Chapter 2

Hearing that, my mind drifted for a second.

In my previous life, Charles and I met during a community service project.

We bonded over shared interests and values, and things naturally progressed.

The first few years were happy. But everything changed after we got married and held the big family announcement party.

We planned to host a dinner at the hotel to share our marriage news with family and friends.

That day, Vivian showed up in an elegant light blue dress.

Charles was mesmerized from the moment he saw her.

I didn't think much of it at first. But as time went on, Charles became distant, distracted, and even avoided sharing a room with me.

A woman's intuition told me something was wrong, but I didn't want to dig too deep.

After all, we shared so many interests and values. I couldn't imagine him betraying me.

Yet, he came home later and later, sneaking glances at his phone more frequently.

My heart didn't want to believe it, but my brain kept sounding the alarm: he might be cheating.

Then, one day after work, I saw it with my own eyes. Charles was holding Vivian tightly, the two of them wrapped around each other right outside my apartment building.

It felt like a thunderbolt. My world shattered.

I lost it, screaming at Charles, questioning his love. His answer felt like a knife to the heart.

He shoved me hard onto the ground, pinning me down, his voice icy. "Helen, look at yourself. A mess, no sense of style, dark circles under your eyes; you look a decade older.

"Your cousin is better than you in every way. She's lively, sweet, gentle. Vivian is my ideal woman.

"This marriage was a huge mistake from the start."

The man I once trusted most was now hurling insults at me for another woman.

The tenderness in his eyes was gone, replaced entirely by disgust and resentment.

It all felt so absurd.

Before Vivian, Charles had treated me like a queen.

He'd fuss if I worked too hard, grateful for my efforts, understanding my drive because he knew it was all for our future.

But when Vivian appeared, so different from me, Charles was drawn to the novelty, falling headfirst all over again.

I understood that people got bored with routine. But I couldn't accept the betrayal.

Once caught, Charles immediately asked for a divorce.

I lost everything. Broken, I finally agreed.

On the way to finalize the divorce, the tension was still thick.

Vivian kept throwing snide remarks my way.

In the heat of the argument, none of us noticed the truck speeding around the corner.

A massive explosion, then darkness.

I opened my eyes, back at the day we were supposed to present ourselves to the family as newlyweds.

To avoid repeating that nightmare, I let them have each other.

They got together smoothly, went abroad to build their careers, while I pursued my passion for food.

The difference was, I had my previous life's experience. This time, I quickly made a name for myself in the culinary world, becoming a recognized expert.

And I found true love.

I broke free from the tragedy of my previous life, once and for all.

*****

All the relatives had finally trickled in.

My parents arrived last, arm-in-arm. Seeing me, they smiled. "Helen, have you said hello to everyone?"

I gestured towards the crowd with my chin. "Everyone's busy. Nobody noticed me. Vivian and Charles are back."

Their faces fell, but they didn't say more.

After all, Charles and Vivian were successful overseas. The relatives sucking up to them was to be expected.

But as my family and I approached, their conversation with Charles still seemed to revolve around putting me down.

"Well, Charles might have misjudged someone before, but it led him to Vivian. A true blessing," someone said.

"Exactly. Helen's a decent person, just too rigid. Doesn't know how to adapt. All these years, and she still hasn't tried to make amends with her cousin and brother-in-law. What if she needs their help someday? They probably wouldn't bother," another one added.

"Seriously, she can't even deal with something so basic, and now the whole family's all tense. It's honestly a headache," a third guy chimed in.

Vivian wore her usual gentle smile, but her eyes couldn't hide her smug pride.

She picked up a glass of wine and looked at me.

"Helen, don't take what they say to heart. I'm still your cousin after all. If you ever need anything, I'll definitely help you," she said to me.

Charles, who was beside her, pursed his lips and chimed in, "You're a grown woman. Learn some social graces. We can help with some things, but you can't rely on us for everything."

My parents trembled with anger. I quickly held their arms and forced a smile.

"Right. You're both absolutely correct," I replied.

With that, I led my parents to find seats.

Course after course of exquisite food was served. Everyone raised their glasses, eagerly asking Charles to share his glorious experiences abroad.

"So many artists overseas, it must have been tough for Charles to stand out?" someone asked.

Charles hugged Vivian, giving her a peck on the cheek in front of everyone before speaking.

"It was challenging. But my wife supported me unwaveringly. Without her, I might have given up and ended up working a dead-end job at some small company forever," Charles answered proudly.

Vivian gazed back at him adoringly, her voice coy. "It's mainly because my husband is so talented, takes such great photos. Otherwise, he wouldn't be where he is today."

"A perfect match! You two bring out the best in each other," someone said.

The relatives around them all chimed in agreement.

"Honestly, Charles, choosing Vivian was probably the smartest thing you've ever done," another praised.

The comments kept coming, everyone using me as a stepping stone to curry favor with Charles, tearing me down relentlessly.

Mom's eyes reddened with fury. She leaned close and whispered, "So he sold a few photos? Big deal.

"If they want to be together, fine. Why do they have to keep comparing you to them? These people are just bootlickers. Just wait until Ryan gets here. They'll be all over you then, you'll see."

Just the mention of Ryan, and I couldn't help but smile.

Everyone was all about Charles, totally forgetting my parents, the ones who actually hosted the whole thing.

But we stayed quiet, just waiting.

It wasn't until the waiter came up to me and said softly that all the food was served that people finally remembered we existed.

Charles took a look around the club.

The private club was in a prime downtown location. The hallways were adorned with privately collected, valuable photographs. The guests milling about were all well-known figures from various fields. Even the most unassuming crystal chandelier looked incredibly expensive.

He looked back at me, sneering. "Helen, so you organized today's gathering? Can your meager salary even afford a slice of cake in a place like this?"