True Love Be Damned

In my haze of unconsciousness, painful memories from my past life surged through my mind.

After our marriage in that lifetime, Richard never once lived with me again.

He bought a villa in the suburbs and filled every corner of it with photos of Elise.

Throughout my entire pregnancy, I was always alone.

Even on the day I went into labor and complications arose, he only appeared briefly. All the while, his expression was cold as ice.

When a nurse came over, beaming, and gently held our swaddled baby out to him, he shoved her aside without hesitation.

With a voice filled with disgust, he said, "Get away from me. That's disgusting."

My parents, who had been keeping vigil at my bedside, were so enraged they started yelling at him on the spot.

Richard just stood there calmly, not saying a word.

Only when my parents had exhausted their fury did he let out a chilling, sinister laugh.

"Enjoy these peaceful days while you can. They won't last."

At the time, I was too weak from the pain to process his words.

It wasn't until a month later, while I was still in confinement recovering from childbirth, that I saw the news: my parents' mangled bodies, shattered from falling off a building.

That was when I finally realized: Richard had already driven my family's company into bankruptcy, leaving behind billions in debt.

And the price he demanded for sparing me… was the death of my parents.

He told me:

"You forced the one I loved most to her death. Now it's time for the people you love to feel that same pain."

Back then, I had thoughts of ending my own life.

But after looking at the pale, fragile baby in the cradle, my heart softened.

Yes, I still had my son. He was all I had left in the world.

So, I gritted my teeth and raised him myself, pretending not to know the truth about my parents' deaths.

I thought, 'No matter how cruel a man is, surely he wouldn't harm his own child.'

I tried everything I could to awaken even a sliver of fatherly love in Richard.

Our son was very well-behaved, and his big, round eyes were filled with innocence.

Whenever Richard appeared, the little one would toddle after him, calling out in his soft, milky voice.

"Daddy… hug…"

Sometimes, if Richard was in a good mood, he would actually pick him up for a moment.

In those fleeting seconds, I dared to dream.

Even if, someday, Richard wanted me dead… as long as he treated our son well, I'd have no regrets.

But I underestimated how much Elise meant to him.

When our son was two, he came down with a high fever.

That same night, the whole city was hit by torrential rain.

I begged Richard to drive us to the hospital.

He looked at me, then spat coldly, "He deserves to die."

That was the moment I gave up completely.

I stopped hoping for his love.

I took our son and moved out of the mansion, living quietly and humbly.

While his tech company soared and eventually went public, I spent my days walking hand in hand with my son in the park.

Our life was peaceful. Happy, even.

But what I couldn't have known was: he had never planned to let us go.

On our son's third birthday, he did something completely out of character. He actually invited us out to celebrate.

He even suggested the seaside, which was our son's favorite place.

While 300-feet underwater, he ripped off the tube of our oxygen tanks, drowning me and my son.

After my death, my consciousness remained as a spirit. I watched on as he placed my corpse in front of Elise's grave as an offering.

He said, "Ellie, I've finally avenged you. I hope this will bring you some peace in your afterlife."

It was only then I understood.

Richard had never loved us, not even for a second.

Since I was granted a second chance at life, I decided we should just free each other from this marriage that doomed us both.