Chapter 1: Chapter 1
On our wedding day, my husband’s childhood sweetheart threatened to jump from the roof.
He dared her to do it.
She hit the pavement. And my husband broke.
He dragged me to church, forcing me to my knees.
When I miscarried our child, he called it my penance.
When I begged to leave, he threatened my family to keep me by his side.
He said our suffering was a debt we owed her.
But I got a second chance.
I woke up in my wedding dress.
She’s on the roof again.
And my husband is about to condemn her to death.
This time, I’m going to save her.
And he’s the one who will be begging for salvation.
————————
1
“Tell Lorelei she can go ahead and die for all I care. I’m not running to her side!” Harrison Prescott’s icy voice startled me awake.
I lifted my head and saw my reflection in the mirror, clad in a pristine white wedding gown.
I had been reborn.
I was back at my lavish wedding, held in one of New York City’s most exclusive hotels.
Back to the day I once believed was the happiest of my life.
Behind me, Harrison’s expression was hard, his tone laced with impatience.
In my last life, I was pathetically grateful he had chosen me.
Now, all I could see was the frantic worry churning beneath his frustration.
He had fallen in love with Lorelei long ago but, for the sake of the Prescott family name, had chosen me—the “trophy wife” from a respectable family of academics.
It wasn’t until after Lorelei’s death that he went mad with a twisted sort of love, imprisoning me as his penance for losing his soulmate.
He prayed for her, but he wouldn’t spare our child.
The world praised his devotion and condemned me as a shameless homewrecker.
They said I deserved it.
No one knew that it was Harrison who had relentlessly pursued me for four years.
He was the one who had approached me first.
In the end, I was the one who bore all the blame.
The injustice of it all burned.
Now that I have a second chance, I refuse to make the same mistake.
I gently tugged on Harrison’s sleeve.
“Harrison, you should go see Lorelei.”
He stared at me in disbelief.
After all, in the past, I would fly into a jealous rage whenever Lorelei’s name was mentioned.
My sudden change of heart caught him completely off guard.
Harrison’s brow furrowed at my serious expression. “You want me to leave you on our wedding day for another woman? Evelyn, are you trying to hand the tabloids a field day?”
I scoffed inwardly.
Gossip couldn’t kill me. He could.
I put on a mask of elegant composure. “Harrison, what does it matter what people say, as long as your love is true?”
I even added, “We can postpone the wedding. You and Lorelei are so close. If something truly happened to her, you would regret it for the rest of your life, and I couldn’t bear that. A life is on the line.”
My words drew murmurs of approval from the guests.
Even Mr. and Mrs. Prescott, who had always looked down on me, softened their gazes.
Harrison pulled me into a tight embrace, kissing my forehead, his voice thick with emotion. “Evelyn, I knew I chose the right person. Wait for me. I’ll be right back. After I make sure Lorelei’s okay, we’ll continue with the wedding.”
I nodded and gently pushed him away.
“Go, quickly. Saving her is what matters most.”
He turned without hesitation and bolted toward the rooftop.
I watched his retreating back, clutching my wedding dress, facing the media and guests alone on the stage.
I played the part of the understanding fiancée to perfection, waiting for him for a full hour.
In my last life, he resented me for my jealousy.
In this life, I would push him toward Lorelei with my own two hands.
Eventually, Harrison returned.
But he was not alone.
Walking beside him was Lorelei, also dressed in a wedding gown.
She clung to Harrison’s arm, a triumphant smile on her face, her eyes filled with provocation as she looked at me.
A buzz of shocked whispers erupted from the crowd.
Harrison turned to me, his expression conflicted, his voice hesitant. “Evelyn, Lorelei told me… she’s been in love with me for years, and she has only one wish—to have a wedding with me. She promised that if I agree, she’ll never bother us again, so… can you step aside, just for today, and let Lorelei have this ceremony?”
