I ran my fingers over my slender, pale neck. I was almost able to feel the sharp pain and the suffocating agony of my windpipe being slit open back then.

I could not say a word.

My bloodshot eyes locked onto Jason’s face, as though I was seeing him for the first time.

He swore to me that his feelings for Renee were long gone.

He swore that the only person he loved was me...

Still, in my final moments, his last words to me were, “You owe Renee a life. It's time to pay up.”

Ha, I was a fool!

A storm of thoughts raced through my mind.

This time around, I let them be together. Would Renee still die?

Would that secretary still show up?

Of course, my top priority was myself. I have no intention of meeting an early grave this time around.

I hired a lawyer to handle the asset division and other legal matters. Then, I booked a flight and took off on a trip.

I never had a single day of peace in my past life. Orphaned young, I grew up in an orphanage, worked my way into college, then struggled to build a life on my own. After getting married, starting a business was even harder.

Life was anything but easy after becoming a full-time housewife. Cooking, cleaning, taking care of my husband, dealing with a difficult mother-in-law, and enduring endless pressure to have a baby.

I would live for myself this time.

Loving myself was the start of a lifelong romance.

By the time the official divorce day rolled around, I came back looking radiant.

It was my day, after all. I wore a brand-new dress, styled my hair, and did my makeup. Jason could not hide his surprise when he saw me.

Renee, on the other hand, frowned in displeasure and pinched his arm, only did he come back to his senses.

“Why are you so late? Hurry up. We have a prenatal checkup after this!”

Jason urged impatiently, his eyes flickering with an unspoken anger.

I knew him too well. He was pissed.

The way he saw it, there was no way I would walk away from this divorce so effortlessly.

I was supposed to be at home, crying my eyes out, looking miserable.

His ego had always been ridiculously inflated, and I had spent years carefully tending to it.

However, not this time.

The divorce was finalized in no time.

As we walked out, Jason suddenly stopped, grabbing my wrist. “I’ll pay child support if you have the baby, but as for me? Forget it. I’m never losing Renee again.”

I rolled my eyes so hard they nearly got stuck.

I scoffed and turned away without a second glance.

That lunatic was on a whole other level.

Did he really think I was bluffing when I said I would get an abortion? I had just been too busy to handle it yet.

Did he really think I would be too heartbroken to let go? That I would keep the baby, struggle as a miserable single mom, and spend the rest of my life pining over him?

It looked like he had been living in a fantasy novel for too long!

The truth was that some people were just pathetic. When I loved him with all my heart, he used that love to trample all over me. However, the moment I took that love back, he did not know what to do with himself.

Before leaving, I made a quick stop at the restroom, only to accidentally stumble upon Renee locked in a heated kiss with some guy, tucked away in a secluded corner.

That man was none other than her ex-husband, Lawrence Ross.

Wow. These two sure knew how to play the game.

All this time, Jason was nothing more than a pawn in their twisted little game.

I had heard about it once at a class reunion in my past life. Renee had always kept Jason as a backup plan.

It seemed like nothing had changed.

Meanwhile, he still thought he was winning.

Renee’s expression flickered with guilt when she saw me, but she quickly steadied herself, lifting her chin with confidence.

“Well, who do you think Jason will believe? You or me?”

Did she actually think I was going to run to Jason and snitch?