Chapter 4

“Dream on, Zena. I want you to live the rest of your life regretting your decision to marry me.” Henry’s demeanor returned, and he seemed to see right through my motive. “We can have an open marriage if that’s what you want.” I was stunned. He was so determined to make me regret my decision to marry him that he even agreed to an open marriage. I didn’t expect being forced to marry me would cast such a large psychological shadow on Henry, to the point where he was willing to go to such lengths to exact revenge on me. Just as my mind was processing his words, Henry reached out and hugged my waist. He pressed my body tightly against him and licked his lips. His gaze was lecherous. “Shall I quench your thirst right now?” “No!” I immediately pushed Henry away. I didn’t want to have any unnecessary contact with him before our divorce. Henry squinted his eyes and fixed his piercing gaze on me. He was astute, so he had probably picked up on my anomalies over the past two days. He pinched my chin and forced me to look at him. “Are you Zena’s twin?” How could a woman who had loved him for ten years suddenly be so uninterested in his advances? I smiled wryly. “Take a guess.” "Zena, our marriage is not that simple. Our divorce will result in numerous conflicts of interest, and I don’t have time to play your game. If you really can’t stand being alone and want to f*ck around...” He did not respond directly to my question. Instead, he leaned into my ear and said, “Just remember to wear a condom. I’m not going to acknowledge b*stard children.” As someone who had died before, I should have remained calm, but I felt compelled to slap him. My palm collided with Henry’s cheek and went numb from the impact. Henry’s face had a distinct palm print. He tilted his head to the side, revealing his perfect jawline. Even after being slapped, Henry was still very attractive. He slowly turned his head and stared at me with a menacing expression, as if he could strangle me to death in the next second. My hand was trembling not from fear, but because the impact had opened my wound, causing it to bleed. Henry looked at my hand and then left me alone without saying anything. Looking at the blood dripping from the gauze, I reflected on how fortunate I was. At least a bleeding hand was better than a bleeding heart in my previous life. After that slap in the face, Henry disappeared again. His philandering was frequently highlighted in the tabloids. He was never at home because he was either in nightclubs or at work. I kept track of the days. It was only half a month until Henry and Laurel were supposed to meet. During this time, I frequented Rendezvous. I would order a cup of black coffee and silently observe Laurel at work. I began to memorize her facial expressions. If I liked women, I would fall for her as well. “Laurel, your boyfriend is here to see you!” Laurel’s coworker called out to her. Right. I had forgotten she had a boyfriend. That poor guy was no match for Henry. Despite the fact that he and Laurel were deeply in love, they were unable to withstand the pressures of Henry's power and status at the time and eventually broke up. Laurel had already broken up with her poor ex-boyfriend when I learned of her existence in my previous life. Thus, I did not bother looking into that ex-boyfriend. The cafe door opened, and a neatly-dressed young man in a white T-shirt, light blue jeans, and a white baseball cap walked in. He was also holding a box of nuggets. To my surprise, Laurel’s boyfriend happened to be the college boy I hit on that night. “Zach, why are you here?” Laurel looked like a happy hamster that was excited for feeding time. “I was distributing leaflets nearby, so I stopped by to see you and got some nuggets for you in the meantime.” The college boy's smile was identical to Laurel’s, with their eyes arched like crescents. They looked like a sweet couple. Unfortunately, Henry would separate them soon. What a crime! Laurel was both delighted and distressed. “You can simply come and see me. You shouldn’t waste your money bringing me food after working so hard distributing the leaflets.” “I only work hard so I can buy you more snacks, babe.” The college boy was a charmer. I reflected on how Henry had never bought me snacks. To be fair, I did not particularly enjoy snacks. Her boyfriend did not stay long because Laurel was still working. I sat in the corner with my head down, afraid that he would notice me among the other customers and recognize that I was the old lady from the club who tried to hook up with him. As soon as he left, I grabbed the bill and walked out. “Madam.” Lee always addressed me in this manner. “Let’s go home.” I was exhausted. How did the characters’ relationships become so much more complicated after my rebirth? I rubbed my temples, unable to figure it out. Lee drove out 100 meters before I spoke again. “Lee, let me drive.” I was itching to show off my driving skills. I gripped the steering wheel and took a careful look around. Finally, I spotted the college boy waiting for the traffic light at the next intersection. I calculated the timing of the traffic light and stepped on the gas pedal just in time to knock him over. “OMG! I’m so sorry!” I jumped out of the car, acting terrified. I was about to help him up when I noticed his leg was dripping with blood. His wounds were quite severe. The college boy endured the pain and exclaimed, “It’s you?” I summoned Lee. “Hurry! Let’s take him to the hospital.” The college boy’s name was Zachary Quigley. He was 21 years old. I sat on a hospital bench, disheartened, staring at Zachary's phone number that I had just saved in my phone. I was still petty in the end. The only way I could exact vengeance for my previous life was to give Laurel a taste of her own medicine. Since Laurel stole my husband, why can’t I steal her boyfriend? Although she was strong-armed into a relationship with Henry, she eventually accepted him. That’s when Henry fell completely head over heels for her. If Laurel had refused Henry’s advances, Henry might have been more rational, given the possibility of not being rewarded for his efforts. The hospital was busy at this hour. My breast cancer metastasized at a late stage in my previous life, so I spent my final days in the hospital. According to the doctor, my pent-up resentment and depression might have accelerated the progression of my breast cancer. I had just paid for all of Zachary’s medical bills and generously compensated him for his inability to work because his hospitalization had prevented him from working his part-time job. I was an excellent conversationalist. By chatting with Zachary for half a day, I had subtly obtained his background information. He came from an ordinary family. His parents were both farmers, and he had a married sister. It was no wonder Henry managed to steal this guy’s girlfriend. “Rest well! I’ll visit you often.” Before leaving, I gave him a friendly and gentle smile reminiscent of his older sister. “It’s okay. I’m young and fit, so I will be fine in no time!” Zachary replied naively, flashing his pearly whites. Young and fit... Why did it sound like he was implying something to me? I was only 27 years old, not 72. However, five years of a lonely marriage and anorexia had mentally and physically aged me. I nodded and then stopped by a pharmacy on the way home to pick up some supplements.