I closed my eyes again, and somehow my mind drifted back to figuring out why Ronald's stomach's been acting up lately.

Ronald's always been a workaholic. Even before we got married, he'd skip meals for the sake of work, and that's basically how he ended up with his chronic stomach issues.

After we got married, I felt bad seeing him like that, so I threw myself into learning how to cook just so he'd eat properly. Over time, he actually started enjoying meals-and his stomach problems pretty much disappeared.

Now look at him-without me, his stomach's acting up again. Sigh. No luck at all, that man.

But then again, isn't his perfect little "first love" a doctor? If he's really that miserable, he can just go whine to her and fake some poor-me act for sympathy.

Whatever. None of my business anymore. I'll wrap things up tomorrow and push him for the divorce papers. The sooner the better.

Early next morning, Emma was already up and getting ready to go. She shouted as she rushed out, "Something urgent came up at work-I've gotta head over right now."

"I already sent you the address of the partner company on WhatsApp. You drive over yourself, okay? To make it up to you for ditching-dinner's on me tonight!"

Half-asleep, I mumbled, "Mmm... sure."

I didn't actually crawl out of bed until the sun was high and bright.

After brushing up and getting dressed, I put on some light makeup.

The mirror showed a woman with soft doe eyes and elegant features. The slight upward curve of her lips gave her a touch of charm. With a red maxi dress and a few carefully chosen accessories, she looked polished, radiant, full of life.

Honestly, I'm not bad-looking. Just... a little too sultry. Not the sweet, innocent type like Ronald's so-called true love. You know, the kind you'd think of as a first love.

I gave my hair a quick twirl with my finger and slapped on some bold red lipstick. Yeah, more fox-like than ever now.

I headed downstairs for a quick breakfast and then hit the road, driving to the place Emma had sent me.

Something about the address felt familiar, but I couldn't pin down why.

"You have arrived. Your destination is on the right," the GPS announced.

I turned to look.

There stood this luxurious, towering office building. After grabbing my bag, I got out of the car and walked in. I took the elevator straight up to the 33rd floor.

The whole place was bright and spacious, with an expensive-looking interior. The 33rd floor especially screamed wealth and status. I walked over to the front desk, and the receptionist introduced me to a woman in business attire with her hair in a neat bun-apparently, this company's senior secretary.

She was on the phone at the moment. "Don't worry, Mr. Perry. I know how long you've been looking for her. If she shows up, I'll let you know right away. Got it."

Once she hung up, I handed her my resume.

"Hi. I'm here for an interview."

She didn't even glance at me, just started flipping through the pages, all focused and professional.

And then, her expression changed. She stared at me like she'd seen a ghost. "Wait. You're Reverie? The designer behind the Dreaming Butterfly collection?"

Not gonna lie-I felt a bit awkward. Reverie and Dreaming Butterfly were names I randomly came up with back in high school. Super over-the-top, super cringey. Hearing that now made me want to shrink into myself.

"Yeah. that's me."

Her eyes went wide as she slapped one hand over her mouth in pure excitement, rushing to shake mine.

"Oh my god-you broke into the scene in high school, peaked during college with Dreaming Butterfly. You're the top designer Reverie! I can't believe it's really you!"

"Our managers have been searching for you for ages. Someone mentioned you might drop by today, but we honestly weren't sure. And now-wow, you're actually here!"

She was way too enthusiastic, gripping my hand so tightly it actually hurt. I forced a smile while gently pulling my hand back.

"A friend set this meeting up for me."

The secretary kept chattering like she didn't hear a word I said. "Miss Carter, I seriously love your work! But how come you stopped designing? It's been over a year with zero updates-I thought you quit the industry or something!"

I replied honestly, "I had to take a break for personal reasons, but I plan to get back to designing soon. By the way, when's your manager arriving? When does the interview start?"

It was only after I reminded her that she snapped back to business mode. "Oh right, sorry! Give me a sec, I'll call now. Our boss even talked to Mr. Wright earlier today-they're both coming to meet you!"

