Chapter 1 Waiting for Him

Early in the morning, I was woken up by the commotion downstairs. Collin Smith was shouting, "Lola Lovelace, I know you're awake! Just tell me what exactly you like about me. Whatever it is, I'll change immediately!" This happened before the college entrance exam. But I had already died in a mental hospital, so why was I back here again? I hurriedly got out of bed. Looking at my reflection in the mirror—young and full of life—I was utterly shocked. I was reborn! I had returned to the day before the college entrance exam when Collin came to break off the engagement. Fantastic! I quickly changed out of my pajamas. As I headed downstairs, I heard my mother ask, "Boy, did you do this on purpose? Did you really have to come and upset Lola right before her exam? Couldn't you have waited until after?" "Mrs. Lovelace, your daughter has an important exam, but so does my Queenie. You can't be so selfish! Why should my Queenie suffer just so Lola can focus?" Collin retorted. Just then, the sound of a car pulling up outside interrupted their argument. Frank Smith and Matilda Westin, Collin's parents, rushed over in a hurry. "You ungrateful brat!" Frank's face was red with fury. He stormed in, gripping a golf club, and immediately began chasing Collin down to beat him. Collin glared at Frank and growled, "I won't like Lola even if you beat me to death! Our engagement was just a childhood promise. We have no feelings for each other! Why can't we break it off?" Seeing that Matilda was about to join in, I quickly spoke up. "Mr. Smith, Mrs. Smith, please stop!" This brutal beating was the reason Collin came to hate me in the first place. Since fate had given me another chance, I wasn't going to make the same mistake. I walked over to my mother first. "Happy birthday, Mom. I love you." That's right. Today was also my mother's birthday. I had been reborn, and I was seeing my dearest mother again. I swallowed the lump in my throat. I kissed her cheek. "Trust me, Mom. I'll handle this." I smiled gently before turning to Frank and Matilda. "Mr. Smith, Mrs. Smith, may I have a word with you?" Without another glance at Collin, I stepped outside. Frank and Matilda were stunned by my sudden change in attitude. When they followed me out, I saw that same familiar guilt on their faces. Collin and I had been engaged because my father once saved Frank from drowning. Out of gratitude, Frank frequently visited our home, and over time, Collin and I grew familiar with each other. Seeing that we got along well, our parents decided to solidify their bond through marriage. Because of this debt, after I married Colin in my past life, his parents constantly pressured him to consummate the marriage. They even prepared medicinal tonics to help with that. However, Collin never drank them. He would force me to drink it, then coldly watch me suffer. He remained indifferent even when I begged him to take me. If I wanted to change my fate from my past life, the first people I needed to placate were Frank and Matilda. "Mr. Smith, Mrs. Smith, the college entrance exam is tomorrow. You know Collin's personality—the more you pressure him, the more he rebels. Why not agree to the annulment for now so he can focus on his exams?" My words sent a shock through the two elders. Everyone in the neighborhood knew that I was hopelessly in love with Collin. Forget about calling off the engagement—even if Collin merely got close to another girl, I would cry as if my life depended on it. And yet, now, I was saying this. "L-Lola…" "Mrs. Smith, just agree to it. Consider it my request." "Alright." Seeing my determination, Matilda turned to Frank. Frank let out a deep sigh, then shot Collin a glare. "What are you standing there for? Didn't you want to break off the engagement? Go back and get ready!" Collin was visibly stunned. As he passed by me, he spat a vicious warning, "Lola, what kind of trick are you playing now? Let me tell you, no matter what you're up to, Queenie is the only one I want to marry in this lifetime!" After watching Collin walk away so heartlessly, I wanted to crack open my past self's head and see what was inside. His heart and eyes were always filled with Queenie Yard, yet I kept trying to make him see her true nature. Hah! So what if Queenie had set up a scheme to "save" him? What did that have to do with me? In my past life, after Collin turned in a blank exam, I foolishly gave up on my own college entrance exams as well. I followed him around like an annoying shadow, repeating a year with him, running errands for him, thinking that he finally saw my worth when he stopped insisting on breaking the engagement. But in reality, it was only because Matilda had threatened him with her life. Collin had no choice but to comply. After we got married, he openly had affairs right in front of me. He allowed his women to come to our home and provoke me. I kept foolishly believing that if I could move him once, I could move him a second and third time… But in the end, I only pushed myself into the abyss. Severe depression eventually led me to take my own life in a hospital. I forced myself to stop recalling those painful memories. Quickly, I went out, bought a cake for my mother, celebrated her birthday in the shortest time possible, and then focused on preparing for my exams. When the exam on the first day ended, Queenie stopped me outside the exam hall. She flaunted the ring on her finger. "Oh dear, I didn't even want it, but Cole insisted on buying it for me. I just can't do anything about him. Lola, you don't mind, do you?" "Of course not." I smiled. "I only wish you both happiness." I stepped aside, ready to leave. "Lola, do you have no shame? The Lovelace and Smith families are already discussing breaking off the engagement, yet you're still bothering Queenie!" Collin rushed up and shoved me. I wanted to ask him if he was blind. This was my exam venue, yet he claimed I was the one causing trouble for Queenie. Without even waiting for a response, Collin wrapped his arms around Queenie and left. The passing students looked at me with a mix of pity, mockery, and disdain. I pulled out my phone. I wanted to call Collin—first, to clear up the misunderstanding, and second, to formally and seriously cut all ties with him. But I had already been blocked. Fine. Collin wouldn't believe me no matter what I said now. I would prove it through my actions. In the blink of an eye, the exams were over. I had already told my mother in advance that I would be visiting my grandmother in the countryside for a few days. But I didn't go to the countryside. Instead, I arrived at the entrance of Smith Group. I wasn't waiting for Frank, nor was I waiting for Collin. I was waiting for Collin's uncle, Jonah Smith. In my past life, Jonah was the first one to find me after I took my own life in a psychiatric hospital. Ignoring Collin's objections, he insisted on having me buried in the Smith family cemetery. A married daughter could not be buried in her parents' home. If her husband's family refused to take her, she would be left to wander as a lonely ghost. That was the local custom. Collin refused to acknowledge me as his wife. In the end, I was buried under the title of Jonah's wife, and because of that, Jonah never married for the rest of his life. It was only then that I realized Jonah hadn't been visiting the psychiatric hospital on Collin's behalf. He had loved me all along. Jonah was a good man who was always there for me if only I had turned toward him. Yet, I wasted my life on Collin. Now that I had been given another chance, I would bravely confess my feelings to Jonah. The July sky was as fickle as a child's moods. One moment, it was a dazzling display of colors, and the next, dark clouds gathered. The heavy rain came without warning. Unfortunately, I hadn't brought an umbrella. The yellow dress I had carefully chosen to meet Jonah was soon drenched. Just when I thought I wouldn't be able to see Jonah, a black umbrella suddenly appeared above me, shielding me from the raging storm. "Collin's not here." That voice… It was Jonah! It was deep and magnetic, just as I remembered it. My eyes instantly turned red.