Chapter 1

The kidnappers put my husband, a tough special-forces guy, in a hellish spot: pick me or the one that got away, Wendy Blake.

Just as panic seized me and I was about to let out a scream, floating comment lines magically appeared before my eyes.

One comment spilled the beans on the past: [In the last life, he chose you first. But then Wendy got nabbed by the kidnappers, and he was drowning in regret for three long years.]

Another one laid bare the betrayal: [After he found Wendy again, he fell for her phony sob story and took revenge on you, sending you straight to hell.]

A third comment unmasked Wendy's scheme: [Truth is, she cooked up the whole thing. Faked her death, married a rich guy, got beaten up in the marriage, divorced, and now she's back, playing the victim.]

The very next second, my husband blurted out without a second thought, "I choose Wendy."

I let out a bitter laugh. Alright then. This life, I'd let them have their so-called love.

By the time he finally saw Wendy for who she really was, I'd melted into the crowd.

He went ballistic looking for me, but all he got were the divorce papers I'd sent and a note that simply said: [Hope you two stick together forever.]

*****

The cold barrel of a gun pressed against my temple, the air reeking of sweat and blood.

I, Sophia Bennett, legally married to special forces captain Jack Carter, and the woman he's always cherished, Wendy, were dumped on the damp concrete floor of an abandoned factory, treated like nothing but cargo waiting to be dealt with.

The head kidnapper flashed a grin, yellow teeth showing, phone on speaker. Jack's ragged breathing echoed through the line.

"Captain Carter, your wife and Ms. Blake—only one gets out. Ten seconds. Make your choice," the leader announced.

My throat tightened, survival instincts kicking in—I wanted to scream, to beg my husband of three years for help.

But just as I was about to cry out, a barrage of comments suddenly flashed before my eyes.

[Here it comes! The classic "choose one" scene. In his last life, Jack saved Sophia first, and Wendy got snatched by the kidnappers. He regretted it for three whole years!]

[Regret? That's nothing! Later, he found Wendy, swallowed her sob story about being abused and trafficked, felt sorry for her, and then actually turned on Sophia—making her suffer everything Wendy had supposedly gone through. Total scumbag!]

[Sophia didn't realize until the end that all her pain stemmed from Jack's unfounded blame. To make matters worse, Wendy's story was a sham. She staged her own kidnapping and death, then ran off with wealthy abuser Victor Grant.]

[After Victor beat her half to death and they got divorced, she came crawling back, playing the victim for sympathy. And Jack, that fool, totally fell for it!]

[Seriously, where are your morals, commenters? Sure, Wendy messed with Sophia, but she just wanted to be with her true love! That fake death move was genius!]

[Right? Our sweet Wendy is just a little angel who made the same mistake any woman might. Who can blame her?]

I blinked in disbelief, but the comments stayed sharp and clear.

It felt like an invisible hand was squeezing my heart, then just ripped it apart.

I died with a heart full of resentment in my past life.

It turned out that everything was orchestrated by Wendy.

And it was Jack who pushed me into the abyss with his own hands.

These insane revelations stabbed through everything I thought I knew, like poisoned icicles straight to my core.

I'd been married to Jack for three years. I knew Wendy was his true love and he'd dump me when she called. Still, I deluded myself into thinking time could change him.

As it turned out, it wasn't that his heart was unthawable. Instead, hidden deep within it was a ticking time bomb that would reduce me to nothing.

"Ten, nine, eight..." The kidnapper started the countdown.

On the other end of the line, Jack's breathing was heavy, like he was battling his own demons.

The comments kept flooding my sight, like a rowdy preview of my funeral.

[I'll bet you five cents Jack picks Wendy this time! The lesson from his last life was way too harsh!]

[He's gotta pick our Wendy! She's so fragile, can't do anything on her own. Sophia's the special forces captain's wife—she can totally kick ass!]

[Jack, hurry up and choose Wendy! Don't let my little angel suffer!]

"Three, two..."

As the kidnapper hit "two," Jack's voice rang out, cold and unwavering, slicing through the static—no hesitation, no mercy. "I choose Wendy."