"It hurts…" Joanna Horton clutched her swollen belly in agony, a deep, wrenching pain twisting through her that words couldn't describe.

Terror filled her voice as she cried out, "It hurts so bad… Theo… please, save our baby…"

But outside, there was only silence—except for the soft, steady sounds of prayers and chanting from the next room.

That was where her monk husband, Theo Brook, was, praying for the soul of his long-dead first love.

Ever since Sharon Cooper jumped off that building, Theo had been grief-stricken. He left everything behind and became a monk, never missing a single night of chanting for her.

People said he had the heart of a saint, that he was devoted and had never stopped loving her.

But they didn't know that just on the other side of that wall was Joanna—his lawfully wedded wife, the one he had once married in a grand ceremony.

Joanna was burning up with fever, her eyes barely open, her face pale and tired.

A few days ago, she had made Theo angry. Since then, no matter how much she cried out in pain, he ignored her.

Another sharp wave of pain hit, and suddenly, a rush of blood spilled from between her legs.

The baby inside her stopped moving.

She knew then—her child was gone.

Joanna Horton's scream tore through the air, hoarse and desperate.

That raw cry of pain and grief finally caught Theo Brook's attention.

Moments later, the door creaked open, and Theo walked in. He looked down at her pained expression and smirked with a mix of mockery and disgust.

He marched over, grabbed her wrist roughly, and snapped, "Cut the act. Don't you ever think you'll soften me with this stunt. I'm telling you, it won't work."

Joanna glared up at him, anger boiling in her chest. Her fury rose so quickly that she coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Her eyes rolled back, and she fainted on the spot.

Theo stood frozen. That was when he finally noticed the large, spreading pool of bright red beneath her.

The disgust in his eyes shifted into pure panic.

He pulled her into his arms and shouted, "Call an ambulance! Someone, hurry!"

As Joanna was being carried out on the stretcher, the rosary bracelet Theo always wore suddenly snapped.

The beads scattered across the floor, glinting eerily under the moonlight.

Joanna's eyes fluttered open, as if she could sense that her end was near. With the last of her strength, she grabbed Theo by the collar.

"I regret ever loving you," she said through gritted teeth, her voice filled with hate. "I hope you suffer for all eternity… I hate you… I… hate you…"

Her furious cry echoed through the whole monastery.

Then silence fell.

-

Joanna jolted awake, soaked in sweat, her whole body shaking.

She looked up and saw a man standing by the floor-to-ceiling window.

Sunlight poured into the room, shining on his tailored suit. He stood tall and elegant, his back to her.

It was Theo.

Her heart sank.

She looked around the room, and as the memories returned, she slowly realized that she had been reborn.

Today was her wedding day, and she was in the bridal makeup room.

She had dozed off for a bit, probably because Theo had worn her out the night before.

She just wanted a short nap before the ceremony.

But when she woke up, she had gone through a tragic past life.

Moving slowly to the vanity, she stared at her reflection in the mirror.

Her skin looked soft and flawless, her eyes clear and bright like jewels.

She looked nothing like the broken woman from her past life with thin cheeks, hollow eyes, and no light left in her.

Joanna touched her face gently, barely believing what she was seeing.

Behind her, Theo's annoyed voice rang out. "Tell Sharon that if she wants to kill herself, then go ahead. Just don't mess up my wedding!"

Joanna's heart clenched hard.

Why, of all times, did she have to come back to this day? Why not to the time before she even met him?

In her last life, on this exact day, Theo's childhood sweetheart, Sharon Cooper, had threatened to jump off a building.

He acted like he didn't care and went through with the wedding anyway.

But Sharon jumped. Her blood stained the white roses meant for their ceremony.

From that moment on, Theo lost it.

Saying he was atoning for his sins, he became a monk and moved into the Stoneveil Monastery.

He gave up meat, prayed day and night, and donated almost half his fortune within six months.

People said he was a saint and called his love for Sharon the love story of the century.

But to everyone else, Joanna was the villain, the homewrecker who destroyed their love.

People online cursed her every day. But no one knew the truth.

She was the one Theo had pursued relentlessly for three years. She was the one he had proposed to and married in a grand wedding.

