Chapter 1
I struggled desperately in the freezing river water. Even as I drowned, no one came to save me. I felt my soul leave my body!
I couldn’t accept this fate. My hatred burned white-hot.
Lucas, the man I had loved so deeply, had been cheating on me for years.
The daughter I treasured turned out to be Lucas’s love child with his mistress Chloe.
Chloe’s mocking laughter echoed in my ears as I died.
My vision went blood-red, like the pool of blood when my real daughter passed away.
If I could do it all over again, I would have my revenge - for myself, and especially for my daughter!
Suddenly I heard the cry of a baby…
I forced my heavy eyelids open.
White ceiling. The smell of disinfectant.
Was I in a hospital? Hadn’t I just drowned?
I slowly looked around the room. The dated decor seemed oddly familiar.
A sharp pain shot through my abdomen. I couldn’t help crying out.
“Sweetie, you’re finally awake! You had me so worried!”
Mom?
I focused my gaze. It was my mother, but much younger than I remembered.
Could it be? Had I been reborn?
Ignoring the pain, I bolted upright.
“Mom, where’s my daughter?”
In my past life, Lucas had taken advantage of my postpartum weakness to switch my baby while I was unconscious.
Living this life over, I absolutely would not let their evil plan succeed.
My mom gently wiped the sweat from my forehead. I clutched her arm tightly.
“Mom, please tell me, where did they take the baby?”
My mom didn’t notice anything strange about my reaction. She tried to reassure me, “Don’t worry, honey. The nurse just took her for some routine tests. They’ll bring her back soon.”
“Now lie back down and rest. You shouldn’t be exerting yourself after giving birth.”
I stared into my mom’s eyes. “Where’s Lucas?”
Mom smiled. “That man is already such a devoted father. The nurse was just taking the baby for a standard checkup, but he insisted on going along.”
What?!
My heart felt like it was being crushed in a giant fist. I couldn’t breathe!
No! Absolutely not!
I would not let Lucas succeed this time.
Ignoring the pain, I leapt out of bed and ran for the door barefoot.
My mom tried to stop me, but I dodged past her and rushed towards the exit. I collided with someone entering the room.
It was Lucas!
He was tightly cradling a baby, glaring at me in annoyance.
Seeing how protective he was of that little bastard made me feel like I was suffocating. Living this life over, he had still managed to pull it off.
A wave of fury rose up, threatening to overwhelm me.
If my rage could take physical form, the Lucas before me would be incinerated in an instant!
“Honey, the floor is cold. Get back in bed right away!” Lucas switched to a fake concerned tone.
He thought he was hiding it well, but I could see the viciousness and impatience lurking in his eyes.
My mom caught up and pulled me back to the bed.
As soon as I was back in bed, Lucas placed the little bastard next to me.
“Sweetheart, the baby’s hungry,” he said.
Right on cue, the imposter child started crying.
I stared at her coldly.
This vile woman’s spawn had stolen my real daughter’s life.
She had usurped all my love and resources, and in the end even pushed me into the river.
All the evil creatures in the world combined couldn’t match this little bastard. I slowly moved my hand towards the imposter’s neck.
I wanted nothing more than to strangle her on the spot.
Lucas stood there smiling, lost in his own thoughts and not noticing my actions.
But it alarmed my mom, who was watching me closely.
“Sweetie, that’s not how you hold a baby. You need to support the neck from behind.”
“Honey, she’s crying because she’s hungry,” Lucas said with a smile, lifting the bastard and trying to place her in my arms.
I turned away, lying on my side. “If she’s hungry she can have formula. I’m exhausted and need to rest.”