Chapter 1

A marriage of convenience, and my ex-boyfriend crawled back begging for a second chance.

To prevent this from ruining my marriage with my billionaire husband, my so-called best friend exposed our "affair" to the entire high society.

My ex-boyfriend, ruined and humiliated, committed suicide. I ended up becoming my husband’s dutiful helper, praised by everyone as the perfect, submissive wife.

My best friend went around bragging that I owed all my success to her. She claimed that without her intervention, I would have been a disgraced, penniless outcast. She even used her self-proclaimed loyalty to get close to my husband.

But the moment she found out that if I got pregnant, my child would inherit the entire family fortune, her jealousy consumed her. She pushed me off a cliff.

"If I could do it all over again, I’d let you ruin yourself!" she screamed.

***

"Mae, is there really no hope for us?"

Hearing that nickname again made me freeze. It had been so long since anyone had called me Mae.

Looking at the man standing in front of me—a man who had been dead for years in my past life—I thought I was dreaming.

In my previous life, during my fifth wedding anniversary gala, my best friend, Vivian, had suddenly staged a scene.

She loudly recounted how she had "saved" me from cheating when my ex-boyfriend begged for a second chance.

She even kept hinting to my husband that he needed to keep me on a tight leash, implying that a woman like me could slip up at any moment.

What should have been a perfect celebration instantly turned into a public trial.

"Maeve Sterling, marrying my son was the biggest stroke of luck for your family," my mother-in-law had sneered in front of everyone. "If you dare do anything to disrespect him, I will make your life a living hell."

"Pretty women are always trouble," another guest whispered. "She doesn't know how to appreciate a good man. She should be locked up at home and taught some manners."

"I never thought she was that kind of girl. She goes to the office every day—maybe she's got her eyes on some other guy there?"

Even my husband, Zachary, who knew damn well I was a virgin when we married and who practically inspected my body for marks every single day, stared at me with calculating eyes, trying to spot a sliver of guilt on my face.

But that entire "affair" was nothing but a misunderstanding.

Back then, I had only wanted to leave the gala to get some air. But Vivian had rushed over and grabbed my arm, refusing to let go.

"Maeve, you don't blame me, do you? I did it for your own good. A wild girl like you would never have landed such a rich husband if it weren't for me."

"If I hadn't stopped you back then, you would have run off with that penniless loser. Do you think you’d be standing here in a designer gown today?"

"You're just a hopeless romantic. Without me, you’d be nothing but a disgraced whore."

"If I knew you'd act like this, I never would have helped you."

Vivian constantly used these guilt trips to paint me as an unfaithful wife.

But back then, Luke and I had only spoken a few words. After I rejected him, our interactions were strictly professional business.

Whenever I tried to argue, Vivian would call me defensive. She’d throw heavily edited, angled photos of us "kissing" in my face, calling me a slut over and over again.

Looking at Vivian's frantic, crazed expression now, I let out a cold laugh in my mind.

If it weren't for her, I would have taken over the entire Vance Group by now.

Because she went around spreading rumors about my "loose behavior," I was completely marginalized at the company. I couldn't access internal resources and was forced to endure my trash of a husband for years.

I decided to stop playing nice. "You really think I don't know what you're doing, Vivian? If you want my husband, just go after him. What's the matter? Can't compete with his side chicks, so you have to project your insecurities on me?"

"Zachary already promised me. The moment I bear his child, all the company assets will belong to us."

For years, Vivian had stayed single. Her career was a joke, but she was always hovering around Zachary, wearing low-cut tops and throwing herself at him.

Too bad for her, Zachary’s rotation of supermodel mistresses was endless. He didn't have time for a plain Jane like Vivian.

My words made Vivian's face twist in rage. "A bitch like you doesn't deserve Zachary! I'll make sure you never have his baby!"

I tried to shake her off, but she grabbed me with manic strength. During our struggle on the edge of the mountain resort, Vivian, in a fit of rage, pushed me off the cliff. I fell to my death.

Our romantic mountain anniversary had turned into a fatal fall.

"Mae? Why aren't you saying anything?"

Luke's anxious voice brought me back to reality.

I could hear the genuine concern in his voice.

Back when we were dating, he wanted to have a special name just for me. So, he took the "Mae" from Maeve. He was the only one who called me that.

Had I really been reborn?

Just then, I heard the faint click of a phone camera.

I turned my head and saw Vivian holding her phone, looking flustered.

It seemed I had traveled back to the very day Vivian accused me of cheating.

Just as I was about to stand up, the previously angry Vivian suddenly threw her phone onto the ground and stomped on it hard.

She rushed over and grabbed my hands. "Maeve, don't worry! I will protect your love. Just run away with him. Go!"

"I won't stand in your way this time. Live your life, chase your happiness. Love conquers all!"

She patted her chest, promising over and over that she would keep our secret.

Watching her walk away with a triumphant smirk, Luke pointed at his head and muttered, "Is your friend crazy? What is wrong with her?"

I took a sip of my iced coffee and shrugged. "Who knows?"

"But starting today, don't come looking for me anymore. Our partnership needs a change."

Luke looked shocked. "Don't tell me you actually fell for that jerk Zachary?"

I let out a dismissive laugh. "Are you kidding? It's a marriage of convenience. I married him to take down his family empire from the start."

However, I was highly curious. Had Vivian been reborn too? How did she die?

***