“Stop crying, Aruna…”

The voice was faint—coming from her own trembling lips.

But the tears refused to stop.

Her steps were heavy as she walked down the narrow path away from Revan’s house.

The rain poured hard again, biting into her skin, soaking her hair until it clung to her face.

But the cold was nothing compared to the ache trembling inside her chest.

“He even… threw away the cake…” she whispered hoarsely.

Her trembling fingers clutched the dented cake box.

“God, I just wanted him to get better… why did it turn out like this?”

Her steps faltered as she stumbled toward the parking area where her old motorcycle waited.

The lights from Revan’s house still glowed behind her—bright, grand, dazzling.

Mocking her. Whispering, You don’t belong here.

Aruna started the engine, her hands shaking.

The rain lashed against her face mercilessly, but she didn’t care.

She just wanted to leave. Far away. From everything.

---

“Why, Revan… why were you so cruel to me?”

She spoke to the air, to the darkness of the night, to the silent God above.

Her sobs were swallowed by the roar of the rain.

“I spent every cent I had for that medicine. I worked late, until my hands bled.

I thought you’d be happy. I thought… you still loved me.”

Her cries broke into the storm, blurring her vision as the wet road shimmered under the dim streetlights.

The wipers on her helmet visor couldn’t clear the water fast enough.

But Aruna kept riding. Without direction. Without purpose.

---

> “Why, God? I didn’t even get to say happy birthday to him…”

The words came between sobs.

She stopped by the side of the road, taking a long breath, lifting her face toward the sky.

Rain and tears mingled on her cheeks.

“God… I did everything right, didn’t I? I was loyal, I was honest, I fought for him.

So why did he hurt me… like I was nothing?”

She lowered her gaze, clutching her abdomen as a faint pain pulsed within—a pain she had been feeling lately.

But she never knew the reason. She thought it was just exhaustion.

“It’s okay, baby…” she whispered softly, caressing her stomach. “Mommy’s strong. We’re strong…”

A flash of lightning split the sky, blindingly bright.

Aruna twisted the throttle again, cutting through the curtain of rain down the lonely, slippery road.

---

But a small step of fate was already waiting for her.

From the distance, headlights approached—blinding, fast, uncontrolled.

The horn blared.

“BRAAAAK!”

Everything happened too quickly.

Aruna’s motorcycle spun out of control. Her body was thrown violently against the asphalt.

The crash of metal and shattering glass echoed beneath the pounding rain.

Her body rolled several meters before coming to a stop in the muddy roadside.

Dark red blood streamed down from her temple. Her breaths came ragged, shallow.

“Ahh…”

Her hand moved weakly, pressing her abdomen—now searing with unbearable pain.

A pain that stabbed deep, as if something inside her was crying out.

“No… please… don’t…” her voice was faint, carried away by the storm.

“My baby…”

She tried to crawl, but her body wouldn’t move.

The sounds of rain, thunder, and screeching tires blended into chaos.

A man rushed out of the stopped car, a black umbrella in his hand, his footsteps splashing through puddles.

“Oh God! Miss! Can you hear me?!”

Aruna blinked weakly toward the voice.

Her vision blurred, everything fading and drifting away.

“D-Don’t touch me…” she whispered, barely audible. “I just… want to go home…”

The man’s eyes widened when he saw the blood soaking her abdomen.

“She’s bleeding out—call an ambulance! Now!” he shouted to someone still in the car.

Aruna forced a faint smile, though her body trembled uncontrollably.

“No… I’m… I’m fine…”

But her lips were pale, and her eyes slowly began to close.

---

With the last fragment of consciousness, she pressed her hands against her stomach.

“Please… save her…” she whispered weakly. “Don’t let… my baby go…”

The rain poured harder.

The man knelt beside her, trying desperately to stop the bleeding with shaking hands.

“Miss! Stay with me! Hey, can you hear me?! The ambulance is coming!”

