Chapter 1

On our wedding anniversary, my husband, Victor Grant, personally lit the thirtieth candle on my birthday cake.

His eyes were filled with affection, and his voice was so smooth it could have charmed the birds from the trees. "Make a wish, Charlie. May my girl be safe and happy, year after year."

Amidst the flickering candlelight, a cold, venomous voice pierced my ears like a needle.

'Wish my foot, you damn bitch. Just blow out the candles and drop dead already. As soon as you're gone, I can finally bring Sophie and Adam home.

'I've put up with you for years. If it wasn't for your family's billions, even touching you make me sick.'

A deafening roar exploded in my mind. Sophie Blake... the woman he always claimed was some distant cousin. And who on earth was Adam?

I forced myself to swallow the wave of nausea and dug deep into the grisly memories of my previous life, where I met a tragic end.

The day after my thirtieth birthday, I "accidentally" tumbled down the stairs from the second floor, snapping my neck instantly.

My Ragdoll cat, Bella, whom I'd raised for five years, wailed beside my body, only for Victor to kick it against the wall, turning it into bloody pulp.

He had held a five-year-old boy in his arms and told Sophie, "There. Nothing stands in our way anymore."

That boy's name was Adam Grant.

As it turned out, his supposed "child-free" lifestyle was just a ruse to ensure I died without an heir so he could openly and legally claim everything from the Quinn family after I was gone.

A tidal wave of hatred nearly scorched my sanity, yet I looked at him and flashed a sweet smile. "Of course, Victor."

I closed my eyes and pressed my palms together.

'Die! Just die already!' His inner voice was screaming, cursed and frantic.

I moved my lips, making a silent vow. "I wish that Victor, Sophie, Linda... all of you would be buried with my tragic death in my previous life in the most spectacular way."

I opened my eyes and locked onto his hypocritical gaze. The game was on.

*****

"What did you wish for, Charlie?" Victor sliced the cake and handed me the first piece, his movements gentle and caring like always.

'I spiked that cake with a little something to set the mood. Serve me one last time tonight, bitch, and tomorrow I'll send you packing to the grave.

'Damn, just knowing she's about to kick the bucket is turning me on.'

My stomach did a somersault.

In my previous life, I had eaten that very slice. It left me in a daze, and he coaxed me into signing a document giving him control over some of my shares. He'd told me it was some high-end insurance policy he'd bought for me.

The next day, I was dead. The beneficiary of that policy was him.

I took the plate, my fork tracing lines through the delicate frosting, but I didn't take a bite.

"Victor." I looked up at him with wide, trusting eyes. "We've been married for seven years now. Are you still dead set against having kids?"

Victor paused for a second, then squeezed my hand gently. "Of course, Charlie. How could I bear to see you go through the wringer of childbirth or worry about your figure? You're all I need."

'Dammit, kids again? Is this bitch onto something?

'Easy now, stay cool. She'll be dead tomorrow anyway; I just have to keep up the act for one more night.'

He was nervous and agitated.

I sneered inwardly, letting a perfect mask of disappointment and hurt wash over my face. "But... I've been seeing my friends' kids lately, and they're adorable. Besides, hasn't your mother always been dying for a grandson?"

I hit him right where it hurt. I brought up his mother, Linda Grant, who always favored sons and treated me like an eyesore.

Victor's face stiffened for a split second, but he played it off perfectly. "Don't you worry about Mom; I'll handle her. Charlie, we had a deal. It's just the two of us, forever."

'That old hag is bound to mess up my plans sooner or later. If she weren't always pushing, I wouldn't have to act so quickly.

'Once I get the money, I'll just ship her off to the countryside and let her fend for herself. Out of sight, out of mind.'

What a picture-perfect mother and son duo.

I lowered my lashes, my voice trembling ever so slightly. "Victor, it's not that I don't trust you. It's just... I'm a little scared."

"Scared of what?" he asked.

"I'm scared that if anything happened to me, you'd be all alone." My eyes were brimming with tears as I looked pitifully at him. "How about we notarize the company shares?

"Just in case... you know, if anything ever happened to me, the company would be yours, so you wouldn't have to struggle so hard."

I served him the very poison he craved on a silver platter.

Victor was shocked, his heart thundering in his chest.

'What the hell? What's up with this bitch today? Is she out of her mind? She's actually giving me her shares?

'I'm about to get filthy rich. She's laying it all out for me. Lady Luck is finally on my side!'

Inside, he was practically bursting with joy, but on the outside, he looked so moved by my devotion that his eyes turned red.

"Charlie, don't talk such nonsense," he choked out, pulling me into a crushing hug. "Nothing is going to happen to you. Don't you dare say that!"

He held me so tight I thought he might snap me in half, but I could hear his heart pounding wildly and his breath hot and heavy with greed.

Buried in his chest, I smirked. "Just think of it as... my thirtieth birthday gift to you," I whispered.

'You dumb bitch, you're digging your own grave. Don't blame me.'

My "love" had finally wiped out the last of his worries. He let go of me, cupped my face, and leaned in for a heavy kiss.

The moment those hypocritical lips touched mine, I nearly gagged.

I turned my head, dodged his kiss, and picked up a forkful of that spiked cake. I held it to his mouth. "You first. You take a bite, and then I will," I said, my voice almost coy.

Victor looked at me, a flicker of hesitation crossing his eyes.

'Why isn't this bitch eating? Did she catch on?

'No way... she's as dumb as a post. Probably just some annoying lover's game.'

He opened his mouth and wolfed down the slice. "Now, it's your turn." He eyed me like a cobra waiting for its prey to drop dead from the venom.

I picked up a fresh, untouched slice of cake, nibbling at it in tiny bites, and flashed him an angelic, innocent smile. "Victor, you're so sweet."

He watched me eat the cake, finally showing a satisfied smile.

As the night deepened, the drugs started to kick in. I watched his breathing grow heavy and his eyes cloud over, my heart turning to stone.

In my previous life, this was exactly how I had walked right into his trap.

This time around, I was going to give him a front-row seat to his own personal hell.

I propped up his swaying body, led him into the bedroom, and dumped him onto the bed.

Then, I took out my phone and dialed the private investigator I'd put on retainer weeks ago. "Hey, Warren. It's go time. Send the photos and videos of him and that woman to my inbox. Throw in the kid's birth certificate too.

"And remember, I want the 'nail in the coffin' kind of proof."