' substance and strictly forbade its consumption. It was a rule rooted in religion's extreme emphasis on purity.

Including pork on the menu would be a grave insult to them.

Still, after hearing this, Emily was utterly dismissive.

"You're just jealous that Kenneth and I are close, and you don't want me stealing your spotlight, right? If you don't want me to get a permanent position, just say it. Don't keep stirring up trouble and targeting me every day. Aren't you tired of being so petty?"

Seeing that she refused to listen and with time running out, I did not bother wasting words. I snatched the menu and coordinated with the kitchen.

Emily, with her explosive temper, slammed the door and stormed out, only to be struck by a speeding car. The car crash left her in a vegetative state.

I thought this would devastate Kenneth. Unexpectedly, he calmly chatted with the investors, quickly signed the investment agreement, and the company was saved from the brink of collapse.

Later, after the company went public, he took me abroad for business. Upon arrival, he dragged me straight onto a medical ship in international waters.

He strapped me down to an operating table and ordered my organs to be harvested. Helpless, I could only watch and suffer in pain as they cut into me. The moment my kidney was cut out, I cried and demanded to know why he did this.

He slapped me viciously. "If you hadn't been jealous and deliberately targeted Emily back then, how could she have ended up like that?"

In the end, I died in agony on the operating table.

...

Thinking of the injustice I suffered in my past life, I swore that this scumbag of a man and his shameless mistress would pay the price for what they had done.

Seeing the dark look on my face, Emily grew uneasy. She pretended she was about to leave.

"Kenneth, if it really won't work, then don't make things hard for Olivia. I'd feel terribly guilty if your marriage is affected because of me."

Kenneth pulled her straight into his arms, defending her without hesitation.

"Emily and I grew up together. I trust that everything she does is for my sake."

His words chilled my heart.

I let out a cold laugh and shot back, "So what you're saying is that I'd actually harm you?"

Emily nestled into his arms and began snuggling up to him intimately.

"Kenneth, I hardly ever get the chance to cook for you. Today, with clients here, I finally have an opportunity to show what I can do. Just let me handle it, okay? Leave this banquet to me. I promise I won't disappoint you."

"And besides…" She deliberately put on a shy expression and tossed him a flirtatious glance. "You work so hard for the company every day. It really breaks my heart watching you. Pork is very nutritious and good for revitalizing the body. It's great for your health."

Hearing this, Kenneth hugged her affectionately, then shot me an irritated glare.

"Why don't you learn from her? She's younger than you and still knows how to care about people. And you? The only thing you're good at is being jealous!"

He then looked straight at me, his tone filled with impatience. "Just look at yourself right now. Is this how you carry yourself as a senior executive? I've told you countless times that I'm not cheating on you with Emily. Why do you insist on making things difficult everywhere?"

My hands clenched into fists as anger surged, and my disappointment deepened.

"You don't even ask what happened before jumping in and blaming me. Do you know that Emily insisted on adding a pork dish to the menu, when the clients don't eat pork at all? If they end up eating pork, they'll think we did it on purpose. This deal will fall apart.

"Kenneth, this company was built by the two of us–together. Are you really willing to watch it collapse with your own eyes?"

In my previous life, Kenneth and I started from nothing. To fulfill his dream of entrepreneurship, I worked day and night chasing deals and entertaining clients.

For a single contract, I drank myself into gastric perforation twice. I even miscarried a child less than three months along due to excessive drinking, without realizing it at the time.

When business finally improved, I thought we could at last live a good life. Instead, he brought his childhood sweetheart fresh out of high school into the company as an intern.

Even when the company later ran into trouble, I took out the last of my parents' retirement savings to help him plug the holes. Still, he ended up with Emily.

The two of them began openly and secretly appearing together. Rumors spread endlessly through the company. For the sake of appearances, I endured it all in silence, only to let them push their limits even further.

This life, I had no intention of enduring anymore.

I tore into him publicly, stripping him of all dignity.

He flew into a rage. "Emily, you're in charge of this banquet. If you want to add pork to the menu, then add it. I'd like to see who dares to object!"

Seeing how stubborn and blind he was, I could not be bothered to argue any further.

