The Witch He Abandoned

The Thornes built their aromatherapy business generations ago, but their ancestors made a fatal mistake and brought down a divine curse.

For ninety-nine generations, every Thorne heir drew their punishment on their eighteenth birthday.

Julian Thorne was the last. He drew the worst punishment: death from hemorrhage in ten months.

The only way to break it was to marry a witch from the Old Bloodline and complete the life transference ritual. The witch inscribes a sigil on a parchment and infuses the child's blood essence on it, and the curse transfers to the parchment.

I was that witch. My family owed the Thornes a blood debt going back three generations, so I married Julian, gave him a child, and performed the ritual to save his life.

I was terrified of missing the ritual window, so I didn't even use anesthesia as the baby was cut out of my womb.

However, Julian drove ninety-nine soul spikes into my body while I was still bleeding from the delivery, then set me on fire.

"Miriam is the real heir. You're nothing but a fraud who wanted to marry up.

"You drove her into the wilderness to protect your position. She went into labor alone and died with the baby. Even dying, she thought of me. She finished the ritual and saved my life.

"You deceived my father. I'm destroying your soul. You'll pay for what you did to them."

He ignored my screaming while he drained our newborn's blood essence.

I watched helplessly as my child's life faded.

Then I was nailed to a cross and burned until there was nothing left.

When I opened my eyes, I was back on my wedding day.

Julian Thorne knelt before his father, his voice sharp and frantic.

"Father! Miriam is the true heir of the Old Bloodline. Only she can save my life."

"Celeste Shannara is nothing but a fraud. Are you really going to let a liar destroy your son's life?"

He stared at me, his eyes overflowing with a hatred identical to the moment he set me on fire in our past life.

With that single look, I knew. He had also been given a second chance, and he was desperate to change everything.

The phantom agony of the soul spikes and the suffocating heat of the flames felt as if they were still etched into my skin.

The stinging pain made cold sweat pour down my face.

Without hesitation, I stripped off my bridal gown.

"Mr. Thorne, please burn the marriage contract. From this moment on, the engagement is void. I'm more than happy to step aside for Julian and Miriam."

Julian looked at me, stunned.

He clearly hadn't expected me to agree so easily.

After all, in my last life, I had begged and pleaded to marry him.

"Celeste, what kind of game are you playing now?

"If you're playing hard to get to make me back down, you've miscalculated. I'm only ever marrying Miriam in my life!"

Years ago, when my grandfather was at his lowest, the Thornes had taken him in for three days.

The Shannara ancestral oath was clear. A debt of honor must be repaid tenfold.

Furthermore, the debt had to be settled within three generations, or the ancestors would curse our bloodline.

Everything I had done was to repay the Thornes and let my grandfather's soul rest in peace.

In my previous life, I hadn't just saved Julian. I had paid for it with my life and the life of my child.

As far as I was concerned, the Shannaras no longer owed the Thornes a single thing.

Suddenly, Miriam Sutton burst in.

She clutched her stomach and dropped to her knees before me.

She began to sob, wailing as she struck her head against the floor.

"Sis, I know you hate me because I'm not our parents' biological daughter, yet I was born with the talent to inherit the Shannara magic.

"You couldn't stand being second-best, so you tried to take my place and marry into the Thornes to stay above me.

"But I don't care about titles or status. I only have one wish and that's to save Julian. Please, don't drive me away!"

"I'm already pregnant with Julian's child. Once I save his life, I'll leave. I'll stay out of your way."

She looked heart-wrenchingly delicate as she cried.

Julian rushed forward and pulled her into his arms.

"My silly Miriam, don't talk like that. You are the only wife I'll ever have! No one is driving you away!

"In this life, I will protect you. I won't let a black-hearted woman like Celeste hurt you ever again."

The two of them looked like tragic lovers caught in a drama.

It was as if I were the villain trying to tear them apart.

I felt a cold sneer forming inside.

No wonder Julian had been so hell-bent on killing me in our last life.

It was all built on Miriam's clumsy, pathetic lies.

Victor Thorne's expression turned grim.

"Enough! Do you have any idea how many branch families are circling Thorne Group right now?

"Have you considered what happens to the family if Miriam fails the life transference spell and the Thornes lose their heir?"

In his eyes, Miriam was just an orphan of unknown origin.

How could she possibly compare to the legitimate heir of the Shannaras?

"Father, if you force me to marry a woman as vicious as Celeste, I'd rather die!"

Julian screamed, the veins in his neck bulging.

Victor frowned and delivered a sharp, brutal slap to his face.

"You ungrateful brat, you dare to threaten me?!"

"Father, if you don't believe me, let Miriam show you what she can do right now."