Chapter 1

Julian Hayes forced me to marry him, taking me away from my fiancé and keeping me trapped in his mansion.

During our three years of marriage, I demanded a divorce every other day.

The worst time, I lost my mind in a fit of rage and stabbed a kitchen knife into his right arm. The nerve damage left his hand permanently crippled.

Later, my adopted sister and I were kidnapped by armed thugs.

My parents and my fiancé rushed over, paid the ransom for my adopted sister, and left me behind in a collapsing warehouse.

Julian was the only one who came back into the burning hell to save me.

In the end, the roof caved in, crushing both of us beneath the rubble.

Right before darkness took him, he whispered, "Scarlett, I'm so tired. In our next life... I'll let you go."

I stared down in a daze at the signed divorce papers in my hands.

"I signed it. Let's just end this cleanly."

I opened my eyes, and there was Julian, tossing the papers onto the coffee table right in front of me.

His eyes were pitch black and cold as ice as he turned and walked out.

This was the second time I had asked for a divorce.

Wait... in my past life, Julian ripped these exact papers to shreds right here.

No. No, this can't happen.

Panicking, I grabbed my phone and dialed his number. His voice came through the speaker, harsh and cold.

"I already signed the papers. What else do you want?"

Hearing that freezing tone broke my heart.

That was the tone he used to reserve for strangers and women he couldn't stand. He had never spoken to me like that before.

A lump formed in my throat. "Julian, I don't want a divorce anymore. Can you come home? Can we please just talk?"

A bitter scoff echoed from the other end.

"Scarlett Vance, you threw a tantrum wanting out. Now that I signed, you suddenly change your mind? Do you think my life is some kind of sick game to you?"

With that, the line went dead.

His icy rejection hit me like a physical blow. I covered my face with trembling hands and burst into tears.

I curled up on the couch, waiting for him to come home. Somewhere along the way, exhaustion took over, and I drifted off.

Around two in the morning, a faint click from the front door woke me.

Julian was back. He glanced at me curled up on the sofa, then headed straight for the stairs without a single word.

I scrambled up, rubbing my swollen eyes. "Julian, can we please talk?"

His footsteps paused. When he spoke, his voice was void of all warmth.

"Sorry. I'm going to sleep."

He vanished into the master bedroom.

I checked the clock—past 2:00 AM. I let out a shaky sigh.

I would just have to try again in the morning.

The next morning, I woke up at sunrise and prepared a full breakfast for him.

Just as I plated the food, Julian came downstairs in a crisp suit.

"Julian, breakfast is ready!" I forced a bright, hopeful smile.

He glanced at the spread on the dining table, didn't stop for a second, and walked right toward the door.

I rushed forward and grabbed his sleeve, my voice trembling with unshed tears. "Julian, even if you're mad at me, you still need to eat."

"Please, just give me five minutes to explain."

My vision blurred. A tear slipped down my cheek.

Seeing me cry, Julian didn't soften at all. His gaze remained completely flat.

"Scarlett, you wrote that you'd leave with nothing in the divorce agreement. But I'll give you a townhouse and plenty of cash. Just pack your bags and move out as soon as possible. There's nothing left for us to discuss."

He took two steps forward, then paused without looking back.

"Scarlett, in this lifetime, let's not torture each other anymore."

My entire body went rigid. A violent shiver ran down my spine, and tears poured down my cheeks.

He was reborn, too.

Julian was really giving up on me.

"It's okay," I told myself through the crushing pain. "In our last life, you carried all the weight and loved me endlessly. In this life, it's my turn to fight for you."

At noon, I packed a homemade lunch and drove to his corporate headquarters.

Right at the entrance, I ran into his assistant, Mark, who apparently hadn't heard about our divorce yet. He smiled warmly and escorted me straight up to the executive floor.

I pushed open the heavy office doors, only to freeze in my tracks.

Julian was sitting on the leather sofa, having lunch with Nicole Vance, a junior colleague from his alma mater.

He was listening to her ask work questions with a gentle, patient expression I hadn't seen in forever.

The moment he saw me, the warmth on his face vanished, replaced by sheer disgust. "What are you doing here?"