Chapter 1
After coming back to this life, I tried my best to become everything Madison Miller despised.
He liked girls with long hair, gentle and quiet types.
So I cut my waist-length hair short, went surfing and skiing with friends, and partied all night with friends.
In my past life, I didn't know until after we got married that he'd always been in love with his stepsister, Scarlett Miller.
His mother forced them apart by threatening to take her own life, so he settled for marrying me instead, just because I happened to look a little like Scarlett.
Throughout our marriage, he stayed distant, never letting go of his ties to her.
I cried, I fought, and in the end, I died in a car accident on my way to file for divorce, filled with bitterness and regret.
Now that I've been given a second chance, a friend asked me in confusion, "Are you doing all this to get Madison's attention?"
"No," I said. "I'm doing it to stay away from him."
My best friend, Charlotte Hill, was celebrating her birthday and invited me to her party.
I walked into the private room right when the party was at its peak.
No one noticed me at first until I made my way over to her.
"Hey, Riley, you cut your hair?" Charlotte said.
Charlotte had never been one to whisper.
The moment she exclaimed, all eyes turned toward me.
The room went quiet.
Everyone stared at my new chin-length bob, their expressions shifting into something... complicated.
I pretended not to notice and just smiled.
"Yeah, just got it done. The stylist said it really suits me. Do you guys like it?" I said.
"It looks nice."
"Very cute."
A few half-hearted compliments drifted over.
But even as they spoke, their eyes kept darting toward one corner of the room.
"I don't think it looks good at all."
The blunt criticism cut clearly through the polite murmurs.
From that same corner, Scarlett quickly covered her mouth, feigning regret.
"Sorry, Riley... It just slipped out. You know I've always been too honest. You're not mad, are you?" Scarlett said.
Before I could respond, Madison stood up and backed her without hesitation.
He said, "She's right. It doesn't suit you at all."
His protectiveness toward her was undeniable.
The awkwardness in the room thickened.
I just shrugged lightly. "It's fine. I like it, and that's what matters."
Madison pulled me outside the room.
We stood facing each other in the dim hallway light, his expression hard to read.
But I could feel the restrained anger in his voice.
He said, "Riley, who said you could cut your hair? I've told you before. I prefer it long. As my girlfriend, you should..."
"Madison." I cut him off before he could finish. "We're done."
The air went still for a second.
He frowned, about to say something until Scarlett and Charlotte's raised voices spilled out from inside the room.
Madison's frown deepened.
He let out a dismissive scoff, muttered, "Whatever you want," and hurried back toward the noise.
I watched him walk away and finally allowed myself to exhale slowly.
I first met Madison back in high school.
During my freshman year, I broke my leg in a dance accident and had to walk on crutches for months.
That made me an easy target.
Some kids started calling me "Cripple" behind my back.
They'd trip me in the hallways when I walked past.
Once, a group snatched my homework and ran off. I was hobbling after them, crying in frustration, when Madison showed up.
There were moments in life when someone just... hit me, right in the feels.
That was Madison for me. He didn't just help me that day. He watched out for me all through high school.
Even after my leg healed, following him around became a habit.
Everyone knew I had a crush on him.
When he mentioned offhand that he liked girls with long hair, I grew mine down to my waist.
He said girls should be gentle and quiet, so I quit the hip-hop club, stopped snowboarding, gave up surfing.
I let go of my friends and my hobbies. I reshaped myself into someone he wanted.
In the end, it worked. He asked me to be his girlfriend and even took me home to meet his family.
That was when I met his stepsister, Scarlett.
The moment she saw me, she looped her arm through Madison's and smiled sweetly.
She said, "Riley's so pretty, Madison. You're so lucky. We even kind of look alike, don't you think?"
Her comment carried a subtle edge, but I brushed it off and missed the way Madison stiffened for a second.
In my past life, Madison and I did get married.
But he stayed distant, cold.
It wasn't until Scarlett sent me an intimate video of the two of them that I finally understood.