Chapter 1

The first thing I did after waking up in my second life was ask my husband for a divorce. On our daughter’s fifth birthday.

I did it knowing full well that he was destined to become a high-ranking, fast-tracked military officer.

My husband, Daniel, couldn't fathom it.

"Why? Just because I suggested you quit your job at the textile mill to help Mara watch the boys?"

"Wouldn't it be easier if you just stayed home to help Mara instead of working?"

I didn't answer. I just lunged forward and yanked Noah and Owen off Lily's back.

Daniel barely glanced at them, waving it off.

"Over this? They're just playing. Lily's the older sister. What's the big deal if she lets Noah and Owen have their way?"

In my past life, he said the exact same thing.

I believed him. I swallowed my pride and endured it.

But all that waiting only led to a DNA test proving Noah and Owen were Daniel’s biological sons—and the devastating news that my little Lily had burned to death in a fire.

This time, I wasn't going to be a fool.

"I'm dead serious, Daniel. This marriage is over."

"Waaah—!"

The twins hit the carpet and immediately burst into synchronized wailing.

The laughter in the living room died instantly.

Mara’s eyes welled up with tears on cue.

"Evelyn, please, don't do this. Did I do something wrong? Are you mad at me? I never asked you to quit your job to play nanny. Please don't divorce Daniel over me and the boys..."

She reached down and swatted the twins on their behinds. The gesture looked forceful, but the impact was as light as dusting off a jacket.

"Noah, Owen, apologize to Lily right now."

The boys only cried louder.

Mara pulled them into her arms, her own tears falling faster now.

"Daniel only takes care of us because my dead husband was his brother... Evelyn, please don't overthink this."

"Don't hold it against the kids. Michael passed away so early. I'm raising two boys all by myself, and I'm barely holding on..."

Daniel’s mother, Judith, stormed out of the kitchen. She threw her arms around the crying twins and pointed a trembling finger right at my face.

"Do you have a heart in that chest? Can't you see how hard Mara works raising two boys alone?"

"What is wrong with Daniel taking care of his brother's widow? Today is supposed to be family day, and you're throwing a tantrum about a divorce?"

The relatives in the room began to mutter.

"Daniel's the Battalion XO now. Up for Major soon. You can't let this kind of drama reach his Chain of Command..."

"Are you really going to destroy his military career and this entire family over kids playing?"

"Mara already lost Michael. Evelyn is being so unreasonable."

I tightened my arms around Lily, my palm gently rubbing her thin back.

She was shivering against my chest.

It was exactly like my past life.

Mara always knew how to play the weeping victim in front of an audience, leaving me to be the irrational, unaccommodating villain.

"Evelyn. I am talking to you."

Daniel's voice snapped me out of the memory.

He was holding Mara by the shoulders, his eyes full of disappointment and irritation.

"Look at Mara. Are you really going to push her like this? Do you want to force a widow and two fatherless boys out onto the street?"

"Push her?"

I stared dead at him.

"Daniel. Do you even know what today is?"

He froze.

"Today is Lily's fifth birthday."

Holding my daughter, I walked to the center of the living room. Lily clung to my neck, burying her face in my shoulder.

I pointed at the twins in Judith's arms.

"Noah and Owen are wearing brand-name clothes fresh from the mall. One pair of their shoes costs half my monthly paycheck at the textile mill. But today is my daughter's birthday. Who got her a gift?"

The living room went dead silent.

"Or," I looked at Daniel, a cold smile touching my lips, "was her present getting ridden like a pony by her two younger cousins?"

Daniel's jaw tightened.

"What the hell are you talking about? The kids were just playing—"

"Playing?"

I cut him off. My eyes dropped to where his hands were gripping Mara's arms.

"You're incredibly devoted to those boys, Daniel. Anyone who didn't know better would think Noah and Owen were your biological sons."

The color drained from Daniel's face in an instant.

Mara's crying abruptly stopped. She looked down, her knuckles turning white as she gripped the fabric of her dress.

Judith opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

The atmosphere in the room shifted, the relatives exchanging highly uncomfortable glances.

Daniel finally snapped out of his shock, his body trembling with rage.

"Evelyn Harper, you are completely out of your mind!"

Judith shrieked, "What kind of sick garbage are you spewing?! Just because Daniel treats Noah and Owen well, you're jealous? You petty, vindictive bitch!"

I looked down at Lily in my arms.

Her tiny hands were clutching my collar. There was still carpet dust under her fingernails from when she was shoved to the floor.

In my past life, Lily looked at me just like this.

Before she was pulled from the ashes of that fire, her tiny body charred beyond recognition.

"Mommy..."

Lily's fragile voice pulled me back.

I held her tighter and met Daniel's eyes.

"I'll be at the courthouse at 9:00 AM tomorrow to file for divorce."

