Chapter 1
The moment I heard that familiar song again—"So what, what can you even do?"—I froze.
The woman standing center stage was my husband's so-called "first love."
She was singing a track I had written to mourn my unborn child.
I didn't scream. I didn't expose her online. Nor did I report her to any authority.
I simply sat in the front row and watched, calm and still.
In my previous life, the moment I discovered that the woman who had caused my miscarriage had the audacity to steal that very song, I stormed onto the stage and called her out in front of everyone.
It went viral overnight, and public outrage exploded.
Her "genius singer" image collapsed in an instant. She was accused of plagiarism, faced massive damages, and was blacklisted by her agency.
She stood on the edge of a rooftop more than once, but each time, my husband saved her.
And because of that, he came to hate me.
He said I had destroyed his beloved one.
He even used the excuse of "taking me hiking to clear my mind", only to push me straight off a cliff.
This time, I came back with a second chance. The first thing I did was call the agent with the strongest legal team in the industry.
"I remember you said a global diva was willing to pay thirty million dollars for that song's copyright," I said evenly. "I accept."
*****
The agent on the other end was practically bouncing with excitement. "Ms. Taylor Baird, that's fantastic. You're finally ready to sell.
"Our queen has been after this song for two whole years. Even though you stay behind the scenes, your songs are household names. You've launched so many careers.
"Don't worry. We won't change a single note or disrespect your vision.
"The 30 million dollars for the rights? You'll get every penny. Just tell us what you want in the contract."
I just replied calmly, "I only have one condition. This song must never be used without authorization."
"If anyone performs it without permission, I want to see your legal team's response immediately."
The agent responded almost instantly, without a hint of hesitation.
"Rest assured." The agent's tone became solemn. "We're the most copyright-conscious company in the business. Our legal team is unmatched. We've never lost a single case.
"If anyone dares to infringe on your rights, we'll make sure they lose everything. That's our guarantee to every creator we work with."
I gave a small nod.
After I hung up, the heavy weight in my chest loosened just a little.
Honestly, I should thank my husband, Eugene Mcguire, and Maria Baker for being so stupid.
When they just took my song for themselves, they never even thought about asking me.
They never bothered with a single contract or authorization.
On the big screen at Maria's concert, the credits for the song's lyrics and music were displayed boldly.
From a legal standpoint, this was a clear-cut case of infringement.
Once the contract was signed, they'd be facing the full force of the most ruthless legal team in the business.
Taking a deep breath, I happened to catch Eugene coming over, his brows drawn tight in irritation.
"Why aren't you watching Maria sing? What are you doing wandering around?" he snapped.
His voice was thick with impatience.
I didn't say a word.
He looked me up and down and said, "Don't tell me you're upset just because Maria sang that song? Taylor, can you stop being so petty?
"It's just a song, and Maria sings it a million times better than you ever could. You should feel honored she's even willing to sing your song.
"Instead of letting you waste it, at least she can make it shine."
He said Maria's name like it was something precious.
It almost felt like Maria was the one he was married to, and I was nothing but the unwanted outsider, the enemy he wished would disappear.
Back in my previous life, if I heard him say that, I would've burst into tears and demanded, "You swore you'd never let anyone touch this song.
"But then you just handed it over to the very person who took our child away."
But now, I just didn't care anymore.
"I'm not feeling well. I'm leaving. You enjoy the show," I said without emotion.
I didn't even glance at his stunned face.
As I was leaving, I caught a glimpse of the backstage area out of the corner of my eye.
Maria was in front of the makeup mirror, touching up her lipstick.
That lipstick was an ultra-exclusive, one-of-a-kind edition my best friend gave me.
It was the only one on the planet.
I never had the heart to use it and just left it sitting on my vanity.
Anyone with half a brain could tell who gave Maria that lipstick.
Back then, Eugene told me they were just hometown buddies, nothing more.
I bought it and ended up going out of my way to take care of her.
Just moments ago, Eugene was giving me the cold shoulder, but now he was all attentive, carefully wiping the excess lipstick from Maria's lips.
They were practically pressed together, barely any space between them.
Maria's fingertips brushed against Eugene's hand without her even realizing it.
The flirtation in their eyes was so obvious that it was practically spilling out for everyone to see.
In my previous life, I was so blinded by rage that I couldn't see anything else.
All I cared about was exposing Maria's true colors.
I didn't even notice all the sneaky flirting going on between her and Eugene.