A Second Chance at Love

Chapter 1

This was my second marriage.

My mother passed away from illness when I was eighteen. My father followed when I was twenty. My first husband was a man who drank himself into a stupor every day and beat me black and blue when he was drunk.

I had long since given up on love. But then Marcus said, "I will protect you forever," and I chose marriage once again.

Who would have thought his family would treat me like I wasn't even human? They spread rumors everywhere, saying I was promiscuous and unfaithful, secretly hoarding money to support my ex-husband.

I wanted to end it all. I wanted to find release.

My eight-year-old daughter tugged at my sleeve and said, "Mommy, just leave... I don't want to be your burden."

...

1985, Green Fence Military Compound.

*CRACK—*

Lightning tore through the silent night, illuminating me as I stared blankly at the calendar on the wall.

1985... I had actually been reborn, sent back twenty years!

In a daze, I walked to the bedside and gazed at my sleeping daughter, Lily.

My trembling fingers cautiously touched her little face. My eyes welled up with a bittersweet, warm surprise.

Heaven had eyes. It had brought me back to my daughter.

I turned my head away and sniffled. Just then, the door swung open, and a tall, straight-backed figure walked in.

I caught my breath. "Marcus..."

Marcus, the youngest battalion commander in the military district, my second husband.

He was the one who had saved me from that drunkard's fists all those years ago.

He ignored the gossip, showered me with care and attention, and ultimately married me against everyone's objections.

But the entire Warrington family despised me. No one ever gave me a kind look.

They looked down on my daughter, Lily, too.

And somewhere along the way, Marcus had become cold and distant, indifferent to both me and my daughter.

In the end, I was pushed to the brink and jumped from a building. After I died, my spirit was trapped in the Warrington house.

I was forced to watch helplessly as my daughter was bullied to death.

The moment Lily breathed her last, I lost consciousness too. I never expected to open my eyes again and find myself twenty years in the past.

Remembering the events of my past life, my chest felt blocked by something heavy, and cold sweat beaded on my skin.

Seeing me like this, Marcus frowned impatiently. "What's wrong with you now?"

*Now?* What had I done to displease him?

Jerked back to reality by his abrupt question, I instinctively lowered my head and stammered, "N-nothing... Just scared by the thunder."

Marcus took off his uniform and set it aside, his tone cold. "A grown woman, and you're worse than a child."

I turned to look at my daughter and suddenly remembered that during the time Lily was bullied to death in my past life, Marcus was never home.

Where had he gone? Was he on a mission? Or was he helping another woman, just like he had helped me back then?

I jerked my head up and stared into Marcus's eyes for a few seconds before I couldn't hold back the question.

"When we got married, you said you'd be good to me for life. Does that still count?"

Marcus's body stiffened, and his frown deepened.

But before he could answer, his eldest sister pushed the door open and walked in.

"Claire... Marcus is back. Good. Come out, both of you. Dad has something to say."

The scene felt familiar, but I couldn't place it.

Marcus walked out without looking back.

I tucked Lily's blanket in and, afraid of waking her, quietly closed the door behind me.

The living room was just outside. It wasn't very big. My father-in-law and eldest brother-in-law were sitting on the sofa, their faces dark.

Marcus sensed the tension and frowned. "Dad, what's wrong?"

"What's wrong? You should ask your good wife!" My father-in-law glared at me, pointing a finger.

"Someone saw your wife stealing from our family and selling the goods to give money to her ex-husband. Utter moral depravity! Shameless!"

Chapter 2

The barrage of accusations made my face turn deathly pale.

I remembered now. In my past life, my father-in-law and sister-in-law had framed me for stealing to support my ex-husband, just to drive me away.

Marcus said he believed me, but from then on, he grew colder and colder toward me.

I clenched my fists and looked straight at Marcus, speaking each word with absolute clarity. "I did not."

My sister-in-law glanced at Marcus's expression and spoke in a soft, insinuating tone.

"Claire, it's not that we don't trust you. But we're all at work, and you're the only one home all day..."

The implication was clear: since I was the only one home, the items couldn't have just grown legs and walked away.

Anyone could understand her insinuation.

In this life, I would rather die than take the blame. "I said I didn't take anything."

My sister-in-law cut me off.

"The other things don't matter much. But that pearl necklace was my mother's heirloom. Just return that, and we'll forget the rest."

At that, Marcus's face turned completely cold. "Claire, hand it over."

