Next, the heavy wooden ladder tipped toward me.

I instinctively squeezed my eyes shut and raised my arms, but the pain I braced myself for never came. When I opened my eyes, Eric had rushed over and caught the ladder.

But just before it fell, a bucket of red paint had come crashing down from above, drenching me from head to toe. I must have looked like a humiliated, dripping mess.

Megan tumbled to the ground. Since she hadn't been very high up, she only twisted her ankle and scraped her palms.

Not far away, Judd turned around. His face paled as he came sprinting over.

"Megan!"

He didn't even spare me a glance as he bent over to help her up. She leaned weakly into his arms and looked at me with tears brimming in her eyes.

Her voice was full of doubt and disbelief. "Julie… why did you shake the ladder and make me fall?"

Paint dripped from the tips of my hair, and I was stunned by her baseless accusation.

Judd frowned and glared at me with anger blazing in his eyes. "You've gone too far, Julie! This is intentional assault!"

My heart went cold. It struck me that this was what it looked like when he blindly defended someone.

I remembered a few days after we got married in my past life, I'd been attacked one night on my way home. Someone had thrown a sack over my head and beaten me up.

When I lay in the hospital bed, sobbing and demanding that Judd find the attacker, he calmly peeled an apple and impatiently said, "You need to lie low. They didn't rob you of anything, and it was probably just someone venting their anger.

"You're fine, aren't you? Stop thinking about getting revenge and stay home more. My parents might need you for something."

I'd stared at him in disbelief.

My bones had shattered in several places, and my face was swollen so badly I could barely speak, but to him, that meant I was fine.

All I'd wanted was justice and to bring the attacker to account, but now, he didn't even bother asking questions before rushing to defend Megan.

Everyone's eyes were on me.

I let the paint slide down my cheek and looked Judd straight in the eye. "Do you honestly think I'm so despicable?"

He stiffened and fell silent for a beat before Megan stumbled in his arms and piteously whimpered, "Judd, my ankle hurts so much…"

The hesitation in his eyes immediately vanished, replaced by irritation and disgust at having nearly been swayed.

He lifted Megan into his arms and coldly said, "If possible, I'd rather believe you're not. You'd better watch out."

Then, he walked toward the clinic without looking back.

I lowered my head and laughed quietly. Here I'd foolishly thought that even if we couldn't be husband and wife anymore, we still shared the bond of growing up together.

Now, it was a good thing that any love I once had for him had been worn away.

I turned around and headed home.

Judd took a step toward me, hesitated, and stopped where he was.

…

Back home, it took several washes to finally get the paint out of my hair. I sat on my bed and let out a long breath.

In two days, I'd finally be severed from the Judds.

But the next morning, Judd furiously pounded on my door. "Julie! Did you tell your uncle to call Megan home to get married?"

This was the first time I'd ever seen him so out of control after having lived two lifetimes.

"It wasn't me."

I couldn't be bothered to argue. Just as I was about to close the door, Megan rushed forward and dropped to her knees at my feet, wailing.

"Julie, I know you're still mad at me, so you can always hit me or scold me if you want. Yesterday was my fault; it had nothing to do with you!

"Please… I don't want to be a second wife to some 40-year-old man. Please have mercy on me!"

When she started banging her head on the floor, I frowned and took a step to the side. "What proof do you have that I said anything?"

I couldn't stand her dramatics anymore and decided to defend myself, but suddenly, my ears rang.

The world spun, and a burning pain exploded across my left cheek. Judd had slapped me with full force.

"I never knew you could be this vicious, Julie. I've only loved you as a sister, and just because I won't marry you, you have to destroy Megan's life!"

Holding my cheek, I looked up at him with cold eyes.

What right did Judd have to call me vicious?

Using parental orders to bury my past, he played the victim. He despised me for breaking up his "true love" even as he reaped the rewards of our marriage, eventually stepping over my bones to live out a decades-long life with Megan, never returning home.

I was shaking with rage, but before I could speak, Judd was grabbed by the collar and yanked around. A fist slammed straight into his face.

It was Eric.

As the man who was usually carefree, he now looked grim. His voice was tight with restrained fury.

"Get the hell out of the Whitlock residence now!"

Judd's temper flared, too. He spat out a mouthful of blood and raised his fist to strike back, but at that exact moment, the wailing Megan suddenly went silent.

Her body swayed, and she collapsed in a heap on the ground.

Panic immediately filled Judd's eyes. He scooped her up, shot a glare at both of us, and rushed out.

I took a moment to steady myself before inviting Eric inside. But he headed straight into the kitchen and returned with an ice pack.

When I stared at him, stunned, he clicked his tongue in annoyance and pressed the ice pack firmly against my swollen cheek.

"I can't believe you just stand there and take it when he hits you. What an idiot.

"This isn't over. Just wait and see how I'll deal with him…"

Seeing me wince from the cold, he finally let out a soft laugh. His expression softened, though he still looked at me with a heavy sigh.

When I saw that familiar look of concern, memories I'd never bothered to notice during all those years running after Judd came flooding back.

At 13, Eric had draped a jacket over my shoulders and warned everyone else not to look.

At 18, he'd swum toward me without a thought and grabbed my hand as I struggled to stay afloat.

In my past life, he'd climbed over the Garrison residence's wall just to comfort me. Even after staying up crying for nights after I died, he'd pulled himself together to organize my funeral.

He was the one who'd gathered evidence and begged officials to clear Father's name. Every year on my birthday, he'd show up at my grave and talk to me for hours.

My eyes welled up with tears as I looked at him and earnestly said, "Thank you, Eric… Make sure you come tomorrow."

…

Early the next morning, Father dressed in a formal suit and sat waiting in the living room.

When the door opened, it was Eleanor who walked in first. She carried a basket filled with eggs and two strings of pork with Judd trailing behind her.

She smiled and walked over to reach for my hand. "Julie, we heard about what happened the other day.

"Judd really crossed the line! Mr. Grayson gave him a good beating last night.

"Don't hold a grudge over such a little spat. You two have known each other for years, so once you're a part of our family, I'll promise to treat you as my daughter!"

I glanced at Judd and couldn't see any sign that he'd suffered a beating, aside from the bruise from the punch Eric had given him yesterday.

I smiled slightly and pulled my hand back. Looking at Eleanor right now only reminded me of the cold cruelty she'd shown in my past life.

Eleanor's smile faltered, but before she could speak to Father, there was a commotion at the door. A line of our childhood friends marched in carrying engagement gifts, all of them beaming with joy.

"Oh my, what a coincidence! Everyone would love to have a daughter as wonderful as Julie, and so do we!"

Eric's parents, Martha Bennett and Robert Grayson, stepped out behind them and smiled warmly.

"Don't worry, Julie. I know my son well; his heart only belongs to you.

"Besides, Eric grew up with you, too, so why don't you give him some thought?"

Usually carefree and unruly, Eric now stood quietly beside his parents and shot me a nervous glance.

When he noticed that I was staring wide-eyed at the engagement gifts in the yard without saying a word, the corner of his lips dipped slightly. Still, he kept his back straight.

Judd noticed his nervousness and let out a cold snort. He crossed his arms and looked completely certain of his victory.

Under everyone's gaze, I stayed silent and slowly walked toward Judd. The smile on his face grew more disdainful and condescending.

But when I stopped in front of him, I broke into a wide grin. "What makes you think I'd still choose you?"