I hid behind a thick tree trunk and watched silently as a grizzly bear attacked my husband.

In my previous life, I was a guide. I led my husband—an environmental photographer—and his female colleague into a nature reserve to film wildlife. While scouting the route, I discovered a nursing grizzly bear and immediately warned them not to take any photos and to retreat slowly.

To my shock, they intentionally bumped into me, causing my right leg to be cut and bleed. The scent of blood enraged the bear, and it charged straight at me, sinking its massive jaws into my abdomen.

After the bear left, my husband calmly stripped me of all my equipment. Then, wrapping his arms around his female colleague, he kissed her. He turned to me with a sinister smile creeping across his face.

"Kate," he said, "I'll be honest. I never loved you. You're dying. Now, all your assets will be mine."

I bled out and died.

When I opened my eyes again, it was the morning of the day we entered the mountains.

"Kate, are you ready? Let's get going!"

Hearing my husband Damon Frank's familiar voice, I froze for a moment.

Then, it hit me—I had been reborn. This was the day I took him and his colleague, no, his lover, into the mountains.

I glanced at Damon, his gaze brimming with affection as he looked at me. For a moment, I felt dazed, unable to reconcile this man, who treated me with such courtesy, with the one who had betrayed me with his colleague, Bonnie Grace.

Bonnie smiled at me. "Kate, this is my first time in a nature reserve. Please take care of me."

Damon snorted. "Don't worry. Kate is experienced. Even if there's danger, she'll risk her life to save us."

The memory of helplessly waiting for death in the mountains during my past life came rushing back, stirring a deep-seated resentment that made my fists clench involuntarily.

Forcing myself to stay calm, I nodded and replied as casually as I could, masking my emotions.

In my previous life, before entering the mountains, I had repeatedly stressed the importance of safety in wildlife photography. I warned them against provoking the animals, whose territorial instincts could easily turn deadly. The reserve was home to many large wild animals, and one mistake could mean the end.

But Damon had intentionally pushed me down, causing a branch to slash open my leg. The grizzly bear, startled and enraged, charged at me, pinning me to the ground. Its massive jaws tore into my abdomen, ripping out a chunk of flesh, and my intestines spilled out grotesquely.

With blood dripping from its jaws, the bear attacked again, sinking its teeth into my arm and thigh. The searing pain forced a scream from my throat, a sound so raw it barely felt human. Yet Damon and Bonnie remained hidden behind a tree, watching my torment with glee.

When the bear finally left, Damon and his lover sauntered over to me. His face twisted in disgust at the sight of my mutilated body, blood still pouring from the gaping wounds, bones visible beneath the shredded flesh. He spat on me and then, with a casual flick of his foot, kicked my intestines aside.

They took everything—my communication devices, defensive gear, and first-aid supplies.

Damon gave me a mocking glance before pulling Bonnie close and kissing her passionately right in front of me. Then he sneered.

"Kate, I'll be honest with you. I never loved you. Once you're dead, all your assets will be mine."

It was only then that I realized their affair had been going on for a long time. My death would grant him my inheritance and a hefty insurance payout, paving the way for him to marry his lover in style.

They left me behind, laughing and carefree, while I lay alone in the desolate, pitch-black valley.

Cold and starving, my body wracked with pain, I could only watch helplessly as my blood soaked into the grass beneath me. Eventually, I bled out and died.

But the god took pity on me, granting me a second chance at life. This time, I would be prepared. This time, I would drag those two down to hell.

In my past life, I had been too focused on scouting the route ahead to notice the intimate gestures between the two of them.

"Damon, this mountain is so steep," Bonnie whined while tugging on his arm. "I'm tired. Can we take a break?"

Damon stopped immediately at her words and helped her sit down. Bonnie shot me a smug, provocative look, as if to say, "See? Your husband cares more about me."

We had barely been climbing for ten minutes. For someone who called herself an environmental photographer, she sure had poor stamina.

But Damon, utterly enamored with her, believed her without question. With a tender smile, he twisted open a water bottle for her and unwrapped a packet of compressed biscuits, handing them to her as though she were the center of his world.