I had expected this reaction from him.

But being doubted by the one person I could rely on still sent a shiver through my heart.

"You don't believe me?"

Before he could answer, a small, sleepy voice came from behind me. "Mommy..."

My whole body tensed. I turned and saw Lily rubbing her eyes, still half-asleep.

I hurried over, crouched down, and covered Lily's ears, ignoring the people behind me.

"I've never done anything to wrong your family. You say someone saw me—then bring that person here to confront me face to face."

"If you have solid proof, you can take me to the police station. But if you don't have evidence... then stop slandering me!"

With that, I picked up Lily and went back to our room.

Even with the door closed, I could hear the silence that stretched on outside.

I didn't know what that family was plotting now, and I didn't care to guess.

I lay down with Lily in my arms and asked, "What did you hear just now?"

Lily shook her head. "Nothing."

I breathed a sigh of relief and coaxed her back to sleep.

Not long after, Marcus opened the door and walked in. His tall figure cast a shadow by the bed.

I didn't look at him. I got up to turn off the light.

Marcus grabbed my arm, his expression still unpleasant.

"If you didn't steal anything, just say so. Why did you have to talk to Dad and Sis like that?"

Ever since I'd come back to this life, I'd been reflecting on how things had gone so wrong.

I wanted to correct my mistakes, protect my marriage and my child. But Marcus only made me feel disappointed.

I pulled away from him.

"Your whole family interrogated me like a criminal. Even you don't believe me. What do you want me to do? Get on my knees and beg?"

Marcus's brow furrowed deeply. He was silent for a long moment, then picked up his uniform from the chair.

"You're impossible. Think it over yourself. I'll sleep in the study tonight."

He tossed out the cold words and walked out the door.

I watched his back, and the委屈 nearly overflowed.

In my past life, I loved Marcus too much, so I swallowed every insult. In the end, I was pushed to jump from that building.

But in this life, I refused to swallow my pride anymore. And yet... nothing seemed to have changed.

I didn't sleep a wink all night.

In the past, I would have gotten up at dawn to make breakfast.

But today, I didn't move. Before long, my sister-in-law came knocking. "Claire? Why aren't you making breakfast?"

I pretended I was still asleep and didn't answer.

In my past life, I served the whole family, hoping they would change their opinion of me and stop looking down on me for being a second-time bride.

Now I understood. No matter what I did, they would always hate me.

So there was no point in trying to please them anymore.

My sister-in-law didn't get a response. The knocking grew more insistent. "Claire? Claire!"

The daughter in my arms frowned. I sighed and finally got up to open the door.

"Sis, Lily isn't awake yet. Please be quieter."

I stood my ground, neither humble nor arrogant. "Also, I'm not feeling well today. You or our sister-in-law can make breakfast."

My sister-in-law frowned, clearly displeased. "Claire, are you still upset about last night?"

Before I could answer, a woman breezed into the Warrington house, her voice bright. "Marcus! I'm here to mooch some breakfast!"

She stopped short at the sight of the empty table. "No breakfast yet... I'll make it, then."

With that, she rolled up her sleeves and headed for the kitchen.

It was Susie, the girl next door. She'd grown up with Marcus, and the Warringtons treated her like a daughter.

But I knew exactly how Susie felt about Marcus.

I frowned, about to say something.

Marcus came out of the study and called Susie to a halt. Then he turned to me.

"The whole family is waiting for you to cook. What's your problem? Get in there!"

"And make sure to fry an egg for Susie. Don't burn it."

Chapter 3

I looked at Marcus's serious expression, and my heart turned cold.

Serving the Warrington family was my duty as a daughter-in-law.

But why did I have to serve Susie, too?

I was silent for a moment, then walked into the kitchen without a word.

Susie deliberately drew out her words. "Thanks, sis-in-law."

Before long, I came out carrying only a small bowl of noodles.

My sister-in-law thought there was more in the kitchen. She went to check and found it spotless.

Frowning, she called out to me. "Claire, what's the meaning of this?"

I didn't stop walking. "I told you, I'm not feeling well. Since Susie wants a fried egg, Sis, you can make it for her."

I went into my room and closed the door.

Whatever they said out there, I didn't care. I focused on getting Lily dressed and watching her eat.

When she was done, I took her to school.

At the school gate, the teacher stopped me. "Lily's mom, you need to pay this year's tuition. It can't be put off any longer."

I froze. I remembered that because my sister-in-law kept withholding money, Lily's tuition had fallen into arrears.

