The moment my eyes fluttered open, I was greeted by the hum of an engine and the faint scent of car freshener. The world felt both familiar and alien, like stepping into a half-forgotten dream.

My hand instinctively put my hand over my chest and breath deeply, I didn't feel any pain. A glimpse at the man in the driver’s seat sent a cold shiver down my spine. Raven. My husband. His face was exactly as I remembered—sharp features, eyes that once made me feel safe, now hollow in my memory. But why does he look so… young?

“Crystal, you’re awake,” he said flatly, not even sparing me a glance. His hands gripped the wheel, his knuckles pale.

I blinked, trying to piece together where I was and why I was here. Then it hit me like a crashing wave. I died. That suffocating battle with my illness, lung cancer, the emptiness I felt as I breathed my last, the cold realization that I had meant nothing to the man I gave everything to. Not even on my last breath. I looked at my phone and saw the date. April 21, 20XX. 5 years ago before I died.

Now, I'm alive. And back to a moment I had tried so hard to forget.

“I’m dropping you off,” Raven’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

“What?” My voice cracked, hoarse and weak.

“Gina needs me,” he said, his tone laced with impatience, as if I were wasting his precious time.

A bitter laugh escaped my lips before I could stop it. Of course. Gina. The woman who had always been his priority. His voice was the same as it had been in my past life: curt, dismissive, devoid of concern.

My hands clenched into fists on my lap. The memories of my previous life rushed in like a dam breaking. The snickers of high society, the whispers behind my back, the pitiful gazes of those who knew my husband cared more about another woman than he did about me. I'm the pathetic billionaire's wife.

“Raven,” I began, swallowing the lump in my throat. “Do you even care if I get home safely?”

He sighed, finally looking at me with annoyance etched across his face. “Crystal, stop with the nonsense. You’ll be fine.”

The car screeched to a halt. He motioned toward the empty street. “Get out.”

I stared at him, my heart aching with the familiarity of his indifference. There wasn’t a single flicker of worry in his eyes, no trace of warmth. He had always been like this, hadn’t he? I just refused to see it back then.

Reluctantly, I stepped out of the car, the cold air biting at my skin. Raven didn’t wait. The door slammed shut, and he sped off without so much as a backward glance.

The street was deserted, save for the faint hum of distant city life. My legs gave way, and I sank onto the curb, my tears falling freely. They were tears of anger, frustration, and heartbreak—a flood of emotions I had kept buried for so long.

In my past life, when I was lying on my deathbed, I had begged to see him one last time. Just one glimpse of the man I had devoted my life to. But Raven had been too busy celebrating Gina’s recovery, toasting her health and happiness while I withered away alone.

I wrapped my arms around myself, the chill of the night seeping into my bones. “How pathetic was I?” I whispered to no one. I had spent my life chasing after a man who couldn’t even bother to care if I lived or died.

But now, I wasn’t the same woman I had been. This wasn’t the end of my story—it was the beginning.

I wiped my tears and stood, determination coursing through my veins. “That's right, I'm not the same Crystal as before. I had been given a second chance, five years before my death. I didn’t know why or how, but I wouldn’t waste it.”

This time, I wouldn’t let myself be the laughingstock of high society. I wouldn’t pine after a man who only saw me as a second choice. The bitter misery that had defined my life was over. I would start anew, carve out a future where I could truly live for myself.

Raven had made his choice, and so had I.

I glanced at the road, luckily there was a cab passing by so I waved to get the driver's attention. “Miss, this place is pretty desolate and dangerous.” The old taxi driver looked at me worriedly. I smiled at him with gratitude.

“I'm thankful that you came by. Can you take me Preston Condo?” I asked. The old taxi driver nodded.

“Sure can. Hop in!” I slid in the taxi and the car drove off. I looked outside the window. The past may have been filled with sorrow and regret, but the future was mine to rewrite.

I took a deep breath, making plans to leave him. Away from Raven, away from the pain, and toward the life I would create on my terms.

The woman who had died so bitterly was gone.

This time, I would live.

The condo was eerily silent when I entered, save for the faint hum of the air conditioning. The emptiness felt oppressive, the walls closing in around me as I stood in the space I had called home for the last five years. Home. What a strange word to use for a place that had never truly been mine.

I stepped into the bedroom, the suitcase I used for business trips lying in the corner, half-buried under the dust of neglect. My fingers tremble slightly as I pulled it out, the sound of the zipper loud in the stillness. One by one, I began packing my things: clothes, shoes, toiletries.

It didn’t take long—there wasn’t much to take.

I avoided the gifts Raven had given me, not that there were many to sort through. A necklace for my birthday one year ago, a scarf the next. The gestures had always felt half-hearted, as though they were obligatory chores he had to tick off a list. I could count every gift on one hand, and I left them where they were. They meant nothing to me now.

When the suitcase was nearly full, I paused, staring at the room around me. This place had witnessed my pain. I had spent countless nights sitting on the edge of the bed, waiting for Raven to come home, only for him to show up hours later with a tired excuse or no explanation at all.

The bitterness rose in my chest, threatening to choke me.

For five years, I had lived like a ghost in this condo, desperate for scraps of affection. I had smiled at the women who mocked me, endured their pitying glances as they whispered behind my back. “Poor Crystal,” they would say. “Doesn’t she know her husband is in love with someone else?”

But not anymore.

I straightened, wiping away the tears that had begun to well in my eyes. This was the last night I would ever spend in this place. I wasn’t the same woman who had wasted years waiting for a man who didn’t care about her.

The weight of those years pressed down on me, but I pushed it aside. I wasn’t going to wallow in misery anymore. It was time to move forward.