There was a time when I had struggled to open a bottle cap and turned to Damon for help. I had expected a simple, playful moment between a couple. Instead, his response had been curt and cutting: "Kate, I don't like your spoiled princess behavior. Learn to manage things on your own."

It baffled me—what I thought was an innocent gesture had been twisted into an accusation of entitlement.

Now, standing here, the memory stirred no emotion within me, only a detached realization of how ironic it was that he would soon pay for his actions.

At that moment, Bonnie was elegantly nibbling on a biscuit, pausing to sip water delicately. She then pulled out a makeup bag and began retouching her makeup with slow, deliberate movements.

I couldn't fathom why someone would bother with makeup deep in the mountains.

She looked up with a smug smile. "Kate, I've always preferred living with a touch of refinement. Not like you—so plain. I hope you don't mind."

The saccharine tone was cloying. Her words dripped with thinly veiled arrogance. I responded with a polite smile, choosing to ignore her.

Damon, however, seemed utterly captivated. His eyes sparkled with admiration as he turned to me and said, "Kate, you should take a page from Bonnie's book. Women are meant to love beauty."

A hollow laugh echoed in my mind. People are often fixated on what they lack. Unlike Bonnie, I didn't need cosmetics to prove anything. My natural beauty overshadowed hers effortlessly.

Finally, she deigned to hoist her bag and continue up the trail. I quickened my pace, suppressing a smirk. The sooner I led them to their demise, the better.

We followed the path that I remembered vividly, the one that had led to the grizzly bear's territory in my previous life. It was only 500 meters ahead, where the bear would be nursing her cubs.

I raised my binoculars, confirming the scene was exactly as before. The bear, enormous and protective, was bent over her young. I smiled slightly in satisfaction.

Feigning concern, I stopped abruptly and warned, "We can't go any further. The bear is nursing her cubs up ahead. If we intrude, it'll see us as a threat and attack."

Bonnie looked unconcerned, even excited. It was clear she lacked even basic wilderness knowledge. She scoffed. "Kate, you're too timid. What's there to be afraid of? This is a rare sight. Of course, we have to capture it on camera. Right, Damon?"

Damon gave her a doting smile. "This is why we came, after all. We can't miss it."

I forced myself to explain calmly, "Nursing animals are highly territorial. If provoked, they won't hesitate to attack. The consequences could be deadly."

But I knew they wouldn't listen. In fact, the more I tried to dissuade them, the more determined Bonnie would be to do the opposite. Perfect.

She smirked and replied dismissively, "You exaggerate too much, Kate. If everyone were as scared as you, how would anyone capture good photos?" Damon nodded in agreement, his eyes full of admiration for her daring.

I had fulfilled my duty to warn them. If they insisted on courting death, it was no longer my concern. Staying close behind them, I scouted for a safe hiding spot.

As they moved closer to the bear, memories of my previous life surfaced. The searing pain of teeth tearing into flesh, the helplessness of being left to die—my heart raced, but I forced myself to focus.

Once they were in position, I imitated Bonnie's voice from deep in my abdomen and let out a loud shout, ensuring it would grab the bear's attention. Then I swiftly retreated behind a large tree.

The bear flinched, its body stiffening as its head jerked toward the sound. With a powerful leap, it charged.

Damon turned, looking for me, but I was nowhere in sight. I imagined his frustration—he had likely intended to shove me forward as a distraction, just as he had in our past life.

Not this time.

The bear slammed into him, knocking him to the ground. Its massive jaws opened wide over his arm and it began biting down ferociously.

Damon's scream was guttural, raw with pain and terror. "Ah! Help! Kate, save me!"

I pressed my hand over my mouth, steadying my breathing to avoid detection.

Bonnie's high-pitched shrieks filled the air as she turned to flee. Her screams, however, only caught the bear's attention. It pivoted, bounding after her.

In moments, she was on the ground, her leg in the bear's jaws. It tore through fabric and flesh, ripping away a chunk of meat.

The mountain valley echoed with harrowing screams, the metallic scent of blood saturating the air.

