Clearheart
Three years into their marriage, Vivian Cole was thrown into the basement for the ninety-ninth time. Half her face was swollen, and a bruise darkened the corner of her eye. Before she could struggle, a bodyguard roughly forced her into a chair.
“Last month, you sneaked into bars three times and went street racing once. You ended up bedridden for a week. Haven’t you learned your lesson?”
Disappointment weighed heavily on Alexander Blackwood’s face.
“When will you finally learn to behave and become a proper Mrs. Blackwood?”
Vivian glanced at the restraints wrapped around her arms and gave him a faint smile.
“So this is how a Mrs. Blackwood is supposed to be treated? I’m living worse than a stray dog on the street.”
His expression darkened, and his chest heaved with anger.
“If you hadn’t kept breaking the rules, I wouldn’t have had to lay a hand on you!
“You’re my wife! You’re the face of the Blackwood family, not some woman out on the street who can do whatever she pleases!”
“Rules, rules, rules! I’m sick of hearing about those stupid rules!” she snarled, her usually delicate face contorted with fury. “I just want to live as myself! I don’t want to be some puppet whose only purpose is to obey the Blackwood family’s rules!”
Alexander stared at her with cold, unreadable eyes for a long moment.
“Anyone could be Mrs. Blackwood. You could be, or any other woman.”
Just as he turned to leave, Vivian spoke in a desperate, pleading voice.
“Fine. Just don’t leave me. I’ll try harder to become the perfect Mrs. Blackwood.”
From that day on, Vivian gave up street racing, stopped going to bars, followed every rule, and studied proper etiquette.
But at a formal gala, she lost her temper and struck a woman who had been openly mocking her.
Then her father, Thomas Cole, addressed that very woman as his daughter.
Vivian froze.
Alexander’s expression stiffened as well. The words on his lips shifted, and his face gradually settled into an impassive mask.
“She has always been rebellious and poorly mannered. Her lack of discipline is my fault.
“Get on your knees and apologize to her.”
Vivian felt as though she’d been struck by lightning. After making sure he was truly ordering her to apologize, she stumbled backward in disbelief.
Three years of marriage and five years of love. With just one sentence, he had reduced all her efforts to nothing.
Dazed and heartbroken, she ran out into the street, failing to notice the truck approaching from the roadside.
She was killed on the spot.
But when she opened her eyes again, she realized she’d been given a second chance at life.
She had returned to the days before her wedding.