I was kept as a caged bird for ten years. Until the day I died, he never once promised me a wedding. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to ten years ago. To avoid repeating the nightmare, the very first thing I did after my rebirth was track down his future arch-nemesis. At this moment, the man was still just a broke, grease-stained mechanic. I slapped my debit card onto the table. "Marry me. After we're married, you get my entire paycheck!" The man gritted his teeth. "For two grand a month, you've got a deal." 1 I proposed to Jake Miller. At that moment, the man had a cigarette dangling from his lips. "What exactly do you see in me?" I thought about it for a long time before squeezing out, "You're handsome?" "Heh." His scoff made my face burn bright red. I gathered my courage and asked, "So, is that a yes?" Jake didn’t say anything. He just stared at me intently. It was as if he could see right through my little scheme. I braced myself and met his gaze, hoping he could see my sincerity. After a long silence, he smiled. With a careless, cynical drawl, he replied, "A wife delivering herself right to my door? Why wouldn't I say yes?" And just like that, I got married. On the second day after traveling back in time. Clutching the marriage license in my pocket, a deep sense of unreality washed over me. I had actually met Jake in my past life. It was during my seventh year of being locked away by Carter Sterling. I had escaped from the mansion, completely penniless. Wandering the streets, I ran into Jake. By then, he was already a renowned, incredibly successful entrepreneur. Impeccably dressed, he carried a ruthless aura that warned strangers to stay away. I begged him to save me. Jake helped arrange a safe house for me and provided a plane ticket out of the country. But eventually, Carter still found me. Unwilling to dwell on those dark memories, I looked up at Jake and asked, "Where to next?" "Taking you home." I blinked, surprised. "Didn't we... just get married?" "So?" "So, weren't you planning to... take me to our home?" 2 Jake lived in a half-finished apartment complex. The roof hadn't even been fully sealed yet. The place was swarming with construction workers coming and going. "I used to do day labor here and got to know the site manager. Until the building is officially handed over, I'm crashing here to save on rent," Jake explained voluntarily, probably noticing the confusion in my eyes. The apartment was raw, bare-concrete industrial style. Aside from a canvas camp cot, it was completely empty. The bathroom didn't even have a flushing toilet, and the shower was just a single cold-water spigot protruding from the wall. Jake looked at me. "Regretting it? It's not too late to run." "I don't regret it." I set my suitcase to the side. "Are we both sleeping on this tonight? The bed seems a little small." Jake narrowed his eyes. "It's big enough." When night fell, I lay on Jake's camp cot. The man had casually laid out a couple of newspapers and lay down on the hard concrete floor. There were no curtains, and the bright moonlight poured right through the glass. "Jake, are you asleep?" "Yeah." Worried he'd catch a cold sleeping on the concrete, I scooted over to one edge of the cot. "Do you want to come up and sleep here?" The bed was narrow, but if we squeezed, we could make it work. A few seconds passed before Jake replied, "If I go up there, you can forget about sleeping." I gripped my blanket tighter. "I don't mind." The moment the words left my mouth, Jake lunged onto the cot and hovered over me like a beast granted permission. Caught off guard, I instinctively turned my head away. The weight above me lifted slightly. In the moonlight, I saw a trace of mockery on Jake's face. "If you can't go through with it, don't play games. I'm a simple guy; I tend to take things seriously." Saying that, he moved to get back down onto his newspapers. Realizing his intention, I grabbed the hem of his shirt. My fingers slipped through the fabric, brushing against his skin. Jake shuddered, a dark, complex emotion flashing in his eyes as he looked down at me. I bit my lip hard. "I really am willing." Terrified he would say no, my hand recklessly traced a line across his stomach. Jake's eyes darkened instantly. "You're out of chances to back out now." Unlike the gym-sculpted muscles Carter used to flaunt. Jake's body was naturally tanned from years of manual labor. His core was rock-solid, his entire frame radiating raw power. Eventually, I couldn't take it anymore. He only stopped when I was sobbing and trembling. He roughly kissed away my tears and muttered, "So delicate." His tone sounded almost dissatisfied. My whole body was aching terribly, and instead of comforting me, he had scolded me for no reason. I got upset, turning