After being sent back in time, Emma Horten did two things. The first thing she did was abandon her ungrateful husband and son; the second thing she did was set out to rebuild her career.

After Quinn Ward, the daughter of Jake Fisher’s mentor, became pregnant, he asked me for a divorce.

“The girl’s reputation matters. It’s just for show. Don’t overthink it.”

Even my own son, Spencer Fisher, chimed in, “We should repay in kind. Besides, that’s Dad’s child, too. Mom, don’t make things hard for him.”

Just when everyone thought I would make a scene, I simply nodded. I went through with the paperwork and then married Luca Ziegler, the man who had once saved my life.

In my previous life, because I had refused the divorce, Jake and Spencer abandoned me and left for another country. After that, I became a laughingstock, and my life fell apart. So this time, I agreed to the divorce and disappeared from their world.

That was until six years later, at an exclusive luxury cruise party, Jake and Spencer pushed through the dancing crowd and grabbed my wrist, furious.

“Didn’t I say it was just for show? Where have you been all these years?”

I was slightly startled. Before I could respond, a little girl crashed into my arms.

“Mommy, who are you talking to? Daddy’s looking for you.”

…

The next time I saw Jake, I was standing on the deck in a satin mermaid gown, sipping a drink. I had been up until midnight finishing some design the night before, so I hadn’t planned to show up. However, as the hostess of the cruise, I had no choice.

I sighed. Just as I raised my glass, hurried footsteps sounded behind me. The next second, I was suddenly pulled around. Both Jake and I froze. His eyes were wide as he stared at me in disbelief.

“Emma, it really is you. Where have you been all these years?”

My expression remained calm. Before I could answer, Quinn, who was standing beside him, let out a dramatic gasp.

“Emma, you’re so thin now! You used to be so overweight that you were too afraid to show your face.”

Spencer burst out laughing. It had been years since I last saw him, and he had grown much taller. However, the arrogant look on his face was the same as Quinn’s.

Having caught the implication in her words, he sneered. “Mom, you’re trying to be Quinn again. But what’s the point? You can’t be a model anyway.”

His tone was hateful, just like the countless times in the past when he mocked me for being fat, stupid, and nothing more than a housewife with no charm of her own. What he didn’t know was that before I got married, I had been one of the rising prodigies in the fashion industry. Major fashion houses had extended invitations, hoping I would design for them. Yet, everything changed after I got married.

Jake had constantly accused me of neglecting my family, saying I was never around. He drilled it into my head that appearing in public and pursuing a career didn’t make a good wife, let alone a good mother. Then one day, without telling me, he emailed all my partners, claiming I had retired from the industry.

When I found out, I broke down. I cried and screamed like I had lost my mind. However, he simply told me to calm down, as if it were nothing. From that day on, I became like a bird with broken wings, devoting myself entirely to the family.

It was in the seventh year of our marriage that he cheated with his mentor’s daughter. He said she was dazzling and that she made him feel alive again.

Just as I was lost in those memories, Quinn let out a sweet, affected laugh.

“Emma, even if you can’t be a model, don’t feel down. You could always apply to be an escort. I happen to have a friend who manages a hotel. They’re hiring escorts for seven thousand dollars a month. Would you like me to introduce you?”

Spencer laughed out loud. “Quinn, you should stop. My mom’s super sensitive. She might start crying in a second.”

He proudly pointed toward a stage not far away and continued, “Quinn was invited to walk the runway today. It’s for a famous designer’s collection.”

I paused for a moment and found myself wanting to laugh. It was because I was that designer, and this show? It was just the opening act for my husband, Luca’s, business event.

So, I hired a few well-known models. However, when I glanced over the list earlier, Quinn’s name definitely wasn’t on it. Then, it hit me. One of the scheduled models couldn’t make it, and Quinn was brought in as a last-minute replacement.

At that thought, I lifted my gaze and said calmly, “Shouldn’t you be heading backstage to get ready by now?”

Quinn’s expression stiffened, clearly offended by my tone.

“Don’t pretend to know what you’re talking about,” she snapped. “You think you understand better than I do, do you? I have plenty of time.”

I frowned. With an attitude like that, it was no surprise she hadn’t made any real progress all these years.

Noticing that I was alone, Quinn suddenly hooked her arm around Jake’s, leaning into him as she spoke in a sweet voice, “Emma, did something happen to you? This cruise isn’t exactly a place just anyone can get into. I’ve heard some people sneak in with scalped tickets, hoping to hook up with a rich husband.”

Her words carried an obvious undertone.

Jake looked at me, his expression complicated. His gaze dropped briefly to my clothes before he spoke, his voice tinged with disappointment.

“Emma, this isn’t the kind of outfit you should be wearing. Did you rent it or borrow it?” As he spoke, he pulled out a card and held it out to me. “There are two hundred thousand dollars on here. After all, you’re the mother of my child. I can’t just stand and watch you go down the wrong path. I thought you were so decisive in leaving me because you had something better waiting for you, but I didn’t expect… this.”

His tone carried a faint, condescending pity.

Quinn covered her mouth as she laughed softly. “Maybe it’s a knockoff. Emma, you don’t have to feel embarrassed. This amount of money isn’t much to us, but it should be enough to keep you from looking so miserable.”

However, right after she said that, a young woman suddenly chimed in.

“It’s not a knockoff. You can tell from the craftsmanship and the fabric. It’s the latest piece from the designer, Bridgette. It’s actually very hard to get your hands on one.”

