When I was three months pregnant, my husband, Kolton Ferguson, who held a prominent military position, asked me for a divorce. The reason? Marceline Hart, his widowed sister-in-law, was also expecting a child. Kolton claimed he wanted to look after Marceline and her unborn child by bringing her along with him in his military postings. He assured me that the divorce would only be temporary. Once Marceline had the baby and was able to care for the child, he promised we would remarry.

In my previous life, I firmly rejected Kolton's proposal, clinging desperately to our marriage. Marceline, trying to secure her position by Kolton's side, ended up in the hospital for an abortion that tragically led to complications and her death. Kolton blamed me bitterly for it.

When I was six months pregnant, Kolton orchestrated a setup where I was caught in a compromising situation with a local troublemaker. My reputation was ruined, and I was shunned by everyone. This led to our divorce, and I was sent to a workhouse. Life there was unbearably harsh. At eight months pregnant, I went into premature labor due to exhaustion and died during childbirth.

I hadn't fully processed the despair and pain of that life-ending moment when I suddenly found myself facing Kolton again. He was pleading with sincerity for a divorce. I agreed without a second thought.

"Why wait? Let's finalize the divorce right now!"

I agreed to the divorce with Kolton on one condition: he had to pay me $500 to support our child. Kolton readily agreed, and we went straight to the courthouse. Once we received the divorce papers, Kolton visibly relaxed. It seemed he hadn't expected me to agree so easily, and his relief was palpable, even though he tried to soften his attitude toward me.

"Alaina, don't worry. The divorce is only temporary. Once I make sure Marceline and the baby are settled, I'll come back to you."

His words carried the same poison I remembered from my previous life, where he relentlessly manipulated me for Marceline's sake. I knew I couldn’t trust him. Even though a tiger may not eat its own cubs, Kolton's cruelty toward me and my unborn child had no limits. In this life, my only wish was to stay as far away from him as possible.

Ignoring Kolton, I tightly clutched the divorce certificate as I descended the steps of the courthouse. My indifference prompted Kolton to hurry after me, his tone unusually gentle.

"Alaina, take care of yourself and the baby while I'm gone. Let me know if you need anything."

As Kolton spoke to me so kindly, Marceline, who was waiting outside, was displeased. Her eyes flickered with malice as she clutched her belly and dramatically bent over in pain.

"Oh, my stomach hurts!"

Kolton’s worry for Marceline was apparent as he rushed over to scoop her up and carry her to the waiting car. Over Kolton's shoulder, Marceline shot me a triumphant smile, asserting her position as more important to Kolton than I ever was.

In my last life, I never realized how deep Kolton's feelings for Marceline went. Despite his request to take her along for childbirth, I had refused the divorce with everything I had. Kolton, being in the military, didn't know Marceline as well as I did, having lived with her day in and day out. Marceline was beautiful and loved dressing up, catching the eye of many men even before she married Kolton's brother, Jayceon Ferguson. After marriage, the admirers never really went away.

In my previous life, I saw Marceline bring other men home when Jayceon was away more than once. So when Jayceon died under mysterious circumstances and Kolton wanted to look after Marceline and her unborn child, I warned him. I told him the child couldn't possibly be Jayceon's but likely belonged to some other random man.

Kolton didn't believe me, accusing me of spreading baseless rumors and tarnishing Marceline’s reputation. I felt wronged, unable to understand why he refused to accept the truth. It was only later, after Kolton's betrayal, that I realized he was one of Marceline's secret lovers. Kolton had long been involved with Marceline, and he had assumed the child she carried was his, thus feeling obligated to give her and the child legitimacy.

In that previous life, I was foolish, unable to see the truth and unknowingly led myself to ruin. In this new life, I would step aside and watch as Kolton and Marceline faced the consequences of their actions.

I spent two hours walking home from the courthouse. As I approached my house, I noticed someone lurking suspiciously outside. A quick glance was enough to recognize him—Benicio Rice, that dubious character embroiled in a shady affair with Kolton Ferguson in a different time.

What was this scoundrel doing at my doorstep? What could he possibly want?

I remembered how, in my previous life, I often spotted Benicio sneaking around at night with Marceline Hart. At one point, I suspected the child Marceline carried was Benicio’s. I tried telling Kolton, but he brushed my concerns aside.

Later, after Marceline suffered a miscarriage and died from excessive bleeding, Benicio came to me, vowing revenge over what he called a blood debt. Shortly after, Kolton and Benicio framed me, catching us in a compromising situation. Those two had plotted to avenge Marceline’s demise by setting me up.

