Chapter 1

"Milton, it's time to sign. Who do you want us to save, the mother or the baby?" the doctor asked.

Lying on the icy operating table, my mind was growing hazy.

The anesthesia hadn't fully kicked in yet, but the blood loss made me feel cold to the bone.

My eyes were fixed on the harsh surgical light overhead as the hurried footsteps of nurses rushed past my ears.

Then I heard his voice.

Milton was my husband, whom I'd loved for three years and been married to for three years.

His voice came from outside the door, as cold as a block of ice, not a trace of hesitation. "Save the baby."

Just three words.

He didn't even ask about my condition.

I closed my eyes, tears slipping from my temples into my hair.

On our wedding day three years ago, he leaned in and whispered, "Remember who you are. You're a stand-in."

I thought that after three years, even a stone might warm up.

But now, a stone stays cold.

I tried to speak, but my throat felt like someone was squeezing it shut, and no sound came out.

The pain from the scalpel slicing into me made me shake all over, but what hurt most was my heart.

Milton was really heartless.

"Patient's blood pressure is dropping!"

"Stop the bleeding!"

The operating room was in chaos, but all I could feel was the voices drifting further and further away, getting blurrier and blurrier.

As I thought I was about to die for real, a chilling robotic voice suddenly rang out in my ear.

[Host is on the brink of death. Activating the Regret Points System.

[Detected host's emotional fluctuations are off the charts. System activating...

[Regret Points System successfully bound. Host can collect others' regret toward you to exchange for various skills and secret personas.]

[Rebirth countdown: 3, 2, 1...]

I jolted awake, my eyes snapping open.

The glare wasn't from the surgical lamp anymore. It was sunlight.

I found myself sitting at a vanity, and in the mirror, I saw myself in a white wedding dress, flawless makeup, my hair styled up, veil draped behind me.

Chatter and music drifted in from outside the window.

I glanced down at my hand and saw a diamond ring. It was not yet slipped onto my finger.

This was the day Milton and I got married, three years ago.

I froze in my chair, my mind going completely blank.

I wondered if I had actually time-traveled back to this day.

[Host has time-traveled to three years ago in the past. Current Regret Points: 0.

[Tip: If you call off the wedding now, you'll miss out on key Regret Points from future events.

[It's recommended to follow the original storyline and play out the marriage arc.

[Once you've gathered enough Regret Points, you can unlock the divorce and counterattack storyline.]

I looked at myself in the mirror, and a sudden laugh escaped me.

Before I knew it, tears were streaming down my face as I laughed.

In my previous life, Milton said, "You're a stand-in."

So I lived humbly for three whole years. I tried so hard to please him, to accommodate him, to endure all his indifference and hurt.

I thought if I was good enough, he'd finally notice me.

But what I got in the end was his decision to save the baby outside the operating room.

He didn't even hesitate about it.

Alright then.

This time, I wouldn't humble myself for him anymore.

I wiped away my tears, took a deep breath, and slowly slipped the diamond ring back onto my finger.

I would endure it for now.

First, I'd grit my teeth and endure it. Then, I'd make them suffer.

I was going to make Milton, the Kimmons family, and that phony heiress, Scarlett Kimmons, beg me to take them back.

And then I would tell them that it was too late.

The door swung open, and my bridesmaid poked her head in. "Nadia, are you ready? It's time to walk down the aisle!"

I stood up, gathered my wedding dress, and took one last look at myself in the mirror.

The woman staring back at me had no trace of bridal joy in her eyes, only a cold, unwavering resolve.

"I'm coming," I said.