Chapter 2

I struggled desperately in the ice-cold water of the Hudson.

Until the moment I drowned, no one came to save me.

I felt my soul leave my body.

I was so unwilling to die, so full of hatred!

Lucas, the man I loved deeply, had been cheating on me for years.

The daughter I cherished like my own was actually Lucas and Megan Stone’s illegitimate child.

Megan's wild laughter echoed in my ears even in death.

Before my eyes, I saw nothing but blood—just like the scene when my real daughter, Grace, died, her blood pooling around her lifeless body.

If I could do it all over again, I would take revenge—for myself, and for Grace!

Suddenly, I heard the cry of a newborn baby...

I forced my heavy eyelids open.

The blinding white ceiling, the smell of disinfectant.

Was I in the hospital?

I wasn’t supposed to be alive; I had drowned in the river, hadn’t I?

I glanced around. The old-fashioned decor—it looked familiar.

Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain in my abdomen and couldn’t help but cry out.

"Sweetheart, you’re awake! You scared me to death!"

Mom?

I focused my vision. It was my mother, but much younger than I remembered her.

Wait... had I been reborn?

Ignoring the pain, I bolted upright in bed.

"Mom, where is my daughter?"

In my past life, Lucas swapped my baby while I was weak and unconscious from childbirth.

Not this time. Not again.

My mother gently wiped the sweat from my forehead as I grabbed her arm, pleading.

"Mom, where is my baby?"

Unaware of my panic, she tried to soothe me. "Sweetie, don’t worry. The nurse took her for a checkup. She’ll be back soon."

"You should lie down and rest. You just had a baby; don’t overexert yourself."

I stared straight into my mother’s eyes. "Where’s Lucas?"

She smiled. "Oh, you know him, he’s obsessed with Grace. The nurse only took her for a routine check, but he insisted on going with them."

What?

My heart felt like it was in a vice, and I couldn’t breathe.

No! I won’t let him get away with it this time.

Ignoring the pain, I jumped out of bed, barefoot, and ran toward the door.

My mother tried to stop me, but I sidestepped her and rushed to the door, only to collide with someone coming in.

It was Lucas!

He cradled the baby protectively, glaring at me with irritation.

Seeing how he held Chloe so tenderly, I felt like I couldn’t breathe.

Even after being given a second chance, he had still won.

Rage shot through me like wildfire.

If my anger could take physical form, Lucas would have been reduced to ashes on the spot.

"Melissa, the floor’s cold. Get back in bed," Lucas said, faking concern.

He thought he had fooled me, but I could still see the malice and impatience in his eyes.

My mother caught up, pulling me back into bed.

Once I was settled, Lucas laid Chloe beside me.

"She’s hungry," he said.

On cue, Chloe started crying.

I stared coldly at her.

This was the child who had stolen Grace’s life, stolen all my love and resources, only to repay me by pushing me into the river.

There wasn't a creature in the world more vile than Chloe, this snake in the grass. Slowly, I reached out, my hand hovering over her neck.

I wanted to strangle her right then and there.

Lucas was lost in his own thoughts, smiling, unaware of what I was about to do.

But my mother, who had been watching me closely, gasped.

"Melissa, that’s not how you hold a baby. You need to support her neck."

"She’s crying because she’s hungry," Lucas chimed in, smiling as he picked Chloe up, trying to place her in my arms.

I turned away, lying down on the bed. "She can have formula. I’m tired. I need to rest."