Rebirth After Being Betrayed by My Husband (Lily and Ryan) novel Chapter 5

Chapter 5
Lily:

"NO... No... Hot... No!"

I jolted awake with a sharp gasp, my lungs greedily pulling in air. My entire body trembled as my eyes darted around, struggling to make sense of my surroundings. The room felt unfamiliar at first, but as my mind cleared, recognition settled in.

"Where am I? Who saved me?" I whispered, my voice shaking.

Blinking rapidly, I forced myself to focus. I was in my own apartment. But that didn't make sense. I threw off the duvet and rushed to the mirror, my heart pounding. My hands shook as I traced my reflection, expecting to see burn marks, scars—anything to remind me of the fire. But there was nothing. My skin was smooth, unblemished, my face... younger than I remembered.

"What is going on?" I murmured, confusion twisting in my chest.

My gaze landed on the calendar hanging beside the mirror. The moment I saw the date, my breath hitched.

"Three years ago..." I breathed, a wave of disbelief crashing over me. My fingers trembled as I pinched my arm, wincing at the sharp sting. This was real. Somehow, impossibly, I had been reborn.

A mixture of relief and fierce determination flooded through me. I stared at my reflection, the corners of my lips curling into a slow, incredulous smile. "The heavens have given me a second chance," I whispered. "This time, things will be different. The Miller family, Rose, Riley, Ryan... you’ll all pay for what you did."

My mind raced, piecing together the timeline. Right now, I was still in a relationship with Ryan, blindly supporting Rose and Riley’s careers while preparing to launch my own design studio. And in two days, the Miller family would throw their grand business celebration—the event that changed everything.

"This time, I'll play my cards differently," I vowed. "No more being a pawn in their games. I'll follow my dreams and find my real parents."

For a brief moment, my expression softened as memories of my parents surfaced, filling me with longing. But the sharp ringing of my phone dragged me back to the present.

I glanced at the screen.

Rose is calling…

Bitterness curled in my chest. I remembered too well how she had manipulated me, convincing me to take an audition while I was sick—an audition that she later stole, launching her career at my expense.