I had a crush on James Sullivan for seven years. In my past life, I saved him during his lowest point. I married him and was willing to be his devoted wife. I let him run my company, allowing him to shine. But in the end, he ran off with my money and cheated on me with his first love. Later, his enemy kidnapped both me and his first love. I thought five years of marriage would soften his heart. But he unhesitatingly chose to save his first love, while I was brutally assaulted and killed by the kidnappers. In this new life, I’ve returned to the year when James was at his lowest point. My car stopped at the end of the alley, just in time to witness James being chased by several armed men in black. It was exactly the same as in my past life. I suppressed the complex emotions surging within me. “Frank, drive,” I said. Frank cleared his throat, hesitating. “Miss, Mr. Sullivan is up ahead. It looks like someone’s trying to kill him.” I glanced over. James was being chased, covered in wounds, and collapsed in front of my car door. He desperately knocked on the car door, begging me to help him. The door opened. I looked down at him from above. My mind flashed back to my past life, when I unhesitatingly saved him from danger and married him, caring for him in every way for five years. I thought true love could be reciprocated. But in the end, I met a tragic death. As my thoughts returned to the present, seeing him like this still tugged at my heartstrings despite everything. His handsome face, even covered in blood, couldn’t hide his good looks. He crawled to my feet, looking up at me with pleading eyes. Weakly, he said: “Chloe, please help me. I’ll do anything.” In my past life, he had begged me just as pitifully. I didn’t even hesitate before taking him away. I fed and cared for him, used money to rescue his brother, and kept him safe for five years. On second thought, I slowly replied: “Alright.” I would save him, but I couldn’t let him dirty my car. I kicked him away. I ordered my bodyguards to protect him. “Frank, let’s go,” I said. “Miss, isn’t Mr. Sullivan the man you’ve liked for so long?” Frank asked. I snorted. “Not anymore.” When I saved him in my past life, I didn’t expect anything in return. I only hoped he could like me, even just a little. But sadly, it didn’t end well. Back at the mansion, I saw James huddled in a corner, shivering. He crawled over to me like a dog. I brushed off my pants where he had touched them. Looking at him with disgust, I said: “James Sullivan, since you like being a dog so much, why don’t you stay by my side as my pet?”
Today was the first time James asked me for time off. “Chloe, I have something to do today. I need to go out, so I won’t be able to have dinner with you,” he said calmly over the phone, with no hint of anything unusual. “What is it?” I asked. “Chloe, I may be your husband in name, but I’m still a person. Can’t I have my own private space?” “You don’t deserve it,” I said coldly. “If you don’t listen, I can send you back to those men.” My tone was icy. He immediately deflated on the other end of the line. In this life, I still saved him, but I had no hopes for him. I only kept him by my side to torment him. He sighed and answered, “I’m going to see my mother.” “Is that so? You’d better not be lying to me.” When I rescued him back then, he begged me like an obedient puppy. “I’ll do anything you want,” he had said. An idea came to me, and I raised an eyebrow with a smile. “Marry me, so my family stops pressuring me.” He agreed. I used money to rescue his brother, And at the same time, I bought him for myself. To the outside world, I claimed he was my husband. In private, he was just a dog by my bedside. His enemies still wouldn’t let him go, so he had no choice but to rely on me to stay alive. This time, I once again bound him to me with a contract. The agreement stated that we would each get what we needed, and after five years when things blew over, I would set him free. For these five years, he never left my side for a moment. Whether as a husband or a bedmate, he was impeccable. At dinner time, James wasn’t there. The housekeeper made my favorite dishes. I picked up my chopsticks but had no appetite. “Miss, this is the cake Mr. Sullivan asked me to give you before he left. He waited in line for hours to buy it,” the housekeeper said, bringing over a slice of cake. It was my favorite flavor, very hard to get. I took a bite with my fork, then tossed it straight into the trash. Suddenly, I felt a bit lost. Today was my birthday. Thinking back to my past life, it was the same desolate scene. That day, he had gone to see his first love, Olivia. As I was lost in thought, my phone suddenly rang. “Hello,” I answered. An arrogant female voice came from the other end.
