Chapter 1

My husband, Evan, asked me to sell the old house my parents left me for cheap to his newly divorced cousin, Grace Jennings.

Just six months later, the old house got demolished, and the payout was three million dollars plus five apartments.

Grace struck it rich overnight and started living like royalty.

Pampered by her wealth, Grace never had to do a thing for herself, and even at forty, she looked like she was still eighteen.

The whole family treated her like royalty, and even my son, Jason, preferred her over me.

Meanwhile, I was stuck at home, serving my mean in-laws and taking care of Jason, who was born with a heart condition.

Before I even turned forty, I looked decades older, and everyone acted like I was nothing but a burden.

I thought once Jason got into college, I'd finally catch a break.

But when he turned eighteen, he shouted that I wasn't his real mom, and that the gentle Grace was the mother he wished he had.

When I found out the truth, it felt like I'd been thrown into an ice bath. I was about to call the cops.

But Evan's family locked me up and tortured me to death.

When I opened my eyes again, I realized I'd been back to when Evan first told me to sell the house to Grace.

*****

Evan said, "Honey, Grace just got divorced and has nowhere to stay. Can you sell the old house your parents left you to Grace?

"You know I've always treated Grace like my own sister. I can't help worrying about her in this situation."

Evan sounded so young, it threw me for a second.

The next second, I took in my surroundings. It was the home I'd lived in for decades.

I pinched myself, just to make sure I wasn't dreaming. It hurt, but I couldn't help but laugh.

"Honey, are you even listening to me?" Evan said, sounding a little annoyed.

Seeing that familiar look on Evan's face, I instantly remembered everything he and Grace had done to me in my previous life.

Back then, after Grace struck it rich from the demolition of my parents' house, Evan told me not to be jealous, to accept my fate, and that I was never meant to be rich.

He told me to focus on staying home and looking after our son, saying the boy was too sick to be left alone for a second, and his parents weren't in great shape either.

For my son's sake, I had no choice but to agree.

I took care of his every need, and every day I had to deal with my in-laws, who were constantly finding fault and making my life miserable.

Completely burned out from all the stress, I ended up with a severe stomach condition before I even turned forty.

But thanks to my strict care, my son stayed healthy and even got into a top university.

But I never saw it coming. Right after he got into college, my son announced he wanted nothing to do with me, claiming that someone as gentle as Grace was the real mom he wished he had.

I thought he was messing around, but Grace, pampered by riches and still looking like a teenager, smiled sweetly and thanked me for raising her son.

It was like falling into an ice pit. I was about to call the police, but Evan's family drugged me, hauled me back to their hometown, and locked me away.

They kept me in a doghouse, feeding me nothing but scraps meant for dogs every day.

Starving, freezing, and suffering from illness, I was tortured to death.

I hated them so much I was grinding my teeth in anger.

But I was worried Evan might do something crazy, so I pretended to hesitate and quickly made up a story. "Honey, why didn't you tell me earlier? I already sold the house."

Evan's face went pale, and his voice shot up several notches. "What? You sold it to someone else? Why didn't you discuss it with me first?"

I replied, sounding hurt. "Didn't you say the location was bad and the house would only lose value? I panicked and sold it."

"How much did you sell it for? Did they pay you yet? If not, maybe we shouldn't go through with it," Evan asked.

I sneered inwardly, but put on a hurt face. "I sold it for 7 thousand dollars just a few days ago.

"I thought that was a lot. I was worried the buyer might back out, so I rushed to lock it in."

I paused, then asked, confused, "You haven't been home these past few days, so I thought I'd surprise you when you got back.

"Honey, aren't you happy I sold the house? You said it was only worth 8 thousand dollars at most, but I managed to get 7 thousand for it."

After I finished, I shot Evan a proud look, acting all smug.

Evan's face went pale, his lips quivering. He forced a stiff, awkward smile. "No, it's just... all a bit sudden.

"Grace told me she really likes your family's old place. Even though it's kind of out of the way, she doesn't mind at all.

"Maybe you could talk to the buyer and see if we can cancel the deal?

"You know I've always seen Grace as my own sister, and I just want to make sure she's taken care of."