Chapter 2

He furrowed his brows tightly, clearly not believing a word I said.

"Ruth, do you even believe yourself? All these years, you've clung to me like a dog, shamelessly trying to get in bed with me. Now that my family's on the verge of bankruptcy, your snobbish parents are trying to force me into marriage with a business deal. Do you really expect me to believe you'd actually give up this child?"

His words dripped with contempt and disgust, wrapping around me like a choking fog. I blinked hard, forcing back the tears in my eyes.

All I felt was regret. Regret for the ten years I wasted on someone like Richard. He never deserved my kindness.

Noticing my silence, Richard assumed he had hit the mark. His expression turned colder still.

"Your family is nothing but a bunch of greedy scum. You make me sick!"

I knew why Richard didn't believe me. In my past life, I had indeed degraded myself to the point of disgrace.

I had even knelt before him, begging him to marry me, threatening to expose him to the media if he didn't take responsibility for my unborn child.

I told him that if he abandoned me, the Reynold family would never rise again.

Under that unbearable pressure, Richard eventually gave in and agreed to marry me.

But the price I paid was horrific.

Three years into that marriage, he drove my parents to their deaths.

And then, he drowned me and our three-year-old son with his own hands.

Now, given a second chance, I would never let history repeat itself.

Empowered by the thought, I reached for the coffee mug on the cabinet behind me and smashed it.

It was the thing he cherished the most: a mug Elise had given him.

He used it every single day to make coffee.

Seeing how it shattered to pieces by my hand, Richard exploded in fury.

"You're asking for it!"

He lunged at me, his hand closing tightly around my throat, his bloodshot eyes brimming with murderous rage.

He slammed me back into the cold, hard wall. Pain shot through my lower back, and a dull ache spread across my abdomen, deep and pulling, like something was about to fall apart inside me.

Then his furious voice roared in my ears.

"Ruth, the only one I've ever loved is Ellie. Even if you trap me in a marriage with pregnancy, I will never love you!"

Hearing those words, I suddenly laughed.

Of course. He would never love me.

I shoved Richard away with all my strength.

Then, from my pocket, I pulled out a bottle of abortion pills.

I had gotten them right after my hospital visit. In my past life, I couldn't bring myself to take them because my love for Richard ran too deep.

But now? All I felt toward him was disgust and hatred.

There was no reason for this child to come into a world like this, into a life filled with pain.

"Richard, I'll grant you the freedom to love Elise all you want. From this moment on, you and I are finished."

As I said it, I opened the bottle while he stood frozen in shock.

One by one, I swallowed the pills right in front of him.

I wasn't sure if one would be enough, so I took the whole bottle.

A sharp, twisting pain tore through my lower abdomen almost instantly.

Warm liquid gushed from between my legs.

A moment later, my entire body went limp, and darkness swallowed me whole.