On the birthday of our twin son and daughter, my husband’s beloved “first love” secretly poisoned the lotus seed soup we were drinking.

On a whim, my son gave a sip to our pet dog, and the poor thing dropped dead instantly.

When the truth came out, Grace Miller took her own life to avoid responsibility.

My husband, enraged, came to hold me accountable.

“This time, it was your beloved Grace who poisoned the three of us. Do you wish it had been me and the children who died instead?”

He gradually calmed down. “Lily, you’re right.”

While apologizing, he handed me a glass of red wine.

I drank it, and moments later, dizziness overwhelmed me.

When I woke up again, I was in the middle of a barren wilderness.

My twin children were tied to the top of a roaring motorcycle.

Not far away stood my husband, his face twisted with rage.

“Lily Evans, you’re the one who killed the love of my life.”

“As Andrew Turner, a warrior of pure love, I must avenge my dear Grace.”

The children begged him to let them go, but his face remained icy cold. “If you were truly kind, you would have drunk the poison in front of Grace, waited until she left, then gone to the hospital for treatment—rather than forcing her to die in humiliation and hatred.”

In the next instant, the spinning motorcycle shredded my children into pieces.

Then I was shoved into a deep pit, where countless venomous snakes tore into my body.

“If there’s a next life, the suffering my children and I endured will be repaid a hundredfold!”

As I screamed those words, the scene around me dissolved, and I suddenly found myself lying on a cozy, elegant bed.

“I’ve been reborn—back to two years after my husband brought Grace home.”

I touched my still-flat belly, my face lighting up with joy.

At this point, I was already married, but I had not yet been pregnant or had children.

If I cut my losses early, it wasn’t too late to walk away from this failed marriage.

“Mom, Dad, I’m back.”

“This time, I won’t be a lovesick fool who shields Andrew Turner at every turn. I’ll make that pair of scum pay a price they’ll never forget.”

Thinking of the tragic fate I suffered in my last life, tears rolled down my cheeks like broken pearls.

In this life, I hadn’t borne Andrew Turner’s children, so there was no need for vengeance on their behalf.

But my parents’ murder could not go unpunished.

I remembered the moment in my last life when Andrew pushed me into the snake pit, my body soaked in blood, just before I died.

With a cold, cruel expression, he told me that to avenge Grace, he had not only killed the three of us but had also sabotaged my parents’ car, causing their fatal accident.

While I was lost in those miserable memories, Andrew arrived.

He wore a globally limited-edition tailored suit, a luxury watch, and exclusive designer shoes—his outfit alone worth millions.

Looking at me, Andrew put on a patronizing smile. “Grace is my childhood sweetheart. We’ve had over a decade together—something you, who’ve only known me a few years, can’t compare to.”

“I know you love me. As long as you turn a blind eye to my relationship with Grace, I’ll share a bed with you tonight, let you carry my child, so you won’t be left lonely in your old age.”

Seeing Andrew’s arrogant posture, I couldn’t help but laugh.

He had been nothing but a penniless live-in son-in-law.

Before marrying into the Evans family, his only shirt was faded from washing, and his worn leather shoes were covered in cracks.

After joining the Evans family…

I had always catered to his every whim, and my parents treated him like their own son.

Andrew Turner lived a life far more luxurious than that of the true heirs of Oceanview City’s elite families.

Spending freely from everything my family provided, he still acted as if he were bestowing great favors upon me.

It was as though sharing a bed with me was some monumental gift.

And in my past life, I foolishly thought such behavior from my husband was perfectly normal.

Without even looking at Andrew’s feigned arrogance, I casually made a call that would leave an unforgettable mark.

“Ryan, do you have time to come over? I want to have your baby.”

The person I was calling was Ryan Carter—my childhood friend, the boy I had grown up with.

He was also the eldest son of Oceanview City’s most powerful family and the sole heir to Carter Group.

Many people said we were a perfect match—our families and interests so alike it seemed we were made for each other.

Both sets of parents had always hoped we would end up together.

Ryan was handsome, well-mannered, and the very definition of the perfect eligible bachelor every young woman dreamed of.

But because we were too familiar with each other, I had never felt romantic attraction toward him; in my heart, he had always been just a good buddy.

“Lily, Andrew Turner doesn’t deserve you.”

“And I’m not saying this because he’s poor or from some remote rural village, but because he’s deeply insecure and yet unbearably arrogant. In his eyes, there’s only ever room for himself.”

“If you stay with a man like that, you’ll never know happiness.”