She dialed while talking.

Mr. Wright?

That name instantly gave me a bad feeling. After she hung up, I asked, "Who's your boss, again?"

Still smiling, she said cheerfully, "You didn't see? It's Nicholas Perry. They're almost here, just give it a minute."

Nicholas!

My face changed in an instant.

That's Ronald's best friend-young master of the Perry Group. Those two are basically attached at the hip. Super tight, childhood buddies.

Unlike Ronald's serious and deep kind of vibe, Nicholas was your classic spoiled rich guy-big into partying. Most of his businesses were in entertainment-clubs, events, all that wild stuff.

He's had. what, hundreds of girlfriends? At least.

Then it hit me why this place felt familiar. Ronald had mentioned once he invested in Nicholas's company. I came here to drop off lunch once or twice, but it was rare, so I didn't remember it clearly.

Truth be told, I never liked hanging out with guys like Nicholas, so we rarely crossed paths.

The secretary still wanted to chat, but I cut her off fast.

"Sorry, I just remembered I have something urgent to take care of. Let's talk another time."

I got up and made a beeline for the exit. She tried to stop me, but I ignored her-I was just hoping to get out before they showed up. But just as the elevator opened, boom-I ran straight into two tall, ridiculously good-looking men.

One was in a sharp black suit, white shirt, and brown tie, that familiar handsome face giving nothing away as he walked in.

Ronald.

Standing next to him was another stunner, but the vibes couldn't be more different-he wore a casual trench coat, had those confident brows, and a playful, almost smug grin.

Seeing me, Ronald's eyes flickered with surprise. "Isabella? You're here?"

Nicholas laughed out loud, "Whoa, look who it is. Didn't expect to see you here, Isabella! How come no heads-up?"

Yeah, I wasn't about to start anything with them. I didn't even look back-just brushed past, heading straight for the elevator.

"Isabella, stop." Ronald's voice behind me was cold as ice, but I didn't slow down.

He must've been pissed. In two steps, he was right beside me, grabbing my wrist tightly.

I had to stop. Turning back, I met his sharp gaze and clenched jaw.

"I told you to stop. Didn't you hear me?"

I tried to yank my hand back, but he didn't budge. "Yeah, I heard. So what? Doesn't mean I have to do what you want. Let go."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Nicholas raise a brow with amusement and smirk.

"Ronald, damn man, what'd you mess up this time? She's actually ignoring you? That's a first."

Ronald shot him a cold glare, and Nicholas quickly zipped it, raising his hands in pretend surrender, grin widening.

Then Ronald's eyes locked back onto me, dark and unreadable, like a black hole pulling everything in.

"Still playing games? How long are you planning to keep this up?"

I was stunned, totally in disbelief. "Ronald, seriously? You still think I'm just making a fuss?"

I've told him over and over, signed the divorce papers even, and he still thinks I'm just being dramatic?

Ronald stood tall and stiff, but he leaned down slightly towards me, his voice low. "Isabella, playing hard to get might be cute the first time. Do it twice, three times, and it just gets old.

"If you're done throwing a tantrum, come home. Don't push it and test my patience."

I stared at his dark expression, then suddenly chuckled in disbelief. "Ronald, can you stop acting like the world revolves around you? You're not the sun, okay? I won't drop dead without you.

"I'm gonna say it one last time-I want a divorce. I'm not joking."

His face went cold, a sharp chill in his blue eyes.

"You're just after money, aren't you? How much this time? Name your price. I don't have time to keep playing this game with you. And don't embarrass me in public."

My face went pale. That slap of humiliation hit hard-and I'd felt it before. In that past life, he'd always looked down on me like a king looking at a servant, crushing my dignity underfoot.

Something snapped. I shoved him hard. "I said I don't want your damn money! Ronald, stop thinking the whole world runs by your logic. Haven't you seen the divorce agreement? There's not a single word in there about splitting assets!"

