Chapter 5

Margaret and Sam instantly panicked and swarmed her. "Kendall, sweetheart, are you okay?"

Kenneth tenderly scooped his daughter up into his arms and eyed me reproachfully. "Morgiana, how could you—"

I watched the scene unfold apathetically, without a single ripple of emotion in my heart. The venomous words she'd said to me in my previous life still rang in my ears.

"Why are you crying?" I asked flatly. "It's just a little cut. It's not like she's dead."

As soon as my words fell, everyone in the room was taken aback. Kenneth stared at me in disbelief, too.

Roxana, who had watched from the sidelines all this time, immediately sprinted over and pulled Kendall into a tight hug. Tears welled up in her eyes. "How could you say that, Morgiana? Kendall is just a child. She—"

I whirled around and cut off her performance. "Save the waterworks! Your daughter isn't dead yet. Why are you wailing like you're at a funeral?

"Are you that desperate to show everyone what a loving mother you are? Too bad no one here's buying it!"

Her face flushed and paled as she was stumped.

I smoothed out my disheveled wedding gown and continued calmly, "I won't be going to the back room, and there's no way in hell I'm apologizing to her. If anyone thinks I'm possessed, they're welcome to find a priest and have me checked themselves."

I paused for a moment. I took in Sam and Margaret's livid faces and Kenneth's conflicted expression. "One more thing—starting today, I'm the one who calls the shots in this house!"

With that, I paid no further attention to the spectacular array of expressions on their faces and pointed at the door. "Now, all of you, get the hell out of my room!"

Margaret wanted to argue, but I picked up the remaining half cup of coffee on the table and hurled it at her feet. The mug shattered into pieces, and she shrieked, stumbling backward.

"Scram!" I snarled.

Kenneth's expression became as stormy. He held Kendall, who was still in tears, and gritted his teeth before leading everyone out of the room.

All the strength drained from my body, and I collapsed onto the bed. Staring at the wedding portrait on the wall, I couldn't help but find the whole situation ironic.

Why did it have to be him? Why did it have to be him of all people?

My memories dragged me back to the devastating earthquake three years ago.

At the time, I was working as a tutor in an old school building. Without a moment's notice, violent shocks tore through the ground.

The ceiling came crashing down. I managed to get all my students out, but I was trapped in a narrow void beneath the debris. A crossbeam pressed down on my left leg, and excruciating pain shot through me.

Oxygen was running dangerously low. I lost track of how long I had been buried as my consciousness slowly began to fade.

Just before I gave up, a faint beam of light shone in. "There's someone down here! Hang in there!" a man called out.

Then I heard someone digging through bricks and rubble with his bare hands, accompanied by heavy, ragged breathing.

After what felt like an eternity, the rubble above me was cleared. I tried my best to look up and met Kenneth's eyes.

Back then, he was simply one of the volunteer rescuers on site.

"Don't be afraid. I'll get you out of here." His voice was calm and steady.

However, the crossbeam pinning me down was too heavy to move without professional equipment. He actually wedged his own shoulder into the narrow gap and exhausted nearly all his strength to free my leg cautiously. His shoulder was torn and bloodied, but he never let go of me.

After I was rescued, he stayed by my side in the hospital. He helped pay my medical bills. He was the one who had pulled me back from death's door.

I'd once sworn to repay his kindness with the rest of my life. Yet, all he did was pull me out of one hell, only to trap me in another.

In my previous life, I'd revolved my world around him. Thus, I didn't owe him a single thing anymore.

In this life…

I jerked my head up. The last trace of hesitation in my eyes vanished completely.

Since I'd been given a second chance at life, I was going to live it to the fullest. Not a single person who had hurt me was going to get away with it!