I was a devoted wife and mother.

I left my job to be a cook for Eric Simpson for a decade. Regardless of his infidelity, it didn't bother me.

Every day, I carefully laid out a full table of dishes and waited for him to come home.

Later, his voice trembled as he begged, "Jessica, please... no more."

I shook my head and forced the scalding soup down his throat.

A man who enjoyed cheating must have a good appetite, so he had to consume all of it.

***

"Jessica, look at how adorable our child is and how much she sticks to you.

"Why don't you remain at home to spend more time with her?

A familiar voice echoed in my ears, causing me to tremble all over.

Wasn't I dead? My thoughts were racing.

My husband, Eric, believed I was blocking his path, so he took away my rights after I gave birth.

But he was still fearful and secretly conspired with my trusted secretary, Kaylee Harrison.

They framed me by placing me in bed with a strange man, accusing me of infidelity.

That day, Los Angeles buzzed with rumors about the leaked images of the Quinn Group's heiress in bed.

I was stimulated and returned home to fulfill my role as a housewife for a decade as they wished.

Kaylee even moved into the same building and ate the meals I carefully prepared every day.

After ten years of cooking and tending to them, I inadvertently uncovered the truth, and they realized I knew.

They burned everything to ashes.

With my soul ablaze, I could only hover nearby, watching them become increasingly brazen without me.

They wasted the Quinn Group's business that my father built, and they treated my child like a pet.

When I woke up again, I found myself back in the moment right after giving birth.

***

Eric was dressed impeccably in a suit and tie, and the cunning hidden within his eyes was more apparent than I remembered.

"Jessica, I came to check on you. "

The sound of Kaylee's high heels pierced the air as she entered, carrying tonic soup.

The diamond necklace adorning her neck sparkled so radiantly that it made me feel dizzy. It was the birthday gift I had given her last month, and now it dangled over the hickey Eric had left.

In my previous life, I felt sympathy for her and treated her like a younger sister, failing to notice those signs.

I assumed she was merely being a bit casual, and nothing was wrong with it.

Now, seeing the unspoken ambiguity between the two of them, I tightened my grip on the bed sheet, my nails digging into my palms.

"You two look perfect together. Anyone would mistake you for a married couple."

My words hit them like a slap. They froze.

Eric rushed to soothe me, while Kaylee put on her usual sweet act.

In my previous life, I'd been blind to something so glaringly obvious.

"Wendy," I called my maid, keeping my tone gentle.

"Starting today, no one steps into this house without my permission."

I watched Kaylee's eyes widen in shock and added, "Kaylee, don't trouble yourself to help me anymore."

She instantly panicked—I had never treated her that way before. "Jessica..."

Eric quickly jumped in, "Jessica's just exhausted from childbirth. Don't take it to heart."

The moment he touched my hand, I nearly gagged.

He was the one who drenched me in gasoline in my previous life.

I turned away and pretended to sleep, letting Wendy see them off.

The memory of flames searing my skin felt so fresh that tears soaked my pillow before I even noticed.

This time, I wouldn't let Eric and Kaylee recreate my past.

They'd repay their sins in blood.

In my previous life, I never suspected my husband or my secretary, completely unaware of when they became a pair.

But looking back, they must have been plotting to take the Quinn Group long before.

My father had wanted me to inherit the company, but some old-fashioned board members refused.

They claimed a woman couldn't handle such responsibility and insisted my husband should take over instead.

He was young, ambitious, and well-mannered, so he was worth a chance. After all, he was marrying into my family.

Not wanting to cause a scene, I proposed a fair competition between Eric and me.

But then, I was tricked into getting pregnant. Once I recovered from childbirth, I tried returning to work.

Yet every time I stepped into the office, my daughter, Cecilia, would suddenly fall sick.

My little girl, just months old, would spike a fever or suffer from stomach troubles. I couldn't bear to let my child suffer like that.

I devoted myself to raising Cecilia until she started kindergarten. When I tried returning to work, my position had disappeared.

People only admired Eric's decisiveness and efficiency, but they never realized I was the one who trained him.

Forced into domestic life, I worked as a housewife for ten years.

I pored over recipes daily, believing I was helping Eric recuperate, but I didn't see his schemes coming.

"Jessica, what's going on with you today?

"Don't you always treat Kaylee like family? Why did you act that way toward her? She was crying when she left."

I came back to reality and acted fragile when Eric questioned me.

"Hubby, I'm sorry. I care about you so much. It bothers me when I watch you two looking so perfect together."

Satisfied with my explanation, Eric brought Kaylee to my bed.

"Jessica, I don't blame you. We're as close as sisters, aren't we?

"Oh, the baby looks adorable. If she were mine, I'd never let her out of my sight.

"If you don't, children won't bond with their mothers later."

They both gave me different examples, and I pretended to be overwhelmed.

