REBORN: From Housewife to Empress.

Odessa would die today.

She did not know that. Her thoughts were completely immersed in something else as she clutched her purse, lowered herself into her car, and turned on the engine. Her heart hammered loudly against her ribs.

The only thing she felt was anger, all the pent-up anger that had built over her years as Tristan's wife.

Was she a wife? She was a slave. She was the reason he was what he was today. She had built the company from the ground up, but nobody would believe her if she told them. They would call her a bitter woman, lying because she had found out her husband was cheating.

Tears stung her eyes, and she quickly brushed them aside.

She thought about how she had spent this morning wiping her own blood off the ground.

Her child was gone, and she was left to deal with it alone.

She had pulled out her phone to call her husband even though her hands were trembling and tears blurred her vision.

When he finally picked up, he was out of breath, as if he had been running.

He said whatever it was, they would talk about it when he got home.

And then she heard it, the unmistakable sound of a woman's voice in the background.

Her heart sank, and she broke into loud sobs. Tristan had already ended the call.

All her pent-up rage finally broke free. She picked up a vase and threw it to the ground, shattering it into a million pieces.

Anger from the years she had spent in the background, making deals and investments. All Tristan did was look pretty and say the lines she gave him.

She would spend nights drafting emails that would eventually result in a successful contract while he slept like a baby.

She grabbed another decorative vase. This time, she threw it at the glass table. She fell to the floor, gripping her chest as she screamed.

She knew where he was, that bastard.

She had always known. The first time she had received an email confirming a booked hotel room, she had quietly deleted it.

The second time, it was the same hotel and the same room. She confronted him, but he denied booking a hotel. He did not sleep at home for two nights.

Odessa spent those nights curled up against her bedroom wall with a bottle of wine in her hands, waiting for him while she lied to herself about what he was doing.

Today was different. She knew because she was driving to the hotel right now.

She would catch him at the scene, and this time he would not be able to lie his way out.

This time, she would have the courage to walk away.

A divorce.

It was always at the back of her mind. It haunted her like a curse.

Every time, she lied to herself. She would pretend that her husband could change, that maybe he would give her the recognition she deserved.

He would tell the world that she was a brilliant woman and the reason for his success.

She always changed her mind, but today, with the blood she had barely cleaned up and her husband nowhere to be found, the hope she had held on to for so long was gone.

Her vision was blurred with tears. She picked up her phone and dialed his number again, trying to keep her eyes on the road.

The first three rings went unanswered.

When he finally picked up, he could not suppress the irritation in his voice.

"What, Odessa?" His voice was cold and even.

"I lost the baby."

The words were heavy. Her throat felt dry. She swallowed to relieve the dryness, but it did not make a difference.

She heard him sigh impatiently.

"This is a good thing. We don't want a child holding you back from the company."

His words hit her like a knife to the throat. He knew how much she wanted a family, especially after she had lost hers.

"How could you say that?" she whimpered.

She stepped on the accelerator, increasing the speed of the car.

"Look, I'm busy, Odessa," he said.

Then she heard it again, a woman's voice in the background. She knew it was the same woman he had been cheating on her with for months now.

She did not know who she was. Her husband was such a flirt that it could be anybody.

"Who are you with?" she asked.

Her hands were shaking. She had never been so angry in her life.

Her husband was silent. He did not make excuses. He did not try to lie to spare her feelings.

"You know who I'm with."

Odessa felt her stomach drop. They had been playing the game of open secrets for months, and now they were both ready to say the words that had been left unsaid.

"You're an asshole, you know that?"

Her eyes moved away from the road. They were on her phone.

"But you still married me, didn't you?"

He ended the call before she could reply.

She screamed and threw the phone onto the passenger seat.

Her eyes moved back to the road, but it was too late.

She had been so distracted that she did not notice the car driving straight at her. The driver must have been distracted too, because he did not slow down.

Odessa quickly turned left. The speed caused the car to swerve. She rammed into a nearby pole, and the windshield broke into a million pieces. Some of the shards pierced her skin.

The airbag did not activate, and she had been so angry that she had not put on her seatbelt. Her chest hit the steering wheel with so much force that she felt bones break.

Odessa could feel her consciousness slipping away as she slowly closed her eyes.

Her life flashed before her eyes, and all she could feel was regret.

She had used her talents for her husband instead of herself. She had let herself stay with him even when he treated her like a rag, and now she was dying while he was in a hotel with his mistress, having the time of his life.

"Please," she begged whoever could hear.

She wanted one last chance. She would never forgive herself if this was how her life ended.

One last chance.

This time, she would choose herself. She would strive for the life she deserved. She would not let anyone use her.

Her eyes closed shut, and her mind went blank.