I stood still, watching, waiting for their demise, when suddenly, a gunshot cracked through the stillness. The bear, startled by the sound, turned sharply and bolted back to its cubs, gathering them before vanishing into the forest's shadows.

As the chaos ebbed, I emerged from my hiding spot. The scene before me was grotesque: both of them lay sprawled on the ground, their bodies riddled with bite marks, their clothes shredded, and wounds deep enough to expose bone. Blood pooled around them, and their groans of agony punctuated the air.

"Kate, help me, please," my husband whimpered, his voice hoarse with pain. "I don't want to die…"

I regarded them with detached calm, setting my backpack down slowly. From it, I retrieved bandages, though I made no immediate move to use them.

Just then, the sound of approaching footsteps filled the air—a group of park rangers had been patrolling the area and had heard the cries for help. Their timely arrival was an unexpected stroke of luck for the wounded pair. It seemed fate wasn't entirely cruel after all.

The rangers worked swiftly, hauling Damon and Bonnie down the mountain and transporting them to the hospital.

Watching them—Damon with a chunk of flesh missing from his arm, and Bonnie with her leg brutally mauled—I felt an inexplicable sense of satisfaction. Their glazed expressions as they lay in the hospital beds, still gripped by the terror of the bear's attack, were almost poetic.

The ranger department head arrived not long after, visibly concerned upon hearing of the bear attack. He visibly relaxed only when he saw that I was unharmed.

Soon, Damon's colleagues crowded the room. Their faces twisted in shock as they took in the extent of the injuries. Swathed in thick bandages, neither Damon nor Bonnie faced life-threatening danger, but their external wounds were severe.

The moment Bonnie saw me, her eyes reddened, and she pointed at me with trembling fury. "It's all her fault!" she shrieked. "She provoked the bear! She wanted to kill us. She's the one who deserves to die!"

Damon quickly chimed in, his anger matching hers. "How could you be so heartless? I'm your husband! You planned this, didn't you? You led us into the bear's territory on purpose!"

Their baseless accusations stirred the onlookers into a frenzy of condemnation.

"How irresponsible can you be? Taking on a job you're not capable of and endangering lives?" one exclaimed.

"Clearly some nepotism got her this job. We need to report her and get her fired!" another added.

"You almost cost two people their lives! This is inexcusable!" The room buzzed with their indignation, and I could see the fleeting glances of satisfaction Damon and Bonnie exchanged. They thought they had successfully rallied everyone against me.

Despite the noise, I remained silent. Ten years as a guide had never seen an accident under my watch. I didn't need to defend myself against fools.

Before I could respond, the department head raised his hands, his voice calm yet firm. "Everyone, please, let's not jump to conclusions. Kate is an experienced guide. I trust her professionalism completely. There must be some misunderstanding here."

Bonnie picked up the water cup beside her bed and hurled it to the ground with a furious crash. "Misunderstanding? We nearly died out there, and you're calling it a misunderstanding? Are our lives worth so little to you?"

I scoffed, finally breaking my silence. "I followed protocol to the letter. It was you two who ignored my warnings and acted recklessly, leading to the bear's attack."

"Liar!" Damon spat. "You deliberately lured us into the bear's territory. You wanted this to happen."

I stared at him coldly. "You know the truth as well as I do, yet you choose to twist it. Do you think that if the two of you band together in your lies, I'll be unable to defend myself?"

Their accusations hung in the air, heavy but baseless. I let them simmer in the silence, their desperation evident.

"I know exactly why you're doing this," Damon sneered. "You want me dead so you can collect the insurance payout."

I laughed, the sound dry and cutting. "You think I care about your pitiful insurance money?"

After all, my father was the wealthiest man in Boswolt. I didn't need his insurance money.

He continued, "If you have evidence to prove your innocence, then produce it."

His colleague, unwilling to back down, muttered, "It's suspicious, though, isn't it? They're heavily injured, and you're perfectly fine."

"Call the police!" Damon yelled, his eyes wide with anticipation. "Get Kate arrested!"

But before he could revel in his imagined victory, the next moment brought a swift end to his delusions.