My husband died unexpectedly, and my mother-in-law adopted a newborn boy. She said she wanted to keep this child by her side as a reminder of my husband. Therefore, I raised him as my own child.

Later, when he grew up, I gave him the company with peace of mind.

The first thing my son did after taking power was to have someone lock me up in the basement and torture me. He said, "If it weren't for you, I wouldn’t have been separated from my parents all these years."

At the moment of my death, my husband, who had supposedly passed away for many years, appeared with his first love in his arms. "Sophia, how does it feel to be cheated for more than ten years? Fortunately, you raised a son for me so that we can live happily without you."

Angered to death, I could only watch the three of them.

When I opened my eyes again, I returned to the day when my husband died unexpectedly.

"Sophia, Mr. Everton was hit by a heavy object at the construction site. He’s been rushed to the hospital. You need to come immediately!" Quinn Blanchett’s voice trembled while holding a hint of tears.

Hearing her familiar voice, I couldn’t help but shiver.

"Alright, Quinn, I’ll head there now. Make sure the doctors spare no effort, no matter the cost!"

After hanging up, my mind raced. In my previous life, Lannister wasn’t actually injured. Quinn had deliberately called, claiming he was hit on the head by falling debris at the site. She had said that his injuries were severe.

In my panicked rush to the hospital, someone pushed me down the stairs and I was knocked unconscious.

When I woke up, they told me that Lannister had already been buried. I never saw his body—just a gravestone.

Thankfully, heaven gave me a second chance. This time, I’d make them pay!

As I stepped out of my office, I saw my mother-in-law, Serena Everton, coming out of the CEO’s office.

"Mom! Thank goodness you’re here! Quinn just told me Lannister’s been injured and is in critical condition at the hospital! We need to hurry. What if he..." I put on an anxious and helpless face.

"Don’t jinx my son!" Mom immediately covered my mouth, panic in her eyes. Without hesitation, she pulled me toward the stairs.

"Wait, Mom. You go first. It’s cold outside. I’ll grab a coat for you."

Pretending to fetch a coat, I let her go ahead. In my previous life, I had fallen down those stairs on the fifth floor. This time, something felt off.

What was with people lying in wait in the stairwell to push me until I tumbled down?

I waited quietly in the stairwell. Sure enough, before long, I heard a cry of alarm. It was Serena. As expected, this time, she was the one who fell down the stairs.

Ignoring her plight, I went back to the office to retrieve a powerful sedative I had prepared earlier. For safety, I hailed a taxi to the hospital.

At the hospital, Quinn stood waiting outside Lannister’s room. When she saw me, she looked surprised, as though she hadn’t expected me to arrive so soon.

"Sophia? Where’s Lannister?"

I barely glanced at her before stepping into the room where Lannister lay motionless under a white sheet.

"Darling! How could you leave me here like this? If you’re gone, I won’t live either!" I threw myself onto him, crying as if my heart were breaking and pressing all my weight against his body.

In the process, I injected the sedative into him, but he didn’t move at all, which puzzled me. Could he really be dead?

In my previous life, he had feigned death so convincingly that even the doctors were fooled.

"Sophia, Mr. Everton has passed away. Here’s the death certificate. Given how hot the weather is, we should cremate him soon." Quinn handed me the document with a sorrowful expression. Anyone who didn’t know better would think it was her husband who’d died.

I glanced at it, pretending to take it seriously.

At that moment, my phone rang. It was the driver calling nervously. "Sophia, we haven’t left yet. There’s been a slight… delay."

"I know. Just keep an eye on her. I’ll handle everything here."

After hanging up, I turned to Quinn. "Did you inform my mother-in-law?"

She hesitated. "Not yet."

Looking at her composed, dutiful act, I thought of how she was Lannister’s beloved, his first love.

"If he’s really dead, we must wait for his mother. She’s his closest family member, after all." Sitting down, I sent a quick text while pretending to mourn.

