Chapter 4 Memories of Betrayal

Emily's consciousness was hazy, as if she had been transported back to that moment in her past life when she was knocked unconscious, her hands and feet bound with stones, and thrown into the murky, cold river. The foul-smelling water filled her airways, and death loomed close by.

Her body grew heavier and quickly sank, her breath ceased, and her soul began to drift away from her body.

Her spirit floated to a nearby spot where she saw a striking man and woman standing by the riverbank in the night. Their faces were painfully familiar, and their conversation was crystal clear in her ears.

The woman said, "Liam, are we really doing the right thing? If Emily finds out, she would be... very hurt. I always feel guilty about this."

The man responded, "Don't think about her. That wedding was meant for us. She's nothing but a conniving woman who clings to men for favors. She's not worthy of being my wife. Only you can be my wife. I love only you."

"But... I still feel uneasy. I'm terrified that one day she'll appear before me, accusing me of stealing you. Liam, I'm really scared," the woman replied.

"Don't worry. I know you're kind-hearted. I won't let this trouble you. I've already taken care of everything. She will never appear in our lives again," Liam assured her.

"That's good. Her leaving... is better for everyone," the woman said, her tone relieved.

Emily recognized the voices clearly. The woman was her best friend, Claire Summers, and the man was her beloved fiancé, Liam Roberts.

Emily's spirit burned with rage. She wanted to leap up and stab these two despicable people to death. They were both scum, betrayers, deserving of nothing but death...

Liam knew that Emily had catered to those men and flattered them solely for his company and his future, securing clients and sealing deals. Without her, the Roberts family business would have gone bankrupt long ago. He had always said she was the most beautiful in his eyes and that he loved her alone.

But reality had shown her that everything was a lie.

Emily's mind fixated on three words: You deceived me...

Her life had been filled with lies and deceit from start to finish. No one truly loved her; no one cared for her.

Her mother didn't love her. To pay off her stepfather's high-interest loans, she sold her, at twenty-three, to a perverted old man.

Her so-called best friend secretly stole her fiancé and portrayed herself as noble and kind, deceiving everyone. Emily's death was surely related to her; there was no way Claire didn't know about it.

But Claire could act like the world's only saint, using Emily's man, spending her hard-earned money, wearing the wedding dress Emily designed, living in the home Emily had decorated, and then watching her drown in the cold river.

And Liam, who had sworn to love only her, treated her as nothing more than a money-making tool. Once he achieved success, he discarded her without mercy, even sending men to throw her into the river. He was worse than a beast.

Emily was consumed with hatred. She hated everyone who had trampled on her sincerity. But most of all, she hated herself.

She hated herself for being too soft-hearted, for believing in love too easily, for having eyes that were blind to the truth.

Those ugly faces, hidden behind deceitful masks, spewing lies-if only she had looked closely, listened carefully, she would have seen through them. But she had been blinded by these shallow, filthy things, only to discover the bloody truth in her final moments.

What was the truth? Stripping away the skin, exposing the bones, breaking them piece by piece until the pain was unbearable, and by the time she understood, death had already arrived.

The pain of heart-wrenching betrayal, the agony of being skinned alive, the torment of shattered bones-all this pain boiled down to two words: "Revenge" and "Hatred."

The suffocating agony grew heavier, the darkness more oppressive, as her drifting soul was sucked into a giant whirlpool...

"I can't die..." Emily screamed, suddenly sitting up in bed. She panted heavily, the panic still etched on her face. Her already pale skin was even whiter, like fragile paper, ready to tear at the slightest touch.

On the bedside table, a calendar had the number '17' circled in black marker.

May 17, 2022.

Emily closed her eyes and clenched her fists. Two months ago, she had been reborn, brought back to two years prior. At this point, her tragedy had yet to begin.

For the past two months, she had relived the same nightmare almost every night, waking up in a cold sweat each time. The hatred in her heart deepened, embedding itself in her very bones.

As dawn broke, Emily circled '18' on the calendar with a red marker.

May 18-a good day for travel and groundbreaking, auspicious and favorable. This day marked one month before her mother sold her to that perverted old man in her previous life. She had one month to carve out a path for herself, to fight for her survival. Anyone who stood in her way would be mercilessly dealt with.

Since fate had granted her a second chance, she would ensure that her past tragedies never repeated. She would live freely and recklessly, never again becoming a puppet in someone else's hands.

To the treacherous women and deceitful men who had wronged her, she would return the suffering they had inflicted on her tenfold.

Family, love, friendship-these cheap things meant nothing to her anymore.

She wanted only one thing: revenge.

That was why she had chosen Alexander Remington as her benefactor the previous night.

The master of the empire.

Her patron.

---

After waking up, Emily felt no more desire to sleep. The pain in her lower body had lessened significantly, though walking was still painful. But compared to the torment she had endured in her past life, this was nothing.

Early in the morning, Emily went to the bank to cash the check. She then opened two new bank accounts, one with $248,000 and another with $50,000, keeping $2,000 in cash.

Emily took the money and visited the place she had avoided for so long-the "home" she loathed, the root of her suffering in her previous life.

---

Emily's mother, Diane, had married her current husband, Victor Collin, ten years ago, bringing Emily and her younger sister, Lily, with her. The family lived in a shabby, rundown apartment building.

Victor was an honest man, not particularly capable, but he wanted his family to live well. Unfortunately, he had foolishly taken out a high-interest loan.

Misled into trading futures, he lost the entire $50,000 in just a few days.

The loan sharks came knocking daily, threatening to break Victor's hands if he didn't repay the money within three days. The constant stress led to daily arguments at home.

---

When Emily arrived, the sight of the decrepit building filled her with a mixture of disgust and resolve. She steeled herself, knowing that this visit was necessary for her plan.

She walked through the dilapidated hallways, the memories of her past life flooding back. Every corner, every crack in the walls, reminded her of the misery she had endured.

Emily knocked on the door, and it was opened by her stepfather, Victor. His face was lined with worry and stress, but he greeted her with a weary smile.

"Emily, it's been so long. Come in," he said, stepping aside to let her in.

Inside, the apartment was as chaotic as she remembered. Her mother, Diane, was arguing with Lily, who looked distressed and on the verge of tears.

Seeing Emily, Diane's face hardened. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to help," Emily replied, her voice steady. "I have some money. It should be enough to pay off the loan sharks."

Victor's eyes widened in surprise and relief. "Emily, you don't know how much this means to us."

Diane, however, remained skeptical. "Where did you get this money?"

"That doesn't matter," Emily said firmly. "What matters is that we can settle the debt and get those people off our backs."

Diane looked at her daughter with a mix of suspicion and grudging respect. "Fine. We'll take it."

Emily handed over the money, feeling a weight lift off her shoulders. This was just the beginning. She had plans to ensure that she would never be a victim again.

As she left the apartment, Emily vowed to herself that she would use every resource at her disposal to secure her future. Alexander Remington was just a stepping stone. She would navigate this dangerous path with caution and determination, ready to fight for her survival and exact her revenge on those who had wronged her.