When my husband, Austin Hart, and I participated in the earthquake disaster relief, he discovered the corpse of his first love, Stacy Deleon, in the collapse zone.

That night, Austin left a suicide note behind before jumping off the building with our son, Clifford Hart, in order to reunite with Stacy in the afterlife.

Only then did I realize that both Austin and Clifford never cared about me, to begin with.

When I was reborn, I returned to the moment when Austin first asked for a divorce.

This time, I agreed to the divorce immediately. I even gave the custody of the three-year-old Clifford to Austin right away.

Five years later, we meet again at an auction.

Austin laces fingers with Stacy while taking Clifford's hand with the other. He mocks me, "It's only been five years, Kendra. You're really that shameless now, huh? You can't wait to latch onto me again now that you've found out I'm here!"

Clifford mocks me as well. "Mom… Wait, you should be Ms. Powell to me now. You should stop pestering my dad already. My parents and I are living a very happy life right now."

I just ignore them. Instead, I grab my daughter, Faye Gilmore, who has been sneaking food off the table, and steer her back to our seats.

But Austin flies into a fit of rage instantly. A vein pops out of his hand, which is still laced with Stacy's fingers.

"You really are shameless, Kendra Powell! We've only been separated for five years, yet you already have a daughter that old? I can't believe you're willing to resort to such despicable methods just to make me jealous! Which bastard did you have that bastard child with, huh?"

When I saw Austin Hart again five years after my rebirth, I was momentarily lost in a daze and instinctively stepped aside.

He had Stacy Deleon by the hand on one side and our eight-year-old son Clifford Hart by the other.

As people at the venue noticed them, they flocked to offer compliments. No longer the reckless young man he used to be, he handled it all with practiced ease.

"Mr. Hart, as the wealthiest person in Avenir now, your prospects are truly boundless. Becoming the richest person in the nation is surely just around the corner!"

"This must be your wife and son. If your ex-wife knew how well you're doing now, she'd surely be filled with regret. What a shame she had no such fortune."

"Absolutely. Just seeing the three of you standing together is such a beautiful sight. You truly are the model family of Avenir!"

"It's remarkable. Mr. Clifford doesn't resemble your ex-wife at all. To me, he and Mrs. Hart look just like mother and son."

At the flattering remark, a flicker of unease crossed Stacy's face. Her hands tightened unconsciously around her purse as she forced an awkward smile.

Clifford, lacking the social pretense of an adult, rolled his eyes at the person and retorted bluntly, "Are you blind? My mom and dad are just engaged. They're not even married yet."

The person turned red with embarrassment and hurriedly apologized.

Huddled in the corner, I tensed involuntarily. Five years had passed, yet they still hadn't married.

In my previous life, everyone knew how madly Austin was in love with Stacy. I alone was the fool, blind to it all.

Upon hearing that Stacy was in the disaster zone, Austin immediately took Clifford and me to assist with the earthquake relief efforts. Though in truth, he went solely to search for Stacy.

After three days and nights of searching, they finally found Stacy's body beneath the rubble. Austin and Clifford clung to her lifeless form, weeping bitterly.

That same night, they left a suicide note and jumped from a building.

After my rebirth, Austin gladly gave up half his fortune in the divorce, all for the chance to start over with Stacy.

Since he loved her that much, why hadn't they married in all the five years they had been together?

"Everyone knows how much you love your wife, Mr. Hart. Why, just last month, you donated 300 million dollars on her behalf. So, why haven't you married her yet?" someone in the crowd voiced the very question on my mind.

A flicker of unreadable emotion passed through Austin's eyes as he replied politely, "I want to work harder to give Stacy more assets. She's the woman I love the most in this life, so I refuse to let her settle for anything less."

So, this was what it meant to truly love someone. The Austin from my previous life was nothing like the exceptional man he was now.

Back then, it took both our salaries just to support Clifford. I once suggested he sell one of his patents, only to have him angrily curse me for being shallow and materialistic.

