The champagne tasted bitter.
I noticed it the moment the liquid touched my tongue too sharp, too wrong. But I still swallowed.
I always did what Ethan wanted.
"Happy anniversary, darling."
Ethan raised his glass, smiling at me from across the table. "Three wonderful years."
Wonderful.
I almost laughed.
Three years of marriage, and I could count on one hand the number of times he'd smiled at me like this. Candlelight flickered between us, casting soft shadows on his handsome face. To anyone watching, we looked perfect. A successful couple celebrating love.
Only I knew the truth.
Ethan never cared about anniversaries. He barely remembered my birthday. And yet tonight, he'd insisted on this restaurant. Insisted on champagne. Insisted that I drink.
I should have trusted my instincts.
"Ethan…" My head felt light. The music suddenly sounded too loud, the room spinning just a little. "I don't feel well."
His smile tightened.
"Just finish your drink, Sophia," he said quietly. "Don't ruin our night."
Our night.
I forced myself to lift the glass again, my fingers already numb. God, I'd been such a fool. Three years of trying to be the perfect wife. Three years of working late, investing my inheritance into his company, ignoring the warning signs.
The unfamiliar lipstick stains on his shirts.
The perfume that wasn't mine.
The meetings that lasted until dawn.
I told myself I was paranoid. That love required trust.
The glass slipped from my hand before I could take another sip.
It shattered against the marble floor.
Ethan didn't move to help me.
My knees buckled, and the world tilted violently as I collapsed. Pain exploded through my skull as my cheek hit the cold floor.
"Ethan…" My voice came out weak, broken. "What did you.."
"Finally."
He sighed, sounding almost relieved. "I was starting to worry the dosage was wrong."
Poison.
The word cut through the fog in my mind like a blade.
I tried to crawl toward him. My body refused to obey. My chest burned, every breath shallow and sharp.
Red heels clicked into my line of vision.
No.
Please… not her.
"Is she dying yet?"
Vivian's voice was bright. Cheerful. My step-sister crouched in front of me, smiling like she'd just received a gift she'd been waiting for.
"I've waited three years for this," she said softly. "Do you know how exhausting it is pretending to be a loving sister?"
Ethan stepped closer to her, his hand sliding naturally around her waist. A touch he'd never given me.
"She still needs to sign over the remaining shares," he said calmly. "Once she's gone, her father will be devastated. He'll give us whatever we ask for."
Everything clicked into place.
My mother's company.
The shares.
The patents.
The inheritance I'd worked my whole life to protect.
Vivian laughed. "She never suspected a thing. We've been together since before her wedding day."
My heart shattered.
"The morning of your wedding, actually," Ethan added, his gaze cold as he looked down at me. "I fucked her in my apartment before walking down the aisle with you."
The world cracked open.
I wanted to scream. To beg. To tear their faces apart with my bare hands.
But all I could do was lie there, dying.
"You were useful," Ethan continued, nudging my shoulder with his shoe. "Your father's connections. Your money. Your trust. But you were never my wife."
Vivian leaned closer, her lips near my ear.
"Oh, and your mother?" she whispered. "That car accident five years ago? Not an accident. We made sure she wouldn't get in our way."
No.
My vision blurred completely. My heart thrashed in my chest like it was being crushed from the inside.
They killed her.
They killed my mother.
And now they were killing me.
If I could do it again…
The thought echoed weakly in my fading mind.
If I could live again…
I would never love him.
I would never trust them.
I would destroy them all.
Darkness swallowed me whole.
BEEP...
BEEP...
BEEP...
I gasped and shot upright, clutching my chest.
Air flooded my lungs. My heart was pounding strong. Alive.
I wasn't dead.
The room around me slowly came into focus, and my blood ran cold.
This wasn't possible.
Floral curtains. A narrow bed. A familiar dresser. My old apartment the one I'd lived in before marrying Ethan.
My mother's photo sat on the nightstand, smiling at me.
My phone vibrated beside me.
With shaking hands, I picked it up.
Saturday, June 15th, 2024.
7:00 AM.
Reminder: Wedding dress fitting 10 AM.
The phone slipped from my fingers.
One week.
One week before my wedding.
A laugh bubbled up from my chest soft at first, then uncontrollable. Tears blurred my vision, but this time, they weren't from despair.
I was alive.
And I remembered everything.
A message popped onto the screen.
Ethan:
Good morning, beautiful. Can't wait to marry you next week. I love you.
I stared at the words, feeling nothing but ice-cold rage.
Another message followed.
Vivian:
Sister! So excited for the dress fitting today!
Sister.
I wiped my tears and straightened my spine.
I wasn't crying anymore.
This time, I wouldn't walk into my own grave.
This time, I would choose a different fate.
And I knew exactly where to start.
Adrian Blackwood.
The Devil CEO.
The man Ethan feared more than anyone else.
I picked up my phone and searched for Blackwood Empire's headquarters.
The wedding dress could wait.
I had a devil to meet.
I sat there for a long time, staring at the screen of my phone as memories continued to surface sharp, vivid, unforgiving.
In my first life, I'd been blind.
No worse. I'd chosen to be blind.
There had been signs everywhere. Too many to count. Too many to excuse. But I'd wrapped them all in love, convinced myself that sacrifice was proof of devotion.
What a joke.
I stood up slowly, my legs still unsteady, and walked to the mirror mounted on the closet door. The woman staring back at me looked younger. Softer. Untouched by betrayal.
But her eyes were different.
Gone was the warmth.
Gone was the hope.
In its place was something cold. Focused. Awake.
"I won't lose again," I whispered to my reflection. "Not to them. Not to anyone."
My gaze drifted to the small jewelry box on the dresser. Inside lay the engagement ring Ethan had given me the same ring he'd slipped onto my finger with trembling hands and rehearsed vows.
I opened the box.
The diamond caught the morning light, sparkling innocently.
I felt nothing.
No flutter.
No affection.
No nostalgia.
Just disgust.
I snapped the box shut and tossed it into the trash.
The sound it made was strangely satisfying.
My phone buzzed again.
Another message from Ethan.
Ethan:
Did you sleep well? Don't forget today's fitting. I'll come by later if work allows.
Work.
In my past life, I'd believed every excuse. Believed every apology. Believed every carefully crafted lie.
This time, I knew exactly where he'd be.
Probably with Vivian.
Probably laughing.
I smiled faintly not because it hurt, but because it no longer mattered.
I wasn't reacting anymore.
I was planning.
I opened my calendar and canceled the dress fitting with a single tap. Then I blocked Ethan's number.
Blocked.
The word sent a strange thrill through me.
In my first life, I'd never blocked him. Never ignored his calls. Never made him wait.
I wondered how long it would take before panic set in.
Before control slipped from his hands.
Before he realized I was no longer his obedient fiancée.
My phone vibrated again this time an unknown number.
I stared at it for a moment before answering.
"Yes?"
"Miss White?" a female voice asked politely. "This is the Blackwood Empire front desk. You scheduled a visit this morning. May I confirm you're on your way?"
I paused.
So he really had been watching.
"Tell Mr. Blackwood I'll be there shortly," I replied calmly. "I wouldn't want to keep him waiting."
There was a brief silence on the other end surprise, perhaps before the woman recovered.
"Of course. We'll be expecting you."
The call ended.
I let out a slow breath and reached for my coat.
As I stepped out of the apartment, the cool morning air brushed against my skin, grounding me. Somewhere deep in my chest, something clicked into place.
This wasn't desperation.
This was control.
I wasn't running anymore.
I was walking straight into the storm
with my eyes open.
I was ready to make a deal with the Devil.