In
my past life, the Millars went bankrupt ten years after Owen and I married.
I was shaken up when I heard the news. I ended up slipping and falling at home, and it caused my baby to be born prematurely.
Owen rushed back from Faldora in the dead of night, waiting anxiously outside the delivery room. After an exhausting day and night of labor, I finally gave birth to a daughter.
But before I even had a chance to see her, I passed out
I came back to my senses when a cold splash of water hit me. My eyes fluttered open, and I realized I was bound in a dark basement.
Owen held a photo frame, staring at it with a look of deep affection, his fingers tracing the glass like he was gently touching someone he held dear above all else.
“Owen…” I murmured.
He set the frame down carefully, then turned to me, his eyes sharp and emotionless. “You’re awake, Audrey.”
The basement lights were dim. His gaze, once warm, was now filled with coldness and hatred as if I was no more than an enemy. I couldn’t make sense of what had happened.
Owen and I grew up together as childhood companions.
He’d always treated me with the utmost care and only became more attentive after our marriage. He always put me first, never letting me do any chores and insisting on handling everything himself.
Even though his work was demanding, he made sure to be home for dinner every night. He kept his assistants all male, saying it was to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings or drama.
My friends couldn’t stop talking about how lucky I was to have such a perfect man. I, too, felt incredibly fortunate to have Owen in my life.
Yet, in this dimly lit basement, he was no longer the man I knew.
Owen picked up a knife, its cold blade running lightly across my skin, sending a wave of goosebumps over me. His features were contorted with anger.
Through clenched teeth, he hissed, “It’s been ten years, Audrey… I can finally get my revenge for Vanessa!”
Vanessa?
I was paralyzed. My eyes landed on the photo in the frame, and it felt as though my blood had turned to ice. The woman in the picture was Vanessa Cottle–the one Owen had loved but could never have.