She was his wife.

But even Theo forgot. He blamed Sharon's death on Joanna and locked her up.

He made her copy scriptures, day after day, and forced her to beg for forgiveness in front of Sharon's grave.

She still remembered the way his face twisted when she asked for a divorce.

"We're both guilty," he said. "Neither of us deserves happiness. So don't even think about leaving. You'll spend your whole life repenting."

Until the day she died, Joanna never understood what her crime was.

Back at the bridal makeup room, Theo slowly turned around.

Their eyes met, snapping Joanna out of her painful memories.

This time, she wasn't going to repeat the same tragic path.

Since Theo loved his childhood sweetheart so much, she'd make sure he got exactly what he wanted.

Maybe it was because Joanna looked so pale, but the moment Theo hung up the phone, he walked over to her, clearly worried.

He took her hand, his eyes filled with love. "Why do you look so pale? Don't worry. I'm not gonna let anything or anyone ruin our wedding."

He gently tucked a few loose strands of hair behind her ear, his voice soft as he reassured her, "Sharon's just the daughter of a neighbor I knew growing up. She means nothing. She won't change anything between us."

That was exactly what he had said in her past life.

Back then, Joanna believed him, so she relaxed and went through with the wedding.

But when Sharon died, Theo blamed her for everything.

He even said that he didn't go up to the rooftop because he was afraid she would be jealous.

Thinking of all that, Joanna swallowed her emotions and replied calmly, "Don't say things you don't mean. A person's life is on the line. You should go talk to her."

Theo looked at her, completely surprised.

Joanna had always hated Sharon. Whenever he met with Sharon privately or had a little physical contact with her, Joanna would give him the cold shoulder.

More than once, she even threatened to break up with him.

So how come she suddenly changed her mind on their wedding day?

Theo had no idea Joanna had already let go of him. He thought she was testing him on purpose.

With a helpless sigh, he said, "What are you talking about? It's our wedding day. If I leave you to go find another woman, how do you think the guests outside will see you?"

Someone knocked on the door then. It was the wedding coordinator, coming to remind them it was time to head to the ballroom.

Theo held Joanna's hand and said gently, "Come on. We don't wanna be late."

But Joanna pulled her hand away.

Theo frowned, clearly annoyed. "What are you trying to do now?"

She didn't get angry. Instead, she calmly reasoned with him. "Your and her family have been close for generations. If something really happens to Sharon, your relationship will be torn apart.

"Besides, you two grew up together, so she's practically family. If anything bad happens to her, you'll blame yourself forever, and I wouldn't feel right either.

"Our wedding is important, but her life matters more. So go."

The tension in Theo's face eased at once.

This time, he really believed her. He pulled her into a tight hug, deeply moved. "I knew I didn't choose the wrong woman. Wait for me. I'll come back and marry you."

Then, without looking back, he rushed off.

Joanna watched him leave, a single tear sliding down her cheek.

She quietly wiped it away and whispered to herself, "But I won't marry you this time."

She walked to the wedding venue alone. By now, everyone had heard that Sharon was threatening to jump.

And they all knew that Theo had left his bride behind to try and save her.

Even the Brooks' elders had gone up to the rooftop. Not one person cared about how the bride felt.

Now, as Joanna stood in the ballroom, guests looked at her with either pity or disdain.

Their voices cut through the air like knives—cold, sharp, and unrelenting.

"Looks like Mr. Brook finally came to his senses. How could an orphan girl ever be good enough for him?"

"Told you he was just toying with her. The one he'd actually marry was always going to be Ms. Cooper."

"They grew up together and are both from powerful families—now that's a perfect match."

"Poor girl. She was this close to her dream wedding, and now it's all gone."

"Well, that's what you get when you're born into the wrong family."

Joanna had long grown used to how this circle worked, how they praised the powerful and stepped on the weak.

But right now, their words still stung.

Joanna's eyes turned red with anger. Everyone thought she was just a poor orphan girl. They all assumed she picked Theo because she wanted to marry into wealth.

But none of them knew that her parents were still alive, and they were every bit as powerful as the Coopers and the Brooks.

