Theater: NovelMaster | Language: English | NEW
Synopsis
I had just finished cleaning up my paralyzed mother-in-law when I walked into the hallway and caught my husband on the phone.
"Her? She’s just a frumpy, washed-up housewife now. She doesn’t have an ounce of your elegance, Chloe."
His tone was sickeningly sweet, dripping with cheap flattery.
On the other end of the line, my half-sister let out a breathy, coquettish giggle. Together, they tore me to shreds, treating me like garbage.
I waited calmly until he finally ended the call. Then, I said, "Let's get a divorce."
Pierce froze. A second later, a mocking smirk spread across his face.
"A divorce? Like you'd actually dare to leave me."
Why wouldn’t I? Spending every waking hour playing an unpaid, abused nurse to his miserable parents wasn't exactly a dream life.
In my past life, I was stubborn. I fought him and the homewrecking illegitimate daughter tooth and nail until they framed me, labeled me mentally ill, and locked me away in an asylum where I rotted until my dying breath.
Now that I had a second chance at life, taking my rightful share of the fortune and walking away clean was the best revenge.
Wasting my life on human trash only cuts your life short.
In my previous life, I endured ten agonizing years in that mental asylum. I never managed to escape.
When I took my last breath, my eyes were still wide open with burning resentment.
It had all started the exact same way: I had just finished wiping down my paralyzed mother-in-law, sweating through my clothes, exhausted down to my bones.
The moment I stepped back toward the bedroom, I caught Pierce whispering into his phone out on the balcony.
"Serena can't hold a candle to you. She’s turned into an ugly, frumpy mess. You're the real princess of the Vance family. The moment you walk into a room, all eyes are on you."
His greasy, flattering voice made my chest tighten with disgust.
"Oh, Pierce, stop it!"
Chloe’s whiny voice drifted through the speaker.
"If Serena knew you looked down on her like this, she’d hate me forever. Who knows... maybe..."
She paused deliberately, putting on her trademark victim voice.
"Maybe she'll throw a massive tantrum, tell the whole world, and paint me as a homewrecker. Everyone will cancel me online!"
Pierce’s voice instantly turned stone-cold.
"She wouldn't dare."
"She’s a useless housewife who relies on me for every single dime. If she dares utter a single bad word about you, I'll make her life a living hell."
Hearing those words, a chilling sensation shot straight from the soles of my feet to the top of my head.
Five years ago, my mother-in-law suffered a massive stroke. Her temper grew vile and abusive. She screamed at and drove away every single professional nurse we hired. My father-in-law washed his hands of the whole thing.
Pierce was just launching his business back then, losing sleep every night from stress.
I felt sorry for him. I stepped in to help for a couple of days. Even though the old woman still treated me like dirt, she demanded that only I care for her.
With no other choice, I resigned from my promising career.
And after five years of hell, he turned around and claimed I was a useless freeloader living off him. Didn’t his conscience burn when he said that?
Fury erupted in my chest like a volcano.
I couldn't hold it back for another second. In my past life, I stormed out, snatched his phone, and smashed it onto the floor.
"Are you even human, Pierce?"
"For five long years, I broke my back day and night taking care of your mother, while behind my back, you're sleeping with the person I despise most in this world!"
He knew damn well.
He knew Chloe’s mother had seduced my father, pushed my mother into an early grave, and took over my home.
He knew the endless torment and exclusion I suffered at the hands of that mother and daughter, how they drove me to the brink of depression and suicide.
How could I not hate them?
"What the hell are you screaming about in the middle of the night? Screeching like a lunatic before you even know the facts!"
Pierce had loosened his tie, his face dripping with annoyance.
"Chloe and I were just talking about business! Do you think everyone in the world is as obsessed with petty romance as you are?"
"Did sitting at home rotting in luxury turn your brain into mush? You can't even think straight."
To defend an outsider, he used every vile insult to humiliate me. And he was supposed to be my only family in this world.
"If I ever catch you two, I will drag you down to hell with me!"
Driven insane by betrayal, I had lost all reason.
