My family's company was on the brink of bankruptcy—its cash flow severed, the entire operation teetering on collapse. My fiancé, Andy Goor, was prepared to lend me money to keep things afloat.

Just as I was about to say yes, a barrage of floating comments swept across my vision.

[Don't agree—no matter what you do!]

[The company's bankruptcy and cash flow crisis are all part of Andy's scheme!]

[He's after your family's assets. If you accept, your whole family will end up sleeping under bridges for the rest of your lives!]

[Your father will die after jumping off a building because he can't afford treatment. Your mother will be beaten to death by debt collectors. And you—you'll be sold into a nightclub. Just thinking about it is tragic!]

A cold smile curved my lips. Without hesitation, I reached out and took the bank card Andy had sent over.

Because in my previous life, I had believed those very comments and refused his help. After that, the company slid into bankruptcy, beyond saving.

My parents were driven to their deaths, both forced to jump from buildings. And I was sold by creditors to an underground clinic, where my heart and kidneys were harvested before my body was dismembered.

Only after I died, my soul drifting aimlessly, did I learn the truth—this had all been orchestrated by my so-called best friend, Chelsea Beatriz.

Every single one of those comments had been fabricated by her.

Disillusioned with me, Andy turned his investment to her company instead. She took my place—effortlessly stepping into my life—and married him.

This time… everything I went through? Someone else gets to carry that weight now.

As I took the bank card from Andy Goor, a flash of venomous resentment flickered through Chelsea Beatriz's eyes.

She quickly pressed down on my hand and leaned in close, her voice a soft murmur against my ear.

"Melissa, maybe you should think this through. If you really take this money, it won't be easy to pay back."

She had said the exact same thing in my previous life. And yet, later on, that very bank card ended up in her hands.

With that money, she expanded her company step by step, growing it larger and stronger.

In the end, she openly undercut McKinnon Group, snatching projects at cutthroat prices. Every time, she seemed to know our bottom line with uncanny precision, then bid just ten percent lower. Piece by piece, she severed my family's company's only remaining lifeline.

[Melissa, how can you be so foolish? How dare you accept that bank card! Don't you know that money is poisoned—you can't use it!]

[Exactly! If the McKinnon family refuses Andy's help, there might still be a sliver of hope. But once they accept it, it's certain death!]

As I moved to put the card away, the comments flooded in again, dense and relentless.

I acted as if I hadn't heard a thing. Casting a brief glance at Chelsea, I spoke calmly, "Whether it's a good idea or not is my business, Chelsea. No need for you to worry. Besides, this is my fiancé's money—why shouldn't I take it?

"You should be more concerned about your own company. This financial crisis isn't just hitting McKinnon Group."

I pulled my hand free from her grip without hesitation.

Then I handed the bank card to the company's finance director, instructing him to use the funds to settle our debts with suppliers first.

Seeing this, Chelsea could only force an awkward smile.

"Melissa, I'm just looking out for you. I know Andy better than you do."

The moment her words fell, the barrage of comments surged again before my eyes.

[Poor Chelsea—she's only thinking of her best friend, yet she's being misunderstood!]

[Exactly. Melissa should treat Chelsea better and give her more projects. If she loses such a good friend, she'll regret it too late!]

[If you ask me, Andy is just too scheming—one face in public, another behind the scenes. That's why Melissa can't see his true nature!]

I glanced at the newly appeared comments, then at Chelsea. Her face was full of grievance, her expression pitiful, as though she'd been wronged.

If I hadn't already lived through the nightmare she orchestrated—my body destroyed, my family annihilated—I might have fallen for her act all over again.

Who would have thought that the childhood friend who grew up beside me like family… would be the mastermind behind my family's destruction?

"Chelsea, you're biased against Andy. He's my fiancé—he would never harm me."

But the moment I finished speaking, the finance director, who had only just left, rushed back in, panic written all over his face.

"Something's wrong, Ms. McKinnon! Our corporate accounts have been frozen. The police just called—they say we're under investigation for suspected money laundering!"

The moment I heard that, my face changed.

"That's impossible. Our company has always operated by the book. How could we be involved in money laundering? Could that be a scam call?"

The finance director immediately pulled a long face and handed me his phone, showing the notice that our corporate account had been frozen.

"Ms. McKinnon, the police are already on their way to the company. This is no mistake! And today is payday. With the account frozen, what are we supposed to do?"

I clenched my teeth and fell silent, my mind racing as I tried every possible solution, working my phone in an attempt to lift the freeze.

But no matter what I did, nothing worked.

By chance, I glanced at Chelsea. The faint curl of her lips gave her away—she was clearly reveling in my misfortune.

The moment she noticed my gaze, she quickly masked it, spreading her hands with feigned helplessness.

"Melissa, see? I told you not to accept Andy's bank card, but you wouldn't listen. Everyone in the circle is saying his money comes from illegal sources. You must have been dragged down with him."

Hearing her badmouth Andy to my face again, I let out a silent scoff.

In my previous life, I had been deceived into believing those so-called comments—that Andy harbored ill intentions toward me—and she had played no small part in that.

Every time—no matter when—as long as Andy did something kind for me, Chelsea would twist it into something sinister.

When the branch office opened, Andy introduced a major order.

She insisted there must be a trap behind it, that I'd be left holding the bag.

Only later did I find out the project had been taken over by her.

At my birthday banquet, Andy gifted me a rare blood diamond. She claimed it was some kind of southern sorcery—that wearing it would curse me, turning me into his puppet.

