Chapter 1

"Grace, we're getting a divorce as you wish."

They were in the intensive care unit at the hospital.

Adrian Donovan handed a signed divorce agreement to Grace Lawson.

"We're married?"

Grace Lawson stared at the names and dates on the divorce papers.

Adrian was a well-known figure in Regalton. He had both outstanding character and top grades. At just 18, he took over the entire Donovan family, becoming the youngest business titan in history.

So, six years later, she actually married the man of her dreams?

This couldn't be real!

Grace gave her cheek a pinch. Ow, that hurt!

She was still in shock when a little girl with a cute bun came up to Grace and gently tugged on her sleeve.

"I promise I'll behave, even if they need to take my blood again. Mommy, can you please not divorce Daddy? Don't leave me and my brother behind."

The five-year-old girl was tiny and frail, and her pale arms were covered in bruises and needle marks.

Grace's mind froze again.

Mommy?

So that meant in six years, she not only ended up marrying Adrian, but also gave birth to his daughter?

She recalled going to a school reunion, then getting chased by a serial killer on her way home.

She was wounded and blacked out. When she woke up, she had somehow jumped six years into the future.

She married her dream man and even became a mother.

This was just too incredible!

"Sweetheart, who hurt you?" Grace asked softly, holding the little girl's hand.

She might have been just 18 and had no idea how to be a mother, but she definitely knew how to protect her daughter.

Whoever had the nerve to lay a finger on her daughter was in serious trouble!

Clara Donovan gazed at the woman before her with wide, teary eyes, completely overwhelmed by this unexpected gentleness.

It was the first time her mother had ever spoken to her so gently.

"Don't you dare touch my sister!" Ethan Donovan snapped, pulling Clara behind him. "Quit pretending. Aren't you the one who caused all her injuries?"

Grace frowned. "Me? How could that be?"

She'd always been a little spoiled and had a bit of a temper, but she wasn't the kind of person who'd ever hurt her own child.

Ethan scoffed. "You'd do anything for that jerk. You used your own daughter as a walking blood bank for his daughter, and now you want to use Clara's bone marrow to save his daughter. You're not even worthy of being a mother!"

"Ethan, don't talk to Mommy like that."

Clara was afraid Grace wouldn't stay this gentle after she heard what Ethan said.

With tears streaming down her face, she pleaded, "Nobody forced me, I swear. I did it because I wanted to. As long as you don't jump in the river again, I'll do whatever you want."

Adrian picked up his daughter and gently patted her back to comfort her.

He looked at Grace, and there was nothing but disappointment in his gaze.

"We'll go to court and file for divorce tomorrow."

He once believed that if he waited long enough, she'd change her mind. But over these six years, she had taught him a hard lesson.

If she didn't love him after all that, she never would. Even if he waited another 60 years, she'd only ever love Jesse Blake. She wouldn't spare Adrian even a shred of her affection.

Adrian took the two kids and left, leaving Grace stunned and alone.

She had no clue what had happened in those six years, but it looked like she had turned into a pretty terrible person.

Grace wanted to know the full story of what had gone down during those six years. But after checking her phone, she noticed she only had one contact in there—Jesse.

Relying on her memory, she called her best friend, Sabrina Norman.

Half an hour later, Sabrina, wearing a black suit, rushed into the hospital room.

"Sabrina!"

"Who are you?"

Sabrina shot Grace a cold look and shoved her aside.

Grace had cut off all contact with her and treated her like an enemy—all because of a man.

But now, Grace had not only called Sabrina but also hugged her like they were close. This was suspicious!

"I'm Grace, the one from when I was 18."

Anyone else would have written this off as crazy. But Sabrina believed it.

When she was 18 years old, Grace was the heiress of the Lawson family and the most admired woman in Regalton. But by 24 years old, she had fallen so far that people mocked her as a lovesick doormat.

"Sabrina, what really happened these past six years?"

Grace was desperate to learn all the details of those six years.

How did she end up marrying Adrian? What had she done to make her kids resent and dread her?

From Sabrina's account, Grace discovered everything that had taken place in those six years.

"So you're telling me that in just six years, I turned into some hopeless lovesick doormat? I gave Lawson Group to that guy, and he cheated on me with his old flame and even had a daughter with her. And I actually forgave him and even made my daughter a blood donor for his mistress' kid?"

