In this life, I refuse Ray Leger's suggestion to go live in the south with him. Instead, I go to the north alone and devote myself to the national translation service.

It is because in my previous life, I leave my hometown and follow him to a southern city. In the end, I become nothing more than a cash cow supporting him and Shannon Cross.

I work during the day and take on translation jobs at night.

Eventually, I collapse and cough up blood from exhaustion, only to hear Ray's disgusted remark.

"Nora Spencer, you really are useless. It has only been ten years, and you've already outlived your usefulness!"

I lift my head in a daze, and what I see are the mocking expressions on his and Shannon's faces.

Just before I die, I learn that our marriage certificate is fake. It is just Ray's excuse to trick me into going to the south with him.

When I open my eyes again, I see Ray trying to lure me with marriage once more. "Nora, as long as you come to the south with us, I will register our marriage right away!"

Hearing Ray Leger's words and seeing Shannon Cross's jealous expression, I felt like I was living in a dream. I couldn't believe I had actually been reborn.

Seeing my silence, Ray waved his hand in front of me. His expression was one of condescension, as if marrying me was some great favor he was bestowing.

"So, what do you say, Nora? Haven't you always wanted to marry me? You've wanted it for so long.

"Now I'm giving you this opportunity. As long as you agree, I'll have a friend help us get our marriage certificate tomorrow."

Hearing these words again, my eyes burned with tears. He said he'd have a friend get our marriage certificate, then trap me for life with a fake document. I thought about how I had slaved away for him for ten years in my previous life, only to watch him have children with another woman.

I was about to refuse when Shannon, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke up. Her face was full of arrogance, her eyes making no effort to hide her disgust.

"That's enough already, Nora. Only Ray can tolerate your wishy-washy attitude. Anyone else would have kicked you to the curb by now.

"Ray has already given you this opportunity, so don't be ungrateful and keep making a fuss. If he changes his mind, you'll regret it for the rest of your life."

Shannon's words were so absurd I almost laughed. Ever since my previous life, they had loved this little performance of theirs, working in tandem to beat down my spirit until I had nothing left.

I was a graduate from a top university with a prestigious job as a translator. Yet they had manipulated me so thoroughly that I believed no one else would want me besides Ray. It was as if marrying him was the greatest honor of my life.

But he was just a worker who hadn't even finished high school. He should have been grateful I ever gave him the time of day.

The refusal I had prepared died on my lips. I let out a cold laugh and looked at Ray calmly.

"Fine. Let's get married then. I don't have my documents with me right now. I'll have someone send them. We can go to the courthouse in three days."

Ray and Shannon exchanged a quick glance. Both looked delighted and smug, their conspiracy clearly succeeding.

I quietly took in every expression. A wave of desolation rose in my chest, and my nose stung with unshed tears. I squeezed my eyes shut to suppress the urge to cry.

In my previous life, I had never noticed these telling exchanges between them. I had simply thought Ray was biased toward Shannon because they were childhood friends.

I had been jealous and argued with him about it, but every time he pacified me, he would turn around and favor her again. I thought it was just habit.

Only now did I realize he had never cared about me at all. From beginning to end, I was just something to be used.

Watching Ray and his childhood sweetheart excitedly discuss which southern city they should live in, I calmly left the room and made a phone call at the newsstand.

"Professor, I'm ready to join the national translation service. I won't regret it, no matter what happens."

Professor Helen Morrison's worried voice came through the receiver almost immediately.

"Nora, are you sure about this? This position requires you to go abroad. Once you're overseas, you'll barely have any time for your personal life.

"And there are significant risks abroad. Who knows what could happen?"

"Professor, if I've made this decision, it means I've thought it through completely." My voice was calm but filled with absolute conviction.

Professor Morrison reluctantly agreed and said someone would come for me. After hanging up, I returned to the house.

Ray looked surprised to see me walk in from outside. "Nora, where were you? I didn't even see you leave."

I bit down on the inside of my cheek until it felt raw. But of course. His eyes were only for Shannon. When had he ever actually noticed me?

I smiled at him and said with self-mockery, "I jumped out the window. I wanted to test whether I could escape that way if there was an emergency."

Ray didn't even question this ridiculous lie. He waved his hand dismissively, frowning.

"Fine, whatever. I don't care how you got out. Do what you want, just don't interrupt Shannon and me while we're deciding which city to live in."

Seeing his indifferent expression, I took a deep breath to suppress the desolation rising in my chest. I thought I had long since moved past any feelings for him, but that single sentence still managed to stir something painful inside me.

I went back to my room and packed all my translation books into a box to mail to the capital. This time, Ray actually noticed.

Seeing me about to leave with the large box, he rushed over and grabbed my wrist. It was as if he feared I might leave.

Of course, he was worried. Without my funding their plans, their dream of moving south would fall apart.

"Where are you going with all that stuff?"