"Well, Kenneth Septon, since you despise me so much, I'll resign and leave the company."

With that, I turned around and walked out of the banquet hall.

That afternoon, when the banquet began, Kenneth arranged for the clients to be seated, then very naturally took the seat of honor with Emily.

Looking at the table filled with dishes rich in color, aroma, and flavor, the clients' eyes lit up, and praises came one after another.

Kenneth quickly introduced Emily.

"This is all thanks to my assistant, Emily. She said that since you've traveled such a long way, you should definitely get a taste of our local cuisine."

Hearing Kenneth praise her so openly, Emily immediately understood the cue.

She stood up at once, enthusiastically introducing the dishes and eagerly showing off.

"Please try this luxurious seafood bisque. This special concoction here holds flavors from half the world, with eighteen top-grade ingredients all packed into a broth that is slowly simmered over low heat for several hours.

"And this one here: pan-seared halibut with citrus-honey gastrique. I know you're not used to spicy food, so this dish will definitely suit your taste. It's sweet and sour, a very refreshing and appetizing combination."

…

The clients ate happily. Kenneth and Emily exchanged a glance and smiled at each other, convinced that this business deal was already in the bag.

The other colleagues also felt success was imminent and began raising their glasses to toast the two of them. The atmosphere was lively and harmonious.

Just then, one of the clients' wives, Aini Baccus, asked, "Why hasn't Ms. Hardings arrived yet?"

Kenneth's smile froze for a moment before he forced one back onto his face.

"My humble company couldn't accommodate her greatness. She's already resigned, so she won't be coming–"

Before he could finish his sentence, a familiar voice rang out. "Sorry to disappoint you. I'm here."

My sudden appearance made both his and Emily's faces fall instantly.

Kenneth frowned deeply. "Why are you here again? You saw that the banquet is going smoothly and the company's about to soar, so now you regret it, huh?"

Aini, however, was delighted to see me. She stepped forward and hugged me. "My dear Olivia, we finally meet again."

She then explained to Kenneth, "Without her making the introductions, this negotiation would've been very difficult. I specifically invited her today to thank her."

Emily suddenly spoke in a mocking, insinuating tone.

"Mr. Majeed, you probably don't know this yet. Ms. Hardings resigned precisely because she didn't want us to properly entertain you, didn't she?"

The way Tomas Majeed and Aini looked at me changed instantly.

Just as I was about to explain, Kenneth cast me a disdainful glance.

"If you want to come back to the company, that's fine. Apologize to Mr. Majeed and his wife right now, then get on your knees and apologize to Emily. On top of that, you also need to write a thousand-word self-criticism.

"If you can do that, I'll treat that resignation letter of yours like it was bullcrap."

The moment he finished speaking, the steaming pot of meatball soup was served.

The broth was luscious, with meatballs floating in the milky-white broth, interspersed with striking red petals. It was a visually stunning dish.

All the clients stood up to look, pulling out their phones to take photos.

Seeing their reactions, Emily grew even prouder.

"You really should eat more. I spent a long time marinating these meatballs, and with all the slow simmering, it's an incredibly labor-intensive dish."

Seeing the guests so pleased, Kenneth hurried to echo her words.

"That's right. To entertain you properly, she spent a lot of time learning how to make this. She's truly dedicated to her work. She just hopes you'll have a wonderful and enjoyable time in our country."

Touched by Emily's apparent sincerity, several clients raised their glasses to thank her.

She drank her wine in flustered delight, then stood proudly by the table like a peacock showing off its feathers.

Urged on by their enthusiastic recommendations, the large pot of the meatballs was emptied in the blink of an eye.

One of the clients, ignoring the scalding heat, could not wait to take a bite. With a look of surprise, he asked the interpreter.

"Why are these meatballs so delicious? I've never had anything like this before. What kind of meat is it made from? It doesn't feel quite like beef or lamb."

Before Emily could react, I spoke up first.

"These meatballs are made from premium pork hock. It's truly a dish that rewards patience and careful work. To ensure the freshest ingredients, Emily even went out of her way to use freshly slaughtered pork."