It’s baffling how smitten they were with Marceline. I wonder if they even knew about their tangled mess with her. Logic would suggest they were clueless.

A cold smile crept across my face. If Kolton and Benicio discovered they were both mere pawns in Marceline’s game, I’d love to see their reactions.

As I mulled this over, Benicio approached me with a sycophantic smile. “Hey, Alaina! What’s been happening?”

I sneered, “What else? Filing for divorce!”

Spotting the divorce papers in my hand, Benicio’s eyes lit up. “You really went through with it?”

“Yep, Kolton’s busy playing nursemaid to Marceline’s unborn child, so he pushed me to divorce him. He thinks I don’t see his little tricks, but I know exactly what’s going on.”

Benicio paused, confused. “What do you mean?”

“What else could it mean? Kolton and that tramp Marceline are living it up!” I laughed sharply. “Marceline isn’t just fooling around with Kolton—she’s also involved with the guys from the power plant, the boiler factory, and the machine shop..."

I ticked off names on my fingers. “That woman's got some nerve—she’s juggling at least seven or eight guys, and who knows whose kid she’s carrying!”

Watching Benicio’s face sour as I rattled off Marceline’s many lovers was almost comical. He’d always thought he was her one and only and that the child she carried was his.

Benicio had decent looks, but he was a slacker without a dime to his name. So, when Marceline got pregnant, he couldn’t afford to support her child. They’d planned for Kolton to be the unsuspecting provider.

Benicio assumed Marceline married Kolton to have him raise the baby. Now, discovering Marceline's double-cross with Kolton, he must be crushed.

In my past life, Benicio and Kolton blamed me for Marceline’s death and schemed against me. In this life, I'll let these wretched souls tear each other apart.

Benicio stormed off in a huff, leaving me smirking as I stepped back into the house. Now that the divorce from Kolton was finalized, it was time to think about my future. I needed to deal with the pregnancy soon; keeping Kolton's child wasn't part of my plan. Kolton and Marceline were nothing but treacherous villains, heartless to the core. I had to plan ahead to prevent history from repeating itself.

I went into the bedroom and opened the box where I kept my savings. Taking out the few hundred dollars I'd managed to save, I carefully stitched the bills into the lining of my jacket. Just as I finished, Kolton returned with Marceline draped over him like she couldn't stand on her own. She clung to him, her voice sickeningly sweet as she noticed me coming out. “I can't walk any further. You have to carry me to the bedroom!”

Kolton had completely abandoned any shred of dignity. Right there in front of me, he scooped Marceline up and carried her off to the bedroom. Soon, the room was filled with her giggling, which went on for quite a while. Eventually, Kolton emerged, shamelessly asking me, “Marceline's anemic and needs something nourishing. Go buy a turkey and make her some soup.”

Throughout our marriage, I hadn't spent a dime of Kolton's money. Everything he earned went to his mother and brother, and I foolishly thought he was just being a good son. Little did I know it was because he didn't care for me at all, treating me like free labor for his family. In what felt like a previous lifetime, I realized Kolton's cruelty only on my deathbed. Not this time. He wouldn't take advantage of me again.

“Alright,” I said calmly, extending my hand. “Give me the money, and I'll get a turkey to nourish Marceline.”

Kolton was used to barking orders and never paying a cent for what he demanded. My request for money took him by surprise, his expression souring. “Can't you pay and I'll reimburse you later?”

“I don't have any money,” I replied.

“What about your salary?”

“I've spent it all. We've been married for three years without me seeing a penny from you. Do you think I don't need to eat or drink? Besides, your mother constantly demands money and food from me. I'm not a magician.”

I leveled my gaze at Kolton, reminding him slowly, “You promised me five hundred dollars for the divorce to support me and the baby. Give me the money now.”

Kolton's face darkened. “I don't have that much right now.”

“Are you trying to back out? Kolton, I've been more than generous by letting you take care of Marceline, but you have to be fair. I'm carrying your child, so you have to pay up, or else…”

I let the sentence hang, knowing Kolton was fully aware of the consequences. If news got out about his affair with Marceline, it wouldn't bode well for his career or reputation. To keep his comforts, he needed to keep me quiet.

Reluctantly, Kolton handed me five hundred dollars, his jaw clenched as he decided to buy the turkey himself. Once Marceline heard about Kolton giving me the money to silence me, she was livid. She dropped her weak act and stormed over to confront me, “Alaina, what makes you think you have the right to Kolton's money?”