Part 1Twice Reborn And Still Choosing To Leave You Behind

I married my former best friend’s brother, a man who would become both my decades-long tormentor and my deepest savior.

At the wedding reception, Tessa Reed wore a smirk that was razor-sharp.

“I can’t believe, after everything that happened at The Haven—you being framed and losing your adoption slot—you still found a way to climb into a Nash bed,” she drawled, her voice loud enough to carry.

Then she leaned close, her breath smelling of champagne and something cheaper. “Too bad you were a little late to the party.”

“Just a little tip from one woman to another,” she whispered into my ear. “Callum Nash only likes red lingerie.”

Before I could process the petty cruelty, someone bumped me, sending me straight into Callum’s arms.

As the crowd cheered, I looked up. Callum, already drunk, was looking past me, straight at Tessa. His gaze—ardent, burning, and utterly possessive—was a secret I instantly understood, a silent promise I spent the next fifteen years paying for.

Despite my suspicions, I pressed down on every dark thought and we became the perfect warring couple.

He ruined our child to protect Tessa; I orchestrated a scheme so he missed his parents’ final moments.

He lost the use of his legs saving me from a fire; I single-handedly averted his family’s financial ruin when they were on the brink of collapse.

It was a tumultuous, heartbreaking dance that lasted for over a decade.

Then, Tessa died in a sudden car crash. Callum, in his wedding tuxedo, took his own life the next day.

He left a note saying he would spend his next life making amends to me, yet he willed his entire estate to Tessa’s orphaned son.

I ended up broken, destitute, and dying alone on the streets.

But I woke up.

I was back in The Haven Children’s Home. A handsome, clear-eyed boy strode in with his parents. He pointed right at me, excited.

* * *

“Mom, Dad, if you’re getting me a sister, pick her! She looks tough and smart. She’ll be the perfect addition to the family legacy.”

The moment those words left his mouth, I knew. Callum had come back too.

I recalled the words of his suicide note, and a soft, bitter laugh escaped me. He was certainly trying to “keep his promise.”

In my previous life, driven by a desperate hunger to escape the poverty and abuse of The Haven, I had been ruthlessly ambitious. I worked tirelessly to catch the eye of the affluent. My calculation had succeeded: Callum’s parents were ready to adopt me. But the day before my rescue, Callum walked in with Tessa.

Believing Tessa's manufactured tears and her accusations—that I had been manipulative, had flirted with a staff member, and was simply a congenital liar—he had ripped my dream apart.

That day, as he led Tessa away, he made sure to shout a warning to the entire room: “Amanda Lane is a curse. Stay away from her if you want any luck.”

In that instant, I fell from a hellhole into an abyss, and I endured another five years of relentless suffering. Tessa, meanwhile, was adopted by the Nashes and became their cherished heiress.

Now, I stood before Mr. and Mrs. Nash. Callum, speaking to me, said, “This time, you’ll be my sister. I’ll take care of you. You won’t have to envy anyone... and you won’t have to suffer another five years alone.”

I understood. He was trying to atone for the guilt of his previous life. He knew Tessa had lied. He was tortured by his decades of regret and those five extra years I spent in misery.

Mr. and Mrs. Nash nodded, their eyes, just like before, already fond of me. I was about to refuse—I wanted no part of his atonement—when a young Tessa ran in, sobbing.

Her clothes were torn. She had a bloody gash on her arm.

“Tessa! Are you… are you alright?”

She glanced at me, a flicker of warning in her eyes, before collapsing at the Nashes’ feet. “Mr. and Mrs. Nash, please tell me you’re here to save me! I don’t want to die! Please, I’m begging you!”

She was imitating me. That desperate act was how I had once saved myself from the director, a true monster. Tessa, always the lucky one, always the darling of fate, had never been targeted by him.

In my past life, seeing my self-rescue tactic used against me had sent me into a destructive fit of outrage, leading the Nashes to immediately dislike me.

Now, Callum knew she was lying, yet he couldn't help the flicker of pure, agonizing concern.

“Who hurt you? I swear I’ll make them pay.”

Tessa didn't dare risk not being adopted and incurring the director’s wrath.

I blinked, stepped forward, and spoke in a cool, rational voice. “It was the director. He preys on the prettiest girls. Tessa is the prettiest one here.”

“What? That animal!” Mr. Nash clenched his fist.

“Oh, darling, don’t cry,” Mrs. Nash murmured, her compassion immediate.

Callum stood beside them, his lips tight, his gaze lowered. I knew him too well. He had changed his mind.

“Mom, Dad, let’s adopt Tessa.”

“Mr. and Mrs. Nash, you should adopt Tessa.”

Callum and I spoke in unison.