“Miss Morgan, thank you for taking care of my James these past five years.” I frowned. “Who are you?” “Never mind who I am. James loves me.” Before I could respond, she hung up. I collapsed onto the sofa, memories of my past life flooding back. James had been with me for five years, pretending to be devoted to me on the surface, while secretly carrying on with Olivia behind my back. Back then, I had spent five years trying to make him love me, but failed. In this life, I wouldn’t be so foolish again. If I can’t be happy, no one else will be either. I was the most notorious rich heiress in South River City. Wild and unrepentant. I’d been with countless men, living a life of debauchery. But they were all just passing fancies. James was the only one I truly loved. He used to be a young master from a family of equal status to mine, but fate was cruel and brought him to rock bottom. I dialed James’ number. “Where are you?” I demanded. His voice sounded tired. “I’m busy.” “Are you with another woman?” I asked shakily. “Chloe, don’t overthink it.” I suddenly lost my temper, raising my voice much louder, startling him. “I’m asking you, are you with another woman or not?!” “James Sullivan!” He sighed, speaking in a tone I’d never heard before. “Chloe Morgan, I thought we only had a contractual relationship. My private life is none of your business.” I was furious and heartbroken, at a loss for how to respond. “You said five years was the limit.” “Chloe, shouldn’t we follow the rules of the game?” In this life, I viewed men’s hearts as worthless. I thought I could play men like puppets. But once again, I was harshly slapped in the face. I lowered my voice, adding somewhat pitifully: “Today… is my birthday.” “Can you…” Before I could finish, he hung up. Starting over, James was still just as cruel.
In my past life, I had investigated Olivia. She was my high school deskmate, and we were very close back then. My crush on James was something only she knew about. Later she went abroad to study, and we lost touch. I never imagined she would turn out to be James’ first love. In this life, as soon as the five-year period was up, James stopped pretending with me. He moved out of my mansion overnight, throwing away the ring I had given him. The trash can in his room was stuffed full of gifts I had once given him. Even during our last intimate moment, I had to initiate everything. The last thing he said to me was: “Don’t make things difficult for her.” Those five simple words set me on fire. “Are you really that eager to leave me?” I asked. He turned his back to me, his voice hoarse: “Chloe Morgan, we were never meant to be together.” For many days after he left, I couldn’t sleep. In the cold early hours, I stubbornly drove out of the mansion. The housekeeper heard the commotion and tried to stop me. “Miss, should I call the driver? It’s too late for you to drive alone. Where are you going?” I didn’t know what to say. I cleared my throat. After a long silence. “Martha, it’s fine. I have some business to take care of.” Martha nagged for a while but couldn’t convince me. She ended up calling the driver to follow behind me. At 5:30 am, I arrived outside James’ apartment.
I knocked on the door, but there was no response for a long time. I thought he must be fast asleep and was about to leave to find somewhere to wait. Suddenly, the door opened. “Chloe?” James said sleepily as he opened the door, looking at me in disbelief. As if on cue, a figure appeared behind him. Olivia, wearing sexy pajamas, had one hand pulling on James. “James, who is it?” she asked. She turned to look at me, her eyes full of meaning. “Long time no see. I’m Chloe Morgan,” I introduced myself. After that, all three of us stood there awkwardly. “You investigated me?” James asked. I thought he would have a lot to say to me. But he opened with an impatient accusation. My heart sank. Looking into his eyes, I said slowly and clearly: “I just want to ask you one thing – did you ever love me during these five years?” Olivia’s expression changed. She clung to James’ arm intimately, her tone full of mockery: “Miss Morgan, James told me everything. You did save his life, that’s true. But he’s repaid that debt over the years. Now that the five years are up, shouldn’t you let him go?” “Besides, it was just a contractual relationship. Don’t tell me you actually thought it was love, Miss Morgan?” “Shut up, I wasn’t asking you!” I raised my voice to scold her, startling Olivia. “James, look at her. What kind of person bullies others just because they have money?” Olivia said, burrowing into James’ arms pitifully. “Chloe, no, Miss Morgan,” James said. “The five-year period is over. Let’s go to the civil affairs bureau sometime to handle the paperwork.” Without needing to ask further, James had made his stance clear. “Fine, don’t regret it!” I said angrily as I left. Behind me, I could hear Olivia’s mocking laughter. “James, after all these years apart, you still have such charm. Looks like I’ll have to keep a close eye on you from now on.” I couldn’t hear what James said in response. I returned home in a daze.
