Rebirth Rules: Don't Help Seat Thieves

When my husband, Lucius Croft, and I were on a flight that was heading toward our honeymoon destination, his childhood friend, Belinda Todd, suddenly appeared before us while pregnant. She claimed that she had bought an economy-class ticket and that she wanted to go on a vacation with us.

Not only did Lucius not reject Belinda, but he also wanted me to give my first-class ticket away to her.

I turned his suggestion down. So, he helped Belinda occupy the first-class seat next to us.

When I realized that an old lady was the owner of that particular seat, I did everything I could to convince Lucius to return the seat to her.

Unexpectedly, Belinda was so mad that she got off the plane right away. On her way home, she got into an accident, which killed her and her unborn baby.

Lucius attended her funeral calmly. But on the day I was supposed to go into labor, he tied me up in the car and staged a car accident on purpose.

"This is all your fault! If it wasn't for you, Belinda never would've died! You deserve to make it up to her with your life!"

I could only watch the car drive into the tree in total despair. All I saw was a huge explosion and tongues of flame around me before I completely lost consciousness.

When I open my eyes again, I see Belinda standing before me with her belly jutting out.

This time, I no longer stop them.

What they don't know is that the inconspicuous-looking old lady is actually a member of the esteemed Howard family, also known as the global business powerhouse. She's also the grandmother of the richest man in the world, Ethan Howard.

"Haven't you made enough trouble, Zoe? You refused to give up your seat in first class earlier, and now you're sticking your nose into someone else's business too!" Lucius Croft, my husband, bellowed.

"It's alright, Lucius. I'm just suffering from a bit of a stomachache, but I don't want you guys fighting over me," Belinda Todd, the conniving mistress, murmured.

I finally realized that I had been reborn once I heard Lucius' accusations and Belinda's tearful sobbing.

I could still feel the agonizing pain and burning sensation from my past life, so I immediately withdrew my hand.

In my past life, I had helped Grace Reed, the elderly woman, and she reached out to me after the flight to introduce herself. In gratitude, she brokered a partnership for our company and helped us land several major contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

Lucius expanded the company significantly through that connection, but rather than showing gratitude, he treated it as a matter of course and even repaid my kindness by causing my death.

Lucius and Belinda were so intent on destroying themselves in this life, so I had no intention of stopping them from seeking their own end this time.

Lucius shot me a harsh glare when he noticed me withdrawing my hand before turning to Grace with a look of blatant condescension. "I'll buy this seat from you, and I'll even pay you five times the fare. Now, go take Belinda's seat in economy!"

"It is not about the money, young man. You see, the economy seats are too narrow and crowded, and with my heart condition, I have trouble breathing in tight spaces.

"It was my grandson who specifically booked me a first-class seat so that I wouldn't have a medical emergency while flying alone…" Grace sounded completely at a loss, yet she was still trying to reason with them.

Lucius had no interest in her explanation and snapped at her. "You'd better not play the victim just because you're old! Haven't you noticed that Belinda is pregnant? Isn't she more entitled to this seat than you?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Belinda grabbed her stomach and wailed on cue. "I-It hurts so much, Lucius…"

Lucius hurriedly reclined Belinda's seat so that she could lie down and rest. He sounded incredibly caring, which was a sharp contrast to his earlier behavior. "Where does it hurt? Have you been standing too long? Do you want me to take you to the hospital since the plane hasn't taken off yet?"

Belinda shook her head gently and replied in a frail voice, "It's fine. I'm probably just too exhausted. I wouldn't want to be the one to delay your honeymoon with Zoe…"

She deliberately brought up my name, which effectively drew another disgusted glare from Lucius.

I felt sick to my stomach witnessing the whole thing. Lucius and I were only in an arranged business marriage. He had pretended to be everything a woman could want—handsome, gentle, and well-mannered—during our courtship, which had convinced me to accept his proposal.

I later discovered that Lucius had a childhood sweetheart named Belinda Todd, with whom he had grown up. He became a completely different person whenever Belinda was involved—cold and irrational—making it seem like his previous kindness was nothing more than a scripted farce.

I had already made up my mind—the moment we landed, I would file for divorce. I wasn't willing to spend another moment in his presence.

Belinda, who was reclining in her seat, accidentally kicked the handbag Grace had left under her seat. She whined in her usual pampered tone, "Why is there still stuff under here? It's taking up so much space. It's making me so uncomfortable, Lucius."

Without any hesitation, Lucius grabbed the handbag and tossed it aside.

It wasn't zipped up properly, though, so the contents spilled out across the floor with a loud clatter. A pearl necklace that was inside skidded across the floor.

"Get your hands off my handbag! That necklace was a gift from my late husband—it's the most precious thing I own!" Grace cried out in despair.

That necklace landed under some other seat and was inadvertently stepped on, causing the chain to snap and the pearls to scatter across the floor.

Grace turned pale and tried desperately to bend down and gather the pearls, but her mobility was poor. She had just leaned over when she suddenly lost her balance and tumbled onto the floor, looking utterly disheveled and distressed.

"How could she treat such a pathetic trinket as a valuable possession? That only proves that the lower class lacks any true sophistication."

I caught the faint, mocking smirk on Belinda's face out of the corner of my eyes. She looked nothing like the sick woman she claimed to be. I felt a surge of inexplicable rage boil over, and, unable to watch any longer, I kneeled to help Grace gather her things.

It was then that a flight attendant nearby heard the commotion and hurried over to us.