I Said No To The Billionaire

Synopsis

At midnight, I woke up from a nightmare, drenched in cold sweat. In the dream, Charles Evans stood before me, enunciating every word, "Claire, you killed Vanessa. You'll never escape this house." The memories of captivity, humiliation, and emotional abuse surged back like a relentless tide. I wrapped my arms around myself and curled up in the corner of the bed. Outside, neon lights flickered. I glanced at my phone. I went back to the past—three months before I ever met Charles. In my previous life, I had won first place in the National Jewelry Design Competition, catching the eye of Charles, the so-called "future tycoon of the Ravorpool". He had pursued me relentlessly, drowning me in luxury cars, diamond rings, and sweet words until I fell for him completely. After our marriage, his old flame, Vanessa Reed, returned, and my nightmare began. Vanessa accused me of plagiarizing her design in the competition, and Charles took her side, imprisoning me for three years. When Vanessa died unexpectedly, he lost his mind completely, locking me inside his villa and forcing me to kneel before her portrait in repentance. It was only later that I learned the truth—Vanessa had stolen my sketches and turned the accusation against me. I picked up the design draft lying on my bedside table—Blooming Nightshade, the piece I had created for the competition. In my last life, it had made me famous and ruined me. I tore the drawing to pieces and made my decision. I would withdraw from the competition. This time, I would never repeat the same mistake.