Chapter 1

After ten years of marriage, Andrew Rivers had a twenty-two-year-old mistress on the side. She was pregnant and insisted on going to the Southwood Rainforest to photograph wild Magnolias.

Andrew tossed out, "I'll make it up to you next year," and was about to leave with her.

In my previous life, I did everything I could to stop him. But she went into the rainforest alone, got caught in a flash flood, and both she and the baby died.

Andrew lost his mind. In the middle of the night, he drove into the underground garage and rammed his car into me, sending me flying. He said, "Julia Bennett, this is all your fault."

When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the day before my birthday. This time, I wasn't going to stop him. "Andrew, I don't care where you go, but I have one condition. We're getting a divorce."

He laughed, as if he'd heard the funniest joke ever, "You think you can survive without me?"

I laughed, too, "Try me."

*****

By the tenth year of our marriage, Andrew had a mistress on the side.

Her name was Lily Summers, a wild photographer who specialized in capturing shots from places most people would never dare to go. Caves, glaciers, active volcanoes, and the heart of the rainforest, she got a thrill from danger.

Andrew always went with her, risking his life to protect her.

The day before my thirty-fifth birthday, Lily was insisting on going to an untouched part of the Southwood Rainforest.

The rainy season had ended, the ground was soft, and landslides could happen at any moment.

For the first time, I stood my ground. "Andrew, I've been having nightmares lately. I can't shake this uneasy feeling.

"And you promised that you'd spend my birthday with me for the next two days."

Because I insisted, Lily stormed off after a heated argument with Andrew and flew to Southwood alone.

Later, she got caught in a mudslide deep in the rainforest, and both she and all her equipment were swept away without a trace.

One disaster, and two lives were lost.

When Andrew got the news, he was completely shattered.

That night, blind drunk, he drove straight into the underground garage and floored it, sending me flying more than ten feet.

"Julia, this is all your fault," he yelled. "If you hadn't stopped me, Lily wouldn't have gone alone. She'd still be alive.

"I'd rather be buried with her in that rainforest than spend another second with you."

When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the day before my birthday.

Andrew was holding Lily close, his face full of impatience. "I'm going to Southwood with Lily. We'll celebrate your birthday next year."

The suffocating sense of dying felt so real that I was frozen in place for over ten seconds before I finally snapped out of it.

Andrew shot me a look so icy that he didn't bother to hide how much I got on his nerves.

"Julia, I'm telling you right now. Nothing you say is going to stop me. Lily wants to photograph the rainforest, and I'm going with her. Even if the world ends, I'm still going," he said.

That wasn't what he said in my previous life.

Back then, he said, "If Lily wants to go, let her. I'll stay home and spend your birthday with you."

There was only one explanation.

He got sent back, too.

The realization sent a chill down my spine, but after that, a kind of clarity I'd never had before hit me.

We had both had another shot at life.

His choices were his own.

I'm going to hold onto my life with my own hands. I would never again let anyone else decide whether I live or die.

Lily looked genuinely touched, snuggling against Andrew's chest.

"Are you really coming with me? The lighting in the rainforest is only perfect this time of year. If we miss it, we'll have to wait another year," she said.

Andrew's voice was so gentle that it was almost sickly sweet.

"Whatever you want to shoot, I'll be right by your side. Don't worry," he said.

Andrew shot me a frown, clearly annoyed by my silence. "Julia, are you going to say anything or sit there?"

"Alright," I said.

"What?" he blurted out.

He clearly hadn't expected me to agree so easily.

I looked him straight in the eye, calm as ever.

"Andrew, from now on, you can do whatever you want. I won't stand in your way," I said. "But there's one condition.

"We're getting a divorce."