In her past life, she refused to go abroad and insisted on staying with Theo. Even when her parents gave her an ultimatum, she didn't give in.

In the end, they cut off contact for a while.

She had planned to officially introduce Theo to them after the wedding.

But once Sharon died in her past life, Theo lost it. He took Joanna's phone, cut her off from the world, and wouldn't let her contact anyone.

Later, her parents finally found the monastery.

But Theo convinced them that she hated them and didn't want to see them, so they left, heartbroken.

Now that she had a second chance at life, Joanna only wanted to stay by her parents' side and make up for all she had lost.

She pulled out her phone and sent her mother a text.

[I've made up my mind. I'll come next month to be with you and Dad. Wait for me.]

Joanna got a quick reply.

[Really? That's amazing, sweetheart!

[I'm so glad you finally came around. I'm not trying to force you to come home and get married. Your dad and I simply found out that Theo really isn't a good match, and we're worried about you.]

She could almost see her mother's warm, gentle smile.

She still remembered that moment in her last life when she watched through the window as her mother cried, heartbroken in her father's arms.

Her mother kept apologizing over and over, while her father was so full of regret that he slapped himself across the face.

They even begged Theo to talk her into seeing them just one more time.

But what they didn't know was that she'd been right there.

She was like some wounded animal trapped in the dark, screaming silently in her heart for someone to save her.

Just thinking about it made tears slip down Joanna's cheeks.

At that moment, loud noises erupted outside.

She looked up and saw Theo walking in with his arm wrapped around Sharon's shoulders.

Sharon was wearing the exact same wedding dress Joanna was wearing while leaning softly against him, with a sweet smile on her face.

Their parents followed behind them, all of them looking pleased.

The applause was nonstop. Even the roses swayed in the breeze, as if they were giving their blessings to the happy couple.

And right then, Joanna felt like the ridiculous intruder at someone else's wedding.

She hated Theo now. She really did. But still, her eyes stung, and she couldn't stop them from turning red.

Theo caught sight of her thin figure, and his expression flickered with panic.

He rushed over and gently wiped her tears, speaking carefully, "I'm sorry. I never expected this.

"I didn't know Sharon would pull something like this. She had the wedding dress custom-made behind my back…"

He had no idea her tears had nothing to do with him.

Joanna shook her head and forced a weak smile. Her eyes stayed soft as she looked at him, as if she still loved him deeply.

She said softly, "It's fine. I'm just… I'm just glad Ms. Cooper is okay."

Theo felt a sharp pang in his chest. Guilt hit him hard. "There's nothing going on between us—"

Before he could say more, Sharon strutted over with her chin held high, cutting in, "No point acting all kind and forgiving. You really think you're some Cinderella? What isn't yours will never be yours.

"Like this wedding, for example. The real couple getting married today is Theo and me!"

The room fell completely silent. Everyone turned to watch, waiting for the drama to unfold.

Joanna looked at Theo in mock shock, her voice shaking. "What is she talking about?"

Theo stayed quiet for a moment, looking ashamed, but he still said firmly, "Let Sharon have today. She promised if I just go through with this wedding and let her live out her dream of marrying me, she'll leave me alone for good.

"If I don't… she said she'll do something crazy. So for our future, can you just step aside for now?

"I swear, this is all just for show. I'll make it up to you. I'll give you a better wedding next time."

Joanna froze, her hands trembling with emotion.

She'd been wondering how to stop this wedding without blowing her cover.

After all, she was playing the role of someone madly in love with Theo. If he truly wanted to go through with it, she couldn't object without seeming out of character.

But now that Sharon was pushing things this far and making such an unreasonable demand, it was perfect!

Joanna quickly buried the excitement rising in her chest. She let tears fall as she said with a trembling voice, "Did you even think about how this would make me look? Just because I love you doesn't mean you get to humiliate me like this!

"If you really love her, I won't stand in your way."

She slowly removed the crown from her head, her eyes full of disappointment and finality. "Go on and marry her. We're done."

Then she turned to leave.

Theo panicked and grabbed her wrist tightly. "Stop making this a big deal! I told you, this is just an act. I'll throw you an even grander wedding later!"

Joanna shook her head and choked back a sob. "I don't want it…"