In her past life, Dylan Xander was forced to marry Zoe Stone. On their wedding day, his first love died in a plane crash.

After the wedding, Dylan fell into a deep depression and grew to despise Zoe.

For seven long years, she humbled herself just to win a sliver of his affection. But all she ever got in return was the same cruel question, over and over again:

“Why wasn’t it you who died instead?”

And yet, when the tsunami struck, Dylan gave up his only chance of survival to save her.

On the lifeboat, she desperately reached out to grab his hand but he pulled away with all his strength.

As he sank into the dark depths of the sea, he smiled in relief.

“I’m finally free. I can be with her now.”

After his death, the entire Xander family turned their hatred toward Zoe.

Consumed by grief and guilt, she took her own life by jumping into the ocean.

But when she opened her eyes again, she had returned to seven years ago.

This time, she would cut the toxic bond between them and let him be with his true love.

“Don’t worry, Zoe. We’ll make sure Dylan takes responsibility for what he did,” Mr. Xander said gently.

“He’s being punished right now. He’s out in the guest house, kneeling. He won’t be allowed to get up until he admits he was wrong,” Mrs. Xander added softly.

They sat with Zoe Stone in her room, speaking with warmth and concern. Their eyes kept drifting to her still-flat stomach.

Zoe lowered her voice. “Mr. and Mrs. Xander, I’ve thought this through. You can’t force love. Please don’t pressure Dylan into marrying me.”

Mr. Xander’s brow furrowed. “He crossed a line. He needs to be accountable. Especially now that you're carrying his child.”

Zoe shook her head. “I’ve made my decision. I’m going to honor my mother’s last wish and volunteer as a teacher in Backwater Ridge. Please don’t try to talk me out of it.”

Mrs. Xander reached out and gently smoothed a hand through Zoe’s hair, her heart aching. “But what about the baby?”

“I’ve already scheduled the procedure,” Zoe said calmly. “Dylan’s not even married yet. If this got out, it would create a mess for everyone.”

Mrs. Xander’s eyes brimmed with tears. “You’re such a good girl, Zoe. It’s just a shame that Dylan doesn’t see that.”

Mr. Xander let out a deep sigh. “The conditions in those remote areas can be harsh. Are you certain this is what you want?”

Zoe nodded firmly. “I’m sure. Once everything’s finalized, I’ll be on my way. I should be leaving in about a week.”

Mrs. Xander nodded with a soft sigh. “If that’s really what you want, we won’t stop you. Just remember, no matter what happens, we’re still family. Please keep in touch.”

“I will,” Zoe said with a small smile.

After they left, she went into the kitchen and carefully prepared a pot of nourishing chicken soup. She poured it into a thermal flask, then packed a thick winter coat before heading to the guest house.

Snow was falling in wide, heavy flakes. The wind was bitter, cutting straight through the open doors. Inside, Dylan Xander was still kneeling, unmoving.

His clothes were too thin for this weather, and his lips had turned pale from the cold. Even after kneeling for over two hours, his back was straight and unyielding.

Zoe stood in the courtyard, looking at his silhouette. Her eyes suddenly stung with tears.

No one knew this, but she had been reborn.

In her previous life, Dylan had been forced to marry her. That same day, the woman he had truly loved—his first love—died in a plane crash.

After the wedding, Dylan fell into deep depression. He hated her with all his heart.

For seven long years, she humbled herself to win even the slightest bit of his warmth. But all she got in return were cruel accusations:

“Why wasn’t it you who died instead?”

And yet, when the tsunami came, it was Dylan who gave her his one and only chance to survive.

On the lifeboat, she had reached desperately for his hand. But he pulled away with everything he had.

As he fell into the sea, he gave her a quiet, relieved smile.

“I’m finally free. I can go be with her now.”

After that, the entire Xander family turned on her.

Mr. Xander had pointed a finger at her, cursing, “We never should’ve forced him to marry a jinx like you!”

Mrs. Xander had screamed in grief, slapping her across the face. “You killed my son! Why couldn’t it have been you?!”

Even the son she had doted on had yelled, “I don’t want a shameless woman like you to be my mom!”

