In my previous life, on the day Owen and I got married, Vanessa ended her life by slitting her wrist in a hotel. He left me behind at the venue and rushed to her side.
I thought her death would be the wedge that kept us apart forever. The sight of him so broken over her only deepened my sorrow. I thought we were done for.
But instead, Owen held me tight and murmured, “You’re the only one I have left, Audrey Millar.”
After we were married, he treated me like I was the center of his universe. He wouldn’t let me do a single chore and did it all himself.
Even with a packed schedule, he always made it a point to come home for dinner. 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.
But on our tenth anniversary, I found myself dead at his hands. He accused me of ruining his relationship with Vanessa, then viciously bled me dry.
So when I found out I had been granted another chance at life, all I wanted was to stay far away from them and find some peace.
But the instant I saw Owen again—so radiant and full of confidence—it felt like a knife plunging into my heart. He stood there outside the office building with Vanessa by his side.
The tenderness in his gaze when he looked at her could have melted everything around him. As soon as he saw me, his expression faltered, and he turned to her, worry creeping into his eyes.
The sight of him brought back a flood of memories from my past life. I was always fighting with Owen over Vanessa.
Whenever things got ugly, he’d give me that disappointed look and say, “Vanessa and I are just friends now. She’s in poor health. Can’t you just stop this nonsense and leave her alone? She still has feelings for me, so stay away from her!”
Then he’d leave me behind and travel with her.
At 20, Owen was terrible at hiding his emotions. He was like a porcupine, offering Vanessa his vulnerable side while bristling every quill in my direction.
I lowered my head and picked up the pace, trying to slip away unnoticed.
Vanessa, looking flustered and anxious, called out, “Owen’s just trying to keep me company, Ms. Millar. Please don’t fight with him over me, okay? No one’s bringing their girlfriends to tonight’s singles party, so don’t read too much into it… Owen, Ms. Millar looks upset. Why don’t you try to cheer her up?”
