Chapter 2

I grabbed my phone and went to my study, eager to share this joy with my best friend.

As I pulled open a drawer to put the pregnancy test results away, I caught sight of the worn edge of an old notebook tucked under some neat files.

It looked completely out of place, like its owner had hastily abandoned it there.

I instinctively picked it up. The cover had a common student-era starry night design, but it was old—frayed edges, crumpled pages, yellowed with age—clearly well-loved and frequently flipping through.

We'd always been open with each other, so I naturally opened it up.

On the flyleaf, large English cursive read: For My Forever.

I smiled, warmth spreading through my chest. Could these be old love letters she'd written for me that I'd never seen?

I took out the pregnancy test results, thinking I could carefully tuck them inside. Let this brand-new joy in my life blend with her cherished past.

With a hint of anticipation and tenderness, I turned to the first page.

Instantly, I froze—

My everlasting morning star—Adam.

Adam.

My best friend. The main character of this story.

Suddenly, all the blood rushed to my head before draining away just as quickly, leaving me ice-cold. My throat felt tight, making it hard to breathe. My fingers trembled uncontrollably, yet I kept flipping through the pages, one after another.

With a stubbornness that bordered on self-torture, I read every single word.

It wasn't a diary—it was more like an unsent love letter, with one core message: Chloe loved Adam, a love she could never have.

So Chloe was a reincarnator.

So her heart had always belonged to Adam.

So all the tenderness and attention she'd shown me these past years were just an act!

She stayed by my side just to keep constant watch over me, to stop me from doing anything that might hurt the man she loved.

The joy I'd felt for our child, which had just filled my heart, vanished without a trace, leaving only endless, bitter emptiness.

For thirteen years, I'd never once thought of harming Adam. But in that moment, I distinctly felt jealous of him.

Jealous that a fleeting act of kindness he might not even remember could leave such an indelible mark on a woman's heart—driving her to gamble thirteen years of marriage, turning it into a cage, all just to protect him.

A whirlwind of emotions churned inside me, pain and despair tangled together. I don't know how long I stood there, frozen, but everything around me felt foreign and unreal.