Pierce showed zero remorse. Instead, he and Chloe became bolder, parading around together.
Eventually, they teamed up, spun a narrative to the public that I had gone completely insane, and threw me into an asylum.
Over the next ten years, they raised kids and lived happily ever after.
Meanwhile, under Chloe’s constant orders to the asylum staff to torment me, I died a horrific, agonizing death.
Remembering it now still sent chills down my spine. I was such an idiot in my past life—why did I waste my breath dragging myself through the mud with scumbags like them?
A single tear slipped down my cheek, mourning my past self.
"The company has a joint project with Vance Group recently, so Chloe and I were just coordinating..."
Pierce’s impatient voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
"Let’s get a divorce."
He froze, as if he hadn't heard me correctly. Then he asked, annoyed, "What did you say?"My heart was completely still.
"Since you're in love with someone else, there's no reason to keep this marriage going. Let's divorce. Right now."
Pierce stared in shock, stunned for a few seconds before letting out a loud, contemptuous bark of laughter.
"Serena, did you lose your damn mind?"
"Divorce me? As if you could ever bear to let me go."
In my past life, it was true. I couldn't bear to let go. I was consumed by bitter regret and burning hatred, and it destroyed me.
Looking back, none of it was worth it.
Five whole years.
Taking care of a paralyzed, foul-mouthed woman. I was treated worse than hired help. At least maids got paid, and when they got cursed at, they could quit on the spot.
I, on the other hand, had endured an endless sentence in domestic hell.
"Pierce, it's unfair to Chloe if you don't give her an official title," I said, putting on a show of thoughtful consideration.
"I'm stepping aside willingly. I only have one condition: give me my fair share of the marital assets. I won't cling to you, and I won't stop you from pursuing your true happiness. It's a win-win."
If he had a shred of decency left, he wouldn't dare fight me on the money.
After all, his current company was founded entirely using the startup capital and investors I brought to the table.
"Serena! Your mother messed herself again! Get in here and clean her up right now!"
My father-in-law's disgusted bellow echoed from down the hall, acting like the woman soiling herself was my biological mother. They really thought I was their personal slave.
Hearing that, Pierce instinctively pinched his nose and barked at me, "Alright, cut the crap. Chloe and I are completely platonic."
"Don't worry, you'll always be Mrs. Sterling. Now hurry up and go clean Mom. Don't leave her sitting in that."
"Have some basic respect as a daughter-in-law. Don't make Dad come yell at you for something like this."
Guilt-tripping me as usual. Repulsive.
My father-in-law barged through the door, his face twisted in rage. "Hurry the hell up! She's starting to scream and swear! I can't take this nonsense all day!"
I let out a cold laugh. "She's your wife, not mine. Clean it yourself, and stay out of my face."
With that, I walked straight into the walk-in closet and began packing my bags.
Outside, after a moment of stunned silence, my father-in-law roared, "What the hell is wrong with her?!"
Pierce shrugged, his voice lazy and completely unbothered. "She's probably trying to act like a spoiled princess throwing a tantrum. She forgets what she looks like these days."
My father-in-law lowered his voice. "Does she know about you and the Vance girl?"
Pierce deliberately raised his voice so I could hear: "So what if she knows? Threatening me with a divorce? Does she still think she's a twenty-year-old girl, and that I'll chase after her and beg? She's dreaming."
He thought his words would terrify me, that I'd come crawling back on my knees like I always did.
It wasn't until I rolled my suitcase into the hallway that reality hit him.
"Nobody is irreplaceable in this world," I tossed over my shoulder as I headed straight down the stairs.
Only then did he realize I wasn't bluffing. After spewing a couple of curses, he blew his top.
"Serena Vance! You're a washed-up, dried-up hag! I can't wait to sign the papers and get rid of your miserable face!"
Pierce loved saving face, and he moved fast.
The very next day, he shoved the divorce papers in front of me, demanding my signature.
"At least you acted like a man for once and didn't try to rob me of my money," I said, reviewing the terms.
