A New Dawn, A Different Path

Eric Nottingham, the head of my department, was surprised after he heard my declaration. It wasn't the answer he had been expecting.

"Summer, this expedition will last close to two years. It will be a long and difficult assignment. Aren't you about to get married soon? Are you sure you want to join us? What does Luke think?"

I looked at myself in the mirror—at the version of myself who hadn't yet been beaten down by the cruel passage of time. Conviction laced my voice as I said, "His opinion doesn't matter."

Eric was stunned for a few moments before a knowing expression crossed his features.

"Understood. You have great potential when it comes to understanding the Glacian creatures. Since you've made up your mind, the expedition team welcomes you with open arms. Make your preparations. We leave next week."

The expedition team was scheduled to depart on the same day as my wedding.

Luke didn't take too long in the bathroom. Steam billowed out from behind him as he exited. The fog of intoxication had cleared from his head after he took a shower. He sat down next to me before pulling me into his arms.

"What's with that blank look? You're still daydreaming?"

My senses were assaulted by the scent of gardenias that clung to his damp skin. It was so overwhelming that I could feel a headache building. Luke smiled when he noticed that my eyebrows were pulled together.

"I was only joking earlier because I was drunk. Don't tell me you thought I was being serious? I admit that it's my fault. I'll learn what I don't know, I won't let you or the baby suffer any hardships."

I couldn't help but think about how the source of all my hardships in my past life could be traced back to Luke. He angled his body toward me as he spoke before leaning in to kiss me.

In my past life, Luke stopped being affectionate with me after Riley underwent treatment and successfully got pregnant again. I dodged his kiss. The movement accidentally messed up his bathrobe and exposed a tattoo of a set of teeth marks.

Luke told me once before that it was just a regular tattoo. He didn't get rid of it because he was afraid of the pain. But I discovered the truth in my past life. The teeth marks belonged to Riley and the tattoo served as proof of the wonderful first love they shared.

Luke was visibly displeased when he noticed I wasn't receptive to his advances. "Summer, we've been together for six years. Are you going to be difficult just because of something I said on a whim?"

I shook my head and said, "You're overthinking things. I don't feel so good because the baby's been moving around."

Luke picked me up and gently laid me down on the bed. "Don't worry. I'm here."

His dark eyes were like bottomless pools. I'd lost count of the amount of times that I was pulled in and drowned by them.

My parents were good friends with Luke's parents. When my parents passed away from an accident, Luke had gazed at me with the same dark eyes. "Don't worry. I'm here. I'll protect you," he had told me.

The storm raged outside, accompanied by deafening claps of thunder. A shrill ringing broke through my thoughts and pulled me back to the present. When Luke answered his phone, Riley's sobbing came echoing through the receiver.

"Luke, my stomach hurts so much. Can you come over and take me to the hospital?"

Luke's tone was filled with anxiety when he said, "Something happened to the secretary I just hired. As her superior, I'm worried about her."

In my past life, I didn't know that the secretary Luke spoke of was Riley, his first love. I had only been worried about his safety since he had to travel through the storm.

There were already police and doctors on the scene, so I tried to stop Luke from leaving. I tried to reason with him that there was nothing he could do even if he showed up.

When Luke finally rushed to Riley's side, it was already too late. Riley had suffered a miscarriage. The effects were severe and Riley could no longer get pregnant. After that incident, Luke started to loathe me.

Now that I had a chance to relive this life once more, I wasn't going to stop him. This time, I would be the one to throw him aside. I pretended to be worried and said, "You're a good boss. Hurry and go help her. Time is of the essence."

Guilt flickered across Luke's features. As he was about to leave, I called his name and stopped him.