The day my husband, Caleb Vale, buries his first love, Layla Shaw, he stands in front of me and throws our wedding ring into the sea.

For the next 12 years, the breakfasts I bring him go straight into the trash, and the scarf I stay up all night knitting is tossed into the fire and burned to ash.

The cruelest moment is when he looks me in the eye and says, "Aurora, if you really want to please me, you might as well go die."

But when a mugger comes at me with a knife, Caleb still steps in front of me without a second's hesitation.

As he lies dying in my arms, he uses the very last of his strength to force out a few broken words. "Go... I hope I never see you again in my next life."

At the funeral, Helena Rogers sobs until she faints. "This is all my fault. I never should've arranged your marriage..."

Everyone around us pities him and resents me. They whisper that I'm a jinx and wonder why I'm not the one who died.

And honestly, I wonder the same thing. Why not me?

After Caleb is lowered into the ground, I climb to the top floor of the building and jump.

As I hover on the edge of death, a cold, mechanical voice echoes in my mind. "Binding complete. Wish detected. The system will now send you back 12 years."

On the day my husband, Caleb Vale, laid his first love, Layla Shaw, to rest, he turned to me and flung our wedding ring into the sea.

For the next 12 years, the breakfasts I brought him were tossed away untouched, and the scarf I painstakingly knitted through the night was thrown into the flames and burned to nothing.

He was the cruelest when he looked me in the eye and said, "Aurora, if you really want me to be happy, you might as well go die."

But when a mugger lunged at me with a knife, Caleb stepped in front of me without a moment's hesitation.

As he lay dying in my arms, he used the last of his strength to force out a few broken words. "Go… I hope I never see you again in my next life."

At the funeral, Helena Rogers sobbed until she fainted. "This is all my fault. I never should've arranged for you two to be married…"

Everyone around us pitied him and resented me. They whispered that misfortune followed me and wondered why fate hadn't taken me instead.

And honestly, I wondered the same thing. Why not me?

When Caleb was finally buried, I went to the top floor of the building and let myself fall.

As I hovered on the edge of death, a cold, mechanical voice echoed in my mind. "Binding complete. Wish detected. The system will now send you back 12 years."

…

"Aurora Wynne, you really are something," Caleb coldly said. He continued, "You used Grandpa's dying wish to force me into marrying you. Did you actually think that would be enough to trap me?"

We stood in the center of the ballroom, Caleb facing me directly, his figure framed by the glow of the chandelier above.

There was a bold, rebellious confidence in his eyes, nothing like the man he would become in 12 years.

This was Caleb at 19.

I really had gone back 12 years, to the time before the wedding, when the invitations were only just being prepared.

"You like Layla and want to marry her, right?" I asked, my eyes glued to his youthful face.

He raised an eyebrow and laughed. "If you already know, then why bother asking? It's not like you'd ever step aside for us anyway."

"Yes, I will," I firmly replied.

My fall from the building had activated the system, dragging me back 12 years and giving me a second chance. It also handed me three wish cards.

Caleb paused for a moment, then let out a disbelieving, angry laugh. "Our wedding date has already been set. And now, you're saying you'll step aside for Layla? How, exactly? Aurora, I'm not interested in playing hard to get with you."

He turned away and plopped into a chair. The contempt in his eyes cut straight through me.

In my previous life, I had loved Caleb for years.

He had risked his life for me three times, and I had naively believed that meant he felt something for me, too. So, I begged his parents to let me marry him.

It was only when Layla died that I realized the woman he'd loved all along wasn't me.

All those years of devotion turned into nothing but suffering for me. If he never loved me, then this time, I would choose a different ending for us.

Before I woke up in this younger body, the system had warned me. "You will be sent back 12 years in time. Within 24 hours, you must complete his three wishes. Once all three are fulfilled, you must leave immediately.

"After that, the two of you will go your separate ways. He won't lose his life at 31 years old because of you, and both of you will eventually find the people meant for you.

"But there will be a price for going back. Think carefully."

As long as Caleb could stay alive, I wasn't afraid of any price. I had already seen his three wishes written in his journal.

"I don't want to marry Aurora. I want to follow my own heart, not my parents' plans. I want to save Layla."

I figured that his first wish was already as good as granted.

Just a few minutes earlier, I had quietly written Layla's name on the wedding invitation and slipped it into his hand.

Caleb looked at me with open disdain and reached to open it.

I pressed my hand over his and offered a faint smile. "Read it tomorrow. You'll be pleasantly surprised."

Caleb gave me a long, unreadable look.

"Please! Whether I read it today or tomorrow, I'm still marrying you. What's with you today? Are you so thrilled about marrying me that you've lost your mind?" Caleb asked.

I was genuinely happy because I finally had the chance to see him alive again.

I smiled and said, "I think you're the best man in the world. Whoever marries you will be very happy."

"Cut it out and get going!" Caleb let out a cold snort and turned away, walking off without giving me another glance.

I got into the car to head home. As we passed a busy street, I heard people chatting on the sidewalk.

"I heard the art museum has a 'Starry Night Wishes' event tonight. Couples can buy a pair of tickets, write their wish, and hang a love lock on the wishing wall. They say if you lock it there, you'll never be separated for the rest of your lives!"

My fingers tightened around the hem of my dress as memories from my previous life flooded back.

Back then, I had waved a flyer in front of Caleb and begged him to go with me.

He had crumpled it into a ball, tossed it into the trash, coldly laughed, and said, "That is incredibly childish! Why not write your wish on a balloon and send it up so aliens can read it too?"

Those cutting words still seemed to echo in my ears. I turned my face toward the window and quietly rolled it up.

