Chapter 2
After coming home, he never mentioned Rose again.
He seemed like a different person—gentle, thoughtful, learning to cook for the baby and me.
I thought he'd finally moved on and wanted to start fresh with me.
But I never saw it coming—after I gave birth, he brought me to my parents' house to "celebrate."
He even cooked a big dinner for everyone.
But he'd drugged the food, knocking out my entire family.
I barely ate since I wasn't feeling well, so I woke up first.
That was when I caught Henry pouring gasoline everywhere.
I begged desperately, "Do whatever you want to me, but spare my parents and our baby. The baby's innocent..."
Henry's face twisted with rage. "Why should I spare them? Your whole family dies with Rose!
"And that baby—if I hadn't taken you to the hospital to save him, Rose wouldn't have thought I abandoned her! She wouldn't have killed herself!
"She did everything for me. Even risked herself to get me Mr. Carter's contract. In the end, you destroyed her!"
Only as I lay dying did I finally understand—Henry had always hated me, blaming me for Rose's death.
Clinging to his trouser leg, I tried desperately to tell him the truth.
I was the one who secured that deal.
Even while pregnant, I spent an entire month wining and dining Brian and his family to convince him to sign with Henry.
Pushing myself so hard for Henry's business caused my miscarriage scare.
But Henry wouldn't let me explain.
After dousing the place in gasoline, he flicked his lighter and dropped it.
Flames erupted instantly, racing along the gasoline trails.
"When you see Rose in the afterlife, you can serve her—make sure you treat her right!" Henry spat.
With that, he left without looking back, locking the door from outside.
In the end, my whole family burned to death in that fire.
The trauma from my past life, combined with the sharp pain in my belly, jerked me back to reality.
I wasn't about to let myself die here.
Though my legs shook, I forced myself toward the elevator, clinging to the wall.
Just as I reached for the button, someone snickered behind me. "Mr. Lane already shut down the elevators. Go on, keep playing your little games—let's see you get down 20 floors on your own."
I never realized Henry would go this far just to trap me.
Given his ruthlessness, I started wondering—maybe Henry was reborn, too.
Even when I tried to step aside for him, he still wouldn't let our baby or me go. He'd turned everyone into his accomplices.
As my last hope faded, the world spun. The pain and blood loss were so severe that my legs gave out.
I collapsed, their cruel laughter ringing in my ears.
"That blood looks like ketchup. She's really putting on a show! She will do anything to keep Mr. Lane."
"Totally. Bet she used the same tricks before—got herself knocked up before the wedding to force Mr. Lane to marry her..."
"I heard she's the one who broke Mr. Lane and his true love up."
After our marriage, I joined Henry's design studio.
On the surface, everyone treated me with respect, calling me "Mrs. Lane."
But behind my back, this was how they really saw me.
I didn't have the energy to fight their gossip.
When I met Henry, he and Rose had already broken up.
Henry was the one who proposed to me.
But somehow, to them, I was always the villain.
The pain and humiliation only strengthened my resolve.
I knew if I passed out now, I'd bleed to death.
Fueled by sheer will to survive, I dragged myself to the stairwell.
Somehow, I managed to crawl down one flight, crying out for help. "Help! Someone, please help me..."
My persistence finally caught the attention of two cleaning ladies.
They didn't answer to Henry.
When they saw the blood trail behind me, both gasped.
"Are you okay, miss?" one of them asked.
"I'm having a miscarriage. Please call an ambulance..." I could barely speak, using every ounce of strength left.