Chapter 1
Jenna traveled back in time to several years earlier. The first thing she saw upon waking was Derek handing her divorce papers.
His voice was cold and detached.
He said, "Jenna, she's pregnant and insists on having a proper status. Let's divorce. I'll give you whatever compensation you want."
It was Jenna and Derek's seventh wedding anniversary.
Derek had been missing all night, and his first act upon returning was to ask her for a divorce.
He said he had found true love.
Jenna gazed at his handsome face, her mind drifting into a daze.
In her previous life, she had grabbed a knife from the coffee table and plunged it into his chest.
Warm blood splashed all over her face.
Her eyes turned bloodshot as she asked him, "If she is your true love, then what did my seven years mean to you?"
Once, their love was all-consuming, but in the end, it turned into a hatred just as absolute.
She ripped up the divorce papers, and for the next ten years, they dragged each other through hell.
When Lilah got pregnant, Jenna made sure she was dragged into the operating room and lost the baby.
He came home cold as ice and with one merciless kick, ended the life growing inside her.
On Lilah's birthday, Jenna had people trash the place and dumped a pile of dead rats in there for good measure.
On her own birthday, Derek locked her away in a cold, windowless room, leaving her with nothing but a bunch of cold, writhing snakes for company.
Every single thing, Derek, who once treated her like she was his whole world, now left her scarred inside and out, all because of Lilah.
Just for Lilah, her family's company was ruined, and her parents were forced to jump to their deaths.
Her self-respect and her pride were crushed to nothing.
In the end, her sanity snapped. Driving past Virella Bridge, she saw things that weren't there and went straight off the edge, drowning in the river below.
With memories of her previous life still fresh, Jenna took the divorce papers from Derek once more, her eyes steady and unreadable.
"I'm taking seventy percent of everything we own. And fifty-one percent of JenHeart Group," Jenna said.
Derek hadn't expected her to be this unfazed. He looked at her in surprise, almost thrown off by her composure.
Seven years of marriage. He had always thought he had Jenna all figured out. But right now, he realized he couldn't read her at all.
Derek stared at her. "You really want a divorce?"
Jenna nodded, totally unfazed.
"Relax. You pay, and I'll set you free," she said.
Derek narrowed his sharp eyes, his voice laced with warning.
He said, "Jenna, don't try to outsmart me. Playing hard to get or pulling any mind games. I've never fallen for that.
"This divorce has nothing to do with Lilah.
"If I find out you're causing trouble for her behind my back, you know exactly how I handle things."
Every word out of his mouth was to protect Lilah.
Jenna's knuckles turned white as she gripped the divorce papers.
After ten years in her previous life, she knew all too well how ruthless and cold Derek could be.
Jenna didn't say another word. She signed her name on the papers, each stroke deliberate and unwavering.
Derek stared at her signature, momentarily stunned.
His gaze drifted to her red-rimmed eyes, and remembering how stubborn and proud she always was, he let out a sigh.
He said, "Jenna, I'm sorry for everything. If you ever run into trouble, you can always come to me.
"Even if we're not together anymore, you'll always be family to me."
Jenna saw the shallow guilt flicker in his eyes and gave a mocking, cold laugh.
"Just go," she said.
Derek took the divorce papers and turned to leave.
"I'll get the transfer papers to you real soon," Derek said.
Jenna watched as his figure disappeared down the hallway, her gaze icy as her thoughts slipped back to the past.
When she was little, she had gotten lost. By the time her grandma brought her home, Derek was already part of the family, the older brother.
Life was hard back then, but all that lingered in Jenna's memory was the sweetness.
Derek had treated her so well since they were kids. So much that she couldn't help but get addicted to it.
If she so much as glanced at a princess dress, he'd secretly take on three part-time jobs after school, saving every penny to buy it for her.
Whenever she passed by a fillet steak place and couldn't help but swallow, he spent three months living off bread so he could save up and treat her to fillet steak.
He was always cold and withdrawn, but when it came to Jenna, he kept her safe in the palm of his hand, never letting the world lay a finger on her.
Every ounce of love he had, he poured into her.
The year Jenna's grandma passed away, her parents came looking for her. Without a second thought, Jenna brought Derek along and returned to the Ramirez Mansion.
The Ramirez family was a prestigious household, and her parents couldn't stand the fact that Derek was an orphan.
They tried to shove some cash at him, hoping he'd take the money and vanish from their world.
It was Jenna who knelt before her parents, saying she would marry no one but him.
If they tried to send Derek away, she'd go with him.