Pierce's lips curled into a smug smirk. "Just make sure you don't come crying and begging to take me back later..."
SMACK!
Before he could finish his sentence, I swung my arm and delivered a resounding slap straight across his face.
"Keep dreaming. I don't dig through the trash once I've thrown it out."
He clutched his burning, swollen cheek in utter disbelief, his eyes bulging as he roared in fury.I stared down at him with a cold smirk.
"If so much as a hair on my head is harmed, someone will instantly drop the hotel surveillance footage of you and Chloe rolling around in bed all over the internet. Let's see how your precious reputation handles that."
Pierce's face drained of all color in an instant. He stammered, "How... how long have you known?"
I rolled my eyes at him and said nothing.
The truth was, I had just reincarnated; I didn't actually have the footage on hand. I was just bluffing him.
"Serena... you should really start dressing up a little. You don't have an ounce of the charm a thirty-year-old woman should have."
His voice softened considerably, trying to regain control. "I'm only saying this for your own good. It's not like you're going to stay celibate and mourn our marriage forever, right?"
The sheer narcissism was sickening.
Before I could tear him down, a sickeningly sweet laugh chimed from the doorway.
"Serena, you really should listen to Pierce. This is the exact reason your mother lost to mine back then, and why you lost him to me today."
Chloe strutted in, wearing a skintight red dress that hugged every curve, swaying her hips provocatively.
"A loser needs to learn from her mistakes. Otherwise, if you ever manage to have kids, what happens when they lose to mine too? Losing runs in your blood, sweetie."
Her tone dripped with venomous mockery, her face radiating cheap triumph.
I scanned her up and down, my eyes full of disgust. "Congratulations. You successfully claimed a pile of garbage."
Her smile choked in her throat. She recovered quickly, tossing her hair with fake nonchalance. "You're just jealous because you can't compare to me."
Pierce frowned deeply, speaking in annoyance, "Serena, is tearing me down the only thing you have left now that you're leaving?"
I ignored both of them completely. I tossed the signed papers onto the table, walked out, hopped into an Uber, and headed straight to my new luxury condo.
I slept like a baby for the first time in five years.
Being divorced was pure bliss. No more endless screaming, no more cleaning up after a miserable old woman. I finally had all the time in the world to shop, watch movies, and hit the spa.
To celebrate, I posted an update on my private SnapChat and Ins stories:
[Congratulate me. I've officially been reborn.]
Everyone who knew Pierce and me instantly figured out what happened.
The comments blew up. Some offered sympathy, while others just wanted the messy tea, eagerly asking who had cheated first.
Predictably, Chloe couldn't resist showing up in my comments section, playing the innocent angel:
[Serena was the one who asked for the divorce. Honestly, I understand her. Being married to an ambitious CEO and having an invalid mother-in-law at home... it gets exhausting.]
She was like a cockroach—always crawling out of the woodwork. Utterly pathetic.
I replied directly under her comment:
[I know you don't find it exhausting. After all, you had plenty of energy to FaceTime him behind my back every single night. Make sure you don't back out now, Chloe.]
[Half the city is waiting to drink champagne at your wedding. You wouldn't chicken out, would you?]
In this life, walking away didn't mean I was going to be a pushover.
Two pieces of trash belonged in the exact same dumpster forever.
My single comment set off an absolute firestorm online. Everyone in our social circle smelled the infidelity drama. The comments exploded with people demanding the truth.
A week later, Pierce made a grandiose announcement on Ins, declaring his wedding to Chloe was set for three months from now:
[Reckless, baseless lies hurt innocent people. Through every storm, I will always protect you. @ChloeVance]
He wanted to play the noble knight in shining armor while throwing dirt on my name.
Chloe quickly reposted it: [So lucky to have you. @PierceSterling]
While they were staging their ridiculous soap opera online, I was sitting on a sunlit terrace, peacefully sipping an iced latte. I couldn't care less about their cheap display of affection.
"Serena? It really is you."
A deep, magnetic voice sounded from behind me.
