TETHERED

I was experiencing a splitting headache.

I opened my eyes and looked around at my familiar home. It wasn't the street where I'd been beaten and cursed at, nor the damp, filthy prison I'd been scorned in. It was my home!

"Simone, you're such a good person. If it weren't for you, I would've been beaten to death by Luke."

That familiar fake voice rang out. I turned around to look, and there was Tricia Tate, standing in front of me with tears in her eyes. It was only then that I realized I had been reborn.

I was back to the very day my so-called best friend Tricia came to me crying after being abused, begging me to take her in. I had foolishly agreed to let her stay at my place.

"Simone, your house is so spacious. A high-rise unit like this must be worth a few million, right?"

Before I could respond, she was already inside, her eyes greedily scanning every corner of the place.

Just then, my husband, Jayden Lowe, came home from work.

The moment she saw him, Tricia quickly fixed her hair and even pulled out a compact to pat her face before walking over and saying in a gentle voice, "This must be your husband, Jayden, right? I think I only saw him once at your wedding. What an outstanding man."

As she spoke, she took a step forward, her posture all delicate and coy.

Jayden frowned slightly and stepped back. "You're too kind."

I knew from his reaction that he was already wary of Tricia.

Jayden's family was in business, and he was basically a trust fund kid with a bit of money. He was no stranger to women throwing themselves at him with ulterior motives, so he could always see right through their games.

In my last life, he had awkwardly tried to warn me about Tricia, saying she wasn't as innocent as she looked. But I had thought he was just being judgmental about my friend. Looking back now, I must've been completely out of my mind.

Just like in my previous life, Tricia suddenly started crying upon seeing that Jayden didn't respond. "Simone, you're so lucky to find such a good man. Unlike me… I have to work all day to support the family, only to end up getting abused…"

While she spoke, she kept sneaking glances at Jayden, playing the pitiful card and fishing for his reaction.

As expected, he frowned at her words. "Abuse? My company has lawyers. If you need help, talk to Sim."

"Really, Jayden? I'd appreciate it—"

"Dear, don't bring lawyers into it. They're just having a little marital spat!" I cut Tricia off, completely shifting from how I'd begged her to divorce in the past.

I added, "As the saying goes, it takes two to tango. Tricia, did it ever occur to you that maybe you're partly to blame for your situation?

"Take my advice. Go home and apologize to Luke. Patch things up. Married couples fight, but they don't hold grudges overnight.

"Who knows? You two might make up tomorrow!"

Jayden gave me a surprised look. He knew I was never the type to talk people out of divorce.

Tricia was just as stunned. She blinked at me and asked in confusion, "Simone, how can you say that? I'm the victim here."

"Victim?" I raised a brow at her.

"If you say that, it changes everything. If you're really the victim, then Luke will be guilty of assault, and that's a criminal offense. Are you really ready to send him to jail?"

"I…" She froze, speechless.

I sneered to myself. Of course, she wasn't!

If Luke ended up in jail, who would help her pull off the grand performance she had planned?