On Valentine's Day, my husband, in order to have a worry-free date with his mistress, gave our six-year-old child sleeping pills and locked her in the room.

A fire ended the child's life.

The tender cries for help were swallowed by the flames.

Returning from a business trip, I rushed into the blaze without hesitation.

But both my child and I perished in the fire.

After our deaths, my husband took the huge insurance payout and lived happily with his mistress.

The tragic deaths of my daughter and I didn't even warrant a funeral.

When I woke up again, I found myself back on the eve of my husband using a business trip as an excuse to cheat with his mistress.

I thoughtfully placed condoms in his suitcase.

And gently reminded him, "Honey, make sure you come back safely."

1.

My daughter and I died on Valentine's Day.

The mistress called my husband repeatedly.

Anxious to leave, my husband gave the child juice laced with sleeping pills.

When she woke up, the room was ablaze.

The child, awakened by the smoke, cried bitterly.

She tried to run outside but found the door tightly shut.

I had returned early from my business trip to surprise my husband, only to find the house engulfed in flames.

I rushed into the fire, trying to save my child.

The raging flames gave us no chance of survival.

The fire devoured my skin inch by inch.

I watched helplessly as my lively, adorable child cried and screamed in the fire, her body charred beyond recognition.

I didn't understand.

We had known each other for ten years, been married for seven.

All these years, I took care of him meticulously, was respectful and filial to his parents.

Our child was well-behaved and sensible.

Yet he chose to spend Valentine's Day with another woman.

To put the child to death.

Ten years of dedication and a child connected by blood.

He couldn't compare with a mistress.

"Mom, I want to go to the beach!"

My child's tender voice echoed in my ears.

The familiar surroundings made me feel like I was dreaming.

I pinched my thigh.

The pain reminded me this wasn't a dream.

I was reborn!

Maybe my tragic death was too much for the heavens to bear, and they granted me another chance.

Not only did I survive, but I also returned to the time just before my husband, using a business trip as a pretext, refused to take our child to the beach.

"Be good, Susan, Dad has to go on a business trip. Next time, I'll take you to the beach."

My husband, was packing while soothing our daughter, who was clamoring to go to the beach.

I came to my senses, feeling sorry for my daughter's disappointed expression.

"Honey, you go ahead. I happen to have some vacation time, so I'll take our daughter to the beach."

Jeremy's business trip wasn't simple.

After this trip, I found a lipstick mark on his shirt.

He explained that it was accidentally left during a social event.

In hindsight, this trip was likely with his mistress.

Hearing my words, the troubled Jeremy beamed, "Having such a considerate and virtuous wife is truly my blessing!"

I sneered inwardly.

Your blessings were yet to come.

Since he praised me for being virtuous, I had to play the part well.

I eagerly helped him pack.

I slipped a box of brand-new condoms into his suitcase.

After doing all this, I thoughtfully reminded him,

"Honey, make sure you come back safely."

Jeremy, delighted, went on his business trip.

I took our daughter to the beach she had longed for.

Seeing her excited face, the softest part of my heart was touched.

Recalling her heart-wrenching cries for help in the previous life, I wished I could cut that man into pieces.

The phone notification brought me back to reality.

"Sis, I've arrived safely."

Seeing the message on my phone, I smiled.

Jeremy loved to cheat, didn't he?

In this life, I would let him die at the hands of a woman.

My daughter's enthusiasm wasn't dampened by her father's absence.

I booked the most expensive hotel and let her eat the best seafood.

Watching her run joyfully on the beach.

I vowed to keep that smile on my dear Susan's face.

Back at the hotel, I received a message from my best friend, Emma.

I didn't hurry to check it but first bathed and settled my daughter for the night.

When I was ready to sleep, I opened my phone.

Emma had sent several messages and even called when I didn't reply to the first one.

I opened the top photo.

It showed Jeremy holding a young girl.

They were tightly embracing, with the girl's chest half-exposed.

It looked very intimate.

The following messages were Emma's indignant complaints on my behalf.

"Look at your husband, he can't move when he sees a pretty girl!"

"Aren't you going to do something?"

"Where the hell are you, Ava?"

"Your husband is practically in bed with her, and you're not doing anything?"

I calmly typed a reply.

"She's probably a colleague. They're on a business trip, nothing serious."

Emma quickly called.

She scolded me harshly.

