Chapter 2

Ford hadn't always been cold to me.

When Kiana was in a life-or-death car accident, Ford begged me to save her, tears streaming down his face.

After all those years of marriage, that was the first time I saw real despair and helplessness on his face.

It was also the first time he ever bowed his head to me.

My husband, the man I loved more than anything, was begging me to save another woman. It was just pathetic.

I loved him.

I couldn't bear to see him hurting, even if it was for another woman.

So I burned through my second chance at life just to keep Kiana safe.

Last March, during a rescue mission, Ford had his artery cut open by a kidnapper. He lost so much blood that by the time they got him to the hospital, he was barely hanging on.

Without a second thought, I gave him my last chance at life.

When I'd used up all my chances to come back just for Ford, I couldn't help but ask myself whether it was really worth it or not.

But I shut those doubts down almost immediately. Back then, I convinced myself that every sacrifice I made was totally worth it.

But now, looking back, I can't help but laugh at how foolishly naive I was.

Kiana looked at Ford, uncertainty written all over her face.

Seeing this, Ford affectionately tousled her hair.

"You can talk to me about anything," he said.

Kiana hesitated, then took a deep breath.

She asked, "Ford, the kidnappers had already calmed down, so why did they suddenly freak out? Was it because Hadley was nearby?"

Her voice got quieter and quieter as she carefully watched Ford for any hint of his mood.

Ford's face grew even darker, his hands clenched into fists at his sides.

I glared at Kiana's innocent face, barely holding back the urge to rip her to shreds.

Unbelievable. Even after I'm dead, she's still dragging my name through the mud.

I'd been in the rescue game for five years, and my only priority was keeping people safe. No matter what, I never let personal grudges get in the way of a mission.

Her words weren't just an insult to me. They were an insult to everything I stood for.

I looked at Ford, still clinging to that last shred of hope.

We'd been together for five years. He had to believe in me.

But the next second, Ford's words hit me like a slap in the face, shattering any hope I had left.

"I knew I never should've let Hadley come on this rescue. She totally messed up our progress and put you in danger. Next time she shows up, I'm kicking her out of the rescue team," he snapped.

Ford's chest heaved with anger, and my eyes stung with tears I refused to let fall.

Turns out, that was how little he thought of me.

I couldn't tell if Ford just never really knew me, or if he just believed every word Kiana said without question.

Ever since Kiana came into the picture, Ford treated everything she said like the absolute truth.

But I still remembered the day the System mission was a success. Ford was so moved when he said to me.

"Hadley, for the rest of my life, I'll love you, trust you, and accept you for who you are," he'd said.

But none of those promises ever came true.

Ford wouldn't stop ranting at me.

He grabbed his phone and sent a rapid-fire stream of voice messages, one after another.

"Hadley, the kidnappers were already calm. So why did they suddenly go off? Did you say something to provoke them, just so Kiana wouldn't make it back alive?"

"How can you be so cruel? I've told you over and over that there's nothing between us, so why do you always have it out for her? Do you really want her dead?"

He was so angry he was practically gasping for air, clutching his phone like a lifeline, but the reply never came.

Back then, I'd always text him back instantly, no matter what.

But now I was dead. There was no way I was replying.

I wondered if he would feel sad when he heard about my death.

No one knew how long he waited, but still, nothing.

Ford glared at his phone like he could burn a hole through it, his jaw clenched tight.

He spat. "Go ahead, keep ignoring me if you dare. But you're gonna have to face the consequences for what you did today."

With that, he called up the rescue team.

As soon as the call connected, he couldn't hold back his anger anymore.

He shouted, "Is Hadley with you guys? Let me talk to her. And don't think you can hide what she did from me."

It was noisy on the other end, and Alex sounded totally panicked.

He said, "Ford, you gotta get back here. Something's gone wrong. Hadley still hasn't come out."

Ford's eyes were overflowing with disgust, his voice dripping with impatience.

He shouted, "So you're backing her up, too, huh? If you want to cover for her, then you can all forget about being on the rescue team.

"Even if the whole world dropped dead, she'd still be standing. After scaring Kiana like that, she can forget about pretending nothing happened."

With that, he hung up before Alex could say another word.

Kiana started acting all gentle, fussing over Ford, and kept patting his back to soothe him.

"Alright, alright, Hadley's always hated me, but I don't mind. As long as you're good to me, that's all that matters," she said.

As she spoke, she lowered her gaze, looking like the picture of innocence and misery.

Ford pulled Kiana into his arms, his voice soft and protective, full of worry for her.

He said, "You always put her first, but she doesn't care at all. She'd rather see you dead. This time, I'm not letting her get away with it. I'll make sure you get what you deserve."

Kiana nestled against Ford, looking moved and vulnerable. From afar, they looked so sweet together.