Chapter 1

The judge ruled that I had to publicly apologize to my cheating husband, Charles Pierce, for fifteen days.

In my previous life, I was so furious that I wiped my online presence and refused to follow the court order, so Charles went to the court to force me to comply.

He and his female colleague, Kinsley Mercer, used the court verdict as their shield to paint themselves innocent, accusing me of being a serial liar. In the end, I lost my job, and he snatched my daughter, Lily Pierce, from me.

In this life, when I got the court order, I asked my lawyer, Anna Stone, "The court only said I have to apologize, right? It didn't say I can't read the original verdict, did it?"

Anna paused for a few seconds and said, "Yes."

So, on the first day, I sat up straight in front of the camera and said sincerely, "I apologize to Mr. Charles Pierce.

"I shouldn't have claimed, without the court's full support, that he bought gold bracelets, designer bags, and rented hotel suites for his female subordinate for five consecutive years."

About ten minutes after the video was posted, the comments section blew up.

Charles called me, his voice shaking. "What the hell are you doing?"

I looked at the stats going through the roof in the backend and smiled, "I'm following the court order."

*****

When the court order was handed to me, Charles was sitting on my couch.

He was dressed in a dark gray suit, his tie clip perfectly straight, like he'd just walked out of a conference room.

Kinsley was sitting next to him, cradling a cup of water in her hands.

Her eyes were red at the corners, her fingers clenched around the cup, making her look small and pitiful.

If a stranger walked in, they'd probably think I was the villain in this marriage.

Charles placed the printed statement right in the center of the coffee table and said, "Julia, the court's made its decision. You need to apologize."

I looked down at the court order.

It listed my name, the case, the facts of the infringement, and the verdict.

Each word hit me like a rock to the face, like in my previous life.

Last time, the moment I saw that verdict, I ripped it to shreds.

I thought it was absurd.

Charles and Kinsley were hooking up in hotels. He transferred money to her and bought gifts for her.

All I did was post their names and where they worked online, and yet I was the one who had to apologize in the end.

I wiped my account and refused to comply.

Charles immediately filed for enforcement, dragging Kinsley with him for a public interview.

He claimed I totally lost it emotionally, said I was always paranoid, and insisted he and Kinsley were just coworkers, nothing more.

Kinsley had tears streaming down her face, playing the victim.

She said, "I'm nothing but a regular employee. My boss's wife put me on blast online, and honestly, I'm terrified."

Eventually, I lost my job.

At school, my daughter Lily got swarmed by kids, all asking if her mom had lost her mind.

Charles jumped at the chance and filed for custody.

He pushed me further and further until I had nowhere left to run.

When I woke up, I found myself back on the exact day the court order arrived.

Charles frowned when I kept quiet for too long. "Stop dragging your feet. The verdict is clear. You need to take down those posts and publicly apologize for fifteen days straight."

Kinsley spoke up softly, "Charlie, maybe we should let it go. I totally understand why Julia is angry."

As soon as she finished, a tear rolled down her cheek.

Charles immediately turned to her, his voice softening. "You're too kind. That's why she's been able to walk all over you like this."

I shot them a look.

After twelve years together, I could read that look on Charles's face like a book.

Whenever he sided with someone else but me, he'd always start with that fake "I'm being fair" face.

Then, right after, he'd twist the knife and make sure I was the one who got hurt.

I picked up the court order and flipped to the last page. "Do you guys need to check what I say before I apologize?"

Charles paused, caught off guard. "What are you talking about?"

"The court says I have to apologize, but who gets to decide what I actually say?"

Charles shot me an impatient look. "Obviously, you need to use this statement." He drummed his fingers on the paper lying on the coffee table.

I grabbed it and took a look.

The statement was polished to sound flawless.

It read: [I admit that, driven by suspicion, I kept slandering my husband, Charles, and his coworker, Kinsley, seriously damaging their reputation. I am truly sorry and sincerely apologize.]

There was another line underneath. [I hope everyone stops spreading rumors and lets them have their name cleared.]

I couldn't help but chuckle.

Charles's face darkened. "What's so funny?"

I said, "Not bad, actually."

Kinsley looked up, her eyes flashing with a barely hidden smugness.

She thought this was case closed. Once I posted it, she'd go from the mistress who wrecked my marriage to the poor victim bullied by her boss's wife online.

And Charles could wave this apology around at work and act like all the family drama was over.

That was exactly what they did in my previous life.