Reborn, I Made My Husband Leave Empty-Handed

My daughter was gone, taken by that sudden, unexpected earthquake.

That day, all I could feel was the violent shaking of the ground. I held her tight, singing nursery rhymes, assuring her not to be afraid.

I comforted her, "Daddy will come save us soon..."

But as the crumbling house above us collapsed, I saw with my own eyes my husband running in another direction without looking back.

The concrete turned to mud, the steel beams returned to their frames, and everything was rebuilt.

I survived, but my precious Nora became just a memory.

In a mad frenzy, I confronted my husband, only to receive a light and indifferent apology.

"Sorry, Mark Jones died to save me. I couldn't bear to watch his wife and child die in front of me."

A crushing sense of powerlessness overwhelmed me, and I wandered aimlessly down the road.

A large truck sped past, ending my pathetic life.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back in the middle of the earthquake.

My daughter in my arms, still warm to the touch.

I held her tightly, a mix of the joy of regaining what was lost and the bone-chilling coldness inside me.

1

"Mommy! Mommy, what's wrong...?"

The sound of my daughter's innocent voice pulled me out of the darkness.

The pain of being crushed by the truck still lingered, but there she was—my daughter, standing before me, clear as day.

"Nora...?"

I couldn't believe it. My heart clenched as though gripped by an overwhelming force, the pain spreading to my fingertips.

My trembling hands reached out to touch her, afraid that this was just an illusion.

Nora gently pressed her face against me, the warmth of her skin saving me from the freezing abyss.

Though she was just six years old, she comforted me.

"It's okay, Mommy. I'm here. We'll be fine."

I hugged her tightly.

The heavens had given me another chance—a chance to save my lost treasure.

The collapsing staircase, the crumbling mountains—all a reminder of how small humans were in the face of nature.

But the worst was yet to come.

The precarious house above us swayed. I had to find a way out.

I clenched my hands so hard they bled, biting my lip as I surveyed the surroundings.

Slowly, carefully, I moved, guiding Nora into a triangle-shaped space, using bricks, wooden beams, and debris to support the collapsing structure.

Only after securing everything did I finally catch my breath.

Gently, I shielded my daughter's head. When she smiled softly at me, my heart, which had been in my throat, finally settled.

The collapsed walls blocked our exit, but thankfully, small rays of light and oxygen seeped through the cracks.

I picked up an iron rod and started banging, waiting for rescuers.

A small hole in the wall allowed us to see outside.

At the same moment as in my previous life, the house above collapsed. I held Nora tightly, shielding her from harm.

But I couldn't cover her eyes in time.

Through the hole in the wall, Martin's gaze met mine.

For a brief moment, he hesitated, but then he ran in another direction without looking back.

Once again, he chose to save Linda and her child. But this time, I didn't scream or cry like I had before.

My heart, already shattered from the last life, no longer stirred for this man who abandoned his wife and child.

I turned away from the sight of his retreating figure and saw my daughter's pale face.

At six years old, she had just witnessed her father abandoning her.

Nora's eyes were red, her tear-streaked face trembling with sobs as she buried herself in my arms.

My nose tingled, and I closed my eyes, tears slipping uncontrollably down my cheeks.

"Nora, it's okay, don't cry..."

I gently patted her back.

"Mommy, why didn't Daddy come to save us? Does he not love us...?"

I didn't know how to explain adult matters to her.

Having seen Martin's coldness in my previous life, I couldn't even bring myself to utter those hollow words like "No father would ever not love their child."

After all, no father who loves his daughter would skip her funeral to take care of the wife and child of his deceased assistant.

2

I looked at Nora, swallowing the bitterness in my throat.

"Nora, from now on, Mommy will always be with you, okay?"

Nora sniffled, pouring out all the grievances she had endured.

"Daddy promised to come to my parent-teacher meeting, but he went to see Alan Jones instead."

"He didn't spend my fifth birthday with me. He promised to bring me a strawberry cake after work, but he didn't."

"I had a fever, but only Mommy stayed with me..."

"..."

Each word cut deeper into my heart like a blade.

It was my poor judgment that led us to this, to live as if I were a widow for so many years and for my daughter to grow up without her father's love.

Nora was a sensible child. She quickly noticed my sadness.

Her soft, small hand caressed my face as she swallowed her own sorrow, forcing a bright smile.

"It's okay, I have Mommy. That's enough for me."

"I don't need Daddy anymore. I just want Mommy with me..."

I bit my lip to hold back the sobs threatening to escape.

I owed my daughter too much, far too much.

...