When I urged him to start his own business to build a better future for Clifford, he pointed a finger in my face and snapped, "If you think I'm useless now, why didn't you marry someone more capable back then?"

Only now did I understand that he wasn't incapable of drive or ambition. It was just that he wasn't willing to exert either of them for my sake.

At that thought, I shook my head to clear my mind.

Catching sight of Faye sneaking fruit nearby, I walked over and scooped her up.

"You've already had plenty this morning, so no more for now. We need to save room for lunch."

Just then, I felt a gaze fixed squarely on my back. Instinctively, I set Faye down and turned around, only to see Austin approaching with his entourage.

Seeing me frozen, Faye pulled a face at me before scampering off to the side with the fruit platter in hand.

"Kendra, what are you doing here?" Austin asked with a frown. "Did you come looking for me now that you see I'm doing well? Are you hoping to climb your way back up?"

Austin raised an eyebrow and looked at me with a mocking gleam in his eyes. He had already made up his mind that I was here to latch onto his success.

A flicker of triumph flashed in his gaze, yet the words that left his lips were cutting.

"Didn't I give you most of my money when we divorced? What more do you want? A million dollars should be more than enough for you to live on for the rest of your life."

Then, glancing around the auction hall as if struck by sudden realization, he added, "No wonder you came here looking for me. You must've burned through a lot over these five years.

"I gave you too much in the divorce—it spoiled you and led you to these reckless spending habits. You'd better drop that habit before it's too late, especially when there's no man around to fund your lifestyle."

Even after five years apart, Austin was as vile to me as ever.

Those scrambling to curry favor with him quickly seized the chance to belittle me further.

"This must be your ex-wife, Mr. Hart. She really can't compare to Ms. Deleon in looks or grace. Frankly, she doesn't look like she has a decent job."

"I couldn't agree more. How dare she show up at an auction without much to her name? Just looking at her… Tsk, tsk, she's truly an embarrassment to Mr. Hart."

"A woman with no self-respect is truly despicable. Where are the security guards? Get this low-class woman out of here before she taints the atmosphere of the venue."

No matter how even-tempered I was, there was a limit to what I could take when I had to listen to lies like that.

I held up my phone and said, "I've just recorded everything you all said. Expect a summons from the court soon."

Before I could finish speaking, a sudden sharp pain shot through my knee. Instinctively, I reached down to clutch it. And in that moment, Clifford snatched my phone away.

He looked at me with smug satisfaction. "Mo—Ms. Powell, it's not like these gentlemen are wrong. After all, you only came here to cling to Dad again."

I never held much affection for Austin, but Clifford? I carried him for ten months and labored through a whole night to bring him into this world.

I could hardly believe that he would say such a thing.

I drew in a sharp breath. "What did you just say?"

Instead of answering me, Clifford slammed my phone to the ground before shrugging innocently. "Take it as you will."

Then, as if seeking praise, he wrapped his arms around Stacy's waist and called out sweetly, "Mom, did I do the right thing?"

Hearing my own son call another woman "Mom" was a blow I couldn't yet absorb. A searing pain shot through my chest, and my brow clenched in agony.

A flicker of panic crossed Austin's face, but it vanished so quickly I almost wondered if I had imagined it.

Stacy gently pinched Clifford's cheek and smirked at me. "Kendra, don't take it to heart. Clifford's just afraid you might try to take Austin away. He simply likes me too much and really wants me to be his mother forever."

Her smile remained polished, but she subtly emphasized the last few words.

Then, she put her hand with the big diamond ring on Clifford's head on purpose.

Suddenly, I remembered an interview of hers I had seen on TV not long ago.

A reporter had asked how she managed to stay so happy every day, and she had replied, "I really have to thank Austin's ex-wife. If she hadn't left, how would I ever have had the chance to live this kind of life?"

All of this only confirmed how deeply Austin loved Stacy. He couldn’t bear to let her suffer a single day of hardship.