I smiled sheepishly, twisting my fingers awkwardly. "Okay. Thank you, teacher."

Leaving the school, I remembered how, in my past life, I had gone to Marcus for the money.

He had told me to return the things I'd supposedly stolen first.

Then when I went to the garment factory, I found out my sister-in-law had already taken my wages.

Thinking of this, I quickened my pace toward the factory.

I walked fast. By the time I got my hands on the money, my sister-in-law hadn't even arrived yet.

Knowing that Lily's tuition was taken care of, I felt a surge of relief. I tucked the money away carefully and went to work.

Not long after, I saw my sister-in-law walk out of the payroll office, her face dark. She came straight over to me.

"Claire, you picked up your own wages?"

I nodded. "Lily needs to pay her tuition. Marcus's wages are always in your hands, Sis. I had to use my own."

A few coworkers nearby were eavesdropping. My sister-in-law's lips moved soundlessly for a moment before she finally turned and left, her face black as thunder.

I knew the Warringtons well. They all cared about face.

So no matter how angry my sister-in-law was, she wouldn't show her mean streak in public.

The day passed. When it was time to clock out, I hurried away, planning to pay Lily's tuition on my way to pick her up.

But as I left the factory, I saw my ex-husband, Vincent, already waiting at the gate.

"Claire!"

My face changed, deep disgust written all over it. "What do you want?"

Vincent stepped forward, a malicious grin on his face. "Long time no see. Just came to check on you."

"You're a battalion commander's wife now. Lending me a little money shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"Dream on!" I turned to leave.

Vincent grabbed my arm. "Don't go! We were husband and wife, after all. Now that you've married up, can't you help me out a little?"

I felt sick and tried to shake him off. "I don't have any money! Let go of me!"

Vincent snarled, "Bullshit! If you don't have money, doesn't Marcus?"

"You bitch, you didn't even give me a child. I've got no one to take care of me in my old age. You owe me compensation!"

Before he could finish, Vincent let out a sharp cry of pain and crumpled to the ground.

I stood frozen, staring up in shock.

Marcus stood there in his military uniform, his face as cold as ice.

He had just kicked Vincent square in the kidney, hard enough to leave him writhing in pain.

"Marcus..." I murmured.

Before I could say another word, a figure in yellow came running up. "Marcus! I bought the movie tickets! Let's go!"

It was Susie.

Chapter 4

The three of us stared at each other. The atmosphere froze solid.

Susie looked me up and down and let out an exaggerated gasp. "Sis-in-law, what were you doing, tangled up with your ex-husband like that?"

"If someone saw that, what would they think of Marcus?"

I slowly clenched my fists. Marcus had never taken me to a movie.

Every time I suggested it, he said he was too busy, or that movies weren't worth watching.

But now he was going with Susie.

I shot her a cold look. "You're not married, and you don't have a boyfriend. You're out with my husband. Aren't you afraid people will talk?"

"Before you criticize me, shouldn't you learn to behave yourself first..."

Marcus abruptly grabbed me and pulled me away.

He didn't stop until we were in a deserted alley. Then he let go and demanded coldly, "How long?"

I was confused. "How long what?"

Marcus pointed in the direction Vincent had limped off. "How long have you been in contact with him? Giving him money?"

I couldn't believe my ears. "You just saw what happened! He was harassing me, demanding money."

"I didn't give him anything. That's why he started cursing and grabbing me."

Marcus's expression didn't change. "Who's to say you weren't putting on an act together?"

My brow furrowed deeply, and my heart felt like it was being wound tight with silk threads.

Last night, my sister-in-law had just accused me of stealing to support my ex-husband. Today, my ex-husband shows up to harass me.

It did look bad, I had to admit.

But I hadn't done it. Anyone could doubt me, but how could Marcus not believe me?

I wrenched my arm out of his grip and forced down the委屈 rising in my throat.

"Since you don't believe me, there's nothing more to say. Lily's school is out. I have to pick her up."

With that, I turned and walked away.

At the mouth of the alley, I stopped, not looking back. "Don't mention going to the movies in front of Lily."

"After all, you've never taken her."

It would be a lie to say I wasn't hurt. It would be a lie to say I wasn't jealous.

But what could I, a woman, do? In my past life, my husband didn't believe me. In this life, he still didn't.

I didn't care anymore. I just wanted to protect my child.

