In my past life, my first love tortured me cruelly with his mistress, simply because he thought I wasn't a virgin.

Tormented by both until I became mentally shattered and ill, I soon committed suicide from depression.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back at my twenty-fifth birthday party.

My first act was tearing up the engagement contract with my childhood playmate Alexander Reynolds.

When my father asked who I actually wanted to marry,

My gaze went past him and landed on Nathaniel Blackwood – the man who'd pushed me into a pit at six years old, making my lower body bleed nonstop.

"Dad, I want to marry him, Nathaniel!"

Looking at the laid-back man not far away, a faint smile tugged at the corners of my lips.

The trouble he caused would naturally be repaid by him.

——

"Olivia Miller, are you crazy?!"

After hearing me, Father's face showed great surprise, "Nathaniel doesn't have a good reputation, you know. I heard he's idle all day and causes trouble. When you were kids, he even hurt you. Have you forgotten?"

I shook my head, my voice trembling, "I haven't forgotten. I want him anyway."

Father still hesitated, "But haven't you liked Alexander since you were a child? And he started his own business at a young age, and it's doing really well. In the future, he can also manage the Miller business for you. Are you sure you want to dissolve the engagement with him?"

"I'm sure!"

Father sighed, "Oh well, oh well, you're grown up and have your own ideas. You can tell the two of them about this yourself."

After Father left, Alexander immediately walked over to me holding a wine glass.

Alexander took a sip of his wine, probing casually, "Olivia, what was your father discussing with you earlier? Did he mention the dowry after marriage?"

I paused briefly, nodding with feigned earnestness, "Yes, Father said we'll have the engagement ceremony in two weeks. When we marry, my dowry will be 500 million dollars."

"500 million?" Alexander's voice trembled with poorly concealed excitement, though he forced composure. "Well, it's not substantial, but it shows your family's sincerity."

A sardonic smile touched my lips.

Little did he know—not a single penny of it was meant for him.

Turning sideways, my gaze caught a dim figure nearby.

Nathaniel leaned against the stone pillar, frowning in my direction.

When our eyes met, his expression stiffened. He looked away indifferently, then turned and left.

I excused myself to change clothes and left the banquet hall too.

I searched everywhere but couldn't find Nathaniel anywhere.

Feeling lonely, I went to the restroom.

When I came out, I saw Alexander in the corner, locked in a passionate kiss with his secretary.

My fists clenched tightly, burning with rage inside.

Only then did I realize, Alexander hadn't started cheating with Emily Brown after our marriage in my past life—they'd been carrying on together before the wedding!

Overcome by fury, I accidentally kicked a flowerpot nearby.

Thud! The sound interrupted their affair.

"Olivia?"

Alexander released Emily, putting on a show of explaining, "Olivia, Secretary Emily and I were just discussing work matters."

"Oh." I nodded calmly and walked right past them.

After passing by Emily, she suddenly shrieked and collapsed to her knees.

Alexander's face darkened instantly as he helped her up, scolding me sternly, "Olivia, Secretary Emily has health issues. Why did you shove her?"

Me? Shove her?

I let out a cold laugh. "Why would I bother shoving a mere secretary?"

Emily sniffled, deliberately whimpering with feigned vulnerability, "Miss Miller, I know my status is beneath yours. But I'm human too – I deserve dignity. Must you humiliate me like this?"

Watching his mistress weep like a drenched blossom, Alexander flushed crimson with rage.

"Olivia, curb your spoiled heiress tantrums! Secretary Emily never wronged you. Why bully the vulnerable? Apologize now!"

"Why should I apologize?"

Alexander's eyes turned icy cold as they pierced mine. "Aren't you afraid I'll dissolve our engagement?"

Dissolve our engagement?

I just found it laughable.

"Alexander, who said I was going to marry you?"

Alexander curled his lips contemptuously and scoffed, "Why the denial? Everyone knows you've been madly in love with me since childhood, clinging to me as persistently as a shadow. Would you ever marry anyone else?"

I froze.

True, I had loved him since we were kids.

From my first teenage crush at fifteen, I chased after him for ten whole years.

For a decade, I turned down every promising suitor in New York's upper class circles, stubbornly trailing behind Alexander like a shadow.

In my past life, I even paid five hundred million to marry him.