Maybe he didn't expect that, because he actually stumbled back a couple steps. His face was so dark it looked like it'd start storming any second. Nicholas gave a snort-laugh on the side.

"Well damn, Ron. Never thought I'd see the day you got rejected. And arguing too-by a woman, no less. Shocking stuff."

Ronald shot him a glare that could kill, and Nicholas quickly shut up. But then he looked at me with a grin and a thumbs-up.

"Isabella, you've got it going on now. You used to spoil Ron too much-always the sweet, obedient one. No boundaries. But now? You've flipped the script. Showing your temper's good. Makes him realize you're not someone he can just push around. Look, he's actually behaving."

Ronald and I snapped in unison, "Shut up!"

Nicholas just smirked, rubbing his cheek with his tongue like it was no big deal.

"Alright, alright, I'll zip it. Just one last thing though-Ron's basically emotionally blind. Dude's so used to being chased, he's clueless when it comes to chasing others.

"Don't stay mad at him, okay? His stomach's acting up again. When I saw him this morning, he looked like he'd pass out. Wouldn't eat anything, still hurting I bet. And he only eats your cooking."

Before he could finish, Ronald shot him another deadly glare. "Nicholas, say one more word and you'll regret it."

That finally shut him up for real. Nicholas even dragged his assistant with him and backed away quickly.

Honestly, I was shocked. Ronald didn't go run straight to his precious first love? This was the perfect drama moment and he didn't take the chance?

I was still trying to wrap my head around that when he suddenly spoke again, his voice low and icy.

"Isabella, in this whole year of marriage, everything you've worn, your makeup, your bags, your jewelry-every single piece, I bought them.

"You're the clingy type that can't survive without a man. Just admit you want money and quit playing tricks. Using a divorce as cover? Not very clever.

"Move back home tonight. And all the stuff you took? Put it back. Otherwise, don't bother coming back ever."

His dark, sharp eyes locked onto me, like he was dead sure I was just playing hard to get, pretending to be mad so I'd cave for the money and come crawling back.

My chest rose and fell with anger, and I couldn't help but let out a laugh. There was a sting behind that laugh-bitterness mixed with helplessness.

Back in my last life, before the divorce, he did splurge on me quite a bit. Whatever I asked for, he'd buy it without blinking. But I wasn't some greedy gold digger-I just wanted a few meaningful gifts on special days to mark our life together.

I used to give him gifts too. He never took them. So later on, I'd cook instead. He gave me a gift, I cooked him a feast. I thought that was our little couple thing-but turns out, he saw it as me trying to milk him for cash.

Looking back, maybe even his gifts were just a way to keep me quiet, like tossing a bone to a dog. Nothing genuine.

Even with all the time that's passed, the memory still stings. My jaw clenched tight.

"Ronald, you better hear me loud and clear-your so-called money means nothing to me! If I hadn't married you and become a freaking housewife, I wouldn't have had to come begging in the first place!

"We both clearly can't stand each other, so let's cut the crap. I'm done playing the quiet wife. Just give me the damn divorce. I swear, from now on, we're strangers. Like, forever!

"Even if I end up broke and starving someday, don't think for a second I'll come looking to you for a dime."

With every word I threw at him, Ronald's face got darker and darker. His hands, hanging by his sides, were clenching so hard his knuckles popped.

I started yanking off every accessory he gave me, slipping off my jacket and kicking off my heels, dumping them all right there in front of him.

Ronald's face turned thunderous. "What the hell are you doing?"

I looked up at him, expression cold and dripping with sarcasm.

"You bought these, right? Take 'em back. Everything I took with me when I left-if it's yours, it's staying here.

"Honestly, I was being nice, packing up my stuff so your new girl could move in clean. But now you want me to give everything back and put it all back in place? Wow, and here I thought I'd seen cheap. You've broken the record.