But his voice was fading—distant, muffled.

All the colors around her dulled into gray.

Only the sound of rain remained… and the slowing beat of her heart.

Aruna’s lips curved into a faint, broken smile as a single tear slipped down her cheek.

> “I promise… I’ll live… even if everyone else leaves me behind…”

Then, the world went dark.

The rain kept falling, washing away blood and pain—

and on that silent, rain-soaked road,

a girl who had lost everything…

had just begun the story of her second life.

“She’s awake! Quick, call the doctor!”

The voice echoed faintly in Aruna’s ears, as if coming from a faraway place.

Aruna blinked slowly. A blinding white light pierced her eyes. The sharp scent of antiseptic filled her nose.

Everything felt unfamiliar. Cold. Empty.

“W-where am I?” her voice rasped, barely a whisper.

Her body felt heavy. An IV tube was attached to her arm, bandages wrapped around her stomach and head.

“Calm down. You’re in the hospital.”

A deep, baritone voice came from beside her bed — low, steady, reassuring.

Aruna turned her head slightly.

Standing there was a man in a sleek black suit. His hair was neatly combed, his features sharp yet composed.

His gaze was piercing, but within it flickered something strange — compassion, and perhaps… admiration.

“Who… are you?” Aruna asked weakly.

The man offered a faint smile. “I’m the one who helped you last night. My name is Leonard.”

He pulled a chair closer and sat beside her, eyes never leaving her face.

“I happened to pass by the road when you had the accident. Honestly, I thought… you wouldn’t make it.”

Aruna stared at the ceiling as flashes of memory flooded back —

the blinding headlights, the screech of brakes, the crash… and—

“My stomach…” she gasped, her hand instinctively reaching under the blanket.

A doctor entered the room, glancing briefly at Leonard before focusing on Aruna with careful eyes.

“Miss Aruna… I’m sorry, but…”

The words stopped mid-sentence.

Aruna’s eyes widened, tension gripping her entire body. “But what? Tell me!”

The doctor sighed deeply. “We couldn’t save your pregnancy.”

Silence.

The steady beeping of the heart monitor roared in her ears like thunder.

The world shattered all over again.

“What… what do you mean?!” Aruna tried to sit up, but the pain made her flinch.

“No… no, that can’t be… I didn’t even get to—”

Her voice broke into uncontrollable sobs. Tears streamed down her cheeks, soaking the white sheets.

Leonard remained still, his jaw tightening.

He wasn’t used to seeing someone cry — especially not someone who still radiated quiet strength, even in despair.

The doctor lowered his head and gave them space.

“Your body’s still weak. Please rest for now.”

Then he quietly left the room, leaving the two of them in a heavy silence.

---

“The baby… was the only reason I kept going…” Aruna whispered between sobs.

“I’ve already lost everything… but at least I still had her… and now—”

Her voice broke again, the grief spilling out louder this time, more desperate.

Leonard slowly leaned closer, sitting on the edge of her bed. He watched her in silence for a long while before finally speaking softly:

> “You’ve lost a lot, Aruna. But I can give you a chance to start again.”

Aruna turned to him, eyes wet and red. “Start again? With what? I don’t even have anything left.”

Leonard’s gaze deepened — calm, but heavy with something unspoken.

“With a new life,” he said at last.

“Not out of pity. But because I know what it’s like to lose something you’ve fought for with everything you have.”

Aruna studied his face — the stranger who had pulled her from death itself.

“Why do you care about me? You don’t even know who I am.”

Leonard gave a faint, wry smile. “Maybe because I can see it — the kind of pain that’s too heavy to bear alone.”

He stood and looked out the window, where the late afternoon light streamed through.

“Life has given me many things… but it’s taken just as much. I’ve learned one truth: if you want to fight the world, don’t do it alone.”

Aruna stayed quiet. The rain outside the glass fell softly, as if listening too.

“I don’t want your pity,” she said at last, her voice trembling.

