Chapter 1
Evelyn Hart was known as the perfect military wife in the base community.
Every evening at six sharp, she would press Leonard Grant’s uniform until it was crisp and spotless, smoothing out every wrinkle with meticulous care.
By seven, the kitchen would fill with the mouthwatering aroma of dinner-slow-cooked barbecue ribs, crisp green beans sautéed in garlic, and creamy mashed potatoes whipped to perfection.
And at eight o’clock, she would always be at the door, waiting for the sound of his boots in the stairwell.
But tonight, the house was a mess.
Clothes lay unfolded on the couch.
The stove was cold.
The floor hadn’t been swept.
Evelyn stood before the mirror, staring at her young face. Her fingertips trembled slightly.
She had been reborn.
In her past life, she had loved Leonard with everything she had. She spent a lifetime trying to warm his cold
heart, only to learn on her deathbed that he had secretly undergone a vasectomy years ago.
Worse-he had written a will, naming another woman’s child as his heir and leaving every bit of his estate to
that woman and her son.
Evelyn, his wife of fifty years, wasn’t mentioned.
Not even once. As if she had never existed.
She wouldn’t make the same mistake again.
Evelyn accepted her rebirth calmly.
Then she left the house with two goals in mind.
First, she went to City Hall and filed for a forced divorce.
The clerk stared at her in disbelief. “Ma’am, are you sure you want to proceed with this? Forced divorces need organizational approval. It usually takes about a month.”
“I’m sure,” Evelyn replied softly-but with absolute certainty.
Next, she headed to the cultural troupe and found Lillian Snow in the middle of a blind date.
Lillian wore a soft blue dress, all sweetness and grace, chatting politely with the man across the table.
But the moment she looked up and saw Evelyn, her expression changed. “Evelyn? What are you-”
Evelyn didn’t let her finish. “Lillian, I know you love Leonard. And I know… he still loves you too.”
Chapter 1
4.00%
Lillian froze. The man beside her quickly got up and left, sensing the tension.
“I’ve already filed for divorce,” Evelyn said calmly. “Once it’s approved, I’ll be out of the picture. You two can be
together.”
Lillian stared at her in shock. “What did you just say? But… I thought you loved Leonard. You always did. Why would you suddenly-”
Evelyn’s lips lifted in a slight, almost bitter smile. She had loved Leonard.
From the time she was a little girl, she followed him around, gazing at his tall, straight back and dreaming
about one day marrying him.
But Leonard had fallen for Lillian, the elegant dancer from the cultural troupe.
He saw no one else. His entire world revolved around her.
Eventually, Leonard’s parents forced them apart. They disapproved of Lillian and pressured him to marry Evelyn instead.
Evelyn was overjoyed. She thought she had finally earned her happy ending.
But from the day they married, Leonard was cold and distant. She tried everything to win him over-only to
find out that he had secretly ensured they’d never have children.
And even in death, he left everything to Lillian and her son. Not even a mention of Evelyn.
It took her fifty years to finally learn one thing-if it doesn’t come naturally, it’s not worth holding on to.
“Starting today,” Evelyn said quietly, “I’m done loving Leonard. I’m letting you two go.”
Lillian opened her mouth, about to speak-but a harsh voice cut through the air behind them.
“Evelyn! What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Leonard’s voice.
He stormed toward her, seizing her wrist with so much force it made her wince.
He wore his perfectly tailored uniform, sharp-featured and imposing-but his eyes were full of anger.
“I ended things with Lillian the moment I married you! We’re just friends now. Why do you keep making things hard for her?” His voice was icy. “Do you really need to drive her away before you’re satisfied?”
Pain pierced Evelyn’s heart.
Just like before.
No matter what happened, Leonard never asked questions. He always assumed she was the one bullying
Lillian.
It had been this way in her past life. And now again, in this one.
“You’re mistaken,” she said evenly. “I came here to tell Lillian-”
“Evelyn!” Lillian suddenly cut her off, tears brimming in her eyes. “You don’t have to say anything more. You
Chapter 1
4.00%
win. I’ll leave, okay?”
Evelyn blinked in disbelief. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
Lillian was twisting everything around-turning herself into the victim.
“Lillian, that’s not what I meant-” Evelyn reached for her arm, trying to explain.
But Leonard yanked her back, hard. “Go home. Now!” he barked. “Stop harassing her!”
Evelyn stumbled backward from the force of his shove.
Before she could regain her footing-
SCREECH.
A loud screech of tires.
BANG!
A military jeep slammed into her.
Agonizing pain exploded in her body as she was thrown to the ground.
Blood streamed down her forehead, blurring her vision.
In the haze, she saw Leonard running toward her-but his first instinct…
Was to rush to Lillian, who stood nearby, trembling in fear.
Chapter 1
4.00%