I turned and walked toward the door, my voice leaving absolutely no room for negotiation.

"This marriage is over. Fight me, and your career goes down with it."

Chapter 1

The first thing I did after waking up in my second life was ask my husband for a divorce. On our daughter’s fifth birthday.

I did it knowing full well that he was destined to become a high-ranking, fast-tracked military officer.

My husband, Daniel, couldn't fathom it.

"Why? Just because I suggested you quit your job at the textile mill to help Mara watch the boys?"

"Wouldn't it be easier if you just stayed home to help Mara instead of working?"

I didn't answer. I just lunged forward and yanked Noah and Owen off Lily's back.

Daniel barely glanced at them, waving it off.

"Over this? They're just playing. Lily's the older sister. What's the big deal if she lets Noah and Owen have their way?"

In my past life, he said the exact same thing.

I believed him. I swallowed my pride and endured it.

But all that waiting only led to a DNA test proving Noah and Owen were Daniel’s biological sons—and the devastating news that my little Lily had burned to death in a fire.

This time, I wasn't going to be a fool.

"I'm dead serious, Daniel. This marriage is over."

"Waaah—!"

The twins hit the carpet and immediately burst into synchronized wailing.

The laughter in the living room died instantly.

Mara’s eyes welled up with tears on cue.

"Evelyn, please, don't do this. Did I do something wrong? Are you mad at me? I never asked you to quit your job to play nanny. Please don't divorce Daniel over me and the boys..."

She reached down and swatted the twins on their behinds. The gesture looked forceful, but the impact was as light as dusting off a jacket.

"Noah, Owen, apologize to Lily right now."

The boys only cried louder.

Mara pulled them into her arms, her own tears falling faster now.

"Daniel only takes care of us because my dead husband was his brother... Evelyn, please don't overthink this."

"Don't hold it against the kids. Michael passed away so early. I'm raising two boys all by myself, and I'm barely holding on..."

Daniel’s mother, Judith, stormed out of the kitchen. She threw her arms around the crying twins and pointed a trembling finger right at my face.

"Do you have a heart in that chest? Can't you see how hard Mara works raising two boys alone?"

"What is wrong with Daniel taking care of his brother's widow? Today is supposed to be family day, and you're throwing a tantrum about a divorce?"

The relatives in the room began to mutter.

"Daniel's the Battalion XO now. Up for Major soon. You can't let this kind of drama reach his Chain of Command..."

"Are you really going to destroy his military career and this entire family over kids playing?"

"Mara already lost Michael. Evelyn is being so unreasonable."

I tightened my arms around Lily, my palm gently rubbing her thin back.

She was shivering against my chest.

It was exactly like my past life.

Mara always knew how to play the weeping victim in front of an audience, leaving me to be the irrational, unaccommodating villain.

"Evelyn. I am talking to you."

Daniel's voice snapped me out of the memory.

He was holding Mara by the shoulders, his eyes full of disappointment and irritation.

"Look at Mara. Are you really going to push her like this? Do you want to force a widow and two fatherless boys out onto the street?"

"Push her?"

I stared dead at him.

"Daniel. Do you even know what today is?"

He froze.

"Today is Lily's fifth birthday."

Holding my daughter, I walked to the center of the living room. Lily clung to my neck, burying her face in my shoulder.

I pointed at the twins in Judith's arms.

The living room went dead silent.

"Or," I looked at Daniel, a cold smile touching my lips, "was her present getting ridden like a pony by her two younger cousins?"

Daniel's jaw tightened.

"What the hell are you talking about? The kids were just playing—"

"Playing?"

I cut him off. My eyes dropped to where his hands were gripping Mara's arms.

"You're incredibly devoted to those boys, Daniel. Anyone who didn't know better would think Noah and Owen were your biological sons."

The color drained from Daniel's face in an instant.

Mara's crying abruptly stopped. She looked down, her knuckles turning white as she gripped the fabric of her dress.

Judith opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

The atmosphere in the room shifted, the relatives exchanging highly uncomfortable glances.

Daniel finally snapped out of his shock, his body trembling with rage.

"Evelyn Harper, you are completely out of your mind!"

Judith shrieked, "What kind of sick garbage are you spewing?! Just because Daniel treats Noah and Owen well, you're jealous? You petty, vindictive bitch!"

I looked down at Lily in my arms.

Her tiny hands were clutching my collar. There was still carpet dust under her fingernails from when she was shoved to the floor.

In my past life, Lily looked at me just like this.

Before she was pulled from the ashes of that fire, her tiny body charred beyond recognition.

"Mommy..."

Lily's fragile voice pulled me back.

I held her tighter and met Daniel's eyes.

"I'll be at the courthouse at 9:00 AM tomorrow to file for divorce."

I turned and walked toward the door, my voice leaving absolutely no room for negotiation.

"This marriage is over. Fight me, and your career goes down with it."