Grace felt utterly stunned and perplexed.

"Why in the world would I do that?"

How could she have dumped a prince like Adrian just to keep chasing after some nobody?

Sabrina rolled her eyes. "How would I know what you were thinking? I seriously wondered if Jesse had you under some kind of spell.

"You actually threatened to kill yourself if Clara didn't donate her bone marrow to Jesse's daughter! And in the end, after all your crazy moves, Adrian finally asked you for a divorce."

"What?" Grace felt completely lost.

Chapter 2

In the living room of the Donovan residence, Ethan rolled a white suitcase up to Grace.

"Grab your stuff and go be with that loser you're always hung up on." Ethan crossed his arms, his tone downright rude.

"Ethan, don't send Mommy away," Clara whimpered.

She knew Grace might really go and never come back.

Clara clung to the suitcase that was even taller than she was. Her round eyes were brimming with tears, looking heart-wrenchingly sad.

"Mommy, please don't leave."

Ethan yanked Clara away. "She never wastes a single tear on us! She only cries for that creep! Don't beg her!"

Adrian said, "Nora, take Ethan and Clara upstairs to rest."

Once Nora Danniel led the children away, Adrian passed a document folder to Grace.

When she opened it, she found eight separate pieces of real estate, dozens of luxury cars, and one billion in stocks.

It was more than enough for Grace to splurge on for the rest of her life.

"These are your divorce settlement assets. If you have no objections, sign the agreement," Adrian said coldly, his eyes showing no emotion.

Grace couldn't understand. What on earth had gone wrong in her future self's head?

She had a husband who was willing to hand over an enormous fortune, yet she'd chosen that broke, unfaithful man instead.

She picked up the pen, then slowly set it back down. Lifting her eyes, she looked at the cold, distant man in front of her. Her voice turned soft, almost coy. "Honey, I'm hungry."

"What did you just call me?"

Surprise flickered across Adrian's face.

In all six years of their marriage, she had only ever looked at him with disgust and hatred. The words she used most often with him were "get lost".

Yet now, she was acting all sweet and calling him honey.

"Yeah, honey," Grace said again. "Even if we're getting divorced tomorrow, you're my husband right now."

The hope in Adrian's eyes faded again.

What was he even expecting? That she'd somehow change for him?

It was too bad she'd only ever change for Jesse.

"Grace, stop wasting your time. I'm never letting you use Clara's bone marrow to save Jesse's daughter."

He assumed all her changes were for Jesse's sake.

Grace tried to explain herself, but he got up and walked out.

She sighed deeply and slumped her chin on the table, recalling what Sabrina had told her.

"For six years, Adrian put up with everything you did. If you just say a few nice words to him now, there's no way he'll still go through with the divorce."

She thought about Adrian's frosty gaze as well as her son's open animosity, and she let out another sigh.

"Guess he's not that easy to coax..."

She hadn't even finished her thought. All of a sudden, a steaming bowl of pasta landed right in front of her.

Grace looked up and saw Adrian standing there.

He was so striking that even the overhead lights seemed to pale by comparison.

Whether as a young man or the man he was now, Adrian always took her breath away.

Grace thought to herself that, despite his cold words, his actions said it all. After all, he had gone and made her a bowl of pasta to eat.

She beamed as she reached out for the bowl, but he simply said, "Eat and then go."

His voice was distant, as if he were ushering her out.

Grace realized she'd been reading too much into it.

After he spoke, his phone suddenly rang.

Adrian got to his feet and headed out to the garden to take the call.

Grace was actually starving, so she finished the bowl of pasta in just six minutes. After that, she started feeling sleepy.

She decided to doze off right there, figuring Adrian wouldn't be able to send her away if she was asleep.

About 20 minutes later, Adrian came back, instinctively looking toward the living room.

Everything looked neat. No shattered bowls, no chaos.

The bowl of pasta had been completely finished.

On the couch, Grace was asleep, her face serene and lovely.

Adrian spaced out for a moment. This all seemed too surreal, like a dream he'd dared to have countless times before.

He remembered how Grace used to toss aside any food he made for her, calling him "nasty" and "full of himself".

