Chapter 1

Chester's POV

Nevaeh Charlton and I had grown up together. Our families were of the same social status, and everyone said we were the perfect childhood sweethearts.

That was, until senior year.

A transfer student named Edward Rogers showed up in our class. He carried himself with effortless grace, distant and untouchable, like he did not belong to the same world as the rest of us. Nevaeh fell for him almost instantly.

Three months later, she finally said it.

"Chester, let's call off the engagement. I like Edward. I only want to be with him."

I could not accept it, and I made a scene so big that everyone found out about it.

The fallout was brutal.

Nevaeh was locked up at home under strict watch. As for Edward, my family pulled some strings and had him transferred to a better school in another city.

A month later, Edward took his own life after being unable to endure the bullying at school.

When Nevaeh heard the news, something inside her seemed to die along with him.

She stopped talking and refused to eat.

Out of both love and guilt, I dropped everything to stay by her side. Every day, I spoke to her in soft, careful words. I fed her bite by bite, begging her to keep living.

Two months later, after planning everything down to the smallest detail, I took her to the snowy mountains she had always dreamed of visiting.

When the first ray of sunlight broke through the clouds and lit up the entire snowy peak, golden light poured over everything. It reflected in her hollow eyes, as if something inside them was finally waking up.

Slowly, Nevaeh turned to look at me.

For the first time in what felt like forever, her lips curved into a gentle smile.

"Chester, thank you. For everything."

In that moment, I thought I had pulled her out of the darkness. I thought I had found the love of my life again.

We later got married, just like everyone expected. We had a son and a daughter, both bright and full of life.

However, when they turned ten, everything fell apart.

I became seriously ill and eventually was paralyzed, unable to even turn over in bed on my own.

That same day, Nevaeh walked into the house holding Edward's hand.

Edward was supposed to be dead. I never imagined he was still alive.

What shattered me even more was what happened next. My children ran straight into his arms, laughing, calling out, “Dad!" in clear, happy voices.

I trembled all over, too stunned to speak.

Nevaeh looked down at me from where she stood, her gaze colder than ice.

"You never had children of your own," she said. "Our so-called children are actually Edward's and mine. You were just their nanny for all these years.

"You destroyed our lives. Your family used their power to push Edward into a corner with no way out. I married you and endured you for years, waiting for this day to finally come."

She took a deep breath, then delivered her verdict with a chilling calm.

"You won't be alone for long. Your parents will be joining you very soon. Everyone who tore Edward and me apart will pay. Not a single one of you will escape!"

After I died, she did exactly what she said.

She used every trick she had to send both my parents and hers to prison. One by one, they died in convenient ‘accidents’.

After some time, I opened my eyes again.

I had been sent back to the day she told me she loved Edward.