"Don’t notify Serena. She’s too old to bear the pain of losing a son. We should move Mr. Everton to the morgue immediately." Quinn’s eagerness to get my signature was palpable.

"No, a mother’s heart is tied to her child’s. She must see him first." Feigning grief, I lowered my head and stared at Lannister’s lifeless body.

In my previous life, they hurried to send Lannister away to conceal the truth about his fake death. At the morgue, they had everything arranged.

As soon as the body was delivered, it would be swapped with someone else’s, and Lannister would slip out through the back door.

However, this time, I was there to watch over everything myself. ‘Let’s see what tricks they’ll try now.’

“Her dead son is being sent to the morgue. Of course, his mother should be present. Otherwise, people might think I’m rushing to get rid of my husband because I have something to hide.” I glanced at Quinn, who looked uneasy but said nothing.

With the strong sedative I gave Lannister earlier, he wouldn’t be waking up that day.

I called the driver to check in. “Where are you now?”

The driver immediately updated me. “We’re still at the office. The chairwoman fell down the stairs and hit her head. She’s a little disoriented.”

I nodded and was about to hang up when the driver added, “Wait, Sophia, the chairwoman wants to speak to you.”

Hearing that Serena was gesturing for the phone, the driver quickly passed it to her.

“I’ll rest here at the office for now. Don’t do anything until I’ve seen my son,” Serena ordered firmly.

“Yes, Mom, I’ll wait for you,” I replied before hanging up.

Standing nearby, Quinn stared at me in disbelief. “The chairwoman fell down the stairs? How could that happen so coincidentally? Anyway, let’s move Lannister to the morgue. It’s too hot in the hospital ward. What if he starts to smell?” Quinn’s eyes reddened as she pretended to cry, but not a single tear fell.

“Sophia, we need to get him to the morgue immediately. We can’t wait any longer,” she said anxiously, standing up to push the hospital bed. She was clearly terrified that the sedative might wear off, revealing that Lannister was still alive.

“Stop. Who said I’m sending him to the morgue?” I frowned at her, displeased by her overstepping, as though she were his wife.

“Then, where do you plan to take him?” Quinn looked at me, confused.

“To where he belongs. Cremation is the trend these days. Naturally, we’ll cremate him,” I said with a smile.

“Cremation? Absolutely not!” Quinn jumped up, rejecting the idea immediately.

“Quinn, this is a family matter. As Lannister’s legal wife, I have the right to decide what happens after his death,” I reminded her firmly.

“The chairwoman said to take him to the morgue, and you must follow her orders!” Quinn finally dropped her pretense, rolling her eyes at me.

Just then, the cremation service I had arranged arrived.

“Who’s the family of Lannister Everton? We need to see the death certificate,” the staff asked as they walked in.

I quickly handed over the document. Thankfully, these fools had already prepared everything for me. Otherwise, getting my hands on this certificate would’ve been more troublesome.

Since Lannister loved to fake his death, I’d grant his wish and make it real!

“No one’s moving him! The chairwoman said he must go to the morgue!” Quinn stood protectively in front of Lannister, terrified I would take him away. She was so desperate that she grabbed a fruit knife from the table, holding it defensively while glaring at us.

“What’s this?” The cremation staff looked at me perplexedly.

“Don’t mind her. That’s my husband’s mistress. She’s gone mad with grief, thinking he’s still alive,” I said casually.

Quinn’s eyes widened in shock, clearly not expecting me to know about their affair.

“Take him. I’m his legal wife—with a marriage certificate and everything.” At my command, the staff restrained Quinn and swiftly wheeled Lannister out.

“Sophia, you did this on purpose! You know Lannister isn’t really dead!” Quinn screamed, chasing after them. She slapped Lannister’s face hard several times and even pinched his philtrum until she left bloody marks.

Alas, Lannister remained motionless, looking convincingly dead.