The next day, we went to the civil affairs bureau to handle the divorce procedures. I rushed back to the mansion and cleared out everything related to James. Then I contacted my assistant. “I heard James is trying to start a business recently. Cut off his funding sources, remove him from the company, blacklist him in the industry, and have him sign an IOU for the $500,000 used to rescue his brother.” “Also spread rumors that the Parker heiress seduced a married man. Make sure her reputation is ruined.” “Lastly, what’s the latest on the Grant family, James’ old enemies?” My assistant replied: “I heard they’ve been looking for James everywhere recently.” “Then leak information to the Grants. Let them handle it as they see fit.” After making all the arrangements, I finally lay down in bed with peace of mind. My sister Vanessa rarely called me. “Chloe Morgan, congratulations on being yourself again.” “Sis, I just got divorced. Is congratulations really necessary?” “Oh please, there are plenty of men out there. I’m coming back at 10 pm tomorrow night. I’ll introduce you to some guys then.” Vanessa is my mom’s daughter from her previous marriage. People say she’s just like me – we both inherited our mom’s genes. Things like being unfaithful, fickle, enjoying playing with men. I’ve become numb to hearing it all. As soon as my sister got back, she dragged me to a bar. The whole way there she kept criticizing my outfit. “Look at you, did getting married turn you into some housewife? This won’t do at all.” She pulled out a low-cut black dress from her bag and cajoled me into putting it on. “Now that’s more like my sister,” she said approvingly. “Chloe Morgan, you’re a rich heiress. Why be so traditional? You used to be way more fun.” I rolled my eyes at her. “Vanessa, is this how you’re supposed to be teaching your little sister?” “Haha, don’t tell Mom.” When I was James’ dutiful wife in my past life, I never set foot in a bar. Just because James said he didn’t like noisy places like bars. “I heard there are some hot guys here tonight. It’s on me – I’ve ordered them all for you.” “Consider it celebrating your single status, and a belated birthday party.” The memory of eating cake alone on my birthday flashed through my mind, leaving a bitter taste. But I quickly pushed it away. Remembering that scene was quite a mood killer. My sister had her arms around two cute young guys, laughing heartily. The boy sitting next to me was very shy, but he mustered up the courage to say: “Hi beautiful. You’re so pretty.” His words were awkward, but I enjoyed hearing them.
He clumsily lifted his glass to my lips. I wasn’t paying attention, and the cold alcohol trickled down my lips onto the young hottie’s fingers. He shivered, looking at me a bit embarrassed. There was an indescribable emotion in his eyes. In the dim light, his tall muscular physique was barely visible. I couldn’t take my eyes off him. When we were leaving, I tossed the young hottie my business card. He called me “big sis” and waved goodbye reluctantly. “We’ll meet again,” I said. I’ve never had a high alcohol tolerance, but tonight I had a few extra drinks. As soon as I stepped outside into the cold air, I started stumbling. My sister got distracted and ran off with one of the guys, leaving me alone. I turned back and ran to the bathroom, hugging the toilet and throwing up for a while until my head cleared a bit. I heard a familiar voice from the next stall. “Olivia, I heard your ex-boyfriend got divorced?” Olivia laughed coldly and said: “Yeah, if I hadn’t heard he inherited his grandfather’s billion-dollar fortune, who would bother with used goods like him?” “True, Olivia never uses anything second-hand.” I hid in the bathroom stall without coming out. In my past life, I never heard about James inheriting a fortune. Could he be using this to win back his first love? Another possibility is that the so-called inheritance is actually my money. I was such a fool. Thankfully in this life, I didn’t let him into my company. And I didn’t give him a penny. I only gave him a small allowance each month, out of pity. The gossip continued. Olivia chuckled and went on: “But now there’s a tricky problem – his ex-wife turns out to be Chloe Morgan.” “Who? Your high school bestie? I remember she had a crush on James back then.” “That bitch Chloe, anything she wants, I have to snatch it away.” Olivia said through gritted teeth. Back then, Olivia was our high school beauty queen, stunningly gorgeous even at 16. I was quiet and antisocial. She actively befriended me, giving me my only friend in high school. When I liked James back then, she encouraged me to persist. Olivia was outgoing and straightforward. She helped me gather a lot of intel on James at the time. Back then, rumors spread that the school beauty Olivia and the school heartthrob James were getting close and probably dating.
