CHAPTER 3

Ruby's POV.

“Are you going crazy or something? You want to take revenge on the man you just married?” Julian’s irritation was evident as he reacted to my proposal.

“That’s not the point,” I replied firmly. “I want to know if you’re willing to get revenge or if you prefer to watch your company collapse in the next three years.”

Julian looked increasingly perplexed, clearly struggling to understand my offer. All I wanted was for us to work together.

“How would you know what will happen in the next three years?” he asked, his voice tinged with scepticism.

“That’s not important right now,” I said, emphasising my urgency. “Just join forces with me so you don’t lose your company.”

He seemed to be weighing my words, his silence suggesting deep contemplation. I could see the conflict in his expression.

“I’m sorry, I can’t,” he finally muttered, shaking his head as he began to turn away.

Desperate not to lose this chance, I reached out and grabbed his hand, halting him in his tracks.

“I know how much you want to reclaim what’s rightfully yours and your family’s, and I can help with that. You deserve a larger share, so why not seize this opportunity?” I urged, my voice firm and persuasive.

Julian paused, clearly considering my words. His gaze was intense as I waited for his response.

“Fine, let's say I help you get your revenge. What would be your gain watching your husband crumble? Because trust me, when it comes to getting revenge, I dare not look back!” he asked, curiosity mingled with cautious bargain.

I mulled over the question, searching for the right answer. Suddenly, a smile spread across my face, and I met his gaze with confidence.

“No other reward than satisfaction,” I declared. “I’ll be satisfied just seeing Logan crumble, begging for mercy.”

Julian’s expression softened into a smile, and I felt a surge of relief knowing we were on the same page.

“Fine, if that’s what you want, I’ll help you,” he agreed. “I can’t let you face something this dangerous alone.”

We moved into a room to flesh out our plan. Julian settled onto a couch, while I perched on the edge of the bed, ready to strategize.

We continued discussing the details of our plan when Julian suddenly interjected with a question. 

“What do you have in mind?” he asked, his curiosity piqued.

“It’s very simple,” I replied. “To take down the devil, you must first defeat its demon.”

Julian was visibly impressed by my straightforward explanation of how to deal with Logan. 

“Once I have a concrete plan, I’ll let you know,” I assured him.

“You don’t even have a plan. How do you expect this to work?” he muttered, his scepticism evident.

“I will have a plan; it’s just that I got Reborn to…” I trailed off, realising my slip of the tongue. I couldn't let anyone know I had a second chance at life. 

Julian’s eyes narrowed in confusion and suspicion. He was clearly puzzled by my mention of being “reborn,” and I could sense that if I didn’t address it, he might think I was losing my sanity.

I wanted to clarify, but Julian raised his hand, signalling me to hold off. I watched him take a deep breath, sensing that he was about to ask me about my strange statement.

“What do you mean by ‘reborn’?” Julian asked, his tone a mix of curiosity and concern.

I hesitated, grappling with whether to reveal the truth about my situation. ‘Should I just tell him everything? No, he’ll think I’m crazy. I can’t, I thought to myself.

Julian continued to gaze at me, waiting for an explanation. I struggled to find a plausible response, but nothing felt right.

“It’s… it’s nothing,” I mumbled, hoping to brush off the awkwardness.

The silence between us grew uncomfortable. I knew I had to do something to clear up the misunderstanding.

Just as I was about to speak, my phone rang. I glanced at the screen and saw an unknown number. Initially, I considered ignoring it but decided to answer.

“You have to hurry right now,” a panicked voice said on the other end.

“I can barely understand you. What’s going on?” I asked, my voice tinged with fear.

“Hannah has just… just gotten into an accident and her case has worsened! Hurry up,” the caller said urgently before the line went dead.

My eyes widened in shock when I heard Hana’s name. In my past life, she was my best friend until our relationship soured. 

I cut ties with her after she tried to persuade me to leave Logan, revealing many of his deceitful actions. I was angry and refused to believe her, ultimately asking her to leave my house. After that, I lost contact with her.

