Chapter 1

Every thoughtful gift I bought for my wife was quietly stolen by a system and turned into a token of my best friend's affection.

Soon, I noticed my wife's phone lock screen was a cozy photo of her and my best friend.

On her secret Snapchat account, I saw the message she sent him: "You're my true soulmate."

I took the evidence to confront my best friend. Instead of apologizing, he sneered and pushed me off the rooftop. "That's right. Your money, your car, your wife... everything that's yours will eventually be mine!"

Before I lost consciousness, the last thing I heard was my wife's cold statement to the police: "He suffered from severe depression and delusions. It was definitely suicide."

When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the day the system first bound us.

This time, I decided to give them a little "surprise" first.

I turned around and ordered one hundred live venomous snakes on Amazon.

"All you do is play games and stare at your phone! You forgot my birthday. I was blind to ever marry you!"

The sharp accusation rang in my ears. I snapped my eyes open and saw Chloe's face, twisted with rage under the harsh kitchen light.

The familiar living room, the familiar voice, the familiar person...

I was sure of it. I had been reborn, back to this exact critical moment.

Seeing Chloe again, the hatred in my eyes was almost tangible.

This cold-hearted woman was the one who, right after Marcus pushed me off the roof and before my body was even cold, told the police with absolute indifference that I had severe depression and delusions. She made my death look like a pathetic suicide.

Forcing down my hatred, my eyes involuntarily drifted to the vanity table.

A brand-new La Mer skincare set was proudly displayed right in the center.

Chloe followed my gaze. A flicker of guilt crossed her face, but she immediately flared up like a startled cat, her voice rising an octave.

"What are you looking at? Got nothing to say? I knew I couldn't count on you. I had to buy this luxury set with my own money. What, is that a crime?"

With her own money? I sneered internally.

That top-tier La Mer set cost almost three thousand dollars. I saved for months, worked endless overtime, and skipped meals just to buy it for her birthday.

But now, Marcus's damn "Wife-Stealing System" had swiped it, making her believe it was a romantic gesture from him.

Chloe thought I was clueless, trying to cover it up by saying she bought it herself.

In my past life, the bizarre system Marcus bound to me was like an invisible parasite, draining me dry.

Any gift I bought for Chloe would somehow end up being credited to Marcus.

Even if I ordered online on Amazon, the system would transfer the purchase record to his name once the transaction cleared.

With the help of that Wife-Stealing System, Marcus easily stole my wife, Chloe, right out from under me.

By the time I noticed the anomaly and confronted him, he ruthlessly pushed me off the building.

I clenched my fists so hard my nails dug into my palms.

Suppressing my burning rage, I forced a submissive, apologetic smile onto my face.

"Babe, I'm so sorry. It's my fault. I've been so overwhelmed with work lately that I neglected you."

"Next month is Valentine's Day. I promise I'm going to prepare a massive surprise for you this time!"

"A surprise?" Chloe sneered, her eyes full of impatience and contempt. "You always say that. Can't you be a little original? It's clear you don't care about me at all! Fine. I'll give you one last chance."

She pointed a finger right at my nose, her tone cold and final. "On Valentine's Day, if your surprise doesn't blow me away, you don't have to bother coming back to this house!"

With that, she scoffed, grabbed her phone, and turned her back to me, ignoring me completely.

At that moment, I let the hatred show in my eyes as I glared at her back.

In my past life, I was a total fool, played like a fiddle by this trashy couple.

I gave everything I had, only to be met with ruthless betrayal and a cold death.

This life, I will never let history repeat itself.

Everything they took from me, they will pay back a hundredfold.

Every ounce of pain I suffered, I will make them taste every single drop.