on my side and refusing to look at him. The man didn't try to coax me. He got out of bed and walked off somewhere. Clutching the blanket, the more I thought about it, the more wronged I felt. In my past life, I was kept as Carter's caged bird for ten years. It was only through death that I finally found freedom. I thought heaven had taken pity on me by giving me a second chance. I hadn't expected Jake to act like a completely different person. Just as I was crying, a hot towel was suddenly pressed against my face. I didn't know when Jake had returned, but he was holding a plastic basin and a steaming towel. "Crying?" I refused to admit it. "No." Jake clumsily wiped my face, then turned to wring out the towel. "What are you doing?" "There's no hot water here, so you can't shower. A wipe-down will make you feel better." My skin did feel sticky and uncomfortable. Forgetting my anger, I blushed and tried to grab the towel. "I can do it myself." "Stay put." Ignoring my protests, Jake pulled back the blanket and applied the hot towel. A moment later, I heard his voice. "Stop being mad. I'll go easier next time, alright?" His voice carried a hint of awkwardness. The heat rushed to my cheeks, and the corners of my mouth curled up. I pulled the blanket up to hide my face. 3 When I woke up the next morning, Jake was already fully dressed. Two breakfast buns sat on a low, makeshift table. I had no idea when he had gone out to buy them. "I boiled some water. Finish washing up, and I'll drop you off at work." "It's fine, I can go by myself." Jake shot me a look. "There are a lot of construction workers around here. It's not safe for a little girl like you to walk alone." Then he added, "Call me when you get off work tonight. I'll pick you up." As I sluggishly washed up, I finally noticed the debit card sitting on the table. It was the same one I had given Jake when I proposed yesterday. "You forgot your card." Jake barely glanced at it. "Keep it. I haven't sunk so low that I need to live off a woman's money." Liar. He was clearly broke. Since he didn't want it, I didn't argue. I mentally calculated that maybe I could use the savings to rent us a better apartment. Or, if Jake refused to move, at least buy a real bed. Even though I didn't have the "golden cage" from my past life, looking at Jake made me feel an inexplicable sense of security. That good mood lasted all the way to work. As soon as I walked into the teachers' office, Lily Evans strutted over, looking secretive. "Maya, I've got great news for you!" She lowered her voice. "My cousin has his eye on you." Me: ? She pulled me aside conspiratorially. "My cousin isn't just anybody. He's incredibly handsome, has a great personality, and graduated from Harvard. His dad is literally a billionaire. So many rich heiresses throw themselves at him, and he doesn't bat an eye. But yesterday, he suddenly asked me to set up a blind date with you." Lily's eyes sparkled. "Girl, your golden ticket has arrived!" Harvard grad. Billionaire father. A name instantly exploded in my mind. My face drained of color. Controlling my expression, I used the most polite tone I could muster to decline. "You might have to apologize to your cousin for me. I don't have that kind of luck. I'm already married." Lily didn't believe me. "We've been coworkers for a year. You've never even had a boyfriend. How could you suddenly be married?" "It's true. We got the license, just haven't had the ceremony yet. I'll send you an invitation when we do." I forced a smile. "I have two classes back-to-back right now. I need to head to the classroom." With that, I quickly walked away. It wasn't until I stepped out of the office that all the strength seemed to leave my body. Carter Sterling. In my past life, he definitely hadn't appeared this early. Why was he showing up so far in advance? And how did he know Lily and I taught at the same elementary school? My hands and feet turned ice cold. I comforted myself with the thought that in this life, I was already married. I already had Jake. I would absolutely never repeat the same mistakes. 