Chapter 1
When Cassidy Morgan opened her eyes again, she found herself reborn at 27 years old.
At this point in her life, she had two children and was married to Gabriel Westbrook, the billionaire CEO who consistently topped the Forbes list and had been named “The #1 Most Desirable Bachelor” by TIME Magazine–a man so sought after that even the British royal family had once hoped to marry their princess to him.
Everyone told her how fortunate she was. Yet the first thing she did after this rebirth was bring divorce papers to his
childhood sweetheart.
“I want a divorce,” Cassidy said calmly, sliding the document across the table to Natalie Hayes. “Gabriel is yours. The children too. All yours.”
Natalie stared at her in shock, unable to believe that the woman who had occupied the position of Mrs. Westbrook for six years would suddenly volunteer to step aside.
‘Since they all prefer you anyway,” Cassidy added with quiet resignation, “I’ll make it easy for everyone. Just get Gabriel to sign these papers. Once the cooling–off period ends, I’ll be gone.”
This time, she refused to repeat her mistakes. She wouldn’t continue being the invisible Mrs. Westbrook that everyone overlooked.
Natalie’s fingers unconsciously traced the rim of her coffee cup as she frowned. “What game are you playing,
Cassidy?”
‘No game,” Cassidy replied evenly as she observed the shifting expressions on Natalie’s face. “I’m simply done.”
‘Do you have any idea how many women would kill to be in your position?” Natalie challenged.
‘I do,” Cassidy met her gaze directly. “That’s why I’m giving it to you.”
A crack finally appeared in Natalie’s perfect façade.
She studied the divorce papers for a long moment before taking them. “Well, if you’re being so generous, I won’t
refuse.”
‘Just remember,” Natalie added, “once I have something, I never give it back.”
‘Don’t worry,” Cassidy smiled faintly. “I absolutely won’t regret this.”
After all, in her previous life, she had already tasted the bitterness of a lonely existence.
Natalie moved to another table and elegantly picked up her phone, her fingers dancing across the screen.
When the call connected, her voice instantly softened: “Gabriel, I’m at Blue Mountain Café. Could you come pick me
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Chapter 1
up?”
Cassidy sat nearby, a bitter smile playing on her lips.
There had been a time when she called Gabriel, only to have his assistant answer nine times out of ten.
Yet now, in less than twenty minutes, the man who was always “in meetings” appeared at the café entrance.
Through the glass window, Cassidy watched Gabriel stride in, his tailored black suit accentuating his broad
shoulders and narrow waist.
Six–year–old Ethan and four–year–old Emma immediately spotted Natalie and rushed to her, hugging and kissing her affectionately.
“Auntie Natalie!” Emma called sweetly, nuzzling her face against Natalie’s.
Gabriel placed a cake box on the table, his long fingers gently pushing it forward. “Matcha, your favorite. I had the chef reduce the sugar.”
Natalie’s eyes lit up. “You always remember the details.”
Cassidy sat in the corner, her fingers unconsciously digging into her palms.
In six years of marriage, Gabriel had never bothered to learn her preferences. In her previous life, when she was hospitalized and craved strawberry cake, he had his assistant buy one randomly–it turned out to be mango, which
she was allergic to.
“What would you like for dinner?” Gabriel asked, his deep voice smooth and refined. “French cuisine or Italian?”
Natalie smiled coyly, pulling out the divorce papers from her purse. “Before that, there’s a document I’d like you to
look at
She flipped to the signature page. “I’ve found a house I love, but I’m short on liquid assets. Could you…?”
Gabriel took the pen and signed without even glancing at the content. “Between us, why keep such formalities?”
‘Is Auntie Natalie buying a new house?” Ethan looked up and asked. “Dad, you should buy one next door! Emma
and I want to live with Auntie Natalie instead of staying with Mom all the time.”
Gabriel’s brow furrowed slightly, but seeing the children’s hopeful expressions, he relented. “I’ll arrange it.”
