Chapter 1

"Phee, what are you still standing there for? Go in and see who that bitch is!" Mom urged me anxiously.

Her face was tight with worry, as if she was truly saying it for my own good.

But one just needed to give it some extra thought, and they'd realize that this entire thing was something Mom and Helena Fairchild, my younger sister, had plotted together.

In my previous life, I'd already left for a trip when Mom specifically came to tip me off. I'd flown into a rage, rushed home, and gotten into a violent tussle with them.

Gideon Hawthorne, my husband, laid hands on me, causing me to miscarry right then and there.

Although Mom was heartbroken, she didn't take me to the hospital right away. And just like that, under my own mother's reckless indulgence, I'd lost my baby, my marriage, and the very foundation I'd relied on to survive.

I closed my stinging eyes, forced down the dull ache in my chest, and turned to walk out.

This time, I had already thought things through clearly. Love didn't matter at all. Money was what was most important.

Seeing me walk away as if it had nothing to do with me, Mom's eyes flashed with shock. She gritted her teeth, lunged forward, and threw the bedroom door open.

A scream erupted.

Helena frantically pulled the sheets over herself, tears streaming down her face.

"Mom, I… I drank too much… I didn't mean to…"

Mom pretended to be shocked. She rushed over, jabbing her finger at Helena while yelling and crying at the same time.

Gideon didn't even flinch. He grabbed his belt and fastened it, then casually lit a cigarette. His gaze fell on me, his tone edged with mockery.

"So, what are you planning to do this time?"

The first time, I had cut the mistress' hair.

The second time, I slashed his secretary's face.

The third time, I went to his company and made such a scene that the stock price dropped that very day.

I couldn't even remember how many times it had been. All I remembered was my hoarse voice from screaming so much and my twisted, angry face. It had gotten to the point that whenever people saw me, they would mock me, expecting a spectacle.

"The crazy lady is here to catch her cheating husband again."

However, Gideon only got worse and worse.

But this time, I had completely given up on him. I only wanted a comfortable and peaceful life.

Suddenly, with a thud, Helena knelt in front of me, looking terrified.

"Ophelia, it's all my fault. Don't blame Gideon. If you want to blame someone, blame me."

She looked so innocent, so fragile, yet she was doing everything she could to protect the man.

Sure enough, Gideon's expression softened for a second, and his gaze toward me darkened even further.

"Ophelia Fairchild, I'm the one—"

"If there's nothing else, I'll be leaving. I have a date with some friends, and it's almost time," I cut him off before he could finish.

I pretended not to see his stunned expression and turned to leave.

Mom panicked. But by the time she chased after me, I was already long gone, leaving her standing there frozen in shock.

No one had expected me to react this way.