After I came back to life, the first thing I did was hand that five-carat diamond ring—yes, the one my husband gave me—to his mother. The very woman who spent years picking me apart like it was her favorite pastime.

In my last life, that ring was a custom New Year's gift. He paid a ridiculous amount for it. I actually thought it meant something.

One afternoon, I was out shopping when I walked right into a bridal party taking pictures. The bride glanced at my hand, saw the ring, and her entire expression changed.

She stormed over and slapped me, accusing me of being a shameless mistress trying to steal her man.

I stood there, completely stunned. She was wearing the exact same ring.

Before I could explain, her friends grabbed me. They dragged me aside, tore my clothes, hit me, and stomped on my hand until I couldn't move my fingers.

They carved the word "mistress" into my face and paraded me through the street like some kind of public disgrace.

I died there on the pavement.

When my husband finally appeared, he didn't fight for me. He just signed off on a settlement, as if my life were nothing more than a piece of paperwork.

Widowed that morning, married to the bride by nightfall.

His mother instantly welcomed the new woman, all because she was pregnant.

And then I opened my eyes again… back on the very day he first placed that diamond ring in my hand.

A Five-Carat Rewind

"Hmph. Useless, lazy, and still no baby after all these years. But taking million-dollar gifts? That you're good at," my mother-in-law, Victoria Grant, said this with her lips puckered as if she'd caught a foul smell.

Lucas Reed—my husband—had just slid a five-carat diamond ring onto my finger when she cut in.

A strange chill ran through me. My hand, whole and unbroken, rested in front of me as if nothing had ever happened.

That was the moment I knew I was back.

In my last life, Lucas spent an outrageous amount on having that ring custom-made by a famous designer. And on the very day he gave it to me—this exact day—Victoria stood by, hurling the same tired insults.

She called me a "wannabe trophy wife," a pretty decoration who burned through her son's money and couldn't give him a child.

Back then, I kept calmly explaining that Lucas and I were planning to start a family—we were just swamped with work. Honestly, a million-dollar New Year's gift wasn't even unusual for him. He spent triple that on his mother every single year.

Not that she cared.

In her world, my greatest sin was an empty nursery. Her golden boy was flawless; everything wrong in the universe had to be my fault.

And Lucas? The ever-dutiful son?

He never pushed back.

He later told me not to take it personally and suggested I buy her something nice, emphasizing that we shouldn't ruin the holiday mood.

So, I went out to buy her a present.

I didn't expect to walk straight into a bridal party at the mall.

The bride stepped out of the group like she was the star of her own show—couture gown, perfect hair, flawless makeup.

I barely glanced at her.

As we passed each other, she grabbed my hand.

She saw the ring and slapped me so hard my ears buzzed, accusing me of being a mistress trying to steal her man.

I stared at her ring—identical to mine—and froze.

Before I could speak, she and her bridesmaids surrounded me. They tore my clothes, hit me, and slapped me until my vision swam.

I begged them to stop. I said there had to be a mistake.

The bride planted her stiletto heel down onto the back of my hand, grinding it cruelly.

She leaned in, her voice low and mocking. "There's no mistake. This ring is one of a kind. It's custom-made. If you have it, then you're the mistress."

My hand split open under her heel. Blood smeared the diamond.

Then, she took out a small knife and carved "mistress" across my face. She dragged me by the hair out of the mall and into the street.

"So good at seducing men, huh?" she stated with this sugary-sweet smile. "Cute. I'll even help you find some clients—maybe then you'll stop circling my fiance like a stray."

She shoved me toward a group of wandering men and turned away.

I never survived that night.

When Lucas showed up, he looked at my body once and signed a settlement. Just like that, everything was cleanly wrapped up.

I only learned the bride's name after I died.

Sophie Lane—Lucas' so-called true love—the woman he'd been saving his heart for all along.

My body hadn't even been laid to rest before they registered their marriage.

They threw a massive wedding.

And because she was pregnant, Victoria adored her instantly.

She even praised her for "fixing the family problem."

That memory burned through me like acid, but on the outside? I smiled—warm, easy, almost cheerful.

I slid the ring off my finger and gently set it on Victoria's hand. "Mom," I spoke gently, like spring sunlight, "this ring looks much better on you."

The Second Sparkle

Victoria froze for a beat before she narrowed her eyes at me. "What's gotten into you? What are you plotting now?"

Lucas looked just as confused. "Avery, you said you loved the ring," he said with a frown.

I smiled. Taking Victoria's hand, I murmured, "Mom's right. Honestly, all the presents we've given her before were too small. This ring fits her much better."

Lucas blinked, thrown. "I had this custom-made for you. It's one of a kind—"

Victoria cut him off instantly, "Why wouldn't it look good on me? She wants to give it to me, so let her. If you're that sentimental, go make her another one."

I added, "Exactly. It's only special because it's one of a kind. If there's a second one, it loses its value. Right, Lucas?"

I watched him closely.

His expression tightened. It took him two full seconds to respond. "Of course it's unique. I'd never make a second one."

Restlessness flickered across his face. He muttered something about a call he needed to take and excused himself, practically rushing out of the room.

Victoria lifted her hand, tilting it toward the light. The ring sparkled, and her satisfaction was unmistakable. Then, she shot me a sidelong glance. "Don't think this changes anything between us. Go make dinner, and do it properly."

I nodded and suggested, "But a ring this beautiful shouldn't stay hidden. Why not post it online and share with the world?"

She might be older, but once Lucas struck it rich, she retired immediately, and the cushy life did wonders for her; it polished her up and shaved a decade off her appearance.

When I photographed her, I made sure her face was front and center. She uploaded them right away, practically glowing. I let out a quiet laugh and slipped back to my room.