4 Carter's premature appearance definitely threw off my mood. I was distracted all day. My right eyelid wouldn't stop twitching. I had a sinking feeling something was about to happen. Sure enough, the moment I walked out of the school gates after work, I saw a black SUV parked right in front. The logo was flashy and arrogant. Spotting me, the man stepped out of the vehicle, holding a massive bouquet of roses. "Miss Brooks." He called out to me, introducing himself with a polished smile. "Forgive the intrusion. I'm Carter Sterling, Lily's cousin." The sidewalk was crowded with students heading home and parents picking up their kids. Carter's bouquet of roses was glaringly conspicuous. Some people recognized me and started clapping, cheering for me to say yes. My face turned pale. "What do you want?" "Don't be nervous. I just wanted to get to know you," Carter said, the corners of his mouth lifting. "I happened to see you while waiting for Lily a while back, and I felt a very strong connection. I know I showed up uninvited today. Don't feel pressured; just treat it as making a new friend." Even though Carter was playing the part perfectly, I could still sense the crazy, obsessive gleam in his eyes. In my moment of helplessness, I suddenly spotted Jake in the corner. He was straddling a beat-up motorcycle, a cigarette hanging from his lips, watching me with a sideways glance. He looked entirely unbothered, as if none of this had anything to do with him. Like a drowning person spotting driftwood, I sprinted straight toward him. The familiar scent of motor oil on Jake instantly grounded me. I turned back to Carter. "I explained this to Lily earlier. I'm married." Carter clearly hadn't expected me to be married. The smile froze on his face. His gaze drifted to Jake, and a flash of pure hatred crossed his eyes. Even though he masked it instantly, my sharp senses caught it. But... hatred? This was supposed to be his very first time meeting Jake. Why would there be hatred? Carter recovered his expression quickly, smoothing out his emotions. "That was presumptuous of me. I should have asked about Miss Brooks's relationship status first. Since I already bought the flowers, I won't take them back. Let me just wish you a happy marriage." He held the bouquet out toward me. "Fresh flowers for a beautiful woman. I'm sure your husband won't mind." Before I could speak, Jake suddenly laughed. "Who says I don't mind?" He stared Carter down. "I'm a petty guy. I can't stand seeing my gorgeous wife accepting things from other men." With that, Jake grabbed a small pink helmet and slapped it onto my head. "Put it on." Looking at the brand-new helmet, my mood inexplicably lifted. I couldn't help but ask, "Did you buy this just for me?" "Fished it out of a dumpster." I grinned. "Well, next time can you fish out a blue one? I like blue." Jake raised an eyebrow and made a move to snatch the helmet back. I hurriedly strapped it on tight, knocking on the hard shell twice with my knuckles. "Does it look good?" A hint of amusement danced in Jake's eyes. He reached out and snapped the visor down over my face. Then he muttered, "Idiot." When I looked back, Carter was already gone. Thanks to today's spectacle, everyone knew my husband was a grease monkey at a repair shop. During recess, I overheard a few teachers gossiping. "So what if she's pretty? She still ended up with a guy like that." "You guys didn't see it, but his motorcycle was a total wreck. Sounded like a damn tractor." The group burst into laughter. Seeing me walk in, one of them purposely asked, "Maya, where does your hubby fix cars? My husband just bought a Mercedes; we’ll have him do the maintenance from now on to throw some business his way." "Sure, I'll text you the address later." Lily couldn't stand it anymore and dragged me out of the office. "Are you missing a piece of your brain? They're openly mocking you, and you don't even talk back?" "You're pretty, you have a solid career, how could you settle for..." Lily paused, then continued, "I'm a straight shooter, so don't get mad. You're just fresh out of college and naive. You think love conquers all, but when reality hits, you're going to regret it. Seriously, think about my cousin. He said he doesn't even mind that you're technically a divorcee now..." "Lily, that's a nice bag." I cut her off, my eyes landing on the Hermès Birkin on her desk. "New?" Lily froze, her face flushing red. "Yeah." Lily was living on a teacher's salary. It was glaringly obvious who gave her the bag, and why. I didn't press the issue. "My husband and I are doing great. How we live our lives is our business. Don't talk badly about him again. I don't want to hear it." 5 When I got off work that day, Jake didn't show up on his motorcycle. "Where's your bike?" "Sold it." Jake didn't offer any further explanation. The corners of his mouth curled up. "Let's go." Jake pulled me along by the hand, but we walked in a different direction than usual. I had no idea what he was up to until we stopped at an apartment complex just a few blocks from my school. "Third floor. Let's go take a look." A faint suspicion began to form in my heart. But I didn't dare believe it. I slowly walked up to the third floor. The door to the middle unit was wide open. Stepping inside, I found a cozy one-bedroom apartment. It wasn't huge, but it was decorated incredibly warmly. The curtains were the color of the sky, fluttering slightly in the breeze. The setting sun spilled through the