When Eric suggested I focus on Cecilia, I nodded eagerly. "You're right. Cece needs her mother."

Once their plan worked, their grins nearly spilled over.

I kept my eyes downcast, playing the harmless wife. But delicate petals often hide the sharpest thorns.

In the weeks that followed, I perfected my act as a devoted wife and mother.

My complete absorption in mothering convinced them I'd abandoned all career ambitions.

One evening, Eric casually slung an arm around me after playing with Cecilia.

"Honey, what's your take on this business deal? Could it work?"

My stomach turned, but I held back my disgust at his touch.

I looked at the plan with obvious problems, but I acted amazed. "You have a good eye!"

He quickly convinced me, used Cecilia to keep me home, and said he'd handle it alone.

I agreed easily and suggested bringing Kaylee along.

"Kaylee is my bestie. When you travel, don't let other women tempt you. I'll have her watch you."

Eric agreed quickly, but I saw contempt in his eyes.

I secretly mocked this fool, thinking he couldn't even spot the many flaws in the deal.

No wonder the Quinn Group collapsed so fast in my previous life.

During the night, sounds came from the baby's bed.

I caressed Cecilia's head and suddenly recalled how they had drugged her with sleeping pills in my previous life.

That was when they started worrying I might reclaim the business.

Right after they departed, I reached out to company contacts.

When my father passed away, he gave me a group of loyal people placed in key company roles.

In my previous life, I trusted that cheater's words and believed they only followed my father's orders.

This time, I secretly called them and said I'd only communicate privately from now on.

They kept asking me to come back and run the company, promising to help clear my path.

I said no. If I returned too easily, my targets would get suspicious.

To ruin them completely, I had to drive them insane first.

Before his business trip, Eric had boasted about securing a major deal. Once he was gone, his supporters began pressuring me.

Rumors spread that Eric had been working hard for the company, so he deserved to inherit it.

They said I, the real heiress, had lost my drive after having a baby.

I ignored what my subordinates told me. Those people were just minor players anyway.

Then, two major company shareholders approached me and asked me to give Eric control immediately.

"Sure, but my husband is still inexperienced. My father built the Quinn Group after all. I'd hate to see it falter. Besides, what will happen to you both then?"

The two shareholders, who seemed indifferent before, started thinking after I planted those doubts.

They used to work under my father. What if Eric became suspicious of them once he took charge?

"How about this? Once my husband finishes his project successfully, I'll think about stepping aside."

I then acted worried about nursing my baby and left the two shareholders still thinking about my words.

Soon, the company chatter shifted from praising Eric's potential to questioning whether he should inherit anything before proving himself.

Nobody expected the project to fail since he'd promised perfect results before leaving.

While rumors peaked, I was researching how much poison to use in cooking.

Eric stormed home looking defeated, his eyes blazing with fury.

"Jessica! What happened? We lost 10 million dollars!"

His forehead showed bulging veins as he almost threw the soup bowl.

I caught his wrist, my fingers brushing the mole Kaylee loved to kiss.

Looking up innocently, I said, "Don't get upset, Hubby. Have some soup to relax. I spent three hours making it.

"Did the project fail? I had no idea."

I pretended to be completely ignorant, but Eric kept grinding his teeth.

"What do you think? Didn't you miss all those problems in that plan?"

Setting down the soup, I fought my disgust and held Eric's arm.

"I'm not sure what went wrong. My thinking hasn't been clear recently.

"Don't people say women get confused after having babies? But Hubby, did you also miss those plan problems?"

Eric froze. After all, the projects I approved usually ended up making money.

Swallowing his defeat, Eric returned to the office only to discover he had missed the chance to inherit the company.

Though boiling with rage, he kept his temper in check around me, instead focusing on calming his panicked staff.

At home, I devoted myself to perfecting each dish before delivering it to Eric's office.

Always playing the doting husband in public, he gratefully accepted every meal I brought.

"Jessica, you're bringing Eric lunch again.

"I could never cook like you. I just eat whatever my maid prepares."

Kaylee pretended to be jealous while secretly showing off.

The truth was that she ate every single dish I made.

Just like in my previous life, she would eat each meal I prepared, with Eric.

It gave her a hidden feeling of victory, though she seemed to forget I was the one who helped her get a job when she was struggling financially.

I smiled warmly and looked pleased.

"What can I say? Eric always tells me my cooking beats any restaurant food.

"He said nothing compares to a home-cooked meal."

Kaylee's smile faltered as she tried to leave.

Pulling her back, I cheerfully recounted all the sweet moments Eric and I shared.

I only stopped when Eric appeared. Walking over to him, I linked our arms and cheerfully suggested finding Kaylee a boyfriend.

She finally broke down and rushed off, hiding her face.

When I noticed Eric getting ready to follow her, I faked twisting my ankle.

"Ouch! It hurts."

