In my previous life, my husband suffered a sudden brain hemorrhage and died instantly in his office.

When I arrived at the hospital, all that awaited me was his lifeless body.

Overwhelmed with grief, I coughed up blood and was bedridden ever since.

On my deathbed, I happened to see a news report—my husband had won a $15 million lottery. Standing beside him at the prize ceremony was none other than my best friend.

The shock killed me on the spot.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day my husband had just died.

"Noelle, you've got to stay strong, okay? Brandon may be gone, but you still have me, your bestie. I'm here for you, always."

Melissa Simmons clung to me, chattering away since the moment I showed up at the hospital.

Glancing down at my hands and feet, it hit me—I had been given a second chance, sent back to the very day my husband Brandon Scott had died.

In my previous life, I was at work when I got the news of Brandon's stroke. By the time I made it to the hospital, he was already gone.

Weeks of relentless work and heartache had taken their toll. I collapsed, coughing up blood. From that day forward, I was bedridden with a severe illness.

To make matters worse, my mother-in-law kept my condition a secret from my parents and took me in, only to let the illness run its course without treatment.

As I lay dying, a news flash on the TV announced the winner of a 15 million-dollar lottery jackpot—it was my late husband.

There, right beside my husband Brandon in the photo, was my so-called best friend, Melissa.

…

Snapping out of it, I stared at Melissa's two-faced expression.

She must have known about the lottery win by then. They had probably plotted the whole thing, faking his death to pocket the cash.

"Noelle, don't take it so hard. You're already unwell. What if Brandon's death makes you worse?"

I shrugged off Melissa's hand and asked with eerie calm, "Where's Brandon's body? I want to see him."

Melissa blinked, thrown off by my composure. "In the ward," she stammered.

I stepped into the ward, where Brandon lay under a stark white sheet.

Melissa moved to block me, murmuring some excuse about sparing me the pain. However, I was not having any of it.

I gently nudged Melissa to the side and drew back the sheet from Brandon's body. There he was, lying on the hospital bed, his cheeks flushed and his face peaceful—hardly the image of a dead man.

I shook him and called his name, but he would not stir. Something was off. Without hesitation, I dialed the crematorium. "Hello. My husband has passed, and I need to arrange for his cremation immediately."

Melissa's eyes widened in alarm. "Isn't it too early to send him off?"

I shot her a steely glance. "He's gone. Why keep him here? It's just painful for the rest of us."

"But Mrs. Scott hasn't had the chance to say her final goodbye to Brandon."

Melissa was beside herself, worried I would whisk Brandon away before his mother could see him. "Look, his mom isn't well. Seeing him like this could break her. Let's just get the cremation over with."

She bit her lip and scurried off to call Brandon's mother.

I could not help but smirk, wondering how they would try to thwart my plans.

'You enjoy playing dead, Brandon? Fine, I'll play along and send you straight to hell,' I mused.

As the crematorium van pulled up, Brandon's mother arrived, just in time to see the workers lifting her son's body.

"You witch! The Scott family's luck turned sour the day we welcomed you. You've taken my son from me, and now you won't even let me see him one last time?"

She was on the warpath the moment she got there.

"Rushing to cremate my son—what, can't wait to run off to your lover? Our family's been disgraced by a hussy like you, a woman without shame. Why don't you go join my son in death?!"

I stood there, an impassive observer, as Brandon's mother, Aria Brown, clad in her luxurious mink coat, lost all composure and made a spectacle of herself on the ground.

A curious crowd had formed, their whispers and pointed looks directed at me.

"A mother should never be denied the chance to see her son one last time, no matter the circumstances."

"That woman doesn't look like she's ever lived a day quietly in her life."

"Who dresses up that nicely right after her husband's death? She's probably just come from a rendezvous with some lover."

The murmurs did not faze me. Melissa, on the other hand, rushed to Aria's side, helping her up. "Mrs. Scott, please stand up. Noelle didn't mean for this to happen."

Aria regained her footing and jabbed a finger at me. "You're dead to us. The Scott family wants nothing to do with you, and you certainly won't be handling my son's final affairs."

I let a small smile play on my lips. "Mom, surely you know I kept it from you because I thought you couldn't handle it?

"However, it looks like you're handling it just fine. Instead of rushing to see your son one last time, you found the time to throw a fit here. Anyone would think Brandon was still alive."

Guilt flickered across Aria and Melissa's faces, but they doubled down. "I just lost it when I heard you were going to cremate my son. I'm on my way to see him now."

I gestured toward the distant hearse. "Go ahead, he's right there."

Aria's eyes followed my gesture, and she erupted, her eyes bulging with fury. "Noelle, that's a hearse! It's meant for the dead. How could you put my son in there?

"Have you no humanity? After all the kindness my son showed you!"

Feigning confusion, I met Aria's gaze. "Mom, what are you talking about? Hearses are for the dead, and isn't your son, well, dead? I don't see the issue."