I turned around. My eyes widened in pure shock.
"Chase...? What are you doing here?"Back in college, Chase Montgomery had been Pierce’s best friend.
During our senior year, after getting completely drunk, Chase had confessed his feelings for me. Pierce had gone ballistic and beat him bloody right on the spot.
Once he sobered up, wracked with guilt for crossing the line with his buddy's girl, Chase packed his bags and left for the UK before graduation.
The next time I ever heard his name was shortly after Pierce and I tied the knot—Chase had supposedly died in a fatal car crash overseas.
At the time, Pierce and I had mourned the tragedy. He was so young, so full of potential, gone just like that. Besides falling for his best friend's girl, he had never done a single bad thing.
I never imagined that in this lifetime, he would be standing right in front of me, breathing, handsome, and very much alive.
"You..." I was so overwhelmed I couldn't find the words.
He took the initiative, looking straight into my eyes. "Serena, I came back specifically to find you. All these years, I’ve never stopped thinking about you. Please, give me a chance."
Having just dragged myself out of the wreckage of a miserable marriage, starting another relationship was the absolute last thing on my mind.
"I'm sorry, Chase. I don't plan on ever getting married again."
At the end of the day, men were all the same. They chased you relentlessly until they had you, and the second you were theirs, you became worthless.
Hearing that, a visible wave of heartbreak washed over Chase's face.
A moment later, however, he offered a warm, understanding smile. "That’s okay. I can wait. I’ll wait until you're ready to open your heart again."
"I'll prove to you with my time and my actions that I will never let you down like other men did."
Sweet words were cheap. Everyone knew how to say them.
I had zero obligation to trust another man. Distance was my safest bet.
"No one is irreplaceable in this world, Chase. There are plenty of women out there who are ten times better than me. Don't waste your time."
Despite my blunt rejection, Chase immediately relocated his corporate headquarters back to the city. He never crossed the line or harassed me.
Instead, he maintained perfect boundaries while pursuing me with absolute sincerity.
He told me not to feel pressured, to just treat him as an ordinary admirer.
Honestly, after leaving Pierce, I had all the money and time in the world. I poured resources into revitalizing my skin, working out, and leveling up my career.
Before long, several eligible bachelors of various ages began orbiting around me.
I was done with romance.
If they wanted to chase me, let them.
My only loyalty from now on was to cold, hard cash.
Before I knew it, the day of Pierce and Chloe’s "Wedding of the Century" arrived. They were streaming the entire spectacle live across TikTok and YouTube.
My deadbeat father, whom I hadn't spoken to in years, had the nerve to demand that I attend, claiming it would show the world that our "family was harmonious."
Even Pierce called me himself:
"Come on, Serena. Just because we didn't work out as a couple doesn't mean we can't be friends."
Those two pathetic men were obviously being manipulated by Chloe, trying to orchestrate an awkward scene just to humiliate me.
I blocked both numbers instantly. Out of sight, out of mind.
If I hadn't been in the middle of closing a massive investment deal with an old college classmate, I would have caught the first flight out of the country just to enjoy the peace.
With the memories of my previous life, I was scooping up lucrative market opportunities left and right. Their petty games couldn't even scratch me.
Half an hour later, my doorbell rang violently.
I got up and opened the door.
A barrage of professional camera lenses was shoved right into my face. Standing on my porch in a lavish white wedding gown, Chloe smiled with sickening sweetness.
"Serena! If you don't come to my wedding, I simply won't walk down the aisle!"
"Otherwise, everyone will think you're still bitter and can't let Pierce go. I just wouldn't feel truly blessed without your presence."
"Please, Serena? I'm begging you. Come to my wedding!"
Her breath reeked of fake, manipulative victimhood.
Her eyes gleamed with malicious excitement. Any idiot could see she was setting a trap.
People really are gluttons for punishment, aren't they?
Since she was practically begging for a disaster, I decided to give her one.
I would make damn sure she and Pierce learned that dragging me into their mess had lethal consequences.
Chapters (4)
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
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