I Went Back and Set Him Free

I hated my husband most in the moment he died for me, swallowed by the flames. Right before he took his last breath, he tore our marriage certificate in half, his eyes burning red.

"If there's another life," he said, "I'd rather we never met."

My whole body went rigid. Only then did I understand—he blamed me.

Ten years ago, his childhood sweetheart and her family had been exiled. She had begged him for help. But that day, he'd gone with me on a trip and missed the chance to save her. And for ten long years, he held that grudge against me.

After my husband's death, the world turned on me. Even my in-laws, who had always cared for me, looked at me with pure disgust.

"If not for you, Russ wouldn't be dead. We wish you'd never been born!"

I couldn't bear it anymore. I ended my life.

I never expected that when I opened my eyes again, I would be back on the day Russ Williams came to propose.

This time, I would do exactly as he wished. I would give everyone what they wanted.

Russ Williams stood there with a dark, unreadable face. In his eyes, there wasn't even the slightest trace of joy about our upcoming marriage.

"Kathy Olson, my parents took you in out of kindness and raised you to adulthood. I never thought you'd repay them with betrayal by scheming to marry me. Let me tell you this: even if we do get married, don't you dare expect me to love you."

I stared at him, dazed, taking in his younger face, and then the servant waiting by the door to measure me for my wedding clothes. Only then did everything click into place.

I had been reborn ten years into the past.

At this moment, Russ's childhood sweetheart's family hadn't met disaster yet. She hadn't thrown herself into a lake in despair after finding no one to help her.

Thankfully, everything could still be changed.

The bitterness from my previous life rose in my chest. I forced back my tears and looked straight at him.

"I know your heart belongs to someone else. Don't worry, this time, I'll make sure you get what you want."

Russ's eyes widened in surprise, then he let out a mocking laugh. "You'll make sure I get what I want? And how exactly? Everyone in the capital already knows we're getting married."

"I treated you like a real sister," he continued sharply. "I looked after you in every way. But you twisted the truth in front of my parents. If not for you, why would they make things so hard on Cadence?"

With that, he stood angrily, flicking his sleeve, and went to the window. He gazed out toward Cadence Bree's home, his long fingers stroking the emerald pendant she had given him.

I stayed silent for a long moment. Then I walked to the servant waiting at the door and recited Cadence's measurements.

After that, on the wedding invitations, I replaced every instance of the bride's name with Cadence's.

When I finished, my gaze fell on the emerald bracelet on my wrist. I couldn't help but lose focus for a moment.

It had been a gift from Russ ten years ago.

Ten years ago, when my parents died in battle, I had been nearly torn apart by my own relatives. Russ had appeared like a divine soldier descending from the heavens, saving me from disaster. He begged his parents to take me in and stayed by my side every day.

His mother and father often joked that I was his little tail. Russ never got annoyed—he would just gently pat my head.

When the servants in the estate mocked me for being an orphan, he didn't hesitate for a second before punishing them harshly.

"Kathy is my sister. If any of you dare bully her again, it'll be off with your heads!"

He kept his promise and took good care of me.

Whether it was an outing in spring or a banquet in the palace, he always accompanied me.

Everyone in the capital knew I was Russ's only weakness.

In the naivety of youth, my feelings for him grew until they were completely out of my control.

His parents noticed everything. They approved of us, nudging us together every chance they got.

I had believed—truly believed—that he felt something for me too.

But what happened in my last life made everything painfully clear: I had never been the one in his heart.