I reached for my phone and dialed a familiar number. The call rang only once before my brother’s voice came through, gruff and impatient.

“Crystal,” Craig said. “What do you want? Shouldn’t you be busy playing house with your future husband?” His words were sharp, but I could hear the undercurrent of concern in his tone.

I let out a soft sigh, a small smile tugging at my lips despite everything. Craig had never liked Raven. In fact, he had been vocal about his dislike since the day Raven and I got engaged. “You’re marrying a man who’s still in love with someone else,” he’d said. I had brushed him off, convinced that Raven’s past with Gina was just that—the past.

How naive I had been.

“Craig,” I began, my voice steady. “I want to go home.”

There was a long pause on the other end of the line. I could almost picture my brother, his brows furrowed as he processed my words.

“Home?” he finally asked, his tone suspicious. “Why? Did Raven finally push you too far?”

I laughed softly, though there was no humor in it. “You could say that.”

“Crystal,” Craig said, his voice softening, “if you’re not serious about coming back, don’t call me. I’m not here to be your emotional punching bag when things with him fall apart again.”

I closed my eyes, the sting of his words hitting harder than I expected. But he wasn’t wrong. For years, I had clung to the hope that Raven would change, that he would one day see me as more than a convenient accessory to his life.

“I’m serious, Craig,” I said firmly. “I want to come home. I can’t do this anymore. “I'm tired, brother.”

There was another pause, he knew that when I started to call him brother, mears I'm serious.

“Alright,” he said at last. “I'll come to you. Wait for me at the entrance of Preston Condo.”

The line went dead, but I felt lighter than I had in years.

I turned back to the suitcase and zipped it shut, taking one last look at the room. The memories of the lonely nights, the bitter tears, the broken dreams—they all seemed to fade as I stepped away.

This was the first step toward a new beginning. A life where I wouldn’t be defined by Raven’s indifference or Gina’s shadow.

I rolled the suitcase to the door and paused. “Goodbye,” I whispered, not to Raven, but to the woman I used to be.

And with that, I left.

The chill of the evening air brushed against my skin as I stood outside the Preston Condo, waiting. I glanced at my watch. Twenty minutes had already passed since I’d called Craig, and though the night was quiet, the minutes dragged like hours. Still, I remained rooted in place. This wasn’t just a moment of waiting—it was a moment of resolve.

Finally, the familiar rumble of Craig’s car broke the silence. The sleek black vehicle came to a stop in front of me, and the window rolled down. Craig leaned out, his sharp eyes scanning me from head to toe.

“I gave you twenty extra minutes,” he said dryly. “Figured you might change your mind and save me the embarrassment of driving all the way here for nothing.”

His words stung a little, but I understood. I smiled faintly and motioned toward the suitcase by my side. “Can you help me put this in the trunk?”

For a moment, he just stared at me, his usual air of confidence faltering. “You’re serious?” he asked, his voice laced with disbelief.

I nodded.

Craig let out a long breath, muttering something under his breath before stepping out of the car. He grabbed my suitcase and hauled it to the trunk, slamming it shut with a decisive thud. Then he turned and opened the passenger door for me. “Get in,” he said simply.

I slid into the seat, the familiar scent of leather and faint cologne comforting in a way I hadn’t expected. Craig joined me a moment later, settling into the driver’s seat. Without another word, he started the car and drove off.

For a while, we sat in silence, the hum of the engine filling the space between us. Then Craig broke it, his voice quiet but probing. “Why now?”

I turned to look at him, my hands clasped tightly in my lap. “I’m tired, brother,” I admitted. “Tired of being abandoned over and over again. I’ve spent years hoping things would change, but they never did. It’s time for me to move forward.”

Craig’s lips twitched into a smirk, but I caught the faint sadness in his eyes. “It’s about time you realized that,” he said, his tone teasing but gentle. “Raven was never good for you, Crystal. You deserved better from the start.”

I didn’t respond, but his words settled in my chest like a balm on an old wound.

By the time we reached home, the sky has long darkened. It's already 9PM, and the warmth of the house lights spilled onto the driveway. I stepped out of the car, suitcase in hand, and felt a rush of emotions as I approached the front door.

The door opened before I could knock, and my parents stood there, their faces alight with surprise and joy.

“Crystal!” my mother exclaimed, rushing forward to pull me into a tight embrace. My father joined her, his arms wrapping around us both.

The tears came before I could stop them. Their warmth, their love—it was overwhelming after so many years of absence. “I’m sorry,” I whispered, my voice cracking. “I’m so sorry.”

My father shook his head, his hand resting on my shoulder. “No apologies, sweetheart. You’re here now, and that’s what matters.”

They ushered me inside, the familiar scent of home wrapping around me like a comforting blanket. The dining table was already set, and the sight of it made my chest tighten. For years, I had missed dinners like this, too caught up in my life with Raven to spend time with the people who truly cared about me.

We sat down for a hearty meal, laughter and conversation filling the air. It was the first time in a long time that I felt truly at peace.

The next morning, I was lounging in the living room, a cup of tea in hand, when the doorbell rang. My mother walked towards the front door and opened. I heard murmurs and was about to ignore it when my mom called for me. “ Crystal, come here, sweetie!”

Setting my cup down, I made my way to the door. When I arrived, she turned to me, “It’s Raven.”

For a moment, I stood frozen, the warmth of the morning seeming to drain away. Why was he here?

Taking a deep breath, I looked at the door. Raven stood there, his expression unreadable, his presence as familiar as it was unwelcome.

“Crystal,” he began, his voice is surprisingly sweet and coaxing. “We need to talk.”