Chapter 1
It was the day of the grand wedding.
With a sharp crack, the whip lashed down and struck me brutally on the head.
The priceless coronet was smashed to pieces, pearls and jewels scattering across the ground.
My husband, Gabriel Adolph, the Grand General, rushed straight to his childhood sweetheart, frantically checking her hand. "Grace, are you hurt?"
Grace Russell's tears streamed down her face like falling petals. "Gabriel, I didn't mean to. I just saw her wearing the coronet that was meant for me, and I... I couldn't help myself."
Gabriel gently pulled her into his arms, then turned to me with icy indifference. "It's just a piece of jewelry. Grace didn't do it on purpose. As the general's wife, you should be more gracious."
In my previous life, I endured his words in silence, only to have my whole family wiped out in the end.
This time, I looked at those shameless lovers and a smile crept onto my lips.
*****
A sharp crack echoed in the air.
The whip, carried by the force of the wind, struck me hard on the head.
The priceless coronet shattered into fragments.
Pearls and jewels littered the floor.
My husband, Gabriel, the nation's great general, rushed over to Grace, his childhood sweetheart.
Gabriel grabbed her hand, worry written all over his face.
"Grace, are you hurt?" he asked.
Grace was sobbing, barely able to breathe.
"Gabriel, I didn't mean to," she choked out.
"I just saw her wearing the coronet meant for me, and I... I couldn't help myself."
Gabriel wrapped his arms around her protectively, concern written all over his face.
He shot me a cold look.
"It's just a piece of jewelry," he said.
"Grace didn't do it on purpose.
"As the general's wife, you should be more gracious."
The whole place went silent.
All eyes were on me.
Some pitied me, some mocked me, and some were clearly enjoying my misery.
I heard him say that.
That line was all too familiar.
In my last life, I bit my tongue and endured it for his sake.
I picked up the broken coronet, forced a smile, and made myself finish that ridiculous wedding.
In the end, the Bernard family was executed, and I was forced to drink poison.
Gabriel and Grace built their happiness on the ashes of the Bernard family, enjoying a lifetime of wealth and love.
The infernal flames tormented my soul.
They consumed the last remnants of my foolish affection.
This time, I looked at those shameless lovers.
A cold smile crept onto my lips.
My laughter was soft, yet it pierced the dead silence of the wedding hall like a needle.
Gabriel frowned.
"Why are you laughing?" he asked coldly.
Grace shrank back in his arms, glancing at me timidly, fear in her eyes.
"Please don't be like this, Shirley... I'm scared..." she whimpered.
I paid them no mind.
I bent down.
I reached out, but didn't bother with the scattered pearls.
Instead, I took off the battered coronet from my head, half of which was left, crooked and barely holding together.
The gold threads were torn apart, the jewels destroyed beyond repair.
They were utterly ruined, just like I was in my last life.
I turned it over in my hand, feeling its weight.
Then, with everyone watching, I hurled it to the ground.
With a resounding clang, the last few gems exploded, utterly destroyed.
The crowd sucked in a sharp breath.
Gabriel's face darkened instantly, rage twisting his features.
"Shirley, have you lost your mind?" he snapped.
"I'm calling off this wedding."
I stared him down, making sure every word was loud and clear.
"Anyone who wants to be the general's wife, be my guest."
With that, I tore off the veil and tossed it to the floor.
Without another word, I turned and walked out.
There was ho regrets, not even a little.
The wedding hall went wild.
"Wait, is she really backing out of the wedding?" someone blurted out.
"The Bernard family's true heiress is actually this bold?" another person gasped.
Grace's sobs grew louder, echoing through the hall.
"Gabriel, it's all because of me. I messed everything up..." she cried, her voice trembling.
Gabriel's voice, thick with barely contained rage, rang out behind me.
"Shirley, stop right there!"
I didn't pause for a second.
"Today is the Adolph family's big day. It's not the place for your drama," Gabriel barked.
"If you dare walk out that door, I'll ruin the Bernard family's reputation," Gabriel threatened.
I stopped in my tracks.
But I didn't turn around.
I could feel the gaze of my father, Thomas Bernard, the Imperial Tutor, was fixed on me.
It was heavy and conflicted.
In my last life, it was right at this moment that he made me stay, just to preserve the Bernard family's honor.
That was the start of all the tragedies that followed.
Seeing me stop, Gabriel thought his threat had worked.
There was a smug edge to his voice.
Gabriel said, "Come back now, kneel down, and apologize to Grace. If you do, I'll just let it slide, like nothing ever happened."