Betrayed by the man she loved. Thrown out by the mistress carrying his child. Struck down in the street with nothing left to live for… Anna Storm died broken. But fate had other plans. Given a second chance at life, Anna wakes up in the care of a mysterious man named Hae-Jae, far from the pain of her past—and far from the child she once carried. No longer bound to Max, no longer a shadow of who she used to be, Anna is reborn with a new purpose: to rebuild her life, reclaim her strength, and rise from the ashes of betrayal. She was once the wife they discarded. Now, she’s the woman they’ll regret ever crossing. In a world where second chances come with power, vengeance, and unexpected love—Anna must choose: Will she hide in the shadows of her past, or rise and become the storm she was always meant to be?
View MoreAnna’s POV
The room smelled faintly of fresh basil, clean and calming. The paintings on the wall—simple strokes of white on white—mirrored exactly how I felt inside: bare, quiet, untouched. But under that stillness, something incredible stirred. I could barely keep the smile off my face as I remembered the doctor's words echoing through my mind. "Mrs. Max—you’re four weeks pregnant." My breath had caught in my throat. For a second, the world paused. Ten years. Ten long years of tests, prayers, tears, and waiting. And now… this. The joy that rushed through me felt like sunlight after a decade of stormy nights. It was too big for words. I glanced up at the wall clock. 12:03 a.m. Max still wasn’t home. Anxiety crept into my chest like smoke—slow, suffocating. I began pacing the floor, my hands trembling slightly, trying to hold on to the joy, to the hope, to the moment. My phone vibrated on the table, the sudden noise breaking the silence. I grabbed it with a small gasp and answered without even checking the screen. "Where the fuck are you?" My voice cracked through the receiver before he could say a word. There was a pause. "Come open the gate for me," Max replied, sounding unaffected. Cold, even. I blinked, confused. Ten years of marriage, and never—not once—had he returned this late. Something was off. I slipped on my slippers, heart pounding against my ribs, and stepped outside. The air was colder than I expected, or maybe it was just the chill growing inside me. The headlights of his car cut through the darkness, the engine revving a little too loud. He drove in fast, recklessly. I flinched as he hit the brake hard. What’s going on, Max? The passenger door opened before he even turned off the ignition. "What’s wrong with you?" a woman’s voice snapped from inside the car—sharp, annoyed, entitled. I froze. Maybe… a cousin? A sister? I clung to that thought like a lifeline. But deep down, something twisted in my gut. Max got out, slamming the door without a word to me. I forced a smile and followed them silently to the parking lot, each step heavier than the last. The woman stepped out too, her heels clicking confidently on the driveway. Her dress was tight, her lipstick loud, her presence impossible to ignore. She looked at me like I was the help. "Won’t you help me with my bags?" she asked, raising an eyebrow as she leaned against Max’s car like she belonged there. I stood still. For a second, the world went quiet again—just like earlier at the hospital. But this silence wasn’t filled with joy. It was sharp, cutting through my skin like glass. I swallowed hard, holding in the tears that threatened to rise. This was supposed to be the happiest night of my life. And yet here I was, pregnant, alone, and being humiliated on my own doorstep. I took a shaky step forward, the weight of her words still ringing in my ears. "Won’t you help me with my bags?" She repeated. The nerve. In my own home. On a night that was supposed to be one of the happiest of my life. I clenched my fists. “Excuse me?” I asked, forcing my voice to remain calm, but the heat bubbling beneath it betrayed me. The woman scoffed. “You heard me,” she said, flipping her hair like a queen addressing a maid. “Or do you want me to ask again?” My vision blurred with rage. I turned to Max, my voice trembling. “Who the hell is she, Max?” Max sighed—sighed—like I was being dramatic for asking a simple, rightful question. He stepped in between us, raising his hand as if to hold me back. “Don’t cause a scene, Anna.” I blinked at him, utterly confused. “Cause a scene?” My voice cracked. “There’s a strange woman in our home—disrespecting me—and you’re worried about a scene?” The woman chuckled under her breath. That laugh felt like poison. Max rubbed his forehead, then muttered under his breath, “She’s pregnant.” The words hit me like a slap. “What...?” “She’s carrying my child,” he said, eyes