Chapter 1 Rebirth to Getting Divorced

When I opened my eyes, the sharp pain from hitting the ground spread throughout my body. But the familiar sight of the dining room and a prepared dinner left me stunned. Had I not died? It took me a great deal of effort to stop my body from trembling before I could check the time on my phone and confirm the truth. I'd been reborn. Today marked my 26th birthday. At this time, Jeremiah Cornell and Elsa Brown were just in a situationship. He had yet to destroy the Brown family for her, and I hadn't suffered a miscarriage or been forced into a psychiatric hospital. "Jeremiah, let's get a divorce." The clock struck midnight just as I sent the text. Jeremiah, who had promised to celebrate my birthday with me, was nowhere to be found. The most popular news on my phone was a headline that read, "CEO of Cornell Group Fights for a Beauty in a Bar." The woman he was protecting in his arms was none other than my adopted sister, Elsa. Jeremiah and I grew up as childhood sweethearts. We were engaged, having fallen in love long ago. I never expected him to fall for Elsa after just one dance during our wedding. My elder brother, Jack, was blinded by his love for Elsa. He sided with her against me and supported her. She was the reason for his fights with Jeremiah. He ultimately lost everything, fell into debt, and went into a vegetative state. When I read the news in my past life, I stormed into the bar and had a huge fight with Jeremiah. I even slapped Elsa. Jeremiah said I was being unreasonable. Both he and Jack demanded that I apologize to Elsa, but headstrong as I was, I refused. That worsened the situation and my relationship with Jeremiah. Now that I was starting a new life, I refused to make the same mistakes. I didn't want a man who didn't love me. I moved my stiff body and dumped the dinner I had spent the entire afternoon making. After a shower, I climbed into bed and fell asleep. While I was soundly asleep, I was startled awake by the sensation of wandering hands on my body. I opened my eyes in a daze to find Jeremiah shirtless as he pressed down on me. He appeared utterly heated. Seeing that I was awake, he lowered his head to kiss me. Memories of his actions in my past life flashed through my mind, filling me with disgust. I instinctively turned my head to avoid him. This was the first time I had ever avoided him during intimacy and not engaged with him. Jeremiah frowned, grabbed my chin, and forced me to face him. Seemingly noticing my strange demeanor, he casually asked, "What's wrong? Who pissed you off?" He had promised to celebrate my birthday with me but never showed up. He made it to the headlines with Elsa instead, and now, he had the audacity to ask why I was upset. I believed he knew the reason for my anger, but he simply didn't care. The man who used to go to great lengths to make me smile at the slightest frown had long disappeared. I calmed myself and pushed him away. Then, I sat up and put some distance between us. "I want a divorce," I announced with a serious face. I wasn't sure if he had read my earlier text. Jeremiah was stunned. Then, he frowned. "Is this because I didn't make it back in time for your birthday?" Before I could respond, he sighed and explained, "Elsa was harassed at the bar. I saved her, and it took up some time. But I'm here now, am I not? Don't overthink it." I scoffed. "Overthink? You made headlines for getting into a fight because of her at 8:00 pm. It's nearly dawn now. Plus, it isn't the first time this has happened. You two were in the tabloids just a couple of days ago!" Instead of feeling guilty, Jeremiah frowned impatiently. "You know how the paparazzi love to make up stories. Elsa's your sister, so how could I have anything else going on with her? Stop being petty and overly suspicious. "That was when she had an appendicitis attack after overworking herself. She couldn't walk because of the pain, so I carried her to the hospital. I didn't expect anyone to take photos."