“How could this be? The sedative dosage wasn’t even that high! Why hasn’t he woken up yet? Lannister, wake up now, or you’ll be cremated alive!” Quinn stared at Lannister in disbelief, shaking him violently.

“I already told you he’s dead. Stop deluding yourself. Just let them take him out and cremate him!” I gently blocked her and signaled the staff to push Lannister’s "body" away quickly.

Quinn struggled desperately. “No! He’s not dead! He’s really not dead!”

I watched her scream and shout hysterically, a faint smile playing on my lips. Regardless, Lannister was going to die for real that day.

I climbed into the hearse and headed to the crematorium. Quinn followed us closely, frantically calling Serena. “Chairwoman, something terrible has happened! Sophia is taking Lannister to the crematorium! She’s going to burn him alive! Hurry and stop that lunatic, or Lannister will really die!”

Panting heavily, Serena almost threw her phone upon hearing this. Ignoring Quinn’s call, she quickly dialed my number.

I simply turned off my phone for some peace and quiet.

At the crematorium, I selected a VIP package for Lannister and requested expedited service so he wouldn’t have to wait in line for his trip to the afterlife.

Under the lure of a hefty payment, the mortician hastily applied some makeup on him before pushing him toward the furnace.

“This is murder! You know Lannister isn’t dead! You must have found out about our relationship and are taking revenge!” Quinn clung to the gurney, refusing to let them push it any further.

I glanced at the time, losing patience. I put on some gloves and personally began to guide the gurney toward the furnace.

Just as Lannister was about to be pushed inside, a voice commanded from outside, “No one is to touch him!”

Serena arrived, breathless and drenched in sweat. Seeing me with my hands on the gurney, her legs trembled.

Quinn rushed over to support her.

“Chairwoman, I don’t know what’s gotten into Sophia. She insists on cremation! How could we let Lannister suffer like this?” Quinn batted her eyes dramatically at Serena, who nodded calmly.

“Sophia, I understand you’re grieving, but in our family, we bury our loved ones. Push him back right now,” Serena said tearfully, fixing her gaze on my hands gripping the gurney.

I smiled faintly. All I needed was a gentle push, and Lannister would meet the flames. “Mom, cremation is the modern way. Besides, Lannister is already dead. He won’t feel anything anymore.”

I subtly pushed the gurney forward.

“No!”

“Stop!”

Serena and Quinn cried out simultaneously.

“Sophia, listen to me. Wheel him out, and I’ll agree to whatever you want!” Serena pleaded, her voice strained as she bit her lip.

“Mom, I’ve spent so many years with Lannister. I know him best. Let him leave peacefully now. I can’t bear it either, but we can turn his ashes into a ring or necklace and keep him close as if he’s still with us.” I shook my head, pretending to look at Lannister with a sorrowful gaze.

“You wicked woman! You know Lannister isn’t dead, and you’re doing this on purpose!” Unable to hold back any longer, Quinn pointed at me and cursed, calling me cruel and heartless.

“This is a family matter. What does it have to do with you?” I feigned ignorance, looking at her blankly.

Serena realized it wasn’t the right time for Quinn to speak out and quickly tugged at her sleeve.

“Mom, don’t stop me! This witch already knows all about our plan!” Quinn glared at Serena, frustrated.

“Mom? Why is Quinn calling you Mom? Could it be… Is she really…?” I clutched my chest, feigning heartbreak as I stared at them.

“Stop pretending! You already knew about me and Lannister, and you know he’s not dead. This is deliberate murder!” Quinn lunged at me, trying to wrest the gurney from my hands. Her eyes blazed with fury as if she wanted to tear me apart.

I stood still as she approached, but when she reached for the gurney, I extended my foot and tripped her.

“Ah!”

Quinn lost her balance and stumbled forward. Using the momentum, I grabbed her hand and pushed the gurney into the furnace.

“Lannister!”