Chapter 1

Terrence Fletcher opened his eyes in pain, coughing up mouthfuls of water. His voice was hoarse when he snapped, "Get lost."

But when he saw clearly who was in front of him, he suddenly froze. "Annie? Why is it you?"

He looked around and spotted me in the corner. I was just as drenched as he was.

In my previous life, I had jumped into the sea without hesitation to save Terrence. But when he gained consciousness, he had pushed me away, looking at me with sheer disgust in his eyes.

He had someone bring him a towel and a bottle of water. Then, in front of everyone, he had rinsed his mouth and wiped his lips as if he had been contaminated.

But now…

"Terrence, I'm so relieved to see you're okay. I…" Anna Stone knelt beside him, her face a mix of concern and shyness. She hesitated before deliberately covering her lips with her hand.

Terrence understood her unspoken message and chose to stay silent. He simply allowed Anna to help him stand. Without sparing me a glance, he left with her.

I knew Terrence had been drugged, which had caused him to lose his balance and fall into the sea. In my previous life, he had quickly found out who was behind it. Therefore, there was no need for me to step in and remind him.

…

The seawater had been freezing, and that night, I came down with a fever.

There was a knock on my door. My mind was hazy, but the moment I opened the door and saw Terrence, I snapped wide awake.

"What are you doing here?"

Terrence leaned against the doorframe, giving me a cool glance. "Mabel, what kind of stunt are you pulling this time?"

I looked at him in confusion. "I don't know what you're talking about."

He let out a cold, mocking laugh. "In front of all those people, you deliberately called Annie over to give me CPR. Why didn't you do it yourself? How can you be so selfish?"

I felt a tight knot in my chest, as if something heavy was pressing down on me. I wanted to confront him.

"Then what do you want from me? Rescuing you was a mistake, and reaching out to your beloved was even worse. Perhaps I should have let you drown in the sea."

Those were the words I wanted to say, but instead, I said, "Think whatever you want. If there's nothing more, I'd like to rest now. I'm not feeling well." My voice was steady yet low as I sniffed slightly.

Terrence probably thought I was just putting on a show to gain his sympathy. His lips curled into a faint, mocking smile.

"Playing the victim now? Mabel, you never stop, always coming up with new tricks. If you're not feeling well, take some medicine. It's not like I'm a doctor."

As I watched him walk away down the hallway, I let out a long, weary sigh.

Everyone in Newenport's social circle knew how much I liked Terrence. I liked him with a kind of quiet desperation, stubborn and pathetic all at once.

He once said he liked long, straight hair, so I kept mine that way since childhood and never changed it.

He said light-colored clothes looked nice, so not a single dark piece had appeared in my wardrobe since.

He liked women who were quiet and graceful, so I turned down invitations from friends. I simply stayed home to practice piano, chess, literature, and painting.

It took the harsh lessons of my past life for me to finally understand. Anna naturally met all his criteria, not because she tried, but because he genuinely loved her.

Hence, no matter how much I changed or how hard I worked, I would never gain his attention.

News soon spread that Anna had given Terrence CPR.

The cruise party was hosted by the Fletcher family. After Terrence's accident, panic spread rapidly through the ship.

Soon, a few men in security uniforms knocked on my door. "Ms. Stone, we need you to cooperate with the investigation."

I was told that since I was the first to discover Terrence had fallen into the sea, I was now the prime suspect.

I was puzzled. "But I saved him."

One of the guards gave me an apologetic look. "Mr. Fletcher said we can't rule out the possibility that you staged the whole thing to make him feel indebted to you."

I was completely stunned. So, Terrence thought I was intentionally trying to make him feel indebted to me.

The guards dragged me to a utility room on the lower deck. They locked the door, ignoring my protests and my warnings about the legality of their actions.

"Mr. Fletcher said he'll take full responsibility," someone said. "He ordered that you're not to be released until the truth is confirmed."

I was locked away for a full day and night, burning with fever and without water. Eventually, I passed out.

In my daze, I felt strong arms lifting me.