“And I don’t need your kindness.”

Leonard turned to her. His eyes were sharp, but his tone remained gentle.

“Good. Because I’m not offering kindness. I’m offering… a deal.”

Aruna frowned in confusion. “A deal?”

Leonard stepped closer again, meeting her gaze directly.

“One year. You’ll live with me. Marry me.”

Aruna’s eyes widened. “What?”

“This marriage… won’t be out of love,” Leonard continued evenly.

“I have my reasons — ones I can’t explain yet. But in return, you’ll have a life no one’s ever given you before. Protection. A name. Power.”

“And in exchange?” Aruna’s voice trembled.

Leonard’s eyes locked onto hers. “In exchange, you’ll be my wife — in the eyes of the world. Nothing more.”

Silence. Only the soft beeping of the monitor filled the air between them.

Aruna lowered her gaze, gripping the bedsheet tightly.

“Why me?” she whispered. “Out of all the women in the world… why the one who almost died on the road?”

Leonard smiled faintly.

“Because you didn’t give up — even when your body was bleeding. Because when I looked into your eyes that night… they still wanted to live.”

Aruna looked at him again. Tears welled up, but this time they were different — not just of sorrow, but of something else.

For the first time in so long, someone saw her.

“And if I refuse?” she asked softly.

Leonard arched an eyebrow. “You’re free to refuse. But think about it, Aruna — sometimes, to fight fate, you have to make a deal with it.”

Aruna fell silent.

Her eyes drifted to the darkening sky outside the window.

Revan. The child she lost. All the pain and betrayal replayed in her mind.

Finally, she took a deep breath and met Leonard’s gaze — her eyes now steadier, sharper.

“Fine,” she said quietly but firmly. “I’ll marry you.”

Leonard nodded once, a small but satisfied smile tugging at his lips.

“From this day on, Aruna… you’re no longer the woman discarded by love. You’ll become someone no one can ever trample again.”

Aruna held his gaze for a long moment, then whispered — almost to herself:

> “Alright. Then from this day forward… I’ll learn to return pain with elegance.”

Leonard paused, then gave her a faint, approving smile.

“Welcome to your new life, Miss Aruna.”

“Aruna, look at me.”

Leonard’s voice came calm but sharp from behind the bedroom door.

Aruna stood before the tall mirror, dressed in a silver-black satin gown. Her hand slowly brushed through her long hair, now styled elegantly. Her face was expressionless—cold and poised, like a marble statue.

“I told you,” she said flatly without turning, “I don’t like being called like that without a reason.”

Leonard entered with steady steps, wearing a crisp white shirt and a dark gray suit. His gaze lingered on her reflection.

“I have a reason,” he said simply, leaning against the vanity.

“Revan is getting married next week.”

The comb in Aruna’s hand froze mid-air.

Silence filled the room.

Slowly, she placed the comb down.

“Repeat that,” she said softly.

Leonard’s tone held no trace of jest. “Your ex. Revan. He’s marrying Celine.”

Aruna smiled faintly—a smile more like a wound than joy.

“He forgot quickly,” she murmured.

Then she turned, her eyes burning sharp.

“And you’re telling me this because?”

Leonard slipped his hands into his pockets, calm as ever.

“Because I want to know… if you’d like to attend.”

Aruna studied him, her gaze long and searching.

“Attend? So they can laugh at me? So Celine can finally smile, seeing me fall apart completely?”

Leonard stepped closer until only a few paces separated them.

“No. You won’t attend as the woman who was discarded,” he said quietly but firmly.

“You’ll attend as Mrs. Leonard Arken—the wife of the most powerful man in City A.”

Aruna gave a short, bitter laugh. “You want to turn me into a display piece for your power games?”

Leonard met her gaze without flinching. “No. I want to give you a stage to stand above them.”

Aruna was silent. Her chest trembled—caught between anger and an unfamiliar ache.

“And if I refuse?”