He grabbed a blanket and gently placed it over Grace. His eyes showed a longing he kept tightly under wraps.

"Grace, for the sake of the kids, I can't let you trick me again."

...

Grace had a really sound nap.

When she was awakened, she saw Ethan glaring at her with reddened eyes, his little fists balled up tight.

"Grace, where is Clara?"

Grace hadn't even gathered her wits before Ethan flung a piece of paper at her.

On it was Clara's handwriting. "Ethan, I won't let Mommy leave Daddy or leave us. I'm going to save our family!"

Chapter 3

Reading the note, Grace felt a sharp pain in her heart.

A five-year-old should have been mischievous at that age, but Clara showed a heartbreaking kind of maturity.

"Clara's gone? Let's hurry and find her!"

She had just gotten to her feet when Ethan shoved her.

"Grace, stop acting! You definitely said something to Clara that made her run away! It's no wonder you were acting weird yesterday. Turns out you never gave up on using Clara's bone marrow to save that jerk's daughter!"

The little boy's eyes were red, filled with hatred as he glared at Grace.

Adrian picked up his frantic son. His cold eyes no longer held any feeling.

"Grace, my children are my bottom line. If anything happens to Clara, I'll tear Jesse to pieces myself."

He had wanted to do this for a long time. But Grace always threatened him with her own life, telling him that if he so much as laid a finger on Jesse, she would die right in front of him.

In fact, she really had done that.

For Jesse's sake, she had harmed herself and attempted suicide countless times until Adrian no longer dared to touch Jesse at all.

Grace didn't explain. She knew that even if she tried, they wouldn't believe her.

Right now, finding Clara mattered most.

Her silence made Adrian uneasy. In the past, the second he mentioned Jesse, she would fly into a rage, scream at him, smash things, and curse him.

But today, she was weirdly calm.

He feared she might hurt herself again. Before leaving, he reminded the housekeeper to keep an eye on her and call him right away if something happened.

In the car, no one spoke.

Adrian finally broke the silence. "You shouldn't have shoved her. She's still your mother."

Ethan pressed his lips together, his eyes filled with a pain no five-year-old should have to bear.

"A mother? She never treated me and Clara like we were her kids."

She hated him and Clara. Grace had screamed at them more than once, cursed them, and even resented that they existed.

He had once been just like Clara, begging Grace for love. But all he ever got in return were two cold words, "You're disgusting".

Up front, the assistant took a call.

He turned around to Adrian. "Mr. Donovan, we found Ms. Clara. She's at the hospital and about to undergo a bone marrow transplant..."

He hesitated, which Adrian immediately noticed.

Under Adrian's glare, the assistant added, "Mrs. Donovan is at the hospital too..."

...

Thanks to Sabrina, Grace learned where Clara was.

When Grace arrived at the hospital and rushed to the operating room door, she saw Clara.

Next to the child stood a woman with long, wavy hair.

"Nina, if I save Amelia, does that mean Mommy won't leave us?"

"Of course. As long as you use your bone marrow to save my daughter, your mommy won't divorce your daddy. Donating bone marrow is just like drawing a little blood. You don't want to lose your mommy, right?"

Nina Snyder was coaxing the five-year-old girl—Clara.

A bone marrow transplant was no small thing for an adult, let alone a five-year-old.

But that didn't matter to Nina. All she cared about was her own daughter staying alive.

If Grace's daughter died, so be it.

"Stop right there!"

"Grace?"

Nina turned around and paled at the sight of Grace walking toward her. It was as if she had just seen a ghost in broad daylight.

Grace was still alive?

"It's okay if they take my blood or bone marrow for Amelia. I'll do whatever they say. Mommy, please don't leave us..." Clara's voice was choked with sobs. Afraid of making Grace angry, she only dared to tug her sleeve.

Grace felt as though her heart had been crushed.

She knelt down, gently wiping Clara's tears. "Clara, I'm not leaving you. But I have something important to do right now. Can you close your eyes and count to 100... No, let's make it 500, okay?"

Then, she muttered, "Will it be too hard for a five-year-old to count to 500?"

Clara heard Grace's quiet murmur. She immediately shook her head. "That's not hard at all, Mommy. I'm not dumb. I'm really smart!"

