Part 3The Second Chance Groom

It was a one-minute video. Fifty-nine seconds of them entangled on my sofa.

Riley, so what if you're a rich heiress? You lost to me in the last life, and you'll lose to me in this one too!

Reading her message, realizing why Ethan had been acting so strange today...

It hit me. Sarah was reborn too.

I didn't know what happened after I died in my past life to make her change her strategy from "playing hard to get" to being this aggressive.

And honestly? I didn't care. I blocked her number.

In this life, I just wanted to live for myself.

When I got home, I told my family I was calling off the engagement with Ethan.

They were shocked, staring at the wound on my forehead.

My dad’s eyes turned red.

"The Vance family has leeched off us for years, and this is how he treats my daughter? If he doesn't cherish you, we won't beg him! Just wait, I'll make them pay!"

I stopped my dad. Tears streamed down my face.

In my past life, my parents exhausted everything trying to save me.

When I was trapped in the Vance house, they offered their entire fortune to get me out. Ethan refused. He said he'd rather drag us all to hell.

After they died, he hung Sarah’s photo above our bed.

Whenever he missed her, he would choke me, forcing me to look up at her picture.

"You drove Sarah to death for the title of Mrs. Vance. Now you'll wear that title in agony for the rest of your life to atone for her!"

He crushed my dignity and my love, piece by piece. Until death was my only escape.

Remembering my parents' heartbroken cries after my death, my heart shattered all over again.

I took a deep breath and pulled out the marriage certificate with Lucas.

"Mom, Dad... I'm sorry. I'll handle the Vance family. I promise I won't make you worry about me ever again."

They stared at the name Lucas Cole.

Shock turned to joy.

Lucas was in a league of his own. The Cole family was royalty compared to us and the Vances.

Ethan was proud. He couldn't stand that Lucas was better than him, that the Vance family had to bow to the Coles to survive. He hated Lucas.

I slept soundly in my own bed for the first time in two lifetimes.

The next morning, I went back to my apartment to pack and sell the place.

But the passcode didn't work.

I had a bad feeling. I used the spare key.

The apartment was a wreck. Used condoms littered the living room floor.

Moans drifted from my bedroom.

I walked over. Sarah was wearing my silk pajamas, wrapped around Ethan.

"Riley..."

Seeing me, she pretended to be scared and pushed Ethan away.

Ethan looked flustered for a second, then shielded Sarah behind him.

I ignored the hickeys covering Sarah’s neck and looked around.

My belongings were destroyed. My couture dresses shredded. My Hermès bags covered in graffiti.

Even the jade love-lock my grandmother got for me and Ethan on her deathbed was smashed on the floor.

"Ethan said you upset me yesterday, so you needed a lesson."

"Tell you what. Kneel and apologize to me, and I'll ask him not to cancel the wedding!"

I didn't hear a word she said.

I picked up the pieces of the jade lock. I remembered my grandmother holding our hands, refusing to close her eyes until we promised to be happy.

"I saw the wedding designs in the safe. Not bad. Sarah’s birthday is coming up. Refine the plans and use them for her birthday party."

"As for our wedding... we'll see when you learn to behave."

Once, I would have trampled my own pride to please him.

But after living through hell? Never again.

I put the broken jade in my pocket.

I picked up the scattered design sketches one by one.

"No need. My wedding will happen, with or without you."

The man I loved was trash. But my love wasn't.

I had been working on these designs since I was eighteen. They were my heart and soul. I wouldn't let anyone defile them.

Ethan frowned, trying to snatch the drawings.

But when he saw the tears streaming down my face, he froze.