"Woof! Woof woof!"

My pupils dilated as I turned in surprise. It was a search dog!

Soon after, firefighters arrived.

"Is anyone here? Is anyone here?"

"Here!"

The firefighters moved away the broken walls and rocks, and I carefully handed my daughter to them.

Seeing Nora sleep peacefully, warmth filled my heart.

This time, my only family didn't leave me...

After we were safely taken to the hospital, the doctors meticulously bandaged our wounds.

Once Nora was tucked in, I closed the door to fetch some hot water.

Suddenly, a familiar figure caught my eye.

It was my husband, Martin.

He was holding a seven-year-old boy, smiling dotingly as the boy ate a small cake.

Beside him, Linda beamed, occasionally wiping the boy's mouth with a napkin.

What a happy family of three!

It was sickening.

I sneered and pulled out my phone, snapping a few pictures before looking away.

A nurse, noticing I had no man by my side, kindly offered to help notify my daughter's father.

I smiled, polite but distant.

"There's no need. I've been widowed for years."

Martin's face turned dark at those words.

"Gloria Smith, what do you mean by that?"

"Nothing," I replied without even glancing at him, rolling my eyes in blatant disdain.

Linda always looked like a little white flower.

At this moment, she spoke softly and weakly, with a tearful tone in her voice.

"Gloria, I'm sorry. If it wasn't for Martin saving Alan and me, you and Nora wouldn't have..."

This made Martin feel very distressed, "Linda, this is not your fault."

After comforting her, Martin remembered that he had a daughter.

"Gloria, what's wrong with Nora?"

"You are such a hindsight person." I sneered without any hesitation.

"Gloria, please don't quarrel with Martin because of me. It's all my fault."

3

In the past, I found Linda's innocent and delicate facade utterly disgusting. Every time she appeared before me with that fragile demeanor, it ignited my temper, and I couldn't help but end up screaming and arguing.

Each time, my unruly behavior only made her seem more virtuous and pure in contrast.

My husband, Martin, the man I was legally married to, would always blame me for being unreasonable and immature.

A pathetic man and a manipulative woman—what a joke.

"Don't flatter yourself. You're not that important."

I sneered, looking her up and down, the disdain and mockery in my eyes plain as day.

Linda's face turned pale and then flushed with anger.

Alan, holding the ice cream Martin had just bribed him with, rushed towards me like a missile.

"You bad woman! Don't bully my mom!"

"Crash!"

The kettle in my hand shattered on the floor. Alan, unable to stop in time, tripped and fell, smearing ice cream all over his head.

"Alan!"

Linda rushed to help him up, her eyes filled with venomous hatred.

"Oh my, what a clumsy child," I said, feigning surprise, patting my chest like I'd been startled.

"You should really teach your child better manners, Linda. Running around like that can be dangerous."

"You...!"

Linda pointed at me, speechless with rage.

"Enough!"

Martin's face was tight with anger, his brow furrowed deeply.

I feigned sudden realization. "Oh, I see. You want to have your cake and eat it too. Left and right, one wife, two mistresses, how charming. Mr. White, you should know the Q Dynasty fell a long time ago."

"Gloria!" he snapped.

"Fine, shut up. I don't want to hear your barking anymore."

I interrupted him and said, "Let's talk in front."

After saying that, I ignored him and walked away.

Martin, seething, followed me, his words dripping with sarcasm.

"How long are you going to keep up this charade? Just because I saved Linda and her son, you're throwing a tantrum, aren't you?"

"Mark died saving me. Should I just stand by and watch his wife and child perish?"

Mark was Martin's personal assistant.

Five years ago, during a car accident, Mark had shielded Martin, saving his life.

Ever since, Martin had gone above and beyond to care for his family—not just financially, but emotionally too.

He had practically become Alan's second father, looking after them like they were his own family.

To outsiders, they probably seemed like a happy little family of three.

And as for me? Well, I'd been a widow for years now.

I scoffed at the thought. In a few more years, Martin might as well be sharing a bed with Linda.

I didn't care to listen to any more of his nonsense, so I interrupted him.

"But did you ever stop to think about me and Nora?"

His bravado deflated instantly, but he still stiffened his neck in defense.

"You two are fine, aren't you?"

I laughed bitterly.

Was this man for real?

I pulled out my phone, showing him the photos I had just taken.

"Breaking news! CEO of Forest Tech, Martin, abandons wife and child, caught cozying up with the widow of his savior. Is this the distortion of human nature or the collapse of morality?"

"How does that headline sound, Mr. White?" I asked, amusement glinting in my eyes.