Chapter 2

The words of that phone call from my past life were burned into my soul.

Dragging my legs, which felt like lead, I followed my raw instinct that the truth was waiting for me. I walked toward the glass conservatory in the backyard of the estate.

The glass door was slightly ajar. Inside, a voice I knew all too well drifted out, dripping with casual amusement. "Is my funeral over yet?"

The voice was coming from Luke’s phone on speaker.

"Not yet, Ethan," Luke replied with a chuckle.

"How’s Chloe? She hasn't suspected anything, has she?"

Luke laughed. "Not a chance. She’s running herself ragged organizing your memorial. Yesterday, she almost fainted from crying so hard. She’s probably locked in her room weeping right now."

Ethan’s tone was entirely dismissive. "Good. Do me a favor and comfort her a bit."

Another friend, Mason, chimed in. "Seriously though, Ethan. You must really be head over heels for Lily. Faking your own death just to chase her to Switzerland? You even made us play along with this crazy stunt."

It was word for word, exactly like the conversation from my previous life.

I gripped the cold iron railing outside the greenhouse so hard my knuckles turned white. My entire body trembled with rage.

I heard Ethan speak again:

"Mind your own business about my feelings. Just make sure she doesn't find out."

Luke asked, "So, are you still going through with the wedding when you get back?"

"Of course. Once I return, the wedding goes on as planned. But before I tie myself down, you’ve got to let me have one last wild ride for true love, right?"

"Haha, true. Once you’re married, you’re locked down. No more freedom. Enjoy it, man!"

The three of them laughed, a sickening, conspiratorial sound.

My blood turned to pure ice. I had prayed a thousand times for Ethan’s survival in my past life, but I never imagined the truth would be this disgusting.

In my past life, I died in the depths of this despair.

But this time, I didn't barge in to scream at them.

I turned around quietly and walked away from the greenhouse.

In the bathroom, I dry-heaved into the sink for what felt like hours. I looked at the woman in the mirror.

I hadn't slept in days. My eyes were bloodshot, my face pale and hollow.

I splashed freezing water onto my face and wiped away the tear stains.

This time, I would not be their puppet.

When I walked out of the room, Luke handed me some tissues, his face a perfect mask of sympathy. "Chloe, don't be too hard on yourself. Ethan is looking down on you from heaven. He wouldn't want to see you like this."

I looked up at his hypocritical face.

"Luke... do you think there's any chance Ethan is still alive?"

Luke’s eyes flickered with panic for a split second before he quickly regained his composure. "H-how is that possible? The search and rescue team recovered his personal belongings from the ocean. You saw them yourself."

A week ago, Ethan’s private yacht had lost contact in the bay.

The coast guard concluded he was swept away by a sudden swell while attempting to abandon the malfunctioning vessel.

I had stayed at the harbor all night, refusing to close my eyes. They searched for days, only recovering his jacket and watch. I had nearly fainted from grief.

Today was supposed to be our wedding day. I had spent the morning clutching our photos, crying until my head throbbed.

And now, I knew it was all a game to him.

My grief was nothing but a punchline to them. How could I have been so incredibly stupid to believe their lies in my past life?

Luke sighed. "Chloe, stop overthinking. If Ethan could see you now, his heart would break."

*His heart would break...* What a sick joke.

Just this morning, I had thanked Luke for helping me arrange the memorial. It turned out they were all trash from the same dumpster.