I frowned. I could feel how nervous he was. His entire body was tense.

"A classmate from school borrowed some books. I'm mailing them over. I also need to check at the post office when my documents arrive."

Hearing my excuse, Ray relaxed visibly. He rifled through the box in my hands, and only after confirming it was all books did he let me go.

His expression returned to that familiar mix of disdain and impatience. He waved toward the door like he was shooing away a beggar.

"Fine, go on then. Just hurry back. Shannon and I are waiting for dinner."

My hands had already clawed through the cardboard bottom of the box. My fingers dug into the box so hard they hurt.

All these years, I had been too accommodating, too concerned with his feelings. So much so that he now felt entitled to order me around like a servant.

I stopped outside the door, about to refuse. But then I overheard him talking with Shannon.

"Shannon, are we really doing the right thing here?"

"What are you worried about? You're willing to marry her, even if it's just on paper. Nora should be thrilled. What's not right about it?"

"You're right. After all, besides me, who else would want a bookworm like her?"

Every word out of their mouths painted me as worthless. In my previous life, I might have burst in and argued with them endlessly. But now I just laughed quietly and headed straight for the post office.

Without thinking, I stepped on a dead branch outside the door. It cracked loudly.

Ray rushed out. Seeing I hadn't gone far, he looked slightly guilty as he probed, "Nora, you didn't hear anything just now, did you?"

I shook my head faintly and kept walking forward. The sky suddenly opened up with light rain. Ray ran back inside and grabbed an umbrella, holding it over my head.

"It's raining. Let me go to the post office with you."

I was frowning, trying to figure out how to refuse him, when Shannon came out at just the right moment and looped her arm through his.

"Ray, I heard there's a circus in town today. Come watch it with me?"

The man who had just offered to accompany me to the post office immediately hesitated. He looked at me with difficulty.

I took the hint and refused for him. "You don't need to worry about me. I'm just mailing something. I can go by myself."

I didn't even take the umbrella Ray held out. I pulled up my collar and rushed out of the courtyard into the rain.

When I came back from the post office, I passed by the town square. I spotted Ray and Shannon watching the circus performance, both looking delighted.

I vaguely remembered inviting him to see a performance in my previous life. He had refused without hesitation. Now here he was with Shannon, looking thoroughly entertained.

At that thought, I let out a long sigh and headed home. Ray seemed to hear me sigh. He turned around and called out my name.

This time, I pretended not to hear and kept walking.

After dinner, I was lying in bed reading translation materials when Ray burst in. His face was full of smiles, and he was holding a hot roasted sweet potato.

He had even thoughtfully peeled it for me.

"Here, Nora. This is your favorite—roasted sweet potato. I had to fight to get this today."

Seeing him act like a completely different person than he had earlier felt absurd. To avoid getting tangled up with him, I took the sweet potato anyway and quietly thanked him.

My distant tone seemed to catch him off guard for a moment. But before he could think too much about it, Shannon called out to him, and he left.

In the brief moment the door was open, I saw Shannon holding a roasted sweet potato in each hand, eating happily.

I laughed bitterly. At least I hadn't foolishly assumed it was just for me. I was probably just an afterthought.

I didn't eat the sweet potato. Instead, I placed it on the nightstand. By the time Ray came back in, the once-steaming sweet potato had gone completely cold.

He looked at me in surprise, raising his voice. "I went through all that trouble to buy you this sweet potato, and you didn't even eat it?

"Do you know how long I waited in line for this? I almost got into a fight with someone over it, and this is how you repay me?"

His tone made it sound like I had committed some unforgivable crime.

I stuck my finger in my ear sarcastically. "Keep your voice down. I'm not deaf."

My indifferent tone seemed to infuriate him. Ray stormed out of the bedroom with the sweet potato, fuming. Before leaving, he even threatened me.

"Fine, you won't eat it? Plenty of other people will. Don't expect me to ever buy you anything again, Nora."

Watching him leave without hesitation, I suddenly realized something.

In my previous life, I had always put Ray first. I prioritized him in everything and shortchanged myself constantly. In this household, I had grown accustomed to putting myself last. Even his childhood sweetheart took priority over me.

My eyes fell on a necklace sitting on the vanity.

In our four years together, this was the only gift Ray had ever given me. And even then, it was only because I had shamelessly begged him to buy it for me from a street vendor on my birthday.

I treated it like a treasure, too precious to even wear. I would often carefully dust it with a cloth.

Every time he saw me doing this, he would mock me. He said I was a miser who couldn't even afford decent jewelry, which was why I treated a cheap street vendor necklace like it was priceless.

Yet all these years, I had never been stingy with him. Not once.

Through the half-open door, I could see Shannon showing off multiple bracelets and hair accessories on her hands while Ray laughingly helped her put them on, one by one.

Their cheerful laughter drifted constantly to my ears. At that moment, the necklace in front of me felt like nothing but a cruel joke.