But that bitter lesson taught me one thing—this man was never worth my devotion!

I took a deep breath and turned away without looking at him.

In the backyard, I finally found Nathaniel.

He leaned lazily against a locust tree, a cigarette dangling from his lips while he toyed with his phone, completely at ease.

Seeing me approach, he blew a smoke ring and raised an eyebrow carelessly, "Well, Miss Miller, shouldn't you be with your dear fiancé? What brings you here?"

I ignored his teasing and, holding back the tears stirred by our long-overdue reunion and smiled, "Nathaniel, I want to discuss a partnership. Are you interested?"

...

After composing myself, I returned to the birthday party.

Overcome by the festive mood, I drank a few more glasses than intended.

After several rounds of drinks, slightly tipsy, I decided to leave early.

At the grand hall entrance, I encountered Emily again.

As we brushed past each other, she suddenly lurched sideways and shoved me hard.

I tumbled into the adjacent pool, icy water jolting through my body, instantly sobering me halfway.

Clambering onto the bank, drenched and disheveled, I slapped Emily across the face in fury.

A furious shout erupted behind me.

"Olivia! What are you doing?"

Victor stormed over, features thunderous, shielding Emily behind him. He snapped at me, "Olivia! Misss. Brown’s done nothing to you! Why must you constantly target her?"

Shivering uncontrollably, my voice trembled, "Why don’t you ask why she pushed me into the water?"

Emily cupped her crimson cheek, squeezing out a few pitiful tears, "Miss Miller, you clearly stumbled in drunk. How could you frame me?"

Alexander's temples throbbed, fury burning in his eyes.

“Olivia, just look at you, drunk and disgraceful! You're a girl, yet you refuse to learn anything proper, with that wild temper and your obsession with alcohol. How are you supposed to be a good wife after you get married?”

A good wife?

In my past life, I'd joyfully walked down the aisle with him, only to face the deepest betrayal and pain.

Now? I couldn't care less about being a good wife!

"Save your concern."

I turned to leave, but Alexander blocked my path.

He grabbed my wrist, commanding, "Apologize to Emily!"

"I did nothing wrong!"

I coldly shook off his grip—only to receive a stinging slap across my face.

"Olivia, don't think that because I'm willing to marry you, you can act spoiled and do whatever you want! If you don't apologize to Emily, believe me, I'll really call off the engagement..."

"Slap!"

Before he could finish, I slapped him hard in return.

"Alexander, I don't even want to marry you! I officially tell you now, our engagement is off from today!"

Ignoring his furious gaze, I walked away without looking back.

That evening, I saw a message in the childhood friends group.

"Have you heard? Alexander's secretary was kidnapped and thrown into the river on her way home tonight, almost drowned, and is still in the ICU!"

Just as I put down my phone, I saw Alexander storming over angrily.

Olivia, was it you?

Before I could respond, he grabbed my wrist and snapped, "Do you know Emily almost drowned because you had her thrown into the river? She got severe pneumonia! Olivia, if you weren't my fiancée, I'd have called the police already! Get to the hospital and apologize to Emily!"

I wrenched my hand free, my voice icy cold, "I didn't do it. Why should I apologize!"

"Still stubbornly denying it!"

Alexander hoisted me over his shoulder and shoved me into the car.

I was forced into Emily's hospital room.

Alexander kicked my knee hard, making me thud to my knees before Emily.

"Apologize to Emily!"

The sharp pain forced a cry from my lips. I gritted my teeth, refusing to back down.

Alexander's eyes burned crimson with rage, his words nearly snarled, "Olivia, must you be so stubborn?"

Witnessing this, Emily covered her mouth in a phony cough, feigning concern, "Mr. Reynolds, if Miss Miller won't apologize, let it be. Don't let me come between you two... As long as you're both happy, what does my suffering matter?"

Alexander turned to me, his expression dark and stormy, "Olivia, why can't you be more like Emily? She's pleading for you! Why won't you apologize?"

My fists clenched until knuckles whitened, resolve hardening in my eyes, "Never."

"I won't let you!"

Alexander suddenly slammed my head down, banging it against the floor.

Thud after thud, each heavier than the last.

Overwhelming shame crashed over me.

I struggled desperately, but it was useless.

Only when fresh blood seeped from my forehead did Alexander finally stop.