cold, voice flat. “She’s my mistress.” A tight silence fell between us. My heart stopped. For a moment, I forgot how to breathe. My hands flew to my stomach, instinctively protecting the tiny life growing inside me. “You... you got someone else pregnant?” My words were barely a whisper, drowning in the flood of emotions rising inside me. Tears welled in my eyes, burning hot against my cheeks. I couldn’t hold them back anymore. I turned and ran. I didn’t care how I looked or what she thought. I ran past them, through the hallway, up the stairs—back to the room that had smelled like hope, like basil, just minutes ago. Now it smelled like betrayal. I shut the door behind me and collapsed on the edge of the bed, sobbing. My shoulders shook violently, hands gripping the bedsheet as if it would keep me from breaking apart completely. I didn’t hear him come in. But I felt it when he tossed something beside me. A file. A paper. My name written coldly at the top. I stared at it through the blur of my tears. Divorce Agreement. “Max…” I looked up, my voice barely holding together. “You knew I was pregnant... didn’t you?” He looked at me, eyes empty. “I figured after your hospital visit,” he said. “It doesn’t change anything, Anna.” I bit down on my trembling lip, feeling my world shatter completely. Ten years. Ten years of loyalty. Of fighting for us. Of dreams. Of waiting. And this was how it ended? With her bags in our home, and a contract on my bed? I didn’t even have the strength to scream. I just cried. Cried for the years I gave. Cried for the baby I’d have to raise alone. Cried for the woman I used to be—before Max crushed her under his feet. I stared at the divorce papers like they were written in a language I couldn’t understand. Everything blurred—my tears, the shaking in my fingers, the roaring silence of betrayal pressing down on me like a storm cloud. This wasn’t a nightmare. It was real. Max stood across the room, checking his watch like he had somewhere more important to be. Like he hadn’t just destroyed ten years of love and marriage. “I don’t have all night, Anna,” he said coolly. “Sign it.” I swallowed hard. There was no apology. No guilt. No fight. Just coldness. Cruelty. Closure. My eyes dropped to the paper again. The baby growing inside me fluttered gently, as if reminding me I wasn’t alone. I picked up the pen. And I signed it. Every stroke of ink across the page felt like it carved another scar into my heart. When I finished, I stood. My legs felt like they could barely hold me up, but I stood tall. I walked over to him, handed him the file, and met his eyes—his cold, betraying, beautiful eyes. “Thank you,” I whispered. Max raised an eyebrow. “For what?” “For setting me free.” He scoffed and turned away, tossing the file on the table like it meant nothing. But to me, it meant everything. Because in that moment, something inside me cracked wide open. Not just from pain—but from something deeper. Older. Stronger. A fire. Later that night I stood in front of the bathroom mirror, wiping the tears from my swollen eyes. My reflection stared back at me—broken, bruised, betrayed. But beneath the pain, I saw her. The woman I used to be. Before Max. Before the begging. The longing. The years of being told I was never enough. And now… I was carrying a life inside me. Not his legacy. Mine. I touched my belly gently. “It’s just us now,” I whispered. My voice trembled, but it didn’t break. And somewhere in that trembling... I felt power.Anna’s POVI walked out through the tall iron gates of Hae-Jae’s mansion, the cool morning breeze brushing gently against my face. The air smelled clean, fresh, different. I paused for a moment and took a long, steadying breath, trying to calm the storm that was building inside me.The road ahead stretched wide and quiet, lined with lush trees swaying lazily as if whispering secrets I couldn’t yet hear. It looked like a private estate—rich, exclusive, and eerily calm. My heart raced with every step I took, each one heavier than the last. I wasn’t sure if this move would bring me answers… or just more confusion.Still, I kept walking. One step at a time, guided by instinct more than direction.When I reached the main estate gate, two security men stepped forward. Their faces were unreadable, hard—trained expressions like soldiers on duty. I gave them a faint, polite smile.“Where are you coming from?” one of them asked in a gravelly voice.“Hae-Jae’s mansion,” I replied without hesitat