"You're unbelievable, Ronald. No wonder no woman wants you. Marrying you was the worst life decision I've ever made!"

Ronald looked like he was about to explode, his face dark like a storm cloud. Rarely have I seen him this pissed.

Burning with rage, I jabbed the elevator button. Couldn't even storm out properly-how annoying was that?

For once, Ronald didn't chase after me. He just turned and left in the other direction.

Yeah, he was mad, all right. I hit a nerve. He tried so hard for his precious first love, now I flat-out told him he's got no game. Bet that burned.

Behind me, Nicholas chimed in with that annoying mock-dramatic tone, clearly enjoying the drama. "Damn, you've got fire! I've never seen Ronald lose it like that. Respect. I like the vibe. Feel free to drop by anytime."

"If you're really getting divorced, maybe think about me. Rich, handsome. I'm not exactly a downgrade."

As if.

I turned and shot him a glare. This player was just like Ronald-couldn't be trusted.

Then I noticed the secretary-who'd been standing there silently this whole time-leaning in and whispering something in Nicholas's ear. He suddenly looked up at me, eyes wide with surprise.

Great. He must've overheard Ronald calling me a clinger earlier and now figured out I was here to interview for the chief designer spot.

So yeah, I'm job hunting... right in Ronald's buddy's company. Perfect.

And after all that drama? God. Could things get any messier?

Luckily, the elevator doors opened just in time. I rushed in and frantically hit the close button, desperate to get out of there.

With things blowing up like that, there was no way I was driving the car he gave me. Once outside, I tossed the keys onto the hood and flagged down a cab.

"Where to?" the driver asked casually.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. "Gracehill Cemetery."

The car sped through the city. Just as we pulled up at the cemetery entrance, my phone rang. My expression instantly turned cold.

"Dad?"

A deep male voice came through the speaker, full of energy.

"Isabella, it's been a while since you came home. Since you're free today, why not swing by? Let's have a little family get-together. I also have something to discuss with you."

I pressed my lips together, already used to my father's routines. After a moment of hesitation, I agreed.

"Okay."

After getting out of the cab, I walked barefoot past rows of graves, each one still and silent, until I stopped at one particular headstone.

I looked at the headstone, zoning out for a moment, then gave a faint smile. "Mom, I came to see you."

I sat down in front of the grave, brushing the dust from the carved letters. Her name was still so familiar. My eyes stung.

"Sorry I took so long to come. Are you mad at me?" I whispered. "Please don't be. I promise I'll visit more often now."

"I'm so sorry, Mom. I should've listened to you. Marrying Ronald was such a mistake. I regret it so much, more than I can even say..." My voice cracked as I choked out the words. "I messed up, Mom. I really did."

A year ago, when I agreed to marry into the Wright family for a business alliance, Mom was the only one who said no.

She tried everything to stop me, begging me not to marry a man who didn't love me. She said a woman would never find happiness living like that-all that waited ahead was a lifetime of pain.

She told me she'd given everything to raise me, that all she wanted was for me to live a safe, happy life. She warned me not to end up like her.

But I was stubborn. Love clouded my judgment, and I threw all her warnings aside, convinced I'd be happy-only to fall hard on my face.

Now I get it. Being with a man who doesn't love you? Yeah, that's living hell.

I poured my heart out to her, all the pain and confusion from this life and the last. It felt like a huge weight lifted from my chest. But just as I started to feel more at ease, a sudden sound behind me made me turn around in alarm.

A man in a wheelchair sat not far off, silently watching.

He wore a casual shirt. His skin had the roughness of someone who's seen tough days, and a faint stubble shadowed his face, but his features were still striking-he had that rugged, mature kind of charm.

But his eyes... his eyes were tired, like someone who'd been through a lot. And now, they were locked on me, red-rimmed and intense.

As soon as I saw his face clearly, I froze, completely stunned.

That evening, I went back to my father's house. The table was already set, and the smell of food filled the air. When I looked up, I saw three people happily chatting around the table.

