Chapter 1

Everyone claimed I was the one who killed Josiah's dream girl.

Josiah was the only one who defended me, putting his own reputation on the line.

He said, "Tessa's way too soft-hearted. She wouldn't even hurt a fly. How could she hurt anyone?"

When I got pregnant, Josiah seemed thrilled, doting on me even more than before.

But the moment the baby was born, I overheard Josiah speaking in a voice as cold as ice. "This child belongs to Winona and me. I swear I'll make her pay for Winona's death with her life."

Josiah had me imprisoned and tortured until I died in agony.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the exact day Josiah reunited with his beloved Winona.

*****

Josiah Larcade snapped, "Useless! You can't even do this right."

A sharp pain shot through my wrist, and I turned to look.

In the pitch-black night, Josiah's face was twisted in fury as he clamped down on my wrist with crushing force.

But his eyes weren't on me. They were locked on the woman kneeling ahead, polishing someone's shoes.

A ruined cake lay at her feet, the pieces scattered across the ground.

As if sensing Josiah's gaze, the woman suddenly whipped her head around, locking eyes with him.

One of the guys nearby cracked a joke. "Hey Josiah, looks like Winona still remembers your birthday. She even brought you a cake!"

Josiah answered coldly, "Don't insult me by mentioning her. Just being near that kind of woman makes me feel filthy."

But the way he was squeezing my wrist, I honestly thought he might snap the bones.

The pain jolted me back to my senses. I made it back in time.

I got back to the exact day Josiah ran into Winona Willis again—and the day he asked me to marry him.

And, coincidentally, it was his birthday too.

In my previous life, when the Larcade family was in crisis, Winona had abandoned Josiah for another man.

That betrayal had carved hatred deep into him.

When they met again, Josiah gave her nothing but cold contempt and public humiliation.

But behind closed doors, they had a love-hate relationship—tormenting each other, yet he loved her down to the marrow of his bones.

It wasn't until she got pregnant that Winona started doing everything she could to force me out.

She sneered, "You really think Josiah loves you? He's only with you to hurt me. You're just a fool who doesn't see it. Now I'm pregnant with his child, and you're still hanging onto him. How shameless can you be?"

I never thought Josiah would cheat on me.

But Winona's words made me shake uncontrollably. I reached for my phone to call Josiah.

I didn't notice her lunging at me.

She grabbed my arm, and the two of us went crashing down the stairs.

Blood pooled across the floor.

I was stunned and terrified. My hands trembled as I called for an ambulance.

But by the time Winona reached the hospital, it was too late.

She was gone—both mother and child.

Everyone blamed me for her death. Her parents, Frederick and Helena Willis, wanted me punished.

Josiah rushed to my side, shielding me as best he could.

"Tessa wouldn't hurt a fly. There's no way she could've harmed anyone," he insisted.

When Frederick confronted him, Josiah answered coldly, "That child Winona was carrying wasn't mine. She was so cruel that she drove Tessa to the edge. She got what was coming to her."

I was so scared that I didn't even register the tremble or the quiet resentment in Josiah's voice.

After that, Josiah, who had always hated kids, suddenly said he wanted to have one with me.

Because of my condition, we had to go through in vitro fertilization.

I still remember the doctor telling us it had worked. Josiah was so excited, he could barely speak. When he took my hand, I felt him shaking.

Throughout my pregnancy, Josiah was devoted. He never missed an appointment. He took such meticulous care of me, it bordered on obsession.

Everyone said I had Josiah completely wrapped around my finger.

But the day after I gave birth, I overheard him telling Frederick in a low voice, "Mr. Willis, this child is mine and Winona's. Don't worry. I'll make sure Tessa pays for Winona's death. A life for a life."

He locked me up and broke my legs.

Then he made me watch as he drove my parents to jump to their deaths right in front of me.

I fell to my knees, begging him to spare my parents through sobs. "It wasn't me! She came at me first. She grabbed my hand. You saw the security footage, didn't you?"

But Josiah was convinced I had planned it all along. His hands closed around my throat, suffocating me.

His eyes were bloodshot, filled with fury. "You killed the woman I loved most. Did you really think I'd let you live? You have no idea how long I've wanted you dead."

He tortured me to death, little by little.

By the time I died, I didn't even have tears left.

Thank goodness I was given a second chance in life.

I came back to the exact day Josiah and Winona met again. The day he publicly degraded her.

"Josiah might think you're disgusting, but we're not that picky. How about you entertain us for a while? We'll forget about the shoes," one man said.

He lifted Winona's chin with the toe of his polished leather shoe.

Winona stared at Josiah, so fragile and pitiful, it broke one's heart.

But before she could even say a word, someone kicked her aside.

"Why are you looking at Josiah like that?" someone jeered. "Still think you're his first love? Haven't you heard? Josiah's all about Tessa now. He spoils her rotten."