She was afraid Grace would think she was just a silly child. But what scared her more was that Grace might stop being this gentle with her.

"I know you're the best. Let's start counting."

Grace patted Clara's head, then balled her fists and stretched her muscles out.

"Mommy, will you be gone when I finish counting to 500?" Clara asked softly, her tiny voice trembling with tears.

"No, I promise. Pinky swear," Grace said, hooking her pinky with the young girl's.

Clara shook her head. "I believe you, Mommy."

Then, she hugged her doll, turned away, and started to count in her sweet voice. "One, two..."

Grace put her headphones over Clara's ears and got up to tie her hair into a high ponytail. Then, she grabbed Nina by the hair and yanked her forward.

She slapped Nina hard across the face, and her cheek swelled up right away.

"Grace, how dare you hit me!"

"What? I need to make an appointment to slap you?"

The 18-year-old Grace was bold and fearless. She didn't hesitate to put this shameless woman in her place. She kept slapping her again and again, showing no mercy.

Jesse Blake arrived in a hurry.

He saw Nina beaten within an inch of her life and pinned under Grace, who was seated on a nearby chair with one foot on Nina's back.

Grace's eyes held a regal allure, like a proud red rose.

This was the old Grace he remembered.

That untouchable, arrogant Grace he had once knocked off her pedestal.

Chapter 4

"Jesse, help me," Nina begged, looking pitiful.

"Grace, kneel down and apologize to Nina! If you don't, I won't forgive you, and you'll never see me again!" Jesse was furious, barking the command at Grace. He had used that trick many times.

Usually, the moment he said it, Grace would become a puppet and obey him without question.

But this time, it failed.

She slapped him right across the face, then kicked him in the knee. He lost his balance and fell hard, ending up kneeling in front of Grace.

Everyone around, including the hospital staff, stared in shock.

Grace actually hit Jesse? Wasn't Jesse supposed to be her whole world? Had she lost her mind?

"Grace, you—"

Before he could finish, Grace had already grabbed a handful of his hair and spoke haughtily. "Who are you yelling at? Know your place. If you want to see me, you have to get on your knees. And..."

She glanced at Nina before continuing, "Take your mutt with you and get lost. If there's a next time, I'll break your legs."

Grace had a black belt in Taekwondo. Dealing with Jesse and Nina was a piece of cake.

Jesse fumed. He was dead set on teaching Grace a lesson.

But Nina tugged on his sleeve and pleaded, "Honey, save our daughter first. We need Clara's bone marrow!"

Recalling his daughter, Jesse swallowed his anger and blocked Grace, who was about to carry Clara away.

"Grace, as long as you let your daughter donate bone marrow to save Amelia, I'll marry you. Is that good enough for you?"

He acted as though this was some huge compromise on his part. Now that he had said it, surely Grace would be moved to tears.

Clara gripped her doll tighter.

She wasn't afraid of Grace letting them draw her bone marrow. She was afraid Grace might marry this bad man.

Grace sensed Clara's tension and patted her back gently to comfort her.

Then, she stared at Jesse with cold disdain, looking him up and down.

"Marry me? You wish.

"Jesse, ever heard of being evenly matched? You're nowhere near my level. But you and Nina? You two are perfect. Like rats and roaches—disgusting and made for each other."

Jesse's face twisted. He completely lost his composure.

He relied on a woman to climb the social ladder. Everyone in their circle knew it. He had been mocked and shunned more than once.

His pride was huge, and so was his insecurity. Grace's words crushed his self-esteem and trampled it underfoot.

Jesse grabbed Grace by the arm and sneered. "Grace, you really think you're still the precious daughter of the Lawson family?

"I heard Adrian's tired of you and already asked for a divorce. Without him backing you up, you're nothing but a pathetic loser!"

He raised his hand to slap Grace.

With Clara in her arms, Grace couldn't dodge.

But after a moment, the expected pain didn't come.

She opened her eyes and saw Adrian standing in front of her, clutching Jesse's raised hand.

Then, she heard a crack. That was the sound of a bone snapping.

Jesse's face turned ghostly white. His cries of agony echoed throughout the hospital.

