Chapter 1

After my wife attended her childhood friend’s wedding, she sped home and caused a chain-reaction crash. Four people died, and one was injured.

The police called me, and I rushed to the scene. Flames filled the sky, while cries and frantic shouting blended into chaos.

It took an entire day to clear the wreckage.

Then the police regretfully told me they couldn’t find my wife’s body. She had probably been burned to ashes.

To mourn her, I could only gather some charred remains from the scene and place them in an urn.

Before I could even hold a funeral, the victims’ families surrounded my house and demanded an explanation.

Overnight, I was burdened with four deaths and millions in compensation payments.

I worked myself to the bone to appease the victims’ families.

From the age of thirty to forty-eight, I spent eighteen years paying everything back. Only after I had settled every debt did I finally receive their forgiveness.

But by then, my body had already collapsed under the strain. I suffered a stroke and spent the rest of my life bedridden in a hospital.

Just before I died, I saw my supposedly dead wife and her childhood friend bringing a child to the hospital for a checkup.

The family of three laughed and chatted, looking perfectly happy.

That was when I finally understood.

Everything had been an elaborate lie created by my wife.

I was so enraged that I vomited blood and died on the spot.

When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the day my wife caused the chain-reaction crash.

“Hello, is this Mr. Ethan Parker? This is the Highway Patrol. Your wife has been in an accident on the freeway. Please get to the scene as soon as possible.”

The officer’s grave voice rang in my ear. I froze for a moment.

“Hello? Are you still there?”

The officer repeated my name several times before I finally came back to my senses.

Memories of my previous life flashed through my mind like a movie.

In my last life, I had rushed to the crash site in a panic after receiving that call. When I saw the sky filled with flames, I had cried until my heart nearly broke.

In the end, I couldn’t even bring my wife’s body home. I blamed myself for the rest of my life.

I never imagined her body couldn’t be found because she hadn’t died at all.

She had staged everything to steal my assets and run away with her first love!

This time, I would make that treacherous couple pay.

I said okay, hung up, and immediately contacted a lawyer. I explained the entire situation in detail.

The plan had several key points.

First, I had to prove that Vivian Parker wasn’t dead.

Second, I needed evidence of her affair and had to protect my assets so the division of property would favor me.

Third, Vivian had caused the crash and fled the scene.

Four people were dead and one was injured. Prison was waiting for her.

After steadying my emotions, I was about to leave when the front door suddenly flew open.

Vivian’s mother, Grace, rushed into my arms, sobbing so hard she could barely speak.

“Ethan, you saw the news too, didn’t you? The police called you, right?”

“What am I going to do? I only have one daughter. If something happens to her, how am I supposed to live?”

In my previous life, Grace had acted out the exact same scene after Vivian’s accident. Back then, I had spent all my time comforting her.

Thinking about it now, it was almost laughable.

What mother would only scream and cry without shedding a single tear after something so terrible happened to her daughter?

If I hadn’t been blinded by worry, I would have noticed it much sooner.

Grace already knew Vivian was alive. She also knew all about Vivian’s affair.

This hypocritical family made me sick, but I had to force myself to endure it.

They had eaten my food, spent my money, and then set such a massive trap to take everything I owned.

“Ethan, why are you so calm? Vivian was in a car accident!”

“The situation hasn’t been confirmed yet. Even the police don’t know exactly what happened. But why does your reaction make it seem as if you already know Vivian is dead?”

“Did you get the news faster than the police?”

A flash of guilt crossed Grace’s face. She hurriedly explained, “I’m just worried.”

Then she pushed all the blame onto me and shouted, “Ethan, what do you mean? Are you hoping my daughter dies?”

“You’re her husband! How could you let her drive all the way home alone?”

Only then did I remember that I had tried to stop Vivian from making the trip.

I had been negotiating a major project and couldn’t get away. Normally, I drove her everywhere myself.

When her childhood friend got married, I suggested that we send a gift and visit her hometown together with Grace once I had time.

But Vivian refused to listen. She insisted on going and even had a huge fight with me over it.

In the end, she ignored all my objections, secretly took the car, and drove onto the freeway.

Usually, Vivian was gentle and sweet. She rarely lost her temper with me.

I had been too stupid to realize how strange her behavior was.