Aria's expression darkened, and she shot me a venomous glare, clearly taken aback by my articulate defense.

Melissa, however, was the one to step in. "Noelle, don't be too hard on Mrs. Scott. She's just following our local custom. When someone dies, we keep them at the funeral home for a few days. It gives everyone a chance to pay their respects before the burial."

Aria quickly nodded. "Exactly, now let's put my son to rest. Melissa always makes sense."

So, we followed the tradition. What was the big deal?

However, Brandon could not be taken back to his city home just yet. The neighbors would not appreciate a funeral disrupting the peace of their community.

For then, he would be taken to his family's country house.

It was as if everything had been prearranged, Brandon's country home was ready for the memorial, with modest decorations and chairs out front for visitors to sit and take a moment.

However, what was unexpected was the lack of grief on the faces of the attendees. It felt more like a casual get-together, with some even chatting quietly among themselves.

Aria, with a glass of red wine in hand, was all smiles, greeting guests as if hosting a party rather than mourning her son.

Melissa turned to me and said, "Noelle, you've been on your feet all day. Sit down and relax, I'll keep an eye on things here."

I grabbed a plate of food and settled myself beside Brandon with a composed air. "That's not necessary. He's not your husband. What are you watching over?"

Melissa's face clouded over as she fixed her gaze on me.

I waved her off. "Aren't we supposed to wait three days? I'll be right here the whole time, and I won't let anyone disturb him."

With a frustrated glance, Melissa had no choice but to go back and consult with Aria.

Two figures slipped into a shadowy corner, whispering urgently about their next move.

I trailed behind them, catching Melissa's voice laced with panic, "What are we going to do? If Brandon goes three days without food, he'll waste away!"

Aria looked downright displeasure. "That witch is always ruining our plans. I've got it—later, I'll mix some sleeping pills into her drink. She'll be out like a light."

I let out a mocking laugh and settled back into my seat.

'Thinking of eating? Enjoy your final feast,' I mused bitterly.

I took a seat beside Brandon. Not long after, Aria approached with a cup of water in hand and a smile plastered on her face.

"Noelle, I was wrong about you. You must be worn out. Here, have some water," she offered.

I dismissed her with a wave. "Save it, Mom. You go get some rest. I'll be the one sitting by my husband for the next three days, and I don't need any help."

Aria's face turned stormy, and she snapped, "That's not going to work. Wouldn't that lead to starvation?"

Had I not known she was fretting over Brandon, I might have mistaken her for a caring mother-in-law.

"Thanks for the concern, but if I get hungry, I'll just grab a bite to eat," I assured her.

Aria gritted her teeth, barely holding back her anger. "At least drink some water."

When she tried to force the water on me, I took the cup and pretended to sip.

Satisfied, Aria finally left.

That night, I feigned sleep beside the coffin, only to be stirred by the sound of footsteps.

"That woman is driving me mad, making my son go a whole day without food," grumbled Aria.

Melissa then said, "Let's get Brandon something to eat. He's got to be famished."

I felt Melissa draw near, gently tapping Brandon's cheek. "Brandon, it's me. Are you awake?"

Brandon's voice broke the silence, "When I came to, the drugs should've knocked me out for hours. The moment I opened my eyes, Noelle was right by my side. Man, it gave me quite the jolt.

"And how is she still standing? With her heart condition and all those extra shifts she's pulled this month, she should've been a wreck seeing me 'dead'."

Aria chuckled mockingly. "That woman doesn't care about you. If she did, she wouldn't have just stood there without batting an eyelash."

I smirked at their words. In my previous life, Oswin had actually gotten sick from their little game and ended up dying of pure rage.

However, this time around, I was given a second shot at life. I would never fall for the same tricks again.

"Son, it's time to eat. I'll figure out a plan to get you two divorced. That way, she won't see a dime of that lottery money."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm on it. I'm so hungry that I could die."

At that moment, I feigned a groggy awakening. "Who's there? Who's talking?"

Brandon had no choice but to play dead again, while Melissa and Aria quickly hid the food and stood back.

"You've dozed off, Noelle. Maybe you should head to bed?"

I glanced at them and shook my head. "No way, I'm staying right here with my husband."

Their faces darkened with anger, but they bit their tongues, wary of messing up their scheme.

That night, I had tied a rope between Brandon's wrist and mine. Any move he made, I would be awake in an instant.

Come morning, Melissa and Aria's glares could have set me ablaze. I mean, I had kept Aria's son hungry for a full day and night. It only made sense they were fuming.

The next day, Aria tried her old trick again, offering me a cup laced with a sleeping draught.

I played along, pretending to drink, and acted as if I had drifted off.

As night fell, Aria and Melissa crept in, up to no good.

Brandon shot up in bed, thinking that if even someone in a coma had to shift positions periodically, he certainly should too.

I jerked my head up, staring at him, my eyes wide with disbelief.

"Honey, I thought you were gone! How are you sitting up?"