Chapter 1

Lucas believed in fate.

When a psychic told him our daughter would interfere with his destiny with his high school sweetheart, he was determined to send our three-year-old to a secluded convent for five years.

He claimed it was the only way to ward off the bad luck.

After I refused, he pretended to give in, only to sneak her up into the mountains while I was working the night shift.

He lost her in the woods at midnight.

I searched for three days and three nights, but all I found was one of her tiny sneakers.

The wolves had gotten to her, leaving nothing behind.

In this new life, I didn't fight him. I just nodded and whispered, "Fine. I'll go with her."

1.

The list for the city relocation program was finally posted, and the departure was set for three days later.

I wasn't surprised to see my name on the red bulletin board.

In my past life, I was supposed to get the transfer back to Boston, but Lucas had secretly cancelled my application.

He had handed my spot over to his sweetheart, Celia.

This time, I submitted my paperwork a week early, ensuring my spot was secured.

I paid the administrative fees and headed to the daycare after work.

From a distance, I saw kids throwing rocks at Nancy. I rushed over and shielded her, glaring at the group of bullies.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" I barked.

Nancy trembled behind me, her small hands clutching my coat.

The girl leading the pack was Celia's daughter, Seraphina.

Even though she was barely four, she stood there with her hands on her hips, acting like she owned the place.

"She's the reason my mommy is sick!" Seraphina shouted defiantly. "Uncle Lucas said she's a jinx! Nobody likes her!"

I saw Lucas's cold influence in the way Seraphina carried herself.

Nancy was sobbing now, shaking her head as she clung to me.

"Mommy, I'm not a jinx…" she whimpered.

I reached out, intending to make Seraphina apologize, but the girl suddenly burst into crocodile tears.

Suddenly, a hand gripped my wrist with bruising force.

"Lily! What are you doing to Seraphina?!" Lucas's voice thundered behind me. "You're actually putting your hands on a child?!"

He shoved me aside and scooped Seraphina into his arms, his expression softening into a tenderness I had never received.

"It's okay, Seraphina. Don't cry," he cooed. "Tell me what she did to you."

Seraphina sobbed into his shoulder, pointing a finger at us.

"Nancy called my mommy a homewrecker! She said I stole her daddy!"

I opened my mouth to defend my daughter, but the words died in my throat when I saw the sheer disgust in Lucas's eyes.

He looked at Nancy without a shred of fatherly love.

"Nancy, you are completely out of line!" he spat. "How could a child say something so vile? Apologize to Seraphina right now!"

Nancy shrank back, her voice barely a whisper through her tears.

"Mommy, I didn't say that…"

"Nancy! Now you're a liar too?!" Lucas roared. "Apologize!"

Whether it was Celia or her daughter, Lucas always took their side without question.

It was the same in my last life, and it hadn't changed in this one.

One word from them was enough to make Nancy and me the villains who had to beg for forgiveness.

In the past, I would have fought him, desperate for him to care about us. I never won.

This time, I was done fighting.

I took a deep breath, ignoring Lucas's icy stare.

"I'll apologize for her. I'm sorry," I said flatly.

Without waiting for a response, I picked up Nancy and walked away.

It wasn't until we reached a quiet alley that I realized my face was soaked with tears.

I had been through this neglect and humiliation a thousand times before. Why did it still hurt so much?

Nancy wiped my eyes with her small thumb. "Mommy, don't cry."

I hugged her tight, but she winced. I immediately checked her back and found several bruises and scrapes.

It was clear that Seraphina had been bullying her for a long time.

If I hadn't left work early today, I never would have known the hell Nancy was going through.

"Why didn't you tell me, baby?"

Nancy looked down, her voice small. "I didn't want Daddy to fight with you again. You guys always fight because of me…"

My heart shattered. "Let's get you some medicine."

The local clinic was packed, so after getting the ointment, I took Nancy outside to apply it.

She didn't make a sound, even though it clearly stung.

As I fixed her shirt, I noticed her staring intently at a shop window across the street.

It was a photography studio. Inside, a family of three was posing for a portrait.

My own daughter was covered in bruises while her father played the role of a doting parent to someone else's child.

Lucas was dressed in a matching outfit with Celia and Seraphina, looking every bit the happy husband and father.

He held Seraphina, looking at Celia with a gaze full of adoration as the camera clicked.

The sound of Seraphina's laughter drifted out into the cold air.

Nancy's hands were red from the chill. "Mommy," she whispered, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Daddy never holds me like that."

I knelt down and pulled her into my arms, forcing a bitter smile.

"Nancy, how would you like to move to the big city with Mommy? We'll never come back here again."

Nancy nodded vigorously, wiping her own tears.

"Can we go without Daddy?"

"Yes, baby. Just us."