"Ava, how can you be so weak? Your husband is like this, and you say it's nothing. Do they have to be in bed for it to be something?"

I gave my daughter a tablet to watch and walked to the balcony.

"He told me he's on a business trip with colleagues. How did you get this photo?"

There was a moment of silence.

"I was out with my kid and happened to run into them."

Emma was a single, divorced woman with a five-year-old child.

She never worked but lived comfortably.

We had known each other for four years and hit it off from the start.

Later, our interests aligned, and we became closer.

I once jokingly asked if she was kept by someone since she didn't work yet had money.

She said it was child support from her child's father.

I didn't pry and only reminded her to stay safe with her child.

But she always urged me to keep a tight rein on Jeremy and to confront him when he returned.

After chatting for a while, I used my daughter's bedtime as an excuse to end the call.

Emma was truly a loyal friend.

My husband's infidelity angered her more than it did me.

When Jeremy's business trip ended, my daughter and I also returned home from our vacation.

Jeremy came home in high spirits.

He, who rarely interacted with our daughter, surprisingly held her and asked about the beach trip.

Susan excitedly shared all the fun experiences with Jeremy.

Whether out of guilt or something else, Jeremy showed a rare fatherly smile.

"Next time, Dad will go with you and Mom."

While unpacking Jeremy's suitcase, I noticed several condoms were missing.

I wondered whom they were used on.

In the evening, Emma brought a bunch of groceries, saying she wanted to cook a feast for Jeremy and me.

Despite her earlier anger, she showed no sign of it when she saw Jeremy.

Emma enthusiastically went into the kitchen to cook, saying she would make a few of Jeremy's favorite dishes.

I smiled without saying anything and asked Susan to play with Emma's son, Kieran.

As I can't cook, I could only assist Emma.

She busied herself in an apron, looking more like the lady of the house than I did.

"Did you ask Jeremy about the photo?"

I kept my eyes down as I washed the vegetables, my expression unchanged.

"No, it's just a bunch of baseless rumors. There's no need to hurt our relationship over such things."

"They were hugging! How is that baseless?"

Realizing she was too emotional, Emma lowered her voice.

"I'm just angry for you. You're so excellent, yet he treats you like this."

I placed the washed vegetables in a basket.

I smiled faintly, not responding to Emma's words.

After washing all the vegetables, I left the kitchen.

"Daddy, I want to play with that."

Walking into Susan's playroom, I heard Kieran's voice.

Susan had a dedicated playroom with a small tent, a slide, and many toys.

Kieran was pointing to Susan's favorite puzzle.

"He's my daddy, you should call him uncle!"

Susan, like a big sister, corrected Kieran's mistake.

Kieran glanced at Jeremy, feeling a bit aggrieved.

"Uncle, I want to play with that."

Jeremy, with his back to the door and he could see his expression.

He touched Kieran's head and handed him the puzzle.

Susan immediately protested. "Mommy helped me with that puzzle!"

She tried to grab the puzzle from Kieran.

The once complete puzzle scattered all over the floor.

Kieran began to cry loudly.

"Can't you let your brother have it?"

Jeremy picked up Kieran, soothingly saying.

"Don't cry, Kieran. Uncle will buy you a new one tomorrow."

Susan, holding onto Kieran, tried to pull him away from Jeremy. "He's my daddy!"

Kieran cried even harder.

Without a word, Jeremy slapped Susan across the face.

My heart clenched.

"Jeremy, what are you doing!"

Susan, who had been trying to be strong, immediately cried when she saw me.

"Mom!"

I hugged Susan, my heart aching at the sight of her reddened face.

"It's okay, Susan. Mommy's here. No one will bully you!"

I looked at Jeremy with a gaze full of resentment.

"Jeremy, whose child is yours?"

Jeremy looked guilty.

"Kieran is her younger brother. I just wanted her to act like a big sister and give in a little!"

I gritted my teeth and slapped Jeremy's face.

"Susan is a child. I'm just asking you to give in a little to her!"

Jeremy was stunned by my action, looking shocked.

"Ava, are you crazy?"

"Yes! I'm crazy! If you touch my daughter again, I won't just hit you and I'll kill you!"

If it weren't for the law, I would have cut this heartless man into pieces right now.

Seeing me argue with Jeremy, Susan cried even harder, holding onto my neck.

"Susan, be good. Mommy won't argue with Daddy. Susan won't fight with Kieran over toys anymore!"