Anna’s POV“Where are you heading to?”His voice stopped me cold.My feet felt glued to the ground, like the floor had turned to quicksand beneath me. Panic swirled in my chest. I’d planned it all out—how I’d slip out unnoticed, maybe even check up on him quietly before leaving. But here he was, standing right in front of me like fate had other plans.“Hello?” he called again, snapping me out of my frozen daze.Slowly—slower than usual—I turned around to face him.“Where are you going to?” he repeated, this time softer, with a genuine hint of concern in his tone.I looked at him—really looked. Straight into his eyes, as if I were gearing up for a fight. I expected suspicion or anger. But instead… his face held worry.That threw me off.“Just trying to sneak my way in… so I can follow you to work,” I blurted, forcing a playful tone and a weak smile to match.A lie.A bad one.The truth was, I wanted to go out alone. To breathe. To clear my head. Maybe even find Ethan. I wasn’t sure why
Anna’s POVMy chest felt heavy the moment our eyes met. He stood at the far end of the room, arms crossed, his expression unreadable—calm, but serious.“So,” he finally spoke, voice low and even, “you want to be part of my company?”I nodded without a second thought.Working with him… it wasn’t just about the job. It was a distraction. A way to stop my mind from spiraling into memories I wasn’t ready to face. A way to feel like myself again—or at least, someone new.“I can be your personal assistant,” I offered, forcing a small smile.But the way he looked at me… it was like he could see straight through the surface. Like he saw every scar, every truth I tried to bury.“You’re not strong enough yet to start working, Anna,” he said gently, stepping closer.His concern wasn’t harsh or pitiful—it was warm, grounded, real. That made it even harder to ignore.I shifted on the couch, patting the seat beside me.“Sit, then,” I murmured, softer than before.He did.And for a moment, we said n
Hae-Jae’s POV“But seriously… why would you find a random woman unconscious on the road, bring her into your home, and then take her to a high-profile event?”Raymond’s voice cut through the silence of my office like a blade.I didn’t look up. I kept my eyes on the stack of paperwork in front of me, but his words struck deeper than I cared to admit.He didn’t understand.He couldn’t.“She’s playing games with you, man,” he added, chuckling dryly. “You don’t even know her.”I set my pen down slowly and finally lifted my gaze, meeting his eyes with a calm, deliberate stare.“You don’t speak about a woman like that,” I said, voice low but firm.Raymond raised a brow, glancing around like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Then he laughed again—short, mocking.“You’ve got to be kidding me. Don’t tell me she’s actually gotten to you.”I exhaled, jaw tightening.He had no idea.Anna wasn’t just anyone.She was a haunting I couldn’t shake. A secret that clawed at my chest every time I
Anna’s POVThe night air smelled like roses and rain.The mansion’s ballroom shimmered with soft golden lights that danced across crystal chandeliers. Guests in designer suits and glittering gowns floated around the room, laughing into champagne glasses, whispering behind fake smiles.I stood by Hae-Jae’s side in a sleek black dress that hugged my body like it had been stitched to remember me. My hair was pinned up, makeup subtle but sharp—every detail of me screaming elegance, strength, and mystery.No one here knew who I used to be.Not the desperate wife.Not the broken woman.Not the girl who begged for love.They only saw the woman I had become.Reborn. Untouchable.“You clean up well,” Hae-Jae murmured beside me, offering his arm.I took it with a small smile. “And you’re used to being this charming, I suppose?”He smirked. “Only when it works.”He led me through the room, stopping occasionally to introduce me to CEOs, heirs, and dignitaries. I kept my voice calm, my expressions
Anna’s POVMy eyes snapped open.For a moment, I forgot where I was. Then it all came rushing back like a wave crashing over my chest. The betrayal.The accident.The loss.My baby is gone.Tears welled up, but I blinked them away. I’d cried enough. What I felt now wasn’t just grief—it was something colder. Sharper.Revenge.I didn’t want sympathy.I didn’t want comfort.I wanted justice for the pain that had been shoved down my throat—for every sleepless night, for every lie Max whispered in my ears, and for the life I lost before it even had a chance to begin.“You’re awake again,” a smooth voice broke into my thoughts.I turned my head slowly. Hae-Jae stood at the doorway, the morning light behind him casting a soft glow around his frame. He looked like he’d stepped out of another world—his tailored black suit hugged his tall frame perfectly, and his dark hair fell slightly over his forehead with effortless charm.I swallowed and let out a small groan, struggling to sit up. “Yeah…
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