Ryan had told me this more than once in the past.

And eventually, everything he warned me about proved true.

My husband was an ungrateful man with a narrow, twisted mind—more selfish and cruel than Ryan had even described.

But back then, blinded by Andrew’s handsome looks, I never saw the filth beneath his charming exterior.

After being reborn, I finally realized that someone like Ryan, with a background and values similar to mine, would make a much better husband.

When I sent him my warm, heartfelt invitation, Ryan’s voice grew hesitant.

“Lily, are you joking with me?”

“Or… are you just mad at your husband, using me as a prop to spite him? Even if that’s the case, I still consider it an honor.”

It was only after I explained repeatedly that Ryan finally understood I truly wanted to be with him.

“I’ve always seen you as a brother, but you see me as a husband? Can you be serious for once?” he teased, his voice full of playful disbelief.

“So, will you have a child with me—and maybe marry me someday?”

“It would be my honor.”

Even through the phone, I could feel the indescribable joy in his voice. “I look forward to the rest of our lives together.”

The moment I hung up, Andrew sneered at me.

“Lily Evans, do you think this whole ‘hard-to-get’ act is going to get my attention?”

“Everyone we know is well aware you’re crazy about me. Even if I told you to eat shit, you wouldn’t dare refuse. And now you’re trying to lure my attention by flirting with another man?”

“All this will do is make me look down on you even more.”

“Grace might be from the countryside, but she’s never done something so childish. Compared to her, you’re worthless—aside from having better looks and a richer family.”

Andrew refused to believe I had fallen out of love with him and intended to marry someone else.

That blind confidence came from the way I had spoiled him far too much in my past life.

“Andrew Turner, without me, you would still be a penniless nobody. It was only by marrying into my family that you entered high society and began living like an elite heir.”

“You’ve bled the Evans family dry for years without a shred of gratitude. I’ve seen through it all now, and I will never be with you again.”

Even though my words were crystal clear, Andrew remained trapped in the delusion of his own self-importance.

“Without me, you couldn’t even survive. And now you dare to put on this act in front of me?”

“As punishment, I won’t touch you for a month. If you don’t realize your mistake by then, I’ll extend the time indefinitely—until you die of loneliness.”

Withholding intimacy had always been one of Andrew’s favorite ways to manipulate me.

Even though we had been married for two years, he had never once slept with me, simply because he looked down on me.

Imagine having a handsome husband, yet living like a widow—who could possibly understand such a miserable existence?

The only reason he came to see me today was because my parents had pressured him. He planned to grudgingly sleep with me just once, produce a child, and use that to appease my parents.

In the past, I longed desperately to be with Andrew and to have our child as soon as possible.

Now, I could only feel grateful for all the years he had withheld himself—because it made it that much easier to leave this scumbag and pursue a truly happy life.

In the days that followed, I met up with Ryan Carter. Together, like a pair of love-struck newlyweds, we visited every romantic spot in the city.

During our time together, I discovered we shared an astonishing level of understanding.

Sometimes, I would think of something only to find Ryan had been thinking the exact same thing; we’d simply exchange a knowing smile and hold hands without another word.

After just a few days, our bond had grown so close and natural that it far surpassed the one-sided “love” I had once felt for Andrew.

On a bright, sunny day, Ryan booked out the city’s only six-star hotel, hosting a grand banquet to celebrate my birthday.

It was also that day that he officially proposed to me.

Aside from us, many young elites from high society came to attend.

They had all long known of Ryan’s feelings for me.

When they saw us finally together, the other wealthy heirs offered their heartfelt congratulations.

“As expected, persistence pays off. Ryan’s waited for Miss Evans all these years, and now he’s finally won her over.”

“I thought Ryan would stay single forever—now I don’t have to worry about him spending the rest of his life alone.”

“Lily, you have no idea how lonely Ryan has been these past two years while you were married.”

“You two grew up together, your families and backgrounds are so well-matched—you were meant to be.”

To them, my sudden appearance by Ryan’s side and my acceptance of his courtship was no surprise at all.

In fact, they thought we were the most perfectly matched couple they could imagine.

As I gently took the roses and diamond ring from Ryan’s hand, my heart overflowed with happiness—until my phone rang.

It was Andrew Turner, the man I had tried so hard to forget.

“Lily Evans, I don’t care where you are right now. Get to the Royal Crown Hotel and meet me immediately…”

I laughed out loud.

I was already inside the Royal Crown Hotel.