windows, bathing the entire room in a golden glow. He actually remembered that I liked blue. I couldn't describe the feeling. Living across two lifetimes, I had stayed in luxurious mansions and rundown, raw concrete husks. But only in this exact moment did my heart feel completely swollen with happiness. "You sold your motorcycle to rent this place?" Because it was in a good school district, the buildings here were older but the rent was sky-high. Jake's savings wouldn't have been enough to cover the standard first month's rent plus a security deposit. Jake ignored the comment about the motorcycle, simply saying, "It's close to your school, so your commute is easier. Plus, the other place didn't have hot water. You're too delicate to handle that." Before he even finished speaking, I turned and threw my arms around his waist. Jake was entirely stunned by my sudden leap into his arms. He froze for a moment, then slowly wrapped his arms around my back. "Alright, it's not time for you to cry yet. Save the crying for tonight, yeah?" So inappropriate! That night, Jake successfully made me cry. The man pulled me into his arms, thoroughly satisfied, and kissed the corner of my mouth. "My wife was right. A double bed really is way better than a single cot. We should have moved sooner." I-I never said that! I held back my temper, resisting the urge to kick him off the bed. The next day was the weekend. Jake and I had planned to go to the unfinished building to grab the last of my things. By afternoon, Jake still hadn't come home. "I probably won't have time today. Something came up at the shop." Jake called me midway through the day. I didn't think much of it. "I'll just go by myself, then." It wasn't a lot of stuff anyway, just a single suitcase. It sounded chaotic on Jake's end, and the call disconnected before I could hear his response. Previously, Jake never let me go to that building alone. Mostly because there were too many construction workers around, and he felt it was unsafe. But it was broad daylight, and I was just grabbing a bag. What could go wrong? I didn't expect that the moment I walked into the room, three or four workers would follow me inside. "You living here all by yourself, miss?" My heart dropped. "Who are you? Get out." "We work here. Why should we get out?" The one leading them laughed. "We've been watching you and that guy play house in here. You guys get pretty wild. Why don't you play with us for a bit?" The room was completely empty. I couldn't even find anything to use as a weapon. Gritting my teeth, I turned and made a mad dash for the door. The man reacted fast, grabbing me by the hair and throwing me to the ground. "Little girl's got a great body. I've been craving you for a while. Today's my lucky day." Saying that, he lunged down on top of me. I fought back frantically, screaming at the top of my lungs. Just as his hands were about to tear at my clothes, the door was suddenly kicked open. The man pinning me down was punched and sent flying to the floor. The other two workers immediately moved to jump in. "I'm the developer of this property. Are you absolutely sure you want to lay a hand on me?" The three men exchanged nervous glances, seeming to weigh the truth of his words. A moment later, they cursed and ran off. Carter Sterling took off his suit jacket and draped it over my shoulders, turning to his assistant. "Find those men. Handle them however you see fit." The assistant nodded and walked away. Only then did Carter look down at me. "Remember me?" My knuckles turned white as I clutched the jacket. "No, I don't." I shoved the jacket back into his chest and grabbed my suitcase. "Thank you for your help today." As I walked past him, Carter suddenly grabbed my wrist. "You seem terrified of me." "We don't know each other. Why would I be terrified?" "Fair point." Carter let go of me. "What about you? What are you doing here? If I remember correctly, this complex isn't finished yet." "None of your business." "True, but I developed this land." Carter stared at me intently. "Squatting is illegal. What do you say I sue Jake for trespassing?" "What exactly do you want?" "I want you." Carter made absolutely no effort to hide his intentions. "Maya, I told you from the very beginning. I want you." "And I told you, I'm married." "That doesn't matter to me." I pressed my lips into a tight line. He leaned in so we were at eye level. "That man can't give you the life you deserve. You're a pearl, and you shouldn't be gathering dust in his hands. You can either watch your man rot in a prison cell, or you can come live like royalty with me. It's your choice." I gripped my suitcase tightly, turned my head, and walked out the door. This time, Carter didn't try to stop me.
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