Adrian yanked Jesse closer. His dark gaze overflowed with a powerful threat. Countless emotions churned in his eyes as he snarled, "Who says she's a pathetic loser? She's my wife!"

Chapter 5

Jesse was in so much pain that his face twisted. His voice trembled as he asked, "Didn't you two already get a divorce?"

Adrian replied, "Who said we got divorced?"

His expression was as cold as he said, "Jesse, from now on, stay away from my daughter and my wife. Otherwise, I'll make sure you vanish from this world!"

After his warning, Adrian glanced at Grace.

In the past, whenever he dared to warn Jesse, Grace would rush over and slap him, then threaten him by saying, "If you lay one finger on Jesse, I'll kill you!"

There was no furious outburst this time. Grace stayed calm, as quiet and still as a beautiful statue.

Presently, Grace was thinking. Donovan Corporation was the top family business in Regalton. As the head of this business empire, Adrian held power beyond measure.

If Adrian wanted Jesse dead, he just needed to give an order. So why did he keep letting Jesse get away with so much?

Was it because of her?

"Amelia is Jesse's daughter. You must save her!" Nina stood in Grace's way, acting like she had every right to.

Grace found it ridiculous. "What's his daughter got to do with me? I'm not her mother. Why should I care if she lives or not?

"How about this? You both get on your knees and beg me. Maybe then I'll help you find a fertility specialist, give you another shot at having kids. But..."

Her disdainful stare swept over Jesse. "Look at you. You're weak, probably shooting blanks. Having a baby? Not happening."

Jesse was so angry that he almost coughed up blood.

First, men hated it when people claimed they were impotent. Second, he really did want a son with Nina, but she never got pregnant.

He snarled, "Grace, how dare you curse me!"

What he didn't know was that Grace wasn't just good at fighting. She was also a legendary healer.

Nina heard what Grace said and looked uneasy for a moment.

Adrian and the two children were stunned. They couldn't believe their ears.

Did they hear that right?

Was Grace actually mocking Jesse?

...

Inside the Rolls-Royce, Adrian was the first to break the silence. "Don't overthink it. I only said that for the Donovan family's reputation. We haven't officially divorced yet, so you're still my wife."

Grace felt a little disappointed. So it was just for the family's reputation...

When Adrian said she was his wife, Grace's heart skipped a beat.

She first fell for him back in school.

At the time, she fainted during physical education class due to her diet and low blood sugar.

Adrian, who was by the window, saw it happen. He dropped his important exam, climbed out the window, and carried her straight to the nurse's office.

From that moment on, she liked him.

Her thoughts were interrupted at this moment.

"Sign the divorce papers and give them to Travis. He'll handle the follow-up procedures with you."

Travis Read was Adrian's assistant.

Grace felt let down. She wondered if such a perfect man was really going to leave her for good.

Soon, they arrived back at the Donovan residence.

Right at the door, Grace saw a bunch of doctors rushing into Clara's room.

Two hours later, Clara finally woke up.

Adrian sat by the bed and asked with concern, "Clara, do you feel sick anywhere?"

Clara didn't seem to hear him. She just stared at the ceiling, silent and lost in a daze.

No matter who spoke to her, she didn't respond.

It wasn't until Grace called her name that the little girl finally blinked and turned to look at her.

"Mommy, I'm here."

Ethan frowned and looked at the private doctor. "What's going on?"

The doctor finished a series of tests on Clara.

"There's nothing wrong physically, but she's suffering from a neurodevelopmental condition."

Adrian asked, "What kind of condition?"

The doctor explained, "Autism."

Grace had heard of it before, but she couldn't figure out how a sweet, considerate girl like Clara got such a condition.

The doctor went on, "Autism is often tied to a child's environment at home. A kid who doesn't feel loved can easily develop issues like this."

He gave a grim warning. "If you don't intervene, she might become clinically depressed. Best-case scenario, she won't be able to live like everyone else. Worst case, she might harm herself."

Adrian's breath caught. Guilt took over him completely. He had failed his daughter.

The doctor tried to reassure them. "Don't panic. She's only showing early signs. If she gets the right therapy, she can recover. But..."

He paused for a moment. "Mr. Donovan, I suggest you and your wife hold off on the divorce. Clara's very sensitive about it. If you insist on divorcing right now, it might push her over the edge and worsen her condition."