He looked down at me expressionlessly, his voice cold and detached, "Olivia, learn to control that stubborn streak. Stop being so defiant! This time you’ve gone too far. As compensation, transfer the Wall Street villa to Emily. Then we’ll consider this matter closed."

"Dream on!" I roared, eyes blazing crimson.

That Wall Street villa was my father’s coming-of-age gift to me—worth over a hundred million. How could I hand it to that woman!

"Fine, let's see how long that stubborn mouth of yours lasts!"

He pulled out his phone and called his assistant, ice in his voice, "Bring it up."

Five minutes later, his assistant appeared in the hospital room clutching a black rectangular box.

Alexander took the box and slammed it before me with a snort, "A special gift for you."

The box hit the floor with a thud, its lid flying open to reveal a small body dripping with blood.

"Kiki..."

My ten-year-old cat lay battered and bloodied on the tiles.

A flood of horrific memories crashed over me like tidal waves.

Involuntary tremors wracked my body.

In its past life, Kiki was tortured to death by Alexander.

In this life, it still couldn't escape this tragic end.

Given a second chance at life, I still failed to protect it.

Trembling, I crawled to Kiki's body, picked it up in despair, and cried my heart out.

Large teardrops fell, mingling with bright red blood, a shocking and horrifying sight.

I stared fixedly at Alexander, my heart aching intensely.

"Alexander, you will pay for this!"

Enduring the pain in my knee, I carried Kiki's body and limped out of the hospital.

After grieving, I took out my phone and texted my father, "Dad, withdraw all the Miller Group's investments in Alexander' company, and hijack all his cooperative projects in New York..."

Before I could finish typing, someone suddenly struck my head hard from behind.

I immediately blacked out.

When I opened my eyes, I found myself entirely encased in a burlap sack.

Before I could scream for help, a thunderous splash echoed as I was hurled into the fathomless lake.

Bone-chilling cold instantly seized my body while suffocating pressure coiled around me like a massive python.

Through the haze, I heard a familiar voice from the shore.

"Such stubbornness! She nearly ruined Emily and still refuses to admit fault! Since she enjoys drowning people, let her taste this despair today—I'll vent Emily's fury properly!"

"Alexander..." Alexander's assistant stammered, "What if Miss Olivia drowns? You still need her connection to the Miller Group for your business ambitions..."

"Relax, she won't die." Alexander scoffed dismissively. "She’s been diving since childhood. Holding her breath underwater for twenty minutes is nothing. I’m just teaching her a lesson. We’ll pull her out after twenty minutes."

"Twenty minutes... Isn’t that too long? Most people couldn’t handle that!"

"Leave her be! She’ll survive! She needs to feel what it’s like to nearly drown! Let’s see if she dares bully Emily again!"

"Let’s go!"

Footsteps gradually faded away.

The despair in my heart deepened.

Olivia.

You’re truly useless.

Given a second chance at life, you couldn’t protect Kiki nor escape this brutal end.

Suffocating pressure clawed at me like a beast, scattering my consciousness into darkness.

I gradually stopped struggling, closing my eyes in despair.

As consciousness began to fade, a pair of strong hands suddenly pulled me from the water.

Air flooded my lungs, triggering violent coughs.

When I opened my eyes, Nathaniel stood before me, his face etched with anxiety.

Tears I could no longer hold back burst forth like a broken dam.

...

That evening, a text from Alexander lit up my phone,

""Olivia, did tonight’s punishment teach you a lesson? Apologize to Emily now, and I’ll still marry you in two weeks.""

Clenching my phone until my knuckles whitened, I typed back,

""My engagement ceremony doesn’t need you there.""

Then I blocked him on WhatsApp.

Half a month later, the engagement party arrived as scheduled.

Alexander showed up uninvited.

By the time he entered, nearly all guests had arrived.

I ignored him and told Father the ceremony could begin.

Father cleared his throat and addressed the gathering,

"Thank you all for honoring Olivia's engagement celebration today! Now, let Olivia and her fiancé Nathaniel offer a toast!"

Alexander froze mid-step, pupils contracting sharply.

Nathaniel draped an arm possessively around my shoulder, arching an eyebrow at him provocatively.

Alexander stared at us in disbelief, fury etched across his face.