Now, hearing that Hannah was in an accident; something I had no memory of in my past life; shocked me to my core.

I immediately stood up to leave, but Julian grabbed my hand. I tried to pull away, but his grip tightened.

“What’s happening? You can’t just leave,” he said, his concern evident.

“I have to go. Someone is in trouble, and if I don’t act quickly, she might die,” I said, my voice tinged with panic.

“I’ll help you get there,” Julian offered urgently.

I was about to decline, but his insistence convinced me otherwise. I accepted his help, and we quickly got into his car. Julian instructed his assistant to drive us to Wilton Hospital.

When we arrived at the hospital, I quickly opened the car door and rushed inside, my wedding dress drawing curious glances from the people around. 

I made my way to a door and pushed it open, my heart sinking when I saw Hannah being attended to by a doctor. The sight overwhelmed me, and I collapsed to the floor, tears streaming down my face.

The sight of her in distress was unbearable. Nurses hurried in, trying to pull me away, but I resisted, unwilling to leave her side.

Julian approached, his voice steady as he reassured me. “Let the doctor do his job. Hannah will be fine,” he said, trying to calm me.

Struggling to rise in my cumbersome wedding gown, the nurses assisted me out of the room. My mind raced with confusion and dread; such an accident wasn’t part of my past life’s events.

I suspected Logan was behind this. Determined to get some answers, I started to leave the hospital but was stopped by Julian. “Where are you heading to this time?” 

“I have to go somewhere, and you can’t follow me,” I said firmly. 

“Why not? Let me come with you. It's dangerous for you to be by yourself!” He insisted but I didn't want him to. 

I briefly wondered why he suddenly cared about me but paused at the realisation of the current situation. 

“I'll go by myself.” Without waiting for further explanation, I turned and got into a taxi heading home.

As I arrived, I saw Logan and Sophie whispering together. Sophie’s eyes widened when she noticed me. She approached with a fake concerned look.

“Did you hear the news? Hannah got into an accident and…” she began, but her words trailed off as she took in my distressed reaction.

“I know you did it, you bitch!” I shouted, my fury boiling over as I slapped Sophie.

She recoiled, her eyes wide with shock. “What has gotten into you? Why did you just slap me?” she yelled, her voice trembling.

I was beyond controlling my emotions. All I wanted was to make Sophie pay for her cruelty.

“How dare you? How dare you hurt Hannah?” I seethed, grabbing her by the neck with a vice-like grip.

I tightened my hold, my rage consuming me. Sophie struggled to breathe, but before I could inflict more harm, Logan intervened. He pulled me away, his face a mix of confusion and anger.

“What has gotten into you?” he grumbled, directing his concern towards Sophie, who gasped for air and tried to recover.

He checked on Sophie, making sure she was alright, while I stood there, trembling with frustration and regret. 

‘Why didn’t I see through the deceit all along?’ I muttered to myself, shaking my head in disbelief.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know Hannah would get into an accident, and I’m not responsible for it,” Sophie stammered, her voice shaky.

Despite her words, I could see the greed and anger she was desperately trying to conceal. Her eyes betrayed the same malice I had seen before, back when I was being burned alive in my past life.

“Don’t shift the blame on me. You would have been the one dead if you had been in that car instead of Hannah. So, you caused it, not me,” Sophie spat, her voice laced with venom.

“What… Stop it. Don’t say that,” Logan interjected sharply, trying to silence Sophie not knowing I was already aware of the truth.

At that moment, a crushing realisation hit me. Everything I had tried to avoid in this second life seemed to get out of control, affecting those I cared about deeply. 

It was bound to happen no matter how much I tried to avoid it.

I sank to the ground, overwhelmed by guilt. “I caused Hannah’s accident. What if she ends up crippled? What if she dies?” I wept, the weight of my actions bearing down on me.

Logan and Sophie watched for a moment before turning their backs and heading into a room. Logan didn't care about me.

“What have I done?” I whispered to myself, tears streaming down my face.