Eric quickly helped me sit down and turned to fetch some ice.

I grabbed his hand to stop him and asked him to massage my foot instead.

I knew he planned to use getting ice as an excuse to comfort his lover, but I wouldn't allow it.

After Eric rubbed my ankle, I kept asking him to do various things and only left feeling satisfied after several hours.

In the corridor, I used a damp cloth to clean everywhere Eric had touched me. That was when I overheard a heated argument.

"Are you insane? How could you approach me here at work?"

"Yes, I'm insane. I'm crazy enough to stay with a married man!"

I continued visiting the office daily, bringing Eric his meals and pulling Kaylee aside to share stories about how well he treated me.

Her smile grew more forced each time, and their relationship seemed ready to fall apart.

Since Eric needed both women in his life, he asked me to stop bringing him lunch every day.

I dramatically dropped the ingredients and sobbed about him falling out of love.

I behaved like a needy wife who couldn't live without him, which pleased Eric's ego.

After all, I used to be so independent that he felt intimidated.

Today, while carrying Eric's prepared meal to his office, I ran into Kaylee in the elevator. Unlike recent days, she didn't try to avoid me.

She greeted me with a smile right away. "Jessica, delivering food again?

"Eric is so lucky to have such a caring wife like you.

"Though if you keep bringing him meals daily, he might eventually get bored with it."

I kept my expression neutral and continued smiling while responding to her comments.

I stayed cautious, wondering what prompted her to say that.

As we left the elevator, Kaylee unconsciously touched her belly.

Could she be expecting a baby?

In my previous life, I had only a daughter. Eric used to claim that having a boy or a girl made no difference.

But deep down, he never truly valued our daughter, even after my death.

I helplessly witnessed how they confined Cecilia indoors and barely fed her.

She would only receive scraps when she allowed their son to use her as a riding toy.

The rage building inside me felt like molten lava threatening to burst free.

After calming myself, I smiled and put on my loving wife's act again.

As expected, when I walked into his office, Eric said, "Honey, you've put in so much effort cooking. I'll just order delivery food at work from now on."

That wouldn't do. How could restaurant food match the nutritious meals I made to ensure his long life?

I quickly accepted Eric's idea, and I saw him relax with relief.

Then, I added, "Being home alone is so dull. Maybe I should come to work at the company."

Eric immediately rejected my suggestion. He needed me away from the office to have more freedom.

"Honey, Cecilia needs you at home.

"Wouldn't it be nice if you could spend time gardening and playing piano?

"Work is exhausting, and I don't want you wearing yourself out."

His words made my skin crawl, but I kept insisting on working.

When I wouldn't listen to his reasoning, he grew tired of arguing.

He finally agreed to let me continue bringing his daily meals.

I spotted someone moving past the window and smiled inwardly.

My dear friend must have realized this man only cared about himself. He would show affection to whoever benefited him most.

From that point on, Kaylee took an extended leave, claiming illness and needing to return home for medical care.

I didn't buy this story, especially since Eric started coming home increasingly late.

Sometimes, he couldn't even touch the dinner I'd prepared, making excuses about being too full of business dinners.

I hired a private investigator and discovered Kaylee had relocated to an apartment right below ours.

Each evening after work, Eric would visit her place first, spending considerable time there before returning home.

They had scheduled a prenatal appointment together for the following day.

I gripped my food safety manual so tightly that the pages crinkled.

In my previous life, Eric never joined me for any prenatal visits.

Whenever Kaylee faced problems, I foolishly felt sympathy and encouraged Eric to assist her.

How incredibly naive I had been.

The next day, after bringing Eric his meal, I lingered instead of leaving with my thermos.

As their appointment time approached, Eric grew restless.

"Honey, Cecilia will miss you if you don't head home soon."

"Oh, it's okay. The nanny is watching her.

" I just want to spend time with you. Don't you want me here?"

Eric awkwardly fell silent and pretended to focus on his work. But his attention kept drifting, and he declined his buzzing phone calls.

He claimed they were spam calls, and I simply smiled.

Anxious people always act busy. Eric grabbed his coffee and drank some.

I sat calmly on the couch, browsing a magazine while time ticked by.

"Honey..."

Before finishing his sentence, Eric's face turned pale, and he rushed to the toilet.

When he emerged with unsteady steps, I approached him with fake concern.

Before he could speak, he waved me off and hurried back to the toilet.

The laxative was working perfectly. I'd gotten it from a veterinarian.

After multiple trips, Eric slumped on the couch, looking deathly pale.

I called my assistant to help Eric to the hospital, ignoring his protests.

There, we encountered Kaylee clutching her prenatal exam results.

"Jessica?" She spun around quickly, and I spotted the edge of the pregnancy report.

I moved forward and grabbed the document, adding just enough shock to my voice.

"Six weeks? Where's the baby's father? Why isn't he here with you?"