Fortunately, I no longer loved him.

Fingering the ring on my hand, I thought of my husband, Bradley Gilmore, and couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle.

Austin also noticed the ring on my finger, and his face fell instantly.

"You didn't have to wear a fake ring just to save face," he accused, a chill radiating from him.

"It's not fake. My husband gave it to me when we got engaged," I retorted.

The moment the words left my lips, both Austin and Clifford caught their breath simultaneously.

Austin's dark eyes lingered on me for a long moment before he suddenly laughed. "Then your husband must be quite useless if he can't even afford a diamond ring."

Clifford chimed in mockingly, "Ms. Powell, even if you couldn't find a man as exceptional as my dad, you didn't have to settle for a broke loser who can't even buy a proper ring."

What they didn't know was that this plain, unassuming ring was worth billions of dollars. It was a piece worn only by the head of the Gilmore family.

But I didn't bother explaining. If the ring were to go missing, it would cause far more trouble than it was worth.

To the three of them, however, my silence only confirmed their belief that I had married a penniless man.

Stacy covered her mouth to stifle a giggle. "Kendra, you've really fallen low, haven't you? Without Austin, can you even afford a proper meal?"

With that, she deliberately stood on her toes and gave Austin a soft kiss. Then, she cooed in a playful, teasing tone, "Austin, she used to be your wife after all, so why not give her 500 dollars for cab fare and send her on her way?"

Austin looked at me and said slowly, "Sneaking around and pretending won't get you anywhere, Kendra. Just take a cab and go home. Don't embarrass yourself here any further."

Just then, a faint sound came from the phone on the floor.

I bit back my anger and pointed at it. "Could you give me my phone back first? Since I haven't been able to message my husband for so long, he must be going crazy with worry."

With me being out of touch this long, Bradley—that green-eyed monster—would probably sulk for ages at home. And the task of cheering him up would inevitably fall to me.

Clifford let out a mocking snort and deliberately stepped on the phone with his custom-made, expensive shoes.

"As if being dirt poor wasn't enough, he has to be a control freak too?" he said with a sneer.

The moment I heard that, I knew Clifford had been reborn too.

In our previous lives, that was his favorite line to throw at me.

Whenever I tried to discipline him, whether it was about homework or chores, Clifford would lash out with those exact words.

Even in this second life, Austin and Clifford had still chosen Stacy.

…

I just couldn't accept that I had given birth to a son for someone else.

I took a moment to compose myself, reining in my emotions as best I could. "Clifford, stop stepping on my phone and give it back to me now."

Clifford acted as if he hadn't heard me and kicked the phone away, sending it flying straight into the nearby decorative fountain.

Austin's face darkened as he scolded him in a low voice, "How could you kick your mo—Kendra's phone like that? How is she supposed to get home now?"

Clifford shrugged nonchalantly. "What's the big deal? I'll just have someone buy her a new one. How much can a cheap phone even cost? Unless she's afraid that broke husband of hers will beat her up over it."

Seeing the situation, Stacy immediately stepped in to shield him. "Austin, don't be angry. I'm sure Clifford didn't mean to do that, so there's no need to be so harsh."

Austin's expression softened noticeably at Stacy's cooing.

After casually rummaging through her bag, she pulled out a 20-dollar bill and tossed it onto the ground.

"Kendra, use this to take a cab home. An auction house isn't a place you can afford to wander around."

She was blatantly trying to humiliate me.

Everyone present burst into laughter.

Standing there, I had become nothing but a joke.

Just then, a soft yet furious voice rang out. "How dare you bully my mommy?"

Faye rushed over angrily and threw herself at Clifford's leg, sinking her teeth in before quickly scrambling back to me.

Clifford cried out in pain, while his eyes stayed fixed on Faye.

"What did you just call her?" he asked in a voice filled with icy resentment.

Austin stiffened, his breathing growing heavier. "Is this kid an actress you hired?"