Chapter 1

After I slept with my boyfriend, I woke up to find a red thread hanging over my head, running straight to his.

But there were two threads above his head. The other one led to Laura Pruitt, his childhood sweetheart.

At a dinner, I overheard the two of them talking.

"Gabe, I have to go abroad for work soon. Our baby will have to stay with you for now."

Gabriel Henson's voice was gentle.

"Don't worry, Laura. I'll tell her the boy's a child you adopted."

"She's already agreed to add my name to all her property deeds once we're married."

"After that I'll find an excuse to divorce her and take her assets. Then you won't have to work so hard, and the three of us can be together forever."

"Gabe, you're so good to me."

I listened with a cold, level gaze.

In my last life, I found the red thread and exposed the affair between my boyfriend and his childhood sweetheart.

He wept, begged me to forgive him just once, for the sake of everything good he'd ever done for me.

I softened. I gave in.

And then he worked with Laura, caught me off guard, and pushed me off a building. They forged a marriage certificate and seized everything I owned.

This time, I won't go soft.

1.

The two of them were still talking.

There was something vicious in Laura's voice.

"Gabe, you're so good to me. But every time I think about Miriam Fox being with you, I want her dead."

"For our future, I'll swallow it this once."

"Once I've got that bitch's assets in hand, I'll stage an accident and make her disappear."

Gabriel's voice curled with distaste.

"For now I still have to keep her calm."

"Don't worry, I promise I won't touch her again. I only love you."

Hearing that, everything in me went cold.

Now I finally understood.

All this time Gabriel had kept me at arm's length.

Then last night, out of nowhere, he'd turned warm and eager, and brought up marriage.

It wasn't that he'd suddenly changed. He was buttering me up so the wedding would go smoothly, so he could walk off with my money.

I forced myself calm, saved the recording, and went back to the table.

When they saw me return, the two of them exchanged a glance.

Gabriel gave me an affectionate smile.

"Miri, one month from now we'll be married. I promise you a perfect wedding."

I looked at him.

The expression on his face was so genuine. If I hadn't lived through this once, I'd still be sitting right there in the dark.

Rage churned in me, but I kept myself calm.

"Mm."

Laura's lips tipped up, and she raised her glass to me.

"Miriam, Gabe and I grew up together. He likes his fun, that one. Once you two are married, you'll have to be patient with him."

"Oh, and I've always sworn off marriage myself. I adopted a boy a while back, and I may be going abroad soon, so I'll have to trouble you and Gabe to look after him for me."

Her eyes were smiling.

I didn't let anything show.

"That's fine."

She smiled and tipped her head back, draining the wine in one go.

"Good. Then let me wish you both a long and happy life together, ahead of time."

I drank with her.

I lowered my head.

And knocked their tangled legs apart under the table.

Then I looked up, at the space above their heads.

The red thread joining them had grown even brighter.

I gave a cold little smile.

Since they wanted my money.

Then I'd turn their own plan against them.

Watching the two of them laugh and chat, I spoke slowly.

"You two go ahead and eat. I've got overtime tonight. I won't be coming home."

Then I stood.

I walked to the register and paid.

Passing the two of them, I gave Laura a faint smile.

"I've already covered the bill. Take your time."

Laura's lips curved, and she smiled back.

"Take care, Miriam. I won't see you out."

Once I left the hotel, the smile dropped from my face.

Then I hailed a cab and left.