Then, I ran a search with the photo.

It didn't take long.

On an overseas social platform, a travel influencer had recently posted a close-up of the exact same ring.

The influencer was Sophie. Her username was even "SophieWander."

I went straight to her profile.

Sophie spent her life abroad, traveling from one country to another and creating glossy vlogs with a man always behind the camera. Her captions suggested her husband covered all expenses, even giving her a "custom, one-of-a-kind ring."

Later, I opened Lucas' travel schedule and compared it with Sophie's posts—Moonshore in July, Rosefen Valley in August, and Vespera in November.

Each date matched up perfectly.

Every so-called "business trip" was actually with her.

I'd been married to Lucas for years, but we were practically strangers. We never even had a real wedding.

He refused to make our marriage public, saying it would "set a bad example" for the company if executives flaunted their personal lives.

While I worked through the night for the company, drank myself numb at client dinners, and woke up alone with a burning stomach and a splitting headache—Lucas was in another woman's bed, whispering love to her and buying her the very ring he claimed was "just for me."

Victoria's photo got passed around online until it finally showed up in Sophie's inbox, forwarded by some random anonymous account.

I cleared my history and snapped the laptop shut.

…

That night, when Lucas came home, I casually mentioned that I thought I'd seen a ring online that looked just like Victoria's.

His face shifted instantly, and he demanded to know where I'd seen it.

I shrugged. "Just flashed by in a video. I couldn't find it again."

He exhaled in visible relief. "Probably a mistake. You're overthinking."

He made another excuse about work and stepped out onto the balcony to make a call.

I watched him through the glass door, the cold slowly gathering in my eyes.

The Wedding Dress Riot

Not long after, I rechecked Sophie's social media. The close-up photo of the ring had vanished.

'Good. Deleting it only means it rattled her,' I thought.

I reloaded the mall membership card and handed it to Victoria.

"Mom," I spoke sweetly, "there's a new drop from that luxury brand. It matches your ring perfectly. I heard Mrs. Graham and Mrs. Ewing already booked appointments."

Those two were her eternal rivals—always battling over handbags, diamonds, and designer outfits. They'd flaunted new pieces just last week, and Victoria had been seething ever since.

Now, her eyes lit up with a chance to outshine them.

"Well, at least you're good for something," she responded. "You were never meant for finer things anyway. Better it ends up with me."

I reminded her, "It's a limited release. It could sell out by tomorrow."

The color drained from her face.

I checked the time. Perfect.

"If you go now, you'll beat them to it." I offered her the card with an easy smile. "There's half a million loaded, Mom. Spend whatever you want. If you go over, the supplementary card will cover it."

Both cards were Lucas'; not a single cent of mine was contributing to her ego.

Later, when Lucas came home, all he saw was me stirring a pot of tuna casserole on the stove.

His brow tightened instantly. "Why are you making that again? Mom hates it. Didn't I ask you not to cook it at home?"

I lowered the spoon and tasted the food I had made. "She went shopping. Limited-edition drop—only ten pieces. She didn't want to miss it."

He paused, likely imagining the ring on her finger. His voice grew gentler. "Avery… Mom just lashes out because she wants a grandchild. If the ring upset you, tell me what you want, and I'll get it for you."

Then, he added as if it were nothing, "Once the company goes public, focus on giving birth to a child."

I smiled. "Don't worry. She'll have one very soon."

Not from me. Her precious grandson was probably watching her scream right now.

Before either of us could say more, Lucas' phone rang.

The call ended immediately.

He frowned. "Strange. Mom called, hung up, and now she isn't answering."

He tried again and again, but received no response.

It reminded me of my last life—how I'd called him while Sophie smashed my phone. He hadn't cared then, either.

But now, with Victoria silent, panic crept into his expression.

He bolted out the door to find her.

I didn't rush. I finished my tuna casserole, washed my spoon, grabbed my bag, and headed out to the mall.

Traffic was terrible, so I took the subway. Despite that, I got there well before Lucas.

The entrance was already surrounded by a crowd—onlookers whispering, recording, yet too afraid to step in. Sophie had already dragged Victoria outside.

The young woman wore a pristine white wedding gown, with her bridesmaids walking behind her like guards. Victoria was on the ground, bleeding, barely covered in clothing, streaks of red dragged across the floor by her hands. She was barely conscious.

I stayed hidden in the crowd and watched.

It didn't take long for Lucas to arrive.

He hadn't expected to find Sophie here—his expression faltered for half a second.

Sophie, on the other hand, lit up and threw herself into his arms. "Babe, you came to pick me up? I wanted to surprise you, but you found me first!"

Lucas forced a smile. "Sophie… why are you back?"

She took his hand and placed it on her stomach. "Can't you tell from the wedding dress? Today was supposed to be our wedding. Instead, I had to deal with some filthy woman trying to ruin us. I was furious."

She leaned in, her voice dropping to a sugary tone. "You're going to protect our baby and me now, right?"

Lucas tried to glance at the crumpled figure on the ground, but Sophie's words snapped his attention right back. His eyes brightened with stunned excitement.

Sophie pushed out a cute little pout and wiggled the ring on her finger. "I'm carrying your child, and you gave me a ring that someone else is also wearing? You really need to fix that."

His smile faltered. "What did you just say?"

She gestured toward Victoria with visible disgust. "That woman. The homewrecker. She was wearing the exact same ring."

Lucas rushed forward and dropped to the ground beside Victoria, hands shaking as he reached for the ring on her mangled hands.

Sophie scoffed. "Limited-edition? Please. She probably bought it with whatever shady cash she could scrape together. How embarrassing."

Every word dripped with triumph.

Then, Lucas lashed out, the slap ringing through the air like a shot.