Chapter 2My Husband Faked His Death, So I Cremated Him for Real.

Derek's face, drenched in tears, appeared before me. Every word he spoke was drenched in tears, his voice cracking with emotion.

"Celeste, I know I've failed you. It's my fault. My nepotism, my terrible business decisions... they led to the company's bankruptcy, and now we owe a fortune."

His hand trembled as he pulled out a small blue glass bottle, a crudely drawn skull and crossbones on its label, as if to ensure no one missed it was poison.

"Celeste, I'm so sorry! We... we've truly reached a dead end. We can only atone for our sins by taking our own lives!"

He looked at me deeply, a prolonged gaze.

Then, with a dramatic flourish, he raised the bottle and gulped down its contents.

"Celeste, please forgive me."

Derek coughed up blood, thrashing on the floor in agony, his eyes still fixed on mine...

That agonizingly familiar scene jolted me awake.

I had been reborn. Reborn to the day the nightmare began, ten years ago...

In my past life, my husband had stubbornly insisted on his own way, filling the company with his cronies, and ultimately running it into the ground.

I'd pleaded with him countless times, but our arguments only festered until our relationship turned completely toxic, leaving us as enemies.

Out of sheer frustration, we stopped all contact.

A year later, to my horror, Derek showed up at my door with his father, Mr. Thorne, his mother, Mrs. Thorne, his elder brother, Victor, his second brother, Paul... the entire family of seven.

Derek was sobbing uncontrollably, filled with what seemed like deep regret. He drank the poison right in front of me, begging for my forgiveness even in his dying moments.

Before I could even react, the whole family of seven simultaneously swallowed poison and died. It was an utterly gruesome scene.

Watching my once-beloved husband die such a painful death right before my eyes, seeing all seven of them collapse, I was overcome with sorrow.

I not only forgave Derek for all his mistakes but was consumed by unbearable grief and profound regret.

Overwhelmed, I eventually fainted.

When I finally woke up, I discovered something shocking.

My elder sister-in-law, Scarlett, had already cremated all seven of them with shocking speed.

Before I could even begin to process the immense grief, I was slapped with another terrifying reality - loan shark enforcers were practically breaking down the door.

They stood there, menacing and formidable, blocking the entrance.

It was then that I learned Derek owed a staggering one hundred million dollars.

And I was the only surviving debtor in the entire family.

Even though I fought it every step of the way, legally, I was on the hook for everything. It was either pay up or rot in jail.

With no other choice, I sold off my villa and my company to pay down the debt.

Even my parents' company and house were liquidated.

After that, I worked day and night, juggling three jobs, scrimping and saving every penny. It took me a full ten years to pay off the very last dollar.

Just as my trembling hands paid off the very last penny, believing it was finally over...

I suddenly realized that the very mansion I'd sold off was now home to a 'happy' family.

My husband, under a new name, was embracing a new woman, with two adorable children doting at their feet.

Mr. and Mrs. Thorne were beaming, looking years younger than me, clearly living a life of leisure and comfort.

My heart instantly felt like it was being ripped apart, bleeding raw.

I remembered my parents, who had died prematurely three years earlier, overworked and exhausted from helping me pay off the debts.

I remembered myself - white-haired and haggard in my youth, worn out from a decade of ceaseless labor.

Derek, with his gorgeous, fawning wife clinging to him, drove off in a luxury car.

He rolled down the window, his gaze sweeping over me as if I were a pathetic fool.

He tossed a single dollar bill at my feet.

"This dollar is my thanks for all your hard work, paying off our family's debts. Hahahahaha..."

Seeing the despicable, triumphant smirk on their faces, I felt a thousand daggers pierce my soul.

"Pfft!" I spewed a mouthful of blood and collapsed into eternal darkness...