And now that the company's cash flow was in crisis, and Andy stepped in to help, she was once again spreading nonsense, insisting his money was dirty.

But if it really was dirty, then why in my previous life had she been able to use that very money to rise so spectacularly?

There had to be something more—some hidden scheme I didn't yet understand.

As I racked my brain, trying to pinpoint where things had gone wrong, something caught my eye.

I saw Chelsea and the finance director exchange a subtle glance—then nod to each other.

A chill shot through me, cold and piercing.

They weren't supposed to be close at all. Yet, that silent exchange spoke of a connection far deeper than mere acquaintances.

I suddenly looked up at the finance director.

He cleared his throat, the urgency on his face intensifying.

"Ms. McKinnon, can the company account be unfrozen or not? If salaries aren't paid today, the employees will definitely cause a scene."

Watching his feigned anxiety, everything in me snapped into clarity.

In my previous life, the company had lost bid after bid, only for Chelsea to snatch those projects away at just the right moment. Now, the mystery was finally solved. I didn't know what methods she had used to bring the finance director into her scheme—but the truth was undeniable.

I looked at him steadily, then let out a quiet sigh.

"Terry, you've been with McKinnon Group for years. Ever since my father took over, you've been here. So why would you do something like this now? The freezing of the company's account—this has something to do with you, doesn't it?"

His face went pale, his body trembling uncontrollably.

"Ms. McKinnon, I wouldn't! For all these years, my dedication to the company is clear to everyone. You can't accuse me without evidence!"

As he spoke, he shot a glance at Chelsea.

Right on cue, she stepped in to defend him.

"Melissa, you must be misunderstanding Terry. He's a veteran who helped your father build the company. Treating him like this will only demotivate the other staff. I think the problem lies with Andy's bank card. If you don't believe me, ask Terry—wasn't it when he tried to transfer money from that card that the account suddenly got frozen?"

The finance director nodded eagerly in agreement.

I let out a cold laugh, sweeping my gaze over the two of them as I tapped lightly on the table.

"In that case, I'll just call Andy and ask him myself. I'll relay everything you've both said and demand to know whether it's true."

At my words, Chelsea instantly panicked. She lunged forward and snatched my phone from my hand, nearly losing control of her expression.

"I'm just calling my fiancé to ask about the bank card. Why are you so worked up?" I lowered my gaze slightly, a faint, knowing smile tugging at my lips as I questioned her.

She drew in a deep breath, taking a long moment to steady herself.

Only then did she release her grip on my phone, forcing a stiff, unnatural smile onto her face.

"Melissa, I just didn't want you to alarm Andy. If he senses something's off, he might find another way to target the company. But if you really want to call, go ahead… just don't mention my name."

As she spoke, her expression turned bitter.

"My family's little company is nothing compared to yours. If he finds out I exposed him behind his back, he definitely won't let me off."

Hearing those words again, anger surged through me. Even now, she was still playing her petty games.

In my previous life, I had believed her completely.

To keep Andy from taking things out on Chelsea because of me, I had always put in a few good words for her in front of him. Because of that, he never once knew she had been speaking ill of him behind his back.

Who would have thought that my so-called best friend had been scheming all along to take him from me? She had worked so hard to maintain a perfect image in Andy's eyes. If I repeated any of this to him, that carefully crafted facade would shatter instantly.

In my previous life, when Andy lost all faith in me and chose to marry Chelsea… I had truly played no small part in it. The thought made me clench my jaw, a self-mocking smile creeping onto my lips.

I could still see it clearly—the way he had walked away from me, utterly dejected. It was I who had betrayed his sincerity.

This time, I wouldn't let him down again.

I raised the phone and dialed his number.

"Melissa, you finally called me!"

The moment his delighted voice reached my ear, something in my chest stirred uncontrollably.

At the same time, the barrage of comments flooded my vision once more.

[Melissa, you idiot—don't mention the bank card, or Andy will trick you again!]

[She just won't listen. Poor Chelsea, trying so hard to help her, only to be unappreciated!]

[Go ahead, say it. Once she does, McKinnon Group is finished! Andy will bleed them dry, and her whole family won't even have a grave to rot in.]

I curled my lips into a cold smile, choosing once again to ignore the comments.

Out of the corner of my eye, I glanced at Chelsea.

Her gaze was vacant, clearly lost in thought—no doubt plotting her next move against me.

Since she wanted me to say it… then I would gladly oblige.

"Andy, is there something wrong with the bank card you gave me? My finance director said that right after transferring your money into the company's account, it got frozen. Even the police have called, and it still hasn't been resolved."

Andy's voice immediately turned grave.

"Melissa, don't panic. I'm on my way to your company right now. I want to see what kind of tricks are being played to frame me. No matter how big the problem is, I'll handle it for you."

Hearing his words, I finally let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. In my previous life, I had failed him again and again—doubted him, mistrusted him. Otherwise… how could I have ended up sold to an underground clinic, dismembered piece by piece?

Just as I hung up, I caught sight of Chelsea from the corner of my eye—her face was twisted, barely concealed. She exchanged a glance with the finance director across from her.

Both of them looked unsettled, their eyes darting with unease.

Chelsea's gaze toward me was filled with resentment. Under her breath, she muttered in disbelief, "How… how is this possible? Why didn't it work…"

I let out a silent scoff, then turned to her with a bright, curious smile.

"Chelsea, what were you just saying?"