‘No need to go to such trouble,” Natalie quickly interjected. “I’ll reserve three rooms for Ethan, Emma…and you. You can visit whenever you want.”
The children cheered, and Emma even hugged Natalie’s neck and planted a kiss on her cheek. “Auntie Natalie is the best! A thousand times better than Mom!”
Witnessing all this, Cassidy felt as though an invisible hand was squeezing her heart, the bitterness and heaviness
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making it almost impossible to breathe,
She saw the sight upward curve of Gabriel’s lips–a tenderness he had never shown her.
Unable to watch anymore, she grabbed her purse and left.
As she walked through the door, memories of her past life flooded back.
In her previous life, she had entered a business marriage with Gabriel, gave birth to two children, and lived until she was 62–yet never found happiness.
All because Gabriel’s heart had always belonged to his college sweetheart, Natalie Hayes,
When they broke up years ago, Natalie went abroad. Gabriel drowned his sorrows in alcohol for days, but his pride prevented him from chasing her. Instead, he agreed to the arranged marriage their families had planned.
Gabriel had been Cassidy’s girlhood dream–aristocratic, almost god–like. Which socialite in NY didn’t dream of marrying the heir to the Westbrook empire?
So when she learned their families were arranging their marriage, she was ecstatic.
But after the wedding, though she poured all her love into their relationship, Gabriel remained distant and cold.
Until Natalie returned.
He never mentioned divorce to Cassidy, yet his gaze never left Natalie.
Worse still, the children also grew to prefer Natalie, gradually becoming distant from their mother.
In her later years, Cassidy was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Gabriel, using “peaceful recovery” as an excuse,
abandoned her in their old mansion.
On her birthday, her trembling hands dialed her husband and children, only to learn they were vacationing with
Natalie in the Maldives.
She tried to bake herself a birthday cake, but in her confused state, forgot to turn off the oven…
As flames engulfed her, Cassidy’s final memory was of Gabriel’s cold eyes as he placed the wedding ring on her finger.
She closed her eyes in agony, with one wish: if given another chance, she would never again sacrifice her life for
him.
When Cassidy returned to the mansion, night had already fallen.
Instead of resting, she immediately began clearing out items–Gabriel’s suits and shirts, the children’s toys, family photos… everything went into cardboard boxes.
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Chapter 1
“What are you doing?” Gabriel’s voice suddenly came from behind her.
Cassidy turned to see him standing in the doorway with both children, his brow deeply furrowed.
“Why is Mom throwing away our things?!” Emma rushed over, her face flushing red with anger when she saw her teddy bear being placed in a box.
Ethan glared at her furiously too. “We were just hanging out with Auntie Natalie for a bit. Why are you being such a drama queen about it?”
Gabriel looked at her, his gaze cold as always. “The kids prefer spending time with Natalie. Do you really need to throw a fit over something so trivial?”
‘I’m not angry,” Cassidy said calmly.
‘Liar!” Emma screamed. “You’re just jealous of Auntie Natalie! That’s why you’re throwing away my teddy bear. You’re a terrible mother!”
‘When I grow up, I’m moving in with Auntie Natalie,” Ethan grabbed his sister’s hand, spitting the words viciously. ‘And I’ll never come back to see you!”
Gabriel made no attempt to stop the children’s outburst. He merely frowned slightly, his deep eyes sweeping lismissively over Cassidy–as if she were just an unreasonable stranger.
Enough,” his thin lips barely moved, his deep voice carrying an innate arrogance as his long fingers casually djusted his cufflinks. “I have a board meeting video call. Pack whatever you want, just keep it down.”
The moment the door closed behind him, Cassidy’s tears finally fell. Her heart felt torn to pieces, each breath tasting of blood.
he wiped away her tears, looked at the mess scattered across the floor, and suddenly laughed.
Don’t worry, she wouldn’t disturb him–not now, not ever again.
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