Everyone said they were a match made in heaven. I had considered the possibility of James liking someone else, but I never imagined my best friend would also like James. I don’t know how long I stayed in the bathroom, but Olivia and her friend had long since left. I got up and walked out, my legs numb and wobbly. I looked at myself in the mirror – red-eyed and disheveled. I washed my face, preparing to head home. As soon as I walked out the main door, I found the young hottie from earlier standing there. “You…” The young hottie was wearing a sporty outfit, carrying a gym bag. He exuded the sunny vibe of a college athlete. “Waiting for you,” he said. As I walked over, I stumbled in my high heels, nearly falling. “Careful!” he said, catching me just in time. I took out a wad of cash from my purse and handed it to him. He hesitated, then took it and stuffed it back in my bag. “No need to pay, big sis,” he said. I narrowed my eyes slightly, smiling. “Consider it a tip for keeping me company today.” Without waiting to see his reaction, I took out my car keys to open the door. But he snatched the keys from me. “I haven’t been drinking. I’ll drive you home,” he said. I was taken aback for a moment, then pulled out a few more bills from my purse to give him. He took them this time, smiling. “Consider it a chauffeur fee then.” He drove very carefully the whole way, stealing glances at me in the rearview mirror. “My name is Leo Grant, big sis,” he said. My head was spinning a bit. I just responded lazily. “Mmhmm, got it.” I closed my eyes, dozing off without realizing. When I opened my eyes, I was…
“Where is this?” I asked, rubbing my aching temples. A light male voice came from outside the door. “Big sis, you’re awake?” The voice sounded familiar. It was Leo. He was shirtless, his skin taut, broad shoulders tapering to a narrow waist. His lean muscular build somehow had an eight-pack. I was mesmerized for a moment, not even noticing him walking closer. “Had enough of looking, big sis?” he teased. I blushed bright red in embarrassment. “I didn’t expect you to look so young but have such a great body.” Leo gave a mischievous smile and pulled me into his arms. “So big sis, have you thought about how you’re going to take responsibility for me?” I panicked internally, desperately trying to remember what happened last night. Last night I met him outside the bar, then he drove me home, and I fell asleep in the car… So why am I here? “Let me help you remember. You fell asleep last night before telling me where you live. I had no choice but to bring you back to my place,” he explained. “Did we… you know?” I asked hesitantly. Leo leaned in close, his gaze intense. “What do you think?” My mind was in chaos. Suddenly I remembered feeling strange about the drinks at the bar last night. Usually my alcohol tolerance isn’t bad. I shouldn’t have gotten drunk so quickly. “It must have been Vanessa,” I thought. I frantically took out my phone to call her. “Vanessa! You set me up!” A lazy male voice answered. “Vanessa’s still sleeping. What do you need?” “Damn it…” I hung up. Leo, standing in front of me, burst out laughing. “Big sis, you were drugged. Last night was my first time.” “Don’t worry if you can’t remember. I’ll help you recall.” Leo pressed me down onto the bed.
Looking closely, beneath his boyish charm, he had incredibly cold eyes. His facial features were stunningly handsome, with lips red as cherries, begging to be kissed. Coming back to my senses, I found myself breathless at our intimate position. I pushed him away forcefully, clearing my throat. “Ahem… well, we’re both adults. Since this is your job, let’s just settle up.” I took out a black card from my purse and handed it to him. “This is your payment.” With that, I got up to change my clothes. “Big sis, the name you called out last night – was it your ex-husband?” Leo asked suddenly. My heart skipped a beat and I clenched my fists. “Shut up!” “I don’t mind. If big sis needs me again, just call anytime.” He made a phone gesture by his ear, the corner of his mouth curling into a slight smile. As I left Leo’s apartment, I ran into James downstairs. I lowered my head, covering my mouth, afraid he would see me. “Chloe Morgan!” He strode over. Dressed in an all-black suit, he exuded an intense aura. “What are you doing here?” he demanded. I composed myself and stood up straight. “That’s none of your business.” He grabbed my bag, pulling me closer. “Who said you could stay out all night? Where were you last night?” James’ tone was displeased. “James Sullivan, we’re divorced,” I said with a cold laugh. “I’m single now. I can stay wherever I want.” “Chloe, I know you’re still angry, but can you not misunderstand me? Olivia was just dealing with depression recently and needed someone with her. She has no family here, so as her…” “As her ex-boyfriend, you had to divorce me within 24 hours to be by her side!” I cut him off. James frowned, his eyes impatient. “Chloe Morgan, can you stop throwing your rich heiress tantrums? Our divorce has nothing to do with Olivia, okay?”
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