Chapter 1

When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day my husband was killed in the car crash.

I didn't cry or make a scene; I stayed calm, unlocked my phone, and borrowed 3 million through online loans.

The interest kept compounding, and the debt instantly ballooned to tens of millions.

I was a full-time housewife. Where would I get the money to repay?

I sobbed and recorded a farewell video before jumping into the sea, faking my death.

The collectors took my clip and stormed the art exhibition my "dead" husband had opened for his female buddy, demanding payment on the spot.

When the bill was flashed, the buddy's perfect persona collapsed.

My husband, who had also faked his death, lost his cool.

I was gone and my debt was wiped, but he hadn't been erased yet.

*****

On my way back from dropping my kid off at kindergarten, my mother-in-law suddenly showed up, grabbed my arm, and started sobbing so hard she could barely speak.

She looked at me with teary, expectant eyes and said, "Claire, I have something to tell you. Please don't cry, okay? David... He's gone."

I paused for a moment and then gave her a hard slap right across the face. The slap rang out crisp and clear because I put everything I had into it.

My mother-in-law stumbled back, her face flushing bright red in shock and fury. "You... You hit me?" she gasped. My father-in-law's eyes went wide, so mad he was shaking.

In my previous life, when I learned my husband had died in a car accident and his body was crushed beyond recognition, it felt like I'd been struck by lightning. I collapsed on the spot, overcome with grief.

When I came to, I demanded answers and insisted on taking the driver to court. I needed justice. But my in-laws stopped me.

"The driver was just a poor soul. He took his own life out of guilt. Do you really want to ruin his entire family?" they pleaded.

What could I do when even my husband's own parents said that? Choking back tears, I had no choice but to take care of the funeral myself. We should at least hold a wake and give him a proper burial.

But my in-laws were dead set against it. "Do you want everyone to know how horribly my son died? What's your problem?"

Feeling helpless and not wanting to reopen their wounds, I took the family register and planned to officially declare him gone.

But my in-laws stopped me again, this time even more desperately. "He was our only son. If you erase him from the records, it's like you're ripping out my heart!" my mother-in-law sobbed.

"How can you be so cruel? Can't you just let us hold onto some memory of him?" my father-in-law pleaded.

I couldn't bear to hurt them anymore, so I stepped back and didn't interfere with the funeral anymore. Besides, I'd never been widowed before. I had no clue what I was supposed to do.

I was not cold-hearted or ungrateful, so I comforted my in-laws, telling them, "Don't worry, you still have me."

I was an orphan, and ever since I was little, I'd always longed for a real family. David's parents were my parents, too. From that day on, all I could think about was hustling for money.

I worked in sales by day and hustled at a night market after dark. I kept this up for eight years straight. Finally, I managed to open two joints and started making some real money.

But then both my in-laws got cancer, and just the chemo and all those treatments cost tens of thousands a month. I was so stressed I barely slept a wink, never daring to take a break.

And then, what started as a cold turned into meningitis, and I collapsed unconscious at home. As I lay dying, I could hear my in-laws complaining.

"Luna spends money like it's nothing. She burned through all of David's cash. Good thing Claire was smart and hardworking enough to pick up the slack, but she died so young. She was no help at all!" my mother-in-law grumbled.

"Whatever, it is what it is. Let David bring Luna back. She's been living it up for years. It's about time she got her act together," my father-in-law said.

Just thinking about it made my whole body tremble. I forced myself not to explode, all my resentment bubbling under the surface.

My eyes filled with icy rage as I pointed right at my mother-in-law's face and snapped. "If you so much as say another nasty word about my husband this early in the morning, mother or not, I'll hit you all the same!"