I picked Lily up from school and paid her tuition. Then I took her out to dinner at a restaurant.

When we got home, the Warringtons had already eaten and were sitting on the sofa watching TV.

I didn't know who had cooked, but the dirty dishes were still on the table.

When my sister-in-law saw me come in, she said, "Claire, Dad and the others were hungry, so we ate first."

"There's food left for you in the kitchen. Make sure you wash all the dishes when you're done."

I went to the kitchen and saw what they'd left me: half a steamed bun and a plate of cabbage stir-fried until it was black.

Even pig slop would have been better. And they expected me to be grateful and do the chores.

I used to think this was my job. I married into the family, so wasn't this what a daughter-in-law was supposed to do?

But after dying once, I didn't think that way anymore.

"I already ate out with Lily. Did you cook, Sis? Then you can wash the dishes."

I went straight to my room, leaving the mess for the Warringtons to deal with.

Soon, my father-in-law's curses rang out from the living room.

"Look at her attitude! I never wanted Marcus to marry her in the first place!"

"A second-time bride, no parents, no upbringing—she's turned this whole house upside down! We'll never have peace!"

Each word was like a boulder, piling up on my heart.

The air in the room felt heavy, suffocating. I could barely breathe.

I took a deep breath, bent down, and said gently to Lily, who was doing her homework, "Lily, Mommy is going to go out for a bit."

"Lock the door and don't come out, no matter what you hear, okay?"

Lily nodded and squeezed my hand. "Mommy, don't be sad."

I almost burst into tears.

I hugged Lily, then turned and walked out.

When I got outside, I saw that Marcus had already come home.

He had been there the whole time, listening to his father curse me without saying a word.

When he saw me come out, my father-in-law snorted. "Finally figured out what shame is? Finally remember what a daughter-in-law is supposed to do?"

Without a word, I flipped the table.

Dishes and plates crashed to the floor with a deafening clatter. Everyone stumbled back in shock.

I swept my gaze across the room and screamed, "Marcus was the one who insisted on marrying me! You couldn't stop him, so you take it out on me for being a second-time bride?"

"So what if I've been married before? Your whole family gangs up on me, just because I don't have parents to back me up! If I had a family to turn to, would you dare treat me like this?"

"Marcus, you just stand there and let your family humiliate me! Are you even a man? Do you have any spine?"

"You're no different from Vincent!"

Chapter 5

The resentment I had carried for two lifetimes finally erupted in that moment.

My eyes were bloodshot. My chest heaved with fury.

The Warringtons stood frozen in shock. No one had expected me to explode like this.

In the silence, my father-in-law suddenly cried out in pain and clutched his chest as he collapsed onto the sofa.

My sister-in-law snapped out of it. She steadied my father-in-law and turned to curse at me.

"Claire, have you lost your mind! Marcus, look at the fine wife you married! She's going to give Dad a heart attack!"

My eldest brother-in-law, usually the most spineless one, chimed in. "No parents means no upbringing. Did we say anything wrong?"

The anger I had just barely suppressed flared up again.

I lunged toward my brother-in-law. "Say one more word about my parents!"

"Enough!"

Marcus grabbed me, his face dark. His grip was iron-tight.

He said to his sister, "Sis, you and brother take Dad to the hospital."

Only when they had left did he turn his cold gaze on me. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"You've turned this house upside down, and you're still not satisfied?"

I almost laughed. "*I* turned the house upside down?"

"Marcus, I married you. I served your whole family. And I didn't get a single kind word in return."

"Your family knows my parents died young, and you use that to insult me. Are you even human?"

Marcus's face was terrifyingly dark.

In my past life, I was terrified of making him angry. I gave in to him on everything.

But I had died once. I wasn't afraid anymore.

We stood in silent confrontation until, suddenly, a sob broke the stillness.

"Mommy, Daddy—please don't fight—"

Lily stood in the doorway. Her little face was streaked with tears. Her whole body shook with sobs.

My heart clenched. I rushed over and wrapped my arms around her.

"No, no. Mommy and Daddy aren't fighting."

But Marcus's voice came from behind me, sharp with reproach. "Look what you've done to the child."

"Some mother you are."

I held Lily close, my chest feeling like a boulder was crushing it, stealing my breath.

For my daughter's sake, I bit my tongue. I carried her into the room and closed the door.

Once the door was shut, the tears came.

Lily clumsily wiped my face. "Mommy, don't cry. Don't be sad..."