When they stepped out of the room, Adrian turned to Grace, wanting to talk to her.

Before he could say a word, Grace spoke first. "Adrian, I know you can't stand me and you want a divorce, but for Clara's sake, we can't divorce right now."

Adrian froze in surprise. "You mean we're not getting divorced?"

"Yes, not until Clara gets better. After that, we can—"

She didn't finish the word "divorce" before Adrian interrupted her. "Fine."

He watched her walk away, his fists clenching and unclenching.

Grace really had changed.

From the doorway, Clara had been peeking through the crack.

She quietly shut the door. Then, she jumped into bed and took out her smartwatch to make a call.

"Aunt Sabrina! The plan to save Daddy's marriage worked! Mommy and Daddy decided not to divorce for now!"

Clara and her godmother, Sabrina, had staged the whole pity act to help save Adrian and Grace's marriage.

Clara's job was to fake being sick, while Sabrina bribed the private doctor.

Chapter 6

The next day, when Grace showed up at the Norman residence, Sabrina felt a little uneasy.

She was worried that Grace had discovered the secret plan she and Clara had come up with.

Grace frowned. "Sabrina, something's off. Jesse isn't even my type. There's no way I'd turn into some pathetic lovestruck doormat for him."

Sabrina sat next to her. "Everything changed after the night you got chased by that serial killer on Christmas when you were 18 years old."

Grace's eyes flickered. She had somehow jumped six years into the future after being chased by a serial killer on Christmas.

Sabrina sipped her coffee and continued, "That night, you fell unconscious, and Jesse carried you into the hospital covered in blood. You both had serious injuries and were in comas for seven days.

"When you woke up, you claimed Jesse's hand had been badly injured saving you, so he could never hold a scalpel or be a surgeon again. You said you owed him."

From then on, the top debutante in Regalton became the laughingstock who worshipped Jesse.

Grace furrowed her brow harder. Over a life debt, she had given away her entire company and bowed down so low?

That went completely against her nature.

Sabrina found it just as baffling. She had grown up with Grace and knew her best.

Grace always loved solving problems with money.

If anyone badmouthed her, Grace would stuff cash in their mouth, asking, "Is this enough to shut your filthy mouth?"

If someone courted her, she would say, "Here's some money. Find a new target."

If people picked on her and someone stepped in, Grace would say, "Here's your reward. I'm in a good mood, so take a few extra grand. But don't step in for me again. They can't actually hurt me. I just find them entertaining."

...

The Grace in Sabrina's memories had always been proud and noble. That was why she admired her.

Grace said, "Adrian is obviously my dream guy. Why would I hate him? Why would I even resent our kids?"

She rubbed her temples, feeling like nothing added up.

All of this strangeness made her suspect someone had taken over her body.

Sabrina remembered Clara's tearful face. She almost blurted out the truth but held it back.

"I really don't know what happened."

She knew she wouldn't be able to hide it forever. She knew Grace might hate or blame her if she ever learned the truth, but Sabrina couldn't take that risk.

She feared losing this version of Grace and seeing her turn back into the person no one recognized.

Worried Grace would keep pressing, Sabrina changed the subject. "Grace, the one who saved you from that serial killer six years ago wasn't Jesse."

She had spent a year and a lot of money investigating what happened that night, trying to figure out why Grace had changed so drastically.

In the damaged security footage, Sabrina saw a shadowy figure use his body to shield Grace from the killer's knife. He was covered in blood, luring the killer away.

Later on, Jesse showed up in the footage and took Grace away.

Back then, Grace was too far gone to trust Sabrina's account. She cut ties with her for Jesse's sake and never spoke to her again.

But now, Grace believed everything Sabrina told her.

"Well then, I don't have to worry about any debt to Jesse."

"Grace, what are you going to do?"

Grace's eyes sparkled, her lips curling into a sly smile. There was a cunning, captivating look in her gaze.

"What am I going to do? I'm going to remind them who owns the Lawson family and who's just begging for scraps."

Grace wanted to reclaim everything that was hers.

She also wanted payback for all the insults Jesse and Nina had thrown at her, and for the harm they caused Clara. She wanted to settle every last score and make them pay a hundred times over.