Crushed by despair, she had thrown herself into the sea.

When she opened her eyes again, it was seven years earlier.

Dylan was twenty-three now, and his parents were pressuring him to marry her.

But this time, she wouldn’t make the same mistakes.

Hearing her footsteps, Dylan turned his head.

The moment he saw her, his eyes turned cold—like he was looking at something filthy.

“Get out of here! I don’t want to see you!”

Her chest tightened at his words, but she held back her tears. Quietly, she draped the down coat over his shoulders and set the chicken soup beside him.

“Dylan… you should eat something. I’ve already spoken to your parents. I—”

Before she could finish, he shoved her away in fury.

“I said I don’t want to see you. What part of that don’t you understand?”

Scalding soup splashed onto Zoe’s hand. The pain was instant—blisters bubbled across her pale skin, and she gasped, tears springing to her eyes. “I just…”

Dylan glanced at her injury, but his eyes barely lingered before he let out a cold, mocking laugh.

“Just what? Zoe, are you seriously this pathetic? After all these years, I’ve only ever treated you like a sister, and you went and drugged me to get into my bed?!”

His words struck like a whip.

“I’m telling you right now—I’d rather die than marry you. And that thing you're carrying? Get rid of it.

“You hurt Jenny. I’m going to make damn sure you suffer too.”

Every word landed like a blade, slicing straight through her. Zoe clenched her fists so hard her nails broke the skin in her palm. Blood welled up, but she didn’t feel it. All she felt was the past crashing back like a tidal wave.

She and Dylan had grown up together. After her parents passed away, the Xanders took her in, and from that point on, they were raised like siblings—half-related by circumstance, not by blood.

In her memories, Dylan had always been distant, proud, the kind of person who kept his emotions under lock and key.

And yet, even someone like him could fall to his knees for love.

Jenny Adams—his first love—was an intern at Xander Corporation. At the company’s annual gala, Dylan fell for her at first sight. After that, he chased her relentlessly.

Their back-and-forth dragged on for two years before they finally got together.

Zoe remembered the day they announced their relationship. She cried the entire night.

By morning, she had made up her mind to bury her feelings for him forever. She would keep her love silent and wish him well.

But fate had other plans.

At a party not long after, someone drugged Dylan’s drink. In his haze, he mistook Zoe for Jenny and forced himself on her.

When he came to the next day, he was terrifying.

All his usual restraint vanished. His eyes were bloodshot with fury.

“Zoe, are you really that desperate?!

“You knew I didn’t love you, so you drugged me?!”

After the anger came the breakdown. He curled up on the floor and sobbed like a child.

“Jenny… how could I betray you…”

But the truth was—Zoe hadn’t drugged him.

No matter how many times she tried to explain, he refused to believe her. From that day forward, he hated her.

“Zoe, what—cat got your tongue?!”

Her voice was barely a whisper, almost lost to the wind.

“I already scheduled the procedure.”

Dylan froze for a beat, thrown off by how calm she sounded.

Then he let out a sharp laugh. “So now you’re playing the sympathy card? Very clever. Got my parents wrapped around your little finger.

“But so what? Without love, marriage is just a piece of paper.”

“I’m serious. I’ve already talked to your parents, so they won't force you to marry me any more,” Zoe said quietly. Her eyes lingered on Dylan’s face, as if memorizing it.

“Once the baby’s gone, we’ll pretend none of this ever happened.”

Silence fell between them.

Dylan stared at her, jaw tight, saying nothing.

After a long pause, he finally snapped, “You better mean it.”

Before she could respond, Dylan’s phone rang. He answered, and whatever he heard made his expression shift instantly. Without another word, he ran out into the snow, not even stopping to grab his coat.

Zoe watched his figure vanish into the swirling white.

She knew exactly where he was going.

Jenny.

Biting back the ache in her chest, she quietly cleaned up the mess and hailed a cab to the hospital.

As she looked out the window at the falling snow, she let out a long breath.

In her past life, she had planned to volunteer in a remote school, and everything had already been arranged. But in the end, she stayed behind and married Dylan instead.