I couldn't stop my emotions from spilling over.

When I was eighteen, my mother died. When I was twenty, my father followed.

I was starved for love. I always wanted a family of my own.

Marrying Vincent was a mistake. When I met Marcus, I thought my happiness had finally arrived.

But the委屈 I had endured over these years... I couldn't even count them all.

I wiped my tears and forced a smile for Lily.

"Mommy's fine. As long as Lily is okay, Mommy is happy."

Mother and daughter fell asleep in each other's arms.

Lily was asleep in no time, but I lay awake all night.

The next morning, I got up to make breakfast for Lily.

When I opened the door, the mess in the living room had been cleaned up. Even the table had been set right.

Had Marcus done it?

I spotted him sitting on the sofa, smoking. His jaw was covered in stubble. It looked like he hadn't slept all night.

Our eyes met. He stubbed out his cigarette.

Then he stood up, walked over, and placed a piece of paper on the table. "Sign it."

I looked down and frowned deeply. "What is this?"

It was a resignation form. At the bottom, the factory director's name was already signed and stamped.

Marcus's voice was flat. "Either you quit your job and stay home to take care of Lily."

"Or Lily goes to live with my sister. She's willing to quit her job to take care of her."

Chapter 6

I stared at Marcus in disbelief.

But I remembered my daughter was still asleep. I kept my voice low, my brow furrowed. "Why?"

"I've been taking care of Lily and working ever since she was born."

Marcus looked at me steadily. "Do you think you've been taking good care of her lately?"

"You were tangled up with Vincent. You turned the house upside down yesterday. Do you know what people are saying about you?"

I clenched my hands, bitterness flooding my heart.

"I didn't do anything wrong. I'm not afraid of what people say. As for last night... your family pushed me to it."

Marcus's eyes darkened. "You're not afraid of gossip. But what about Lily?"

I froze.

Rumors spread like wildfire.

I could explain myself to one person, but could I explain myself to everyone at once?

And Lily was so young...

My heart ached. I took a deep breath. "If I hide at home, it'll just make me look guilty."

I brushed past Marcus and went into the kitchen to make Lily's breakfast.

But Marcus followed me. His deep eyes were shadowed.

"I looked at the household accounts. Half of my salary every month goes to you."

"You're still working. You say you didn't give Vincent any money. Then where did all that money go?"

I whirled around, stunned. "What are you talking about? Half your salary goes to *me*?"

"Your sister controls the finances. Every time I ask for living expenses or Lily's tuition, she says something nasty."

"I only got Lily's tuition paid yesterday, with my own wages."

"You have no idea how hard it is for me and Lily to live in this house!"

I finished my outburst, my voice hoarse. I couldn't stay in that room another second.

I went back to our room, got Lily dressed, and took her out.

We had breakfast outside. I dropped Lily off at school as usual, then went to work.

But I was distracted all day.

Marcus's words had burned themselves into my heart, impossible to erase.

I never imagined my sister-in-law hated me so much that she would lie to frame me.

Would this all end only if Marcus and I got divorced?

I used to think Marcus was good to me, so I swallowed my委屈.

But somewhere along the way, we had grown distant. The trust was gone.

The care and love Marcus had once shown me had become a cruel joke.

I was lost in thought. My needle slipped and stabbed my finger.

"Ah!"

I yelped and put my bleeding finger in my mouth.

At that moment, a sudden, inexplicable wave of unease washed over me.

I waited until the end of my shift, then rushed to pick Lily up from school.

But when I got there, the teacher said, "Lily? Her aunt picked her up. Didn't you know?"

I froze. Without a word, I turned and rushed home.

The front door wasn't fully closed.

I could vaguely hear my sister-in-law's voice. I stopped instinctively, held my breath, and pressed my ear to the door.

Then I heard her sharp, mean tone—

"Lily, you're a Warrington. You should be on our side."

"Your mother is no good. Stay away from her from now on, you hear?"

Chapter 7

Rage surged through me like a fire.

I shoved the door open. My father-in-law and sister-in-law were sitting in the living room.

Lily stood in front of them, head bowed, like she was being punished.

When she heard the door, she turned and burst into tears. "Mommy!"

My face was livid. I rushed over and wrapped my arms around Lily, glaring at my sister-in-law.

"Sis, how could you say that to Lily? She's just a child!"

My sister-in-law shrugged, completely unbothered.

"I'm telling the truth. I'm teaching her how to be a good person. Is that wrong?"

