Liam Chase and I were legendary in Celandre City—the most infamous enemies ever bound by marriage.

He hated me for being shameless, convinced I'd schemed my way into becoming his wife.

I despised him for playing the celibate knight for Alexa Conley and treating me coldly.

In eight years of marriage, his most frequent words to me were, "Get out."

Then the flood came.

The man who'd never spared me a single kindness shoved me onto the last lifeboat. Over the roaring water, he shouted, "Don't look back! Go! Khloe, my debt to you is paid. In the next life, I belong only to Alexa."

I lunged for him, but someone wrenched me back. I could only watch as the water swallowed Liam whole.

When rescue teams finally came, they found his body bloated, his fingers locked around Alexa's pendant in a grip no one could break.

Afterward, I sold everything we owned, donated it all to the disaster relief, and jumped off a building.

But when I opened my eyes, I was back… on the night Liam got drugged.

The first time I saw Liam Chase's bloated, waterlogged corpse, I was furious—furious enough to swear I would hunt him down even in death and demand an answer.

I wanted to know why he had made such a decision without my consent.

So when I saw him again, my hand moved faster than my mind, and I slapped him across the face.

The blow seemed to jolt him back to his senses; the haze in his eyes cleared a little.

"Khloe, are you insane?!"

"You're the insane one, Liam! I hate you!"

Tears welled in my eyes as I glared at him.

He opened his mouth to curse me again, but when his gaze met my tear-reddened eyes, he faltered for once, confusion flashing across his face.

Yet the drug's effects surged through him in relentless waves, and he reached for me, trying to pull me into his arms.

I shoved him away as if waking from a nightmare.

No. I would not let the tragedy of my past life repeat itself.

Back then, during Liam's mom's birthday party, Liam had been drugged with an aphrodisiac. He searched desperately for someone else but found no one. I accidentally stumbled into his room, and in my confusion, we ended up… together.

The crowd that burst in saw everything, branding me as a shameless woman without a shred of dignity.

From that day on, Liam despised me, convinced I had been the one to drug him. No matter how many times I explained, he dismissed it as lies.

Now, facing him again under the same circumstances, I turned and bolted for the door without hesitation.

This time, I would not let him misunderstand me. This time, I refused to become his enemy in marriage.

I had barely reached the hallway when I ran straight into Alexa Conley, who was approaching from the other end.

"You're just in time," I told her. "Liam's looking for you."

Her brows drew together in suspicion. "What are you playing at?"

Feigning urgency, I spoke quickly. "He looks like he's in pain. You'd better go check on him."

Without waiting for a response, I slipped away.

Behind me came the sound of her hurried footsteps, followed by the door creaking open.

Leaning against the wall, I felt a sharp ache in my chest.

I had thought that, given a second chance, I could face it all with calm detachment.

But it still hurt.

Descending the stairs in a daze, I nearly bumped into Liam's mother, Catherine Henley. She looked at me with concern. "What's wrong, dear? You look so pale. Haven't found Liam yet?"

I forced a light smile. "It's nothing. Just a little tired lately."

"Then go back and rest soon. It's fine if Liam isn't here. I'll announce your engagement to him later anyway. You've grown up, Khloe. I won't let anyone else have you."

Her kindness only reminded me of the scene from my previous life—her at Liam's funeral, striking and cursing me.

Her grief-stricken voice still rang in my ears. "I regret it! I regret letting Liam marry a toxic woman like you! Our family treated you well, and yet you abandoned Liam!"

I thought, 'This time… that scene will never happen again.'

Lowering my head, I said, "Catherine, I don't want to marry Liam. I only think of him as an older brother."

She looked at me in disbelief. "Impossible. Did Liam do something to upset you, Khloe?"

Over the years I'd lived in the Chase household, anyone could see the growing heat of my feelings for Liam.

But now I shook my head. "Catherine, I truly don't want to marry Liam. I'm planning to go abroad for further studies next month."

Catherine sighed. She could see the resolve in my eyes.

Patting my hand, she said, "Even if you can't be my daughter-in-law, you'll always be my little girl. Don't grow distant from me."

I couldn't hold back my tears as I hugged her.

When I was eight, tragedy struck my family. It was the Chase family, from thousands of miles away, who adopted me and gave a helpless child a home.

"Catherine… thank you for all you've done for me over the years," I said softly. "But Liam and I aren't suited for each other. We'd only end up hurting one another."

She stroked my back with a mother's tenderness. "Silly child, you grew up together. How could you not be suited? Did Liam say something harsh to you?"

I thought of the disgust in Liam's eyes in my previous life.

"Some people… are destined to be close yet never belong to each other."

I stepped back, meeting her gaze with sincerity. "I don't want to force a marriage only to end up losing this home entirely."

It was the truth.

In my previous life, after we wed, Liam almost never came home. His parents, longing to see him, could only ambush him at his company.

Catherine's eyes glistened, but at last she relented. "Alright, Khloe. I'll respect your choice. If you want to go abroad, then go. The Chase family will always be your home."

I nodded gratefully.

Escaping Liam—that was the first goal of my rebirth. In this life, I wanted to remain nothing more than a familiar stranger to him.

The party passed without further mishap. I personally intercepted anyone sent to search for Liam.

