Chapter 1

I was reborn on my twenty-fourth birthday, right in the middle of my party. Charlotte Wright, Andrew Fernandez's childhood friend, deliberately spilled pomegranate juice all over my dress.

But this time, I didn't argue with her like I did in my previous life, and I definitely didn't lash out at her in front of everyone.

Andrew Fernandez spoke up. "Charlotte didn't mean it. Just go change, and you'll be fine."

I smiled calmly. "It's okay. I'm actually feeling a bit tired anyway. You all enjoy the party. I'm heading out."

With that, I walked out of the reception hall, everyone's eyes on me, their expressions a mix of curiosity and confusion.

In my previous life, I lost it and threw a cup of hot coffee straight at Charlotte.

But her skin was already scarred, and Andrew had me arrested on charges of assault.

When Grandma Grace found out I'd been put in jail, she fell in the yard that night. No one found her until morning, and by then, she had already passed away.

This time, I swore I'd never repeat my past mistakes. All I wanted was to cherish every moment and live well with Grandma Grace.

But as I stepped out of the hotel, my phone buzzed with a message from Andrew.

Andrew's message read, [Hey, don't be upset. Charlotte's really not how you think she is. I'm sorry for her.]

He added, [I'll buy you a new dress. Please, let it go.]

I'd heard those exact words before, but back then, he'd said them right in front of everyone.

At my own birthday party, I was humiliated, and my fiancé actually defended the one who hurt me in front of everyone.

Back then, blinded by rage, I grabbed a cup of hot coffee from the table and splashed it all over Charlotte.

But I had no idea she'd just had some treatment on an old injury.

Her arm turned bright red in no time, and it looked pretty scary.

It wasn't a big deal at first, but somehow, someone filmed it and posted it online.

Charlotte's injury got blown way out of proportion, and I was painted as some vicious girl who bullied others because I had the Fernandez Family backing me up.

A few days later, she went live as the so-called victim, acting like she was defending me, but kept her hand clamped over her arm the whole time, as if she was scared someone would see the injury.

So everyone assumed she was being forced to keep quiet, and that only made them even angrier.

Hate poured in from every corner of the internet, drowning me in a tidal wave of insults.

[Who does that? Just because it's her birthday, she thinks she can throw hot coffee on people?]

[She's just jealous that Charlotte and Mr. Fernandez have been tight since childhood.]

[Being his fiancée doesn't mean anything. With a personality like that, whoever marries her is screwed.]

[Why hasn't the Fernandez Family dumped her yet? Are they seriously trying to protect her?]

During that time, dead rats and shattered mirrors kept showing up at my doorstep.

I was terrified to even open the door, let alone go out into the yard.

I pleaded with Andrew to help me.

But he looked at the ointment Charlotte handed him, his voice cold as ice. "You did this yourself. You have to face the consequences."

I was so numb inside, I couldn't even cry.

Charlotte was the one who ruined my birthday party and made me look like a fool in front of everyone. How did it end up being all my fault?

The hate storm raged for almost half a month, until even Mr. Fernandez Sr. got dragged into it.

To calm things down, Andrew suggested breaking off the engagement.

When I refused, he handed the video over to the police and made sure everyone I knew turned their backs on me.

I spent three months in jail, and when I finally got out, my neighbor told me Grandma Grace was already gone.

Grandma Grace rescued me when I was a kid, picking me up off the street and giving me a home.

She was the only person in the world who would bake me a birthday cake every year.

My phone rang, snapping me out of my memories. It was Andrew again.

Andrew's impatient voice came through the phone. "Nora Nolan, are you done with your drama yet? You're ignoring my messages and won't even show your face. I keep telling you, Charlotte didn't do it on purpose."

I stood at the hotel entrance, watching the rain pound down on the steps.

"I'll have someone make you a new dress and send you a set of jewelry. Is that enough for you? Can you stop with the drama already?" Andrew asked.

I let out a weary sigh. "It's a dress, really. No need to make a big deal out of it, I'm not upset."

He was still going on about it, but I was exhausted. I just muttered a few half-hearted responses and hung up.

A taxi pulled up, and I gave the driver Grandma Grace's address.

The driver glanced at me in the rearview mirror. "Miss, your dress is a mess. Did something happen?"

I looked down at the dark red stain on my chest.

"It's nothing. Just had a run-in with a dog," I replied.

The driver chuckled. "That dog sure knew where to aim."

I couldn't help but smile too.

In my previous life, I completely lost control on this day.

This time around, I'm saving all my energy for the people who are still here with me.