My eyes burned with anger.

I turned and sent Lily to our room first. Then I straightened up and faced my sister-in-law again.

Seeing my stance, my sister-in-law frowned. "What, one tantrum wasn't enough for you?"

"Claire, I'm not trying to be mean. But you're a second-time bride. People are always going to talk."

"You should be grateful you married our Marcus. It's a blessing from your past life."

My hands clenched into fists. I was shaking with rage.

Everyone thought I had married above my station, that I had accumulated good karma in a past life to deserve Marcus.

But I hadn't gone after Marcus. He had come after me.

I spoke each word deliberately. "Marcus pursued me. He was the one who insisted on marrying me."

My sister-in-law's face darkened slightly. "Our Marcus is a battalion commander! He could have any unmarried girl he wanted!"

"If you had any sense back then, you would have said no. And now you're repaying our family's kindness with betrayal..."

A thin layer of sadness spread across my eyes.

"I'm repaying kindness with betrayal? Since I married into this family, have any of you ever looked at me with respect?"

"I've served this family, up and down, with all my heart. And how have you treated me?"

I let out a cold laugh. "You want me gone, don't you? Fine. I'll leave right now!"

I grabbed Lily's hand and headed for the door.

As I opened it, Marcus was just coming home.

Our eyes met. I didn't say a word and tried to walk past him.

Marcus grabbed my wrist. "Where are you taking Lily?"

I pulled my hand free. "Anywhere is better than being treated like dirt in this house."

Marcus frowned. He looked past me, into the house.

Seeing his father and sister, his brow furrowed even deeper. "You fought with Sis again?"

"Apologize to Sis and Dad. Now."

I couldn't believe my ears. "Marcus, you don't even ask what happened, and you want me to apologize?"

Marcus looked at me, his eyes devoid of any warmth.

"She's your elder, no matter what. You shouldn't be arguing with her."

I opened my mouth to argue.

But it felt like a boulder was lodged in my throat. I couldn't get the words out.

Not because I didn't want to. But because I realized it was pointless.

There really was no point in holding onto this marriage anymore.

I let out a breath and roughly wiped away the tears that had spilled from my eyes. "Forget it. I don't want to argue anymore."

"Marcus... let's get a divorce."

The words hung in the air. For a moment, no one in the room reacted.

They were probably thinking: a second-time bride, married to a military commander, should be thanking her lucky stars every day.

How dare she ask for a divorce?

Marcus's face darkened at my words.

"What did you say?" he asked, his tone dangerous.

My heart ached. I didn't want to say another word to him.

If these past few days had been like being backed to the edge of a cliff,

then Marcus's words just now had been the final push.

But I refused to be treated like Marcus's property anymore. I refused to be bullied by the Warringtons.

"I've had enough of this life."

I threw the words over my shoulder and walked out the door with Lily.

Chapter 8

I had no one to turn to here.

Ever since I was twenty, I had been alone.

Now I had Lily, and I was filled with guilt toward my daughter.

We walked through the deserted streets late into the night. I took Lily to a small inn.

We lay down on the bed, and Lily wrapped her arms around me.

"Mommy, don't be sad."

I forced a smile. "Mommy's fine."

Lily gently smoothed my hair with her small hand, then pulled two pieces of candy from her pocket and held them out to me.

Her smile was sweeter than any honey.

"Mommy, try it. A classmate gave it to me. It's really sweet."

My eyes stung. I held back my tears. "Mommy doesn't like sweets. You keep them, Lily."

The night was quiet. A small lamp glowed in the room.

Lily slept soundly beside me. Her innocent little face softened my heart.

I had always made excuses for Marcus. I had told myself he was helpless, that he had no choice.

I had found countless reasons and justifications for him.

But Marcus's repeated indifference had finally made me see the truth—

He had changed. He didn't love me anymore.

Marcus had gone from being the light that brightened my dark life to being another bottomless abyss.

Only Lily was the best gift heaven had ever given me.

I couldn't let Lily suffer with me.

The next day, I dropped Lily off at school.

I told the teacher repeatedly that no one but me was allowed to pick Lily up.

Then I went back to the countryside alone.

The old house in the countryside was where I had lived before I turned twenty. Now it was overgrown and dilapidated.

After my parents died one after another, they were buried in the bamboo grove behind the house. I had left this place behind.

I came back every year on their death anniversary to visit them.