Just when I thought the night would end quietly, a sharp, piercing scream tore down from upstairs.

"Ah! Liam! Liam, what's wrong with you? Somebody help! Get the doctor!"

It was Alexa's voice.

Catherine, who was seeing off the last guests, bolted upstairs at the commotion. I followed in silence.

Liam's bedroom door stood wide open.

Alexa was sprawled at the threshold, her white evening gown rumpled and torn, baring a swath of pale shoulder and neck. The moment she saw Catherine, she scrambled forward like a drowning woman finding a lifeline.

"Catherine, I—I don't know what happened, Liam suddenly just…" Her words tumbled out in disarray, but her gaze flicked toward me, fleeting yet laced with provocation and smug satisfaction.

Catherine had no time for her. She rushed straight into the room.

From the bathroom came the rush of water. Liam was submerged in the icy tub, still fully dressed in his suit. His cheeks were flushed an unhealthy red, his eyes shut tight. He looked unconscious.

A chill crept into my fingertips.

In my past life, it had been me—disheveled, pinned beneath him—under the scornful gazes of onlookers, nailed to a pillar of shame.

Yet in this life, he would rather torture himself into unconsciousness in freezing water than touch Alexa.

Suddenly, it all made sense.

Of course. Alexa was extremely precious to him. How could he bear to taint her with something so sordid?

He could destroy me without hesitation, but would fight to his last breath to protect her purity.

A sharp, bitter ache surged from deep within me, burning my throat and stinging my eyes. But… I had already seen the truth clearly.

Catherine hurriedly summoned the family doctor, and after a night of chaos, Liam finally stirred awake.

The first thing he did was call me in to talk.

"I know you've come back too," he said.

My heart gave a jolt, but outwardly I remained composed. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Stop pretending, Khloe. You're even more vicious than you were before. Not only did you drug me, you tried to ruin Alexa."

I saw the turmoil in his eyes and knew—he had been reborn too.

Yet he still insisted I was the one who had drugged him.

Drawing a deep breath, I forced down the surge of emotions.

"I didn't. You can investigate if you want."

He gave me a look of pure disgust. "Is that even necessary?"

Those few casual words snapped the taut string inside me. "Why wouldn't it be necessary?"

I could no longer hold back. Tears spilled over.

"Do I deserve to be wronged? Why is it that no matter how many times I've explained, you've never believed me, not even once?"

I rushed forward, seizing his collar in both hands. "Liam, why can't you believe me just once?"

I stared at Liam. He had once protected me since childhood and sworn to keep me safe all his life. When had all that trust and affection been handed to someone else?

My tears fell onto the back of his hand, hot and searing.

For a moment, his gaze seemed to waver.

Then the door burst open. Alexa stumbled in, panic written across her face.

"Khloe, what are you doing?"

She threw herself between us, shielding him. "If you're upset with me, take it out on me. But don't touch Liam!"

Immediately, Liam pulled her into his arms. Whatever flicker of emotion he'd shown me was replaced entirely by tenderness for her.

"Alexa, I'm fine. Don't worry."

He turned back to me, his voice cold.

"Khloe, I don't care what the truth is, and I can't be bothered to find out. But I will not marry you. From today on, you'd better behave yourself."

At the word truth, a flash of panic crossed Alexa's eyes. But when she heard him say he wouldn't marry me, undisguised delight lit her face.

I looked at him, disappointment etched deep into my expression.

In the end, he had changed. I was the only one still clinging to the past.

I stepped back, my voice sharp with finality. "Don't worry. I'd rather marry a monk than marry you."

From that day forward, I avoided crossing paths with Liam and focused on preparing to study abroad.

Even so, the servants still brought me news of them.

Like how Liam, despite his illness, knelt and begged Catherine for permission to marry Alexa. He even went so far as to threaten to cut ties if she refused. Catherine had been so furious that she ended up in the hospital.

Or how Alexa had moved into the house to live with Liam. Their public displays of affection grew more frequent, to the point where even my friend called to ask if Alexa was about to become my sister-in-law.

I agreed without hesitation. "Mm. Yes."

It seemed that after that conversation with him, my love had already begun to fade. Now, thinking of it only brought a faint sting.

My friend fumed. "Liam must be blind! How could he fall head over heels for a conniving and pretentious witch like her?"

I ran my fingers over my plane ticket, the date just three days away, and smiled lightly. "Let them be. It's got nothing to do with me."

After all, in my previous life, Liam had died still unable to forget her. This time, he had simply gotten what he wanted.

I had no intention of stirring up trouble, but Alexa sought me out herself. She blocked my doorway early one morning, wearing a smile.

"Khloe, will you come with me to try on wedding dresses? You're basically like a sister to Liam. I'd like your opinion."

I set down my vocabulary book and glanced at her. "Not interested."

Her smile froze. Her eyes quickly reddened. "Khloe… do you look down on me?"

I had no patience for her theatrics. I was just about to tell her to get out when the door was flung open.

Liam stood there, his expression dark, his gaze sharp with warning.

"Khloe, can't you stop targeting Alexa? She invited you out of kindness. It's just looking at dresses. Why are you being so difficult?"

There it was again.

Simply refusing to accompany Alexa was now "targeting" her?