Part 1After My Husband Fell In Love with His First Love's Substitute

It'd been five years since Elliott Wellington and I got married.

He had picked up a woman from another era, Rachel Parker, and had been using work as a pretext to flirt with her.

I asked for a divorce.

He just sneered and mocked, "Megan, you're being overly sensitive.

"Just work, and you're jealous?"

Later, I broke my own rules and shot a steamy scene.

Elliott's eyes were bloodshot with anger as he gripped my waist tightly, demanding, "How dare you let him touch you?"

I pushed his hand away, smiling nonchalantly.

"It's just work. Don't take it so seriously."

* * *

I was a small-time actress with hardly any recognition.

Today was my birthday, and I had planned to wrap up filming early to surprise Elliott. Instead, I ended up injuring my arm with a prop knife.

I called Elliott, hoping he could comfort me, but as soon as I said, "Honey, I'm hurt…" the call was abruptly cut off.

Words caught in my throat as the line went dead. I hung up, feeling a wave of disappointment.

I told myself he must be busy and hoped he'd call back once he was free.

While I was in the hospital for observation, I distracted myself by scrolling through videos.

My heart sank when I recognized the people in one of the clips.

The video showed Elliott surrounded by a throng of reporters, all shouting questions.

One reporter asked, "Professor Wellington, it's been rumored that this woman by your side is a time traveler. Has there been any progress in your research on this?"

Elliott stopped in his tracks, his gaze sharply fixed on the questioner. "You're seriously peddling this nonsense about time travel? Have you all been reading too many sci-fi novels? Maybe you should brush up on some real science before spewing such absurdities."

The reporter was visibly flustered, at a loss for words.

Elliott's face remained stern.

"Rachel is my friend. If any of you continue to stalk and harass her, I won't hesitate to involve the authorities."

With that, he shielded Rachel and ushered her into a car, leaving the crowd stunned and silent.

The comments online were a mix of admiration and disbelief.

[Wow, so cool! They look perfect together; they must be a couple.]

[These reporters are ridiculous. To even suggest time travel is just brainless.]

[If she were really a time traveler, wouldn't Professor Wellington be eager to study her? He's a researcher himself—there's no way he'd hide something like that.]

I turned off my phone, a sharp pain stabbing in my chest.

It dawned on me why my calls had been ignored—he was too busy protecting another woman, someone who resembled his late first love.

I hadn't expected Elliott to go to such lengths, risking his career and integrity to protect Rachel simply because she looked like someone he had lost.

His willingness to do this for her, to mend a past regret, was more than I had imagined.