Today wasn't their anniversary. I had just been carrying too much委屈.

I knelt in front of their graves, pulling out the weeds as I spoke softly about everything that had happened.

Then I paused. My hands stopped moving.

"Dad, Mom, I've decided to get a divorce."

Clear tears fell as I spoke, landing heavily on the paper money I had set out.

I put down the things in my hands and bowed my head.

For the first time, I let all the委屈 and bitterness pour out without restraint.

"If you were both still here, they wouldn't dare bully me like this..."

I lay down on the small mounds of earth, wanting to curl up in my parents' arms like I did when I was little.

But all I felt was cold.

Like the home Marcus had given me. Cold. Heartless.

I had truly decided to let go.

I cried for a long time. When my tears finally ran dry, I slowly stood up.

I looked at the two wooden grave markers and whispered, "Dad, Mom, I'm going now."

Then I turned and walked away. The wind carried away the ashes of the burning paper money, leaving a few faint wisps of white smoke in the air.

I went back to town and picked Lily up on time.

But as I was passing through a small alley, I heard footsteps behind me.

My heart started to race. I quickened my pace, cold sweat beading on my forehead. I didn't dare look back.

But the next moment, the person was right behind me. A hand holding a cloth pressed down over my nose and mouth.

Before I could struggle, everything went black.

When I woke up, a blinding white fluorescent light was shining in my eyes.

Where was I?

My head was foggy. I tried to sit up, bracing myself on my hands.

But my hand touched someone's arm.

It hit me like a bucket of ice water. I shot upright.

My ex-husband, Vincent, was lying next to me, shirtless, fast asleep!

My mind went blank for an instant.

Before I could even scream, the door was kicked open.

Susie burst in, followed by Marcus and a crowd of people.

Chapter 9

At the sight before him, Marcus's face turned ashen.

I panicked. "No—"

But Susie was faster. Her voice cut through the air like a blade. "Sis-in-law! Marcus is so good to you, and this is how you repay him?"

The people behind her started pointing and whispering.

I clenched my hands so hard my nails bit into my palms. Finally, I found my voice. "No! I didn't!"

"I was on my way to pick up Lily! Someone knocked me out—"

Before I could finish, Vincent woke up.

Seeing the crowd, he grabbed my wrist. "Claire? What's going on?"

I shoved him away with all my strength. "What's going on? I should be asking you that!"

"Did you drug me and bring me here? Vincent, you're disgusting!"

Vincent's face twisted with anger. "Claire, you're turning your back on me?"

"You told me you didn't love Marcus anymore! You said you wanted to get back together! You came willingly!"

My face went even paler.

I wasn't stupid. Vincent's words made me realize immediately that someone had set me up.

Vincent was one of them.

I scrambled up and grabbed Marcus's arm. "Marcus, it's not what he said—"

Before I could finish, Marcus shook me off.

"Claire, you make me sick."

Those few words, cold and devoid of any emotion, stabbed into my heart like a knife.

I stood frozen, my whole body turning cold.

He didn't believe me. Even now, he still didn't believe me.

The onlookers' whispers grew louder and more chaotic.

Marcus's face was cold and hard. He reached out, grabbed my arm, and pulled me roughly to my feet.

"Come home with me!"

News traveled fast in the military compound.

By the time Marcus brought me home, my father-in-law and sister-in-law already knew everything.

When he saw me, my father-in-law immediately started cursing. "This is a disgrace to our family! How did our family end up with a woman like this!"

"Marcus, you have to divorce her this time, no matter what!"

"This woman is a curse! She'll ruin you!"

Marcus rubbed his temples wearily. "Enough, Dad. Stop."

He led me into our room.

The door slammed shut. The room was deathly quiet.

Their words had cut me to the quick, but I still asked first, "Where's Lily?"

Marcus pulled out a chair. It scraped against the floor with an ugly screech. "You still have the nerve to ask about Lily?"

"Susie told me she saw you going to Vincent's place with him. I didn't believe it. And look what I found."

My voice trembled. "Marcus, please listen to me. It's not what it looks like."

I hated Vincent. How could I possibly want to get back together with him?

But Marcus's eyes were sharp, his voice cold and hard.

"I saw it with my own eyes. What more do you have to say?"

He stood up. "You're not going anywhere for a while. Stay in this room and think about what you've done."

Then he walked out and locked the door from the outside.

The heavy thud of the door closing shattered my heart.

Marcus meant what he said.

For the next few days, he