Chapter 1

"I’ll be out of your way in a few days. We're done here."

I slid the signed agreement back across the mahogany desk and opened the study door.

Ethan’s gaze dropped to the bottom right corner of the page. Lina.

He hadn't expected me to be so agreeable. Whether in my past life or this one, I had loved this man for ten whole years. Even though ours was a marriage of convenience, I had spent every day revolving around him like a glorified maid. And right up until the moment I died in that sterile, white psychiatric ward, I hadn't earned a single look of pity from him.

Reborn into this life, staring at the exact same divorce papers, I only felt a deep, exhausting sense of absurdity.

Ethan quickly recovered his polished, corporate composure. "I'm glad you're being reasonable." He adjusted his cuffs, not looking at me. "I know this is sudden. If there's any other financial compensation you need, have your lawyer contact mine."

With that, he walked out, pulling the door shut behind him.

Early the next morning, I began erasing my existence from the estate.

I pushed open the doors to the master walk-in closet. Ethan was standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling mirror, his eyes instinctively finding my reflection.

Every morning for the past three years, I had woken up half an hour early. I would check his itinerary, the weather, and his mood to hand-pick his suit, tie, and cufflinks. And every morning, he would offer the same freezing reminder: "Lina, leave this to the staff. This is a contract. You don't need to play the devoted wife."

Back then, I was stupid enough to think I could melt a block of ice.

Today, I gave him exactly what he wanted.

I walked right past him, not even glancing at his reflection. I went straight to my section of the wardrobe and pulled out a simple trench coat.

In the mirror, Ethan’s hands froze on his cufflinks. He stared at my back, his brow furrowing slightly. He opened his mouth, as if waiting for me to turn around.

I didn't. I walked out.

The moment I stepped into the grand foyer, I saw Anna making herself at home on the living room sofa. She was wearing one of Ethan’s oversized dress shirts, sipping coffee.

This was the first time I had seen her in this life. In my previous life, she hadn't shown up until after Grandma’s surgery. My immediate signature on the divorce papers must have accelerated the timeline.

I always knew Ethan had a supermodel ex-girlfriend. Once upon a time, seeing her here would have torn my insides apart. Now? I just found it incredibly boring.

I walked down the stairs, giving her a polite, distant nod, and stepped aside to give them full claim to the room.

Ethan came downstairs a moment later. Seeing the two of us in the same space, his steps faltered.

I ignored the complicated look in his eyes. I called for the Estate Manager and, right in front of Ethan, dropped a thick stack of binders onto the console table.

"This is the 24-hour contact list for Ethan’s private medical team," I said, my tone strictly business. "This is his weekly dietary restriction chart. And this is the list of fabrics he's allergic to during seasonal changes."

I shifted my gaze to Anna. "Since you're moving in, this is your job now."

Anna blinked, staring at the massive stack of rules. Ethan’s face darkened instantly. "Lina, what the hell are you doing?"

"Exactly what it looks like."

I didn't even have the desire to explain. I turned on my heel and headed for the storage room to get my luggage.

Back in my room, I opened my suitcase and neatly folded the few clothes I actually cared about. Then, I opened my nightstand drawer and pulled out my passport.

Tucked safely inside was a one-way first-class ticket to Paris. Departure: five days from now.