Chapter 1

Nadine Devine and Hunter Goldman were infamously known as the most toxic married couple alive in their social circle. In their first year of marriage, he paraded around with young models, so she retaliated by smashing his million-dollar sports car to pieces. During their second year, he locked her in a walk-in freezer for an entire day; she responded by pushing him, a non-swimmer, straight into a pool. By the third year, he stopped coming home and was constantly caught in scandals, only for her to storm into every high-end club in the city to drag him back. They hurled vicious insults by daylight and made hate-fueled love by night, each secretly wishing the other would drop dead. Then, in their fifth year, Hunter's wish finally came true when Nadine died. She died on her birthday, stabbed a total of 33 times by a masked stranger who broke into their home. Agony seared through every inch of her body as her consciousness faded. She tried to scream, but only a weak whimper escaped her throat. "Hunter…" Her fingers trembled as she groped for the phone beside her. She then used the last shred of strength to dial his number. When he didn't pick up the first time, she called again. She pressed the button a third time when he ignored it the second time. She lost count of how many times she called before he finally answered. "Hun—" She managed to utter a single syllable before his icy voice cut her off. "Nadine, are you deranged? Stop harassing me. I'm not in the mood for your theatrics today. Serena's back. I'm on my way to the airport to pick her up!" The line went dead with a sharp click. Hunter had hung up, then turned off his phone entirely. His impatience robbed her of the chance to say her final words. "Hunter… I-I'm dying. Can we not fight… Just this once…" The phone clattered to the floor, its screen fading to black. A bitter laugh escaped her before her hand fell limp. … When her consciousness returned, Nadine found herself standing at the banks of a black river. The River of Forgetfulness swirled before her, its dark waters swirling like an abyss ready to devour everything. The river's guardian, Lethenia, emerged. She then handed Nadine a cup that was filled with water. "Drink. The river water will bring you peace." She took the cup and drained it in one gulp. Yet every memory remained. She then drank a second, and then a third. Nonetheless, nothing had faded even by the tenth cup. "Ma'am, is this overly diluted?" Nadine asked with a bitter smile. Lethenia sighed. "Some chains defy even death. What binds you so?" What was binding her? Nadine squeezed her eyes shut, trembling. Nadine, Hunter, and Serena Hogan grew up together as childhood friends. Though both women were his childhood companions, Hunter only ever loved Serena. He would stay by Serena's bedside all night when she had a fever, sneak out past curfew to buy her favorite cherry-flavored ice cream, and gaze at her with endless tenderness. But Nadine wanted Hunter to look at her too. So she began opposing him at every turn to get his attention. That was how they became sworn enemies over time. Everything changed when Hunter's grandmother, Emilia Reed, threatened to take her own life unless he married Nadine. Hunter resisted but ultimately surrendered, though he couldn't understand why. That was until he accidentally discovered Nadine's diary on their wedding night; its pages filled with his name, and that was when Hunter found out she liked him. At that moment, he became convinced that she was behind it all. He thought she had manipulated Emilia into forcing the marriage, robbing him of any chance to wed his true love. He despised her from then on. What he never knew was that after his car accident, Serena—the woman he adored—immediately fled abroad when doctors warned he might become a vegetable. It was Nadine who came to the hospital every day, not knowing if he would ever open his eyes again. She wiped his face, talked to him, and kept vigil at his side. Emilia, seeing Nadine's profound devotion and not wanting Hunter to lose someone who genuinely cared for him, insisted on the marriage the instant he regained consciousness. Nadine wanted to tell him the truth so many times. But every time she met his hate-filled gaze, the words died in her throat. Those who could not forget their past were not allowed to cross over. As Lethenia shared Nadine's memories, she sighed softly. "Unresolved regrets shackle your soul. Very well. I shall grant you five days to return to the living world. "If you can get Hunter Goldman to say that he loves you, I will restore your life. Fail, and you must let go and move on." Nadine was stunned. She parted her lips slightly, but Lethenia waved her sleeve before she could speak. A gust of wind swept over her, and darkness swallowed her vision. By the time Nadine opened her eyes again, she was standing in the familiar villa. Blood was splattered across the floor as her own lifeless body lay sprawled across the tiles, eyes wide and unseeing. Her heart lurched at the sight. She knelt and reached out with trembling fingers, brushing her corpse's cheek before recoiling at the icy touch. Her throat constricted as if blocked by an invisible force, making even breathing difficult. She'd spent a lifetime failing to make Hunter say "I love you" to her. How could she possibly succeed in just five days? Yet deep within her, a fragile voice whispered, "What if… What if he actually says it?" Now wasn't the time for self-pity. She needed to deal with the immediate crisis first. Bending down, she hauled her own corpse up with tremendous effort, dragging it step by step toward the wardrobe. The dead weight left her gasping for air, but she didn't dare stop until the body was stuffed inside and the door shut behind it. Only then did she allow herself a shuddering breath. Next, she filled a bucket with water, knelt on the floor, and began scrubbing away the bloodstains with a rag. Every swipe of the cloth sent a fresh pang through her heart. The blood might as well have been the scars between her and Hunter—deep, indelible, and etched permanently into her memory. Just as she wiped away the last stain, an icy, disgusted voice cut through the silence. "Nadine? What are you doing?" Her body froze, and the rag slipped from her fingers. Turning slowly, she found Hunter standing in the doorway. Dressed in an impeccably tailored black suit that accentuated his cold elegance, he radiated aristocratic detachment—but his eyes burned with pure revulsion. Nadine stared at him, overwhelmed by a sense of lifetimes passing between them. Her throat worked, but no sound emerged from it. It was because Hunter hadn't come alone. Standing behind him, flawless as ever, was Serena. Serena was wearing a white sundress, with her long hair cascading over her shoulders. She was the picture of gentle elegance. However, her face turned deathly pale the moment she saw Nadine. Terror flooded her eyes as she stumbled backward several steps, as if she were confronting something monstrous. Though Nadine and Serena hadn't seen each other in years, this reaction was excessive even for their strained history. Serena's behavior was clearly unnatural. Even Hunter noticed the abnormality. He asked urgently after steadying her before she could fall, "Serena, what's wrong?" Serena clutched his arm like a lifeline, visibly struggling to compose herself. "It's nothing... I just caught a whiff of blood and was feeling faint, that's all." Hunter immediately turned to Nadine, the disgust in his eyes intensifying. "Nadine, must you always cause trouble? It's been five years. When will you finally stop?" Nadine stood motionless as she met his gaze steadily. When she spoke, each word landed with deliberate clarity. "You want me to stop? Then say it, Hunter. Tell me you love me."