There was my dad, Thomas Carter-heavyset, grinning from ear to ear. On his left sat Olivia Harrison, my mom's sister, dressed to impress with her designer outfit and sparkly jewelry. And on his right, a petite girl with delicate features in a short skirt-Sophia.

Together, they looked like the perfect little happy family, chatting away without a care.

The moment Thomas spotted me, he waved me over enthusiastically.

"Isabella! You're finally here. Why are you just standing there? Your aunt and cousin came all this way to see you. Come on, join us-we were just about to eat."

"Oh dear, miss, where are your shoes? Did you hurt your foot?" The housekeeper, Sarah Wilson, hurried over and flung open the shoe cabinet. "Hold on, I'll get you a pair of slippers."

I gave a bitter smile. Even Sarah noticed I was barefoot and asked if I was okay.

But my dad? He was too busy pouring someone a drink.

It wasn't until Sarah spoke up that anyone realized something was off.

Sophia's eyes went wide the moment she turned to look, and then she let out a half-laugh, sounding way too amused.

"Oh wow, what happened to you? Not even a piece of jewelry? And now no shoes? You're looking a bit too... tragic today.

"Seriously, you look like someone who just got tossed out of their own home.

"Don't tell me you and Ronnie fought again? Isa, let me give you a little advice-being able to marry into the Wright family is a huge win. Try not to act all spoiled, okay? Just... suck it up."

Last time around, I put up with all this for the sake of "family." Not anymore.

I walked over calmly and took a seat, my tone icy. "Ronald's my husband. Maybe stop acting like he's yours.

"And trying to step into my shoes, Sophia? Don't you think it's a bit much? Or are you trying to take my place?"

That hit her like a slap. Sophia's smile froze, and then her eyes got all red like she was about to cry. She turned to complain like a poor little victim.

"Uncle Thomas, how could she say that about me? I only said it for her own good. If someone else hears this, it'll ruin my reputation."

My dad's face darkened instantly, and my aunt Olivia-who definitely isn't as sweet as she pretends to be-stood up like she was gonna play peacekeeper.

"Come on, Sophia, even if Bella messed up and Ronald kicked her out, you shouldn't rub it in. You two are cousins. Act like it. Say sorry to her."

She said it while sneaking glances at my dad, clearly stirring the pot instead of actually trying to smooth things over.

I just watched coldly, a mocking smile tugging at my lips.

Back then, I was too blind to see through her act. Took me years to find out Sophia wasn't my cousin-she was my half-sister. And that aunt of mine? A homewrecker who waltzed right in and stole my mom's place in our family.

My mother, in their eyes, was nothing but a joke. I was so furious, I used Ronald during our messy fights to drain my father's company dry, and ended up ruining it completely.

After the collapse, that heartless mother-daughter duo vanished into thin air without a second thought.

I didn't have the means to deal with them in my last life. But this time? I'm not letting them get away.

Of course Sophia refused to say sorry. "She insulted me, and now I have to apologize?"

Thomas slammed his fork down and stared at me with frustration.

"You're the older one. That's how you talk to your little cousin? Didn't you learn anything at school?"

Sophia gave a smug little snort and smirked at me like she'd just won.

I didn't respond. Deep down, I knew I was always the outsider in this house.

Thomas's glare went colder. "So? Did you really fight with Ronald?"

"Nope," I replied casually while picking up a piece of fish.

He instantly relaxed like he'd just let out a breath he'd been holding. Even the flab on his cheeks seemed to jiggle in relief.

"Your aunt and Sophia are right, you know. With what we've got here, marrying into the Wright family was a stroke of luck. You better appreciate it.

"Where we are now? All thanks to Ronald giving us face.

"You'd better stop acting spoiled. Make him happy, keep him on your side-whatever you want will come easy then.

"Right now, the company's got a deal stuck 'cause we're short on cash. You've got to sweet-talk him into covering it, got it?