Now that life had given her a second chance, she chose to cut off this toxic bond and set everyone free.

In seven days, she and Dylan would part ways for good—never to cross paths again.

Zoe sat quietly in the hospital corridor, her hand resting lightly on her stomach. Her eyes stung with tears she tried not to shed.

In her past life, during the years she was hopelessly in love with Dylan, she had imagined countless times what it would be like to walk down the aisle with him.

Later, after their son was born, she often felt guilty—guilty for not giving him a home filled with love.

But even after years of raising him, her son grew up to be just like his father—cold, distant, and in the end, he too turned into a knife that cut straight into her heart.

This time, she wouldn’t give him the chance to be born.

Just then, a sweet, overly familiar voice broke through the quiet hallway.

“Oh come on, Dylan! You’re totally overreacting. It’s just a little burn from the steam, that’s all. The doctor said I could’ve just rinsed it with cold water at home, but you dragged me all the way here. Now everyone’s looking at me like I’m ridiculous.”

Zoe looked up instinctively, her whole body tensing.

Jenny and Dylan were walking down the hallway, hand in hand. Their fingers were tightly laced together, their bodies close, their affection unmistakable.

Dylan leaned in and kissed her lightly on the lips, his gaze soft and full of warmth.

“This hospital belongs to my family. Let them laugh—I couldn’t care less,” he said softly. “Besides, I worked hard to get your hands this soft and pretty. Even a tiny scratch makes me worry.”

Jenny’s cheeks flushed pink. She playfully swatted his chest. “We’re in public—at a hospital, no less. Can you not?”

Dylan caught her hand and kissed it, his smile deep and full of charm. “You have no idea how much I’m holding back.”

Zoe watched the smile on his face, stunned for a moment—then the pain hit her like a blade.

In her past life, Dylan hadn’t smiled once after Jenny died.

He had fallen into a deep depression, wasting away day by day until he gave up entirely.

The man who had once been bright and proud had become a hollow shell of himself.

To stop him from taking his own life, the family had sealed every window in the house. No sharp objects, no medication, nothing remotely dangerous was allowed near him. The place was more prison than home.

But even so, Dylan managed to file down a toothbrush into a sharp point, planning to stab himself in the heart.

Zoe had caught him just in time.

In a panic, she tried to stop him, reaching out blindly. But in that crucial moment, Dylan threw out his hand to shield her instead.

The sharpened toothbrush went straight through his palm. Blood poured everywhere.

But he didn’t even flinch. He didn’t seem to feel pain at all. Instead, he broke down completely, shouting through his tears:

“Why?! Why won’t you just let me die?! Jenny’s down there all alone—I need to be with her! Get out of my way!”

Zoe had sobbed as she begged him, “Dylan, please, wake up! Jenny’s been gone for years. Can’t you let yourself go? Just once?”

Dylan had gone quiet.

After a long pause, his red-rimmed eyes stared at her, empty and bitter.

“You’re the one who won’t let me go.”

His hand never fully recovered after that. It was permanently damaged, unable to carry anything heavy again.

But strangely, after that day, he seemed to return to normal and started living his life again.

At first, Mr. and Mrs. Xander thought it was just a fleeting phase, a final burst of energy before a deeper collapse, so they watched him even more closely.

But half a year passed, and Dylan began acting like he had truly stepped out of the darkness. He smiled again. He worked. He seemed healed.

Eventually, his parents relaxed.

When he said he wanted to take a trip to the ocean, they even helped plan a cruise.

They never imagined what would happen next.

As the ship was swallowed by the rising waves, Zoe had watched Dylan break free of her grip with everything he had and that was when it finally hit her.

He had never healed.

He had spent six full months pretending—calmly, methodically planning the perfect opportunity to die.

Even if the tsunami hadn’t hit, he still would have jumped from the deck that day.

In the end, Dylan and Jenny became a tragic fairytale—one buried in the clouds, the other lost to the sea.

And Zoe? She was the bitter punchline of a cruel joke.

She fell into a spiral of guilt and heartbreak that never ended.

Dylan’s hand had already been crippled—so how had he still managed to break free from her grip?

In the end, she was the one who killed him.