Quinn’s face froze. She turned, ready to lash out, but when she saw it was an old acquaintance, Natalie Grace, her expression changed.

Natalie lit up in surprise and immediately rushed over to hug her. “Oh my god, it really is you! How have you been? After you got pregnant, you just disappeared.”

As she spoke, she glanced at Spencer, a hint of confusion crossing her face. “Is this your son? The timeline doesn’t seem to add up.”

Quinn’s expression tensed, but she forced a smile, replying, “There were some complications. I lost the baby.”

I was a little surprised, yet not really. Jake had low sperm motility, and to protect his pride, I never told him the truth back then. Behind the scenes, I went through countless hormone injections just to keep the pregnancy stable. At one point, I even suffered a hemorrhage and nearly couldn’t carry the baby to term.

Instead of comforting me, Jake did nothing but criticize me, even while I was still recovering after childbirth. I cried for three days straight. It wasn’t until my vision started to blur and fade that I realized I couldn’t keep going like that.

Those memories felt like a long, filthy rag—torn and impossible to clean. I let out a quiet breath and forced myself not to dwell on it.

Natalie let out an awkward laugh, offered a few words of comfort, and then quickly left. I checked the time and was about to leave when suddenly, Quinn grabbed my arm. Her fingers dug deep into my skin.

Her composure completely shattered, her face twisted with hatred as she snapped, “Are you happy to hear that I lost the baby? It’s all your fault! You’re the reason Jake never came home. He was out looking for you! I got so upset that I miscarried. You’re a murderer!”

The pain made me shove her away on instinct. Then, I froze.

He had been looking for me? Why? Wasn’t he the one who insisted on the divorce in my past life? And besides, what did Quinn’s miscarriage have to do with me? His sperm quality had always been poor, and she had been dieting the entire time. If the baby was lost, that was on her.

I looked down at my arm. The crescent-shaped marks had broken the skin, faint traces of blood surfacing. As my skin bruised easily, Luca would notice it immediately.

Knowing how fiercely protective he was of me, his wife, I was really worried something might happen.

Yet, the very next second, Jake stepped forward and blocked my path, his face dark with anger. He helped Quinn up, her face streaked with tears, and barked at me, “Emma, apologize!”

My body trembled when I heard that. In an instant, memories from the past came rushing back.

There was a time when I added a little too much salt to a meal. Quinn had burst into tears at dinner, claiming I was jealous of her figure and deliberately trying to make her fat. Without a word, Jake had shoved me to the ground, treating me like a dog with no dignity.

Every scene was still vivid. My fingers curled tightly, nails digging deep into my palms. Fortunately, things were different now. I wasn’t going to let anyone drag me through the mud.

With that, I sneered and spat, “In your dreams.”

Spencer paused mid-motion as he wiped Quinn’s tears. Then, he turned to me and shouted in disappointment, “You’re so vicious, and you won’t even admit it. I don’t have a mom like you!”

It wasn’t the first time he had said something like that. Giving birth to him hadn’t been easy, so I had always doted on him. Even when his demands were unreasonable, I would quietly give in. However, if he thought this could still threaten me now, he was wrong.

Looking at the stubborn, almost smug expression on his face, I replied calmly, “It doesn’t matter. You have more than one mom anyway.”

Spencer froze at my reply. He opened his mouth, a little flustered, and his eyes shimmered, as though tears were about to fall. Suddenly, he exploded. He yanked off the chain hanging around his neck and threw it straight into the ocean, bursting into tears.

“I don’t want you anymore! You’re an evil woman!”

For a brief moment, I was dazed. I had gotten that chain for him when he was six years old. He used to think it was old-fashioned and refused to wear it, often tossing it aside at home. When had he started wearing it?

Quinn quickly pulled him into her arms, gently comforting him. “Spencer, from now on, I’ll be your mother. Someone like her doesn’t deserve to be your mom.”

Then, she turned to look at me. A sharp glint flashed in her eyes, and her tone turned cold.

“Emma, you don’t even have a pass on you. It looks like you bought a scalped ticket. I was going to let you off, but since you insist on being so shameless, don’t blame me.”

As she spoke, she raised her hand, about to call the bodyguards over, but I didn’t move an inch.

What a joke. This cruise was a gift from Luca, so it was under my name. I’d like to see who would dare touch me.

The next second, a hand shot out and firmly pressed hers down. Jake looked at me with a complicated expression, then turned and said something to Quinn. She stared at him in disbelief, her face full of resentment, but in the end, she reluctantly nodded.

Only then did Jake’s expression soften. He turned as if he was about to say something to me when Quinn suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her red lips against his.

Jake froze for a moment, instinctively glancing at me. Seeing that I didn’t react at all, a shadow flickered in his eyes, and he turned back and kissed her deeply.

Just then, my phone suddenly rang. Before I could even answer, Jake’s eyes lit up.

His voice carried barely concealed excitement. “Do you still listen to that song?”

I was taken aback. I was just about to ask what he meant when it suddenly clicked: this song had been our song back then, which I had long forgotten. I’d only set it as my ringtone because I liked it, but clearly, Jake had misunderstood.

There was a spark in his eyes, as if he wanted to say something more. I simply ignored him and picked up the call.

Luca’s deep, pleasant voice came through the line. “Em, where are you? The runway show’s about to start. We’ve got a speech to give.”

I couldn’t help but smile, letting out a soft hum in response. “I’ll be right there.”

Before my smile could fade, somebody suddenly grabbed my wrist.

“Who was that man?”

Jake’s jaw was tense. He looked like a volcano on the verge of erupting.