"Do you want to go?" Caleb asked suddenly, his fingers idly tapping the steering wheel. "I can take you tonight. I've never really had the time to go with you when you visit your parents' graves. Consider it my way of making it up to you."

I looked up at him, caught off guard. It surprised me, yet somehow it felt exactly like him.

Caleb had always been this way. His tongue was sharp, but his heart was softer than anyone else's. He never loved me, but he still dragged me back from death three times.

The first time he saved my life was on a trip. I had slipped while taking photos at the edge of a cliff and went over the side. He lunged after me and caught my arm, but ended up with a broken arm himself.

The second time, a car lost control and forced me into a dead corner against a wall. Caleb rushed out of nowhere and tackled me to the ground, taking the full hit and spending a day in the ICU.

The third time, a mugger pulled a knife on me by the side of the road. Caleb stepped in front of me and took the knife, and he died right in front of my eyes.

Caleb really was a good man. He just didn't love me.

I knew that after that day, whatever fate we once shared would come to an end. Yet when he asked me that question, I still couldn't stop myself from smiling and nodding. "Sure. Let's go together."

While we waited at a red light, his phone lit up with Layla's name.

He listened for a few seconds, and his brows drew together. "Layla's blood sugar has dropped again. I need to check on her. Grab a cab home first, and I'll meet you at the art museum tonight."

"Okay," I softly replied.

He glanced at me, a little surprised. "You used to hate it when I went to see Layla. Since when are you so calm about it?"

I opened my mouth to explain, but he cut me off with a cold laugh.

"Right. We're about to get married. From your point of view, she's not a threat anymore."

With that, he got out of the car and walked away, never noticing the flicker of disappointment and bitter amusement in my gaze.

The truth was, I had never tried to stop him from caring about Layla.

Once, by accident, I discovered that she was involved with some people in the business world. I looked into it and confirmed that it was true, so I did everything I could to persuade Caleb to keep his distance from her.

He never knew any of that. After Layla passed, he lived in pain for 12 long years.

If I had to choose, I would rather watch him be with Layla than see him wreck himself with grief and die young because of me.

I went to get my passport done, then headed over to the Vale residence.

When I arrived, I saw that Caleb's mother, Helena, had cooked for us. The dining table was covered with all my favorite dishes.

"Mrs. Vale, you should take it easy. You need to look after your health," I said.

Helena looked at me, her smile bright and loving. "You're always so thoughtful. Come on. Show me the wedding invitation. I've been waiting for this day for a long time. I can't believe you're finally about to get married!"

"Now, Caleb's grandfather can finally stop worrying," Helena said.

Caleb's father, Liam Vale, set his newspaper down hard on the coffee table when he saw me walk in alone.

"Did Caleb bail on you again? You're getting married soon. When he comes back later, I'll—"

"Mr. and Mrs. Vale, I'm not going to marry Caleb," I interjected.

After my parents died, I became an orphan. Liam and Helena took me in and gave me all the love that I'd lost.

I had always been obedient and grateful, but this time, I had to defy their wishes.

I looked straight at them and spoke slowly so they would hear every single word. "Mr. and Mrs. Vale, I've decided not to marry Caleb. I'm flying overseas tomorrow. Once I leave, I won't be here to look after you anymore. So you'll have to take care of yourselves."

Helena froze, panic flashing across her face. "Your parents are gone. You only have us. We're your family. Where would you even go?"

"Is it because of Layla? Is she messing with you again? We're not letting her off the hook. Don't leave just because you're upset!"

In my previous life, Liam and Helena had begged me the same way. In the end, I lost my husband, they lost their son, and every one of us lived with regret.

I brushed away the tears at the corner of Helena's eyes and tried to comfort her. "Mrs. Vale, forcing a relationship will never bring happiness. Caleb doesn't love me. I shouldn't force him to marry me.

"I had a dream last night. In the dream, I married Caleb, but he was always cold to me. He buried himself in work until he made himself sick, and even then, he refused to let me care for him. He told me that I brought him nothing but pain. In the end, he lost his life at 31 years old because he tried to save me."

The ache in my chest sharpened as I spoke.

Helena stared at me, stunned. "Well... That's just a dream. Aurora, Caleb would never treat you like that."

I sniffed and forced a faint smile. "Dreams usually mean the opposite, don't they? Maybe we're not meant to be husband and wife, but I still hope he lives a long, peaceful life.

"He looks so capable out there, but at home, he puts up with so many things that he has no say in. I just hope you can respect what he truly wants."

I gave them a deep bow. Then, I set my passport down on the coffee table, my voice trembling. "I really have made up my mind. I'm letting this go. For all the years you have raised me, I will remember your kindness even in my next life."

Liam's throat bobbed as he swallowed hard. He reached out quickly to pull me back to stand upright.

Helena's eyes were red as she stuffed a thick stack of cash into my bag. "Oh, sweetheart. If you've made up your mind, then go and see the world. But keep this in mind..."

She suddenly wrapped her arms around me and held me tight. "We're always here for you."

I bit down hard on my lip to keep myself from crying.

As long as Caleb stayed alive, it didn't matter if he resented or misunderstood me.

The sight of him lying in a pool of blood had lodged itself in my heart like a thorn I could never pull out.

...

At 10:00 pm, I stood on the top floor of the art museum and watched the Ferris wheel's lights turn slowly, drawing bright circles across the sky.

Footsteps rushed up behind me. Before I could turn around, a hand clamped hard around my wrist.

Caleb's eyes were bloodshot. He shoved his phone in front of my face.

On the screen was a photo from the emergency room, showing Layla's pale face half-covered by a white sheet.

"Aurora, are you happy now?" His voice came out raw and hoarse, a tone I had never heard from him before.

"Just because I didn't drive you home, you had someone leak her information! Now, she's slit her wrists!"