Chapter 2

Both Joe and Aaron froze.

"Layla, you—"

I interrupted Aaron softly. "Mr. Turner Senior, forced love never lasts. I don't want to marry a man whose heart belongs to someone else."

After turning to Joe, I looked at him calmly. "Joe, you're free."

His face darkened instantly. He clearly hadn't expected me to walk away so easily.

He took a step forward and grabbed my wrist tightly. "Layla, what kind of game are you playing now? Playing hard to get? You know Rebecca's about to go to prison, so you're saying you want to break off the engagement to drive her over the edge?"

A sharp pang struck my chest.

In his eyes, I would always be the scheming villain.

"If she doesn't go, I will. Does that mean I'm the one who deserves to suffer?" I retorted coldly.

His eyes flickered, but he stubbornly pressed on. "Rebecca's fragile! She'd never survive a place like prison! You're different. You're…"

I was strong. I could take it.

I let out a bitter, self-deprecating laugh.

Right. I was always the strong one, so I was supposed to suffer.

"Joe, I'll pay back what my family owes on my own." I yanked my hand out of his grip and said slowly and firmly, "Also, I'm done with you."

"Layla!" His voice sounded hoarse.

Without turning around, I headed straight for the door.

Tears finally spilled over.

"Joe, I hope you and your first love live happily ever after in this lifetime," I thought.

…

Back at the Clarke residence, I started packing.

Truth be told, there wasn't much to pack. I couldn't bring anything into prison anyway. I just wanted to keep myself busy, so I wouldn't look so pathetic.

I didn't sleep a wink that night.

It'd be a lie to say I wasn't scared of prison. It was a sentence of ten years, or maybe even longer.

I had heard all about what Rebecca suffered inside during my past life.

Now that it was my turn, how long would I even last?

Early the next morning, I got ready to visit Mom's grave to say my final goodbye.

The moment I stepped out the front gates, a figure suddenly lunged at me and grabbed me violently by the throat.

A thick stench of alcohol rushed over me.

Joe's eyes were bloodshot, like a demon crawling straight out of hell. "Layla Clarke! Are you really going to stand by and watch Rebecca die?"

His grip tightened, choking the breath right out of me.

"L-Let go…" I gasped, feebly slapping at his arms.

Yet he roared at me like a madman, "You've bullied her since you were kids! Are you trying to steal her life now too? Layla, a cold-blooded, vile woman like you belongs in hell! You were supposed to take the fall for your family!"

My body went rigid.

Those words were identical to what he had said in my past life.

Back then, after Rebecca died, he had choked me the same way, telling me I deserved to die.

In a haze of painful memories, my tears slipped down my cheeks.

Seeing my tears, Joe seemed to snap back to his senses. Panic flashed across his face, and he scrambled to loosen his grip.

I leaned against the wall, coughing violently.

A flicker of remorse crossed his eyes, and he reached out to steady me. "Layla, I'm sorry… I drank too much last night. I didn't mean to…"

I pushed his hand away without saying a single word, turned around, and got into the car.

I knew his guilt had never come from love.

Since Mom had once helped him, he had always seen me as an obligation, someone he was stuck taking care of.

I was the one who misread the signs and clung to him for a lifetime.

In this life, it was time to wake up.

When I returned from the cemetery and stepped inside, I was greeted by a touching scene in the living room.

Joe and Rebecca were sitting on the couch. He held a first-aid kit, delicately applying ointment to Rebecca's wrist.

Rebecca's eyes were red, making her look like a frightened little rabbit.

"Joe, it doesn't hurt. Don't worry," she murmured.

Joe's brows were knit tight, but his touch was incredibly gentle. "How could you be so careless? You cut yourself."

The tender, adoring look in his eyes was something I had never seen once during our ten years of marriage.

A sharp ache pierced my heart.

Rebecca looked up and caught sight of me. A flash of triumph flickered in her eyes before she quickly put back on her pathetic, pitiful act.