Chapter 1
On the way to divorce Edward Quinn, we crashed.
When we woke up, we found we were back to the time before we ever got married.
Last round, I'd gotten pregnant with our son Mike first. Edward only married me eight years later.
Edward swore I'd trapped him, and Mike hated me for never giving him a "real" family.
Cool. This time, I let them both go.
Three years later, we'd moved on. Edward had clawed his way up to CEO of a major company.
At the year-end party, he finally went public with the woman he'd always loved.
They spotted me solo and looked at me with cold disdain. Edward snorted. "Anna, seriously? Two lifetimes and still a mess? First time you had a kid out of wedlock, and this time you're just going to die alone?"
I didn't bother clapping back. While his jaw hit the floor, I grabbed the hand of my billionaire husband and kept it moving.
*****
The next time I saw Edward was at the company's year-end party. He was openly holding Sophie's hand, soaking up all the praise and flattery from everyone around.
"Mr. Quinn, you really are something else. You became the president of our branch in less than a year. How impressive," someone said, raising their glass.
"Mr. Quinn, you've really hit the jackpot—success in both love and business. So, are you and Sophie walking down the aisle soon?" another person teased.
Edward turned to Sophie with a smile. "That's right. The wedding is set for July 8th. Hope you all can make it."
Sophie blushed and lowered her head.
The room was filled with congratulations, but there was also a hint of envy in the air.
One of the people suddenly remembered something and glanced at Edward, probing a little: "What about Anna? You two made such waves back then. I still remember when she confessed to you."
Hearing that, a flicker of memories crossed Edward's face, and his smile faded bit by bit.
Before Edward got a chance to answer, the boy holding his hand piped up first. "My dad hasn't spoken to her in forever. Sir, you really know how to kill the vibe. Look, now you've made Sophie upset."
The guy noticed Sophie wasn't too happy about that and quickly switched topics.
In my previous life, I met Edward at work, and we started dating a year later.
After two years together, I ended up pregnant with his child.
The further my pregnancy went, the more distant Edward grew. The wedding date just kept getting pushed back.
I had to quit my job for the baby.
But as my son Mike grew older, he grew increasingly resentful toward me.
He couldn't forgive me for not giving him a real family.
Whenever I looked at his innocent little face, I couldn't help but feel a sharp pain deep in my heart.
After I got a new shot at life, we didn't make the same mistakes all over again. Mike chose to stay with his dad.
I kept my head down, just listened in, trying to stay invisible, until someone finally noticed me.
"Hey, Anna, I thought you quit? What're you doing at the year-end party?" he asked.
I managed a polite smile and just nodded.
No one expected all three of us they'd been gossiping about to be right here. Things instantly got really awkward.
Some of my old coworkers gave me a once-over, and when they saw how plain I was dressed, their eyes turned full of contempt.
"Wow, Anna, it's been ages, and you're still rocking that small-town look. You left in such a hurry back then. I honestly thought you'd landed a fancy new job," one of them sneered.
Edward's gaze landed on me too. And he let out a mocking laugh. "Anna, are things really that bad for you now? Dressed like this? Couldn't look less attractive if you tried."
Then he handed me a card and added, "Just for old times' sake, here's some money. Go buy yourself something presentable."
Sophie sized me up from head to toe and let out a light, mocking laugh. "If things are really that tough, I could always give you some of my old clothes. They're practically brand new. Might as well not let them go to waste."
The crowd burst out laughing, casting obvious looks between Sophie and me, making the comparison as clear as day.
After resigning, I threw myself into starting a business. Between rushing projects and barely getting any sleep for two days, I couldn't help but look worn out, so I just put on something simple and clean.
In contrast, Sophie looked immaculate—groomed to perfection and carrying the lingering scent of a luxury perfume.
"No need," I said and shook my head, not even sparing Edward a glance.
I'd been working nonstop on this project all day and hadn't had a single bite to eat. Now I was so hungry.
Just as I reached for the dish in front of me, a tiny hand shot out and knocked my food clear off my plate.
Mike couldn't hold back, blurting out, "Why are you eating already? Sophie hasn't even touched her food yet. Seriously, can't you wait?"
I stared at his flushed little face, his chest puffing in and out as he glared at me, all worked up and angry.
It was complicated, but it did hurt.
Ten months I'd carried him, hours of labor, and now he was always jumping to defend some other woman, calling me out in front of everyone.
After I started over, I did consider raising Mike all by myself.
But when the fight for custody happened, Mike didn't just pick his dad in a heartbeat.
Mike glared at me as he yelled, "Just leave me alone. I don't want to stay with you anymore. I don't want to be that kid who doesn't have a dad."
The memory flicked past like a bad reel, and I snapped back to the dining room, my cheeks wet.
Stifling the turmoil inside, I stared at Mike, my tone flat and distant. "Is this what your dad raised you to do? Just flip someone's plate over like it's nothing?"