Leonard’s voice dropped lower, steadier.

“Then they’ll keep believing they’ve won—and that you’re ruined.”

Aruna took a deep breath. She looked back at the mirror—the face that once looked gentle now carried an entirely different aura. Sharp eyes, crimson lips, a quiet danger in her posture.

She smiled faintly.

“Of course,” she said coolly. “I’d love to congratulate them… in my own way.”

---

That night, in the vast dining hall of their mansion, Aruna sat at the marble table. Leonard poured red wine into her glass.

“You don’t regret it, do you?” Leonard asked, not looking at her.

Aruna lifted the glass with delicate grace. “Regret?” She smirked. “No. I’m just learning to be calm while planning revenge.”

Leonard met her gaze across the table. “You’ve changed a lot since the day I found you in that hospital.”

Aruna took a slow sip, then set the glass down gently.

“People who’ve lost everything don’t stay the same.”

“Maybe,” Leonard said quietly. “But be careful, Aruna. Revenge has a way of making you forget who you are.”

Aruna smiled faintly, her eyes glinting.

“Don’t worry. I haven’t forgotten who I am. I’m just becoming someone they’ll never dare to hurt again.”

Leonard studied her for a long moment, then nodded slightly. “Good. Then we’ll attend that wedding… as the perfect couple.”

---

The day of Revan and Celine’s wedding arrived.

The grand hotel in the heart of City A glittered with luxury—music drifting softly, white flowers adorning every corner, flashes of cameras capturing smiles and laughter.

Aruna entered with Leonard beside her, wearing a blood-red gown adorned with pearls at her throat. All eyes turned.

Whispers rippled through the crowd.

“Isn’t that… Aruna?”

“Wait, wasn’t she Revan’s ex?”

“No way—she came with Leonard Arken?”

Aruna held her head high, walking gracefully beside Leonard.

At the front of the hall, Revan turned mid-conversation—his face froze.

Aruna smiled, sweet yet cutting.

“Congratulations, Revan,” she said softly when they finally stood face-to-face.

“Truly, I didn’t expect you to marry this soon.”

Revan swallowed hard. “Aruna… I—”

Before he could finish, Celine appeared, clutching his arm tightly.

“Oh! Aruna, it’s been ages,” she said sweetly, her tone laced with mockery. “So glad to see you’ve finally found someone who would take you in.”

Leonard’s lips curved into a small, sharp smile.

“Thank you, Mrs. Revan,” he said coolly. “But perhaps you haven’t heard—this woman beside me isn’t just anyone. She’s my wife—Mrs. Leonard Arken.”

The room fell into stunned silence.

Guests exchanged looks; Celine’s smile faltered, and Revan’s face turned pale.

Aruna looked at them both, her gaze calm yet piercing.

“Don’t worry,” she said softly. “I didn’t come to revisit the past. I only wanted to say… may you be happy. If that’s even possible.”

The final words carried pain—but also undeniable strength.

Revan’s voice turned bitter. “So this is your revenge, Aruna? Showing up with a rich man so you can pretend you’ve won?”

Aruna stepped closer until only a breath separated them. Her smile was cool, her eyes like steel.

“No, Revan. This isn’t revenge.”

Then she leaned in, whispering just loud enough for him to hear—

> “It’s proof… that I can still stand, even after you tried to destroy me.”

Revan gave a shaky laugh, hiding behind arrogance. “You’re still so dramatic.”

Aruna stared at him—and then slap!

The sound of her hand striking his cheek echoed through the hall.

Gasps filled the air.

Aruna leaned closer, whispering,

> “Consider that my wedding gift to you.”

Then she turned, took Leonard’s hand, and walked out with her head high—leaving the room in complete silence.

Outside, Leonard glanced at her, his voice quiet. “You enjoyed that, didn’t you?”

Aruna smiled faintly.

“No. But at least now they know… the woman they once threw away is gone. What remains is someone who will never lose again.”