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.

It turned out he was in the most exclusive room—the Imperial Hall.

I had no idea why Andrew Turner was at this same hotel, let alone why he wanted to see me.

“I’m here with some old friends from back home, celebrating Grace’s birthday. The costs at the Royal Crown Hotel are too high, and my allowance this month isn’t enough. Get over here and settle the bill!”

Andrew’s tone was cold and commanding, the kind that left no room for refusal.

It was as if I weren’t his wife at all, but a servant he could order around as he pleased.

“Lily, was that him on the phone?”

“You’re not going to drop everything to go see him just because he called, like you used to, right?”

At that moment, I saw Ryan Carter’s handsome face tighten with concern.

“Don’t be silly. Do you think I’m the kind of woman who can’t stay loyal?”

“Since I’ve accepted your love, I won’t have any thoughts about another man.”

“Yes, I had a wedding ceremony with Andrew Turner, but we never got a marriage certificate. The man I’ll get that certificate with will only ever be you.”

Back then, my parents had doubts about the marriage and never allowed us to make it official. They had agreed only that if we had children, we could register it legally.

Now that I had been reborn and seen Andrew’s true nature, I no longer loved him at all.

That day when we would have registered our marriage?

In this lifetime, it would never come.

When I playfully scolded Ryan, he didn’t get angry. Instead, he lifted me into his arms, spinning me around until I was dizzy, before setting me down gently.

“My poor Lily. You and Grace share the same birthday, yet your husband only remembers his childhood sweetheart. He calls you just to make you pay the bill—he doesn’t even see you as a person. Stay here with me.”

I shook my head. “No. If I don’t go, it’ll look like I’m afraid of that shameless pair. I’ll go there, slap them in the face, and come right back. Wait for me, Ryan.”

When I arrived downstairs at the ordinary private room where Andrew was, the place erupted in whistles and jeers.

Some people made faces at me, others whistled provocatively.

“Andrew’s amazing—just one casual phone call and Miss Evans of the Evans family shows up within ten minutes. Impressive!”

“Andrew, you used to have nothing. How did you manage to train a top-class heiress like Lily Evans to be so obedient?”

“Back in the village, our Andrew was a famous ladies’ man. Then he came to the city and tamed a high-class beauty like her. He’s the pride of every man in our hometown.”

In truth, the real upper-class people in Oceanview City couldn’t stand Andrew’s shallow arrogance and ignorance, which was why he had few friends in the city.

Most of the people in the room were old acquaintances from his village.

I was wearing a white dress, my graceful figure and delicate face making me look like I’d stepped straight out of a painting.

Several of the rural men’s eyes roamed over me with undisguised lust.

Andrew looked unusually pleased this time. “Not bad. I thought it’d take you at least half an hour to get here from home.”

“Didn’t expect you to show up in just ten minutes. Looks like my cold shoulder these past few days has taught you a lesson—you’ve finally learned how to please me.”